The glow and romance of it: Douglas Fairbanks on stage
By Tom Mastronardi. Anyone that knows me appreciates my resolute affection for being well-tailored. Even as a kid raised in a decidedly blue-collar neighbourhood on Chicago’s South Side, I never required any coaxing to don a jacket and tie. But of ...
The glow and romance of it: Douglas Fairbanks on stage
By Tom Mastronardi. Anyone that knows me appreciates my resolute affection for being well-tailored. Even as a kid raised in a decidedly blue-collar neighbourhood on Chicago’s South Side, I never required any coaxing to don a jacket and tie. But of ...
Paolo Martorano bespoke hopsack jacket: Review
This bespoke jacket was made for me by Paolo Martorano, the tailor in New York I first covered in 2020. It’s particularly significant because of the dearth of bespoke tailors in the US. Although many tailors travel to the US from the UK and Europ...
Paolo Martorano bespoke hopsack jacket: Review
This bespoke jacket was made for me by Paolo Martorano, the tailor in New York I first covered in 2020. It’s particularly significant because of the dearth of bespoke tailors in the US. Although many tailors travel to the US from the UK and Europ...
Dressed-up New Yorkers: The view from the pop-up
Our New York pop-up (now in its second year) brings in an interesting range of people - more, perhaps, than London. There’s Guy, who came last time too, an old-school New Yorker in bespoke, red socks and Warren Edwards loafers; Duncan, the knitwe...
Dressed-up New Yorkers: The view from the pop-up
Our New York pop-up (now in its second year) brings in an interesting range of people - more, perhaps, than London. There’s Guy, who came last time too, an old-school New Yorker in bespoke, red socks and Warren Edwards loafers; Duncan, the knitwe...
The case for the Summer Suit. With tie
Thomas Mastronardi is one of the best-dressed men I know. So, in the spirit of welcoming a greater range of voices onto Permanent Style, I asked Tom to bookend the summer by writing something on the seersucker and linen suits he loves so much. We dis...
The case for the Summer Suit. With tie
Thomas Mastronardi is one of the best-dressed men I know. So, in the spirit of welcoming a greater range of voices onto Permanent Style, I asked Tom to bookend the summer by writing something on the seersucker and linen suits he loves so much. We dis...
I have Gay Talese's hat
By Tom Mastronardi "The story I’m about to relate is true; it really happened, just a few short years ago, before Covid upended the simple everyday pleasure of running into someone you know on the street and having something marvellous happen. But ...
I have Gay Talese's hat
By Tom Mastronardi "The story I’m about to relate is true; it really happened, just a few short years ago, before Covid upended the simple everyday pleasure of running into someone you know on the street and having something marvellous happen. But ...
Paolo Martorano bespoke, New York
Most bespoke tailoring in New York is structured differently to the old houses of Europe. It tends to be based around a designer or salesman - with extensive bespoke experience - rather than a cutter. There are exceptions of course, including Leona...
Paolo Martorano bespoke, New York
Most bespoke tailoring in New York is structured differently to the old houses of Europe. It tends to be based around a designer or salesman - with extensive bespoke experience - rather than a cutter. There are exceptions of course, including Leona...
Tom Davies horn glasses
It’s taken a while to get round to writing about my glasses from Tom Davies. Partially, that was because it took a while to have them made. I was a guinea big for the bespoke service for horn glasses, and as with any new service it took that bi...
Tom Davies horn glasses
It’s taken a while to get round to writing about my glasses from Tom Davies. Partially, that was because it took a while to have them made. I was a guinea big for the bespoke service for horn glasses, and as with any new service it took that bi...
Bespoke glasses at TD Tom Davies
It turns out my neighbour is friends with a guy called Tom Davies, who is the largest maker of bespoke glasses in the world. And Tom’s studio is half a mile from where I grew up (East Sheen, south-west London). So, interested in l...
Bespoke glasses at TD Tom Davies
It turns out my neighbour is friends with a guy called Tom Davies, who is the largest maker of bespoke glasses in the world. And Tom’s studio is half a mile from where I grew up (East Sheen, south-west London). So, interested in l...
