Interview: Brunello Cucinelli on formal/informal ...
November 2nd 2016A few weeks ago I was invited by Brunello Cucinelli to visit the HQ in Solomeo. Perhaps surprisingly, when I interviewed him Brunello was one of the most open and unpretentious people I’ve met. He was creative and honest; grounded yet passiona...
Interview: Brunello Cucinelli on formal/informal ...
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Bruno and the Jeans: like art in the museum that stirs emotion/debate/thought. My impression is he's very genuine, and clever. Bruno put 'em on and we're all talking about it....
Wearing a grey linen shirt – or the virtues...
October 28th 2016A style post today, after several product and profile pieces in recent weeks. To break it down into bullets: I love grey shirts, primarily with navy suits or jackets as an alternative to white and blue. It feels urban and modern The problem is, wit...
Wearing a grey linen shirt – or the virtues...
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Interesting. I haven't tried it, but I reckon it could be OK as long as there was something else colour-wise going on - a pocket square, a tie, something else in the breast pocket....
The corduroy suit
September 9th 2016I have a friend who wears what he calls ‘knockabout’ suits. How exactly he knocks about in them I don’t know, but the meaning is clear: these are casual suits, that don’t belong in a formal environment like an office. Most no...
The corduroy suit
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Great, thanks, Simon....
Summer dressing in Robb Report; tailors and SMN i...
September 6th 2016In 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....
Why I don’t wear braces
August 24th 2016Braces (or suspenders) are great. The tension in hanging from the shoulders maintains a smooth, elegant front to trousers. The high-waisted style gives a man longer legs and stops any shirt puffing out between trouser top and the jacket’s wais...
Why I don’t wear braces
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Ideally you'd have black or a colour that wasn't so obviously an alternative colour of shoe. Of course, if you never take your jacket off then these won't be seen, but I'd still think of brace ends in the same way as a b...
A lapis-blue linen jacket for summer
August 20th 2016Summer clothing, particularly from Italian brands, often includes a lot of light, bright colours. These can be difficult to wear, particularly in northern European countries where the sun might not be that consistent. I'd suggest that of those brig...
A lapis-blue linen jacket for summer
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For that light Blue Jacket a Nantucket red trouser would Look also very Fine...
Navy
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It works better with a trouser that is lighter than it - when wearing tailoring, and aiming for elegance. When wearing denim and other casual trousers, the guidance applies far less, and contrast with the shoes can be fi...
How to dress pale colours for summer
July 27th 2016A reader recently commented that the site could do with some more practical pieces about putting clothes together – rather than commissioning them. I am deeply appreciative of such feedback. I do try to keep a balance between the pursuits o...
How to dress pale colours for summer
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If durability is a concern at all then maybe go with half lined on the front, yes. It's not that hard to take out later, as well...
The Pitti of silly walks
June 17th 2016The end of a conversation about people parading into Pitti. About its silliness. About therefore, naturally, the Ministry of Silly Walks. Fuller Pitti coverage next week - our Young Tailors Symposium on Wednesday, which was wonderful, and some gre...
How to dress for summer – Reader question
June 15th 2016Simon, Would you be willing to do a post on (casual) summer dressing? It’s the area of dress I struggle with the most. Every time I go on summer/spring holidays I find myself browsing through the internet looking for a good mix of casual and el...
How to dress for summer – Reader question
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I think I know what you mean Will. I think you need to find other things of interest to add, such as: - A nice belt - A nice watch - A shirt with some nice texture or subtle pattern - As in all menswear, a nice cut on th...
Colour combinations, from casual to formal
May 31st 2016The colour combinations that we discuss every week in regards to formal wear, can be applied just as readily to casual wear. Although there will always be elements that don't crossover (such as the immense versatility of denim) a lot of the themes ...
Colour combinations, from casual to formal
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Thanks Zawaad. No, but I certainly plan something. Thanks for the suggestion...
Trousers to wear with grey jackets – Reader...
May 19th 2016Hello Simon I am struggling with a lighter grey jacket like in your Caliendo denim post, or a navy jacket. Are they really that versatile to be the top 2 odd jacket colours? (As you mentioned in your oatmeal jacket post.) What are the trouser colou...
Trousers to wear with grey jackets – Reader...
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Pleased I could help Brian, but sorry it didn't turn out well for you. If it's helpful, there's a fair bit in our Guide to Suit Style that talks about things like this, and in the fabric guides that talk about materials ...
My 10 style commandments
May 5th 2016My old friend Christian Barker – ex-Rake editor and general good egg – has a new project documenting some of the 10 style commandments of his famous friends and stylists. He published my thoughts today, and you can see the ful...
My 10 style commandments
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The "get laid" comment certainly surprised me. It stands in contrast to your post "I am not a gentleman". But then you were not writing for your own blog and the idea that paying attention to your date is more important ...
Your next sports jacket: Oatmeal cashmere from El...
