Seraphin leather jackets – factory visit
April 15th 2016I love visiting factories. Always have done. The Best of British book made use of a lot of factory visits I did in the first five years of the blog – to Corgi, Dent’s, Sunspel etc. And The Finest Menswear in the World was a great ...
Seraphin leather jackets – factory visit
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Seraphin and Chapal are on the same level in terms of quality, but the style is very different - continental modern vs vintage military. Cromford not on the same quality level, and cover lots of styles. There are lots of...
Drake’s soft, stylish jackets
March 30th 2016Drake’s will always be best known for their ties, then handkerchiefs, then perhaps knitwear. But for the past few years they have also been doing a nice little range of jackets in the Clifford Street store that deserve attention. (£895...
Drake’s soft, stylish jackets
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I don't know much about the current production I'm afraid, though they seem to have been a victim of brand expansion from a style point of view...
Bespoke suede jacket – Cifonelli
March 14th 2016This finished suede jacket from Cifonelli shows the beautiful breadth of what bespoke tailoring can do. Bespoke is not just for business suits; it is not just for casual jackets; it is for anything that benefits from hand-cut line and structure. ...
Bespoke suede jacket – Cifonelli
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Really interesting, thanks Simon...
Seraphin leather jackets, Paris
March 9th 2016France is blessed with some of the finest makers of leather jackets in the world. There are very few around Europe that retain their own manufacturing; and of those, most are low-volume makers that stand out for their traditional production method...
Seraphin leather jackets, Paris
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Wow, now that's value! Unfortunately on eBay people tend to know what they are and they go for rather more...
The in-between (pub, weekend) jacket from Stile L...
January 1st 2016As on Wednesday, so today. A piece made to measure by Neapolitan brand Stile Latino, with similar attractions. As with the completely unstructured coat we featured on Wednesday, this jacket is: An effective bridge between the formal and the casua...
The in-between (pub, weekend) jacket from Stile L...
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No, sorry. With brands like Stile Latino they're rarely materials that are available by the cut length....
Making a bespoke suede jacket
December 1st 2015Quite a few people asked how my suede Cifonelli jacket was being made – on the blog, on Instagram, on Facebook. And by email, with two separate tailors asking for advice to make one for their clients. Key to the questioning was how you ...
Making a bespoke suede jacket
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Thanks, Simon!...
Cifonelli bespoke suede jacket
October 23rd 2015One area that fascinates me – perhaps more than any other – in my writing is the overlap between formal tailoring and more casual dress. If it is possible to retain the beautiful craft aspects of bespoke tailoring in casual clothing, a...
Cifonelli bespoke suede jacket
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Hi Peter, I know what you mean, but there is obviously something that bespoke adds to the fit and structure, in any material. The piece was actually finished, and you can see the piece here. Interesting perhaps also to c...
Wearing a jacket and jeans
October 12th 2015If there is one question men ask more than any other, it is how to wear a jacket with jeans. Behind this usually lies a desire to dress up an outfit without appearing too up-tight. Friends in the creative or digital industries often have this prob...
Wearing a jacket and jeans
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Personally, no I think it looks a bit too smart. It's not bad, but one reason I think is that the jeans look very clean - a modern, more Italian wash with no fades and creasing etc...
Bespoke gilet with Davide Taub
August 28th 2015Some of my best, certainly my most original bespoke projects have been undertaken with Davide Taub, head cutter at Gieves & Hawkes. Regular readers will remember the bespoke leather jacket we made together in 2013, and the pea coat in 2014...
Bespoke gilet with Davide Taub
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I can see that urge Geeohs, but if you do wear your jacket open all the time, you are rather undermining the point of having it well cut. Also, most gilets are too bulky not to distort the fine of a fine worsted suit. A ...
Casual tie and sports jacket (military donegal de...
August 17th 2015In the spirit of our recent posts on assembling outfits, here’s the process that put this one together. Originating idea: I’ve always liked the way this pale, silk tie from Ralph Lauren goes with my Rubinacci cashmere jacket. The corn...
Casual tie and sports jacket (military donegal de...
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Hi, I'm afraid I never did an article about the belt, but I can do something more general in the future, yes absolutely...
Chapal leather jackets, France
July 29th 2015Chapal are a old, high-quality French producer of leather jackets and coats. They make a few things that won’t be to readers’ tastes (T-shirts, painted chairs) but it’s worth turning a blind eye to that and focusing on...
Chapal leather jackets, France
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If money is tighter, perhaps shearling isn't the best route - a more rugged leather might be better. Also bear in mind that shearling and leather and suede are really luxury materials - I wouldn't get a cheap version, ju...
The versatility of a gilet
April 10th 2015The most useful articles of clothing are often those that cover core of the body – waistcoats (knitted or woven), gilets, and to an extent scarves. It is they that make a lightweight outfit warm enough, or enable us to cope with cool morn...
