Category: Uncategorized

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...

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...

  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...

  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...

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...

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...

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...

Artisan of the year 2020: Sartoria Ciardi   Enzo Ciardi has a lovely smile. It’s big (but then he’s big), it’s warm, it’s friendly. It’s extremely welcoming.  And best of all, I can enjoy that smile full...

Rubato The Permanent Style pop-up shop is coming back to 37 Savile Row, in the second half of March.  Those following PS on Instagram stories might have seen the gradual announcements, but we have just confirmed the fi...

As part of our continued conversation on sustainability on PS , I thought it would be interesting to talk to someone that works on the academic side of fashion and the environment.  So through a friend, I got in touch ...

Most bespoke tailoring in New York is structured differently to the old houses of Europe. It tends to be based around a designer or salesman - with extensive bespoke experience - rather than a cutter.  There are except...

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing how PS readers engage with requests and ideas.  In an age of ever-quicker, ever-shallower content – where everyone advises you to write only the short, social and sharable ...

The Permanent Style Awards this year are about pieces you love, value and would recommend. Plus local shops and the feminine eye.  There are two awards intended to create a pool of ideas for everyone else: the value or...

Masaru Okuyama - the Japan-trained but Hong Kong-based shoemaker - made me this pair of shoes over the past 10 months.  Their relevance is twofold. As a review of Masaru and his work, of course, but also as an experien...

In recent weeks two friends inadvertently coined similar phrases, in relation to what they saw as wrong with clothing today.  One referred to the buying of large volumes of cheap clothes - often plastic, often made in ...

*Note: The competition is now closed, and the winner will be announced soon. Please feel free to carry on filling out the survey, but you will no longer be entered into the competition* Permanent Style has always been a...

With its aim of covering the finest, quality menswear in the world, Permanent Style’s coverage varies widely - from suits for £1500 to those for £7000, £150 shirts to £500 ones.  Although I’ve always wanted to ...

Brian Davis runs the Brooklyn-based men’s vintage store Wooden Sleepers. As part of this week’s look at vintage clothing, I spoke to him about the industry side of vintage – how he got started in it, the misconcep...

Few things annoy me more than waste.  I know there are more important reasons to support the selling or donation of second-hand clothes: sustainability, accessibility, the environment and so on. But it's waste that irr...

There have been some signs recently that the era of the influencer has peaked.  In a recent Business of Fashion article , brands and PR agencies talked about how expensive Instagram has become. “If Instagram launched...

I'm delighted to say that the next New York Symposium will be held in just under three weeks - with Alan Flusser, Sid Mashburn, Todd Snyder and Nick Sullivan. It is on Thursday October 24th, at Town Stages in Tribeca fr...

This should be a fun one. I doubt anyone will have strong feelings about it at all. A few weeks ago I got a tattoo on my forearm, and I thought readers might be interested in hearing why. It is something I took extremel...

  This series of posts on building a core wardrobe has proved incredibly popular – and now has its own dedicated Guide page here .  I’m sure it’s useful to guys that are just starting out, trying to decid...

A reader recently commented that, as a newcomer, he struggled to see why he would get into bespoke tailoring - given the number of negative experiences I often report.  It made me realise that I rarely set out the case...

The memory that comes back vividly is cycling over to the Drake’s office, on a Boris Bike. I was going to see Matt and Nathan for some reason, and then going for a drink afterwards. I had a moment of sheer panic. Ridi...