Coats, gloves, shirts and jeans: Reflections on b...

January 7th 2015

Last year a reader commented – quite rightly – that there is a tendency here to cover freshly received suits/shirts/shoes, but not follow up on them later, when they have bedded in. He was right also to say that this is a defic...

Coats, gloves, shirts and jeans: Reflections on b...

Match in comments:
I usually take my jeans in at the waist when I get them, because my hips are much wider than my waist, and again take them in after they're worn in and stretched. I've never heard a denimhead voice an opinion on this and...

Denim - Hanks and scarvesJanuary 7th 2015

Begg & Co: luxury scarves, Ayr

December 24th 2014

Begg & Co is not in the most prepossessing location. Ayr is far from a glamorous location anyway, but the factory itself is down a side street, opposite several blocks of council flats. Still, that’s often the way with British fac...

Begg & Co: luxury scarves, Ayr

Match in comments:
Ah, ok thanks...

Factory visits - Hanks and scarvesDecember 24th 2014

Begg’s milling machine

December 19th 2014

This is a milling machine. An old one. Part of the finishing process for woven cloth, milling involves pummelling the material in order to break up the fibres and pull them together. The cloth shrinks slightly, becoming denser and acquiring a spon...

Begg’s milling machine

Match in comments:
That's sick....

Hanks and scarvesDecember 19th 2014

How to dress for winter

November 12th 2014

I’m so excited the weather in London has finally turned cold. Summer clothing is great, but there’s just so much more of it in winter: hats, scarves, gloves, overcoats, plus heavy-gauge knitwear and serious boots. The key to dressing we...

How to dress for winter

Match in comments:
I don't know the detail there I'm afraid, sorry...

Coats - Hanks and scarvesNovember 12th 2014

Postcard from Begg – teasels and cream cash...

November 4th 2014

One of the interesting tensions in a factory visit is the way machinery is portrayed. Some manufacturers will boast of their old, traditional methods, when in fact the same thing could be done, quicker, by a newer machine – they just can&...

Postcard from Begg – teasels and cream cash...

Match in comments:
Yes that would be nice. Not as versatile as most dark plain colours, but it is a nice subtle combination of shades...

Hanks and scarvesNovember 4th 2014

Brands review: Deux Cuirs, Svbscription, Cornerst...

September 22nd 2014

Every week, around a dozen small companies contact me about their product. Each one has a great idea. It may be glasses made to measure, luxury socks or mystery gift boxes, but each is convinced he has an exciting new product. They often involve men&...

Brands review: Deux Cuirs, Svbscription, Cornerst...

Match in comments:
I know Harry, but have no experience of the product I'm afraid...

Bags - Hanks and scarvesSeptember 22nd 2014

Postcards from Madrid

May 26th 2014

These past few days I’ve been in Madrid, speaking at the Aristocrata club meeting and seeing a few of the tailors and shoemakers I know ( Langa, Reillo, Calvo de Mora, Norman Vilalta). I invited Elia Caliendo and Luca Avitabile of Satria...

Postcards from Madrid

Match in comments:
Again, the price difference is largely down to London real estate, London wages etc, rather than attention to detail. But quality is still a part of it. You should certainly expect an A&S suit to be superior in fit, and ...

Hanks and scarvesMay 26th 2014

Hermes silk scarf with Shetland sweater

April 2nd 2014

A silk scarf, tied any way, is a great way to recreate the contrast achieved by a suit and tie and keep the neck warm. The sheen of this Hermes silk scarf contrasts particularly nicely with the deep texture of a Shetland sweater. It can be worn with...

Hermes silk scarf with Shetland sweater

Match in comments:
It's a 90cm square, the classic women's size. But Hermes only keep a design for a season or two, so it won't be around any more I'm afraid....

Hanks and scarves - StyleApril 2nd 2014

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

Match in comments:
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

A (Christmas) word from our sponsors

November 18th 2013

One of the nice things about having nice advertisers is the range of Christmas shopping ideas they present. Here are my favourites. Among the best additions to the collection at Drake’s are the untipped cashmeres in various shades of grey. The ...

A (Christmas) word from our sponsors

Match in comments:
A Fine Pair of Shoes - my supplier of Saphir Shoe & Leather Polish and related products, probably the best around!...

Bags - Belts and walletsNovember 18th 2013

Anderson & Sheppard on Clifford Street: It’s ...

March 8th 2013

It is perhaps understandable to assume that the new Anderson & Sheppard store on Clifford Street is expensive. Bespoke suits round the corner certainly aren’t cheap, while in Clifford Street the trousers are over £300 and you can ...

Anderson & Sheppard on Clifford Street: It’s ...

Match in comments:
Yes the staff are very customer focussed in that store and are good at presenting their products and getting customers to try them on. (Unlike Edward Green who have a fantastic product but don't offer the same quality of...

Hanks and scarves - KnitwearMarch 8th 2013

Merola gloves

February 8th 2013

Rather like Maglia, which we discussed earlier in the week, Merola is among the very best makers in its field – in this case, gloves. Both are also based in Rome and have a similarly stellar roster of private-label clients. There is more compet...

Merola gloves

Match in comments:
No, sorry Antonio, never tried them...

Hanks and scarvesFebruary 8th 2013

Begg launches first collection at Pitti

January 29th 2013

One person it was nice to catch up with in Florence was Ann Ryley, who used to be sales and marketing director at Drake’s but left last year to help Scottish company Begg launch its first collection. Begg is an old name in Scottish weaving, g...

Begg launches first collection at Pitti

Match in comments:
Anything Michael Drake does will be wonderful. A lovely man with marvellous ideas. Lucky Begg to have him on board...

