Bruce Boyer’s A&S jacket: How great th...
When Bruce read our article on Nicoletta Caraceni’s 50-year-old jacket recently, he was spurred to send an example of his own: the Anderson & Sheppard jacket worn above. And really, there are few people better placed to talk about how...
Bruce Boyer’s A&S jacket: How great th...
When Bruce read our article on Nicoletta Caraceni’s 50-year-old jacket recently, he was spurred to send an example of his own: the Anderson & Sheppard jacket worn above. And really, there are few people better p...
The Permanent Style Awards 2021: Charity, e-comme...
It’s hard to use terms for this past year that haven’t already been overused, and lost most of their meaning along the way. But there are certainly several issues and trends that have naturally emerged from it, and which I wanted to refl...
The Permanent Style Awards 2021: Charity, e-comme...
It’s hard to use terms for this past year that haven’t already been overused, and lost most of their meaning along the way. But there are certainly several issues and trends that have naturally emerged from it, and ...
New daily email and comments page, plus 1.2 milli...
Over the past six months, we've made several improvements to the website based on requests in last year's reader survey . Some of the new pieces of functionality will not be that obvious, so I wanted to highlight them here to make sure everyone can...
New daily email and comments page, plus 1.2 milli...
Over the past six months, we've made several improvements to the website based on requests in last year's reader survey . Some of the new pieces of functionality will not be that obvious, so I wanted to highlight them...
The Christmas Quiz!
**UPDATE: The answers to the quiz are now listed at the bottom of this post. Don't peek if you want to try it out yourself first! The winner of the competition was Mathias Olsen. Well done to him.** This is a spot of fun for Christmas Day. It should...
The Christmas Quiz!
**UPDATE: The answers to the quiz are now listed at the bottom of this post. Don't peek if you want to try it out yourself first! The winner of the competition was Mathias Olsen. Well done to him.** This is a spot of fu...
Which brands do we cover, and why?
Now more than ever, I think it’s important to say what we stand for at Permanent Style. And one of the ways that comes across clearest is our editorial policy: what we cover, and what we don’t. Implicitly, this defines our values. It re...
Which brands do we cover, and why?
Now more than ever, I think it’s important to say what we stand for at Permanent Style. And one of the ways that comes across clearest is our editorial policy: what we cover, and what we don’t. Implicitly, this de...
The perspective of medieval menswear
I recently saw a presentation by the cultural historical and writer Benjamin Wild (below), on the history of menswear. The talk covered everything from 1300 to the present day, but it was pre-20th Century that was the most interesting. The developm...
The perspective of medieval menswear
I recently saw a presentation by the cultural historical and writer Benjamin Wild (below), on the history of menswear. The talk covered everything from 1300 to the present day, but it was pre-20th Century that was the m...
The Permanent Style x Cromford shearling coat
I’ve been lucky this year that so many outerwear collaborations have come to fruition - no delays, no problems, everything fulfilling my expectations. That doesn’t always happen. This next one is no less exciting than the others, but I ...
The Permanent Style x Cromford shearling coat
I’ve been lucky this year that so many outerwear collaborations have come to fruition - no delays, no problems, everything fulfilling my expectations. That doesn’t always happen. This next one is no less exciting ...
What is comfort?
Working from home has thrown up lots of interesting clothing debates recently - including whether people will just stop caring, as we discussed recently . Another interesting one, I think, is the idea of comfort. As in, ‘It’s just so co...
What is comfort?
Working from home has thrown up lots of interesting clothing debates recently - including whether people will just stop caring, as we discussed recently . Another interesting one, I think, is the idea of comfort. As i...
The mock neck
I’m not sure about the mock neck. It’s been having a resurgence recently - everyone is doing one, from Camoshita to Loro Piana, Margaret Howell to Inis Meain. I can’t remember the last time a style of knitwear became so ubiquitous...
The mock neck
I’m not sure about the mock neck. It’s been having a resurgence recently - everyone is doing one, from Camoshita to Loro Piana, Margaret Howell to Inis Meain. I can’t remember the last time a style of knitwear b...
Buying vintage – with Oliver and Carl of Ru...
While in Stockholm last month, I spent a morning shopping with Oliver (Dannefalk, above) and Carl (Pers) of Rubato. I was particularly interested to hear their views on vintage shopping, as I knew that both of them used to work in vintage stores in ...
Buying vintage – with Oliver and Carl of Ru...
While in Stockholm last month, I spent a morning shopping with Oliver (Dannefalk, above) and Carl (Pers) of Rubato. I was particularly interested to hear their views on vintage shopping, as I knew that both of them used...
The symbolic value of clothes: An interview with ...
Philip Warkander is a Swedish academic, lecturer at Lund University in fashion studies. We got to talking recently thanks to an introduction by Dag at Saman Amel, and it was interesting how many of the topics Philip covers - from the value placed o...
The symbolic value of clothes: An interview with ...
Philip Warkander is a Swedish academic, lecturer at Lund University in fashion studies. We got to talking recently thanks to an introduction by Dag at Saman Amel, and it was interesting how many of the topics Philip c...
Fashion is running out of ideas, faster and faster
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a men’s fashion magazine in the new (very nice) newsagent on Chiltern Street. I really miss good print products, and fashion magazines in particular. I think I flicked through it all in five minutes, and felt ...
Fashion is running out of ideas, faster and faster
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a men’s fashion magazine in the new (very nice) newsagent on Chiltern Street. I really miss good print products, and fashion magazines in particular. I think I flicked through it all ...
