Buck Mason, Novesta, New & Lingwood: Spring ...

April 24th 2024

Our seasonal summary of things I’ve seen and liked rolls around again, and as ever is a good mechanism to answer questions about new products from established brands, such as the City Moc from Saman Amel (above). But it’s also, by design...

Buck Mason, Novesta, New & Lingwood: Spring ...

Match in comments:
Hi Stephen, that crease is prompt to be there regardless of how much you press or steam the jacket especially when hung on a hanger. The right front panel with two pockets builds a firmer structure, if the jacket creases...

Belts and wallets - Casual clothingApril 24th 2024

What colour theory can teach you about clothing

January 10th 2024

by Philipp Fröhlich Between 1966 and 1970, Barnett Newman, a prominent figure in abstract expressionism, painted four versions of a painting he called ‘Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue’ (above). I assume Newman foresaw the intim...

What colour theory can teach you about clothing

Match in comments:
My rule is akin to the doctors' oath to "first do no harm". In other words, with an outfit, avoid major blunders and you have done 90% of what's needed. If a tie is dramatic in pattern, the shirt and jacket must be subdu...

StyleJanuary 10th 2024

Swedish craft companies playing the long game: Sv...

November 13th 2023

By Dag Granath Something that’s true for most – if not all – companies covered by Permanent Style is that they aspire to create something that stands the test of time. Two of my favourite Swedish companies outside menswear have th...

Swedish craft companies playing the long game: Sv...

Match in comments:
Most certainly. It is something worth bringing up with them. For good or bad, many international customers find their way to MMF via interior architects which means they rarely connect personally with the company....

ClothNovember 13th 2023

The practicality of a sweater over the shoulders

April 12th 2023

Wearing a sweater over the shoulders has a lot of negative connotations. But if you can get away with it - because of your style, of where you are, or just because of your personality - it’s incredibly practical. This suit I wore at Pitti earl...

The practicality of a sweater over the shoulders

Match in comments:
Understood Rob. I personally find it doesn't really fall off, but then it depends what I'm doing that day - I'm just walking around town and chatting, not playing with the kids. And, if I tie the sleeves I don't find the...

Knitwear - SuitsApril 12th 2023

The Teba as substitute for a tailored jacket 

November 30th 2022

I don't think I've ever written about this jacket before, which is odd as I've had it a few years and wear it fairly often. It's the City Hunter 2 from The Armoury - their take on the traditional Spanish Teba jacket. It has the distinctive lapel s...

The Teba as substitute for a tailored jacket 

Match in comments:
Collar turned up and it looks like a Nehru jacket or one of those Bavarian/ Alpine jackets that often have either silver or stag horn buttons. In any event, this one you wear here is very nice....

JacketsNovember 30th 2022

Smart/casual and high/low: How to dress like Oliv...

April 8th 2022

  I was surprised when I realised we hadn’t ever featured Oliver Dannefalk in our ‘How to dress like’ series, given I’ve admired his style for years, particularly since he launched Rubato with Carl Per...

Smart/casual and high/low: How to dress like Oliv...

Match in comments:
Sounds interesting Gulliver...

StyleApril 8th 2022

If you had five coats: A versatile selection

December 1st 2021

  As with our previous article in this series – on bags – five coats might seem like a lot, but actually chances are many readers already have that in their wardrobe, if they account for smart and casual coats, for warmth...

If you had five coats: A versatile selection

Match in comments:
Thanks Simon! Okay I see. Probably it is I should be wearing that look more frequently and then see how I feel with it. Yes, without a collar (crewneck for instance) it feels especially odd....

CoatsDecember 1st 2021

Reader profile: David

September 24th 2021

This is the second in our series of articles meeting, and questioning, Permanent Style readers. The first profiled Manish, who enthused about Russian watches and recommended that readers should start building a wardrobe with good trousers. It's wort...

Reader profile: David

Match in comments:
I know i am sounding like a broken record but the reader profile..another well dressed young man....keep it up!!!! Peace...

