Category: Knitwear

  Nobody wants pilling, so if your jumper pills it must be a sign of poor quality, right? Not necessarily. Finer, more luxurious knitwear is more delicate and takes more looking after. If you don’t care for it...

One of the good things about writing about caring for clothes, is that it spurs me to be better at it myself.  I’m not too bad at most things, by the standards of Permanent Style. I brush and put cream on my shoes; I...

  One sweater says lambswool, the other says merino. What does that mean? What’s the difference? This cashmere sweater costs £30; this other one costs £300. Can they really be made of the same thing? In our firs...

This year’s A/W Top 10 list includes a sprinkling of new names, but a lot of familiar ones too.  I don’t think this is unexpected or unwelcome. The world of classic, crafted menswear is not large, primarily because...

*Note: The source of the material for the trousers has been corrected, below. It was Zegna denim, not Loro Piana. Still not available though!* We haven’t done a simple outfit post in a while, so let’s talk about thi...

When is it worth buying the best possible quality, and when can you economise?  This, of course, was part of the subject of my book The Finest Menswear in the World , which examined what constitutes ‘quality’ in va...

  As men start to dress more casually, knitwear is becoming ever more important. It’s more often the top layer of an outfit, and so holds greater responsibility to both flatter the wearer and reflect their sty...

Somehow, Jake and Anglo-Italian manage to keep relatively under the radar here in the UK, despite being one of the few classic-menswear shops keeping that spirit relevant.  Perhaps it’s because they don’t actively ...

This knitted polo we’re launching on the PS Shop today is in some ways just a short-sleeved version of the Dartmoor. It has the same finest-in-the-world make (hence the name), the same reinforced collar, and the same ...

I've come to really like these Rubato chinos, but it’s worth saying from the outset that they're not the originals.  I had them narrowed after a few weeks, as I found the leg too wide. The change was mostly in the th...

In recent weeks we’ve talked about hand-framed knitwear - the slow knitting process used on knits like the Stoffa ribbed polo and the Saman Amel cricket sweater .  I’ll do a more in-depth piece on the process later...

1. Drake’s bright-red suede chore jacket £1195 I’ve been asked a few times over the years about these suede chore jackets from Drake’s. Personally I tend to prefer blouson styles, and chore coats in cottons, part...

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 pi...

Reviewing this jumper from Stoffa is a good opportunity to discuss the current trend of knitwear being cut shorter and wider, in something of a vintage style.  The way knitwear is usually designed to work, the ribbing ...

The origins of the ‘casual chic’ look we’ve discussed in recent months - which I see as a route forward for relaxed yet smart menswear - can perhaps be seen in the leisure and sportswear of the 1930s.  That era s...

When we were talking about Loro Piana on a recent post, a reader inquired about the manufacture and what I knew about it. I thought it would be interesting, therefore, to publish in full this chapter from The Finest Men...

Last week, I wrote something of an homage to John Simons , the retailer that did so much to bring the Ivy League Look to the UK - and in the process, changed it into something more British and working class.  John cham...

This question about knitwear worn on its own (without a shirt) came up twice recently - once in a comment about polo-collared knits (above) and once in a reader question about roll necks. So it feels like it deserves it...

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...

A couple of weeks ago we talked about necklines on knitwear - as part of the article on mock necks .  I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at this, in particular the effect of different heights of cr...

I’ve always liked the way Andreas Larsson at Berg & Berg designs - and styles - the clothes for the brand.  In particular, I think his approach to casual chic (I’m sticking with that term) is impressive: he con...

I’m not sure about the mock neck.  It’s been having a resurgence recently - everyone is doing one, from Camoshita to Loro Piana, Margaret Howell to Inis Meain. I can’t remember the last time a style of knitwear b...

Whenever I choose not to wear a shirt, my most common alternative during the working week is a collared knit - like the Dartmoor pictured.  This manages to be both elegant - mostly due to the collar and fine gauge - an...

I’m pleased to say that the jumper and tie I had made by 40 Colori turned just as consistently and professionally as everything else I had experienced from the shop.  The cashmere crewneck fits well, with the measur...

There is a handful of menswear shops in London that I recommend regularly to friends visiting from abroad.  They include Trunk, Connolly, Drake's and Anderson & Sheppard Haberdashery. All boutiques, all founded in ...