The CVO canvas shoe: Part two, the brands
The author in his shoes By Tony Sylvester. Last week, I cracked out some books off the shelf and had a delve into the history of the canvas sneaker, and its place in the summer wardrobe. This was a little continuation of a broader look at Riviera st...
The CVO canvas shoe: Part two, the brands
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Loake make a " Sprint trainer" . About £140. I've seen the blue and a chestnut . There may be others but I found them too slim for my chubby feet. You might fare better....
The CVO shoe: Part one, a brief history
In a two-part series beginning today, Tony readies himself (and us) for summer with a look at the enduring style of the CVO shoe. In part two he will give an overview of his favourite contemporary models; today he looks at the history, pinpointing w...
The CVO shoe: Part one, a brief history
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Thank you, Simon....
The case for cowboy boots – and where to bu...
By Nico Lazaro (above). At first glance, cowboy boots seem an unlikely candidate for the classic men’s wardrobe. They’re bold, regional and carry with them a strong cultural identity – one that can feel unfamiliar, especially to re...
The case for cowboy boots – and where to bu...
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a mention should be made for someone who always wears these boots: Fran Lebowitz, great wit, writer and has impeccable taste in menswear. In fact she wears mens clothing....
Spring/Summer Highlights 2026: De Bonne, Allevol,...
This is our seasonal piece covering the best things I’ve bought recently, with comments on fit and views on style. A useful round-up, a gear review in brief: they’re all things I’ve bought and worn already so I can help out with an...
Spring/Summer Highlights 2026: De Bonne, Allevol,...
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The leg is wider, less tapered, and the rise is higher at the back. Feels like a standard high rise trouser...
This is Spring/Summer 2026: Superga, Chan Luu, Pa...
In every issue of the magazine, we include a list of things to team are looking forward to wearing and buying in the season ahead. Here's the one from this issue, as a little taster. We always include a guest contributor as well, and this time it wa...
This is Spring/Summer 2026: Superga, Chan Luu, Pa...
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No it doesn't have a sheen, but I wouldn't say it's a lighter weight version either. A little smarter give it has a regular trouser waistband...
Introducing: The Boat Shoe with August Special
The shoe will be available to try on in all sizes at the London pop-up, starting tomorrow. All details on that here . A couple of years ago, in an article about the appeal of Riviera style in the summer, we wrote about the need for a soft but elega...
Introducing: The Boat Shoe with August Special
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Hey David, we don’t have a precise date yet but it should be around high summer...
Rome: A sartorial city guide
The ancient forum, at the heart of Rome By Andrew Borda. Rome is often a first port of call for visitors to Italy, due to its history, beauty and climate. I’ve had the great fortune of spending a lot of time there over the past three years, an...
Rome: A sartorial city guide
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Thanks Andrew. I am conscious that Rome is very big. To give you some context, I love Italy and have been there almost every year for the last 20 years. I am now visiting it several times a year (Naples, Palermo and a bi...
What I’m looking forward to wearing this summer (...
By Jamie Ferguson. Fourth instalments are usually the best ones right? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , Fast and Furious , The Phantom Menace … Ah nuts. Well, here’s hoping this chapter in the What I’m Looking ...
What I’m looking forward to wearing this summer (...
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Just picked up the Armoury version as Grenson doesn’t seem to directly offer that particular design. Curious if you ever wear them with socks given they still offer higher breathability than fully-enclosed shoes?...
The (20) bespoke shoemakers I have known
The Ugolini workshop in Florence This article was originally written in 2014, then updated in 2021, and is now freshly updated for 2026. It feels like a good time to do so – I have four new shoemakers to add, but no plans to try new ones so...
The (20) bespoke shoemakers I have known
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Thanks, yes I agree...
Seiji McCarthy bespoke loafers: Review
These are my long-waited-for shoes from Seiji McCarthy - a bespoke version of the full-strap loafer I wear so much, in Color 8 cordovan. Now the big question with bespoke shoes (I've learnt, particularly with loafers) is what’s the fit like? ...
Seiji McCarthy bespoke loafers: Review
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Absolutely Michael...
Words, Sounds, Colours & Shapes – A su...
Words, Sounds, Colours & Shapes is a silly name for a shop, not least because you can never remember it. I’ve been thinking about this article for a couple of weeks now, and I still never get all the right words in the right order. Ho...
Words, Sounds, Colours & Shapes – A su...
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Yes, getting to Japan is the expensive bit! (And indeed, duties and taxes when you import them)...
My favourite bad-weather footwear
As we’ve had storms and generally bad weather in recent weeks, I’ve had requests from readers for a list of my favourite shoes for the rain and cold. Now, the principles of what makes a good shoe for the rain in particular were laid out...
My favourite bad-weather footwear
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Very nice article. As I live in pretty rainy cities and this is challenging for the shoes. After years of having only shoes with a leather sole, I changed the soles of 2 of my bespoke pairs to rubber and this improved th...
Good things at Dunhill
I’ve always had a soft spot for Dunhill - in many ways it should be the flag-bearer for British luxury menswear, but there hasn't always been something there for me. Recently, however, things seem to have really improved. I was in the Bourdon ...
