Gaziano & Girling bespoke loafers – Re...
December 27th 2017These bespoke suede loafers from Gaziano & Girling have been a while in the make - I last covered the first fitting back in September 2016. It hasn't taken over a year to get from that fitting to now, however. They were actually ready in th...
Gaziano & Girling bespoke loafers – Re...
These bespoke suede loafers from Gaziano & Girling have been a while in the make - I last covered the first fitting back in September 2016. It hasn't taken over a year to get from that fitting to now, however. Th...
Baudoin & Lange women’s shoes (and Luc...
November 24th 2017A few menswear shoemakers have expanded into women’s shoes in recent years. These shoes will generally be a lot better made than the other women’s shoes in the market, and not necessarily more expensive (given the designer mark ups on th...
Baudoin & Lange women’s shoes (and Luc...
A few menswear shoemakers have expanded into women’s shoes in recent years. These shoes will generally be a lot better made than the other women’s shoes in the market, and not necessarily more expensive (given the d...
Stivaleria Savoia bespoke shoes: Review
November 13th 2017When I cover an artisan where I’m genuinely interested in the product - its quality, design and often heritage or story, I have something made. I then tend to cover the maker in one, initial post that explains their product and background; and...
Stivaleria Savoia bespoke shoes: Review
When I cover an artisan where I’m genuinely interested in the product - its quality, design and often heritage or story, I have something made. I then tend to cover the maker in one, initial post that explains their ...
Enzo Bonafe hand-welted shoes – factory visit
October 16th 2017Enzo Bonafe is one of only two men’s shoe factories left in the area around Bologna, Italy. The other is Testoni, and when Enzo left Testoni to set up his own factory, in 1963, there were more than 40 factories in the region. It has been a rap...
Enzo Bonafe hand-welted shoes – factory visit
Enzo Bonafe is one of only two men’s shoe factories left in the area around Bologna, Italy. The other is Testoni, and when Enzo left Testoni to set up his own factory, in 1963, there were more than 40 factories in th...
How to wear trainers: Part 3. Style
October 13th 2017This post is an illustrated explanation of how I wear trainers, or sneakers. As with similar exercises on the blog, I have attempted to be as structured as possible, keeping some parameters constant in order to focus on those being discussed. So in ...
How to wear trainers: Part 3. Style
This post is an illustrated explanation of how I wear trainers, or sneakers. As with similar exercises on the blog, I have attempted to be as structured as possible, keeping some parameters constant in order to focus o...
How to wear trainers: Part 2. Quality
October 6th 2017In recent years, as premium trainers/sneakers have increasingly popular, readers have asked for my view on when they might be appropriate, and when they are, what they should buy. I covered that last point in the first part of this series, ‘1:...
How to wear trainers: Part 2. Quality
In recent years, as premium trainers/sneakers have increasingly popular, readers have asked for my view on when they might be appropriate, and when they are, what they should buy. I covered that last point in the first ...
Accessories for holiday
August 7th 2017Following 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
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 holida...
What I pack when I travel
July 19th 2017As I return from two summer trips – one for a week in Florence, the other a week in Naples – it seems a fitting time to run through what I pack for trips such as these. I know readers have asked about it in the past. Of course, an...
What I pack when I travel
As I return from two summer trips – one for a week in Florence, the other a week in Naples – it seems a fitting time to run through what I pack for trips such as these. I know readers have asked about it in t...
Connolly: Style and fashion meet on Clifford Street
July 14th 2017Connolly, which opened on Clifford Street at the end of last year, is one of the most interesting new menswear stores London has had for a while. It offers luxury clothing, both under its own name and a few European brands ( Charvet, Car Shoe, Stile...
Connolly: Style and fashion meet on Clifford Street
Connolly, which opened on Clifford Street at the end of last year, is one of the most interesting new menswear stores London has had for a while. It offers luxury clothing, both under its own name and a few European bra...
Baudoin & Lange sagans – my colour
July 7th 2017For the past year - ever since they were first launched here on Permanent Style - I have been wearing Sagans by Baudoin & Lange regularly and consistently. But it has only been in the past few weeks, as the temperature has soared and I've b...
Baudoin & Lange sagans – my colour
For the past year - ever since they were first launched here on Permanent Style - I have been wearing Sagans by Baudoin & Lange regularly and consistently. But it has only been in the past few weeks, as the temper...
My desk
Many readers said they liked the personal, behind-the-scenes approach of Plaza Uomo's cover story on me last year. Here, then, is another angle. My desk, where I write most of these posts, and therefore probably the m...
Brand round-up: Rubinacci, CQP and Carl Friedrik
July 3rd 2017A slightly smaller set of reviews in the brand round-up this month, with more focus on the details. Rubinacci suit carrier, £1200 therake.com/brands/rubinacci/bags First up is this leather suit carrier - or garment bag - from Rubinacci, being ...
Brand round-up: Rubinacci, CQP and Carl Friedrik
A slightly smaller set of reviews in the brand round-up this month, with more focus on the details. Rubinacci suit carrier, £1200 therake.com/brands/rubinacci/bags First up is this leather suit carrier - or garment bag...
Stivaleria Savoia: Bespoke shoemaker, Milan
June 23rd 2017Stivaleria Savoia is an old Milanese bespoke bootmaker ( stivaleria means bootmaker, and it was founded by craftsmen who made for the Savoia, or Savoy, cavalry). The designs are classic and practical, and unlikely to set any Instagram feeds alight. ...
