Wearing black shoes with jeans
This is something I’ve had questions about recently - I assume because fashion generally has taken a turn towards black and, combined with the general casualisation going, black shoes and jeans have become a more common styling choice. So the ...
Wearing black shoes with jeans
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It definitely could work. Perhaps a little bit harder than with a brown-suede shoe, but as long as being sockless looks natural (ie warm weather, casual clothing/tailoring) and the shoe isn't too formal either, it should...
Edward Sexton great coat: Style Breakdown
This great coat from Edward Sexton is probably the most unusual model in this series , which has been looking at the styles of my various bespoke coats, in particular how they are cut and made. Sexton coats tend to have a bit of drama to them anyway,...
Edward Sexton great coat: Style Breakdown
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I think this a really interesting comment - stylistically it does look closer to something by Paul Harnden or Elena Dawson, so I wonder if this might be an area worth exploring. I'm not suggestion Simon go full-on Carol ...
When to wear a tie: Personality and opportunity
At Pitti Uomo back in January I took the opportunity to wear mostly tailoring and ties - the two outfits shown above and below. And it felt great. I know there are traditionalists who see me as the antithesis of this, as I’m rarely pictured w...
When to wear a tie: Personality and opportunity
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And why not there indeed too if you want too....
On baseball caps – and logos in general
Baseball caps are, in many ways, the lazy option for headwear. They’re ubiquitous, they’re cheap and they go with everything. I completely understand those that fight the good fight for brimmed hats, and feel it necessary to attack ball ...
On baseball caps – and logos in general
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Caps are ubiquitous, but they work. The real sartorial mishap is in two of these photos: the turned up, quarter zip sweater. The uniform of the purgatory that is "Casual Friday"....
Sandals: Slides and huaraches, open-toe and closed
Espadrilles are my preferred, casual summer shoe. I’ve always liked their clean lines and simplicity, which make them more elegant than pretty much any other option. I also quite like the massage-like feeling of walking on rope. They’re ...
Sandals: Slides and huaraches, open-toe and closed
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Size down...
Spring/Summer Top 10 ’23: Shirts, shorts an...
It may still be cold outside (in the UK), but it’s late April and time for a write-up of the Spring/Summer pieces I’ve liked from our favourite brands. If you have any questions about other releases from these brands (or indeed brands n...
Spring/Summer Top 10 ’23: Shirts, shorts an...
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It's hard to tell Ayush, but if they were pyjamas I'd probably use something softer, like a light cotton...
To whisper with your clothes – or why I’m f...
By Andreas Weinas This headline might be one of the more confusing ones to have appeared on Permanent Style, but bear with me. Simon reached out to me at the beginning of the year, asking if I wanted to do a piece on PS about something I found parti...
To whisper with your clothes – or why I’m f...
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It's a nuanced question, it would require a full post at some point if it's worth discussing...
Expressing yourself: How to dress like Milad Abedi
The photographer Milad Abedi is someone whose style I’ve liked for a long time, but in a quiet way. Whenever we’ve shot together I’ve been interested in what he’s wearing and found something I liked, but he wasn...
Expressing yourself: How to dress like Milad Abedi
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Do you mean the shoulder was squarer, more pointed? I think they used to be cut more like that because they were universally worn over tailoring, whereas that's much less the case these days...
Some interesting Pitti picks: Mixing patterns, la...
As we did last year, during Pitti I picked out a few people and outfits that I really liked, but that could have been missed - because they’re not Ethan, Jake or Tatsuya Nakamura. They’re deliberately a mix of smart and casual, tailoring...
Some interesting Pitti picks: Mixing patterns, la...
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Patterned trousers are hard David. No, I would go plain shirt, knit, jacket, anything on top....
Proportions and high/low: Lessons from womenswear
By André Larnyoh The world of women’s fashion is huge. In variety, scope and scale, it towers above menswear. Yet, usually, men keep women’s styling at arm’s length, because it seems so different to what we know, and because...
Proportions and high/low: Lessons from womenswear
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I think there's a key point here, André. There's a fine line between loose fit and too big, just as there is with slim vs skinny/too right....
Crowley Vintage: Shopping a look
Crowley Vintage is a vintage shop in Brooklyn, New York with a more particular angle than most. We’ve talked in the past about different types of vintage - those that focus on older or newer, on rarity or thrift - but there are few that focus...
Crowley Vintage: Shopping a look
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I didn't, sorry Fabrizio...
Autumn/Winter picks 2022: J Press, RM Williams, A...
