The Summer Top Five: Adret, Anglo, Anthology, Con...
July 15th 2020With stock delayed and most shops closed, there seemed less point in doing our regular Spring/Summer round-up earlier in the year. So here, rather later, is a Summer-targeted piece on items I've tried myself and especially recommend. I've also kept ...
The Summer Top Five: Adret, Anglo, Anthology, Con...
Match in comments:
Those pieces would be long sleeve, correct? I think then it looks like a piece of knitwear, whereas most would see this Anthology piece as a T-shirt essentially, just a fancy one. I might wear the Anthology under a jacke...
The complete capsule: Prices, budgets and timelines
July 13th 2020Our ‘complete capsule’ article last month went down particularly well with readers. Setting out a concentrated, versatile wardrobe, I think it provided both a good starting point for new readers and a way for older ones to real...
The complete capsule: Prices, budgets and timelines
Match in comments:
Well, my first decision would be about style, as those would be quite different if the Steed is more English and sharper. That would always be the most important thing. Then, I'd go for bespoke when I could if the execut...
The cream shirt
May 11th 2020There is a certain type of gentleman who swears by the cream shirt. Who argues passionately for its elegance over that boring, corporate alternative: white. When I say there is a type, I am basing this on three men, all of an older generation, who ...
The cream shirt
Match in comments:
I'm afraid it won't be the same now - those collections that aren't core never last more than a couple of years. Sorry...
Introducing: The Madras linen
March 13th 2020There is a certain preponderance among men to order bespoke shirts in loud checks. This must be the case, because most patterned materials offered for bespoke are bright and loud. Even though the ones available in a mill’s full collection - o...
Introducing: The Madras linen
Match in comments:
Can someone tell me why this second hand Ralph Lauren madras shirt has DRAWSTRINGS on the inside along each side seam. I've found this identical shirt for sale at a number of aftermarket sights, and none of them show or ...
Introducing: The white PS Oxford
January 13th 2020On the final day of the pop-up shop back in October, it occurred to me to bring in my blue PS Oxford shirt - to show how it had softened with age. The response was telling. Half of the people that felt it bought one on the day, and several of the o...
Introducing: The white PS Oxford
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I'm afraid it is exclusive, yes...
The guide to winter shirt fabrics
January 3rd 2020I’m a relatively new convert to winter shirts. Although I’ve had brushed cottons in the past (such as my grey made by Simone Abbarchi, above) it’s only this season that I’ve started wearing heavier flannels and cor...
The guide to winter shirt fabrics
Match in comments:
In that respect yes, though the colour would make a big difference as well obviously...
The appeal of shirtmaker Wil Whiting
November 29th 2019I recently went to see Wil Whiting's studio for the first time. Wil and I have chatted many times in recent years, but this was the first time I'd been to see where he works. Wil has proved himself a talented shirtmaker, despite only four years sin...
The appeal of shirtmaker Wil Whiting
Match in comments:
I'm afraid I don't Sam, sorry. The issue is always how much more work that initial shirt is...
The polo shirt under knitwear
November 27th 2019I have a particular problem with crewneck sweaters. Although I love them, I find my relatively long neck means they don’t look good without a collar underneath. I need a shirt, rather than just a T-shirt. It’s the reason I sometimes we...
The polo shirt under knitwear
Match in comments:
It could work, but I think the finer Smedley might struggle over the polo shirt - the latter would be a bulkier material than the former, which is not really what you want when you wear one thing over another...
Our Autumn/Winter Top 10, 2019
October 23rd 2019Welcome to our small but regular selection of interesting things this Autumn/Winter. As ever, this is a highly personal list, which makes it both idiosyncratic and entirely without commercial angle - no one can ever and will ever be able to pay to a...
Our Autumn/Winter Top 10, 2019
Match in comments:
I haven't seen that one in person. It looks nice though...
The (21) shirtmakers I have known
October 9th 2019Three years ago, I wrote a post called ‘ The tailors I have known'. The idea was to provide a single reference point for anyone to get a run down on everyone I had tried - and links to more detail. A reader recently commented that it would be...
The (21) shirtmakers I have known
Match in comments:
Hey, These things are hard. I guess first off I'd say, just because it's an old shirtmaker doesn't mean it's any good any more, unfortunately. Second, it's really hard to judge how bad the fit was from your descriptions,...
The guide to denim and chambray shirtings
September 16th 2019A denim or chambray shirt can be great with tailoring. Perhaps more than anything else, they have the ability to subvert its corporate, even dandy associations. They reliably give the appearance of being both casual and practical. The two ...
The guide to denim and chambray shirtings
Match in comments:
No, the top one is from Al Bazar, and I'd also recommend our chambray...
The new Lightweight Friday Polo
July 3rd 2019This is the lovely - and reader-driven - new version of the Lightweight Friday Polo. The version we did last summer, in white piqué, was popular and sold out, but several readers commented that it was a little too transparent for them. So t...
The new Lightweight Friday Polo
Match in comments:
Thank you, yes good points. I rather liked the fading on the navy, but it suited a more casual polo, less the fine cotton of this one....
A Pitti diary: The experience, the brands, the pa...
June 19th 2019Pitti is a long trade show: four full days, when most are usually three. As a result, by Friday everyone is exhausted, with selling, talking, and late dinners. Although it does depend on why you’re there. Most people fall into one of three gro...
