Over the past year, I’ve gradually been wearing more black. Readers will have seen that in the recommendation of this Berg & Berg black shirt, for example, and these black cords. It's been particularly pronounced with shoes though, and I also ...

I’ve been playing around with black so much in recent years (note, this is classic menswear - it’s years/decades, not weeks/months) that I thought I’d try out wearing nothing but black.  This was during Pitti at Florence, on a relatively infor...

This is the first piece of black tailoring that’s been featured on Permanent Style, I think, outside of evening wear. Over the past three years we’ve been exploring how black’s role in the wardrobe can be expanded, beyond tuxedos and lace-ups. ...

This is something I’ve had questions about recently - I assume because fashion generally has taken a turn towards black and, combined with the general casualisation going, black shoes and jeans have become a more common styling choice. So the answe...

In my continued exploration of all things the colour of mourning, I commissioned this black-corduroy suit from Pommella (trousers) and Zizolfi (jacket) last year.  The logic seemed sound: if black is going to work in tailoring, I’d consistently fo...

*NB: The black shawl actually has black-horn buttons, not light brown as in the sample shown.* After a good few weeks' delay, I'm pleased to say that the Indulgent Shawl-Collar Cardigan is finally back in stock - in a new black iteration as well as n...

The cloth that you select for a tuxedo (or black tie) probably won’t get as much thought as the design, the shirt or indeed your bow tie. The options are fairly limited, and all those other things will have a greater impact.  But for those that w...

You know that feeling when you realise a new purchase unleashes potential in an old, beloved garment? Like getting a yellow oxford and realising it doesn’t just look good with jeans, but also with your favourite herringbone jacket? OK, I’m going ...

This outfit I wore last week really tickled me - I think primarily for its combination of T-shirt and tailoring.  Working the two together in some way (as in this, perhaps Summer equivalent) is often an effective way to achieve the ‘casual chic’...

These are the first jeans I've had from Bryceland's, and I've been absolutely loving them - for the fit, the colour and the denim.  But I was a little nervous about buying them, as I'd never had unsanforised denim before. Given I know this will be a...

  As with many reader questions, this one evolved over several email messages back and forth. I know Joel won’t mind if I restructure that exchange into a conversation, in order to put the inquiries in the right order. And add a little narrative....

In many ways, today's outfit is a natural extension of things we’ve been talking about recently.  There was, back on August 12, our discussion about wearing all black, which has some bearing here. The outfit is not all black, of course, but it is ...

My favourite jeans largely come from brands that make in Japan, using Japanese denim, but that tweak the fit to make it their own. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that they’re also classic-menswear brands, who make or at least appreciate tai...

By Tony Sylvester A couple of weekends ago, at the invitation of photographer Jamie Ferguson and writer Aleks Cvetkovic, a few friends got together for a weekend away in the Devonshire countryside. Obviously, social invitations and jaunts out and a...

 Dear Simon, Following your Calvo de Mora combination [above] What are your general guidelines to wearing a black necktie? Most of the time I see it paired with the classic ensemble of white shirt with a grey jacket/grey suit. Any other combination...

Criticism of what people wear to black-tie events tends to focus on obvious sins: wearing a lounge suit, wearing a coloured tie and wearing a long tie instead of a bow (though this is less objectionable than one may think). These are some of the bigg...

The Finest Polo - our superfine, high-twist merino knit - is back in stock, with black and charcoal new for this season, alongside navy.  The colour choice this summer was partly driven by last summer. I wore a sample of a charcoal at Pitti last yea...

I have a friend that loves black suits. Can’t get enough of them. For him, a black suit and a white shirt are the chicest things a man can wear. He is a big fan of Reservoir Dogs, so that might have influence him somewhat, but he still has a point ...

The money in New York has been spreading south for a while. Soho is now dominated by designer brands. I think I counted at least five Ralph Lauren stores downtown. Below Houston the interesting shops, the boutiques, have been pushed further east and ...

Shipping and production have not been entirely straightforward in recent weeks, as anyone following the chaotic clash of Covid and Brexit in the UK will be aware.  But I’m glad to say we've been able to restock the Friday Polos - still the most po...

This might seem like a fairly simple question, but it comes up so often in comments that I think it’s worth answering in full here, and then directing anyone in the future to this post.  The reason people ask about shoes with brown trousers, of co...

On Permanent Style we’ve always talked about dressing with subtle elegance - clothing that makes the wearer appear simply well dressed. This is still the style I get most pleasure from. It's a matter of good fit, quality materials, and tasteful com...

I recently remembered these shots we took last year in Japan - it was September, but Tokyo was hot and humid, as Europe has been in recent weeks. Although wool, the checked jacket is 9 ounces and half lined, wearing pretty cool. It was a useful p...

This review of Blackhorse Lane Ateliers (BLA) chinos might serve two purposes.  First, it covers the London maker as part of our ongoing series on chinos - which you can see all chapters of here.  And second, it reviews Blackhorse Lane's made-to-me...

Readers will be aware that I have become a little sceptical about bespoke shoes in recent years. As I detailed in the article ‘Are bespoke shoes worth it?’ my experiences have been a little patchy, and looking back on 13 years of commissioning, i...