The appeal of workwear, and my favourite pieces
November 12th 2018Although tailoring is my primary passion, I’ve always worn clothing that these days would be grouped under the term ‘workwear’ on the weekend. Good denim, obviously, but also sweatshirts, waxed boots and canvas trousers. Some of th...
The appeal of workwear, and my favourite pieces
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that's a great insight - thank you!...
Jacket and jeans: vintage cashmere from Eduardo d...
September 26th 2018One of the most useful things in this day and age is a jacket that can be worn equally well with jeans and with formal, tailored trousers. I’ve talked about this in the past, but in summary I find that for a jacket to work with jeans it need...
Jacket and jeans: vintage cashmere from Eduardo d...
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I disagree with Burt, Vic, but I think this colour of brown is easier than a very dark brown cashmere, as you seem to be suggesting. I think this colour works because it's lighter - clearly not a smart colour - and it ha...
Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake
July 30th 2018Next year I will publish a travel guide to the best men's stores around the world, with Thames & Hudson. Alongside the city chapters there will be interviews with well-travelled people in the menswear industry, highlighting their tips and in...
Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake
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Tatton Baird is a fantastic hat shop and we're very lucky to have them in my home state of Utah. What isn't widely known however is that their master hatter was trained by a gentleman named James Whittington who ran his ...
How great things age: Levi’s bespoke jeans
May 18th 2018Several readers asked how my bespoke jeans, made by Levi’s in London, have aged in the four years I’ve had them. To answer, I decided to do a shoot at the new Levi’s bespoke workshop on Great Marlborough Street, showing i...
How great things age: Levi’s bespoke jeans
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Thanks Chris, I didn't know that...
Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you w...
February 28th 2018Although casual clothing is far more susceptible to fashions than tailored clothing, it is possible to organize it into certain groups, or paradigms. These groups, such as preppy clothing or workwear, often have their roots in particular parts of th...
Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you w...
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Hi David, To be honest I hadn't included that in this section at all, as it's mostly quite smart compared to anything modern. Even flannel trousers, a shirt and sweater is pretty smart today. Did you mean that kind of cl...
Blackhorse Lane – innovative, sartorial jeans
February 14th 2018Although I applaud the resurrection of British craft, it is the quality of the work itself - rather than where it takes place - that I’ve always thought should be the consumer’s priority. So while it was lovely to know Blackhorse Lane At...
Blackhorse Lane – innovative, sartorial jeans
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Thanks, nice tip...
A casual capsule: The Valstarino jacket three ways
December 21st 2017The blouson in general, but particularly in brown and especially in brown suede, has to be one of the most versatile pieces in a man's wardrobe. The shape is short and neat enough to work well with smarter clothing; suede suggests a more dressy look...
A casual capsule: The Valstarino jacket three ways
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Thans ! Will take a look....
Codis Maya and The Workers Club – in the po...
December 14th 2017It really is a lovely feeling walking into the pop-up shop for a new week. There’s Carmen from Camiseria Burgos in Madrid, whom I haven’t seen for five years, pretty much. Next to her is Benedikt from Shibumi, lining up his ties with his...
Codis Maya and The Workers Club – in the po...
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Perhaps talk to them about that Shem. I wore a Medium...
How to wear trainers: Part 3. Style
October 13th 2017This post is an illustrated explanation of how I wear trainers, or sneakers. As with similar exercises on the blog, I have attempted to be as structured as possible, keeping some parameters constant in order to focus on those being discussed. So in ...
How to wear trainers: Part 3. Style
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I wouldn't do it myself, I'm not sure it would look that sharp...
Anglo-Italian denim and Ralph Lauren cardigan
August 18th 2017Rather a contrast this to Wednesday's post on dressing for hot weather. But it's good to look ahead to Autumn (God I'm looking forward to it - the coats, the knitwear, the hats!). And it's nice to be able to write about something that's actually in...
Anglo-Italian denim and Ralph Lauren cardigan
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It's a mix of two things: the cut I find a little too slim and tapered now, and the washes I don't like that much - they feel a bit too artificial. I'd go with raw denim and wear them in yourself....
Anglo-Italian: Jake Grantham and Alex Pirounis op...
May 26th 2017Last night was the (soft) opening of Anglo-Italian, the new shop in London being run by ex-Armoury buddies Jake Grantham and Alex Pirounis. It’s been a long time coming. Various events have slowed things down, and even last night the mirrors w...
Anglo-Italian: Jake Grantham and Alex Pirounis op...
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It's very early days - I've only worn them one day. But my initial thoughts are that I like the low profile, the suede, and the low lacing - they all give them character. I wore them with workwear chinos and they were gr...
Summer colours: Tobacco and tan
May 12th 2017Shades of tobacco and tan are one of the loveliest things to wear in the Summer. As the weather warms up, I've put together three outfits here - all somewhere in the 5 to 7 formality range - that illustrate this. They are displayed on my wonderf...
Summer colours: Tobacco and tan
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That bunch is no longer current I'm afraid (as with pretty much all cloths older than 2 or 3 years). Most still carry a natural or biscuit-coloured version however...
Bespoke double-breasted denim jacket – from...
April 7th 2017The attraction of denim for the modern, sartorial man is easy to understand. In an age when clothing is increasingly casual, making tailoring less formal through the use of casual cloths is attractive. It retains the benefits of tailoring - the el...
