How my grandfather dressed
August 30th 2012My grandfather, JFN “Bill” Wedge, was born in 1921 and worked his whole life for Barclays Bank, interrupted only by serving as an officer in the Navy during the Second World War. He retired in 1981. During those years he didn’t spen...
How my grandfather dressed
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Thank you Robert, I'm so pleased you liked it that much...
F Scott Fitzgerald on poise and repose
August 21st 2012We all fuss a little too much with what we wear, if we care about it. A reader reminded me recently of a wonderful passage in Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night that illustrates quite how much this fiddling can undermine our ideas of eleganc...
F Scott Fitzgerald on poise and repose
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Wonderful. I had completely forgotten that - thank you...
How to dress casually: Reader question
August 15th 2012Dear Simon, Many thanks for the invaluable resource of your blog when it comes to style. I started reading a month or so ago and am taking pleasure in devouring the wealth of information there is on classic sartorial menswear. However, the occasions ...
How to dress casually: Reader question
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In my experience Caruso does very good RTW jackets with a less trendy cut....
Jeans with a shirt and tie
July 25th 2012Normal.dotm 0 0 1 249 1424 Euromoney PLC 11 2 1748 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Dear Simon, In a recent post ( The modern man needs a good blazer) you explained how versatile a blazer or odd jacket can be, and how to wear one. The...
Jeans with a shirt and tie
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Why do you need two of each Amit? One would be fine....
Blue and brown suit combinations
July 18th 2012Talking to Alan Flusser in New York recently got me thinking about all the old colour combinations he describes in Dressing the Man. And the leaflets he had scattered about the shop expanded on a few of those – in particular, and close to my he...
Blue and brown suit combinations
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Agreed: More specifically, Tan with Navy, lighter blues with brown. (One could go into all the nuances of both colours!) Of the first two Flusser examples, the first is slightly less colour-schemed; saved by the pocket s...
The tailors’ summer party
July 9th 2012Last Friday was the Master Tailors’ Benevolent Association (MTBA) summer party, although the food has been rather upgraded on last year and we were treated to a barbeque and tables inside. So perhaps it counts as a dinner. It was also the l...
Clothes should be worn
June 21st 2012Clothes should be worn. They should be used. They become more personal, more distinctive and more beautiful – for me – when they have been worn lovingly for years. One of the reasons I have always identified with Anderson ...
Clothes should be worn
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I'm beginning to discover this, Simon, the pleasure of older, well-kept clothes that were bought as an investment: for instance, a traditional SB navy wool / cashmere overcoat (hidden buttons) bought for me by my parents...
Suits: advice from Mr Porter
June 12th 2012For a while now, Mr Porter has been shaming the men’s magazine industry by writing the most accessible, practical information for men out there on how to wear clothes. Last week they put a together a series of clips to illustrate practical ...
Suits: advice from Mr Porter
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I beg to differ. Daniel Craig wins hands down. Try watching the crime series Whitechapel - Rupert-Henry Jones defines suits like a man should....
Reader question: Summer shoes
May 30th 2012Edward Green Pimlico, unlined Hi Simon, I have been searching the internet but not really found anything that really helps, unless I have been asking Google the wrong questions. Anyway, with the weather finally being that of the south of France, goin...
Reader question: Summer shoes
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Thanks for that information, Simon. That's really helpful and much appreciated. I'll pursue those options, especially Falke. Kind regards, David...
Ralph Lauren: The enduring appeal
May 28th 2012This has been said many times before in more abstract ways, but it deserves to be stated distinctly. It is astounding how effective Ralph Lauren has been at selling a very particular dream over the past 45 years. This was my dominant thought during a...
Ralph Lauren: The enduring appeal
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Great reporting! Right on the mark. Best of the Big-Name Preppies. The only highly commercial brand that manages to maintain both perceived and real quality. Selling pedigree to haves and have-nots alike. That said, Ralp...
Alan Flusser
May 18th 2012Meeting Alan Flusser last week was something of a moment for me. His 2002 book, Dressing the Man, was, after all, a fundamental part of my education in menswear and the inspiration for years of exploration and expression. But it seems not much has ch...
Alan Flusser
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ditto. plus i can't begin to get over his fixation of wearing belgian slip-ons (with a suit), often with no socks....
And so is Steven Hitchcock…
May 15th 2012Just a reminder to those in the US that were interested in seeing Steven Hitchcock, following my recent series of pieces with this ex-Anderson & Sheppard cutter here. He will be in New York from this Sunday to Wednesday (20th to 23rd) with so...
And so is Steven Hitchcock…
Just a reminder to those in the US that were interested in seeing Steven Hitchcock, following my recent series of pieces with this ex-Anderson & Sheppard cutter here. He will be in New York from this Sunday to Wednesday ...
The pleasures of a gentleman
May 11th 2012I’ve never subscribed to the view that sartorial style must be associated with particular interests or pursuits. I don’t like cocktails. I hate swanky bars. I have no interest in jewellery, dogs, etiquette or classic cars. Polo, h...
