Category: Belts and wallets

Although I’ve visited many workshops and factories over the years, I’ve never been to a tannery (a trip to Barker’s is way overdue). It was with particular interest, therefore, that I went to see the t...

It was really lovely being back in Hong Kong last week, after a few years away. The talk we Lorenzo Cifonelli and I did at Attire House worked well - more a conversation than an interview, with Lorenzo asking me questio...

I finally got around to putting together a Christmas gift guide for this year, which I know many readers have asked about (and like forwarding directly to their wives). I have deliberately not included either Permanent ...

Simpson London in Canning Town is one of those rare things in British menswear: a shining new and dynamic factory. I’ve visited dozens of British factories over the past 10 years, and although many of them have ch...

Connolly, which opened on Clifford Street at the end of last year, is one of the most interesting new menswear stores London has had for a while. It offers luxury clothing, both under its own name and a few European bra...

This video, just completed by Charlie at Equus Leather, is a wonderfully expressive demonstration of leatherwork. I particularly like the sound detail - that sinewy scrape of knife cutting through alligator skin. Watch...

Of the four makers featuring in our Permanent Style trunk show in a few weeks, the one least likely to be familiar to readers is Serge Amoruso. So, some background. Serge is an award-winning leather worker and designer...

I am very proud to say that we have a Permanent Style trunk show organised for October 5th, co-hosted with Gaziano & Girling at their Savile Row store. This has been a good while in the making, particularly as I wa...

A lovely video this, showing a lot of the detail of making a hand-sewn alligator wallet - from Charlie Trevor at Equus Leather. It was just released today. The music might be a bit much, but I think we can forgive it...

Our latest brand round-up includes some positive and some mixed reviews - reflecting both the quality of new things seen and tested by Permanent Style, and their originality. 1 Inhedited www.inhedited.com From £25...

This has become a Permanent Style feature in the past couple of years. An opportunity to mention the dozens of brands that email asking me to review their product, but never get a full post because they don’t qu...

The more I write about this industry, the longer it is since I first covered someone. It’s nice, but it always surprises me how fast the time goes. I wrote about Equus Leather back in 2011, and purchased one of...

The Mont Blanc leather facility is in an industrial park just outside Florence. All the big names of fashion are here. Gucci is across the road, Prada a few blocks down. Only Hermes from among the top brands is missin...

I’m a big fan of vintage leather goods. There’s nothing like a real, century-old patina on alligator or bridle leather; plus silver or brass hardware that you can let tarnish or keep polished and shiny. O...

Last September I did a post rounding up small brands that I had tried, but weren’t quite good enough to recommend with a full write-up. It went down well, and seems like a good vehicle to mention some of the doze...

Over the past few months I’ve got to know Jonatan Staniec, a leather worker who produces his own, hand-sewn leather goods from a studio in London under the brand M.E.S. Hand sewing is not that hard to do (despite m...

One 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 i...

In the past few weeks I have spent quite a lot of time with the lovely staff at Jean Rousseau in the Piccadilly Arcade. One of France’s hidden secrets in the leather trade, Jean Rousseau make lovely watch straps, b...

Simon I have been thinking lately about removing the belt loops from some of my bespoke suit trousers. I was previously convinced that I wanted to remove the belt loops, but now I’m confused after discussing it wit...

A reader commented recently that it would be nice to feature a few things on the blog that were more affordable. Well one thing that is certainly affordable for most men is a good wallet – and given that he will us...

Dear Mr Simon, Let me first say that I always admire your passion and insight into gentlemen’s garments. I am a fan of Permanent Style and I have been hooked on it for years. I have one long-standing question...

Just over a year ago, Dunhill began offering bespoke leather services at Bourdon House in London. Tomasz Nosarzewski, whom readers might remember from my visit to the Walthamstow Dunhill factory last year, began spending...

I’ve been sent photographs of my things being made before, but never a video. This is a step up. In case you can’t tell, it’s a bridle leather belt, being made to measure for me by Charlie Trevor of Equ...

Those familiar with my How to Buy Luxury series will remember that I have a few straightforward guidelines for buying luxury effectively. (Here luxury will be defined as whatever is just beyond the top end of your budget...