Page 43 – Permanent Style

Cromford Leather: Update, workshop, and vintage jackets

Posted on 07/11/201707/11/2017 by Simon Crompton

Since I first wrote about Cromford Leather nine months ago, I’ve been using them consistently for leather alterations.

I thought it was worth a catch-up piece, therefore.

It's also a nice opportunity to show their workshop in the basement, including some of the vintage pieces they’re repairing for customers.

If you care about how clothes fit, leather and suede outerwear can be a pain.

There aren’t many variations in sizing, so if you don’t fall into the standard S-XL grading, you’ll end up with something that doesn’t fit in one way or another.

Being tall and slim, I often find myself choosing between something that fits my shoulders but is too big in the waist (usually a Medium) or that fits the waist but is too tight in the shoulder (usually Small).

Now that I know and like Cromford Leather (Chiltern Street, Marylebone), I buy the right size for my shoulders and have the waist altered.

I’ve done this so far on two pieces: one an old Loro Piana nubuck sports jacket, and the other a Seraphin suede bomber. (Look out for the latter in tomorrow’s post on our bag collaboration.)

In both cases, the alterations with Pauline at Cromford have worked well.

However, be aware that unlike a wool jacket, there are some limitations on what can be changed. It’s worth speaking to Pauline (above) at length to understand what these are.

Also bear in mind that altering leather is laborious and therefore expensive (my alterations ranged between £120 and £300). The few issues I've seen with customers of Cromford have been because they don't take the time to appreciate both these points.

You can see the complexity involved in leather alterations and repairs in some of the vintage pieces going through the workshop at the moment.

Above, for example, is an old Buco horsehide jacket that is having its zips and pockets repaired.

Replacing zips and pocket bags, without changing the look of what is beautifully aged leather, is a delicate process.

Harder, though, is working with sheepskin jackets, like the one below.

Shearling dries out as it ages and vintage pieces will rip easily.

Sewing into something that fragile is hard - you often rip the very thing you are trying to secure.

My latest alteration project was the suede zip-up blouson you can see below.

This is an old jacket from Carlo Brandelli’s first stint at Kilgour.

As with all his things, it was simply and beautifully done: lovely thin suede, unlined, with a covered zip in front and nothing on the cuffs.

The only thing I never liked about it was the collar.

I’ve always been partial to a collar that pops: that stays up when it’s put up. It’s probably related to having a relatively long neck.

This collar stayed up at the back but collapsed at the sides. Which had its own appeal, but I disliked.

Pauline put some fusing on the inside of the collar, covered it with a matching piece of suede, and finished it all invisibly. The collar now stays up perfectly.

It's the quality of work like this, as well as the rarity of leather-alterations specialists in London, that has me continuously recommending Cromford.

www.cromfordleather.co.uk

Alterations details here

Photography: James Munro

Come to The Shirtmakers Symposium

Posted on 06/11/201704/11/2017 by Simon Crompton

After the summer hiatus, the Symposium series is back in January - with a look at some of the finest shirtmakers in the world.

With the help of Albini, we will be staging a display of shirts and shirting in a central-Florence palazzo, followed by the usual debate on stage.

The shirtmakers, from different parts of the world, will be announced later.

We will also detail the items on display, the location and the RSVP details. As ever, we start early and finish relatively early, so there's plenty of time for everyone to get to dinners or other events.

For the moment, if you're going to be in Florence and are interested in stimulating debate about the menswear we know and love, put the date in your diary.

Simon

Pommella bespoke trousers – Review

Posted on 03/11/201706/11/2017 by Simon Crompton

Lino Pommella recently became the latest entrant into a group of travelling, Neapolitan trouser makers - a path forged, of course, by Salvatore Ambrosi.

The other notable one is Cerrato, whom we have covered elsewhere but who only currently travels to London.

Ambrosi travels the world, and Pommella currently visits London, New York, Tokyo and Osaka.

There isn’t that much to separate these trouser makers in terms of finished product.

All use extensive hand finishing, with scatterings of bar tacks, pick stitching up the outside seams and so on.

Indeed, this finishing is the thing that largely separates them from the Neapolitan tailors that they also often make for.

The tailors don’t tend to offer such finishing, believing (perhaps rightly) that the jacket is more important.

Those tailors can, however, often offer such finishing if requested - and it’s one way to access trousers such as these if a maker doesn’t currently travel to your city.

It’s something I did with my Pirozzi cord suit, which had trousers made by Cerrato.

Lino Pommella worked as a trouser cutter at Rubinacci for 10 years, and his father was also a trouser maker. He does not come from an independent house like Ambrosi or Cerrato, therefore, but it is still a family business.

He also has one significant asset in Gianluca Migliarotti (above).

The lovely and talented Gianluca is best known as the filmmaker behind O’Mast and I Colori di Antonio, documentaries about Neapolitan tailoring and Antonio Liverano respectively.

But he is also an investor in, and marketing force behind, Pommella.

His rich style has led to a lot of developments with Pommella so far - in particular the designs that myself, Mark Cho and Antonio Ciongoli made for a display at Pitti in the summer (pictures below).

Mark's design is even planned to become a ready-to-wear style for The Armoury.

As I have often said when describing artisans such as Lino, they have a tendency to underestimate the importance of style - and it was always a part of the attraction with Ambrosi.

Gianluca’s involvement is a big plus, therefore, whether present at customer appointments or simply guiding behind the scenes.

Lino made two pairs of trousers for me earlier in the year - one in green linen, the other in vintage Fox Brothers wool.

The latter material was one we featured in our pop-up shop in the Spring, part of a series of vintage bolts that Fox brought up and sold in the shop. It is therefore not currently available (although they are looking at reweaving it).

The trousers were, overall, very good.

The fit was spot on, after just one fitting in London. Perfect in the waist and through the seat, with a nice line down to the cuffed hem.

As ever, I warn against concluding anything as regards fit from the photography. I could spend 20 minutes arranging them so they look perfect, but that seems disingenuous. Fit is something readers largely have to take my word on.

What you can see, and is interesting to me, is that there is a subtle difference in the leg line that Pommella naturally cuts, as opposed to Cerrato or Ambrosi.

These trousers actively narrow from the middle of the thigh down to the knee, before running straight to the bottom.

This creates the impression of a rather narrow leg, with even a slight kick in the ankle.

When we profiled Marco Cerrato in his Naples atelier in the summer, he said that he tends to prefer a roomier leg, so narrowing less sharply at the knee, but tapering consistently from the seat to the bottom. To an extent you can see this on my review of his trousers here.

Ambrosi’s styles vary far more, but on balance I’d say he sits in between these two.

I should also emphasise that this is merely how Lino would cut the trouser if not directed at all by the customer.

Any line is possible, and most would request taking in or out, tapering more or less, at the fitting stage. I deliberately made no requirements there.

Readers have also noted that these trousers have pleats, which I usually avoid.

This was the result of a direct challenge to Lino.

I described to him and Gianluca the issues I normally have with pleats, with them largely opening and staying open in any cloth, due to the size of my thighs and seat, and a low rise.

Lino said he was sure he could make pleats that didn’t have this problem (several others have said the same, and failed) by deepening the pleat, putting in more material underneath.

The result is very good. Better than any other tailor has achieved. I still don’t generally like pleats except on high-waisted trousers, but as a technical point this was impressive.

It’s also worth emphasising that the Pommella trousers were exactly what I ordered - right cloth, right design - and the quality is good, with no buttons or anything else coming loose.

Given the issues previously with Ambrosi and some other Neapolitans, this is more important than it should be.

The only issue we had with the trousers was that a 4cm canvas was used in the 5cm waistband.

This means that the top of the waistband collapses slightly, as you can see in the images.

It’s an issue we’ve covered before. Canvas for waistbands comes in standard 4cm-width strips, so the only options for a tailor on a wider waistband are to still use this, or to find an uncut roll of canvas and cut it to 5cm.

Cerrato does this as standard, and I’m pleased to say Pommella has now changed his practice and does it too. I’ll get him to change these trousers at some point.

Overall, I can certainly recommend Pommella as a solid option for hand-finished Neapolitan-style trousers.

The product was solid, hecares about his work, and if I didn’t have Cerrato visiting London frequently, I would probably start using him.

In terms of price he is more expensive than Cerrato, and a little cheaper than Ambrosi. When Pommella visits The Armoury in New York, bespoke trousers cost $1100 through the shop. In the UK, in trunk shows, they cost €850.

He is now travelling frequently to New York (every two months) and is looking to expand to other US cities. The next trunk show there is November 16-18.

London and Japan are less frequent. The next is Tokyo and Osaka through Strasburgo, December 2-4.

Contact and appointments should be made through [email protected]

Photography: James Munro and Pommella

In the images I am also wearing:

Edward Green Oundle monk-strap shoes
Anderson & Sheppard navy shawl-collar cardigan
Grey Simone Abbarchi brushed-cotton shirt
Sartoria Melina bespoke leather jacket

The Pop-Up Shop is back!

Posted on 01/11/201720/11/2017 by Simon Crompton

I'm very excited to say that the Permanent Style Presents pop-up shop will be back this winter, opening in two weeks on November 15th.

We've switched approach slightly, using a slightly smaller space but staying open much longer (5 weeks) - so hopefully no one will miss out, even those coming from abroad.

The location is 37 Savile Row, next door to where we were last time, and the old home of Kathryn Sargent on the Row.

In here there will be space for three or four brands on rotation at any time - alongside products from Permanent Style and J Girdwood.

We will open with three of our favourites from the Spring: Luca Faloni, Baudoin & Lange, and Fox Brothers.

Luca was such a big draw, and is particularly suited to the winter with his big range of cashmere; Allan and Bo from B&L will have their beautiful slip-ons on display; and Fox will be bringing back its archive cloth and Merchant Fox pieces.

These three will be available for the first two weeks, November 15th to November 26th (Wednesday to Sunday).

Then, for weeks three and four, we bring in The Rake, The Armoury, Drop 93, Begg & Co and Edward Sexton.

The Rake will be showing off the exclusive collaborations from their online shop
The Armoury will have a stand that will feature their vintage and pre-owned collection, Drop93 in the first week and Armoury products in the second week
and those weeks will see Begg & Co first, swapping to Edward Sexton's ready-to-wear after.

A final, fifth week will change again, bringing in Shibumi ties and accessories from Florence, casual brand The Workers Club, and British cufflink specialists Codis Maya.

We will also be featuring furniture from the wonderful Honorific London, and Mantas will be helping in the shop the last two weeks.

The full timetable is below. It feels like we've squeezed so much great stuff in this time - as before, all of which you cannot buy retail in London at the moment.

I know readers will find it hard to come and see everyone - every week - but do try!

We will also be holding a small opening party, as last time, on Wednesday November 15th. Put it in your diary.

The Spring pop-up was such a success - for us, for the brands, for readers that came in and told us. And it was so much fun.

The soundtrack will be James's rock steady selection. I'm bopping already.

Brand schedule

Week	Dates	Brand 1	Brand 2	Brand 3
1	Nov. 15-19	Fox Brothers	Baudoin & Lange	Luca Faloni
2	Nov. 22-26	Fox Brothers	Baudoin & Lange	Luca Faloni
3	Nov. 29- Dec. 3	The Armoury	The Rake	Begg & Co
4	Dec. 6-10	Drop 93	The Rake	Edward Sexton
5	Dec. 13-17	Shibumi	Codis Maya	The Workers Club

Opening times

Day	Open	Close
Wednesday to Friday	11am	7pm
Saturday	10am	6pm
Sunday	11am	5pm

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Umbria Verde knitwear: Factory visit

Posted on 30/10/201730/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

Bang in the centre of the country, Umbria is often referred to as the ‘green heart’ of Italy.

A fertile, forested region, it is known for its truffles and wines - and is where several of the best Italian knitwear factories are located.

