The Spring Top 10: Fun, paper and lavender
It’s that time of the year again. Brands have been receiving all the spring clothing they ordered last year, even though they weren’t quite sure whether it would arrive, or be swallowed by an unexpected lockdown. So rejoice, there are n...
The Spring Top 10: Fun, paper and lavender
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Thank you for pointing out carrier company. The jacket was not for me but I came across the fisherman’s jumper. A robust navy roll neck with raglan sleeves - I has been looking for one like this with raglan sleeves for...
Christmas gift list 2021: Shawls, soap and Swan S...
It’s that time of the year again. So, with both apologies and thanks to readers that bemoaned the lack of this list last year, these are just a few of my favourite things... In these lists we try to go beyond menswear into other beautiful, cra...
Christmas gift list 2021: Shawls, soap and Swan S...
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Hi Julian, I didn't end up buying one myself I'm afraid, so I can't help. I have since bought two though - from Budd and New & Lingwood, which I can comment on if helpful. Thanks...
My journey in perfume
A couple of weeks ago I cleared out a lot of perfumes sitting in our bathroom cabinet. The cabinet is actually a tall, vintage piece, originally for a dining room. It has drawers in the bottom where we keep towels and sheets, and shelves in the top...
My journey in perfume
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Nice to hear GK. I think you'll find Charcoal unusual, but you'll love it if you do like it...
Clutch Cafe: A guide to my favourite brands
There 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
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I haven't tried it, but yes it would...
Christmas gift list 2018
It’s that time of year again. The TV adverts that started a month ago should have been a warning. Below is my Christmas gift list for 2019. It is not a comprehensive list of the best menswear gifts right now. It’s certainly no...
Christmas gift list 2018
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Sorry Christopher, I've had to skip it this year, there's been so much else on. Very pleased you found it so useful though - sorry, will certainly reinstate next year......
A history of modern perfume
There is no such thing as masculine perfume, or feminine perfume. Men used to wear rose scents; women wore cologne. The idea that fragrance can be divided into male and female is purely a product of 50 years of marketing. This was brought home durin...
A history of modern perfume
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Rose --- Floris - Their Rose Geranium originally a man's scent.Over time it was offered as a Bath Essence -- just 2/3 drops in a bath - a great favourite with the Ladies....
Accessories for holiday
Following my post two weeks ago on what I pack for travel, a reader asked about non-clothing items - electronics, toiletries and so on. So here are a few of my favourite things, which will certainly be going on holiday this summer. 1 Bower &...
Accessories for holiday
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Yes, I think a tote of some sort is the best option. And yes, I'd carry it all day...
Summer dressing in Robb Report; tailors and SMN i...
In recent weeks there have been several pieces in magazines such as Robb Report UK and the Financial Times's luxury supplement, How To Spend It. Regular readers will be aware that I write a monthly column for How to Spend It - probably the UK's lea...
Summer dressing in Robb Report; tailors and SMN i...
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Not yet, sorry....
Santa Maria Novella, Florence – the factory...
The current state of Florentine perfumer Santa Maria Novella raises interesting questions about quality and product perception. Earlier in the year myself and Luke were given a tour around the brand’s new manufacturing facilities in Florence...
Santa Maria Novella, Florence – the factory...
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It's perhaps not quite at that level, but quality is often not the most important thing in perfumery - it gives access to a greater range of scents often, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll like them more, or they ...
The history and families of fragrance
The history of fragrance is an interesting one. Walking through it, as I did with Floris perfumer Nicola Pozzani recently, shows how subjective many of associations with smell. (You can read the full post about my bespoke fragrance consultation at...
The history and families of fragrance
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There are a few misconceptions/mistakes in this article. First, the Chypre 'accord' is one of bergamot, labdanum and oakmoss - you can't have the Chypre accord without labdanum, which brings me to my second point; that t...
Floris bespoke perfume
Floris, the storied London perfumers, recently invited me to try their fragrance customisation service. And I have to say it was one of the most pleasurable bespoke experiences I’ve ever had, rivalled only by my first bespoke suit. I’v...
Floris bespoke perfume
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Lovely to hear Shawn, thanks...
Interview: Frederic Malle, selecting perfume
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Frederic Malle is the godfather of modern perfume. He was responsible for the first collections to champion the perfumer, back when designer brands were just starting to conquer the world. Frederic i...
Interview: Frederic Malle, selecting perfume
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Frederick Malle has some good colognes to choose from. However, although a matter of personal preference, I feel the following are the best colognes among a large number of choices out there: 1. Creed-Green Irish Tweed 2...
Buying affordable luxury
Last month, a reader asked for some recommendations of “affordable luxury”. By this, I think he meant items that weren’t necessarily that expensive, but were nonetheless luxurious. The best (a little) money could buy. Buying the bes...
Buying affordable luxury
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Today, I received a very beautiful and, in my opinion, a vital sartorial accessory... A coin & key purse made by the leather goods firm Visconti. This, IMO is affordable luxury. This is the GINO Model. It has two zip...
How to buy fragrance – the perfumes
Following the recent post on how to buy fragrance, this is the second installment – the brands I like and some suggestions of ones to look for. First, though, a reader asked about the difference between molecular and natural ingredients. Natura...
How to buy fragrance – the perfumes
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No I haven't, though to be honest most of those put me off - they seem to be a lot about branding...
How to buy quality perfume
If men are scared of colour, pattern and real trousers then they are terrified of perfume. If they sometimes turn to fashion brands for reassurance in their clothing, they do so constantly with fragrance. It is much-misunderstood and misused. B...
How to buy quality perfume
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I use both 88 or Cuba by Czeck&Speake...
Interview: Lorenzo Villoresi, perfumer
Read part 1 of this article, introducing the Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi, here While travelling in Morocco, Egypt, Israel and the Sudan, Lorenzo Villoresi was consistently taken with the essences and spices of the local markets, not just th...
Interview: Lorenzo Villoresi, perfumer
Read part 1 of this article, introducing the Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi, here While travelling in Morocco, Egypt, Israel and the Sudan, Lorenzo Villoresi was consistently taken with the essences and spices of ...
Lorenzo Villoresi: master perfumer
Lorenzo Villoresi’s studio does not promise much from the outside. A small suite on the top floor of a building on the south side of the Arno, it is in an old but certainly not glamorous part of Florence. The dusty buzzer is one of six set int...
Lorenzo Villoresi: master perfumer
Lorenzo Villoresi’s studio does not promise much from the outside. A small suite on the top floor of a building on the south side of the Arno, it is in an old but certainly not glamorous part of Florence. The dusty ...
