Which office are you? A cold, current 2024 update
The article ‘Which office are you?’ in 2016 was one of the most popular we have ever done on PS. I think largely because it showed clearly how outfits could be adjusted to different levels of formality, at a time when office attire was a...
Which office are you? A cold, current 2024 update
Match in comments:
I do, but these were meant to be a little more robust and easier in wet weather, so I went with a rubber one...
When to wear a tie: Personality and opportunity
At Pitti Uomo back in January I took the opportunity to wear mostly tailoring and ties - the two outfits shown above and below. And it felt great. I know there are traditionalists who see me as the antithesis of this, as I’m rarely pictured w...
When to wear a tie: Personality and opportunity
Match in comments:
Lovely to hear Stephen...
Reader profile: Sebastian
Sebastian has an interesting story - a clothing story with distinct phases. He’s a long-term reader (just over 10 years) and has worn many different styles, many different brands. But he's another PS reader in essence - always a little similar...
Reader profile: Sebastian
Match in comments:
Saman Amel does. P Johnson for some things...
Reader profile: Ian
Ian is retired, and got into luxury menswear late in life. But he always had an interest in clothes, from his early days in Ivy clothing to the forties and fifties influences that came with learning jive dancing. It could be easy to see him as bein...
Reader profile: Ian
Match in comments:
Amazing! I bet Ian must have loved that. Thanks for letting me know...
My bespoke bow tie, from La Bowtique
Back in December we covered the various styles of bow tie , from batwing to butterfly. Learning about the traditions and conventions helped me clarify which style I prefer for myself, and today I’ll be covering which one I had made, and why. ...
My bespoke bow tie, from La Bowtique
Match in comments:
You can buy it from La Bowtique - see the text...
The styles of bow tie – and why they matter
I rarely wear a bow tie. Certainly never casually, and the number of black tie excuses has dwindled since I left my job in legal journalism. Back then there were several award ceremonies a year - we even threw four ourselves - but those have gone a...
The styles of bow tie – and why they matter
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Thanks...
40 Colori made-to-measure knitwear and tie: Review
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 measurements being exactly what we...
40 Colori made-to-measure knitwear and tie: Review
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Yes Yes Yes For that quality level, no. You can get hand-framed which is a level up from someone like Dalmo, but what you're getting is still very good....
40 Colori: Italian made-to-order, London
A reader recently recommended to me the made-to-measure knitwear at 40 Colori, a shop on Lamb’s Conduit Street in London. He has trouble getting knitwear to fit, being rather tall, and 40 Colori did a good job of making a piece to order for h...
40 Colori: Italian made-to-order, London
Match in comments:
If I visit them ,I will pass on your greetings! Thanks Lindsay...
Adamley hand-screen printing, Macclesfield
Let me set the scene. Macclesfield is a small English market town, and it’s a grey day. The bright-green casentino overcoat of Benedikt Fries, as he walks towards us, rather stands out. Photographer Alex Natt and I are watching him approach f...
Adamley hand-screen printing, Macclesfield
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Great article. A breeze of fresh air and a good distraction from day to day screen printing technicalities. As a screen printer, I would like to see a part 2, diving more into the technics used to achieve such beautiful ...
White tie and blue shirt: Sunny formal in Sartori...
Wearing a white tie with a blue shirt is something that makes perfect sense in Naples. To a certain extent, wearing sugary-pink jackets and lapis-blue tailoring makes sense too. It's just sunny so much of the time, even in winter - and that sun is s...
White tie and blue shirt: Sunny formal in Sartori...
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No I haven't, sorry Greg...
The summer tie
I don’t tend to wear brightly coloured ties. Too often they’re brash and loud, where a dark simple tie would be more tasteful. The only time I’ve regularly worn them is in unusual colours like lime green, rather than primary red...
The summer tie
Match in comments:
Yes exactly - subtle and restrained. A little pin dot is nice too. I see, the suit sounds nice for the occasion. In that case a silver/grey tie would be nice and formal, or you could do something like a green or yellow, ...
Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake
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, highlighting their tips and in...
Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake
Match in comments:
I second Crazy Pig. Some of their designs are really fashion forward, but I found a lovely, slim signet ring (exactly what I’d been trying to find without success for well over a year). I popped over to the food court ...
Popular at the pop-up: Hollywood tops, linen shir...
Given the heat at the moment in London, it shouldn’t be surprising that linen is the most attractive thing in the pop-up up shop, which has been going wonderfully so far. Edward Sexton’s Hollywood-top trousers (above) have been particula...
Popular at the pop-up: Hollywood tops, linen shir...
Match in comments:
No, the A&S will be better, but that's clear from the price too. And the difference will be mostly in the fineness of the linen, so it depends whether that matters to you...
Shibumi ties, Burgos shirts and tebas – in ...
I’ve noticed in the past year that a lot of my favourite ties are from Shibumi. They’re always on the end of the rail; they always get picked up first. Yet I haven’t written about them for quite a while. Having Benedikt (below) in ...
