Animation – in Anderson & Sheppard, Du...
December 17th 2013I’ve received a few odd communications over the years, but this is the first time anyone has drawn a cartoon of me. As a big fan of graphic novels myself, particularly Chris Ware, this was a lovely thing to receive, although I must say the ...
Animation – in Anderson & Sheppard, Du...
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Wonderful and very recognisable rendition! You should incorporate that into the site....
A (Christmas) word from our sponsors
November 18th 2013One of the nice things about having nice advertisers is the range of Christmas shopping ideas they present. Here are my favourites. Among the best additions to the collection at Drake’s are the untipped cashmeres in various shades of grey. The ...
A (Christmas) word from our sponsors
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A Fine Pair of Shoes - my supplier of Saphir Shoe & Leather Polish and related products, probably the best around!...
The growth of men’s bags – FT article
October 18th 2013The growth of men’s bags as a sector is quite incredible. Menswear as a whole has outstripped women’s clothing for a few years now, as we’ve accepted the idea of buying better clothes and wearing them better. But while it grew 15% w...
The growth of men’s bags – FT article
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I think you clearly need a bag Ronnie, yes. If you want it quite casual, go for a tote bag. A leather one for work/town, and you can always get a nice canvas one if you want something more casual. Perhaps a backpack for ...
Buying a modern man bag
September 20th 2013Dear Simon, I have been wearing a messenger bag for some time for commuting as it’s a very handy way of containing all the bulk and occasional papers that I have to cart around with me. However, I have worried for some time about the potent...
Buying a modern man bag
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A bit late to the party, sorry you felt our bag doesn't look like the highest quality. If I may make a distinction between "luxury" and "high quality" - luxury being features that will go beyond high quality, where high ...
How to buy a leather bag on a budget
May 24th 2013Hi Simon, I’ve been following Permanent Style for a while now, as well as investing significantly more of my time trying to learn more about menswear. As my style has evolved and I find myself wearing a blazer or sportcoat more often, I&...
How to buy a leather bag on a budget
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Thank you. That is a nice design from Dunhill. I don't know whether it's all hand sewn though it may well be. Two things I think worth noting: - This looks like a heavier leather, like bridle, which is what English maker...
A travel innovation: VBC 1663 Bellagio Rolling Bag
May 20th 2013I’ve been travelling for the past two weeks, and while I fold my suits very assiduously (inside out, shoulder into shoulder, around a pair of trousers), they clearly suffered over the multiple journeys. I have no solution for such long periods ...
A travel innovation: VBC 1663 Bellagio Rolling Bag
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I don't have it, no. And i tend to fold them into suitcases. As long as its done carefully, i rarely have any issues...
How to buy a quality leather bag
March 12th 2013Leather bags are unique among men’s accessories. A good one will last a lifetime and, if treated well, will look better at the end than the beginning of your life together. Only leather has this attribute, gaining an individual patina from t...
How to buy a quality leather bag
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I need help here! I’m looking for a very specific type of tan leather military wet pack. It is also known as a roll pack and has a strap and buckle. There are various compartments inside. Usually coloured green. The be...
How great things age: Bown weekend bag
December 17th 2012Three years ago I met Judy Bown, a bag designer who had left her previous career working for companies such as Mulberry, Asprey and Tanner Krolle to set up her own label. The make of her bags was superb. The edges were inked by hand, for example, whi...
How great things age: Bown weekend bag
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Yes, I'd recommend the Bennet Winch ones, canvas and leather, and my Dunhill one here....
Louis Vuitton Alzer, hand painted
December 7th 2012This is a shot from a feature coming up in The Rake next year – on the VIP painting service at Louis Vuitton. I love my Alzer case. Hard-sided cases are one of the few things made by hand by Vuitton, at the old Asnieres facility in France. ...
Louis Vuitton Alzer, hand painted
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I use it when travelling mostly, it is heavy but then so is anything in leather....
Cherchbi bags: Tweed, leather and brass
November 11th 2012The recent Best of Britannia exhibition in London showcased small, craft-based British companies making everything from kitchen knives to bicycles. It included some Permanent Style favourites such as Hiut jeans, Dashing Tweeds and the various west-co...
Cherchbi bags: Tweed, leather and brass
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I have a couple of Cherchbi belts and would recommend them highly - beautiful quality...
Postcard from Paris
July 27th 2012In Paris this week visiting all the big tailors, interviewing Jean Grimbert of Arnys and looking at slightly odd watch straps. Look out for posts over the next few weeks. Below, my Wilfrids from Pierre Corthay (slightly dusty from the Tuileries Garde...
Hype luggage: Review
July 23rd 2012Hype iPad cover, £150 There is a surprising lack of good, mid-market leather products and bags out there. By mid-market I mean those stitched by machine rather than by hand (which adds considerably to the price) but otherwise using the highest ...
Hype luggage: Review
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I don't have one myself, so I'm not sure of its thickness, but there isn't much room to play with inside with the sheep's wool I'm afraid...
Louis Vuitton: The Art of Packing
May 9th 2012The Louis Vuitton press day last week had much to recommend it. I find that fans of classic style often dismiss fashion designers a bit too readily: a handful of them including Marc Jacobs are often worth perusing for their fresh ideas, particularly ...
