Belted polo coat, from Whitcomb & Shaftesbury
January 16th 2019So this was an interesting experiment. My idea was to make my first overcoat with Whitcomb & Shaftesbury as a belted wrap coat. So no buttons on the front, just a belt. A jigger button inside to keep the inside layer fastened, but none on th...
The guide to overcoating cloths
December 17th 2018When selecting a cloth for an overcoat, what should you look for? This might seem like a pretty easy question: you want warmth. That’s what an overcoat is for. But how much warmth, and where it comes from, are not straightforward. As...
The guide to overcoating cloths
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I think a grey herringbone would be lovely, RSH, and fit the bill on all those counts...
Introducing: The PS Bridge Coat
October 31st 2018* For updates and stock please see the shop page* Of all the things I’ve developed or helped develop over the past few years, the PS Trench Coat was one of the most satisfying. That was partly because it seemed to fill a particular ...
Introducing: The PS Bridge Coat
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For an NYC winter I'd want something heavier and longer really....
No Man Walks Alone A/W: Frank Leder, Monitaly, So...
October 29th 2018It’s been over a year since I last had the chance to browse the stock at No Man Walks Alone and write one of these pieces, for which I blame a lack of travel to New York. It is possible to select a few favourites online, of course, particularl...
No Man Walks Alone A/W: Frank Leder, Monitaly, So...
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'No man walks alone' - possibly not the best brand name during the current Covid 19 outbreak. We are all walking alone now! They will need to rebrand....
The duffle coat
March 9th 2018It was freezing in London last week. Temperatures below zero consistently; more snow than we’ve had in a decade. Of course, it’s nothing compared to the US east coast - or Scandinavia - but it was rather a shock. I had an odd feeling on ...
The duffle coat
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I found the Gloverall a little short, which I think is partly a height issue and partly a personal style one. It looks perfect on someone like Bruce Boyer, but Bruce is a lot shorter than me and only one size down. I lov...
How great things age: Gieves & Hawkes bespok...
February 21st 2018This post could come under the ‘How great things age’ or the ‘Reflections on bespoke’ heading. Whatever the category, readers have asked frequently about this pea coat , how it has held up and – more speci...
How great things age: Gieves & Hawkes bespok...
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No, I think it's just the photography, it hasn't really faded...
Suit-carrier holdalls and Trench coats back in stock
January 30th 2018Two of the best collaborations we did last year are back in stock this week. The Suit-Carrier Holdall (below), which combines a suit carrier and a holdall into a single lightweight bag, is available again on the Bennett Winch website. The Holdall w...
Suit-carrier holdalls and Trench coats back in stock
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Worth checking with Bennett Winch if that's OK...
Liverano & Liverano ulster coat: Review
January 5th 2018I’ve wanted a Liverano ulster coat for a long time. Ever since I first saw one on Ethan Newton I think, and subsequently reinforced by seeing versions on Jeff Hilliard (now at Mr Porter) and others. Liverano is very expensive, however, and it ...
Liverano & Liverano ulster coat: Review
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Hi Andrew, There are a few things I think it's worth looking at if you ever get a chance again - some of which I talk about in this article. The proportions of the lapel, for example; the real fullness in the back that m...
The Armoury at the pop-up: College cardigan, R...
November 30th 2017The Armoury really inspired me (as it did many others) when it started out in Hong Kong, and I still get particularly excited about having them in the pop-up shop. I was in there yesterday, looking through everything with Dick (Carroll, pictured bot...
The Armoury at the pop-up: College cardigan, R...
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Nice, thanks Pat!...
Bespoke commissions – What I should and sho...
September 20th 2017Thank you everyone that responded to my ‘You are the interviewer’ post a couple of weeks ago. The number of variety of questions was staggering, and I will try to answer as many as I can over the coming weeks. It may take time, but I wou...
Bespoke commissions – What I should and sho...
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I don't know the exact history, but I think it came from English tweed jackets which themselves were derived from those made for riding...
Introducing: The Permanent Style trench coat
September 13th 2017*Check the Shop page for stock levels* Our first collaboration this Autumn/Winter is, for me, the perfect trench coat - a limited edition of a Ventile coat being made with Private White VC. Visitors to the pop-up shop, or our UK manufacturing debat...
Introducing: The Permanent Style trench coat
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Hopefully this winter, yes Rob...
Ettore de Cesare workshop, Naples
August 4th 2017*For more on Ettore de Cesare, and examples of the pieces he has made for me, see original post here* The workshop of Ettore de Cesare is in Vomero, a residential neighbourhood on the hill behind central Naples. But he lives in the centre of town. E...
Ettore de Cesare workshop, Naples
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Yes they have, thank you Ian. Or more specifically, the car coat is reversible, the overcoat unlined. I'll change that now...
Ettore de Cesare – Neapolitan summer blazer...
June 30th 2017In some ways, this navy jacket and topcoat from Ettore de Cesare are the antithesis of the Disguisery tweed jacket we featured last week. Ettore is a third-generation Neapolitan tailor known for his close-fitting, unstructured garments and leather ...
Ettore de Cesare – Neapolitan summer blazer...
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Yes I think so. I don't have my jackets cut that short or that open...