Good things at Dunhill
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Great article Simon - great to see recognition for both Dunhill and Holloway (in my opinion a fantastic designer). I loved what he did at Agnona and feel that in a short time, he is positioning Dunhill to become a very p...
Autumn/Winter highlights – Colbo, Natalino,...
A little late this year, but hopefully this year’s A/W highlights has something for everyone - mid to high price, smart and casual, classic and modern. There’s a particular influence from being in New York recently, and a surprising amou...
Autumn/Winter highlights – Colbo, Natalino,...
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My feelings haven't really changed Daniel, I still love it and think it might be the best of that style of cord jacket I've ever tried. The colour is great with blacks, browns, dark jeans. Not quite so good with greys an...
Wearing shoes a shade lighter than trousers
When I wore this new linen jacket from Sartoria Salino for the first time, I initially paired it with dark-brown loafers. The trousers were a dark grey/brown after all, and the default for sartorial dressing is generally to have shoes that are darke...
Wearing shoes a shade lighter than trousers
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Hey Amery, It sounds like a lovely jacket, congratulations. For mine, the only things I asked for were a slightly slimmer fit, a slightly lower notch, and a roll that was slightly lower from the start I like a three butt...
Our favourite Ghiaia products – meeting in ...
Davide Baroncini of Ghiaia is one of the most stylish men I know, but we hadn’t met in person until this summer in Paris, where Davide was showing out of a top-floor appartment in the city. Meeting hadn’t necessarily been required becau...
Our favourite Ghiaia products – meeting in ...
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No worries, thanks for the reply....
Canons bespoke oxfords: Review
I covered the English bespoke shoemaker Canons a while ago , explaining their evolution from the team that was Foster & Son on Jermyn Street, and promising to review the brown-suede oxfords they made for me. Well they’re ready, I&rsqu...
Canons bespoke oxfords: Review
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Yes I do, looking forward to them!...
Gaziano & Girling made-to-order shoes: Review
I said last year that we would cover more made-to-measure and made-to-order services on Permanent Style, as a way to broaden the coverage more beyond bespoke. Recently that has included MTO shirts at The Anthology and Bryceland’s , as well as ...
Gaziano & Girling made-to-order shoes: Review
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I'd say 82 probably. In general the G&G ones are a little slimmer...
An education in jelly sandals
Simon: Hi Lucas, what the hell have you got on your feet? Lucas: These are jellies, jelly sandals. Sounds like a weird children’s sweet. What are they made of? Plastic, but they’re actually a very traditional shoe, you should like them. ...
An education in jelly sandals
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Hello, they seem to be sized more like trainers than dress shoes. From their size chart it seems that I'd need to get size 44, while normally I'm on 42,5 on dress shoes. Is that your experience, too? Thanks!...
Canons bespoke: How Foster’s has been reimagined ...
Canons, the bespoke shoemakers in north London, is one of the most exciting recent developments in bespoke menswear. Simon Bolzoni (above) and his team have created a modern, efficient, and also now quite large operation that has grown despite littl...
Canons bespoke: How Foster’s has been reimagined ...
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As ever I feel duty bound to say that while that is helpful, it's often not everything. Factories can make to different levels for different brands (eg adding a bevelled waist, a different type of insole etc etc)...
How brands quietly evolve products – e.g. t...
It's rare to cover how versions of a product improve over time. Reviews usually happen soon after release, as does the hype and excitement. Permanent Style covers products years after their purchase , of course, but that's more about how they’...
How brands quietly evolve products – e.g. t...
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Yes I do, though not very much. The trend is a little away from longer Belgians like that and towards boat shoes, a little shorter. They fit better with jeans to my eye now, and I'd wear Sagans more just with tailoring...
Seiji McCarthy loafers – final fitting and ...
I had my second fitting with shoemaker Seiji McCarthy last month, and the full-strap loafers are looking good. Loafers are the hardest thing to fit bespoke, but the trial pair I had are almost at that perfect point where I can kick them off my feet,...
Seiji McCarthy loafers – final fitting and ...
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Thank you Stevie...
Spring/Summer Highlights 2025 – including b...
In this edition of our regular seasonal highlights we're doing things a little differently. First, I'm including bespoke commissions for the first time. This is in response to a few readers asking what, if anything, I’m having made, and it ma...
Spring/Summer Highlights 2025 – including b...
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I was not sure where to post this, but for those who want a more casual quarter zip than the Zagora that still fits a tailoring aesthetic, I can highly recommend the 18 East "Collan" zip collared sweatshirt. As with all ...
Late to the Unley party
No, this is not a story about how I arrived fashionably late to the party of the season, the ball hosted by the dashing Lord Unley. It’s about shoes. Last year Anglo-Italian introduced a new, unlined loafer in their shoe range - the Goodyear-...
Late to the Unley party
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I don't think so to be honest, it's a hard ask. Perhaps the Unley from Anglo-Italian might actually be closest...
The Rondini British sandal: A review from the road
By Manish Puri . By the time you read this I will have returned from my first-ever trip to Thailand, a glorious fortnight spent in Bangkok and some of the southern islands including Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao - both of which are popular with backpackers...
The Rondini British sandal: A review from the road
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Makes perfect sense Simon, and might give me a little lead time into the following summer here....