April 13th 2016This pale, oatmeal-coloured cashmere is my new favourite sports-jacket material. When men are picking colours for sports jackets, their second choice (after the obviousness of navy) is usually grey. Which can be great, in: a rougher, preppy herrin...
Your next sports jacket: Oatmeal cashmere from El...
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Yes I would I think. I'd look to the Italian jacketing bunches - they change each season, but Loro Piana, Caccioppoli, Drapers, Ariston etc...
Escorial jacket: The modernity of muted colours
April 4th 2016There are many ways in which you can make a sartorial outfit look younger or more modern. Extremes are always wrong: very short jackets, big puffy shoulders. They just look trendy, for a bit. But aside from the extremes, I would argue proportions...
Escorial jacket: The modernity of muted colours
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I think that might be right, it was a hard one to photograph...
I work in an office
April 1st 2016A reader commented to me recently that one of the things he likes about Permanent Style is the fact I work in an office, just like him. It hadn’t really occurred to me before, but the fact that I work in a modern, professional office every d...
I work in an office
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Ah, Pitti... this is exactly the reason why I prefer British fashion over Italian. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate their style and creativity, but if your source of inspiration is let's say James Bond instead of Pit...
How I get dressed in the morning
March 18th 2016Everyone gets dressed in the morning. Most put no thought into it; a few put too much into it. My approach, formed through nothing more than hazard and habit, is to do one of two things: Pick out one piece that I really want to wear (usually som...
How I get dressed in the morning
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I agree Maurice, and I'd say that if anyone has this problem, they can just cut things down a little - eg, you now wear grey trousers, sports jackets, and black shoes. You can pick shirts and ties and knits and different...
The 10 rakish men… have lunch
February 26th 2016Yes, I know there are 11 in the photo… During Pitti Uomo back in January, Michael Jondral had the lovely idea of gathering together the 10 men that Rake Japan selected as the most rakish in the world. We all managed to make it to lunch ...
The 10 rakish men… have lunch
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Have you looked at The Loewe Anton bag? It’s a very smart backpack. I chose this as a rucksack was too casual and a briefcase was too much....
Air force (RAF) blue flannel suit: Whitcomb &...
February 24th 2016Air force blue is a beautiful colour. Better than the bright, tonic blues that are so popular these days – so much deeper, so much more subtle. Also known as RAF blue, the colour refers to the uniforms issued to the Royal Air Force when...
Air force (RAF) blue flannel suit: Whitcomb &...
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thanks Simon, waistcoat abandoned...
BTBA dinner: The best-dressed men in black tie
February 18th 2016One of the nicest aspects of the Bespoke Tailors Benevolent Association dinner every year is the evening wear. Although most cutters and tailors aren’t actually into clothes and style, they are all wearing something bespoke – s...
BTBA dinner: The best-dressed men in black tie
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Depends on the context. A 200 guest gala dinner, no. A 20 guest dinner in a private dining room, yes....
Which office are you? (Or, a sliding scale of for...
February 15th 2016Dressing well is as much about propriety as it is about style, quality or personality. This is particularly true at work, where there are often prescriptions, or at least expectations, about professionalism and clothing. I have often talked over ...
Which office are you? (Or, a sliding scale of for...
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wonderful content, the article is super practical for men daily,...
Cartoon by Mr Slowboy
February 9th 2016Nice little cartoon this, by Fei Wang aka Mr Slowboy. It’s part of a series he’s doing on the 10 best dressed men at Pitti. Look him up @mr.slowboy for others including George Wang, Haruo Suzuki and Simone Righi. We each add ou...
Cartoon by Mr Slowboy
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Not sure I would be quite so happy if my sloping shoulders were quite so prominently exhibited!...
Scarf outfits: Solito, Cifonelli, Anderson & ...
January 18th 2016Several readers asked what I was wearing in the video we produced recently for Begg & Co scarves. So here they are, one by one. In the jacket shots, above: Navy cashmere jacket by Solito. Not a great level of finish, but one of the most u...
Scarf outfits: Solito, Cifonelli, Anderson & ...
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The stitching can be a little loose and irregular - I've had linings come loose for example, though they were then repaired. And buttonholes etc aren't that fine...
What is sprezzatura?
January 11th 2016Given this is Pitti Uomo week, it seems fitting to bring up the topic of sprezzatura, which readers requested a post on a couple of months ago. It is also fitting because the term is so misused, often in reference to Pitti. Sprezzatura doesn&...
What is sprezzatura?
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I find my path to sprezzatura is to get dressed for an early day in the office, somewhat in the dark, trying not to wake a toddler....
Nineteen of our squares left… (and the virt...
December 28th 2015There are just 19 of our cashmere squares left – the beautiful collaboration we started a few weeks ago with Begg & Co. The colours have sold pretty evenly, with 9 navy and 10 ‘natural’ (pictured above) remain...
Nineteen of our squares left… (and the virt...
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Lovely to hear Robert, thank you...