Stivaleria Savoia: Bespoke shoemaker, Milan
Stivaleria Savoia is an old Milanese bespoke bootmaker ( stivaleria means bootmaker, and it was founded by craftsmen who made for the Savoia, or Savoy, cavalry). The designs are classic and practical, and unlikely to s...
My Corthays – colours, issues and pleasures
May 1st 2017I've always had a problem with Corthay shoes. Not so much the style - while many of the designs and colours are too brash for me, I've consistently found interesting light and dark browns to keep me interested. No, the big issue has been the last ...
My Corthays – colours, issues and pleasures
I've always had a problem with Corthay shoes. Not so much the style - while many of the designs and colours are too brash for me, I've consistently found interesting light and dark browns to keep me interested. No...
Style Guide – the partners shoot
April 24th 2017The Style Guide has been wonderfully received so far - at the launch events in London and New York, but also online and through personal messages. Thank you all. There are a few things I realise I haven't emphasised so far. One is that we proudly d...
Style Guide – the partners shoot
The Style Guide has been wonderfully received so far - at the launch events in London and New York, but also online and through personal messages. Thank you all. There are a few things I realise I haven't emphasised s...
Skoaktiebolaget and Stoffa in How To Spend It
April 15th 2017He looks pretty suave doesn't he? Got a good lean on. Patrick at Swedish shoe shop Skoaktiebolaget recently posed for an article of mine, above, in How To Spend It magazine. (A supplement of the Financial Times, and arguably the top luxury publicat...
Skoaktiebolaget and Stoffa in How To Spend It
He looks pretty suave doesn't he? Got a good lean on. Patrick at Swedish shoe shop Skoaktiebolaget recently posed for an article of mine, above, in How To Spend It magazine. (A supplement of the Financial Times, and ...
Super Trunk coming to London
March 28th 2017Good things are happening in London at the moment. There was our pop-up shop, of course; the new Drake's shop looks amazing (do visit if you haven't already); and an increasing number of artisans are coming to London. The latest development in thi...
Super Trunk coming to London
Good things are happening in London at the moment. There was our pop-up shop, of course; the new Drake's shop looks amazing (do visit if you haven't already); and an increasing number of artisans are coming to London....
Baudoin & Lange, Luca Faloni, Hanger Project...
March 8th 2017Over the past 10 days I have generally prioritised writing about new brands in our Savile Row pop-up shop. But there are also new developments at makers you will be familiar with - Baudoin & Lange, Luca Faloni, Begg and the Hanger Project -...
Baudoin & Lange, Luca Faloni, Hanger Project...
Over the past 10 days I have generally prioritised writing about new brands in our Savile Row pop-up shop. But there are also new developments at makers you will be familiar with - Baudoin & Lange, Luca Faloni, B...
Building a wardrobe: Bespoke shoes
February 15th 2017As the last post on building a wardrobe - focused on Neapolitan tailoring - proved popular, I thought I'd do a second looking at shoes. But rather than look at my whole shoe collection, which numbers more than 40 pairs and would take a long time to ...
Building a wardrobe: Bespoke shoes
As the last post on building a wardrobe - focused on Neapolitan tailoring - proved popular, I thought I'd do a second looking at shoes. But rather than look at my whole shoe collection, which numbers more than 40 pair...
How great things age: Cleverley Russian-reindeer ...
January 11th 2017On Permanent Style we have always pushed the intelligent, considered acquisition of a quality wardrobe. This has many advantages. But it also has a large disadvantage: it removes, or at least makes less frequent, the unique adrenaline hit of retail....
How great things age: Cleverley Russian-reindeer ...
On Permanent Style we have always pushed the intelligent, considered acquisition of a quality wardrobe. This has many advantages. But it also has a large disadvantage: it removes, or at least makes less frequent, the un...
Saint Crispin’s: Relasting, boots and US ac...
December 23rd 2016The ability - or more perhaps significantly, the willingness - of Saint Crispin's to re-last a pair of shoes is a key part of their attraction. Having a personalised last is great, and arguably better value than bespoke, but as with bespoke it can ...
Saint Crispin’s: Relasting, boots and US ac...
The ability - or more perhaps significantly, the willingness - of Saint Crispin's to re-last a pair of shoes is a key part of their attraction. Having a personalised last is great, and arguably better value than besp...
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
These 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,...
Ludwig Reiter shoes – Factory visit
December 15th 2016Ludwig Reiter is an old shoemaker used to catering to a wide variety of customers. It sells bags, sandals and trainers alongside oxfords and brogues, for both men and women. Many of the styles also look a little old fashioned, but there are some hid...
Ludwig Reiter shoes – Factory visit
Ludwig Reiter is an old shoemaker used to catering to a wide variety of customers. It sells bags, sandals and trainers alongside oxfords and brogues, for both men and women. Many of the styles also look a little old fas...
Japanese shoemakers: Yohei Fukuda, Marquess, Yuki...
November 28th 2016There is a bewildering number of shoemakers in Japan, somewhere between 35 and 40 depending on how you count. Although many have people working for them, they are all essentially sole operators. One person founded the house, is in charge, and there ...
Japanese shoemakers: Yohei Fukuda, Marquess, Yuki...
There is a bewildering number of shoemakers in Japan, somewhere between 35 and 40 depending on how you count. Although many have people working for them, they are all essentially sole operators. One person founded the h...
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
This 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...