Christmas Gift List 2023: Do not read!

December 8th 2023

Permanent Style reader, this is not for you. This is intended for your wife/husband/partner/child/dog, in an attempt to help source a Christmas present for someone who, let’s face it, is very fussy in general but particularly about clothing. ...

Christmas Gift List 2023: Do not read!

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I'd go off the shoes primarily, and I think both suede or leather would be fine, I don't think leather would be too smart...

Belts and wallets - Black tieDecember 8th 2023

The Spring Top 10: Fun, paper and lavender

April 20th 2022

It’s that time of the year again. Brands have been receiving all the spring clothing they ordered last year, even though they weren’t quite sure whether it would arrive, or be swallowed by an unexpected lockdown. So rejoice, there are n...

The Spring Top 10: Fun, paper and lavender

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Regarding Trumpers. Apart from ordering a tub of Almond Shaving Cream which is utterly superb and highly concentrated in a very generous 200g tub... probably the best value of all the prestige London barbers, I asked for...

Casual clothing - CoatsApril 20th 2022

Christmas gift list 2021: Shawls, soap and Swan S...

November 17th 2021

It’s that time of the year again. So, with both apologies and thanks to readers that bemoaned the lack of this list last year, these are just a few of my favourite things... In these lists we try to go beyond menswear into other beautiful, cra...

Christmas gift list 2021: Shawls, soap and Swan S...

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Hi Simon. This is very helpful indeed. Dry clean it will be. Thanks. Yash...

Casual clothing - HatsNovember 17th 2021

My journey in perfume

April 2nd 2021

A couple of weeks ago I cleared out a lot of perfumes sitting in our bathroom cabinet. The cabinet is actually a tall, vintage piece, originally for a dining room. It has drawers in the bottom where we keep towels and sheets, and shelves in the top...

My journey in perfume

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Vanilla. It depends on the perfume IMO. I personally don't like vanilla, particularly in the drydown. It can be too sweet for me. Each to their own of course....

PerfumeApril 2nd 2021

Clutch Cafe: A guide to my favourite brands

September 7th 2020

There is a handful of menswear shops in London that I recommend regularly to friends visiting from abroad. They include Trunk, Connolly, Drake's and Anderson & Sheppard Haberdashery. All boutiques, all founded in the past decade. The most ...

Clutch Cafe: A guide to my favourite brands

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Excellent shop, one of my favorites in London. FWIW, One thing to be careful about it to make sure you ask the price before you and the (very effective) sales staff start looking at clothing. I talked myself into a littl...

Casual clothing - CoatsSeptember 7th 2020

Christmas gift list 2018

November 30th 2018

  It’s that time of year again. The TV adverts that started a month ago should have been a warning. Below is my Christmas gift list for 2019. It is not a comprehensive list of the best menswear gifts right now. It’s certainly no...

Christmas gift list 2018

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Good point, no in a medium now. Though that is partially preference and partially me getting a bit bigger. I take medium now...

Belts and wallets - Hanks and scarvesNovember 30th 2018

A history of modern perfume

August 21st 2017

There is no such thing as masculine perfume, or feminine perfume. Men used to wear rose scents; women wore cologne. The idea that fragrance can be divided into male and female is purely a product of 50 years of marketing. This was brought home durin...

A history of modern perfume

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Rose --- Floris - Their Rose Geranium originally a man's scent.Over time it was offered as a Bath Essence -- just 2/3 drops in a bath - a great favourite with the Ladies....

PerfumeAugust 21st 2017

Accessories for holiday

August 7th 2017

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 this summer. 1 Bower &...

Accessories for holiday

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Yes, I think a tote of some sort is the best option. And yes, I'd carry it all day...

Bags - Glasses and jewelleryAugust 7th 2017

Summer dressing in Robb Report; tailors and SMN i...

September 6th 2016

In recent weeks there have been several pieces in magazines such as Robb Report UK and the Financial Times's luxury supplement, How To Spend It. Regular readers will be aware that I write a monthly column for How to Spend It - probably the UK's lea...

Summer dressing in Robb Report; tailors and SMN i...

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Not yet, sorry....

Bags - PerfumeSeptember 6th 2016

Santa Maria Novella, Florence – the factory...

