Hackett AW13

Jeremy Hackett may not be in many peoples good books this Christmas after his comments published in the Sunday Times accusing the British tailoring industry of being untrustworthy and the textile industry of not being able to provide his 'Essential British Kit'. However there's no denying the rise and rise of the Hackett brand in more recent years, and with the old boy as the archetypal ambassador they have positioned themselves as a forerunner in the British #menswear revival.

Since 2005, and the appointment of american Michael Sondag (former Tommy Hilfiger) as Creative Director, they have gone from a fairly poorly judged suitor popular with football casuals and rugby fans to a well tailored heritage embodiment with a growing sartorial collection for the more distinguished buyer and the inclusion of a broader more eclectic collection i.e. tartan, tweed and fair isle, for those outside the big cities.

This winter the recent inspiration of classically styled film and TV bears heavy in the collection with an emphasis on a character, the 'leading man'. Problem currently is that you need a film stars bank balance to support a Hackett laden wardrobe.

Photo Source: Hackett

A Last Minute Buyers Guide to Christmas

With the last weekend before Christmas approaching fast you may find yourself in a bit of a conundrum and stuck for ideas of what to buy for those close to you.

As a steadfast champion of the last minute rush I thought it wise to put together a brief list to help those in need.

1. Edition Scotland

www.editionscotland.com

2. Walsh

www.walshcasual.com

3. Alfie Douglas

www.alfiedouglas.com

4. Drakes London

www.drakes-london.com

5. Sanders

www.sanders-uk.com

All British brands and all made on home soil, keep our best of Britannia going strong this festive period.

Merry Christmas!

Tying Your Tie

Today signals the start of the Drakes sample sale at the factory shop which runs until Saturday.

Drakes is a company renowned the world over for the quality of their neckwear, and for those more formally inclined there's no better British purveyor.

For those hell bent on wearing bow-tie's this season there's not a lot worse than a clip on fob off so make sure and take a look at this video as demonstrated by Ethan Desu of The Armoury, Hong Kong. This is down to a fine art form and probably the closest to convincing me to invest in a bow tie as there has been:



You can also see the rest of The Armoury gang and company tying their tie's here.

Alfie Douglas

In recent years it feels as though there has been a shift in London particularly, from the motorised to the more economical, in all walks, from travel to production. As travel is concerned those able bodied or practically allowed will use the transport network or a trusted set of pedals in favour of the expense of an engine bearing commodity.

Subsequently it would seem there has been a marked rise in the number of carries to be seen sported by men.

Alfie Douglas is a brand incorporating a collective of designers making British, leather accessories. The designs are classically inspired with brass, nickel and copper fittings, flat head rivets, bridle handles and in beautifully tanned leathers with reinforced components to strengthen stress areas.

The range of products is extensive, from phone cases and wallets, to satchels and backpacks.

Below are a number of bags from the current collection, but you can see more at www.alfiedouglas.com

Neighborhood FW13

If you're a fan of Lupe Fiasco you'll be well aware of the Neighborhood brand or at least the name. Shinsuke Takizawa's counter-culture led label takes its inspiration from motorcycle gangs, militaria and traditional clothing. Based in Harajuku, Tokyo and Shibuya, Hong Kong the clothing label has been popular with Americana enthusiasts for several years, now people like those at The Goodhood Store are bringing them to the UK.

Below is their Autumn/Winter lookbook:

Photo Source: Men's Reverie

Edition

The history of Scotland's textile industry is steeped in wool and cashmere, the best of what Britain has to offer. Edition is an addition to that heritage, specialising in men's cashmere accessories carefully procured and traditionally crafted.

The brand is that of Jennifer Kent, a Glasgow School of Art graduate who has previously worked in London with Alexander McQueen and as part of the design team at Lyle & Scott.

Now back in Glasgow she is working with local manufacturers and an experienced team in Hawick, on the Scottish borders, to develop the highest standard hand finished knits.

Each design is limited and once sold out will not be repeated. For more info visit the Edition website.

Walsh

Norman Walsh joined JW Foster & Sons (who would become Reebok), at the age of 14. At 16 he was selected to produce shoes for the 1948 Olympic running team, the JW Foster Deluxe. Foster were the first company to fit spikes to their running shoes.

