Category: Hats

This may be a little niche, but it’s something that often stresses me out in the morning, so hopefully it will be of some use to others.  My plans for what to wear on a particular day usually don’t account for rain...

It’s that time of the year again. Brands have been receiving all the spring clothing they ordered last year, even though they weren’t quite sure whether it would arrive, or be swallowed by an unexpected lockdown.  ...

This is Andy. A long-time reader and customer, Andy had led, shall we say, an interesting life. Currently a hydrographic surveyor, he has also been a pilot, a mountaineer, and dabbles as a model (fashion and life).  He...

Gay Talese. In a different hat By Tom Mastronardi "The story I’m about to relate is true; it really happened, just a few short years ago, before Covid upended the simple everyday pleasure of running into someone you k...

It’s that time of the year again. So, with both apologies and thanks to readers that bemoaned the lack of this list last year, these are just a few of my favourite things... In these lists we try to go beyond menswear...

Over the past year or so, Optimo has been developing a unique bespoke hat programme, where a personal ‘block’ is made for each customer.  Most Optimo hats are already made to order, so customers pick their felt, th...

I’m often asked which hats work best with different types of coat. In fact, it often comes up at this time of year - I guess when unexpected showers are more of a hazard. The sliding scale of formality with hats is pr...

  Our ‘complete capsule’ article last month went down particularly well with readers. Setting out a concentrated, versatile wardrobe, I think it provided both a good starting point for new readers and a way for ...

In our recent article on Wellema , much of the conversation in the comments centred around the relevance and wearability of hats today.  So I thought it would be interesting to look into the habits and collection of a ...

This is my first hat from Cody Wellema, the LA-based craftsman that we covered the background on a couple of weeks ago. A hat from Cody is an investment - something that is truly made to last for years, and to be cleane...

Everyone you speak to about Cody Wellema (above) agrees on two things. That he’s a lovely, lovely man. And that his hats are top notch.  I can certainly attest to the former - and the latter I’ll cover when I revie...

There are five elements I want to talk about in this outfit. Five.  And I’ll take them all separately - because you can easily change one, or only like one. There’s no need to lift an outfit (or, give it the thumbs...

In a comment on our recent video covering suit alterations, a reader complimented my questioning of Davide - saying I was putting the questions the viewer was thinking.  I was really chuffed at that. As someone who spe...

The Permanent Style Watch Cap is finally available again, in the popular navy and mid-grey. Although the grey we did originally was well received, a lot of people commented that something a shade darker - more the colou...

Optimo hats in Chicago has to be the prettiest factory I’ve ever been to.  Over the years I have been to some impressive ones: Hermes, Loro Piana, Zegna. But they’re grand, sweeping, sometimes in sculpted countrysi...

Over the past three years, Permanent Style has gradually covered more casual clothing in response to requests from readers. Guys want to know how to extend PS principles of quality, fit and simplicity to weekend clothin...

I'm not sure whether it came across, but I was almost surprised by how much I liked the Optimo hats I saw in New York last October. It was the first time I had seen them first hand, and the felt was noticeably different...

I'm pleased to say the Permanent Style watch caps are finally available again - on the shop site - after some delays. There are two colours: a slightly darker navy than last time, which I feel is more sartorial and suit...

Optimo is everything you might want from a craft manufacturer. There was a passionate beginning; a long gestation; success and popularity; and now a beautiful new factory that supports transmission of the craft. Plus  ...

  A reader commented on the last instalment of this list that it shaped his whole season’s shopping. No pressure then. Many of the ranges will feature in other coverage later in the year – particularly the o...

This suit from Vicenza-based Sartoria Pasinato has turned out very smartly, with a clean fit and very sharp line. Part of this is a result of the cloth, which is a cavalry twill from Vitale Barberis Canonico (584, 440g)...

Next year I will publish a travel guide to the best men's stores around the world, with Thames & Hudson. Alongside the city chapters there will be interviews with well-travelled people in the menswear industry, high...

Every man thinks hats don't suit him. Yet every man, of every shape and size, used to wear a hat - and they looked good. Conclusion: men don't know how to pick a hat.  I know I've run through that before, but it bear...

As promised last year, the Permanent Style watch cap is finally available - it’s on the PS store, price £69 plus VAT, in navy or grey. It’s a collaboration I’ve been building to for a long time. As far back as 20...

The biggest potential pitfall with tailored dressing is looking fussy. Fussy is not sexy; it is not attractive. It is closely related to appearing ‘affected’ or ‘mannered’. Looking relaxed in clothing, on the ot...