Hanks and scarvesJanuary 29th 2013

Czeslaw Jamrozinski gloves

December 3rd 2012

A reader asked me recently what happened to these gloves. I mentioned in the first post on their maker, Warsaw artisan Czeslaw Jamrozinski, that they take around two weeks to make. He wasn’t late, but I was: a queue of posts kept on pushing...

Czeslaw Jamrozinski gloves

Match in comments:
Following a search on your site regarding gloves (before your more recent Cadet post) I've contacted Mr Jamrozinski and commisoned a pair to a great effect. I have oddly shaped hands and ready to wear options are merely ...

Hanks and scarvesDecember 3rd 2012

Storing handkerchiefs: Reader question

October 29th 2012

Hello, I’m a new reader of your blog, and I must say I’m enjoying it thoroughly. As I read it, I realised that I had a question I haven’t found a good answer to and it’s been bothering me no end: what is the best ...

Storing handkerchiefs: Reader question

Match in comments:
Shibumi have some really nice ones....

Hanks and scarves - Reader questionsOctober 29th 2012

Warsaw glove maker: Czeslaw Jamrozinski

September 25th 2012

Of all the places I visited in Warsaw, the one that excited me most was a very small, very unglamorous glove shop. It is run by Czeslaw Jamrozinski. Or rather it is him, for the shop isn’t big enough to hold more than one person, and neither is...

Warsaw glove maker: Czeslaw Jamrozinski

Match in comments:
I'm afraid I don't know Paul, you'll need to try and contact him yourself...

Hanks and scarvesSeptember 25th 2012

What gloves to wear: Reader question

August 22nd 2012

Dear Simon, I am seeking advice about gloves. Firstly what colour pairings do gloves go with? Is it possible to be adventurous or should one stick to brown and black? Also where could I find a very tight pair of leather gloves? Fingerless gloves for ...

What gloves to wear: Reader question

Match in comments:
Yes...

Hanks and scarves - Reader questionsAugust 22nd 2012

The history of Drake’s

March 2nd 2012

Drake’s was founded in 1977 by three ex-Aquascutum employees: Michael Drake (head of menswear design), Jeremy Hull (export sales director) and Isabel Dickson (export sales administration). “It always helps when you found a business to hav...

The history of Drake’s

Match in comments:
Nice idea...

Hanks and scarvesMarch 2nd 2012

Five tips on pocket handkerchiefs

January 19th 2012

I love the fact that more men are wearing pocket handkerchiefs. It’s a great avenue for expression and way to wear colour when so many men dispense with a tie. But it is also dangerous. It is unusual, and therefore stands out. If not done right...

Five tips on pocket handkerchiefs

Match in comments:
Budd? https://www.buddshirts.co.uk/accessories/pocket-squares/where/silk...

Hanks and scarves - StyleJanuary 19th 2012

How to wear a silk scarf

October 3rd 2011

As the days begin to grow colder, one of the most tactile pleasures is wearing a short scarf at the neck. I’ve never taken to wearing an ascot in an open shirt collar, much as I agree with the rationale of retaining some silk at the neck; perha...

How to wear a silk scarf

Match in comments:
It can look great, with the only risk being looking a little fancy or fussy. If done in a relaxed manner, and with other clothes that aren't too fussy etc, I think it can be great...

Hanks and scarves - StyleOctober 3rd 2011

Pochette Square: Good and bad handkerchiefs

September 12th 2011

There is an increasing number of websites selling good men’s accessories today. But while they are nearly all better than the bog-standard fare we had to put up with on the high street for years, the quality does vary. A new French site (why ar...

Pochette Square: Good and bad handkerchiefs

Match in comments:
I can recommend pochette-square. Their silk handkerchiefs are very impressive - although I agree with you about the size: they offer the traditional European size squares where as I we in the UK (and the USA) prefer a mu...

Hanks and scarvesSeptember 12th 2011

Dent’s gloves archive

June 24th 2011

Rummaging through the image archive this week, I stumbled across these pictures from my trip to the Dent’s gloves factory earlier in the year. They are from the Dent’s archive, and show five pairs of gloves – two for women and three...

Dent’s gloves archive

Match in comments:
Thanks for the pictures - very interesting indeed!...

Factory visits - Hanks and scarvesJune 24th 2011

Leather cycling gloves at Rapha

March 4th 2011

Given my recent trip to Dent’s to see gloves being made there, it was interesting to learn about how the glove making process is adapted to sports gloves – like those made by Rapha for cycling. Unlike a dress glove, sports gloves have to ...

Leather cycling gloves at Rapha

Match in comments:
Keep the Rapha plugs coming! Cheers mate....

Hanks and scarvesMarch 4th 2011

Factory visit: Dent’s gloves

January 31st 2011

I finally made it down to Dent’s heritage gloves factory in Warminster, and learnt a lot more about the traditional process behind English-made gloves. There were some interesting parallels with several other crafts, including tailoring, shoema...

Factory visit: Dent’s gloves

Match in comments:
I looked at Lavabre Cadet but the colors are pretty limited, mostly black....

Factory visits - Hanks and scarvesJanuary 31st 2011

Vintage silk weaving at Penrose

January 5th 2011

The decorative instinct of Mitchell Jacobs, one half of the team behind accessories brand Penrose, is something I’ve written about briefly before. But I had a chance recently to delve further into the craft behind the weaving and finishing of M...

Vintage silk weaving at Penrose

Match in comments:
I concur with Prairie Oysters completely. Mystique is a sought after quality, but Penrose is either taking it too far, or simply haven't put the effort into getting their goods out there. The web site doesn't show off th...

Hanks and scarvesJanuary 5th 2011