A few months ago, Brioni contacted me to ask if I would be interested in having a suit made, in order to review it.  Not knowing much about the Brioni product, I was a little unsure. Invitations to cover other big-brand made to measure have not alwa...

This Brioni jacket was made for me under their bespoke programme, using the London store on Bruton Street. We also made a pair of cotton trousers, which I cover lower down, and a shirt.  In our previous article, I made the case for Brioni as a bespo...

The most relied upon measures of luxury today are the materials used in a garment and how much manpower went into it. The second of those measurements might not be as straightforward as you think. True bespoke is done by one tailor, from scratch, to ...

By Manish Puri Whilst the recent sun in London has brought a sugar rush of excitement for the warmer days that lie ahead, it also brings a more troubling, recurring question: how do I usually dress for summer? It shouldn’t be difficult to answer. A...

I’ve been a fan of Brioni co-CEO Andrea Perrone’s personal style ever since issue 2 of The Rake. Perrone was the cover star, part of a feature on Brioni and wearing a checked sportscoat with a dark cardigan, white shirt unbuttoned at the neck. Ev...

The reason Milan became the centre of Italian fashion was Florence and Rome couldn't sort out a fight.  Italian clothing itself became successful abroad because people were tired of the 'haughty, arty' French.  Spurred by our recent discussion of A...

By Manish Puri Whilst soft tailoring is hardly a new concept, there’s something about unstructured tailoring that feels particularly in sync with modern life: it’s indisputably more casual, reframes imperfections as characteristics, is lighter in...

After long gestation, The Rake magazine has finally launched its coffee-table book, Hand of the Artisan: The Soul of Italian Luxury. It is a tour through 17 different Italian manufacturers, heavily illustrated with handsome, technical and usually bla...

Timothy Everest is a beast of many parts. A tailor who began his career sketching designs for Tommy Nutter, lauded at one point as a saviour of Savile Row alongside Ozwald Boateng and Richard James, he now keeps a delightfully eccentric townhouse in ...

Italian brands like Canali, Corneliani, Zegna and Pal Zileri all place a lot of emphasis upon the family ethic of their production and the hand-made nature of their suits. At least with the highest label, such as Zegna’s Couture or Sartoriale at Pa...

Jonathan Clay runs a suit-making facility in Italy, supplying high-end English and foreign retailers. His father did too – d’Avenza – and here Jonathan explains that story: how Italians learnt manufacturing from the English, and then ran with i...

By Bernhard Roetzel. In part one of this article I gave an overview of the state of bespoke tailoring in Germany, including its history. Today I will recommend some specific tailors, including my own experiences. Volkmar Arnulf www.arnulf-massate...

This jacket from Sartoria Pirozzi doesn’t really need a normal review.  The point of it was to cover the tailor again because they are now coming to London frequently, having taken a share of a space in Shepherd Market.  And it was to check the q...

The Rake is simply the best magazine for classic men's style out there. It is only three issues old, and already it has featured the history of Brioni, a technical explanation of the seven-fold tie and an analysis of the fit of both trousers and coat...

   Swedes may be the best-dressed men on earth. At their best, they combine the classicism of the English with the flair of the Italians - without the stuffiness of the former or showiness of the latter.  (Don't let it go to your head guys. Th...

Although some of our collaborations have been rather esoteric (purple slippers, cashmere ascots), the most satisfying Permanent Style products have always been wardrobe staples. Our next - available exclusively in the Savile Row pop-up shop from to...

*UPDATE: Since this article was published, Brioni has also been tried and reviewed, as has J Mueser* Although I haven’t covered the same number of MTM tailors as bespoke ones, Permanent Style has steadily accumulated a good range - from Kiton to Gi...

Men wear fewer suits today, as we all know. But they retain the need for a jacket, if only to appear smart or professional. Two of my friends, a doctor and a teacher, are particular examples. Their jobs do not require them to wear a suit, yet a jacke...

As anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit Milan will tell you, the city is not all fashion. There are several old and new stores worth the visit for those interested in classic menswear. By reputation, the city’s three stand-out establishmen...

 My interview with Jonathan Clay last week went down well with readers - perhaps because he's not the kind of person that would normally be interviewed. As the supplier of Italian ready-made suits, he sees all sides of the industry, but rarely talks...

The Suede Overshirt in tobacco has recently been restocked on PS, having sold out quickly back in the spring. But we’re also going to try a made-to-order programme, as the makers Rifugio are happy to make in small numbers.  The idea is that reader...

By Manish Puri “That was the day I learned how dangerous a color can be. That a boy could be knocked off that shade and made to reckon his trespass. Even if color is nothing but what the light reveals, that nothing has laws, and a boy on a pink bik...

* This article is the first in a series that will look at New York bespoke over the years* By Manish Puri. In the 1956 version of the song New York’s My Home, Sammy Davis Jr. is eager to address the crazy rumour that some foolhardy New Yorkers are ...

Forgive me dear reader for writing about Pitti, but so many people have asked about it since the summer edition last week - both industry people and, perhaps surprisingly, readers - that it seemed worthwhile.  The news isn’t good. There are fewer ...

 [Note: The Dandy Store has been bought by Mes Chaussettes Rouges, who can be found here]Apparently, men in France wear appalling socks. I thought the standard in the UK was low, and the US probably worse, but according to Michel Porteneuve and Jean...