Edward Sexton grey flannel suit
June 3rd 2015My apologies to readers that have been waiting for these shots of the Edward Sexton suit. Books, corrupted photos and other things seemed to consistently get in the way. I’ve always wanted a double-breasted mid-grey flannel. I had one m...
Edward Sexton grey flannel suit
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I wouldn't say that was the main trait - it's more the roping at the end of the shoulders, the padding, and the structure elsewhere, rather than the actual width. So if you have bulky broad shoulders, it will make those ...
The 1-6 suit rating system
May 11th 2015My interview with Jonathan Clay last week went down well with readers – perhaps because he’s not the kind of person that would normally be interviewed. As the supplier of Italian ready-made suits, he sees all sides of the indust...
The 1-6 suit rating system
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Yes I would Will. A jacket can be incredibly light with a lightweight fabric and lightweight canvas. Usually brands don't want to use the lighter weight canvas though as it can be more expensive....
Grey shirts with grey suits, at Milan launch
May 5th 2015Last week was the official launch of the Permanent Style book, with an event in Milan hosted by Vitale Barberis Canonico and A Caraceni. I was interviewed by the fashion editor of La Repubblica, Simone Marchetti, about my history and views on cont...
Grey shirts with grey suits, at Milan launch
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I still quite like them with grey suits Philip, but it's certainly more of a fashion look...
Interview: Jonathan Clay and the story of Italian...
April 27th 2015Jonathan Clay runs a suit-making facility in Italy, supplying high-end English and foreign retailers. His father did too – d’Avenza – and here Jonathan explains that story: how Italians learnt manufacturing from the Engli...
Interview: Jonathan Clay and the story of Italian...
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Hi. The problem with writing something like that is that, as you point out, everything changes. Unlike bespoke, the review would be out of date very quickly. Instead, I suggest you read my post on 'How to buy a quality s...
A green cotton suit?
January 12th 2015In my review of Spanish tailor Reillo’s cotton suit last week, there proved to be only room to analyse the fit and make. Yet a reader rightly pointed out that green cotton-gabardine is hardly an everyday cloth option. I’ll expla...
A green cotton suit?
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It would have both those advantages, yes. And I'd imagine it would be suited to the kind of person that liked the look and line of hopsack, but didn't live somewhere particularly hot...
Reillo, Madrid: Bespoke cotton suit
January 5th 2015This suit is from Jose Maria Reilo, the second of the three Spanish tailors I commissioned from in 2014. The make is good, although there are one or two issues with the fit that I’ll come to in a moment. The suit is green cotton gabardine &nd...
Reillo, Madrid: Bespoke cotton suit
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Simon thanks for the clarification. Actually are details that I look, important to define the class and the authentic craftsmanship. On the other hand I am aware that they are details that do not affect the line, the cut...
Linen suit from Langa: details
September 18th 2014Some close-up details here on the linen suit from Sastreria Langa that we featured earlier in the week. You can see a few of the tailoring idiosyncrasies, as well as the cloth and work itself in more detail. Langa include both a label for their own...
Linen suit from Langa: details
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What a lovely story Robert. And lovely to hear the archives are proving so fruitful...
Linen suit from Langa, Madrid
September 16th 2014Tobacco brown’s a nice colour, isn’t it? Definitely informal – due to its lightness and saturation – yet with a quiet sophistication. Colonial, particularly in linen, but without the baggage of cream or tan. This is 8-ounce ...
Five tips on bespoke suits
June 23rd 2014The process of commissioning a bespoke suit is a nerve-wracking and, of course, expensive one. Permanent Style has provided extensive advice on this process over the years, particularly in posts covering suits from more than 20 tailors. But a reade...
Camps de Luca suit: fitting
June 2nd 2014I’m getting pretty excited about this Camps de Luca suit now. Not only will it be one of the most beautifully made suits I own – coming from a Parisian tailor – but also one of the most versatile. In both those ways it is similar ...
Camps de Luca suit: fitting
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That's standard, and absolutely fine....
Camps de Luca suit, Paris
April 30th 2014I’ve known the De Luca family for a while now – particularly since Julien rejoined the business a few years ago. Julien was English-educated and worked in the City before going back to join Camps de Luca, and somehow the English connectio...
Camps de Luca suit, Paris
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One tip for cloth-hunters: If you live in a center of textile or clothing design, there are usually cloth merchants selling odds and ends that were designed for fashion houses. On ebay and elsewhere, I've seen unusual sh...
How to compare RTW and MTM suits
February 21st 2014Since I wrote a post at the beginning of the month urging readers to comment and ask questions on Permanent Style, quite a few have asked about different ready-to-wear and made-to-measure brands. I’d like to explain how to compare RTW, and why ...
How to compare RTW and MTM suits
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I think you're right to be cautious - and I don't cover much MTM partly because it can be unreliable. But I'd have no hesitation recommending Saman Amel. I suggest starting there. And start with a conservative suit rathe...
How to buy my first bespoke suit – reader q...
February 3rd 2014Dear Simon, In a couple of months time I will be 21. This is clearly an important time in one’s life, in my case particularly as I will also be undertaking the purchase of my first bespoke suit. As a regular reader of your blog I’...