The very conservative Sir Tom Baker
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Tom Baker makes rock ‘n’ roll suits. After all, that’s what he’s known for, that’s what he is pictured wearing and that’s what you see if you look through his window on D’Arblay Street, Soho. But ab...
The very conservative Sir Tom Baker
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Tom Baker makes rock ‘n’ roll suits. After all, that’s what he’s known for, that’s what he is pictured wearing and that’s what you see if you look through his window on D’Arblay Street, Soho. But ab...
The growth of bespoke and customised glasses
The following feature was commissioned by an international fashion magazine, but cancelled at the last minute. It is reproduced here for Permanent Style readers - Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising, given the vogue for everything ‘bespoke’ ...
The growth of bespoke and customised glasses
The following feature was commissioned by an international fashion magazine, but cancelled at the last minute. It is reproduced here for Permanent Style readers - Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising, given the vogue for everything ‘bespoke’ ...
The Alden modified last, and Anatomica sizing
Alden has this particular shape of shoe, on what is referred to as the ‘modified’ last. It’s unusual, almost orthopaedic in appearance, with a narrow waist that hugs the middle of the foot and rather bulging sides to fully accommodate the joi...
The Alden modified last, and Anatomica sizing
Alden has this particular shape of shoe, on what is referred to as the ‘modified’ last. It’s unusual, almost orthopaedic in appearance, with a narrow waist that hugs the middle of the foot and rather bulging sides to fully accommodate the joi...
Reflections on bespoke 2: J Panther, Tom Davies and Steven Hitchcock
My last 'reflections on bespoke' post back in January was very popular. Readers seemed to respond to the assessment of bespoke commissions with the wisdom of hindsight, and I have to say I sympathise.Here, then, are five more, with the items selec...
Reflections on bespoke 2: J Panther, Tom Davies and Steven Hitchcock
My last 'reflections on bespoke' post back in January was very popular. Readers seemed to respond to the assessment of bespoke commissions with the wisdom of hindsight, and I have to say I sympathise.Here, then, are five more, with the items selec...
House styles and difficult customers: The Tailoring Symposium
Before the public part of Tailoring Symposium in June, we all gathered next to the pool at the Four Seasons to have a chat about tailoring and its future, with The Rake busily making a video of the event in the background. This was perhaps the m...
House styles and difficult customers: The Tailoring Symposium
Before the public part of Tailoring Symposium in June, we all gathered next to the pool at the Four Seasons to have a chat about tailoring and its future, with The Rake busily making a video of the event in the background. This was perhaps the m...
Expressing yourself: How to dress like Milad Abedi
The photographer Milad Abedi is someone whose style I've liked for a long time, but in a quiet way. Whenever we’ve shot together I’ve been interested in what he’s wearing and found something I liked, but he wasn’t the first person I thought...
Expressing yourself: How to dress like Milad Abedi
The photographer Milad Abedi is someone whose style I've liked for a long time, but in a quiet way. Whenever we’ve shot together I’ve been interested in what he’s wearing and found something I liked, but he wasn’t the first person I thought...
The real innovation of Tom Ford
The greatest contribution Tom Ford’s new eponymous line has made to menswear is nothing to do with design – it is the creation of a compromise between bespoke and made to measure. Bespoke, as regular readers will recall, involves creating a suit ...
The real innovation of Tom Ford
The greatest contribution Tom Ford’s new eponymous line has made to menswear is nothing to do with design – it is the creation of a compromise between bespoke and made to measure. Bespoke, as regular readers will recall, involves creating a suit ...
Clothes for a wedding
The simplicity of classic wedding attire - in colour, in pattern, in tone - is a reflection of respect for the importance of the event. Business attire, once-upon-a-time, was similarly restrained; but while I can see the argument for relaxing c...
Clothes for a wedding
The simplicity of classic wedding attire - in colour, in pattern, in tone - is a reflection of respect for the importance of the event. Business attire, once-upon-a-time, was similarly restrained; but while I can see the argument for relaxing c...
A suit at Thom Sweeney: Reader question
Dear Simon,??I hope that you don't mind me emailing you, but I have a few questions regarding bespoke and made-to-measure suits that I need to ask someone who knows about style, and you seem to be one of the most knowledgeable on the subject.??...