Umbria Verde, which has been there since 1959, is named to reflect this tradition. And it does its best to reflect the name in its practice too - electricity from solar panels, reused water and so on.

This is not a glamorous atelier, however. Unlike the slightly unreal-feeling factories of Cucinelli, or even Zegna and Santoni, it is an obviously industrial space.

Noisy looms run the length of the hangar-like structure, with offices in the floor above.

Although the countryside is lovely (and they produce their own olive oil - as many in the area do), inside is all busy practicality.

Simone Mattioli runs Umbria Verde today, having taken over from his father, the founder (below).

Mattioli senior was the first in Italy to import an English cotton loom in the 1950s.

As with much between the industrial revolution and then, England dominated the production of such machinery - though no more.

That loom became the foundation of the business, and he gradually added more over the years, importing and (importantly) often modifying them.

In the factory today, the oldest loom dates to 1964, and the youngest to 1974.

A particularly unusual one is from Protti (now closed), with a long 2.5-metre bed. The team found it in Bulgaria.

Needles and some other parts are replaced every four years - with the last such manufacturer in England, based in Leicester, under contract to carry on supplying them for the next 20 years.

As with other factories we have covered, it is easy to assume that a factory has access to any technique it wants, and merely has to decide which is the most efficient.

But actually there is great inertia at a manufacturer - as investing in new machinery is hugely expensive.

Often hand techniques (eg hand linking for socks) are kept only because the process of transitioning away from them takes hundreds of thousands in investment, and therefore many years.

And the best machinery might even be the older stuff, not the new (eg. with benchmade shoes).

There, you can’t even buy the best, but have to wait until it becomes available.

Umbria Verde’s modification of its machinery is important both because it has led to its trademark production - 37-gauge knitting - and because it reflects the general attitude of innovation.

“Somehow it has meant that we are always pushing at what is possible,” says Simone (above, in the red sweater). “Always asking how we can make things finer but stronger.”

Examples are the production points on our Finest Knitwear: flattening of knots, hand-sewn points, widened fashioning seams.

You can read more details on our original post on the knitwear here.

In another comparison to factories we have visited, it is interesting that as with mills such as Pennine in Huddersfield, Begg in Ayr or Vitale Barberis in Biella, the finest craft at Umbria Verde is the repairs.

At a mill, which is weaving rather than knitting, any imperfections in the cloth have to be repaired by knotting in a new piece of yarn and weaving it through the cloth.

It is done under a microscope, and in stark contrast to the fast, noisy, large-scale production of cloth in the next room.

Although the contrast is not as great at Umbria Verde, the process of repairs is similarly precise. For knitwear it involves darning as well - so fine that it is invisible on the finished piece.

Simone is both passionate about his work and a real professional. Over the past couple of years we have built up a good working relationship, and the Finest Knitwear is something we are both very proud of.

Of course, he also works for many of the big fashion labels (we can’t say who, but it hardly matters).

Here, his innovation and Umbria Verde’s relatively small production help a lot with the labels’ new designs and ideas.

“It’s great to be able to work with everyone and anyone,” he says.

“I know we’re growing, but I’d like that always to be the case - it keeps your eyes open to the whole world.”

The Finest Knitwear was released in its second batch last week, with a green colour added to the navy from the first iteration.

Around two-thirds have sold so far, but only one combination is sold out (green medium crewneck).

In the pictures I am wearing my tobacco-linen suit from Langa in Madrid, with a white shirt and navy grenadine tie.

Photography: Umbria Verde

Bespoke brass jewellery: Diana Maynard

Posted on 27/10/201721/03/2019 by Simon Crompton

This probably won’t surprise readers, but when I started looking to buy a significant piece of jewellery last year, I wanted something personal, bespoke and handmade.

I don't have anything particular against friendship bracelets; when I was a backpacking teenager I wore them, and my daughters occasionally make me one too.

But wearing 10 of them, when everyone else is too is a little sad.

Jewellery, in my opinion, should be personal.

It’s something you wear next to your skin; that is warmed by it; that you will likely wear more often than any piece of clothing.

It’s no coincidence that jewellery is often an heirloom, passed down through the family and therefore a real piece of who you are.

Or that there are traditions around jewellery that has to be given as a gift, rather than something you buy yourself.

Looking for something unique and personal, I turned to my friend Diana Maynard (above), who makes our Permanent Style cufflinks but spends most of her time on bespoke jewellery commissions.

The bespoke process is perhaps harder with jewellery than anything else. The possibilities are endless, and the ideas highly emotional and often very abstract.

My rather abstract brief was that I wanted something finely made, but that would age well. That would look practical and natural, but still involve great craftsmanship.

This was not an easy concept, and we went through several sketches before we settled on a jointed, brass cuff.

The cuff would be made to the shape of my wrist, so it was personal and echoed the shaping of bespoke shoes and tailoring.

It would be made out of brass, as this would tarnish over time (though could always be polished up again if required).

Inlaid into that brass would be slivers of wood - irregularly spaced and in varying numbers on each of the four ends.

The shape and arrangement of these pieces of wood was drawn from old Art Deco designs - my favourite period for decorative art. (And fitting with the crenellated shape of the hinge.)

And the wood would also darken and age over the years.

The cuff was beaten by hand, creating a texture around the outside that was beautiful and unique, but also redolent of natural wear and tear.

And as final, guilty touch of luxury, there would be tiny diamonds set into the hinge.

The design worked well from the start. Once Diana understood what I was aiming for, the texture of the wood we chose and the beaten pattern came naturally.

The wood had to be soaked, set in and held to gain the shape of the cuff (see image with black pins above), but that only took a couple of iterations.

The hardest part was getting the shape right.

Your wrist is flatter on the top than it is on the bottom, but it also changes every time it rotates.

You wouldn't think it to feel your wrist in motion, but the changes are significant.

It therefore took rather longer to get the shape right, with several try-on sessions.

Thankfully, the result is perfect. On the hottest of hot summer days, my wrist swells and is too big, but the vast majority of the time it fits perfectly - clearly flush with the wrist, but with enough room to move comfortably.

I've had the cuff for a few months now, and it's also interesting to see how the materials have aged.

The wood has darkened slowly and with subtle variations. The brass as a whole tarnishes quickly and has a particularly nice pattern on the inside.

But interestingly, it doesn't darken more within the beaten pattern, which we both expected.

The cuff cost £2900. A lot of money, but still relatively cheap in the world of bespoke jewellery.

The whole process took just under a year, with several trials and prototypes. And it was this design time, consultations and particularly the handwork that were the biggest aspects of the cost, rather than the materials.

I completely understand if others don't like the result. They may well consider it silly, pretentious or overwrought.

But I love it. It achieved all my aims, and is a unique, highly personal piece of art that I wear every day. It feels part of me.

Diana's work can be seen at www.dianamaynard.com

Photography: Lifestyle shots, Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man; Studio shots, Diana Maynard

Finest Knitwear available again – in navy and green

Posted on 25/10/201725/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

Our Finest Knitwear, which we created earlier this year, is back in a second batch with a new colour.

Alongside the navy fine-merino knitwear - in crewneck and V-neck - there is now also a dark, muted green that I picked for its versatility.

Both are available on the Shop, separated into the two neck styles.

For me, green sweaters have a tendency to be too strong in colour - which can look great online, but is harder to combine with a range of other colours in an outfit.

When I picked the second colour for our Finest Knitwear, therefore, I went for the most subdued merino from the Loro Piana range.

Those sample books are a riot of colour, from sugary pinks to rich, deep purples.

But most of them would dominate an outfit, and in my experience are bought with much excitement and then rarely worn.

This muted green works well with both country colours like brown and tan, and city ones like grey and navy.

It also avoids looking too rural and countrified - toning down rather than livening up.

I have pictured it with brown and navy pieces to illustrate this point - both of which themselves ride that borderline between cold, urban formal and warm, country casual.

The jacket from Rubinacci is a brown donegal cashmere but incorporates both black and grey. And the topcoat, from Ettore de Cesare, also has black in the weave.

For those unfamiliar with the Finest Knitwear and the philosophy behind it, please read the original post here.

For anyone that needs a quick reminder, here are the most salient points:

Designed as the perfect layer to wear under tailoring, such as a sports jacket or suit
Made not with cashmere - as most fine knitwear is - because it bobbles and doesn't wear well, but with the finest merino wool from Loro Piana
This feels amazing, but its long fibres (again, unlike cashmere) give it stretch and body
Made by Umbria Verde in Italy, to the highest possible standards - tiny details like flattened seams and hand-sewn points match fineness of make to the fineness of the wool
Designed with tailoring in mind:
- A slightly longer V to accommodate a tie, or open-necked with two buttons of the shirt undone
- A slightly wider crewneck to allow a button-down shirt to spread outwards
- A slightly longer rib at cuff and bottom (7cm not 6cm) to mimic a shirt cuff and elongate the silhouette
Priced at below industry mark-ups, to reflect the online sale and relatively small run, and provide better value. Which is nice

One recommendation I would make to readers is to fold the knitwear carefully after use, and not pull it on too violently. It is not particularly delicate, but finer things necessarily require greater care, and folding also avoids any creases.

The knitwear costs £190, and is available now on the Permanent Style shop. They will be shipped out from the UK from Monday onwards.

Readers on the waiting list were alerted this past Monday, and some stock has therefore already gone.

Details on other items pictured:

Rubinacci bespoke jacket in vintage donegal cashmere
Ettore de Cesare bespoke topcoat in wool/cashmere mix
Luca Avitabile button-down shirt in chambray cotton
Silk handkerchief from Rampley & Co
Solito bespoke trousers in grey Crispaire cloth from Holland & Sherry

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Buttons online – Bernstein & Banleys

Posted on 23/10/201701/04/2019 by Simon Crompton

It has always surprised me how many Italian tailors say they can’t source good, unpolished horn buttons.

Particularly because, since its launch last year, even customers can buy them from UK distributor Bernstein & Banleys (TheLiningCompany.co.uk).

B&B has a good selection of horn - in different shades, with two buttons or four - plus stag, mother of pearl and corozo.

There is also a small selection of vintage button sets, and a new range of solid-gold blazer buttons that launched last week (making steps shown below).

That lack of awareness among Italians is doubly surprising given that the vast majority of buttons for bespoke tailoring, including 99% of the range at Bernstein & Banleys, are made in Italy.

England used to have a strong button industry.

But sadly the last British manufacturer, James Grove & Sons, went bust back in 2012. It was over 150 years old.

“We bought over 1 million buttons from them when they went under,” says Jonathan Bernstein of B&B. “Most of them are still sitting in our warehouse waiting to be sorted.”

“It was very sad to see them go, but then most of their machinery was Italian too.”

Jonathan and I met for the first time a couple of weeks ago, over coffee. His daughter has recently joined the business, and is trying to get them talking more to the press.

Bernstein & Banleys is one of two big suppliers of linings and trimmings left in the UK - the other being Richard James Weldon.

Jonathan began his career as a commodities trader in the city, joining B&B (his father’s business) in 1989 after traders took a hit during the recession.

Back then, there were around 12 large trimmings suppliers in the UK, and 95% of the product was made in the UK.

“Gradually the others began sourcing from China, and chasing the low-end, volume market. They eventually went out of business - just leaving the top end,” says Jonathan.

Like many merchants and suppliers, B&B used to be located close to their customers in the West End.

They were on Newburgh Street, then Cork Street, before moving to north London - and since 2010, have been in Southend on the coast.

Fortunately, for the top end of the market, business has been good recently - partly driven by costume in the film industry. Bernstein & Banleys supplied a lot of trimmings for Game of Thrones, as well as Harry Potter.

Recent trends in the lining market have been more stretch fabrics (for womenswear) and more cottons (for vintage-inspired pieces).

I’ve always liked matte horn buttons on tailoring, because they feel so different to ready-made suits.

Savile Row tailors have traditionally used them, and often two-hole versions - which again separates them from RTW.

