For the next in our series of practical videos, I wanted to tackle shoe polishing. But, also to present it in a way that was more discursive, and explained rather than just taught. Most videos on polishing just show one person doing what they do, an...

As with the first in our shoe polishing videos, this film is more discursive than most, with context and analysis around both the talk and the demonstration. Most videos on polishing just show one person doing what they do, and coming up with a grea...

While in Florence last month, we took the opportunity to film some of the practical videos we've produced in the last year, with artisans based in the city. This is the first, with Stefano Bemer, talking about buying a first pair of bespoke shoes:...

Edward Green recently made this video showing step-by-step the stages of making a pair of shoes in the Northampton factory. I like the lack of pretentiousness to it - others would desaturate the imagery, use slow motion to linger over particular par...

The clothing care I've always been worst at is washing knitwear. But I have got better in recent years, in part as I've become more used to the process and it's felt more reliable, more predictable.  Over time you also start to see the results. P...

Everybody loves a bargain. I think one reader referred to it as the ‘siren song’ of cheaper-but-quality clothing.  The reference is often apt. Enthusiasts of anything expensive are drawn to the idea - like hypnotised Greek sailors - that they c...

Sometimes the lapels of a jacket can get squashed in the wardrobe, making them fold at a point they’re not supposed to (the ‘break point’).  It happens particularly with jackets that have more intentional roll, such as a ‘three-roll-two’, ...

When we approached the headquarters of 45R, I was a little nervous. I'd been given an introduction by a friend, but had no idea what the management team knew about me or Permanent Style, or how much they cared.  It was late afternoon and already get...

This is the first in a series of videos that we will be doing over the coming months, looking at caring for good clothes. They will be instructional, but not too technical, and we plan to build them up slowly over the year - so for example, not t...

In the past week, perhaps as it has been particularly wet here, I’ve had three comments from readers on old posts about dealing with soaking-wet shoes.  Those old posts were never very comprehensive, so here is something fuller - dealing with all ...

For most people, the main problem with packing is fitting everything in. If you're carrying a suit, however, you're also faced with the trickier problem of avoiding creasing. I've long used a technique that involves wrapping jackets and trousers arou...

Fixing the hem on trousers is a fairly easy - and satisfying - thing to do at home. It also enables you, should you want to, to alter the length of trousers (though it's much easier without cuffs). In this video I talk to Ben Clarke, cutter at Richar...

Akshat of 100 Hands was a little nervous before this, but he needn't have been. He is one of the most thoughtful people out there on shirts, their fit and their make. Partly, this is because he's simply been through it all: building a shirt factory ...

This is the second in a series of videos in which we're looking at how a jacket should fit. The first one, here, was a summary of the basics on fit. In this second one, we look at the length of a jacket. This is the kind of thing that can seem like a...

This is the first in a series of three videos in which I look at how a jacket should fit. In this first one, we cover the basics around the jacket - front, back and side. It's a useful summary of the main points, and applies as much to a high-street...

It's dress-up time! In this second video with Audie Charles at the Anderson & Sheppard Haberdashery, Audie dresses me in five pieces of knitwear from the shop, showing how she thinks they can add variety. In Audie's view, men too often go for a s...

This is the third in our series of reader-question videos, with the subject this time being wardrobe building.  Specifically: “I am building up a wardrobe from scratch. What do I buy first, and how much should I spend?” It’s a popular question...

This talk with Tommaso Capozzoli of Sartoria Vestrucci is a useful beginner's guide for commissioning a suit.  Tommaso explains how he would work out what kind of suit a customer wants, how he would direct cloth choices, and how the measuring pro...

Almost a year ago, back in January, I began the process of making a pair of bespoke shoes with a new outfit in Romania, Petru & Claymoor.  Shoe fans might have seen some coverage of the brand over the intervening year. It was set up by Mircea Ci...

One of the reasons a bespoke suit can last a long time is that it is easier to adjust, and the tailors that made it are better at doing so. It's easier to adjust because more cloth is left in the seams, and in more places, than anything made in a fa...

This groundwork for this video was laid two weeks ago, when we examined the various aspects of the cut of a jacket. It might be worth watching that first, if you haven't already. It showed the most important points of cut and structure, from the size...

This video, the latest in our series on how to care for your tailoring at home, looks at stains. Cutter Ben Clarke, from Richard James in London, suggested this as a topic a while ago, but I wasn't sure. I thought we'd want to talk to a dry cleaner o...

How a suit lasts - and can be repaired over time - doesn't get much focus in bespoke. The craft, the history, the style: they're all talked about more, and understandably so. They're a good deal sexier. But it's a shame, because a benefit of the way ...

Here is the final video in our series on how a jacket should fit. The first looked at the basics of fit, while the second was on the length of a suit jacket. In this third one, we look at how much the fit of a suit is a matter of comfort. So arguing ...

One of the things I enjoy most about Permanent Style is the comments from readers.  It’s like each article is a new thread in a forum, with subject raised and then comments, experiences and questions all following, vastly enriching the article?...