Category: Shoes

It was really lovely being back in Hong Kong last week, after a few years away. The talk we Lorenzo Cifonelli and I did at Attire House worked well - more a conversation than an interview, with Lorenzo asking me questio...

Last week a friend in the industry asked me what aspect of writing Permanent Style I like the most. It is always, easily, discovering a new tailor, cloth or product that is different and inspiring. That journey from dis...

Travelling to India on holiday this Easter gave me a reason to get the hot-weather clothing out early. It was unseasonably hot even for there, with the temperature pushing 40 degrees. We took the opportunity to visit th...

I now have three pairs of Saint Crispin’s shoes: the alligator/calf wing-tips pictured above; brown-suede chukka boots; and most recently a pair of dark-brown suede cap-toes. I have ordered steadily and regularly,...

This is the first in a series of videos that we will be doing over the coming months, looking at caring for good clothes. They will be instructional, but not too technical, and we plan to build them up slowly over the ...

The hatch-grain loafers I commissioned with Gaziano & Girling back in 2012 have consistently been among my favourite shoes - both for me and for readers. The mid-brown colour is tremendously versatile (everything fr...

These bespoke suede loafers from Gaziano & Girling have been a while in the make - I last covered the first fitting back in September 2016. It hasn't taken over a year to get from that fitting to now, however. They...

The blouson in general, but particularly in brown and especially in brown suede, has to be one of the most versatile pieces in a man's wardrobe. The shape is short and neat enough to work well with smarter clothing; sue...

A few readers last week asked about this outfit I included in our 'High/low dressing' post. It's a combination I love, and shamelessly copied from an Italian gentleman I saw in Milan a few years ago. Men should never be...

First off, I need to mention that the J.Girdwood website is finally up and active. Anyone that has been into the first or second pop-ups will have seen James (above) and his J.Girdwood range of products. They include s...

A few menswear shoemakers have expanded into women’s shoes in recent years. These shoes will generally be a lot better made than the other women’s shoes in the market, and not necessarily more expensive (giv...

When I cover an artisan where I’m genuinely interested in the product - its quality, design and often heritage or story, I have something made. I then tend to cover the maker in one, initial post that explains the...

Enzo Bonafe is one of only two men’s shoe factories left in the area around Bologna, Italy. The other is Testoni, and when Enzo left Testoni to set up his own factory, in 1963, there were more than 40 factories in...

This post is an illustrated explanation of how I wear trainers, or sneakers. As with similar exercises on the blog, I have attempted to be as structured as possible, keeping some parameters constant in order to focus on...

In recent years, as premium trainers/sneakers have increasingly popular, readers have asked for my view on when they might be appropriate, and when they are, what they should buy. I covered that last point in the first ...

As mentioned on my ‘What I pack’ post, I’ve been travelling a lot in high heat recently. There was Pitti in Florence, where the temperature topped out at 37 degrees. Naples in July was very similar. An...

Following my post two weeks ago on what I pack for travel, a reader asked about non-clothing items - electronics, toiletries and so on. So here are a few of my favourite things, which will certainly be going on holiday...

As I return from two summer trips - one for a week in Florence, the other a week in Naples - it seems a fitting time to run through what I pack for trips such as these. I know readers have asked about it in the past. Of...

Connolly, which opened on Clifford Street at the end of last year, is one of the most interesting new menswear stores London has had for a while. It offers luxury clothing, both under its own name and a few European bra...

For the past year - ever since they were first launched here on Permanent Style - I have been wearing Sagans by Baudoin & Lange regularly and consistently. But it has only been in the past few weeks, as the tempera...

Many readers said they liked the personal, behind-the-scenes approach of Plaza Uomo's cover story on me last year. Here, then, is another angle. My desk, where I write most of these posts, and therefore probably the mo...

Stivaleria Savoia is an old Milanese bespoke bootmaker ( stivaleria means bootmaker, and it was founded by craftsmen who made for the Savoia, or Savoy, cavalry). The designs are classic and practical, and unlikely to se...

Shades of tobacco and tan are one of the loveliest things to wear in the Summer. As the weather warms up, I've put together three outfits here - all somewhere in the 5 to 7 formality range - that illustrate this. Th...

I've always had a problem with Corthay shoes. Not so much the style - while many of the designs and colours are too brash for me, I've consistently found interesting light and dark browns to keep me interested. No, th...

The Style Guide has been wonderfully received so far - at the launch events in London and New York, but also online and through personal messages. Thank you all. There are a few things I realise I haven't emphasised so...