Coherence: Vintage-inspired Japanese outerwear
March 31st 2017When I first heard about and tried Cohérence outerwear last year, I wasn't sure it would be for me. I tend to favour outerwear that flatters the figure and creates a straight-cut silhouette. So long in the body, slim at the waist and high in...
Coherence: Vintage-inspired Japanese outerwear
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Grenfell makes some great pieces, and it's a shame they're not more represented here in the UK. I haven't tried Grenfell cloth though so can't speak to that much I'm afraid....
The Dunhill archive
February 1st 2017As 'heritage' has become more popular in recent years, brands have increasingly emphasised their longevity, their history and their traditions. This has several issues. Most obviously, the brands that push this hardest often have the least to shout...
The Dunhill archive
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Over the years I've bought a number of pieces from Dunhill and enjoyed them. That said, my experience of them since their acquisition by the Richemont Group has been at best, variable. There seems to be a lack of consist...
Cover story in Plaza Uomo
December 16th 2016These things always seem to come in bunches. First Esquire named me in a top 10 and now Plaza Uomo have published their latest edition, with a profile of me as the cover story. Plaza is a Swedish fashion magazine, and Plaza Uomo has an English ver...
Cover story in Plaza Uomo
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Hi Neil, Has your copy come through yet?...
Unstructured casentino coat – Rubinacci x T...
December 9th 2016Although some of the products aren't to my taste, I always keep an eye on what The Rake are doing in terms of collaborations. It's interesting to see a clear vision move through different brands and categories. One that caught my attention recently...
Unstructured casentino coat – Rubinacci x T...
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The cut is kinda weird. I ordered mine at the rake last week. It's size 56. My usual jacket/suits size is US 44 in most men's wear brands like Hackett, Charles Tyrwhitt..etc. However, 56 is quite snug overall, and I'm ha...
A pale-grey jacket with green corduroy
November 14th 2016This outfit was used in a piece written recently for Drake's regarding corduroy. The piece mentions some of the associations that corduroy often carries, and ways to avoid them; basically, keeping the colours dark and the fit contemporary. But you...
A pale-grey jacket with green corduroy
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Yes, it probably would, and wouldn't wear them together today - see article here on outfits I'd wear differently...
Edward Sexton long overcoat – finished
April 18th 2016This is the finished charcoal overcoat from Edward Sexton, and it’s hard to over-estimate how much pleasure it gives me. It’s a very different feeling from my navy Cifonelli coat. That is practical, every day, an anonymous touch of lu...
Edward Sexton long overcoat – finished
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I haven't Mark, but I would worry that if they were actual vents, the coat might flap open rather a lot - these are pleats rather than vents, in that they're not actually open...
Edward Sexton long, grey overcoat
January 25th 2016Last summer, Edward Sexton and I were sitting in the gardens of the Four Seasons hotel, Florence. It was a beautiful evening. Warm, with a light breeze, scattered groups sitting at the tables and wandering across the lawn. The conversation turned ...
Stile Latino grey double-breasted coat
December 30th 2015For men who – for reasons of economy or laziness – want a coat that will go with everything, this might be the perfect candidate. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I’d recommend it. It was made for me by Stile Latin...
Stile Latino grey double-breasted coat
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On the inside of the jacket? Yes, thats a label like you'd have on the breast pocket, and is meant to stay on...
Tips on buying an overcoat
October 16th 2015One of these days I’ll put together an editorial calendar. It always comes as a surprise when people start asking for advice on overcoats as the weather turns cold, but it shouldn’t. The same people ask for tips on luggage and swimming...
Tips on buying an overcoat
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I'd look to something like a grey herringbone Peter - there are few outerwear colours that really bridge those levels of smartness, but mid-grey herringbone is one....
Stile Latino – from Vincenzo Attolini
September 2nd 2015I interviewed Vincenzo Attolini (above) back in January. This post is therefore a little late, although the advantage is the clothes will be dropping into shops now, unlike other pieces from trade shows where you have to wait at least six months t...
Stile Latino – from Vincenzo Attolini
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MY GOD!!! The first tailor to be frank about the pros and cons of handwork etc. While I love handmade button holes, most cannot make a tightly woven one that is sharp and beautiful. Most are relatively loose and worthles...
What is worth being made bespoke?
August 21st 2015Re-fitting for a Simone Abbarchi shirt, Florence In comments to Friday’s post on my ‘go-to’ clothing, readers said they would like to see a post suggesting which types of clothing it is most worth having made bespoke. In order to...
What is worth being made bespoke?
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I'd certainly consider them, yes. The ideas around structure and overall cut will be similar. However, there is more to the design of a coat than a jacket, in some ways. So much more proportion to play with. I would make...
Cifonelli double-breasted overcoat
January 26th 2015For the reader who commented that my pieces on Cifonelli tend towards the emotional, I apologise in advance. This is a beautiful, beautiful coat, and one of the finest things I have ever worn. Right, that’s over. Down to details. This is...
Cifonelli double-breasted overcoat
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I'd go for 80/20 I think. I also find that these days I prefer something more substantial and hard wearing, less luxe. I'm making a new navy overcoat for next year that will certainly be mostly wool, if not all....