March 25th 2016

The current state of Florentine perfumer Santa Maria Novella raises interesting questions about quality and product perception. Earlier in the year myself and Luke were given a tour around the brand’s new manufacturing facilities in Florence...

Santa Maria Novella, Florence – the factory...

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All very good points, even in 2023....

PerfumeMarch 25th 2016

The history and families of fragrance

February 3rd 2016

The history of fragrance is an interesting one. Walking through it, as I did with Floris perfumer Nicola Pozzani recently, shows how subjective many of associations with smell. (You can read the full post about my bespoke fragrance consultation at...

The history and families of fragrance

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There are a few misconceptions/mistakes in this article. First, the Chypre 'accord' is one of bergamot, labdanum and oakmoss - you can't have the Chypre accord without labdanum, which brings me to my second point; that t...

PerfumeFebruary 3rd 2016

Floris bespoke perfume

February 1st 2016

Floris, the storied London perfumers, recently invited me to try their fragrance customisation service. And I have to say it was one of the most pleasurable bespoke experiences I’ve ever had, rivalled only by my first bespoke suit. I’v...

Floris bespoke perfume

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Lovely to hear Shawn, thanks...

Perfume - ShoesFebruary 1st 2016

Interview: Frederic Malle, selecting perfume

June 8th 2015

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Frederic Malle is the godfather of modern perfume. He was responsible for the first collections to champion the perfumer, back when designer brands were just starting to conquer the world. Frederic i...

Interview: Frederic Malle, selecting perfume

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I've also had some of my favourite scents tweaked, as I've already said in another post. My fear is cheaper ingredients and prices still the same or higher. The exception is removing possible harmful products or carcinog...

Perfume - StyleJune 8th 2015

Buying affordable luxury

March 28th 2014

Last month, a reader asked for some recommendations of “affordable luxury”. By this, I think he meant items that weren’t necessarily that expensive, but were nonetheless luxurious. The best (a little) money could buy. Buying the bes...

Buying affordable luxury

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Today, I received a very beautiful and, in my opinion, a vital sartorial accessory... A coin & key purse made by the leather goods firm Visconti. This, IMO is affordable luxury. This is the GINO Model. It has two zip...

Hanks and scarves - PerfumeMarch 28th 2014

How to buy fragrance – the perfumes

August 2nd 2013

Following the recent post on how to buy fragrance, this is the second installment – the brands I like and some suggestions of ones to look for. First, though, a reader asked about the difference between molecular and natural ingredients. Natura...

How to buy fragrance – the perfumes

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Agree on no.89. Pity that Floris don’t do an Eau de Parfums in that one....

Perfume - StyleAugust 2nd 2013

How to buy quality perfume

July 17th 2013

If men are scared of colour, pattern and real trousers then they are terrified of perfume. If they sometimes turn to fashion brands for reassurance in their clothing, they do so constantly with fragrance. It is much-misunderstood and misused. B...

How to buy quality perfume

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Be careful when buying perfume. I decided to venture into the perfumes department of House of Fraser yesterday and went to the Creed stand. I fear to say that some of the Creed scents seem to smell different, eg. Aventus...

Perfume - StyleJuly 17th 2013

Interview: Lorenzo Villoresi, perfumer

February 14th 2012

Read part 1 of this article, introducing the Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi, here While travelling in Morocco, Egypt, Israel and the Sudan, Lorenzo Villoresi was consistently taken with the essences and spices of the local markets, not just th...

Interview: Lorenzo Villoresi, perfumer

Read part 1 of this article, introducing the Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi, here While travelling in Morocco, Egypt, Israel and the Sudan, Lorenzo Villoresi was consistently taken with the essences and spices of ...

Perfume - February 14th 2012

Lorenzo Villoresi: master perfumer

February 2nd 2012

Lorenzo Villoresi’s studio does not promise much from the outside. A small suite on the top floor of a building on the south side of the Arno, it is in an old but certainly not glamorous part of Florence. The dusty buzzer is one of six set int...

Lorenzo Villoresi: master perfumer

Lorenzo Villoresi’s studio does not promise much from the outside. A small suite on the top floor of a building on the south side of the Arno, it is in an old but certainly not  glamorous part of Florence. The dusty ...

PerfumeFebruary 2nd 2012