Bespoke double-breasted denim jacket – from...
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Thanks Chris. It has aged well, and I do wear it quite often. The only restriction is the weight, which makes it really just an Autumn/Winter piece. It's also the kind of jacket that leads everything else in the outfit, ...
The Armoury: Do you know about the trousers?
March 1st 2017For many reasons - personal, business, product, sheer beauty of execution - I’ve long been a fan of The Armoury. They were therefore one brand I was particularly excited to get into our Savile Row pop-up shop. However, the things I wanted to f...
The Armoury: Do you know about the trousers?
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Yes, should be fine. No worries - any relevant post is good. Basically, it's nice to post questions somewhere wear another reader might have the same question in their mind...
Ethan Newton’s Tokyo store – Brycelan...
November 4th 2016I was quite intrigued to see Ethan Newton’s Bryceland's store in Tokyo when we visited a few weeks ago. In particular, how he is presenting his view on tailoring and how that mixes with the more casual americana side. The tailoring is essentia...
Ethan Newton’s Tokyo store – Brycelan...
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A vintage backpack, and a collaboration Brycelands did years ago with Frank Clegg, using some vintage cloth....
Levi’s bespoke jeans – Update and 501...
June 6th 2016Two years ago, I wrote enthusiastically about the launch of Levi’s bespoke denim service - Lot No.1. Here was the prospect of getting perfectly fitting jeans, in exactly the cut you wanted, made by a Row-trained cutter. The service provided by...
Levi’s bespoke jeans – Update and 501...
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It is pretty wide, though I wouldn't know whether they have that one I'm afraid. There is a booking service on the Levi's site now, under 'Customise' and I'm sure you can phone up to get more info. Yes, I'm considering a...
Colour combinations, from casual to formal
May 31st 2016The colour combinations that we discuss every week in regards to formal wear, can be applied just as readily to casual wear. Although there will always be elements that don't crossover (such as the immense versatility of denim) a lot of the themes ...
Colour combinations, from casual to formal
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No, sorry, though they did shrink noticeably. I actually ended up giving them away...
Interview: Jonathan Cheung, Head of Design, Levi&...
May 27th 2015Jonathan is perhaps my perfect interviewee. He knows his craft, he knows bespoke, and given his job, he’s very interested in the crossover between tailoring and more casual clothing. – PS: Can you run through your background qu...
Interview: Jonathan Cheung, Head of Design, Levi&...
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Por favor que vuelvan los clásicos Levis 505 . (Please come back the classic Levis 505)...
In front of the Barbour beacon
March 2nd 2015Last week three of us visited the Barbour factory in South Shields, in the name of a new book on British heritage brands. Given we were researching the stories behind the companies, it was natural to stay next to the lighthouse that was the early ...
In front of the Barbour beacon
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It's a vintage model Will, profiled here....
Coats, gloves, shirts and jeans: Reflections on b...
January 7th 2015Last year a reader commented – quite rightly – that there is a tendency here to cover freshly received suits/shirts/shoes, but not follow up on them later, when they have bedded in. He was right also to say that this is a defic...
Coats, gloves, shirts and jeans: Reflections on b...
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I usually take my jeans in at the waist when I get them, because my hips are much wider than my waist, and again take them in after they're worn in and stretched. I've never heard a denimhead voice an opinion on this and...
Denim and tailoring
October 31st 2014The crossover between denim and tailoring is an interesting one. The appeal is perfectly understandable: like tight fits, short jackets or bracelets, it reflects a desire to undermine the conservative preconceptions of suiting. The execution, howev...
Denim and tailoring
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Thanks, although with some bespoke like that at Levis written about here, you can have that denim and get (in my experience) a better fit than through wash and wear...
Levi’s final bespoke jeans
April 11th 2014I’ve been wearing in my Levi’s bespoke jeans gradually over the past few weeks, and the raw denim is settling in well. For those unfamiliar with raw denim, it is favoured by those passionate about indigo twill for the way it mould...
Levi’s final bespoke jeans
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Thank you, that's really useful. Personally I don't like any of those additions - they always look a little cheap to me. But then maybe I'm more of a denim purist in that regard....
Levi’s bespoke jeans – the making
March 26th 2014This is the second part of this series, looking at the making of bespoke jeans in the Levi’s Lot No.1 service. Read about the commissioning, background and pricing here. The process of cutting bespoke jeans is not that dissimilar...
Levi’s bespoke jeans – the making
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No, usually just one fitting. But there will be a decent wait between ordering and fitting, so it might not work with a single visit...
Levi’s bespoke jeans
March 19th 2014A reader recently asked me about what jeans I wear. The answer is largely Albam; I’ve found the British company’s product to wear well, while the raw Japanese denim is good for getting a nice fit and a personal patina. I’ve also tri...
Levi’s bespoke jeans
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With that range of colour, I don't think it's going to matter that much which one you go with. I'd pick based on which look of jeans you like more...
Three good, three bad
November 15th 2013I don’t often write negative things about brands. There are so many great things to write about, and I generally prefer to simply not cover them than write something negative. Perhaps, as Spanish readers suggested at a seminar in Madrid las...
Three good, three bad
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Hi Simon, I've just picked up a black Turnball & Asser DB tuxedo jacket in a charity shop for an absolute snip! Looks like it was made bespoke but never worn. Fits me lime a glove! Problem I have now though of course...
