Permanent Style summer drinks in the Burlington Arcade: Pictures
Last Thursday we held a really lovely event in the Burlington Arcade.
It hadn't occured to me at the time how ballsy it was to announce them as ‘summer drinks’ when we sent out the invites, given the event was only in early May. But it did actually feel like the first day of summer, with clear skies and a balmy warmth.
London is such a pleasant place when the weather is like this, and it was lovely standing outside the Arcade gates, welcoming readers and friends.
The Arcade is big - sometimes you forget how big, how long - but we had over 352 RSVPs, and the whole place felt full of music and chatter, from Justerini & Brooks serving champagne at one end to Begg & Co serving cocktails at the other. It was a real celebration of summer, and of course of clothing.
A big part of the enjoyment for me was seeing the various outfits, and so while I’ve shared a few general photos, I particularly wanted to include shots of those. Rather like our 15-year Anniversary party, it was core to the conversation - something every guest and reader was interested in.
Those pictures are below. The only other thing I’ll say is a huge thank you to the Burlington Arcade, and to all the shops that stayed open for us. That added a whole other aspect to the evening as well.
See you all next time.
Simon
What I see in every one of these pics is beautiful clothes. Take the Summery looking white or cream safari outfits in photos 10/11,
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a break down of where to buy such outfits.
Sadly I couldn’t make it to London on this occasion but would be nice to have similar again based on the success of this one!
Congratulations Simon, Lucas & PS Team! Manish’s having all the Fun!
Yes he does express it particularly well!
Love these posts where you post couple of photos from other peoples outfits 🙂 big respect to Niyi for executing so much bright colors so well! Also lovely to see such good dressed woman! Maybe you recommend some equivalents, like your blog, for the female world. I don’t know any like with the quality of this site! 😉
People ask about that all the time Max, and weirdly they even asked about it on the night. But as yet I don’t know any to recommend. It’s certainly as much a fault of the womenswear industry as it is of anyone not starting one
The Deck on Savile Row and Kathryn Sargent spring immediately to mind. Huntsman now has a team, including a specialist bespoke cutter, devoted to womenswear. An article featuring their customers would surely be of interest to PS readers and their partners.
Third picture . The gentlemen with the moustache and shoulder length hair .
He wears that suit so relaxed and casually .
The sort of thing we’d all like to do but few can pass off .
If possible , would be good to know what suit he wears .
My favourite pose . The 4th one of the 3 ladies .
A gentlemen’s blog and the ladies steal the show LOL
There’s something to be said for the fact that should always be the case. Certainly with something like black tie.
Hello Robin, I believe you are talking about my friend Karlmond, I think he said he was wearing vintage Armani on the night but I could check for you.
Lovely! Would welcome a full pic of your outfit Simon, what did you go for?
Weirdly, I’m not sure there is a full one of me, but I’ll have a look and include it in the upcoming article on the suit if I can find one
The diversity of styles evident in your photos is very interesting and enjoyable. As a 71 year old flaneur I don’t think I can remember a time when there is such a lack of a common theme. People really are going their own way which is great. Doubtless the lack of a uniform requirement for most work situations is a liberating factor.
One thing which I have been noticing is the commendable dearth of folk slavishly following the ‘head to toe’ Eurocrat look as propagated by the supposed hyper luxury brands. One seldom sees sandwich board examples of one brand which is a good thing. People really are dipping in and out to complement their own styles.
Bravo – keep up the good work !
What is a Eurocrat look?
Speaking as a longtime ‘Eurocrat’, I would also like to know. In my experience, there is certainly no dress code, nor a characteristic ‘look’. My colleagues wear a diverse range of formal and informal styles that are not distinct from those seen in any other workplace in continental Europe. Everything from Italian tailoring to scruffy jeans and trainers. Sometimes their choice of clothing reflects the traditions and heritage of their home nations, adding some enjoyable diversity. I am among the few with a genuine interest in tailoring.
Probably personified by head to toe Loro Piana. The male ‘Succession’ cast were shining examples.
I’m pretty sure none of my colleagues wear head to toe Loro Piana. They generally present themselves as who they are: professionals who happen to come from 27 different countries, with their own sartorial traditions and influences. Still, it’s interesting to hear an outside perspective. I’m afraid the reality is very ordinary. I guess ‘Succession’ is the more apt analogy
Are you sure you know what a “Eurocrat” is? I’m not sure you do.
Is Manish hugging his own reflection in the first photograph?!
Ha! No that’s Buzz, from The Anthology. Not sure which will be insulted that you thought they looked like the same person!
Wish I could have been there. What suit is Lucas in?
A really nice cotton/linen, I can check the bunch if people are interested
Nice. Which maker?