Italian tailors, by contrast, tend to use corozo and polished horn - partly because they like the fact that it is more similar to designer RTW brands.

This perhaps says something both about how the countries’ tailors see their prestige, and how big the domestic menswear industries are.

I’ve bought a few different ranges from B&B (particularly shade 159-03, above), and plan to use them to replace polished horn on my Italian suits.

I may also do so with corozo. I tend to only like corozo when it is paler and colour, and so you can see the natural ripples in the material.

The hardest colour to get in horn is grey, but it is possible.

Makers just take the palest, tan-horn buttons (below), and dye them. Grey-horn buttons tend to have les pattern and variegation in them as a result.

On the subject of buttons, The Vintage Queen in London also now sells its vintage collection online - see site here.

I previously profiled The Button Queen back in 2014, and used some domed buttons originally on my bespoke Gieves & Hawkes pea coat (below).

Good times for anyone looking to source great buttons on their own - and avoid the lack of awareness among tailors.

Photography: Top, courtesy of Gieves & Hawkes; bottom courtesy of Troubadour; suit cuff, Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man; others, Bernstein & Banleys.

Musella Dembech double-breasted cotton suit – Review

Posted on 20/10/201720/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

So how shall we review a suit? Let me count the ways.

One: style.

Still the most important thing, as much as we encourage men everywhere to care more about quality and fit.

[Read my first post, with the background on Musella Dembech and its style, here]

I adore the style of this, my completed Musella Dembech suit.

I’m not such a big fan of the Musella single-breasted cut, but the lapel of the double-breasted is just beautiful.

A lot of belly, but not to excess. A high peak, but not so it’s floating off the shoulder. A slightly flatter gorge (where collar and lapel meet) that gives it a slightly vintage feel. (Of course, the gorge also helps the peak from being too high).

The wrap is not too narrow, emphasising width in the body rather than height. The shoulder is soft, finished in a ‘shirt’ sleeve construction, but with the tiniest lift in the sleevehead at the end.

Other things are largely in moderation: a sleeve that is full and masculine, but not messy; a subtly suppressed waist; a skirt that is relatively close in the hips but does not visibly curve inwards.

The only things I would change are perhaps a touch more on the length (a centimetre at most) and a trouser that is slightly narrower in the thigh.

I think here Gianfrancesco was trying to make absolutely sure the trousers didn’t pull and open the pleats. He partly succeeded, but perhaps at the expense of that leg line.

Two: fit.

This is not perfect, but it is very important to bear in mind the limitations of lightweight cotton. It has no line and no drape. It does not have the body or weight to hang straight.

Cotton is not a material for tailoring puritans, and many tailors dislike it for that reason.

I like it because it is fiendishly comfortable, and subtly casual. Not a business suit, but not country clothing either.

The sleeves are about a centimetre too short.

This is partly my fault, as Gianfrancesco suggested keeping them a little longer to compensate for the wrinkles in the elbow that would come with wear, and inevitably shorten the sleeve.

I decided against that. But a centimetre is easy to add without making the button position look odd - and if done now before the end of the sleeve develops a line through wear.

The shoulders could be lifted slightly, just at the ends, but it’s marginal.

The pitch of the sleeve is fine, but ruined by the rumpling of the cotton.

Three, quality.

I’ve deliberately separated this from decorative sewing and handwork.

Quality is about all the basic things we know and love about bespoke - the hand padding of the collar and canvas, particularly. Which you can see from the image above.

It’s about accuracy in the finishing. So straight seams, even if done by hand. Rear trouser pockets being straight and closed (whether buttoned or not) and nothing falling off or falling apart.

This quality is what a few southern Italian houses sometimes fail to deliver - and indeed even smaller tailors elsewhere.

But it’s something bigger, established houses are nearly always better on - through practice, and good management.

Part of that is also service and reliability. Always delivering on promised timings; not getting anything wrong with the order; no silly mistakes.

On all these quality points, Musella Dembech is more like a big tailoring house than an at-home operation. And increasingly that’s something I’m happy to pay for.

My only caveat would be Gianfrancesco’s preference for not having side adjustors on the trousers.

He dislikes them as he says they never work well, and the two buttons for the waistband mean you tighten there if you need to.

Those buttons do work fairly well, but for me not as well as a side adjustor, and I will ask him to add them on.

Four, decoration.

Here Musella also excels. As you can from the images, there is fine and consistent pick stitching along almost every edge and seam, by hand.

The sleeves were unlined, and the finishing of these seams inside was also wonderfully neat.

The lining is not hand-sewn in and then top-stitched over the top by hand, as only the aesthetes at Cifonelli or Camps de Luca would do.

But the edges of the lining (it is only half lined) are turned and sewn by hand, which is nice - even on the pocket bag where it peeps out of the lining.

The buttonholes are finely wrought - although as noted on the first post, I don’t particularly like the relatively large hole at the end (sometimes known as a keyhole buttonhole).

It’s easier to sew if the hole is bigger, but of course that doesn’t mean it’s the reason it’s done.

Other largely decorative things (or perhaps they belong under style?) are the grey mother-of-pearl buttons on the waistband - and the thinness of that waistband. Both of which I like.

Overall, a very good suit that succeeds in making something wonderful out of a cheap, unruly cloth.

I can understand readers who commented Musella is too small to be charging €5,000 for a suit, but the product is certainly beautiful.

I just need to find a way to afford the next one, in a harder, more sharper-edged material.

Background on Musella in my first post here.

Gianfrancesco is based in Milan and currently only travels to Hong Kong (with The Armoury).

I am also wearing:

Bespoke cotton shirt, Luca Avitabile
Matte silk tie, Paul Stuart
Indigo bandana (as handkerchief), 45rpm
Linen socks, Bresciani
Bespoke suede slip-ons, Gaziano & Girling

Photography: of me, Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man. Detail shots: Permanent Style

Sartoria Panico – a last great of Neapolitan tailoring

Posted on 18/10/201718/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

On the wall of Sartoria Panico in Naples, there is a framed picture of our Tailoring Symposium in 2016.

Antonio Panico stands there with other greats of modern bespoke such as Edward Sexton, Antonio Liverano and Lorenzo Cifonelli, basking in the summer sun.

It was lovely to see that photo, to know how much Antonio appreciated being part of the event.

And it reminded me that the last time I spoken to him, it was part of a conversation with Edward Sexton where we discussed the fitting behaviour of Mick Jagger.

Apparently he wouldn’t stand still.

There aren’t many greats of Antonio’s generation left - particularly with the recent passing of Renato Ciardi.

The next generation has many good tailors of course - Elia Caliendo or Marco Cerrato for example - but still I wanted to have something made by Antonio if I could.

I took the opportunity during Pitti in the summer, going for a grey-flannel suit.

We then had a fitting in Naples, and it is this first, basted fitting that you can see here.

Antonio has always been tentative about describing his style.

At that Symposium discussion, he memorably dressed and then undressed his model to show the lightness and flowing lines of the suit, but refused to try and put it into words.

One reason is that he is quite adaptable. It is easy to think of Neapolitan tailoring as being consistent: soft shoulders, ‘shirt’ sleeve, three-roll-two front, curved pockets, extended front dart.

But it largely seems that way because overall it is so distinct to what we find in northern Italy, England and elsewhere.

Naples tailors vary most notably in how much padding they like to put in the top of the sleeve - to create a roped or rollino effect - and on how ‘contemporary’ the cut is (translation: tighter and shorter).

Antonio is happy to adapt in many things, sometimes because the client wishes it, but more often because he thinks it would suit them.

In my case we talked about whether to add extra padding to deal with my sloping shoulders (we finally decided against it) and he was keen to not extend the front dart to the bottom of the jacket.

“This will be my English suit for an Englishman,” he said, reflecting also on what he saw as a very English cloth (although it was actually woven by an Italian mill - its Vitale Barberis Canonico 504.801/6, 340g, from their Original Woollen Flannel bunch).

Interestingly, two readers both commented recently that I seem to go to Neapolitan tailors for jackets, but English for suits.

That’s broadly true, but only because I tend to prefer the softer Naples cut for a sports jacket - not because I think it’s inappropriate for a suit.

A suit made in a Neapolitan cut is one of the great things of modern style: an outfit that has very distinctive but also very subtle style. The kind of thing someone looks at and admires, but can’t put his finger on why.

I’m sure there will be some offices in the world where this would be too casual, but they are very few. In the vast majority, it will merely be subtly unusual.

Antonio was happy to talk briefly through his origins, and over Neapolitan coffee (dark, small, sweet) we ran through his apprenticeship, and then his time at Rubinacci.

He started working at the age of 12, and by 17 had already completed the standard apprenticeship.

A few years later, at 23, he set up on his own. That was quite successful, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity, six years later, of working for Rubinacci - then and now the biggest bespoke house in town.

That Rubinacci career lasted 22 years, and he was the master by the time he left, in 1992. He has run his own atelier ever since.

Today, Antonio has a beautiful space on Via Carducci - decorated more like a home than an atelier, as many of the Neapolitan tailors are.

“I always felt that this was the best way to put customers at their ease,” Antonio says. “They need to feel this is their home away from home.”

Of course many tailors say this, but actually the best Savile Row shops tend to feel more like a club than a home. More social, less intimate.

Antonio's children Luigi and Paola work with him, and help out during trips to Milan and Florence. The workroom itself has 12 tailors.

There is very little to comment on in the suit at this first fitting. As they always say, this stage is for the tailor, not the customer. But the bones felt good.

Just as exciting was trying on a few old Panico pieces - such as the 20-year-old Ulster overcoat pictured below.

Italians sometimes say they appreciate cloth more than the English, and you can understand their point with a piece like this.

The structure is so lightweight, and the cloth so heavy, that it feels like all you’re wearing a piece of expertly cut and ironed wool.

I also tried a double-breasted chalkstripe jacket (lovely cloth again, but hard to get a sense of the style as it was rather broad and short).

And more interestingly, the raincoat below - made in a waterproofed cotton and raglan sleeved, with all the pick stitching you’d expect from a piece of Neapolitan tailoring (though without taped seams).

The tailcoat at bottom was the oldest piece, dating to 1966.

The second fitting should be before Christmas, with the last one at Pitti in January. Expect a full post on the final suit then.

Suit starting price: €3200.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Everyday Denim cloth available again

Posted on 17/10/201721/03/2019 by Simon Crompton

One of the lovely things about the Everyday Denim we launched a couple of weeks ago was how quickly the cloth sold.

It's always hard to know how well a new type of product will do, and I'd clearly underestimated the appetite for exclusive cloth to make up bespoke.

I've talked to Albiate, and we have agreed to weave another 100 cut lengths (2 metres each). These will be available in four weeks' time, the week of November 13th. Hopefully that will sate demand for now.

I'd ask that readers pay now, on the Shop site, so we can reserve the whole production for everyone.

Please note that we have also had to increase prices to £65 for the cut lengths, as the first batch was more of a promotional offer from Albiate. It is still cheaper than regular retail prices (as with most things on Permanent Style) - which would be around £80.

I note that the shirts have also almost sold out, with only a few left in Medium and Extra Large.

We will product more of these too, but as it requires both a slot with Albiate and with the shirt factory in Naples, they are unlikely to be available until the New Year.

Finally, some nice feedback so far from readers on the denim and shirts:

"I just wanted to say a very well done on your denim shirt. The look and details are wonderful but I wanted to stress one other important but sometimes overlooked point, and that is, the comfort of the cloth and collar are really exceptional. Congratulations on producing another quality item"

"I received my “everyday denim” shirt in the mail today, it is beautiful and looks even better in real life than in the (amazing) pictures."

"Hi Simon, I felt compelled to write you a personal note. The shirt arrived this week and I’m really impressed with the quality of the fabric and the workmanship. The attention to detail on the collar, cuffs and placket is outstanding. The Friday Polo was fantastic, but this shirt is something special."

