On baseball caps - and logos in general
Baseball caps are, in many ways, the lazy option for headwear. They’re ubiquitous, they’re cheap and they go with everything. I completely understand those that fight the good fight for brimmed hats, and feel it necessary to attack ball caps in t...
On baseball caps - and logos in general
Baseball caps are, in many ways, the lazy option for headwear. They’re ubiquitous, they’re cheap and they go with everything. I completely understand those that fight the good fight for brimmed hats, and feel it necessary to attack ball caps in t...
Spring/Summer Top 10 '23: Shirts, shorts and a hairy cardigan
It may still be cold outside (in the UK), but it’s late April and time for a write-up of the Spring/Summer pieces I’ve liked from our favourite brands. If you have any questions about other releases from these brands (or indeed brands not featu...
Spring/Summer Top 10 '23: Shirts, shorts and a hairy cardigan
It may still be cold outside (in the UK), but it’s late April and time for a write-up of the Spring/Summer pieces I’ve liked from our favourite brands. If you have any questions about other releases from these brands (or indeed brands not featu...
Summer casual chic: Riviera style Part 2
I really enjoyed Tony’s evocative piece last week on Riviera style. The image of the rose-coloured hotel with palm trees cooling its flushed façade, in particular, has stayed with me I also thought there was more to explore. Given how challenging ...
Summer casual chic: Riviera style Part 2
I really enjoyed Tony’s evocative piece last week on Riviera style. The image of the rose-coloured hotel with palm trees cooling its flushed façade, in particular, has stayed with me I also thought there was more to explore. Given how challenging ...
The practicality of a sweater over the shoulders
Wearing a sweater over the shoulders has a lot of negative connotations. But if you can get away with it - because of your style, of where you are, or just because of your personality - it’s incredibly practical. This suit I wore at Pitti earlier i...
The practicality of a sweater over the shoulders
Wearing a sweater over the shoulders has a lot of negative connotations. But if you can get away with it - because of your style, of where you are, or just because of your personality - it’s incredibly practical. This suit I wore at Pitti earlier i...
Seoul: A menswear shopping guide
Earlier this month I visited Seoul, to see some of the tailors I had been intrigued by but mostly seen from afar, and to visit some of the shops and brands. My impression was of a dynamic city – new development, new retail, every shop with a dis...
Seoul: A menswear shopping guide
Earlier this month I visited Seoul, to see some of the tailors I had been intrigued by but mostly seen from afar, and to visit some of the shops and brands. My impression was of a dynamic city – new development, new retail, every shop with a dis...
Christmas Gift List 2023: Do not read!
Permanent Style reader, this is not for you. This is intended for your wife/husband/partner/child/dog, in an attempt to help source a Christmas present for someone who, let’s face it, is very fussy in general but particularly about clothing. So p...
Christmas Gift List 2023: Do not read!
Permanent Style reader, this is not for you. This is intended for your wife/husband/partner/child/dog, in an attempt to help source a Christmas present for someone who, let’s face it, is very fussy in general but particularly about clothing. So p...
Announcing: Dry January
Dry January is, at least in the UK, an opportunity for people to give up alcohol for a month to recover from some of the excesses of the holidays. It is in that same spirit that during January, Permanent Style will not write about any new clothing. T...
Announcing: Dry January
Dry January is, at least in the UK, an opportunity for people to give up alcohol for a month to recover from some of the excesses of the holidays. It is in that same spirit that during January, Permanent Style will not write about any new clothing. T...
Dealing with losing and gaining weight
I've been on holiday for the past two weeks, swimming every day, and have noticeably lost weight. I'm tightening the side adjustors on my trousers where I didn't before. It reminds me how frequently readers ask about such fluctuations in weight, a...
Dealing with losing and gaining weight
I've been on holiday for the past two weeks, swimming every day, and have noticeably lost weight. I'm tightening the side adjustors on my trousers where I didn't before. It reminds me how frequently readers ask about such fluctuations in weight, a...
