Crockett & Jones ‘Harvard’ loafe...
November 10th 2021I’ve always recommended Crockett & Jones to readers over the years, as a solid, good-value English shoe. But I’ve only briefly owned a pair. I had some when I was in my twenties, but bought the wrong size - so sold them within a ...
Crockett & Jones ‘Harvard’ loafe...
Match in comments:
PS Sam shoe style is pretty horrible, but he does have high insteps…...
Autumn/Winter Top 10: Wax, Ivy and secateurs
October 11th 2021This year’s A/W Top 10 list includes a sprinkling of new names, but a lot of familiar ones too. I don’t think this is unexpected or unwelcome. The world of classic, crafted menswear is not large, primarily because men still don’t ...
Autumn/Winter Top 10: Wax, Ivy and secateurs
Match in comments:
No, they're a 2-ply which is standard yarn for this kind of polo knit. You could wear over a shirt or instead of one. However, they are different to a Smedley or a PS polo, which use much finer merino yarn. This is expla...
What would I buy from Massimo Dutti?
September 1st 2021When is it worth buying the best possible quality, and when can you economise? This, of course, was part of the subject of my book The Finest Menswear in the World , which examined what constitutes ‘quality’ in various categories of clo...
What would I buy from Massimo Dutti?
Match in comments:
Good point, and no, not particularly I'm afraid. I find a similar issue, and often narrow the body but have the same issue with the collar....
Are bespoke shoes worth it?
August 9th 2021Every time I do a review of bespoke shoes, the question comes up as to whether they're worth the money. Whether bespoke shoes in general can really be worth it, given the little issues I often report. My short answer is that, in my experience , the...
Playing around with white bucks
August 4th 2021During sunny weather in the past few weeks, I've been playing around with these old shoes from Lodger, the shoe shop that used to be on Clifford Street in London, and where I first started writing about menswear . The shoes were a recreation of a 1...
Playing around with white bucks
Match in comments:
I called Alden in Massachusetts on 16 February 2022. The woman stated that they are not making the white bucks because they cannot find the leather. I got an email from Crockett & Jones who stated that they will have...
Carreducker remote-fitted bespoke boots: Review
August 2nd 2021I think when craftsmen are doing remote fittings, they err on the safe side. That’s one consistency I can draw from my online bespoke over the past year. Whether it’s with WW Chan , Massura or Ferdinando Caraceni in tailoring, Carreduc...
Carreducker remote-fitted bespoke boots: Review
Match in comments:
I do, yes, they're lovely in the winter...
Remote, manufactured bespoke boots from Carreducker
June 11th 2021I've known Deborah Carré and James Ducker (below)for many years, having first covered their workshops when they were at Cockpit Arts (those pictures of me and Luke!), then the opening of their service at Gieves & Hawkes , and more rec...
Remote, manufactured bespoke boots from Carreducker
Match in comments:
Yes there is...
Desert boots (and knitwear, and bespoke) at Anglo...
June 4th 2021Somehow, Jake and Anglo-Italian manage to keep relatively under the radar here in the UK, despite being one of the few classic-menswear shops keeping that spirit relevant. Perhaps it’s because they don’t actively seek out mainstream cov...
Desert boots (and knitwear, and bespoke) at Anglo...
Match in comments:
Cheers Alex. I don't have the Alden LHS in cordovan, but I take 9.5 in the ones I have in suede, Van last...
Viberg Service Boots: My choice of work boot
May 10th 2021During the past Winter, I was vaguely looking to replace my longstanding work boots from Wolverine (above) . They’d done great service: on long country walks, camping in different parts of the country, and just going to the local park in rain...
Viberg Service Boots: My choice of work boot
Match in comments:
Thank you very much...
The (17) bespoke shoemakers I have known
March 10th 2021This article was originally written back in 2014. Back then I had tried seven bespoke shoemakers, and nothing in Japan. Seven years later, the number has more than doubled, and the spread is wider – also encompassing some semi-be...
The (17) bespoke shoemakers I have known
Match in comments:
I think that's fine - I'd certainly happily spend more on an overcoat than on shoes. However, that's in large part based on my experience of bespoke shoes, which has been patchy - see article here....
Pyjamas and working from home: Baudoin & Lan...
February 26th 2021Best stay-at-home wear: Baudoin & Lange Runners-up: Luca Faloni, Sunspel PS readers voted Baudoin & Lange the best for ‘stay at home’ wear in 2021 Awards, principally based on their Sagans or Sagan Lune shoes. ...
Pyjamas and working from home: Baudoin & Lan...
Match in comments:
Hi PA - I would recommend Belgian loafers with rubber soles (traveler loafers). Sagan Strides is one example but a similar more affordable option would be Yanko - check out the Skolyx site. I was also looking for somethi...
Why have these bespoke shoes aged so well?
February 22nd 2021What shoes do we still find ourselves wearing after 10 years, and why? I find this is mostly about making sensible, functional choices; then a little bit about quality and fit; and almost nothing to do with bevelled waists or stitches per inch. We...
Why have these bespoke shoes aged so well?
Match in comments:
I tend to prefer rounded, and squared often looks a little more stylised, a little more modern or edgy. But please keep in mind it is only one factor - you can have a subtle squared toe on a rounded last and it look very...
Outfits I got wrong
February 19th 2021Everyone gets stuff wrong. We all have outfits we look back on years later, and cringe. Fortunately, I believe this is something where you learn and progress. It is not a cycle of fashions, where every few years you wear something different, and di...