For more detail on this exclusive cloth, please see the original post here.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man. Pictures taken in the Royal Arcade, London, courtesy of GJ Cleverley & Co. George Glasgow Jr, of Cleverley, pictured above

Enzo Bonafe hand-welted shoes – factory visit

Posted on 16/10/201717/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

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 the region.

It has been a rapid decline.

The factories that survive in Italy today - as in the rest of western Europe - are the ones at the top of the market. Those making the best quality, using the best materials, and remaining innovative.

Bonafe is set apart in that regard (certainly compared to English shoemakers) by still hand welting and (partially) hand lasting its shoes.

The functional benefits of each of these techniques is small.

Hand lasting (above) arguably gives the shoemaker greater control over how the leather is stretched onto the last, allowing him to adjust and react to what is a natural, inconsistent material.

Hand sewing the welt means two interweaving lines of thread attach the welt to the upper, rather than the simple fetch-and-hook system of a sewing machine. It’s stronger and more reliable, but only at the margins.

Both techniques, however, push Bonafe shoes towards the quality level of bespoke shoes. And they have long been abandoned by most factories.

Above is one of the two Bonafe workers that does hand sewing. Both are getting on, although there are plans to train younger people.

In total there are 25 people in the factory, which is in an industrial estate outside of town.

Five women work at home, doing the closing. Five of the 25 in the factory are members of the Bonafe family (Enzo below).

Enzo’s story in shoemaking goes back to the Second World War.

His family lived in the centre of Bologna, but had to move out of town when it started to be bombed.

They moved to the mountains, and for the first time little Enzo needed shoes.

“We were very poor, and in the city you could just walk barefoot on the pavement - all the children did,” he says.

“In the country that wasn’t possible, so all of a sudden we all needed shoes. I realised what a necessity they were.”

Back in Bologna after the war, he found work in a shoe factory - aged 13.

He was very ambitious, and by 1963 wanted to start on his own. His wife (above) also worked at Testoni, and she helped him with design and finishing in her evenings.

“My mother is still the most knowledgeable one around - the one who does all the pattern making is the best on leather quality,” says Massimo Bonafe, their son. (Below.)

Initially Enzo sold shoes to stores in Bologna, Milan and Genoa, most of whom would use their own label.

Even today, the majority of Bonafe’s white-label work (about 20% of production) is for these old, traditional stores in Italy.

In Japan, on the other hand, Bonafe has been sold as a brand for over 30 years.

Japanese customers have always been very supportive, and there is even a collaboration with a Japanese women’s designer in Italy, Le Yucca’s, that has done well.

There is a full list of stockists on the Bonafe website here. Unfortunately none in the UK, but Leffot stocks the button boots (below) and Skoaktiebolaget in Stockholm has a big range.

Patrik, Gabriel, Oliver and the team at Skoak have had a big role in bringing Bonafe to wider attention in recent years.

“We develop most new styles today through coordination with our customers,” says Massimo.

One example is a double-monk boot in a hatched-grain leather, which consciously echoes their most famous model, the button boot.

There is also a double-monk shoe that is made out of a single piece of leather. (Both below.)

For me, this is perhaps the area where Bonafe is weakest.

Although most of the production is under their own brand, Massimo admits they still have the attitude of a factory - focusing on quality and process rather than design.

When you walk into the showroom, there is a huge range of shoes and boots around the walls, in a staggering array of materials.

But many are a little old-fashioned. The oldest is a thick-soled wingtip from 1968, and there are models from every era since.

The patchwork alligator shoe (both below) that was made for the company’s 50-year anniversary is definitely a statement of manufacturing prowess, not modern design.

This is hard because another one of Bonafe’s key strengths is its flexibility.

The factory’s small size and experienced staff mean that it can offer a very broad MTO programme, with different heights of its hand-built heels for example.

It also offers some customers a programme to adjust lasts, and even bespoke lasts for a lucky few.

“We don’t like to do bespoke generally, because it can be so hard to get right,” says Massimo. “But Enzo can still do it and we want to try and offer everything if we can.”

I haven’t had a pair of Bonafe shoes and cannot comment on them as a customer. I’m sure others can.

However, the company does have manufacturing quality, versatility and some great styles.

Hopefully they will be able to retain the Bologna shoemaking tradition for a long time to come.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

How to wear trainers: Part 3. Style

Posted on 13/10/201719/07/2019 by Simon Crompton

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 on those being discussed.

So in the outfits shown here, we take a single pair of trainers (white Achilles Low from Common Projects), and put them with trousers and knitwear that vary in their material, texture and fit; but not in their colour or pattern (all are plain navy/blue and cream/beige).

The first outfit (number 1, below) is a refined casual look. It is what I think trainers such as these were made for, and how I wear them the majority of the time.

The other two outfits demonstrate how far I think the shoes can be pushed stylistically in either direction - towards the more formal, or the more casual.

They set the limits. Any smarter than outfit 2, and I think you need a classic welted shoe. Any more casual than outfit 3, and you need a more casual trainer.

All three maintain the principles we exhort here on Permanent Style - in particular in terms of quality and the primacy of fit.

I know a lot of readers still won’t like this. On the surface, it has little to do with bespoke suits and Northampton shoes.

But I also know many readers will respond well. Primarily, those that want to dress intelligently but less formally, that are interested in extending their principles of dress to other areas.

I hope more conservative readers will still find it an interesting exercise. As a way to reaffirm their own principles, if nothing else.

1 The refined casual look

In this outfit, all the items of clothing have a similar refinement of colour, style and shape to the trainers.

The trainers are plain white leather. There is no branding, no designer flourishes. The shape is elegantly elongated, with a slightly longer last than most.

The clothes are similar. Plain, classic colours of blue, navy and beige. Simple texture-based design in garment-washed cotton or waffle-knit wool. And a slim, neat fit.

All of them also share an interest in the best materials, with the aim of ageing well.

This is a very simple, versatile look - one Trunk Clothiers has done a lot to promote in recent years.

It’s also really useful for anyone looking to dress better in an inherently casual office - taking pretty much the same clothes as everyone else but making them simpler, better fitted and better quality.

Shirt: Collarless bespoke shirt in chambray by Luca Avitabile

Knitwear: Waffle-knit merino crewneck by APC

Trousers: Incotex classic-fit chinos, via Trunk Clothiers

2 Smarter and bolder

This second outfit shows the limits of how far I would go to combine trainers with tailoring.

First off, no jackets. Personally, I wouldn’t wear a tailored jacket with trainers, no matter how casual and unstructured it is.

The closest I would get is knitwear like the Anderson & Sheppard cardigan shown here, which is more sartorial in style - with its close fit, buttoned front and prominent collar.

Secondly, and more complicatedly, smarter trousers.

These bespoke Pommella trousers in vintage Fox Brothers wool are more formal than the Incotex chinos in outfit 1 by virtue of their material, their cut, and the extra details like the crease and pleats.

But they are not that formal. Worsted wool (what most suit trousers are made of) would be too smart for trainers, for instance. And even a woollen such as flannel would probably be too smart.

In general, cottons are a safer bet for tailored trousers with trainers. Cotton gabardine in summer, cords or heavier cotton twills in winter. Linen also.

Colour also makes a difference - more formal colours like charcoal or navy might be too smart.

Overall, this outfit is also more unusual or showy than the first.

This comes primarily from mixing pieces that are less similar in terms of style and formality (often referred to as high/low). Unlike the first outfit, where everything was of the same level.

For most people, being unusual makes it less suitable for day-to-day wear.

But for those that like to be a little more individual, it can be a nice way to express your character. Better to do it in material, cut and combination than with gaudy colours and patterns.

Shirt: Bespoke denim button-down from Luca Avitabile

Knitwear: Shawl-collar lambswool cardigan from Anderson & Sheppard

Trousers: Vintage Fox Brothers cream wool, bespoke from Pommella

3 Relaxed and casual

This third outfit is perhaps the most casual thing to ever appear on Permanent Style.

I’m sure many will dislike it, but it’s worth setting out the few things it has in common with other things discussed on the blog.

Most importantly, quality. The hoodie is from The Real McCoy’s, which readers probably know is a Japanese brand that reproduces vintage Americana with fanatical attention to original materials and manufacturing.

This piece is a reproduction of an American cold-weather sweatshirt, which is actually two loopback sweatshirts sewn together. This makes it incredibly warm and comfortable.

The chinos are from The Armoury, made in a heavy selvedge cotton that wears in much like jeans do, even feathering and fading slightly.

Like the best workwear, you can wear the crap out of them - camping, playing in the park with the kids - and they look all the better for it.

Fit is also just as much of a consideration as with tailoring, just with different aims. So the sweatshirt sits high on the waist, but is big on the body. It’s a nice style for workwear and very practical.

And the chinos are high-waisted (which works with that sweatshirt cut), quite wide in the leg (again, practical) but tapered slightly at the ankle.

For me these rugged, practical pieces still work with the trainers because they are simple and restrained in terms of colour and pattern.

But the fit and texture are much more casual than outfit 1, and therefore you could argue that a chunkier, stubbier trainer would be more suited - such as Common Projects BBall style, or the CQP Racquet.

T-shirt: Grey Riviera cotton shirt from Sunspel

Sweatshirt: Double Face after-hooded sweatshirt in blue from The Real McCoy's

Trousers: The Armoury chinos in beige cotton

This is the third in a three-part series on how to wear trainers. Read the other two here:

Photography: James Munro

Our Autumn knitwear Top 10

Posted on 11/10/201711/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

The survey we did of Spring/Summer pieces in the shops was very popular back in June.

This Autumn/Winter, therefore, we thought we’d do two separate ones - the first (today) on winter knitwear, and the second on casual winter coats.

As with that first piece, the aim is to survey all the top-quality pieces in the shops. They have to fit the general aesthetic and quality aims of Permanent Style, but we also want to be fairly broad in the types of brand we include, from high street to designer.

Again as with that last list, we visited around 30 stores in London, and considered online offerings from anyone that shipped to the UK.

We were interested in any knitwear, but particularly those big, chunky pieces that only come out at this time of year.

1 Howlin’ turtleneck

£210

Although based in Antwerp, Howlin’ make all their knitwear in Scotland, and excel in doing fairly basic pieces at great prices.

I have a shetland sweater I got last year at Trunk, which I love, and this year bought a navy turtleneck too.

The neck on the latter somehow manages to not be too tight, and avoids the often uncomfortable rubbing of wool against the neck (particularly against stubble!)

It’s wool, not cashmere, but has a soft handle. The sizing is often generous - I am a 39-inch chest and wear a small. But in that smaller size, the fit through the waist is nice and neat - unlike most traditional Scottish knitwear.

Trunk has what you’d expect - classic styles in classic colours - while Mr Porter has a bright, bolder selection.

2 Connolly vintage-style crewneck

£550

I wrote about this piece in my feature on Connolly back in July, and for me it captures the USP of Connolly: interesting, modern styles from top-quality, traditional manufacturers.

This sweater is a little short in the body, a little big in the chest, and has a rather long cuff: all small details but ones that create an unusual, vintage-style silhouette.

Cream is obviously an indulgent colour, and the piece is 50% silk, 50% cashmere, which gives it a slight lustre. But if you want something unusual, luxurious and traditional, this is great.

3 Luca Faloni cable knits

£245

Including Luca Faloni in this list won’t surprise many readers.

The Italian’s online range of top-quality, well-priced knitwear has been popular ever since it first featured on Permanent Style, and was especially popular at our pop-up store in the Spring.

Luca’s models are relatively slim fitting, two-ply cashmeres in nice Italian colours (my favourite being ‘nocciola brown’). They’re great value and great basics.

This season he has introduced a cable-knit range, which just launched this week, and expanded the hoodies into new colours. I know hoodies won’t be for everyone, but they do look relatively dressy with their button front, and work best with a shirt underneath.