September 24th 2021

Reader profile: Manish

August 23rd 2021

Sometimes I feel a bit envious of brands holding trunk shows, because they meet so many more PS readers than I do. I see people at occasional events, and of course the pop-ups once or twice a year, but that's about it. So one of the nice things ab...

Reader profile: Manish

Match in comments:
How lovely to see the rise of Manish from PS reader, to regular PS contributor, and now an in-demand male model who features heavily on my Instagram feed! Happy new year, everyone....

WatchesAugust 23rd 2021

The (17) made-to-measure tailors I have known

July 12th 2021

*UPDATE: Since this article was published, Brioni has also been tried and reviewed, as has J Mueser* Although I haven’t covered the same number of MTM tailors as bespoke ones, Permanent Style has steadily accumulated a good range - from Kiton ...

The (17) made-to-measure tailors I have known

Match in comments:
Not really I'm afraid - the more formal cut is a little underserved for MTM. It's much easier to get softer Italian stuff, largely because all the factories are there...

Jackets - SuitsJuly 12th 2021

Saman Amel hand-framed cricket sweater: Review

March 31st 2021

Last week we discussed the fit of knitwear, using the example of a vintage-styled Stoffa knit to look at the current vogue for shorter, wider cuts. This week we have an interesting contrast: another made-to-measure piece, from Saman Amel, but in a ...

Saman Amel hand-framed cricket sweater: Review

Match in comments:
Hopped over here from your Saman mention in the comments thread of your latest cotton sweater post. Wow, this is really, really nice. A distinct V neck that's not too snug and not too deep. The sweater has heft, but stil...

KnitwearMarch 31st 2021

New shop, outerwear and trousers at Saman Amel

December 23rd 2020

Saman Amel have a new atelier in Stockholm. It’s on the corner: a small, ground floor space with a plate-glass window, worn wood and patinated brass. Inside, though, is all tonal chic. Perfectly positioned lamps and designer chairs. A colour ...

New shop, outerwear and trousers at Saman Amel

Match in comments:
I think you mean the review of the jacket they made for me, here, and the coverage of the trousers, here? I also covered knitwear here and a coat here...

Casual clothing - KnitwearDecember 23rd 2020

Which brands do we cover, and why?

December 14th 2020

Now more than ever, I think it’s important to say what we stand for at Permanent Style. And one of the ways that comes across clearest is our editorial policy: what we cover, and what we don’t. Implicitly, this defines our values. It re...

Which brands do we cover, and why?

Match in comments:
Thanks Markus. I don't think it's so much a question of location - the Italian tailors I use, and brands I respect, would also not fit that tight or short. And many English brands go for the tight/short look. Good point ...

December 14th 2020

Postcard from Stockholm

October 9th 2020

So here's the weird thing about Stockholm: nothing is weird. Everything feels normal. No one wears a mask, and while there’s still social distancing, it's minimal and feels almost like politeness. People do sanitise their hands frequently, an...

Postcard from Stockholm

Match in comments:
No, sorry Stefan, it’s never really been a focus of the site. I also don’t usually have the money to spend on luxury places!...

October 9th 2020

Casual chic: The art of looking smart without a suit

July 22nd 2020

Connolly I often find there's a lot of anxiety among readers, and consultancy clients, about how to dress smartly without tailoring. It is, of course, a topic we've addressed many times. But today I'd like to emphasise a point that’s often mi...

Casual chic: The art of looking smart without a suit

Match in comments:
I do both Tamesh, sometimes mixing it up and sometimes wearing much more similar pieces together...

Casual clothingJuly 22nd 2020

Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style

April 8th 2020

  OK, so. Friend and photographer Jamie Ferguson has been locked up indoors for weeks, as we all have. And he’s gone a bit stir crazy. We had started talking a while ago about shoots we could do remotely. Perhaps looking at a few out...

Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style

Match in comments:
Cheers Tim, good to know always...

StyleApril 8th 2020

The style of a belted wrap coat – with Whit...

January 27th 2020

Just before Christmas, I took my belted coat into Whitcomb & Shaftesbury to have it converted into a normal overcoat. As detailed on my original article, this was always a possibility. I began the experiment of a bespoke wrap coat with the...

The style of a belted wrap coat – with Whit...