A Pitti diary: The experience, the brands, the pa...
Match in comments:
Thanks. De Bonne Facture are lovely - not always my kind of style, but they make great pieces...
The guide to summer shirt fabrics
June 7th 2019The aim of a shirt bought for summer might seem easy: to stay cool. But there are several variations here, and crossovers with styles and other functionality. This, then, is our substantive yet focused guide to buying a shirt fabric for th...
The guide to summer shirt fabrics
Match in comments:
Hey Alessandro, I'd go for full linen myself - the coolest option, and a nice texture underneath the tie and suit. Failing that, a cotton/linen mix like that second one...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2019
April 24th 2019Last week the weather in London turned from 12 degrees to 22 in a couple of days. It seems that what passes for the English Spring is finally here. Of course, with most shops and brands Spring/Summer collections arrived in February, and went on sale...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2019
Match in comments:
Appreciate simon...
Everyday Denim shirts back in stock, and Lighter ...
March 25th 2019[Everyday Denim shirts available here. Lighter Denim shirts here] When you talk to craftsmen or designers about things you like in their range, there’s often a particular smile that creeps across their face. Actually, it usually starts as som...
Everyday Denim shirts back in stock, and Lighter ...
Match in comments:
Hi Chris, Yes I would expect this I'm afraid, and sorry if we haven't been clear that it shouldn't be kept in that way for so long. The other PS fabrics are not designed to fade, whereas the denims are - that's the point...
Video: A bespoke shirt fitting
March 6th 2019Akshat of 100 Hands was a little nervous before this, but he needn't have been. He is one of the most thoughtful people out there on shirts, their fit and their make. Partly, this is because he's simply been through it all: building a shi...
Video: A bespoke shirt fitting
Match in comments:
Hey Jim, It's very hard to say from a single static picture, but I would expect that you would get less collapsing of the cloth at the sides of your chest and back, which probably comes from shoulders that are a little m...
The Guide to Performance Shirtings
March 1st 2019Performance fabrics are very in. Every retailer seems to be offering travel shirts that resist wrinkling, staining or soaking. Fans of classic clothing are usually sceptical about such fabrics. This is largely because they can seem like a ...
The Guide to Performance Shirtings
Match in comments:
Personally I really don't mind having slightly wrinkled shirts, though I rarely travel with menswear so it never gets all that bad. In the case of linen, I quite like the rumpled and typical look of it. Unfortunately not...
Introducing: Striped PS Oxford cloth
February 8th 2019The traditional, nubby oxford fabric we developed last year has proved so popular that we’ve decided to introduce another option. It’s a little unusual in another way though, beyond the robust, textured yarn. It’s an off-white and ...
Introducing: Striped PS Oxford cloth
Match in comments:
Hi Ryan, We are expecting a restock of the shirts and cloth in September, unfortunately we had some delays from the cloth mill. Best Lucas...
Amended Friday Polos in stock – and availab...
December 14th 2018Thank you for waiting so patiently - particularly those on the waiting list, who were alerted to the Friday Polo's availability a couple of days ago. The Friday Polo is now back in stock, in its original four colours: navy, green, grey and white. Yo...
Amended Friday Polos in stock – and availab...
Match in comments:
I think it could look good, yes. I tend to wear them with softer cuts of tailoring, and that will be easier, but they can work with others - just keep the materials more casual, as you suggest...
Ciro Zizolfi bespoke tweed jacket: Review
December 10th 2018Now and again, a bespoke commission is almost seamless. At every fitting, you like the look of the jacket and almost nothing seems to be needed on the fit. Just as importantly, the tailor delivers what they say they will: the jacket is always ready ...
Ciro Zizolfi bespoke tweed jacket: Review
Match in comments:
Dear all, I would like to praise Ciro and Andrea Zizolfi. Firstly, this is subjective but I believe they have a great house style, more traditional Neapolitan than modern meaning that the jackets are a bit longer and pro...
The guide to Superfine shirtings
November 19th 2018There has been a lot of debate in recent years as to what should be called a Superfine cloth for suiting. As wools got finer and finer, and more and more expensive, it looked increasingly silly to focus on a single attribute like fineness, when so ...
The guide to Superfine shirtings
Match in comments:
What’s the status of India’s SUVINA COTTON...
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...
Match in comments:
'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....
Introducing: Everyday Lighter Denim
October 17th 2018It's that time of year, and new things are all arriving at once. Today it's a new, lighter shade of the Everyday Denim. Everyday Denim shirting went down really well with readers, both as fabric and finished shirts, and several asked for other varia...
Introducing: Everyday Lighter Denim
Match in comments:
After ca. 18 months. The fading is more pronounced than I expected. Especially on my heat points, neck and chest. I still prefer it to a standard denim that fades less....
Our Autumn/Winter Top 10, 2018
October 10th 2018A reader commented on the last instalment of this list that it shaped his whole season’s shopping. No pressure then. Many of the ranges will feature in other coverage later in the year – particularly the ones I’ve alr...
Our Autumn/Winter Top 10, 2018
Match in comments:
Yes good point, I think that was more a case of how I came to feel about the PWVC cut over time, rather than changing my tastes. But yes shetlands I definitely wear less. Apart from those two I wear Colhay's, Bryceland's...