4 RRL brown-melange shawl collar

£385

I’ve always liked shawl-collar sweaters, primarily because they have the flexibility of being worn with a shirt or a T-shirt (and having a relatively long neck, I don’t think a sweater without any kind of collar suits me).

They are often pretty dull, however, and can be large in the body. If you get anything from designer brands, it is often a more interesting take on design - whether it be in cut or material.

Here, I loved the melange yarn of the RRL shawl collar, which manages to both suggest the rugged, workwear look the sub-brand aspires to, yet also feel luxurious and redolent of the colour mixes in Harris tweed.

A nice fit too, though being cotton it is relatively heavy for the warmth. A nice piece for in-between seasons.

5 Loro Piana Roadster

£690

Staying on the theme of appealing design in yarns and knits, this Roadster piece from Loro Piana has a really beautiful twill pattern in a melange of greys.

It won’t matter to everyone that this knit pattern is something LP has developed themselves and you won’t see anywhere else - but it’s one reason that simple colours from other brands can be called basics.

A navy crewneck is not that hard to get right and offer at an attractive price; but some readers will also want something more unusual and designed, without straying into the block colours or silly messages of the real designer brands.

I was also struck when I tried on this piece how much LP’s sizing has changed in recent years. I still have a Roadster that I bought at Bicester Village eight years ago - it’s a size 46, yet is considerably bigger in the waist than this, which I tried in a 48.

7 Anderson & Sheppard shetland sweaters

£195

I could easily include three or four sweaters from A&S, but I’ll keep myself to two.

The first has to be their shetland crewnecks, which come in a huge range of colours - all beautiful mixes of heathery, autumnal colours. My favourite is the light brown (pictured, from my Begg scarf piece) but I also have the dark green and have my eye on indigo for this winter.

Shetland is a hardy, stiff wool whose appeal is similar to tweed - I wouldn’t wear it over a T-shirt, where it would be next to the skin, but over a shirt it’s wonderful. It’s also great value as a result.

I also recommend the A&S seamless ‘slipovers’ - sleeveless sweaters with a high V-neck. I don’t normally like such a high V, but I have a navy and a grey that have become my default piece to put on over a shirt, with jeans, when I come home from work.

8 Massimo Alba garment-dyed crewneck

£440

This Massimo Alba piece is relatively expensive, but stands out for its garment dying, which creates an interesting, faded look around the seams.

It’s hard to tell from shots online, but in person the fading is rather subtle and irregular, giving the impression of a long-worn, much-loved sweater. It is also a nice neat fit, and beautifully soft cashmere.

I can understand why some people might not like this style - that it is trying to merge two things that should be kept apart, namely vintage sportswear and luxury cashmere.

But this kind of merging is also what Italians often do so well, and what always prevents tailoring from looking too conservative and staid. File it with Barbours worn over suits, and denim shirts under jackets.

9 Scott & Charters shawl-collar cardigan - via No Man Walks Alone

$395

This chunky, shawl-collared style is a menswear classic. It’s big and roomy in the fit, but you can size down and is often worn open, more like a jacket than a sweater.

I generally prefer them with regular buttons rather than the leather-wrapped variety seen on some models, and the Scott & Charters version on No Man Walks Alone has these as well as a good colour range - six including grey, charcoal and navy.

Scott & Charters knitwear is all made in Hawick, Scotland and is generally very good value for money.

10 Alex Mill waffle-knit sweater

£250

New York brand Alex Mill is usually a good source of basics in knitwear - a decent design awareness, classic fit, mid-range materials.

Rather like Jigsaw in our Spring/Summer top 10, I’d recommend Alex Mill to readers looking for cheaper versions of popular designs.

This waffle-knit piece is a good example. Waffle knits have been everywhere in the past few years, and I have a version from Ralph Lauren Purple Label in exactly this shade of grey. Its cashmere is a lot nicer, and thicker; but then it was also three times the price.

Alex Mill also have some nice loopback sweatshirt models, aspiring to something similar to the Massimo Alba listed above.

Original photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Sartoria Melina bespoke leather jacket – Review

Posted on 09/10/201708/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

My leather jacket from Sartoria Melina arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I’m relieved to say the fit is good and the product excellent.

I was rather worried at the fitting we had in Naples, because the canvas toile they had created was rather too short.

I should perhaps have been more specific that it should copy the proportions of my existing Neapolitan tailoring - and I see why they offer a service of completely copying the proportions of one of your jackets.

Ready-to-wear leather is more commonly this bumfreezer length these days, but that was not what I wanted.

We talked about it at the fitting, and decided to add 3cm to the length in the end.

Fortunately the jacket that arrived was perfect for length. Perhaps a tiny bit shorter than most of my tailoring, but no more.

The fit elsewhere was also pretty good. It could do with lifting up in the shoulders a little - that affects both the front and back under the armpits, causing those areas to collapse a little.

It also needs a little more shape in the small of the back, and perhaps cleaning up a touch below the collar on the back.

All of these things Melina can tweak easily (except perhaps picking up the shoulders - that’s harder).

But, and this is very important, it should not be compared to the fit of bespoke tailoring.

As far as fit is concerned, this jacket is very much made to measure.

It uses standard blocks, which are then altered for the customer. There is no canvas structure that the tailor can use to help create shape. And there’s no use of an iron.

The leather is also extremely soft and pliable, making it hard to maintain straight lines.

It would be more useful to compare it to ready-made leather - which, trust me, would fit a lot worse than this. I’ve tried enough of them.

A leather or suede jacket from Cifonelli or Camps de Luca would use canvas and could be shaped more easily - but it’s a different beast, far more expensive and with less emphasis on the external finishing.

That finishing - the pick stitching running around every seam and edge - is just beautiful.

Not only is it a nice style point (the kind of thing everyone notices, but only once they’re up close), but it also makes you appreciate the leather itself more, seeing it pricked and swelled.

As I mentioned on that original post, I really love the nubuck calf leather.

This jacket has been worn about four times so far, and it already looks beautifully aged. Getting a leather jacket that looks beaten up and natural, yet still fits well, is a real challenge - and one this achieves.

Interestingly, I’ve found that I want to wear this jacket all the time. With jeans and with flannels, at work and at the weekend.

More than my Cifonelli suede jacket - even though the only thing that makes that less wearable is the slightly lighter colour of the suede.

The pockets actually have flaps, but I found I preferred the look of besom pockets, so I’ve tucked the flaps in.

Somehow it looks more casual, even though besom is meant to be more formal. Perhaps it’s just that it looks cleaner and less like it’s aping a suit jacket.

In that same spirit, I wouldn’t normally wear a pocket handkerchief with a leather/suede jacket, but liked it with these combinations. The white is a nice pop.

Melina were keen to put a little flash somewhere on the jacket, reflecting their speciality with exotic skins in particular.

And so we put a lovely piece of alligator under the collar - visible only when it is popped up and the jacket buttoned by the top two of the three buttons.

The two outfits I've shown the jacket with illustrate its versatility, I think.

The first, at top, has it with a grey shirt and heavy cream trousers (from Pommella, review coming soon). I really like this combination of deep brown, grey and cream, but it is quite strong - not one for the office.

The second outfit, which I was also pictured in when interviewing Adam of CQP last week, is much more conservative.

It has a blue button-down shirt (actually our Everyday Denim) worn with grey flannels, and the brown leather on top.

If it were a brown-wool sports jacket, it would not be that different - such is the matte texture of the leather.

The only reason I can see someone not liking the leather is that it feels a touch rubbery. I don't mind this at all, but if you are thinking of commissioning something too, it's worth seeing the leather first hand.

Jolanda and her mother will be coming to London before the end of the year, but are just finalising dates at the moment.

I'll have my fit points amended then. Fortunately none of them involve letting the jacket out, rather than taking it in.

Sartoria Melina bespoke leather jackets start at €2900. For more details on the sartoria and the product, read my original profile post here.

Photography: James Munro

How to wear trainers: Part 2. Quality

Posted on 06/10/201706/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

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 part of this series, ‘1: Design’

I will cover the style of wearing those sneakers next week in part 3, ‘Style’

Today, however, I will focus on something that is just as important to Permanent Style readers as anything aesthetic: quality.

I’ve done my own research and investigation into this area, but in order to add an insider's view, I talked to Adam Lewenhaupt of Swedish brand CQP (above) when he was in London last week.

(He was doing a trunk show at Trunk Clothiers, offering made to order versions of the sneakers.)

Adam has more than his fair share of experience here, having worked with several different factories on his shoes, seen every aspect of the production, and worked on dozens of prototypes.

He also has his own, firm views on what choices should be made as far as quality is concerned.

Permanent Style: Adam, everyone will be aware that there isn’t as much to a sneaker as a dress show when it comes to quality - but there are some important points, right? Which do you think are the most fundamental?

Adam Lewenhaupt: Well, if we start from the ground up, the first thing is the sole.

This can be glued on or stitched on - that’s something a consumer can see pretty easily.

Much cheaper shoes, such as Converse, tend to be glued. In general this is less robust and long-lasting than stitching, but it does depend on how well the gluing (and stitching) is done.

PS: Are there different qualities of the sole itself?

AL: Yes, but that’s not something you can see easily, and many brands use the same soles. We and Common Projects use a very similar sole, for example, that is more hard wearing than others.

Perhaps a more important point is what goes inside the sole.

As you will know from dress shoes, there is a bed in there, usually filled with foam on a sneaker. But high-quality makes will also use a shank - a long piece of metal or plastic that runs along the middle of the shoe.

Again, its role is the same as with a dress shoe - to give stability and support.

If you don’t have a shank, a sneaker is not going to be comfortable over long distances, or if you wear it all day, for instance.

PS: Can a consumer tell if a sneaker has a shank?

AL: Usually, yes. If you try to pick up a shoe and bend it or twist it, a shank will stop you being able to do that. Whereas a soft plimsoll or something will just fold up [as pictured below].

PS: Do designer sneakers usually have a shank?

AL: It varies. I know, for example, that the Saint Laurent SL01 sneaker, which is a similarly clean, simple tennis shoe, doesn’t.

But then other brands that are made in the same factory as us in Portugal - Lanvin, Givenchy - do.

PS: Why don’t they? Is it just a question of cost saving, or of priorities?

AL: Well none of us know why they make certain decisions, but in general designer brands tend to prioritise look and design over performance. And the shank is not cheap.

Designer sneakers will often have very high-grade materials - great leather, for example. But they don’t necessarily care how they wear over long periods, or how long they last.

PS: To a certain extent I guess it’s a case of how they intend them to be used. If all you’re meant to do is lounge around in them, longevity is less of an issue.

AL: Absolutely. I know a lot of your readers would think that’s wrong, and it’s not what we want out of our sneakers, but people can buy and sell what they want - it’s just a question of being informed enough to make a discerning choice.

If comfort were your priority over all else, you might even choose Ecco or someone similar.

PS: If designer brands often use premium materials, are athletic shoes the opposite, in that their materials are usually pretty cheap?

AL: Yes, that’s an interesting way to put it. Their product is the opposite way round.

So a shoe from a sports brand will often have cheap leather or suede, alongside various synthetic materials, but is engineered for performance.

In that market sneakers are very cheap, but I think consumers don’t expect the shoes to age well - as we would hope with our leathers - and they’re pretty happy to buy a new pair every year, whereas we’d hope ours would last for more like five years.

Another important point about sports shoes is what activity they're designed for.

An actual running shoe is often not a very comfortable thing to walk in for long periods. Whereas most vintage-looking sports shoes today are really designed for leisure wear, rather than running.

PS: Going back to that point about how long your trainers last, is there anything that can be done to re-sole or repair shoes?

AL: Well, in theory we can resole shoes by sending them back to the factory. But it would be too expensive - it wouldn’t be worth it.

One thing we can do is replace the linings on the shoe, particularly inside the heel. That’s often the first thing to go.

PS: Is there anything else we should cover as regards quality?

