American leather-goods brand Ghurka has just launched in London, with a nicely done space at Fortnum & Mason. I'll post more detail on Ghurka, its make and quality, at a later date when I've used the product first-hand. But for the moment it'...

It may look pink but it's actually redEsquire, August 1935: "We mean, of course, the shirt, which is of very light-weight batiste, with a tab collar to match. Oh, you want us to continue the success story from the previous page? How do we get these f...

  [NOTE: Luca Avitabile, the cutter for men's shirts at Satriano Cinque that I use, has split from the company and set up on his own. I recommend contacting him for any inquiries, at [email protected]] The second post in this series on bes...

Several readers commented in last week's post on trousers that they would appreciate something similar on cardigans in such outfits. So here we go.  I will largely be talking about sleeveless cardigans (although given we will assume they are being ...

Although Angel Ramos and I have only met a few times, we’ve always seemed to have something in common when it came to styles we liked. Angel wears slippers a lot, and has more of a tendency towards bright colours and patterns. The overall image ...

A word in reference to that previous message. Everything that will be described here, and every custom it refers to, has solid practical reasons behind it. But it is not a rule. Some people are fine with having shirts and suits that are similar. So...

The headline news in this season’s round-up is the launch of Anglo-Italian cloth.  That’s right, the shop that does MTM tailoring is also selling cloth that customers can take elsewhere to have made.  The move was spurred, according to Jake [Gr...

I’m often asked which hats work best with different types of coat. In fact, it often comes up at this time of year - I guess when unexpected showers are more of a hazard. The sliding scale of formality with hats is pretty intuitive: a fedora is sma...

It’s been a while since we’ve included anyone in this series – which began with Bruce Boyer and Alan See – for which I apologise. The next to be included is George Wang, owner of the BRIO store in Beijing, China. George is a good friend ...

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...

Richard James are an interesting name in bespoke tailoring. Better known the world over for their ready-to-wear suits and various accessories, they’ve actually had a bespoke operation since they set up – in a small shop at 31 Savile Row – over ...

I’m pleased to say that the jumper and tie I had made by 40 Colori turned just as consistently and professionally as everything else I had experienced from the shop.  The cashmere crewneck fits well, with the measurements being exactly what we re...

OK, so this is how I came to the earth-shattering style insight alluded to in the title: most of my ready-to-wear jackets have sleeves that are slightly too long; most of those jackets are casual as my suit jackets are mostly bespoke; because th...

[Cotton jacket by Beams Plus, shirt by BD Baggies and bow tie by Drake's]Tomorrow is the official opening of Trunk, an innovative new boutique in London’s Marylebone. Though the shop has been welcoming passers-by for the past few weeks, as new merc...

This may be a little niche, but it’s something that often stresses me out in the morning, so hopefully it will be of some use to others.  My plans for what to wear on a particular day usually don’t account for rain.  I might be going into town,...

  Following the almost embarrassingly positive response to last week's post on Bruce Boyer (embarrassing for Bruce that is, not me), here are his answers to your questions.     1 - Are your suits, jackets and shirts mostly bespoke?  Almost...

 Long-time readers will know how much of a fan I am of Loro Piana. In particular, of their marked commitment to quality compared to other designers - even if that comes with the same big-brand prices. I’ve worn their blousons, gilets and made-to-m...

I was horrified to discover at the weekend that one of my Loro Piana Roadster sweaters had a moth hole in. Two, in fact. Despite the various moth products and regular airing. The experience, however, had an upside. I believe in buying high-quality pr...

It is always rewarding to get a look behind the scenes of a company. Nothing beats it for an insight into the philosophy, working practices and dedication to detail present in the production process. I was fortunate enough to peek behind the scenes a...

This is a follow-up to my popular post on English mills and cloth merchants: how to tell them apart, how they are related and how to select between them (basically, don’t; there is little difference).   Italian mills are a lot simpler, as th...

One of the disconcerting things about the growing popularity of Permanent Style is the regularity with which readers find old posts – usually via search engines – and question me about them. I dislike being called an expert today, whether it’s ...

SC: Good to see you Izzy. It’s great to have Connolly open in London again - there are still so few independent shops offering this combination of real craftsmanship and original design. You opened in November 2016. How has the reaction been sinc...

Having been rather taken with both the style and personalised service of EB Meyrowitz (see previous piece here) I decided to have a pair of glasses fitted late last year. The experience speaks of the expertise of Sheel and her sisters, but also of th...

I ordered my first pair of Top Drawer boots from Edward Green back in January and they arrived in May, which is a little better than average for made-to-order shoes from the Northampton makers in my experience. I ordered Compton boots in a new brown ...

 Last month there were three parties on Savile Row on the same night. Huntsman, Kilgour and Anderson & Sheppard all held events on the Monday of London Collections:Men, with very different atmospheres.While they showed very different ideas of th...