What I did this summer
Not much of an excuse to post this, except to celebrate being on holiday.The nearest I can get is the Rapha gear, which is performing very well. There is some geeky satisfaction in demonstrating that wool (mix, jersey) and leather (shoes) perform bet...
What I did this summer
Not much of an excuse to post this, except to celebrate being on holiday.The nearest I can get is the Rapha gear, which is performing very well. There is some geeky satisfaction in demonstrating that wool (mix, jersey) and leather (shoes) perform bet...
The symbolic value of clothes: An interview with Philip Warkander
Philip Warkander is a Swedish academic, lecturer at Lund University in fashion studies. We got to talking recently thanks to an introduction by Dag at Saman Amel, and it was interesting how many of the topics Philip covers - from the value placed o...
The symbolic value of clothes: An interview with Philip Warkander
Philip Warkander is a Swedish academic, lecturer at Lund University in fashion studies. We got to talking recently thanks to an introduction by Dag at Saman Amel, and it was interesting how many of the topics Philip covers - from the value placed o...
Terrycloth blazer and a fish net shirt?
At Eden Roc on the blue MediterraneanEsquire, August 1936: "One of the world's most fashionable swimming holes, Eden Roc at Cap d'Antibes, has no beach at all, just steps and all sorts of intricate plateaus that have been cut out of the rocks.Against...
Terrycloth blazer and a fish net shirt?
At Eden Roc on the blue MediterraneanEsquire, August 1936: "One of the world's most fashionable swimming holes, Eden Roc at Cap d'Antibes, has no beach at all, just steps and all sorts of intricate plateaus that have been cut out of the rocks.Against...
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
This summer suit from Sartoria Cornacchia was made for me last year, and I would like to apologise for the delay in covering it. I didn’t get around to shooting the suit until the end of the Summer; events and the pop-up then got in the way; and by...
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
This summer suit from Sartoria Cornacchia was made for me last year, and I would like to apologise for the delay in covering it. I didn’t get around to shooting the suit until the end of the Summer; events and the pop-up then got in the way; and by...
The guide to shirt collars - and what suits you
With the slow disappearance of the tie from the male wardrobe, the shirt collar has become increasingly important. It now bears almost sole responsibility for framing and flattering the face. However, guides to shirt collars - such as this one -...
The guide to shirt collars - and what suits you
With the slow disappearance of the tie from the male wardrobe, the shirt collar has become increasingly important. It now bears almost sole responsibility for framing and flattering the face. However, guides to shirt collars - such as this one -...
John Simons - the shop, the history, the influence
In normal menswear - not even classic menswear, but everyday, everybody menswear, everything outside big fashion brands - retailers can often have more influence than designers. People like Charlie Davidson of The Andover Shop, Isabel Ettedgui of Con...
John Simons - the shop, the history, the influence
In normal menswear - not even classic menswear, but everyday, everybody menswear, everything outside big fashion brands - retailers can often have more influence than designers. People like Charlie Davidson of The Andover Shop, Isabel Ettedgui of Con...
What is French Ivy?
By Tony Sylvester “A few years back, I posted a photo of Paul Weller on my Instagram (above). It was taken in 1984 in his Style Council era, where much to the consternation of the Mod faithful, he was constantly tinkering with his attire - alienati...
What is French Ivy?
By Tony Sylvester “A few years back, I posted a photo of Paul Weller on my Instagram (above). It was taken in 1984 in his Style Council era, where much to the consternation of the Mod faithful, he was constantly tinkering with his attire - alienati...
If you only had five bags: A capsule collection
Five bags might seem like a lot - certainly compared to shirts or ties, as featured previously in this series. But given you’ll need some kind of suitcase, plus a day bag, and probably a backpack for cycling, walking or sports, five isn’t th...
If you only had five bags: A capsule collection
Five bags might seem like a lot - certainly compared to shirts or ties, as featured previously in this series. But given you’ll need some kind of suitcase, plus a day bag, and probably a backpack for cycling, walking or sports, five isn’t th...
Junk clothing and joke clothing
In recent weeks two friends inadvertently coined similar phrases, in relation to what they saw as wrong with clothing today. One referred to the buying of large volumes of cheap clothes - often plastic, often made in poor labour conditions - as ‘...