I believe it’s through a friend an Italian factory, not a regular customer-facing service I’m afraid.
Nice to see my cutter enjoying herself.
Names deleted to protect the innocent. 🙂
Thanks for such a lovely event Simon – will the full set of photos be made available this time around?
Pleasure! No it’s just these ones
The chap in the blue double breasted suit with the grey knit tie and the stripy shirt looks especially great. What sort of suit is that, is there a way to characterise that tailoring style?
That’s Anglo-Italian, so it’s their style, which is soft with only a light structure, a very natural shoulder and usually a fairly roomy fit
Very nice fotos and everyone seems to enjoy it. Simon, may i ask something ? I am looking for a very long time a cap that would fit me well and cant seem to find anything. I am bald and have bigger head than the average guy so evey cap or hat i try doesnt sit well at all. Do you have any suggestions ?
Do you mean a baseball cap or a flat cap? With the former I’m not sure I can help as I don’t know any that size them, though I assume there must be some. On the latter, most places size them, so are you just too big for any size?
Most retailers, such as Lock and Bates, only go up to size 62cm. Lawrence & Foster (who manufacture for British retailers) sell their own range of caps direct to customers up to size 64cm which is a UK 7 7/8! There is wide choice of styles and cloths, including linen, and the prices are very reasonable. See https://lawrenceandfoster.co.uk. If you need something different or even bigger, give them a call.
I’ve had the same issue with caps. I’ve bought them in a larger size from Cavour (general selection of plain ones), the Merchant Fox (wool for winter), and Baracuta (with the logo).
It seems a bit odd to me that, given the variation in sizes of head, caps are generally one size, especially as they often seem to be unisex. Although they can be adjusted at the back, they still don’t look right when they’re a bit tight.
I suffer the same affliction. I recently bought a lovely linen cap from Lock hatters. They do up to XXL
Georgios, I have a suggestion, but this is absolutely not in keeping with the high-end tone of this site. I’m in the US by the way. Anyhow, my hat size is 8 & 1/2, so I sympathize. Here’s the brand I’ve bought from with great success:
https://www.stockbridgesewingworks.com/
They sell on etsy as well. Generally vintage styles. It’s a smaller “mom and pop” operation, but I can confirm they do excellent work. Within reason, you can send them your own fabric and they’ll make a hat from it… and yes they do large sizes very nicely.
Envious fan from New Zealand posts, ” Wish I could have been there! ” What a lovely event. Congratulations. You seem to have struck a perfect mood of friendliness and informality. So many Asian faces – good to see. Stylish indeed. See you next time.
Oh good, lovely to hear that’s the impression Simon
The beige suit with double breasted jacket, no tie and pretty much a telnyashka beneath… and tortoise shell glasses… gets my vote.
A few open double breasted jackets. Any dos and donts for that?
Asking cos I just got a DB and want to wear it casually too
Ed
Have a look at the two chapters on that in the Rules and How to Break Them section.
There’s one on unbuttoned jackets in general, and then one on DBs in particular.
Thank you for putting the event.
I don’t get the opportunity to dress like this enough in the UK.
The weather was perfect!
I know, pretty lucky right?
Thank you very much for coming
Lookin’ good, gang. I am making my first trip to London this summer. We’ll be there for only four days 🙁 the last week in August, but I’m excited to be a tourist, eat some great food, drink (more than) a few pints, and visit some of my online favorites’ brick and mortar locations.
Can you provide any recommendations for vintage shops? Or point me to an archived article?
Also, what can I expect the weather to be like the last week of August? Will it cool down at night at all?
Finally, I know this may be an impossible question, but: favorite pub(s)? The Coach and Horses and The Devonshire keep popping up in my research…
Thanks for all of the great work you do! Looking forward to spending some time in your city.
Cheers
Hey Samuel,
So, sadly London is pretty poor for vintage these days but I would suggest Levison’s and House of Vintage over near Brick Lane in East London. Also Worne (showroom, appointment required).
Weather in the UK is famously changeable, compared to say New York. It’s hard to predict. But it should be the hottest time of year, and while it will be cooler in the evening, it will still be warm.
The Devonshire is getting a lot of hype but I don’t think it’s that special really. Same with Coach & Horses. I’d say just find anywhere that feels local – which in central London is hardly anywhere, as no one lives there.
Pleasure!
Thanks, Simon!
Whenever you get a group of sartorially interested people together, it is a fine line between permanent style (lowercase) and the costumey #menswear variety of dress. Most of the people here, but not all, managed to stay on the “good” side of that line.
Any idea what jacket the guy in the greyish glenplaid jacket & cap with sunglasses (13th picture down) is wearing ?
No, sorry, no interviews took place…
I love that olive suit paired with a denim shirt. Where can I get a suit like that?