L’Impermeabile gilet, at John Simons £435 This lightly waxed gilet, particularly in the pale beige colour, is reminiscent of the Eddie Bauer style that has become popular in recent years. It’s 100% cotton on the outside though, whi...
Autumn/Winter picks 2022: J Press, RM Williams, A...
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It looks OK Jake - a little short perhaps, a little plain, and I guess not the highest quality from J Crew, but probably a decent option. Hard to say much about fabric or shape just from images...
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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Regarding Trumpers. Apart from ordering a tub of Almond Shaving Cream which is utterly superb and highly concentrated in a very generous 200g tub... probably the best value of all the prestige London barbers, I asked for...
A guide to piqué cotton polo shirts
By Manish Puri Whilst the recent sun in London has brought a sugar rush of excitement for the warmer days that lie ahead, it also brings a more troubling, recurring question: how do I usually dress for summer? It shouldn’t be difficult to answ...
A guide to piqué cotton polo shirts
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I am in the market for a polo shirt. Very helpful article. The pictures on the model wearing the two different A & S sizes reassured me of the correct size to buy....
Behind the scenes: The design work at Ralph Lauren
I don’t think consumers value design that much any more. They concentrate on price and (more justifiable) quality, but design often gets swamped by hype. What is fashionable rather than what’s well-designed. A large part of the reason is...
Behind the scenes: The design work at Ralph Lauren
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Well done......
Outfits I got wrong
Everyone 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...
Outfits I got wrong
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yes I would Jack...
My Summer shoes
Shoes 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
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Thanks!...
Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home
Every day, when I get dressed, there is something new I’m interested in wearing. Not necessarily new clothing, but a new outfit, a new combination of colours, perhaps a mixing of styles. And sometimes just a combination that feels new, becaus...
Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home
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It's hard sometimes to quantify precisely, because of the combination of gauge and ply - the gauge meaning it might be chunky hard but it's more loosely put together. Our shawl is a little like that....
The unexpected inspiration of Ralph Lauren womens...
Something that I find often surprises readers is how much the brands they admire are influenced by womenswear. It’s a topic we discussed briefly with Saman Amel last year, with Dag and Saman talking about old collections that inspired them, m...
The unexpected inspiration of Ralph Lauren womens...
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Great recommendation. Thanks Jeldrik...
Don your highborn cloak: Ralph Lauren, saviour?
I recently finished reading In His Own Fashion , the official biography of Ralph Lauren, which Alan Flusser kindly gave me last year. I’d recommend it to anyone - it’s both interesting as a history of fashion in the past 50 years, and i...
Don your highborn cloak: Ralph Lauren, saviour?
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They do, this is true. Of course, ideally that would have the waist button in a particular place too. If you want an idea of how the length compares, you can of course see all the lengths of my jackets from those tailors...
Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style
OK, so. Friend and photographer Jamie Ferguson has been locked up indoors for weeks, as we all have. And he’s gone a bit stir crazy. We had started talking a while ago about shoots we could do remotely. Perhaps looking at a few out...
Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style
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Cheers Tim, good to know always...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2019
Last week the weather in London turned from 12 degrees to 22 in a couple of days. It seems that what passes for the English Spring is finally here. Of course, with most shops and brands Spring/Summer collections arrived in February, and went on sale...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2019
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Appreciate simon...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2018
Last week a friend in the industry asked me what aspect of writing Permanent Style I like the most. It is always, easily, discovering a new tailor, cloth or product that is different and inspiring. That journey from discovering something new, to see...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2018
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Hey Gab, They have aged pretty well, yes, though I'd say Aspesi is generally a good Italian brand but not the best quality around. The materials in the polo were good, but there was nothing that special about the make. I...
Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you w...
Although casual clothing is far more susceptible to fashions than tailored clothing, it is possible to organize it into certain groups, or paradigms. These groups, such as preppy clothing or workwear, often have their roots in particular parts of th...
Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you w...
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They can absolutely be stylish Ayush, yes. There are many types of style, and ones such as workwear can be lovely. If you want to be a little more elegant or smart though, you can be one step up from others and perhaps n...
Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review
It’s so enjoyable writing good reviews. It is valuable to write balanced, semi-critical pieces of course, and this is a core part of Permanent Style. But you always feel very conscious of the effect the criticism will have, and bad even if it&...
Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review
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That’s amazing! It would be worth checking out. Maybe you’ll get a chance to go there and tell us about it and possibly commission something new… and see how they’ve developed since your last commission!...