The versatility of a gilet
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What is the rectangular inside pocket for? A ruler, to measure the distance of your country walk? A mini-baguette to eat by the river? A micro-umbrella to impress friends with your preparedness? A quill and parchment, to...
Talking through the Barbour archive
March 27th 2015Gary Janes, the head of design and development at Barbour, talks us through two of the earliest pieces in the Barbour archive – from the beginning of the twentieth century. The design has stayed remarkably consistent, blending very practi...
Talking through the Barbour archive
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Very informative clip; would be great to see more video on the site, I think this format works well....
The subtlety of a suede jacket
March 25th 2015Loro Piana I’ve been pleased to see that suede has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years. Italians like Loro Piana have always done it well – often in a classic Italian mix of brown suede and grey cashmere – but others ...
The subtlety of a suede jacket
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It says in the caption? All old Loro Piana...
Barbour: The archive
March 16th 2015Although my opinion of Barbour was much raised by seeing the repairs department last month, the highlight of that trip was the archive. The oldest piece (below) is from 1910 – a simple, knee-length double-breasted coat in yellowy waxed c...
Barbour: The archive
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I'm sure they would be Tina, but you will have to contact them direct. Best contact is [email protected]...
Barbour: Factory and repairs
March 4th 2015Barbour is not quite the level of craft or quality that we normally feature on Permanent Style. However, rather like US brand Filson that we covered recently, they deserve mention for the beautiful way they age and their commitment to service and r...
Barbour: Factory and repairs
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Hey Spencer, I think it depends on the style you want, especially the length. If it's going over a taiored jacket ever, I'd actually say a Border (or of course our Wax Walker to upgrade). But of those two I prefer the Be...
In front of the Barbour beacon
March 2nd 2015Last week three of us visited the Barbour factory in South Shields, in the name of a new book on British heritage brands. Given we were researching the stories behind the companies, it was natural to stay next to the lighthouse that was the early ...
In front of the Barbour beacon
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It's a vintage model Will, profiled here....
How a Mackintosh is made
December 10th 2014How is a Mackintosh made? With an odd, perhaps appealingly simple process: cut out pieces of bonded cotton and stick them together with blobs of glue, using your fingers. A few weeks ago Luke and I visited one of the two Mackintosh factories. This ...
How a Mackintosh is made
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I don't, sorry T...
When we write about… Private White VC
November 19th 2014As part of the series on new shop openings in London, today we’re focusing on Private White VC – the British factory and brand founded by James Eden in 2007, but with a new shop on Duke Street and a much-expanded offering. First though,...
When we write about… Private White VC
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Storm System, but they also tend to feel rather different - wool v cotton....
The Row’s new clothing – 1. Hardy Amies
October 27th 2014Over the next few months there is going to be a plethora of ready-to-wear shops opening that are in some way inspired by tailoring. Hardy Amies has just opened; then there’s E Tautz; Kilgour will have a full collection soon; Thom Sweeney ...
The Row’s new clothing – 1. Hardy Amies
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No I think it might be worth it Jay, yes. I'm looking into the new service now....
Budd bespoke safari jacket
July 31st 2014My l atest column for How to Spent It is on a safari jacket made recently with Budd. An interesting project, there will be more about it on Permanent Style next month. In the meantime you can read about the background here. Remember, all previous...
Budd bespoke safari jacket
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I have, but it's hard to know exactly what you would mean by that. It certainly has a little shape, yes, rather than being straight up and down...
How great things age: Levi’s ‘big E&#...
June 11th 2014Denim is really beautiful in the way it frays and fades. Most cotton twills used for workwear age in this way – losing their saturation at wear points as the surface dye rubs away. But the thickness and indigo dye of denim make it particularl...
How great things age: Levi’s ‘big E&#...
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I'm not sure to be honest John, I've never thought about it...
Cashmere, denim and fresco
June 5th 2014In response to a couple of requests from readers, here is that photograph from the Asprey workrooms in colour. Navy cashmere jacket from Solito. Dark-brown horn buttons that I bought myself from Weldon’s (Italians rarely have matte horn)....
Cashmere, denim and fresco
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Love the denim shirt and looking forward to seeing how it ages. As for interview attire, if it's in the tech industry, you could always go for the "California tuxedo" and pair a navy blue cotton blazer with tan chinos. N...
How great things age: Barbour motorcycle jacket
May 23rd 2014During my recent series of posts on Levi’s bespoke jeans, a reader commented that he didn’t like denim because it didn’t drape like wool, linen or other materials commonly used for suiting. He’s not wrong, but denim and oth...
How great things age: Barbour motorcycle jacket
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Nice jacket! I like this....
Neapolitan tweed jacket – Elia Caliendo
February 26th 2014This Neapolitan tweed jacket – made recently for me by Elia Caliendo – is perhaps the perfect update of an English classic. Tweed is a wonderful material – tough, soft and highly wind- and water-resistant. It makes a gre...
Neapolitan tweed jacket – Elia Caliendo
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Yes, he is. I haven't spoken to him in a while but try the email [email protected]...