Junk clothing and joke clothing
In recent weeks two friends inadvertently coined similar phrases, in relation to what they saw as wrong with clothing today. One referred to the buying of large volumes of cheap clothes - often plastic, often made in poor labour conditions - as ‘...
A guide to piqué cotton polo shirts
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...
A guide to piqué cotton polo shirts
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...
How to pack for a three-day trip: Video
The 'travel capsule' posts we've done are always popular - I think because they are useful for actual travel, but also for anyone looking to build a versatile wardrobe in general. In that way they're one more addition to the 'wardrobe building' serie...
How to pack for a three-day trip: Video
The 'travel capsule' posts we've done are always popular - I think because they are useful for actual travel, but also for anyone looking to build a versatile wardrobe in general. In that way they're one more addition to the 'wardrobe building' serie...
Hunter, Desii, Tartan: Florence's surprising range of vintage
Florence is a surprisingly good city for shopping, quite apart from any menswear shows that happen to be going on. It’s always been a hub for craft, and even in the city centre you’ll often walk past a little workshop with someone restoring ant...
Hunter, Desii, Tartan: Florence's surprising range of vintage
Florence is a surprisingly good city for shopping, quite apart from any menswear shows that happen to be going on. It’s always been a hub for craft, and even in the city centre you’ll often walk past a little workshop with someone restoring ant...
How Florence changed with the pandemic: Abbarchi, Ugolini, Vestrucci
“It was really eerie, Simon, with all the tourists gone." “I know that was the same everywhere," says Simone Abbarchi (above), "but seeing the Piazza della Signoria empty made it feel like we’d gone back in time. Like the Medici could just step...
How Florence changed with the pandemic: Abbarchi, Ugolini, Vestrucci
“It was really eerie, Simon, with all the tourists gone." “I know that was the same everywhere," says Simone Abbarchi (above), "but seeing the Piazza della Signoria empty made it feel like we’d gone back in time. Like the Medici could just step...
My watches - eight years later
I buy watches in much the same way as I suggest other people buy tailoring. I have a small number, of high quality, which meet a range of needs - formalities, colours, and a little extra to keep things interesting. I went through a period of abou...
My watches - eight years later
I buy watches in much the same way as I suggest other people buy tailoring. I have a small number, of high quality, which meet a range of needs - formalities, colours, and a little extra to keep things interesting. I went through a period of abou...
Bocache & Salvucci, Rome: Bespoke shoes and much else
Bocache & Salvucci was a bit of a surprise when I visited last month. I’d come across the shoemaker at Jean-Manuel Moreau, in Paris, and had assumed that in Rome I would find a small (because relatively unknown) bespoke craftsman. What I ac...
Bocache & Salvucci, Rome: Bespoke shoes and much else
Bocache & Salvucci was a bit of a surprise when I visited last month. I’d come across the shoemaker at Jean-Manuel Moreau, in Paris, and had assumed that in Rome I would find a small (because relatively unknown) bespoke craftsman. What I ac...
Luxury chore coats compared
By Manish Puri Not all chores are made equal. Some take longer, some require more exertion, and some involve going out into the cold. On a typical weekend you’ll find me frantically searching for loopholes in the chivalric code so I can cherry pick...
Luxury chore coats compared
By Manish Puri Not all chores are made equal. Some take longer, some require more exertion, and some involve going out into the cold. On a typical weekend you’ll find me frantically searching for loopholes in the chivalric code so I can cherry pick...
The Merchant Fox: All the casual jackets reviewed
By Manish Puri In between short walks to the kitchen to restock on mince pies and watching Home Alone for the 83rd time (this genuinely may be an understatement), the festive period offers a singular opportunity to contemplate weighty matters concern...
The Merchant Fox: All the casual jackets reviewed
By Manish Puri In between short walks to the kitchen to restock on mince pies and watching Home Alone for the 83rd time (this genuinely may be an understatement), the festive period offers a singular opportunity to contemplate weighty matters concern...