How to buy my first bespoke suit – reader q...
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Thanks Sam, great update, and great knowing how timeless this advice has been...
How to buy a suit
December 9th 2013A colleague recently asked me for advice on buying a suit – probably navy, certainly single-breasted, possibly three-button. It’s the kind of everyday question that I get asked a lot, and probably concerns far more people than &am...
How to buy a suit
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Hi Michael, Certainly, you don't want to consistently clean only one half of a suit. They will age differently. However, as a one-off it should be fine, and if you do notice any difference afterwards between the two halv...
Cifonelli navy suit
December 6th 2013Lorenzo Cifonelli made me this beautiful suit at the beginning of the year, and I’ve meaning to write about it ever since. He has cut two jackets for me in the past, a pale-grey cashmere DB and a green tweed SB. I gave details about both o...
Cifonelli navy suit
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Hey Nick, The waistcoat shouldn't make any difference to the fit, no. But I would still go with two piece. I never wear a waistcoat these days, and it feels too smart most of the time....
A great suit cleaning option: Press2Dress
December 2nd 2013In the search for decent sponge-and-press services, I recently tried Press2Dress, a dry cleaner based in south London and run by Michael Norman. Michael is developing an online service that specialises in cleaning and pressing for bespoke clothing. H...
A great suit cleaning option: Press2Dress
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Thanks Michael (& Simon). When I next need to dry clean some of my suits Ill send you a message. Cheers....
Chittleborough & Morgan suit – at A�...
November 29th 2013For those that were interested in the Chittleborough & Morgan suit I wrote about last week, here are some more images. The photography was done by new online luxury magazine Essence, for whom I wrote a short piece on Anderson & Sheppa...
Chittleborough & Morgan suit – at A�...
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Around a year ago. And no, not in the immediate future....
Chittleborough & Morgan suit: Part 4
November 22nd 2013My Chittleborough & Morgan navy suit was finally ready last month, and here are the pictures. I use the shot of the back at top because it is the only one that demonstrates the superb fit Joe and his team have achieved. It is a consistent str...
In praise of the cotton suit
October 21st 2013Cotton gabardine is probably the best suit material for men who don’t like suits. It is soft and casual, shaping to the body in the way cotton will, but not bagging like corduroy or wrinkling like linen. It also ages subtly and gracefully. The ...
In praise of the cotton suit
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I really don't know I'm afraid Cormac, sorry. On navy socks, I wear them with navy trousers and jeans really only - I don't find them as versatile as shades of grey (charcoal or mid-grey) in that sense...
First Harrod’s video on suits and style
October 4th 2013The film was made to coincide with the made-to-measure events coming up at Harrod’s. You can see the other video with Richard James here.
Chittleborough & Morgan suit: Part 3
September 18th 2013The third and potentially last fitting on my Chittleborough & Morgan suit. Both jackets and trousers were being finished off, and Joe wanted to check the sleeve length before putting the buttonholes in. Those buttonholes, of course, will be ...
Chittleborough & Morgan suit: Part 3
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It's not a normal weight, no, that would be much more like 11-13oz. If you want a versatile office suit, I wouldn't recommend it. I did have one, but regret it for that use. Yes it looks more sporting - more like a hacki...
Video on suits and their construction
September 11th 2013Last week I was profiled in a video series for Harrod’s, giving insights into the construction of Kiton and Tom Ford suits, among others. It should be available in a couple of weeks, coinciding with the launch of a new MTM/bespoke initiative at...
Video on suits and their construction
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Thanks Simon. That looks spot on. Cruel though to send that video to an emigrant Irish man. Rory's accent is killing me. I'll be crying into a pint of Guinness tonight....
Is a bespoke suit made entirely by hand? – ...
August 23rd 2013Dear Simon, I was talking with a local bespoke tailor to sound out what they offer and how much handwork goes into their garments. Obviously everything is struck and cut by hand on premises, but he told me that the main seams are machine-sewn. The la...
Is a bespoke suit made entirely by hand? – ...
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I think you might have misunderstood my tone Roy. I meant stupid purely as a term of hyperbole - that there is a huge amount of it. French suits do have a much larger amount of hand finishing. However, it is also largely...
Chittleborough & Morgan suit: Part 2
July 3rd 2013This is the second fitting on my navy three-piece suit from Chittleborough & Morgan. As with any tailor I try for the first time, I encouraged Joe (Morgan) to cut and make a suit to his style. It was interesting to see the differences from o...
Chittleborough & Morgan suit: Part 2
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No, not really. The more you try the more tired you get of working with a new cutter to get your pattern right. I only tried Joe because his style is so unique. Too much emphasis is also put on the brands of tailoring ho...
Having a suit dry cleaned: Jeeves of Belgravia
June 24th 2013Suits should not be dry-cleaned very often. For some I know on and around Savile Row, that means once every six months. For others, it means never. The exact amount, of course, depends also on how often and in what manner you wear your suits. When th...
Having a suit dry cleaned: Jeeves of Belgravia
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Yes, have a look on this post...