Shibumi ties, Burgos shirts and tebas – in ...
Match in comments:
I always order shorter ties made to measure, which are not offered by many tiemakers. Shibumi offers them. But they are terribly slow with delivery. I ordered ties at the beginning of March and, after reminding them, rec...
Edward Sexton ready-to-wear: Hollywood-top trouse...
It’s been so fun swapping in brands every week or two during the pop-up shop. A lot of work, but fun: it feels like a different place, a slightly different atmosphere, every weekend. On Wednesday this week we exchanged The Armoury for Drop93 -...
Edward Sexton ready-to-wear: Hollywood-top trouse...
Match in comments:
I'm afraid I don't know much about the make of the RTW jackets, sorry David....
The Drake’s x Permanent Style outfit
Drake's was one of the first menswear brands that really inspired me, back in the days when I'd sit in Michael Drake's study going through old decorative art books, dissecting patterns. Drake's managed to combine craft and style, deep tradition and ...
The Drake’s x Permanent Style outfit
Match in comments:
Not really, no...
Bigi ties – Milan workshop
Bigi is in many ways what Drake's used to be before the expansion of its retail and collection: a small brand and a top-line tie manufacturer making for the world's top stores. A third generation company, it has a workshop in the south of Milan run ...
Bigi ties – Milan workshop
Match in comments:
No, 8cm should be fine given that...
The vintage feel of Tie Your Tie (and Sevenfold, ...
Talking with Kenji Kaga of Sevenfold (and Tie Your Tie) recently threw up some interesting questions around what makes a tie appear vintage. Kenji is heavily influenced by 1940s-1950s styles, as is evident in his tailoring. But he freely admits that...
The vintage feel of Tie Your Tie (and Sevenfold, ...
Match in comments:
It isn't, you're right, and with Tie Your Tie it's kind of the point that they don't look neat and straight. I would just hang them and let the shape drop back in a little, but not try and make them too sharp...
Brand round-up: R. Culturi, Mes Chaussettes Rouge...
1 R. Culturi There are many brands launching ties or handkerchiefs online these days, given it’s an easy area to try and express something new - and the lack of sizing makes it relatively easy to sell online. One that was shown to me recently ...
Brand round-up: R. Culturi, Mes Chaussettes Rouge...
Match in comments:
I owe MCR an apology - they replied very quickly to my complaint and reassured me that although my password was shown in the email, the email itself was encrypted. So all-in-all a good response....
Double-breasted flannel suit – with pink an...
I know I've written about green and pink a few times before. I could find one old post with a little flower illustration, but there must be more. Perhaps it's the fog of Christmas food and wine clouding my mind. In any case, it bears repeating that...
Double-breasted flannel suit – with pink an...
Match in comments:
May I ask the cloth used in this commission?...
Brand round-up: Alexander Kraft, Loic et Gil, Chr...
The next in our regular installment of small brands doing interesting things looks at some ties, handkerchiefs and knitwear. Viola Milano x Alexander Kraft First up is a collaboration between Alexander Kraft and online accessories company Viola Mila...
Brand round-up: Alexander Kraft, Loic et Gil, Chr...
Match in comments:
Despite the marketing spiel, the mark-up is ridiculous. The proliferation of online-only tie brands such as Viola Milano is a testament to the very healthy, attainable margins. A fawning i-gentry does help too. Also, and...
Ethan Newton’s Tokyo store – Brycelan...
I was quite intrigued to see Ethan Newton’s Bryceland's store in Tokyo when we visited a few weeks ago. In particular, how he is presenting his view on tailoring and how that mixes with the more casual americana side. The tailoring is essentia...
Ethan Newton’s Tokyo store – Brycelan...
Match in comments:
A vintage backpack, and a collaboration Brycelands did years ago with Frank Clegg, using some vintage cloth....
Manning & Manning suit – with an Itali...
The Italian Background: an awkward but persistently useful phrase I coined back in 2008 to describe the tendency of Italians to wear blue shirts and navy ties under strongly coloured suits. Rather than the English alternative - bright shirts and tie...
Manning & Manning suit – with an Itali...
Match in comments:
Yes, I would probably use Crispaire if I was to do it again....
Drakes made-to-order ties
A few week ago, Drake's asked me to try out their made-to-order tie service, which has been given a new digital home on the website. The prime question is, of course, do you really need a MTO tie? It didn't even feature on my list last year of the ...
Drakes made-to-order ties
Match in comments:
I'm afraid you are mistaken... Sorry...
If you only had five ties – a capsule colle...
Readers often ask for ‘capsule collections’ of types of clothes – shoes, suits, ties etc. There are many reasons such a list is useful. It can point to the ‘essentials’: those things that provide t...
If you only had five ties – a capsule colle...
Match in comments:
My view is that the tie and shoes are far enough away that it doesn’t matter if they are in a similar shade. I think the same goes for jackets or tops - a brown jacket or polo would go fine with the same colour shoes i...