Meet Daniel. A regular at the pop-up shop, and a man who knows more about wine glasses than you’d care to ask. 

It’s fair to say that Daniel appreciates good clothes, and knows what styles he likes. But he doesn’t obsess about it. He's more likely to recognise and value good staff, and their honest advice. 

He is one more facet of the world that is PS readers, and this is what he wears. 

Outfit 1: Casual

What are you wearing here?

Iron Heart 634 jeans, Alden cordovan Indy boots, PS chambray shirt, Sunspel button-neck jumper, brown-suede Valstarino and Drake’s scarf. 

It’s what I’d wear for enjoying one of life’s great pleasures: a perfectly poured pint of Guinness, in a pub that is distinct from a restaurant environment.

When did you first get interested in clothes?

If a parent was not a style role model, I wonder if all early interest in clothes stems from insecurity.

As a teen, the cool kids I knew wore a mix of two French brands, Chipie and Chevignon. I don’t know who started the trend but the uniform was navy Chipie chinos, a Chevignon t-shirt and Timberland boots or Jordans. It was probably was taken from the style icons of American hip-hop at the time.

I was dressed by my parents in mostly M&S and remember my delight as a relatively shy teen going with a friend, who wore the uniform, to buy my first Chipie T-shirt. They were expensive for the time and I have no idea where I got the money from. It was too big for me, had cartoon dogs on the front. I cherished it.

How would you describe what you wear today?

Today I remain fascinated by the choices men make about what to wear. After accepting the basic desire to make some effort to maintain a standard and outwardly respect others, why the extra level of attention and care readers of PS make? 

Some will come from a place of compensation, and others I think from a place of genuine relaxed confidence. I have never been a follower of seasonal or fast fashion, nor most designer brands. In my 30s, when not required to wear a suit for an important meeting, I wore a fairly standard uniform for a customer facing role, of chinos, an Eton shirt and Smedley knitwear. 

I started my own business eight years ago and it was then that I discovered Drake’s via their gateway drug, a tie, shortly after stumbling upon the PS website.

The immersion in well-made things began and I seriously began to learn about fit, colour and classicism.

Outfit 2: Formal

As a creature of habit I pretty much now shop in the same few shops. Drake’s, Canali, Anderson & Sheppard more formally, then Rivet and Hide, Iron Heart and Blackhorse Lane Atelier for denim and work shirts.

I regularly visit Canali on Bond Street, which is the only designer brand I buy, as they make any customer feel supremely welcome, have exclusive fabrics and cuts that fit me very well.

For this most formal combination the cream jacket is from Canali, the MTM trousers are by Drake’s using Dugdale cloth, it’s an Emma Willis shirt and a Viola Milano tie. Shoes from Crockett and Jones.

What job do you do and how does it affect what you wear?

I began a love affair with wine in my mid 20s and subsequently started a role around wine. I found a niche specialising in functional but luxury wine glasses, which is now the foundation of my own business. 

Men in the UK wine trade are generally split aesthetically between the red-trouser brigade, the high-street dad and East London Boho chic. My point being that very few wear a chalkstripe suit or joggers for work. I try to find the balance of a tie with separate jacket and trousers for smarter occasions, or sharp knitwear and chinos for less formal gatherings. 

Wine and clothing have a lot in common that may not be immediately obvious. There is mass produced and artisanal, there is widely available and hard to access, there is provenance, personality, craft, history, geography, science and last but not least, true Epicurean values in both.

How do you travel to work?

I work from home now and even more so over the last two years. So to sit at my desk I wear a T-shirt and jeans. A lot of my meetings are in clubs, bars and restaurants which give me the occasion to dress up.

Outfit 3: Semi-formal

For a smarter than casual occasion, I love this knitted jacket (cardigan?) from Anderson & Sheppard, worn with Canali trousers and a Marol shirt using Thomas Mason cloth. 

The shoes in espresso suede are from Crockett and Jones again, worn with indispensable Chup socks.

How long have you been reading PS, and what articles do you like in particular?

I have been reading PS for about seven years and particularly like articles that teach me something, for example the meaning of different terms or fabrics, plus an introduction to a brand I was previously unaware of.

What does your partner think about how you dress? How about your friends?

My wife, who has different interests to me, always says I look smart and am sure thinks I perhaps spend a little too much on clothes. I have one good friend who has exactly the same level of interest as me: he is very complimentary towards me yet he manages to express a certain vagrant chic that I am unable to pull off!

What do you enjoy most about the clothing you buy?

I mostly enjoy the initial dopamine hit from an acquisition and then the repeated pleasure over time from making a good choice. 

There is no doubt that cost per wear is very relevant here as is longevity and appreciation of the craft. If one dresses the way one wishes to the world to see how one sees oneself, then there is a pleasure to be had in that communication.

What do you spend most and least on? Why is that do you think?

The jackets I wear with separate trousers cost the most (as jackets tend to do) yet I stay within a budget, but perhaps it could be argued that £30 for a pair of socks is actually the most expensive.

Perhaps a well made, timeless and long-lasting jacket represents the best value.

Photography: Alex Natt @adnatt