Postcard from Stockholm
So here's the weird thing about Stockholm: nothing is weird. Everything feels normal. No one wears a mask, and while there’s still social distancing, it's minimal and feels almost like politeness. People do sanitise their hands frequently, an...
Postcard from Stockholm
So here's the weird thing about Stockholm: nothing is weird. Everything feels normal. No one wears a mask, and while there’s still social distancing, it's minimal and feels almost like politeness. People do sanitise...
My beard
It’s probably surprising how little time and attention I’ve put into my beard over the years. I’ve had it almost 20 years, long before it was fashionable (which I do tell people, to my shame). Yet I’ve always cut it myself, ...
My beard
It’s probably surprising how little time and attention I’ve put into my beard over the years. I’ve had it almost 20 years, long before it was fashionable (which I do tell people, to my shame). Yet I’ve always ...
Postcard from Milan
When I was young, my family used to play a game on holiday. The question for all of us was: what can you see that tells you you’re in a different country? It could be the types of trees, the style of road signs, the way people gesticulate. It ...
Postcard from Milan
When I was young, my family used to play a game on holiday. The question for all of us was: what can you see that tells you you’re in a different country? It could be the types of trees, the style of road signs, the w...
How Permanent Style works as a business
Fashion media has had a hard time of it in recent years, with near constant disruption - which Covid-19 has only made worse. So why am I confident that Permanent Style can survive this turmoil? What revenue streams support that, and what investment...
How Permanent Style works as a business
Fashion media has had a hard time of it in recent years, with near constant disruption - which Covid-19 has only made worse. So why am I confident that Permanent Style can survive this turmoil? What revenue streams su...
How to launch a menswear brand
Despite the uncertainty in the world right now - and the economy in particular - it has never been easier to launch a brand. Indeed, I suspect that in the next couple of years most of the new, interesting designs will come from small start-ups, rath...
How to launch a menswear brand
Despite the uncertainty in the world right now - and the economy in particular - it has never been easier to launch a brand. Indeed, I suspect that in the next couple of years most of the new, interesting designs will c...
We will not all be wearing T-shirts and sweatpants
Apparently there is a thing called a Zoom shirt. It sits on the back of your chair at home, and just before you start a meeting with your boss or colleague, you put on the shirt to look professional. You know, over a T-shirt and sweatpants*. There ...
We will not all be wearing T-shirts and sweatpants
Apparently there is a thing called a Zoom shirt. It sits on the back of your chair at home, and just before you start a meeting with your boss or colleague, you put on the shirt to look professional. You know, over a ...
Local UK tailors: Controlled crowdsourcing
Readers have commented fairly regularly that it would be good to include more local UK tailors on Permanent Style. I’ve generally been resistant, largely because those tailors would be relevant to only a small number of people. As they tend n...
Local UK tailors: Controlled crowdsourcing
Readers have commented fairly regularly that it would be good to include more local UK tailors on Permanent Style. I’ve generally been resistant, largely because those tailors would be relevant to only a small numbe...
Jetted pockets: Signs of a good finishing
A reader recently asked about what constituted the ‘finishing’ of a suit - and what indicates quality. I initially planned a response going through every aspect of this, with examples, but that quickly became unwieldy. There are just to...
Jetted pockets: Signs of a good finishing
A reader recently asked about what constituted the ‘finishing’ of a suit - and what indicates quality. I initially planned a response going through every aspect of this, with examples, but that quickly became unwi...
A complete capsule wardrobe
This article was spurred by two things. First, by a reader specifically asking for it, on another capsule post in this series (always a good sign). And second, by some consultancy work I’ve been doing, where the client had assembled ...
A complete capsule wardrobe
This article was spurred by two things. First, by a reader specifically asking for it, on another capsule post in this series (always a good sign). And second, by some consultancy work I’ve been doing, where the...
The (55) bespoke tailors I have known
This post was originally written in 2012: a breakdown of all the tailors I have tried personally (rather than just written about), split into different countries. It was updated in 2016, and I have updated it again now in 2020, adding a fu...
The (55) bespoke tailors I have known
This post was originally written in 2012: a breakdown of all the tailors I have tried personally (rather than just written about), split into different countries. It was updated in 2016, and I have updated it agai...
The Coronavirus: We will survive because we care
These are dark and uncertain times for businesses everywhere, in particular fashion. Who will care about their clothes if they’re at home the whole time? Who will spend large amounts of money on clothing when the economy is so uncertain? Two...
The Coronavirus: We will survive because we care
These are dark and uncertain times for businesses everywhere, in particular fashion. Who will care about their clothes if they’re at home the whole time? Who will spend large amounts of money on clothing when the ec...
What I wear working from home
A reader asked last week what I wear when I’m working at home, given how many more people are now being forced to do so. It’s something I’ve done on-and-off for years, but particularly in the past two, since Permanent Style became...
What I wear working from home
A reader asked last week what I wear when I’m working at home, given how many more people are now being forced to do so. It’s something I’ve done on-and-off for years, but particularly in the past two, since Per...
Something to read
I’m sure this won’t be the first message you will have read about Covid-19, and how it affects what we do. But I think it’s worth setting out a view, even if it repeats what others have already - perhaps more eloquently - said. Fas...
Something to read
I’m sure this won’t be the first message you will have read about Covid-19, and how it affects what we do. But I think it’s worth setting out a view, even if it repeats what others have already - perhaps more eloq...