The future of Crockett & Jones
February 10th 2021Shoe brand of the year: Crockett & Jones Runners up: Edward Green, TLB Crockett & Jones has won our 2021 award for best shoe brand - an accolade intended to recognise a shoemaker that is adapting to this age of online reta...
The future of Crockett & Jones
Match in comments:
Ross, factory resole (using the original last no less) is highly overrated. You yourself mentioned you are light on your shoes. So go with what makes financial sense right now. The likelihood is you may not need factory ...
Nicholas Templeman bespoke shoes: Review
January 13th 2021Bespoke shoes are a luxury for me, rather than the norm. Unlike bespoke tailoring - which I will always buy over RTW as long as I can afford to - I’m quite happy with a shoe wardrobe which is mostly ready-made. This can put more pressure on ...
Nicholas Templeman bespoke shoes: Review
Match in comments:
The creasing has been fine, though I haven't found them to be that versatile to be honest. I think perhaps it's the combination of a more casual style and colour, but in a bespoke make. If I wore more casual/rural tailor...
Petru & Claymoor bespoke shoes: Review
December 2nd 2020Almost 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 Mirc...
Petru & Claymoor bespoke shoes: Review
Match in comments:
They've remained pretty stiff, but also I haven't worn them a huge amount because of uncertainties about the style. So not the best test case...
Carmina unlined chukka boots: Review
November 9th 2020There is one way in which this review is necessarily unfair. The vast majority of my shoes are at a higher quality level than these Carmina chukkas, and therefore my context will be different to many potential customers. However, I have owned cheape...
Carmina unlined chukka boots: Review
Match in comments:
I know I'm resurrecting an old post. If the slippage is due to them being too long then the XIM last might work for you. The UETAM is quite narrow in my opinion, so you could size down .5 and go with UETAM EE. The Carmin...
The Winter Top 5: End, GRP, Real McCoy’s, B...
November 4th 2020Anonymous Ism socks, via End £30 The online version of End is a surprisingly good source for classic clothing. Although it’s still dominated by street wear, and the new shop off Carnaby Street is entirely trainers and hoodies, the websit...
The Winter Top 5: End, GRP, Real McCoy’s, B...
Match in comments:
Hi Simon, Very helpful. Many thanks!...
Clutch Cafe: A guide to my favourite brands
September 7th 2020There is a handful of menswear shops in London that I recommend regularly to friends visiting from abroad. They include Trunk, Connolly, Drake's and Anderson & Sheppard Haberdashery. All boutiques, all founded in the past decade. The most ...
Clutch Cafe: A guide to my favourite brands
Match in comments:
I haven't tried it, but yes it would...
TLB Artista shoes: Review
August 17th 2020Spanish shoemaker TLB sent me these ‘Artista’ suede oxfords to try, following my mention of them in our round-up of cheaper shoe brands last month. I have to say, I was immediately impressed. Not necessarily compared to the top-end shoe...
TLB Artista shoes: Review
Match in comments:
I too bought a pair of these and have worn them twice. I absolutely love them. They are very attractive and quite comfortable. The quality is also excellent for their price point....
My colours in the Baudoin & Lange ‘Ginkgo’ l...
July 31st 2020Baudoin & Lange recently launched a new, perhaps more conventional range to their shoes, called the Ginkgo. Allan asked me if I'd like to pick a colour or two of suede to make up in this style, and offer as part of the collection - as I did...
My colours in the Baudoin & Lange ‘Ginkgo’ l...
Match in comments:
It's really a question of personal preference. I prefer a tassel, but arguably it is less versatile....
My Summer shoes
July 29th 2020Shoes can be one of the trickiest areas for clothing in the summer. Unless we require a jacket, it’s pretty simple to wear a well-cut polo shirt on top and drapey linen trousers on the bottom, and stay cool. But shoes are always re...
My Summer shoes
Match in comments:
Not really, no. Certainly not as a smart shoe shoe at all...
The complete capsule: Prices, budgets and timelines
July 13th 2020Our ‘complete capsule’ article last month went down particularly well with readers. Setting out a concentrated, versatile wardrobe, I think it provided both a good starting point for new readers and a way for older ones to real...
The complete capsule: Prices, budgets and timelines
Match in comments:
Oh good. Helps when you've been there!...
Nicholas Templeman bespoke shoes: Introduction an...
July 8th 2020Nicholas Templeman is a bespoke shoemaker, an ex-John Lobb lastmaker who now works out of his home in North London. We've been working on a pair of derby shoes for the past year, and they're near completion. So I thought it would be good time to wri...
Nicholas Templeman bespoke shoes: Introduction an...
Match in comments:
They're doing very well, certainly comfortable and well made. We had a small issue lining up the facings, but it is small. We're just correcting that and then there will be a full piece....
Espadrilles: Style, occasion, and brands
July 3rd 2020UPDATE: This is a nice video from Diegos showing how espadrilles are made. You can see the better, neater hand sewing of the soles mentioned below. I remember clearly when I got my first pair of espadrilles. I was 19, on holiday in Spain, and bough...
Espadrilles: Style, occasion, and brands
Match in comments:
Hi, this is Vincent from Maison LQ. Our espadrilles are handmade with love in the south of France. Our style is traditional, true to the authentic espadrilles. Please check out our website, I would love to get your thoug...
