A (Christmas) word from our sponsors

November 18th 2013

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 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!...

Bags - Belts and walletsNovember 18th 2013

How to wear socks with a suit: Reader question

May 17th 2013

Colours that go with tan Dear Simon, I’m getting stuck putting an outfit together, and what it comes down to is the socks. I’m wearing a mid-grey worsted wool suit with a sky-blue shirt and regimental tie of burgundy and navy st...

How to wear socks with a suit: Reader question

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Not sure I quite agree with Antonio, but if you're not going to think about them, then yes navy is probably the safest option!...

Reader questions - Socks and underwearMay 17th 2013

Hamilton & Hare boxer shorts

October 31st 2012

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 294 1678 Euromoney PLC 13 3 2060 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false One of the pleasures of writing this blog is meeting entrepreneurs. I’m not sure I’d ever have the courage to strike out on my own and found...

Hamilton & Hare boxer shorts

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The proof (in terms of price) is how comfortable the boxer is to wear and these are by far the most comfortable boxer short i have worn. I also think the packaging with the wash bag is novel and means you are less likely...

Socks and underwearOctober 31st 2012

Corgi: The machines

February 20th 2012

There are three types of knitting machines at Corgi: old, domestic models; double-bed machines; and single-bed machines. All require hand framing – that is, the worker must pull the carriage up and down by hand. The domestic machines are whit...

Corgi: The machines

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I used to own a small handflat knitting firm,and was taught how to knit at 14 mainly to earn a bit of pocket money .We used mainly 4gge universal or 4.5 gge Dubied's and also 2.5 gge, my mum and dads knitwear firm also h...

Factory visits - Socks and underwearFebruary 20th 2012

Corgi: Factory visit

February 17th 2012

Corgi is a lovely little company, just outside Swansea in south Wales. It’s been around since 1893 and has the Prince of Wales’s royal warrant. But, more importantly, it’s one of only a few companies left in the UK doing hand-framed...

Corgi: Factory visit

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Corgi tend not to make to the same fineness, but they do some great thicker socks, and some great hand-framed pieces too - or at least they did when I was there...

Factory visits - Socks and underwearFebruary 17th 2012

Zimmerli: The Underwear Project

December 19th 2011

Of all the factories I have visited for the current book, the contrast between product and production was greatest at Zimmerli. The production facility is a small, two-storey building in Coldrerio, a Swiss town just across the border from Como. Walki...

Zimmerli: The Underwear Project

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So far, I have found Bresciani do them, however, they are made on request through the retailer. Maison Cashmere seem to do a 100% cashmere t-shirt https://maisoncashmere.co.uk/mens-cashmere-t-shirt Hanro do a cashmere an...

Socks and underwearDecember 19th 2011

Postcard from Spirano

December 2nd 2011

At Bresciani today, in Spirano just outside Bergamo. Lovely socks, and some nice sheep too. They’ll be the socks chapter of my upcoming book. More photos on www.andybarnham.com

Postcard from Spirano

At Bresciani today, in Spirano just outside Bergamo. Lovely socks, and some nice sheep too. They’ll be the socks chapter of my upcoming book. More photos on   www.andybarnham.com...

Factory visits - Socks and underwearDecember 2nd 2011

Postcard from Switzerland

December 1st 2011

In Coldrerio and Mendrisio, Switzerland, today to visit Zimmerli underwear. That’s the cloth being cut in Mendrisio. Zimmerli will be included in The Finest Menswear in the World as the producer of the best underwear. More photos on www.a...

Postcard from Switzerland

In Coldrerio and Mendrisio, Switzerland, today to visit Zimmerli underwear. That’s the cloth being cut in Mendrisio. Zimmerli will be included in The Finest Menswear in the World as the producer of the best underwear. ...

Factory visits - Socks and underwearDecember 1st 2011

Sunspel: The underwear project

October 21st 2011

The second brand to be tested as part of The Underwear Project is very British company Sunspel. (Previous post, on The White Briefs, can be seen here.) Sunspel is the cheapest of the brands on offer. Their regular briefs are £25. The same model...

Sunspel: The underwear project

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From the perspective of the potential impact on tailoring, what your preferred underwear styling, ie boxer, brief, boxer brief?...

Socks and underwearOctober 21st 2011

The White Briefs: The underwear project

September 2nd 2011

A few weeks ago I began a project to search out the best underwear made anywhere in the world. Obviously, given the focus of Permanent Style, the focus would be on both quality, including materials and construction, and style. The first is fairly obj...

The White Briefs: The underwear project

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Thanks Joel. In general the quality is high with Tom Ford things (as with most designer brands actually) it's just value for money that they struggle on....

Socks and underwearSeptember 2nd 2011

Long socks or no socks at all

April 25th 2011

The first question everyone asks about over-the-calf socks is: Are they not too hot? No, the difference in heat is pretty tiny for a couple of inches of wool/cotton/blend, and the difference in style is immeasurable. Shorter socks don’t stay up...

Long socks or no socks at all

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Good question, looking back at this post. No, I usually wear short socks with jeans and chinos - it just seems out of place to wear OTC socks there, just as much as a superfine shirt would be with jeans...

Shoes - Socks and underwearApril 25th 2011

My red socks

February 14th 2011

Jacques Tiberghien and Vincent Metzger discovered the small house of Gammarelli in Rome several years ago. Although only a small workshop, it makes all the outfits, from robes to mitres, for the pope, cardinals and bishops of Rome. Jacques and Vincen...

My red socks

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I have sweaty feet and run cold so I’ll test a high thread count superfine merino version and report back....

Socks and underwearFebruary 14th 2011

Wine-red socks with a grey suit

October 25th 2010

This series is a progression in socks, from the most conservative to the most flamboyant colour combinations. It is important to start slowly and build to greater sophistication. Colour is tricky; so much can go wrong in a shade. Buy one or two pairs...

Wine-red socks with a grey suit

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Thanks, The Armoury has their own collection of Bresciani OTC wool socks which have all the essential colors. Asking them to see how they compare to the Mazarin equivalent in terms of thickness as I am looking for a thin...

Socks and underwearOctober 25th 2010

Green socks with a blue suit

October 11th 2010

A man has come a long way when he shifts to proper socks – calf length and in navy, grey and charcoal to match the day’s suit. Too many remain stuck in the teenage mindset that short, black socks go with everything. They don’t; they...

Green socks with a blue suit

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Thanks a lot Simon - much appreciated!...

Socks and underwearOctober 11th 2010

Jewel in Vienna: Wilhelm Jungmann Und Neffe

March 10th 2010

A recent trip to Vienna for a Central & Eastern Europe Finance Forum (don’t ask) was enlivened by the discovery of Wilhelm Jungmann und Neffe. A men’s outfitter of the first order, it has been supplying accessories, cloth and tai...

Jewel in Vienna: Wilhelm Jungmann Und Neffe

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Thank you Markus...

Socks and underwearMarch 10th 2010