A suit at Thom Sweeney: Reader question
Dear Simon,??I hope that you don't mind me emailing you, but I have a few questions regarding bespoke and made-to-measure suits that I need to ask someone who knows about style, and you seem to be one of the most knowledgeable on the subject.??...
How to buy fragrance - the perfumes
Following the recent post on how to buy fragrance, this is the second installment – the brands I like and some suggestions of ones to look for. First, though, a reader asked about the difference between molecular and natural ingredients. Natural in...
How to buy fragrance - the perfumes
Following the recent post on how to buy fragrance, this is the second installment – the brands I like and some suggestions of ones to look for. First, though, a reader asked about the difference between molecular and natural ingredients. Natural in...
Menswear: Vintage postcards from Tom Phillips
A beautiful Norfolk jacketWhen Tom Phillips, the author of Menswear: Vintage People on Photo Postcards, first put together this collection, he expected to see conformity across menswear in the roughly 40 pre-WW2 years it covered. What he got was a co...
Menswear: Vintage postcards from Tom Phillips
A beautiful Norfolk jacketWhen Tom Phillips, the author of Menswear: Vintage People on Photo Postcards, first put together this collection, he expected to see conformity across menswear in the roughly 40 pre-WW2 years it covered. What he got was a co...
If you only had five handkerchiefs - a capsule collection
A capsule collection has many uses. When you travel for long periods, for example, you want a small but versatile collection of clothes that has a large number of permutations, and suits different occasions. And if you commute by bike (as I d...
If you only had five handkerchiefs - a capsule collection
A capsule collection has many uses. When you travel for long periods, for example, you want a small but versatile collection of clothes that has a large number of permutations, and suits different occasions. And if you commute by bike (as I d...
The bespoke leather jacket: Part 1
There are very few bespoke tailors I would have faith in to explore an entirely new style or new medium. They include Lorenzo Cifonelli, Davide Taub and Rubinacci (Luca plus cutter). Many more, although highly innovative, tend to make within a defini...
The bespoke leather jacket: Part 1
There are very few bespoke tailors I would have faith in to explore an entirely new style or new medium. They include Lorenzo Cifonelli, Davide Taub and Rubinacci (Luca plus cutter). Many more, although highly innovative, tend to make within a defini...
The ultra-service at Saman Amel
I’ve been really interested to see how Saman Amel have changed their business model in recent years. They’ve made a conscious decision to offer a far more involved service to customers, which is then reflected in their prices. The cheaper Toscana...
The ultra-service at Saman Amel
I’ve been really interested to see how Saman Amel have changed their business model in recent years. They’ve made a conscious decision to offer a far more involved service to customers, which is then reflected in their prices. The cheaper Toscana...
The Wax Walker: How Great Things Age
At the beginning of the year, I asked readers if they had a Wax Walker we could feature as part of our ‘Dry January’ project. We were focusing on how things age and become more beautiful with wear, and wax jackets are particularly nice in that re...
The Wax Walker: How Great Things Age
At the beginning of the year, I asked readers if they had a Wax Walker we could feature as part of our ‘Dry January’ project. We were focusing on how things age and become more beautiful with wear, and wax jackets are particularly nice in that re...
The (61) bespoke tailors I have known
This article has been updated every four years for the past 12 years. It was originally written in 2012, and has had new versions in 2016, 2020 and now 2024. The number of bespoke tailors we have tried and covered has increased, but the growth p...
The (61) bespoke tailors I have known
This article has been updated every four years for the past 12 years. It was originally written in 2012, and has had new versions in 2016, 2020 and now 2024. The number of bespoke tailors we have tried and covered has increased, but the growth p...
Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home
Every day, when I get dressed, there is something new I’m interested in wearing. Not necessarily new clothing, but a new outfit, a new combination of colours, perhaps a mixing of styles. And sometimes just a combination that feels new, because it...
Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home
Every day, when I get dressed, there is something new I’m interested in wearing. Not necessarily new clothing, but a new outfit, a new combination of colours, perhaps a mixing of styles. And sometimes just a combination that feels new, because it...