Match in comments:
I would certainly he hesitant about playing with the proportions too much, MK, at least until you've worn it a fair bit. Also, if it's a straight cut like that, don't ever just taper the waist. If you want it more shaped...

CoatsJanuary 27th 2020

The polo shirt under knitwear

November 27th 2019

I have a particular problem with crewneck sweaters. Although I love them, I find my relatively long neck means they don’t look good without a collar underneath. I need a shirt, rather than just a T-shirt. It’s the reason I sometimes we...

The polo shirt under knitwear

Match in comments:
It could work, but I think the finer Smedley might struggle over the polo shirt - the latter would be a bulkier material than the former, which is not really what you want when you wear one thing over another...

Shirts - StyleNovember 27th 2019

Video debate: The future of tailoring, with Saman...

September 27th 2019

The lack of a coherent dress code in modern offices does not mean men will wear tailoring less. It just means they have more choice. And Saman and Dag find that their customers are both bankers dressing down (not in a suit, but not in a polo either)...

Video debate: The future of tailoring, with Saman...

Match in comments:
Thank you very much for immediate response!...

Style - VideoSeptember 27th 2019

Saman Amel, Licia Luchini, Billy Tannery: Things ...

April 5th 2019

This is a post rounding up three recent made-to-measure commissions that for different reasons, didn’t quite work out. As ever with the reviews and commentary, all three brands are aware of the issues, and we have already talked about what can...

Saman Amel, Licia Luchini, Billy Tannery: Things ...

Match in comments:
I don't, sorry Michael...

Casual clothing - KnitwearApril 5th 2019

Saman Amel knitwear: Review

July 4th 2018

Fit is the most important aspect of clothing. It’s something I’ve always believed and it bears repeating. Quality is perhaps next, and you need style in anything, but fit is criminally ignored by most men - usually in favour of some pres...

Saman Amel knitwear: Review

Match in comments:
Saman Amel is more standard, Luca Faloni more unusual in its buttoned front. That design works better with a shirt, but personally I prefer the more standard style....

KnitwearJuly 4th 2018

Combining colours and patterns: How to dress like...

March 26th 2018

  This is the latest in my somewhat infrequent series on the style of my favourite people in the menswear industry. For those that want to catch up, the previous instalments have been: Personal style: How to dress like Bruce Boyer (and part ...

Combining colours and patterns: How to dress like...

Match in comments:
Excellent. He knows how to do a flow of tone from top to bottom -- for instance, light sport coat, while the dark tie leads the eye down to the dark pants. Perfect. Fullness of shirt collar/ tie width/ lapel width in har...

StyleMarch 26th 2018

Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review

January 22nd 2018

It’s so enjoyable writing good reviews. It is valuable to write balanced, semi-critical pieces of course, and this is a core part of Permanent Style. But you always feel very conscious of the effect the criticism will have, and bad even if it&...

Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review

Match in comments:
The top-level Saman Amel is a higher quality make, being hand padded, but I'd still largely pick on which style you prefer. Eg the Saman notch is a big higher...

JacketsJanuary 22nd 2018

Brands need to talk about product

December 29th 2017

There are several ways to define the menswear world we write about. As classic style, for instance, or about quality and craft. Also as luxury, given such quality is expensive. But one aspect that is rarely emphasised, and should be more in my opini...

Brands need to talk about product

Match in comments:
Well, my main point was, that the quality is often not there. I don't have an issue with paying a premium price for a premium product, but I won't pay it for an average or even below average product. Here's an example: R...

December 29th 2017

Saman Amel – Classic tailoring with a moder...

September 6th 2017

Good trunk shows pick good locations. Not necessarily fancy, but convenient and in a space that shows the product in a good light. This is particularly true with ready-made or made-to-measure brands, where customers are more likely to compare them t...

Saman Amel – Classic tailoring with a moder...

Match in comments:
Hi Dave, If you can, I would try on a Ring Jacket piece at the Armoury, then go see Saman Amel and see what they have, and see which style appeals instinctively. Both offer great products - and it sounds like you won't c...

Jackets - KnitwearSeptember 6th 2017