What is French Ivy?
By Tony Sylvester “A few years back, I posted a photo of Paul Weller on my Instagram (above). It was taken in 1984 in his Style Council era, where much to the consternation of the Mod faithful, he was constantly tinkering with his attire - ali...
What is French Ivy?
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Sorry for the (extremely long) delay in responding but in France jackets/tailored coats and Weston loafers were definitely de rigeur, along with atrachés/ briefcases. In US Ivies it was more OCBDs and (at the time) Arma...
What are the best knitwear colours under tailoring?
This question about knitwear worn on its own (without a shirt) came up twice recently - once in a comment about polo-collared knits (above) and once in a reader question about roll necks. So it feels like it deserves its own post. Anyone that has w...
What are the best knitwear colours under tailoring?
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I wear the black under dark brown tweed, yes, and under greys sometimes as well as under dark olive. Navy is surprisingly tricky, and is mostly under navy and dark cold brown as you say. And navy suits, as here Of course...
Summer smart/casual: Three looks, three levels of...
Last week I explained why I find the knit polo shirt to be such a fundamental part of my summer wardrobe. This week, I’m using that polo and a pair of cream linen trousers as the basis for three different looks – three dif...
Summer smart/casual: Three looks, three levels of...
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Thanks, yes a touch wide but pretty good, thanks for the tip...
The knit polo shirt: My Summer staple
Over the next few weeks on Permanent Style, I’ll be setting out the pieces that form the foundation of my smart/casual summer wardrobe. We’ve covered the smart (read tailored) side of summer dressing in quite a lot of detail...
The knit polo shirt: My Summer staple
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White or cream will certainly be nice. I'd also suggest black and darker/less yellow shades of beige...
How good is Uniqlo knitwear?
Best value product: Uniqlo merino knitwear Runners-up: Natalino trousers, SuitSupply tailoring When you buy Uniqlo knitwear rather than something more expensive, what are you getting? What is it about the product - rather than where it&rs...
How good is Uniqlo knitwear?
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I happen to have bought 2 Uniqlo merino wool sweaters recently (2 tutrtle necks, 1 thin and 1 thicker) and at the same time similar models from other more luxurious brands (Gran Sasso and a couple of new DNVB's) After on...
The knitted, fully fashioned T-shirt
When I travel, my default these days is a blouson over shirt and trousers. It makes a nice switch from tailoring during the working days – perhaps a little more comfortable, but more importantly just a change that feels as good ...
The knitted, fully fashioned T-shirt
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To be honest Hannes I don't find I use it as much as I thought I would. It is nice, but I always reach for the more straightforward totes more often...
How to layer knitwear
Layering knitwear can be both stylish and practical. Practical, because it gives particular warmth on a cold day - more, usually, than a shirt under knitwear. The multiple layers are also easy to add and remove as the temperature varies. And stylish...
How to layer knitwear
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I have found a reasonably good solution for drying is to use a de-humidifier in a small room (I use my bathroom as depending on what type of house you live in, it is possible to overly dry out the fabric of the walls/bui...
Colour combinations, from casual to formal
The 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...
Best of British: Buy your personalised copy
My third book this year, published by Prestel and in bookstores worldwide, is now available. It is called Best of British: The Stories Behind Britain’s Iconic Brands. The book covers 14 British manufacturers that are over 100 years’ ol...
Best of British: Buy your personalised copy
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Their top end is still a good level - which is what we feature in the book. But generally the focus of this book is on history and stories of England's oldest manufacturers, so quality was less of a concern (eg Barbour.....
The knitted T-shirt
It would be easy to ignore the difference between fully fashioned and normal T-shirts or polos. There aren’t many around, and the distinction is subtle. But good examples of the former create a very distinctive look. Ninety-nine per cent of ...
The knitted T-shirt
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They're nice for the price, yes, though like the vast majority of t-shirts they are not fully fashioned like these Smedley ones...
Smedley’s slim-fit knitwear reviewed
Readers will not be surprised that I consider the John Smedley fine-gauge knitwear the best available for wear with tailoring. Cashmere is often too delicate at this level of thinness, and fine merino is versatile enough to go deal with a broad ran...
Smedley’s slim-fit knitwear reviewed
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Yes it's a shame wool seems to have largely fallen out of the wider consciousness. I just happened to notice one day that my wool peacoat (I had thought little about what it was made of before) appeared to be keeping me ...
Casual, summer, office attire
Following a request on last week’s Finagon post – the cardigan we created with John Smedley – here are some details on the rest of the outfit, above. One reader drew attention to the shirt collar, a button-down made by Sa...
Casual, summer, office attire
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I don't, no. It can be nice, but not with the kind of smarter tailoring I usually feature...
The perfect cardigan – Permanent Style x Sm...