AL: Another area that’s important to us, but hard to communicate to customers, is consistency.

So, we use a certain factory in Portugal, but I know I could use another one that would charge half the price - with similar looking materials but from cheaper tanneries, similar looking soles from another source and at first glance similar quality elsewhere - but less consistency.

The lines of stitching would not always be straight, there might be a loose stitch inside the shoe which only becomes evident after weeks of wear. We would end up having to return more to the factory.

Partly this is just a hassle for us, and increases the cost of doing business. And partly it’s about quality again, but very subtle things that not everyone would notice or care about.

PS: There’s also a mix there of things the consumer can see, and things he can’t.

So I guess overall he can assess: the stitching/glue, the shank, the quality of the leather perhaps, and the precision of the work.

And for the rest it’s a question of trusting the brand, for which I guess the returns policy and general customer service could be a proxy.

AL: Yes. Always interesting to see how a brand or salesman responds to questions - it suggests how you will be treated further down the line if you have issues.

Read the first post in this series, on the style of trainers to wear with smarter clothing, here.

The last, on style of clothing to wear with those trainers, is coming soon.

I am wearing:

Leather jacket from Sartoria Melina - full review coming soon
Everyday Denim shirt - available from the Permanent Style shop here
Flannel trousers from Anderson & Sheppard
Monk-strap ‘Oundle’ shoes from Edward Green

Photography: James Munro

Introducing: Everyday Denim

Posted on 04/10/201723/07/2018 by Simon Crompton

Today I’m very proud to launch a new collaboration, produced jointly by myself, Albiate and Luca Avitabile: ‘Everyday Denim’.

We picked the name because it is a shirt a man in a modern office can wear every day: an update on the classic blue dress shirt, that sits well with a blazer but equally a tweed jacket or a suede aviator.

The shirt is in the same pale-blue colour as a regular office shirt - to increase its versatility - but is rendered more casual by subtle denim texture and fading at the edges and seams.

And that fading only develops over time through wearing and washing.

This means that if you have the shirt made bespoke, it will have no fading at the start but gradually acquire a lived-in denim look over time - something that’s often difficult with most bespoke denim.

We therefore have two offers: ready-made shirts in various sizes, and the shirting itself, which can be bought and given to a shirtmaker.

The story of Everyday Denim goes back a year.

In mid-2016, I got into a conversation with Albini (owners of the Albiate brand) about why they had discontinued a version of their Victoria shirting, which I loved.

It turned out that they had had returns from customers, who complained that the shirts lost their colour over time. But that was the whole point of the shirting.

A core characteristic of denim is the way the indigo fades from the surface of the yarn over time, exposing the white core. It’s what makes a denim shirt look so casual and relaxed, and what designer brands spend millions replicating with washes.

Those Albiate customers couldn’t deal with the fact that the product they bought would be different to the one in a month’s time, after four or five washes.

But I think Permanent Style readers can. In fact, I think they will actively appreciate it.

We tried several different versions of that original denim, looking at different washes and strengths of colour.

The darker, more saturated ones would have shown more fading. But I settled on this classic light blue in order to achieve that everyday versatility.

I wear it with a smart jacket like my oatmeal cashmere from Elia, with flannels and brogues; but also with rough Armoury chinos, under a sweatshirt.

The model you can see pictured, on me and in the close-ups, has been washed six times.

It will fade a little more over time, but not much. The fading effect is deliberately subtle. (Like many things on Permanent Style, I guess).

As mentioned above, bespoke denim shirts are often tricky - because the thing that defines a denim shirt is the fading, and that is achieved in RTW shirts by industrial garment washing.

With Everyday Denim, you can buy the cloth (which is exclusive to us), give it to your shirtmaker, and then wear and wash it over time to achieve that fading effect.

We have 50 pieces of the denim, all 2 metres by 1.5 metres - enough to make a shirt for almost any size of man. (In terms of height alone, it should be fine unless you are 6'3'' or over.)

And for all those that can’t reach a shirtmaker, we have ready-made shirts across four sizes.

These broadly reflect the sizing of our Friday Polos, and are made in the same facility in Naples with the help of Luca Avitabile.

They therefore have all of Luca’s normal points of construction: hand-attached collar and sleeves, hand-sewn buttonholes and buttons.

The buttons are different though: here we went with flat, yellowed mother-of-pearl, which I think has a vintage look that suits the denim.

The shirts also have the button-down collar that I developed in recent years with Luca on my bespoke shirts.

The aim of this collar is to curve subtly outwards when worn open, rolling around the collar of the jacket and framing the face. It is an effect I know readers have commented on in the past.

But when the shirt is buttoned up, the collar also has enough shape to curve around a tie knot, rather than sitting flat and lifeless.

It looks good both ways, and it’s lovely to be able to use something like this that has been developed for bespoke, on a ready-to-wear product.

The denim is a cotton twill, using 60/2 yarn in the warp and 120/2 in the weft.

That 2 refers to the ply of the yarn, which is significant with denim. Most brands use cheap, single-ply yarn - which to a certain extent is because they want a tougher, coarser feel to the cloth, but also means it doesn’t soften in the same way over time.

I’ve been pleased to find, by contrast, that the Everyday Denim softens beautifully, and is probably one of the most comfortable shirts I own as a result.

There are 150 RTW shirts across four sizes. Hopefully that will last us a few weeks at least, but we’ll see.

The shirts are slightly more expensive than the Friday Polos, reflecting the exclusivity of the cloth, at £180 (ex-VAT). And the lengths of shirting are £55.

Sizing details below.

I do hope you like Everyday Denim. It’s been a long time coming.

	Chest	Waist	Yoke	Sleeve length	Body length
Small	100cm	94	45	64	79
Medium	108	100	47	66	81
Large	116	108	49	68	83
Extra large	124	116	51	70	85

Neck sizes:
Small: neck 37 (14,5 inches)

Medium: neck 39 (15,5 inches)

Large: neck 41 (16 inches)

Extralarge: neck 43 (17 inches).

Ships from Naples. Details on the PS Shop.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Shot in the GJ Cleverley shop in the Royal Arcade, London. Many thanks to George Glasgow, Jr (above), Senior, John and everyone else for their hospitality.

The future of Permanent Style products

Posted on 03/10/201702/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

Tomorrow we launch the second of our new collaborations this Autumn/Winter: denim cloth and shirts.

I'm sure they'll do well. A lot of thought and work has gone into them, and I think they suit the Permanent Style readership.

But I wanted to take a moment quickly, beforehand, to assure readers this is not part of a general expansion into retail.

I don't want to become a shop. I don't want to sell dozens of products, and lose the focus on writing, education and criticism that has always been at the heart of this site.

Collaborations will be occasional projects, around the edges of tailoring and sartorial style.

When we do them, it will be because I think there is an opportunity to do something genuinely different, which the readership will love and which they can't get elsewhere.

It's wonderful to have the ability to do that, just as it is to be able to publish our own books, and it will always be used with this aim.

The 'Permanent Style presents' pop-up store is similar: an opportunity for us to bring in brands we love, with some of our pieces and publications around the edges.

I can understand readers who would prefer it if we sold nothing. Who think that if we sell knitwear, we cannot objectively review anyone else's knitwear.

I see that view. But it is really founded on a fear of how our output might change, rather than a criticism of it in reality.

I would suggest that readers judge us by our actions. Watch for the glowing reviews of other people's knitwear. And by the continued objective view of everything in the market.

Those who have been on the Shop in the past week will also have seen we have moved to a new site, which looks a bit better and functions a lot better.

You now have size and colour options on each product. No need to leave order details in the 'Notes' section.

There are stock levels, which will automatically mark things as 'sold out' rather than readers having to find the manual text updates.

And there are automated emails with tracking details on each order.

If anyone has any issues or suggestions on how the new site could be improved, please let me know. Email is [email protected]. And rest assured, the shiny new platform does not indicate a full-blown swing into e-commerce.

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this, as thoughtful, discerning consumers.

I hope you enjoy the denim.

Simon

Musella Dembech: Growth at the ‘soft Milanese’ tailor

Posted on 02/10/201721/03/2019 by Simon Crompton

It doesn’t feel like over three years since I covered Musella Dembech, but apparently it is.

Of course, there was the Young Tailors Symposium in the middle of that, which featured Gianfrancesco Musella (above), but I haven’t written anything exclusive about him and his family for a while.

I recently had my first suit made by them, and will review it in more detail next week.

Right now, I wanted to explain in more detail why I find this Milanese tailor one of the most impressive around.

The first interesting point is the melding of styles.

Gianfrancesco’s father, Francesco Musella (above), trained initially in the south of Italy, in Caserta, and his style is naturally quite light and soft as a result.

But the second half of his career was in Milan, working for Baratta, then Giuseppe Colavito, and finally the hugely influential Mario Donnini and Augusto Caraceni.

There he learnt the squarer, more formal lines of Abruzzo tailoring - rarely with any more structure, but with more emphasis on a strong, square shoulder.

Gianfrancesco today leads the evolution of style at Musella-Dembech, keeping some of the Milanese lines and double-breasted lapel, but preferring the softer southern shoulder.

You can see some of that style above - even though this is a trial jacket and too short in the body for me.

Gianfracesco particularly likes the 'transformabile' double-breasted, where the softness and cut makes it easier to fasten the jacket on the middle or bottom row of buttons.

Even though his father oversees all the work, it is Gianfrancesco that spends his time digging up old tailoring guides (particularly English ones) and experimenting with the techniques.

As an example, on my trousers he deliberately cut more fullness in the back of the trouser than the front, to help them sit cleanly and keep the single pleats closed.

“Many tailors try to get this balance with ironing, but those old books say it needs to be in the balance through the cutting, and I think they’re right,” Gianfrancesco says.

The house of Musella-Dembech has done well in recent years, partly due to the support of Armoury employees.

Gianfrancesco still does his only overseas trip to The Armoury in Hong Kong - he was there last week in fact - and is very popular.

He has been asked to travel elsewhere, but is keen not to expand too quickly - quality is the cornerstone of what he enjoys doing, and there isn’t capacity for too many more customers.

Alongside Gianfrancesco, his mother and father, there is one apprentice in the atelier who has been there two and a half years.

Outside the house they use two trouser makers, a waistcoat maker, a buttonhole maker, and one old colleague of Francesco’s.

Another apprentice, a Korean (above), had to leave recently so they are looking to hire another.

This expansion has led to them trying to find larger premises.

The atelier is still inside the family home, and you walk through their hall and sitting room to get to the small workroom.

This is charming, but impractical.

“We need more space. Our techniques are so specific to us that we can’t just take on more outside workers - we need them here next to us,” says Gianfrancesco.

He gets particularly frustrated, he says, with how trouser makers deal with pockets - not getting the balance right and therefore causing them to pull backwards or forwards.

Returning to style, Gianfrancesco comments that he wants to be able to offer customers a range of options.

Nothing as strong as the traditional military English cut, but different things for different occasions.

“If you look at all the most stylish men in history - Onassis, Agnelli, Loro Piana - they all wore different styles. It’s more interesting, and allows you to express yourself more in what you wear,” he says.

I find this interesting, as very few tailors appreciate the range of styles a modern man might need - from a casual weekend jacket to a super-sharp boardroom suit.

It’s one reason I consistently use the likes of Edward Sexton, Anderson & Sheppard, and Elia Caliendo.

It’s encouraging to see Musella Dembech doing so well.

Gianfrancesco is not only talented and interested in style, but the product is always top notch - beautifully finished and very consistent.

(The latter being a problem for many Italian tailors, as we have noted recently.)

His order book is full, and he’s recently been able to put up his prices - from €4,500 to €5,000 (for a suit, €4,300 for a jacket).

When the family do move, it will be to a large space in the centre of Milan, with their name on the door. I can’t wait to see it happen.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man (making a rare appearance above - in a navy double-breasted)

Marol shirts – coming to London

Posted on 29/09/201704/10/2017 by Simon Crompton

In the past year there has been a lot of promotion and discussion of Italian shirt manufacturer Marol - since it was bought into by commodities trader and menswear enthusiast Bo Yang (below).

