This post could come under the ‘How great things age’ or the ‘Reflections on bespoke’ heading. Whatever the category, readers have asked frequently about this pea coat, how it has held up and - more specifically - whether I ever changed t...

  When we published our recent article on the types and styles of shirt collars, a reader requested a follow-up piece on the precise dimensions of what I wear.  In fact, this has come up a few times over the years, particularly...

This bespoke jacket was made by Shibumi, the Italian/Japanese company better known for ties and accessories.  Over the past couple of years, founder Benedikt Fries has been working with a small Florentine tailor to offer this bespoke tailoring servi...

I’m not sure about the mock neck.  It’s been having a resurgence recently - everyone is doing one, from Camoshita to Loro Piana, Margaret Howell to Inis Meain. I can’t remember the last time a style of knitwear became so ubiquitous so quickly....

This fur lining for my vintage field jacket - originally mentioned in January - has finally seen some active wear in recent weeks, as the temperature has dropped.  It was cut, made and fixed into the jacket by fur specialists Yves Salomon, using sec...

By Manish Puri The attention of Permanent Style has always been - and will continue to remain - trained upon the highest quality garments in the world. However, there are barriers to accessing the very best – especially with suits. You might live h...

In my continued exploration of all things the colour of mourning, I commissioned this black-corduroy suit from Pommella (trousers) and Zizolfi (jacket) last year.  The logic seemed sound: if black is going to work in tailoring, I’d consistently fo...

I like wearing suits. Not only do I have a lot that I like wearing, but I continue to commission them – not as much as sports jackets, certainly, but consistently. It can be an issue knowing how to wear them without a tie though. I know I have a bi...

There are two parts to this piece: one, Fred; two, chalkstripes. Given it's a review, let's do the first one first.  This is the first piece of tailoring Fred Nieddu has made for me, having previously made a more unusual piece, a belted suede jacket...

Solaro has always been one of those materials I’ve found intriguing but never took the leap on, simply because I was too unsure how much I’d like such an unusual, and in some ways showy material.  For those that don’t know, Solaro was invented...

This is the kind of suit that makes you glad you're wearing a suit.  The kind you look forward to wearing, as a change to the floppy casual home stuff you've been in too much recently. Why? Because of the structure, the shoulder and to a lesser exte...

This is the fourth article in our Guide to Suit Style. You can see the full contents so far, and browse between them, on the right-hand side of this post. How many buttons should I have on a single-breasted jacket? Just as hard a...

When you collect your new suit from A Suit That Fits, five to six weeks after the fitting, the staff suggests a thorough examination of the fit. But I have always found that impossible to know until it has been worn on three or four different occasio...

I was a little anxious today, going with my colleague to pick up his suit from A Suit That Fits. Knowing I was going to review the result; knowing that they knew I was going to review the result. Overall, though, the impression was very positive. Muc...

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...

Just before Christmas, I took my belted coat into Whitcomb & Shaftesbury to have it converted into a normal overcoat.  As detailed on my original article, this was always a possibility.  I began the experiment of a bespoke wrap coat with the aw...

Despite the inquiries readers often make during the pop-up, we have no plans to open a permanent shop. However, we have started working with a few friends around the world to make it easier to try on the various shirts and polo shirts. Last year, S...

These 'Building a Wardrobe' pieces have now been collected into a Guide, which will expand over time. You can see the list at the right (on desktop), at the bottom of this post (on mobile) or simply on its own page here.  When you first sta...

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...

This is part of a long-running series of articles known as the Guide to Suit Style, covering everything from the number of buttons on a suit to the difference between made-to-measure and bespoke.    It will continue to be added to over the next...

Dear Simon, In a couple of months time I will be 21. This is clearly an important time in one's life, in my case particularly as I will also be undertaking the purchase of my first bespoke suit. As a regular reader of your blog I'm seeking your advi...

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 nice thing about our Finest Tailors series is that, as we add more tailors to it, each becomes a reference for the next, making comparisons easier. This Henry Poole suit, then, makes an interesting comparison to the Richard Ande...

I've always found cotton very appealing for summer suits, but historically haven't had much luck with them.I had a navy one made by Choppin & Lodge, but the make was really too English and structured for the material (my fault, not theirs). And...

Apologies to those that had been waiting a while for coverage of this suit. It was finished in the Spring, but Japanese magazine Men’s Precious asked me to wait until it had been shot as part of a feature before publishing. The photographs here ar...