Interview with Michel Barnes – and L’...
I think L'Étiquette is the best menswear magazine in the world at the moment. The main reason is its ability to cover bespoke tailoring and high-street casual - Caraceni and Converse - in a way that feels both easy and relevant. This applies ...
Interview with Michel Barnes – and L’...
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Hi. If someone wants to flaneur, let him flaneur away. I agree that Mr. Barnes is ever seeking his perfect imperfection. All power to him. Everyone has to have their passion or quest. Mine is finding the perfect thifted ...
Paris: A sartorial shopping guide – 2019 up...
There are some interesting things going on in French menswear. Although France has generally been the poor cousin to Britain and Italy here, in the last 30 years it seemed to get worse. Most of the good shops closed (Old England, Arnys) and accordin...
Paris: A sartorial shopping guide – 2019 up...
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Hey Mo, I would be suspicious about bespoke at that price point, yes. To be honest, I think you're better off going for really good MTM at that price, rather than risking bespoke and it not turning out as you expected. I...
Skoaktiebolaget and Stoffa in How To Spend It
He looks pretty suave doesn't he? Got a good lean on. Patrick at Swedish shoe shop Skoaktiebolaget recently posed for an article of mine, above, in How To Spend It magazine. (A supplement of the Financial Times, and arguably the top luxury publicat...
Skoaktiebolaget and Stoffa in How To Spend It
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Hi Simon, Have you considered writing for publications like Gay Times or Attitude? Both publications are aimed mainly at men and could increase your audience (and income). Best regards Joel...
How to buy my first bespoke suit – reader q...
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’...
How to buy my first bespoke suit – reader q...
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Thanks Sam, great update, and great knowing how timeless this advice has been...
How to buy quality shoes
“If you want to know if a guy is well dressed, look down.” So said US columnist George Frazier back in the 1950s, and his words have never been more true. Men who spend too little on their shoes end up with flimsy things that look old ...
How to buy quality shoes
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I see... These are from Crockett&Jones’ Handgrade collections, and now I understand more specifically why you were saying even the hand grade is not at a similar level as the EG. Although the details are tiny, this...
Crockett & Jones: the factory, the shoes, the...
Last week I was in Northampton visiting a few of the shoemakers, particularly Crockett & Jones and the new Gaziano & Girling factory. I have never owned any Crockett & Jones shoes. But I have heard so many great things from...
Crockett & Jones: the factory, the shoes, the...
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Did anybody do the same reverse engineering with Church's? I have been arguing on the side of Church's for years. I would be interested to know what the findings were....
Royal warrant holders at the Coronation Festival
This past weekend saw the Coronation Festival in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, at which holders of royal warrants exhibited. The royal warrant is not exactly the mark of quality that some might assume, given that it includes Austin Reed and Daks...
Royal warrant holders at the Coronation Festival
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The latter is more accurate. But K&H are also not really saying they can do anything at all. All adaptation has its limits....
Permanent Style in Free & Easy magazine
This column in Japanese magazine Free & Easy is the result of the photo shoot I posted about before Christmas. I have no idea what the Japanese text says, but hopefully it faithfully reports my opinions on shoes and shoe collecting, and desc...
Permanent Style in Free & Easy magazine
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John you wouldn't be so sceptical and ignorant in your reproach if you judged by the content of the magazine. It's one of the best menswear magazines out there in my opinion, much more relevant than the shit they sell in...
Shoe shoot for Free and Easy
Photo shoot yesterday for Free and Easy magazine in Japan. They’re doing a special on English shoes, so shots of four pairs of my shoes from four different English shoemakers, and an interview/shoot with me. Photos of that next month when...
Shoe shoot for Free and Easy
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To be honest, I'd say most of the ones I've used for more than one shoe have been similar - Stefano Bemer, Cleverley, Gaziano. Though perhaps with Masaru Okuyama being a little better (see that recent post). The stand-ou...
Altan shoes: primary colour
Altan is a small bespoke and ready-to-wear shoemaker in Paris, with three locations across the city. Old Mr Altan, the father of the boys currently running the business, trained with Berluti and Lobb. He still does bespoke, and makes some lovely mode...
Altan shoes: primary colour
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In the Kruger Park in South Africa, being strictly protected, the number of elephants from time to time surpasses the number the land can support. Careful culling is organized under the Park Rangers supervision, and skin...
Book review: The last shall be first
This famous book is well-named-: its sub-title is ‘The colourful story of John Lobb, the bootmakers of St James’s’. That colour comes from tales of the young Lobb, social history of the development of bootmaking and pocket biographi...
Book review: The last shall be first
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No worries, and very pleased you enjoyed it too...
Rivolta: A brave innovation in bespoke
Milan can easily be underrated by men who love classic style. Given the choice of Italian cities to visit, they would always pick Naples – the home of soft tailoring, that very distinctive shoulder and companies like E Marinella and Kiton (not ...
Rivolta: A brave innovation in bespoke
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