Next month, readers in London will get a chance to see them in person for the first time, when Marol come to Mark’s Club for a trunk show October 18-19, and return for fittings on the 30th and 31st.

This is a smart way to do things, given shirts normally only require one fitting.

After those two visits, there will be a cohort of London men who have ordered their MTO, MTM or bespoke service, had the shirt delivered, and can consider whether they want to use it again.

Marol is in many ways an example of a trend we’ve seen over the past 10 years on Permanent Style, of top-end manufacturers becoming brands.

Drake’s is the best-known example, and as Michael Hill reflected back at our Accessories Symposium in 2016, the company’s London factory might not exist today if it hadn’t launched a brand.

Companies like Begg and Bresciani have followed similar routes.

Marol is not a big atelier, with around 30 workers outside Bologna.

But it has been known for a while in the industry as one of the best places to have shirts made - in the same way Drake’s or Bresciani were also known.

I have one Marol shirt, for example - a grey brushed-cotton from the Anderson & Sheppard haberdashery that I love - but I had no idea it was made by Marol until now.

Marol shirts are made to a very-high level, in the North Italian tradition.

In comparison to makers around Naples, they tend to prioritise a clean finish and precise machine work, rather than hand flourishes.

The sleeve is still generally inserted by hand, and a wide, broadening seam sewn by hand around the armhole. Buttons and buttonholes may also be done by hand.

But elsewhere the focus is on precise machine finishing: 13 stitches to the centimetre, 2mm side seams and hems. They also have the consistency of a well-run atelier and touches like a high button-shank and great pattern matching.

It is a mix of the machine precision of a Charvet and the handwork of a Neapolitan like Kiton, or Luca Avitabile on the bespoke side.

The fit tends to be generous in the chest and sleeve, creating an athletic silhouette.

Marol is run by Manuela Vignudelli (above, left), who will be visiting both times in London. She took over from her parents, Rosanna and Luciano Saguatti, who founded the company in 1959.

That history has gifted the modern creative team - involving Bo and also Canadian writer Pedro Mendes of The Hogtown Rake - an archive of innovative designs to draw on.

And I think that will be crucial to the success of Marol, the brand.

Because while shirts are an everyday item (where a man generally wants one consistent maker) the market for shirts is crowded, and design is the easiest way to stand out.

Marol has many design styles, some of which are shown here.

They are divided into four collections: Eleganza for dress shirts, Volo for off-duty, Sogno for flair, and Opera for the evening.

Many of them are too showy for me - particularly the strong patterns and denim evening shirts.

But they do a very nice one-piece collar, some interesting cuff designs, and I rather like the pyjama shirt. (Though more for actual pyjamas than wearing outside.)

There are also nice details on some of the shirts that are subtle enough not to be gimmicky. These include the front-panel overlap on a shirt (bottom of this post) and the pleating effects on dinner shirts.

The biggest issue Marol is likely to face is price.

Shirts are priced quite highly across all ranges: £275 for MTO (standard sizes) £318 for MTM (made to fit, from a block), and £367 for bespoke (unique pattern, with one fitting).

The ready-made shirts being sold by The Rake are £295 to £495.

This puts Marol closer to the big designer brands than to the other small Italian makers readers will know on the bespoke side, such as Luca Avitabile or D’Avino, and is almost the same bespoke price as Charvet.

In some ways Marol shirts are better made than the designer brands, but it might be tough to compete against their design teams and strength of brand.

Bo’s attitude is that Marol will produce the highest level of craft, from a maker with an authentic history, and price as they see fairly. As he sees it, like the Cifonelli of shirtmaking.

They won’t worry too much about the competition, as many tailors haven’t done historically.

Bo and Marol also deserve credit for bringing a top-quality, storied shirtmaker to broader attention. And it’s hard to think of any other shirt maker taking such a fresh look at design.

For appointments in London, contact [email protected]

Me, outside the blog: Reader questions

Posted on 27/09/201726/09/2017 by Simon Crompton

In this next instalment of posts responding to reader questions, I will try to answer those about my life outside Permanent Style.

Now, some readers have asked why I answer these questions, and indeed why readers put them. It is called a private life for a reason, after all.

But while there are limits, I do understand why readers find my it interesting. I’m interested in what music my friends in the industry listen to, for example. And in particular, I’m interested in anything that might overlap with menswear - such as taste in art or interior decoration.

On the other hand, I also understand if you just don't care.

Jamie: What are some of your favourite cultural diversions (museums, books, plays, music, films)?

As a general point, I’d say the arts are very important to me - in particular literature, film and art.

It’s actually an interesting experiment when you first have children, to see which of these hobbies you still find time for, when your free time is so drastically reduced.

I was a big music fan when I was a teenager, and I thought that would be the thing that I’d always find time for. But literature and film turned out to be more important.

Adam: What are your top 3 books and why?

Midnight’s Children: Salman Rushdie. Had a big impact on me when I read it years ago, and I’ve read it three times now. I love the way Rushdie plays with language.

EM Forster: A Room with a View. At its best, I believe literature contains more wisdom about the human experience than any other art, or science. Forster is full of it.

The Children’s Book: AS Byatt. Great writing, great story, and very evocative of progressive movements, in particular Arts & Crafts.

Anonymous: What books/newspapers/magazines etc. do you read regularly?

Almost nothing on menswear. If I do, perhaps The Big Black Book (US version) or The Rake.

Elsewhere, the Financial Times Weekend (best writing, best magazine), and either the New York Review of Books or London Review of Books.

The former is better edited, but is too often full of US politics. Both are great as a way to read non-fiction without actually having to read the book.

BespokeNYC: I’d be interested to know other blogs, websites, publications you read that aren’t about the field of menswear.

Other than the above, I listen to Radio 4 (particularly Today, Start the Week and In Our Time), read the BBC site for news and cricket scores, and subscribe to the following podcasts: 99% Invisible, The Infinite Monkey Cage, No Such Thing as a Fish, and The Comedian’s Comedian.

Anonymous: a cuppa tea or a cuppa coffee??

Coffee. I’m a bit of a coffee addict, though I prefer dark-roasted Italian coffee to the more modern (and almost ubiquitous now in London) light-roasts.

Dino: What car illustrates your style best?

I’m afraid I know nothing about cars. We don’t own one (partly out of cost and convenience, partly out of principle) and I’ve been into cars particularly. I’d always rather cycle. Unfortunately it’s not very conducive to fine clothing - there’s always a tension there.

Neil: Do you keep and consume media on a single smartphone / tablet – or are you traditional in that respect and carry individual / hard copy pieces in the wonderful bags you own?

Odd as it might be for someone that makes a living through digital media, I really dislike digital devices. I never want a Kindle - books are just too beautiful and pleasurable to use.

I have to use my phone (Google Pixel) to monitor emails, publish comments, use Instagram, but I do it as little as possible.

I’ll always have a hard copy of something with me to read, such as the NYRB, and I tend to keep notes in notebooks. But then I also use Pinterest and Evernote to categorise and organise things.

Anonymous: Why do some of your readers assume you are some kind of lifestyle guru? You have clearly gathered a lot of knowledge about the world of bespoke and artisan craft, but how would that lead someone to ask you for advice on skincare?

Well, I guess because there’s no reason my approach to writing about clothing - which tends to be more analytical and objective - couldn’t be applied to other areas like grooming.

But I tend to avoid doing so, only occasionally writing about things like perfume or electronics, because I don’t want the site to lose focus. And because it would take a lot of work to get to the same level of knowledge in those other areas.

Zubair: What’s your favorite piece of music or favorite artist in that category?

As a kid I was a heavy metal fan (Iron Maiden, Machine Head, Metallica) and as an adult more into blues and jazz. Most of the music I listen to today is either modern versions of blues music, or old jazz.

Current examples of stuff I’m listening to are Dan Auerbach, Wilco and Kyuss. And Wynton Marsalis.

Gary: How would you describe your interior decoration preferences? And in the same vein what artists do you like?

I’m a big fan of decorative arts as a whole: when I used to backpack around I’d spend a lot of time sketching church windows, ironwork, textiles. That’s still something I love and study when I can.

So my tastes in interior decoration tend towards the antique and the patterned - heavy dark-wood furniture, Persian carpets, William Morris.

Modern art, particularly abstract expressionism, was a big love of mine at school, and I regularly visit the Tate and National Gallery here in London. Favourite artists might be Kandinsky, Toulouse-Lautrec and Rothko.

Jeff: what do you do to keep fit/stay the same size; what, if anything has changed for you in this area since you started the blog?

I’m fortunate in that I’ve always been sporty, and particularly liked stamina sports - running and cycling.

I get pretty jittery if I don’t exercise regularly. Commuting every day by bike helps a lot, and I usually run to work once a week if I can.

That helps keep the same size for clothing, though I do vary a bit if I’m training for a competition or something else in particular.

Stuart: How does your family deal with an ever expanding wardrobe and your (other than the family's) storage requirements?

We moved house recently and now have an attic that’s great for storage, but it’s still an issue. They are very tolerant, but it’s certainly helped a lot as the blog has become a source of income in recent years, rather than just a hobby.

Below you can see the main wardrobe, which has double-level hanging, ties on rails, and shirts and knitwear folded on the shelves. I generally fold my shirts because I have to carry them folded to work on my bike anyway. If I'm careful they don't wrinkle much.

Dino: We only have so much time and money and you seem to be devoting a fair amount of both to tailored clothing. Do you think this is being done against another domain of your life? What other part of your life is getting less commitment because of the attention to tailored clothing?

Good question. I clearly find time for all the other things mentioned above - books, film, art, family. But there are a few things that are perhaps on the same level of importance as clothing which I ignore - cooking in particular, which I’ve never been good at, and general practical things like DIY.

This post is relevant here if you haven’t read it: ‘Clothing is not important’

Gary: As a father and husband, how do you find a proper work/life balance as your role in the industry becomes more valuable and desired? How do you budget your time and maintain a level of sanity?

I’m not great at this to be honest, often finding myself thinking about work in the evenings or at the weekend.

But having children helps a lot. If I’m with them I feel too guilty if I’m working or on my phone. So they make me relax, and I love being with them.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Sartoria Formosa – bespoke-made RTW and MTM tailoring

Posted on 25/09/201723/09/2017 by Simon Crompton

Sartoria Formosa - led by Gennaro, above - is similar in some ways to the likes of Dalcuore or Ambrosi, in that it is a traditionally bespoke Naples house that has expanded into ready-to-wear in recent years.

Five years ago it did no RTW or made to measure; today they are 50% of the business.

The big difference is that, unlike the vast majority of tailors, Formosa RTW is made to the same level as bespoke.

Those are RTW jackets you can see hanging up below - waiting to go off to No Man Walks Alone in New York.

All made in the same workshop, hand cut and with hand-padded chests and collars. Just on a standard block rather than a bespoke pattern.

It seems like an odd approach, but it does give Formosa an immediate USP.

And it’s the only way RTW or MTM garments could be made in this workshop. (Consumers often forget the inertia created by the need to invest huge amounts of money in machinery.)

Readers that came to our pop-up shop earlier in the year might also have seen the made-to-measure suiting that Gennaro was offering, which I was very impressed by (both for fit and for that bespoke-level make).

The workshop itself is in a lovely courtyard, off Vico Cavallerizza in Naples.

Formosa actually has three buildings here: a showroom for the tailoring, a showroom for shirts (stacked with bolts, above) and a basement workshop.

There is also another, larger tailoring workshop outside the centre.

Lino Pommella makes the trousers for Formosa - and readers may have seen his name around, as he’s done trunk shows for his trousers at The Armoury and elsewhere.

I had a pair made and will publish a review in a couple of weeks.