Louis Vuitton: The Art of Packing
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Gentlemen, Loius Vuitton has since added the packing application to its website. Although the smaller bags do not have examples of men's clothes, it is quite useful. Thanks!...
Cleverley bespoke luggage introduced
November 24th 2011While on the subject of bespoke luggage, Cleverley recently started doing its own pieces with two old guys situated down in its Cornwall workshop. Leather bags were previously made by the Robert Simpson factory that also makes for Tanner Krolle and o...
Cleverley bespoke luggage introduced
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1. Very similar to Ortus - ie pretty much all hand-sewn. And on the same level as some Hermes, but not all of it. 2. No, I wouldn't agree. It's different more than anything else. Cleverley and English makers tend to use ...
The Merchant Fox
November 10th 2011Douglas Cordeaux took over the running of weavers Fox Brothers in 2009, along with his friend and Dragon’s Den resident Deborah Meaden. When he moved down to Somerset, despite high expectations, he was blown away by the manufacturing handwork a...
The Merchant Fox
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Update to the curious: Fox woolen flannel 370G/13oz fabric (1.5 meters for a pair of trousers) is 268 British pounds/310 Euros/328 US dollars including shipping....
Cycling bags
October 10th 2011A few months ago I was asked by a reader what cycle bag I used. I apologise for not answering sooner. The reason was partly forgetfulness and partly the fact that I knew Rapha was coming out with its full range of bags soon, and I couldn’t writ...
Cycling bags
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Possibly the slowest reply to any post ever.... You make good points and it's nice to be reminded that cycling gear doesn't begin and end with Rapha (even though we all love Rapha). However for me it's always a bag rathe...
Hermes: The bags
September 14th 2011It’s not surprising that, given the focus on Hermès over the past week, I’ve had questions about what man’s bags they have and where they can be obtained. Hermès bags are often made in small quantities because of the d...
Hermes: The bags
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I guess it depends on your office, if that's where you'll use it most. What do other people use, and so how much would taupe stick out? By the way, I was about to look at selling mine, just because I use it so little, if...
Hermes: Interiew, Claire Marie
September 9th 2011Claire Marie is the artisan in the Bond Street branch of Hermès. It is her job to make alterations and repairs to client’s belts, bags and other leather accessories. As reported in a previous post in this series, she is also a proficient...
Hermes: Interiew, Claire Marie
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I trained at Cordwainers Technical College in London and was awarded membership of the Society of Designers-Craftsmen. I never heard of this, but I did go to the Hermes expo in 2012. I would love to do the Hermes course....
Hermes: Trying the saddle stitch
September 7th 2011As mentioned in the first part of this Hermès series, artisan Claire Marie was kind enough to allow me to try stitching part of the clochette that she was making. As with previous attempts at being hands-on, it of course all went wrong. It&rsq...
Hermes: Trying the saddle stitch
As mentioned in the first part of this Hermès series, artisan Claire Marie was kind enough to allow me to try stitching part of the clochette that she was making. As with previous attempts at being hands-on, it of cours...
Hermes: how leather goods are made
September 5th 2011This week is Hermès week. There will be a series of pieces, based around the ‘expat artisan’ that sits in the Bond Street store, making repairs, embossing products and generally giving advice. Her name is Claire, and over the yea...
Hermes: how leather goods are made
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I would like to know what's the real name of flat-headed iron? or do you know where can i get one? Thank you for this article it is great!!...
The beautiful Lotuff & Clegg working tote
August 26th 2011I recently received the Lotuff & Clegg working tote bag, ordered a few weeks ago. It’s nice to be able to say that neither the online photography nor Joe’s rhetoric are misleading. It is a beautiful, classic piece of leatherwork....
New styles at Thomas Lyte
June 6th 2011I’ve been an admirer of the dedication to craft at Thomas Lyte for some time. The leather and silver makers have a workshop down in south-west London that I visited over a year ago now. I liked the little details in the construction process, li...
New styles at Thomas Lyte
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"looking for something for the wife"... "THE WIFE". Simon, you should be ashamed of yourself. It's "her indoors", surely?...
Old-world craft at Lotuff & Clegg
May 11th 2011About two years ago our desk lamp broke. The man who owned the electrical shop down the road from my mum was good at repairing these things, so we took it to him and had it repaired for £20. Last month another lamp broke, but the shop has since...
Old-world craft at Lotuff & Clegg
About two years ago our desk lamp broke. The man who owned the electrical shop down the road from my mum was good at repairing these things, so we took it to him and had it repaired for £20. Last month another lamp brok...
Factory visit: Bill Amberg
April 6th 2011Bill Amberg has recently moved to lovely new premises in Queen’s Park, north London. The landlord that owns most of the street apparently refuses to turn it into flats, renting the lot out to small businesses instead. This means that you wander...
Factory visit: Bill Amberg
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Interesting, thanks Peter. I was paraphrasing Bill there but I don't know if there's any debate on that point....
Factory visit: Tanner Krolle
March 21st 2011Of course, this isn’t exactly Tanner Krolle‘s factory. The original TK operation was on Mildmay Avenue in Islington, but was sold to Dunhill in the nineties and then knocked down. Dunhill moved its operations to Walthamstow (see previ...
Factory visit: Tanner Krolle
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hello i worked at t.c. 1966-1969 i was a cutter employed by mr. krolle this was at whitfield place near warren st. station why no history of here...