THE FINAGON CARDIGAN WAS PUT INTO SMEDLEY’S PERMANENT COLLECTION FOLLOWING THIS COLLABORATION. YOU CAN BUY IT ON THE SMEDLEY SITE. – Last year I began working with John Smedley on our next project – the perfect cardigan. ...
The perfect cardigan – Permanent Style x Sm...
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No, I'm sorry....
The Dartmoor in grey: Buy the perfect polo
– NOW SOLD OUT – As flagged up last week, we are now offering a new edition of the Dartmoor sweater – the long-sleeved polo shirt I designed with John Smedley. You voted for our second edition to be in the mid-grey show...
The Dartmoor in grey: Buy the perfect polo
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Thank you for the swift reply!...
New Dartmoor order! But which colour do you want?
– VOTING CLOSED! (Wednesday, 5pm) After a last-minute rush, grey (silver) is the winner. Thank you to everyone that voted. Orders for our exciting new grey Dartmoor – the perfect polo – will start on Monday. I will post ...
New Dartmoor order! But which colour do you want?
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With the three together, yes. And good idea to have some pattern in there so it's not all plain. Could also add with a pocket hank...
Me in Dartmoor; Michael in suede; Thomas joins G&...
These photos were taken at the Gieves party for Rose Callahan’s book I Am Dandy last week. Michael ( Browne, Chittleborough & Morgan) and I were rather underdressed, perhaps deliberately so, for an evening of fops and costume drama. Mi...
Me in Dartmoor; Michael in suede; Thomas joins G&...
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much obliged Simon. A...
The last few Dartmoors!
I have just been told that we have a handful of the popular Dartmoor sweaters left at the John Smedley factory – due to exchanges, production overrun and so on. The sizes available are: Small, seven pieces SOLD OUT Medium, seven pieces SOLD OUT...
The last few Dartmoors!
I have just been told that we have a handful of the popular Dartmoor sweaters left at the John Smedley factory – due to exchanges, production overrun and so on. The sizes available are: Small, seven pieces SOLD OUT Med...
Permanent Style collaborations
Someone pointed out recently that some Permanent Style collaborations – with La Portegna, for example, or Passaggio Cravatte – have ended without any news as to how they went or the product was received. Both of those sold out, and we s...
Permanent Style collaborations
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I didn't realise that Phillip, would you mind sending me the details and I'll look into it? There may be some excess available Simon...
The rise of the polo shirt
This past weekend I wrote a piece for the FT on polo shirts, which you can see here. Mentioning John Smedley, Orlebar Brown, Lacoste and others, it is hopefully an interesting update for anyone interested in the menswear staple.
The rise of the polo shirt
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Yes, I have all the kinds. And Smedley itself has made all kinds. Most of my Smedley cotton polos are of fully-fashioned jersey, but a few old ones made for the Richetti store in Parma are of pique, cut-and-sewn....
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 x John Smedley: The perfect polo
– NOW SOLD OUT – For anyone who likes bespoke or made-to-measure clothing, knitwear can be frustrating – particularly for wearing with that bespoke clothing, where you want the fit and finish to be as precise as the pieces ...
Permanent Style x John Smedley: The perfect polo
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Sunspel...
Sneak peek: Permanent Style x John Smedley
Next Wednesday, June 26th, we will be launching a collaboration with John Smedley: a unique design that I believe is the perfect sartorial sweater. One or two people commented to me that the last collaboration with La Portegna, which sold out in 24 h...
Sneak peek: Permanent Style x John Smedley
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Thanks for the tip on John Smedley. My two cardigans arrived today. The best knitwear I've ever bought. Will come in handy through this Sydney winter....
The Stoll cotton-collar knitter
Fans of traditional weaving and knitwear brands are funny about old machines. They often equate old machinery with superior techniques, when the new machines usually do at least as good a job – just faster. Usually the reason the brand still ha...
The Stoll cotton-collar knitter
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i have use stolls for collar like 220 full/ shape callar and use cotton and polyester/cotton as well as polester.WITH MACHINES today that type machine is no longer use .SHIMA SEIKI are use as well as unversal ,or any mac...
The John Smedley drum
This is the drum of the old John Smedley silver band, which sits in the newly opened Smedley archives and is the focus on my favourite anecdote from the factory’s history. Smedley was known around the region for its silver band – differen...
The John Smedley drum
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Now, as in the current time of the story....
John Smedley: the factory
Last week I visited the John Smedley factory in Matlock, and it has quickly become my favourite anywhere. The oldest factory in the world still in production, it is nestled in between Derbyshire hills, with a babbling brook (the Lea) running through ...
John Smedley: the factory
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Dear Luke, would it be possible to use your pictures of John Smedley for our display. We are a little store selling John Smedley. If yes, it would be great to have get them in higher resolution. Best regards Peter...