The trousers he makes for Formosa, though, are more straightforward than those under his own name - with less handwork and more standard designs.

Pictured above in the Formosa workshop is Donnelli, whom readers might recognise from the superb O Mast film on Neapolitan tailoring by Gianluca Migliarotti.

Behind him is the master cutter, Dionisio, who oversees all the cutting.

He and cutter Antonio are getting on, and the latter doesn’t travel any more; Dionisio generally does Milan, New York and Japan.

Gennaro Formosa is therefore trying to work more with two young cutters - pictured in my fitting for a bespoke jacket below.

Unfortunately the fitting wasn’t great - and this is the third, after previous meetings in London and Florence.

The waist on the jacket (a linen/wool/silk Cacciopoli cloth) was too tight; the vents were opening sharply; and the shoulders still both needed lifting up - although the top of the back and the neck were very clean.

Hopefully the final jacket will have corrected these issues, and the young cutters can take a step up to provide a long-term foundation for Formosa.

The increasingly important RTW and MTM offerings, of course, are less affected by these issues.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Saic: bespoke bag-maker Hiroyuki Murata

Posted on 22/09/201721/09/2017 by Simon Crompton

There is no shortage of Japanese artisans in Florence. But one that hasn’t garnered much attention yet is Hiroyuki Murata, who goes by the brand name Saic Firenze.

Hiroyuki-san and his wife have a small workshop outside Florence. It’s on a lovely little pedestrianised cul-de-sac, but not walkable from the city.

Here he makes some beautiful men’s and women’s bags, in quite original designs - mostly machine work but nice hand sewing on handles and elsewhere.

Hiroyuki has been in Italy for 8 years, and in this particular workshop on his own for the past two.

He originally learned leather work in Japan, having studied architecture at university but keen to do something equally structural with his hands.

“I liked big, practical bags - totes, pieces in heavy canvas,” he says. “Today we make some much finer pieces, quite French-inspired, but I think they all have a focus on practicality as well."

Hiroyuki worked for Felisi when he moved to Italy - a Ferrara-based manufacturer that produces some nice bags, including the backpacks at Anderson & Sheppard in London.

When Hiroyuki set out on his own, he wanted to include more handwork, and focus on bespoke.

That’s still the plan today - his only ready-made bags are part of a small collection for George Wang at Brio in Beijing.

But he admits it’s hard. “Even trying to charge a good price and develop a strong clientele, bespoke is really hard to support us,” he says.

Hiroyuki generally charges between €1500 and €2500 for a bag, depending on size and design (and with exotics considerably more); but he is likely to have to put up prices soon.

His personal designs include a folio with a curved brass closure - pictured above. This folds down neatly to close the case, and is initially stiff but softens up as the hard bridle leather softens up.

There’s also a lovely backpack in grained calf (above) that has a similar closure, and his other bags are full of little innovations - such as the four-leaf-clover-shaped fastening on the bag below.

Every piece is characterised by delicate, curving lines - in the flaps, the handles and the internal pockets.

Some of them become a little effeminate as a result, but the simple pieces such as the folio are definitely enhanced by it - and look lovely in greys and browns, whether bridle or calf.

[You can see a few more on his Instagram feed here]

Hiroyuki currently does trunk shows in Tokyo and Osaka, but sadly has no plans to travel elsewhere.

If the designs appeal - and they are more affordable than hand-sewn versions, by Ortus for example - then it’s worth getting in contact with him in Florence. Be aware that his English is functional, but not great.

He can be reached at [email protected]

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

Bespoke commissions – What I should and shouldn’t have

Posted on 20/09/201719/09/2017 by Simon Crompton

Thank you everyone that responded to my ‘You are the interviewer’ post a couple of weeks ago.

The number of variety of questions was staggering, and I will try to answer as many as I can over the coming weeks.

It may take time, but I would rather do it properly than fob off the questions with quick answers, or leave out any interesting topics.

Some of those topics - such as storage and capsule wardrobes - came up so often that I will endeavour to do a separate, in-depth post on them.

Today I will answer the questions around bespoke commissions.

Dominic: What do you consider has been your best value item?

It would have to be a pair of shoes. Because shoes last so long and because they can be worn with so many different things. They also reward good maintenance and can get better with age, unlike most pieces of clothing.

[Edward Green Walcots here]

I would say my Edward Green Walcots have been the best value. Being a mid-brown, they go with everything from casual suits to sports jackets - I could easily wear them twice a week for the rest of my life.

And I’ve always liked the adelaide style: you have that long stretch of leather down the side, like a wholecut, but without the bareness of a wholecut design.

Tristan: What is the item you have ordered and love but get the least wear from?

Probably my Liverano purple jacket. I adore it: the broad-lapel, extended-shoulder cut; the beautiful fit; the unusual yet surprisingly subtle colour.

[Liverano jacket here]

But it’s a bit too unusual to wear. It’s certainly too strong for the office, and even at special events it’s the kind of jacket you can’t wear with the same company too often - it will be ‘oh, he’s wearing that again’.

And my Huntsman shooting suit, obviously. I still love that (aside from the pattern-matching issues).

The colours in the tweed are amazing and the make is wonderful. But even the jacket on its own I struggle to wear (see comment below on English sports jackets).

[Huntsman shooting suit here]

Matthew: Are there any items that you wish you hadn’t commissioned, either because you get practically no use from them or simply don’t like them anymore?

Others I don’t get much use from include my cream-gabardine trousers and double-breasted waistcoat from Anderson & Sheppard and my cream linen suit from Kent Haste & Lachter.

[Cream gabardine trousers here]

[DB waistcoat here]

There are very few bespoke pieces I don’t like any more, but they include that waistcoat (it never really worked as a separate with a suit) and sports jackets from the more structured English tailors (eg Graham Browne) - the structure just means they’re not casual enough.

Other interesting pieces have been the gilet from Davide Taub, which I liked the idea of but (as I mentioned in the review) just never quite hit the spot.

[Gilet here]

And in general tailored cotton trousers. Without the garment-wash of chinos, they often look too old-fashioned for me, too countrified. That’s why I increasingly prefer cavalry twills.

Zubair: when you first started getting acquainted with dressing better, did you ever go overboard into full peacock?

I wouldn’t say I ever went ‘full peacock’, but there is an undeniable tendency when you start to want to have striking things made.

Often these are pieces that are traditional foundations of a gentleman’s wardrobe, but are a bit too unusual.

For example my first-ever bespoke was a double-breasted suit. Lovely piece, but a double breasted is unusual in most offices and it wasn’t worn as much as I hoped.

[Double-breasted suit here]

The second was a navy single-breasted suit… but with braces and a fishtail back. I didn’t like the braces and back, and eventually had to have them remade.

And my first overcoat was very long, very heavy, in tan camelhair.

All three of those things are great to have made bespoke, as you can’t get them easily ready-made. And they are classics. But they shouldn’t be your first bespoke commissions.

[Fishtail back here]

[Camel polo coat here]

Anonymous: Is there anything that you secretly want but haven’t been able to bring yourself to commission (due to it being too flamboyant, expensive, wouldn’t get any use, you don’t have the je ne sais quoi to pull off etc)??

As a continuation to the answer above, there are several things I would love to have made, but know I would never use.

One of them is white tie. It would be beautiful, but have zero wear. I’d also love a double-breasted velvet jacket - but I already have one velvet jacket and a tux, and get little enough wear out of those.

[My velvet jacket here - pictured above]

[Dinner jacket here]

If you end up having these kind of things made, and then arranging events (or even just seeking them out) as an excuse to wear them, then it’s tantamount to costume.

Jon: Which bespoke item (with hindsight) do you consider you paid too much for?

Probably my Rubinacci sports jacket.

It’s a lovely piece, and I still wear it fairly regularly, but at the time I wanted to try Neapolitan tailoring so badly I would have tried anything - and Rubinacci was all you could access in London that I knew of.

[Rubinacci sports jacket here]

It was expensive six years ago - £3800 I believe - and a huge amount of money for me then. Today I would start with something cheaper, like Solito.

David: Which items in each major category (suits, sportcoats, ties, shirts, trousers, shoes, knitwear, outerwear) bring you the most pleasure to wear? This is somewhat the opposite of the “which one item is most versatile” question

Interesting twist.

Suit: Instinctively, my Anderson & Sheppard double-breasteds. I have three. I just love the size and bulk that the drape gives.

Sports coat: My Elia Caliendo Harris tweed (pictured top). Lovely cut and make, but it’s mostly about the cloth (a lesson in there as well). There’s so many goddamned colours in there it’s like a crayon box.

Ties: Navy big-knot grenadine (boring but true) because it feels like the most conservative thing in the world, yet you rarely see someone wearing one. And an old burnt-orange tie from Church’s.

Trousers: Cream heavy-heavy wool trousers from Elia. They're outrageous, yet wearable.

Shoes: Probably my old Edward Green Oundles. Because they are the oldest and the most bashed up, yet looked after. Which is how shoes should be.

Knitwear: Anderson & Sheppard shawl-collar shetland. Such a unique design, so useful.

Outerwear: Cifonelli navy overcoat. Beautiful yet wearable. (Interesting that, even though this question is about pleasure, not versatility, so many pieces combine both... Perhaps much of the pleasure is in wearing something wonderful that is also not ostentatious.)

[Anderson & Sheppard DB here]

[Caliendo Harris tweed here]

[Navy grenadine here]

[Cream heavy-wool trousers here]

[Old Oundles here]

[A&S shawl-collar sweater]

[Cifonelli navy coat]

Anonymous: It’s easy to understand logical next steps of commissions, how a beautiful tweed catches your eye and you succumb etc. But what would be really interesting would be how and where you set your limits / parameters (if you do at all!)

I try to commission things that fill a hole in my wardrobe. Obviously those holes get smaller and smaller, but I try to work from that - from my needs outwards - rather than from seeing something and just liking it.

That helps set limits - you need to be able to wear it with other things you wear. And you need to know where and when you could wear it (office, home, day, evening out etc).

I have also written a few times about clothing being a social construct. It’s relative; it’s effect depends on other people, their experiences and expectations. So if you stick out like a sore thumb you are not well dressed.

The Cifonelli suede jacket (pictured above) certainly filled a gap - something obviously casual but made to the highest bespoke standards.

[Cifonelli suede jacket here]

Photography:

Walcots - James Munro

Shooting jacket - Andy Barnham

Harris tweed jacket, Cream trousers, Velvet jacket - Luke Carby

Blue suit, Pale-grey suit, Suede jacket - Jamie Ferguson

Rubinacci jacket - Ade Udoma

Permanent Style trench coat: Alterations and waiting list

Posted on 19/09/201720/09/2017 by Simon Crompton

Many thanks to everyone that bought our trench coat last week.

The response was wonderful, and as you will have been able to see, we have sold out.

We are now putting together a waiting list, which readers can be added to my emailing us on [email protected].

There is no need to pre-pay to be on this list, but it gives us a good indication of sizes required, and those on the list will be given priority when that new run is ready. We should have more information on the timing of the run in the next week or so.

Separately, I've also clarified a few things about alterations.

I know that I am above average height, and that therefore the coat might be a little too long for some people. This is easy to alter, as the coat is unlined (and the removable lining considerably shorter than the full coat).

At least 10cm can be taken off the length of the coat without causing any issues.

Private White VC offer a great service in their store for this, or it can be done by a local alterations tailor.

The sleeves can also be shortened, but only by about 1.5cm.

More than this and the end of the sleeve gets too close to the cuff flap and will look odd. But 1.5cm will make a noticeable difference.

Both could be options considered by those 38 people that have bought coats so far. Everyone should receive them this week.

Lastly, Private White VC do offer both MTM and bespoke services - the former at 20% above retail price, and the latter at 70% above. With MTM you can change most sizing, widths, lengths etc. With bespoke you can basically redesign it, with different materials, pockets and so on. Contact them through their website for details.

Thanks again.

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

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