Chambray shirts: the best twist on classic dress
May 7th 2012Normal.dotm 0 0 1 303 1730 Euromoney PLC 14 3 2124 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false I know several men who like sartorial clothing but want to bring it down to their more personal (and usually more casual) level. They get bespoke. They ...
Chambray shirts: the best twist on classic dress
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So that's not being washed after it has been made, which doesn't surprise me, but it does look like a slightly more casual material. It doesn't have some of the work shirt details like white stitching, so I'd say it woul...
GQ interviews me on personal style
April 25th 2012GQ in the UK has published an interview done last year looking at my views on style and bespoke. You can see it here. The image gallery makes me cringe, but that was probably inevitable. This photo: Luke Carby
GQ interviews me on personal style
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congrats for this interview Simon...such a knowledgeable article..........
Combining pattern and colour in shirts and ties
April 23rd 2012Normal.dotm 0 0 1 207 1184 Euromoney PLC 9 2 1454 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false For many, this combination of colours and patterns will be too strong for any occasion, no matter how light hearted. But take out one or two elements &nd...
Combining pattern and colour in shirts and ties
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I love this combination - risky but it works and as you say Simon - Mastery. However, i would like to see the whole outfit to make a final judgement as it would put the outfit in to context. So any chance? Bradley...
Hello from Lyon
April 19th 2012In Lyon this week, visiting the Zilli factory where they make the most beautiful leather products. The leathers in the jackets, particularly, are gorgeous. More next week. (Lesser mid-blue flannel suit, Anderson & Sheppard; shirt, Turnbull &...
Hello from Lyon
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Hi Gab, My belt is certainly very high quality, and from that point of view I would recommend it. Zilli is still a large brand, and to that extent you will be paying more, but not as much as Hermes. I hope that helps...
The Craftsman, by Richard Sennett
April 11th 2012The Craftsman has a much broader scope and grander ambition than the simple celebration of handmade menswear that we attempt on this site. In his book, Richard Sennett aims to show how the quality of product and personal pride that result from manual...
The Craftsman, by Richard Sennett
The Craftsman has a much broader scope and grander ambition than the simple celebration of handmade menswear that we attempt on this site. In his book, Richard Sennett aims to show how the quality of product and personal...
Interview: Brunello Cucinelli on pale colours
March 23rd 2012From the Brunello Cucinelli Spring/Summer 2012 catalogue: “The color palette features pastel shades with slightly grayish, faded, and mélange tones: Lily, Plum, Chamomile, Geranium, Lime, Mint, Quartz, Antarctic White, Coral, Orange, and...
Interview: Brunello Cucinelli on pale colours
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Noted. Quality wise would you say Lardini and Brunello Cucinelli are same or?...
Giancarlo Maresca
March 16th 2012There are characters. There are dandies. And then there’s Giancarlo Maresca. A Neapolitan man about town, he knows everything and everyone, dropping in on a shoemaker here, checking in on some shirts being made there. Saturday, he says, is for ...
Giancarlo Maresca
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Thank you Giancarlo. As ever, you put it better in your second language than I do in my first. Simon...
Michael Drake on style: English worn by the French
February 15th 2012I always used to describe my style as how the Italians wear English clothes. Talking to Michael Drake recently though, (whose taste and sense of colour I respect immensely) I think the French might be a better reference point. The Italians are more o...
Michael Drake on style: English worn by the French
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Thanks Evan, nice observation on female dress, particularly among the French I don't ride I'm afraid, so unlikely to do something on that...
The statement piece
February 10th 2012We’ve talked rather a lot in recent weeks about building up the basics in a wardrobe, but less about the statement or accent pieces that can set an outfit apart. This is because statement pieces are so much harder to get right. They exist outsi...
The statement piece
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I'd recommend Graham Browne. With their top coat maker, it's great stuff and starts at £950. Get a great cloth and maybe a spare pair of trousers for more like £1200 or so...
Wear a jacket or trousers at the weekend
February 1st 2012I know a few men who have discovered an interest in clothes in recent years – primarily suits, shirts, ties, good shoes. The working wardrobe, essentially. They know about the canvas in a jacket’s chest; they have established how and why ...
Wear a jacket or trousers at the weekend
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Yep...
Five tips on pocket handkerchiefs
January 19th 2012I 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
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Budd? https://www.buddshirts.co.uk/accessories/pocket-squares/where/silk...
Reflections on Pitti Uomo
January 13th 2012Pitti is a beautifully set-out trade fair full of brands I love, exhibiting on often lovely stands. But it is still a trade fair. This is a place for sales and negotiation. Friends such as Mats at Trunk Clothiers, Will at A Suitable Wardrobe or Kirby...
Reflections on Pitti Uomo
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Sounds good, I am really sure you would like the result. If you drop yourself around Madrid you should also visit Burgos, the oldest shirtmaker in Madrid and maybe the best in Spain with Bel in Barcelona, and Gallo the b...