Walsh would go on to established his own sporting goods company in Bolton in 1961 and would develop sportswear for rugby, football, track, field, wrestling and boxing. The company continued to produce boots for Rugby League teams in the North of England throughout the 1970's. Since then they have serviced a discerning group, up north predominantly and those that have grown up with the brand.

Today Walsh are Britain's only wholly owned, designed and manufactured sports footwear producer. A proud accolade to bear in a market dominated by brands merely churning out re-releases from their archive (I'm looking at you Nike).

I had the pleasure of hearing from Jason at Norman Walsh shortly after I had written about TRiCKETT and of course was duly introduced to their recent collaboration.

Walsh very kindly offered to send me a pair of trainers for review after reading my piece on TRiCKETT and I couldn't help but oblige.

Of course when reviewing products it's easy to feel a duty to be sympathetic meanwhile completely conscious that you must maintain an unbiased honest opinion. However in this instance there are no concerns at all, and I have nothing but praise and admiration for everyone involved in producing such a stellar product. From the service to the environmentally friendly packaging, the polaroid like postcards of workers accompanying the trainers to the quality of the shoes themselves it is plain to see what a proud company this is.

Buying trainers these days is a dull process, you rarely feel your personal taste has given any credence to your choice. When you've searched high and low and scoured through the latest offerings, unconvinced by their durability it's little time until you find yourself in the queue at the post office with 5 other people sporting one and the same.

A pair of trainers from Walsh is like a goodyear welted shoe, you can feel the quality of the nappa leather accents and the soft sueded contours of the heel and uppers, the feel of the that trainers have been crafted and painstakingly handmade with great care rather than part of a production line. There's a wonderful sense of individuality with brand like this. The clean lines and muted colours make for a more refined runner, a pair of trainers for people that are not pre-disposed to a sporting look.

Walsh have five styles to their current range, the Cobra, Ensign (pictured), Pennine Adder, Lostock & V-Ripple. I went with the Ensign as it looked gloriously reminiscent of a 1970's track shoe.

This is no slouch either, Walsh know their onions and as well as the recent collab. with TRiCKETT they have teamed up with another British flagship Margaret Howell back in 2009 and again in 2012.

This is a brand true to their sporting history but with their sights on a design lead collaborative market.

Keep an eye on their Instagram feed for upcoming projects and check out the website here for more info on the sportswear range.

A big thank you to Walsh for such a nice pair of trainers and also to Corgi and Jigsaw Menswear for the polka dot socks, a perfect match.

Photo Source: WalshxMHL AW12, WalshxMHL AW09, WalshxTRiCKETT

One Year

When I started this blog just over a year ago my aim wasn't completely clear and in all honesty I was primarily looking for an outlet for something of interest to me, a sounding board for my tastes that wasn't a narcissistic social media vehicle. What I did wan't was comment and opinion and for like minded people to ask x or say why don't you try y. I am not proclaiming myself a fountain of knowledge, only that I take pride in how I dress and welcome the ideas for inspiration from as many mediums as possible.

We live in a multi-functional society and it is not practical to wear a suit or more formal dress all the time. I for one work in an office and despite being grateful for the platform this affords me to play with my more sartorial affections I prefer a casual aesthetic when outside of the working environment, if not to diversify my wardrobe then almost certainly to separate the instances in which I consider each option.

One thing I was certain of from the get go was that I felt the need to impart my experience in trying to get a 'perfect fit'. I now know that this is impossible however for years I had been chasing an unattainable ideal when what I should have worked on instead were the more manageable details that, once altered, come together to create a fit that is as close to perfect as the limitations of our existence will allow. 

This perfectionist ideal at times would burden me, constantly debating every minute decision to the point that I would be so conscious about possibly making a bad decision I would change an outfit almost completely to avoid being disappointed. In more recent years I have learned to accept that my opinions and inspirations were based on fit and form that was suited to people with a very different stature to that of my own and that their aspirations were to accentuate specific notes in their own style that would not be possible for me. Overall it's the realisation, to satisfy yourself that you have made the best decisions available to you when getting dressed you first need to separate your inspirations and ideals and work on your own dimensions.

Ultimately it's unlikely that you have the same body shape as Gianni Agnelli or the Duke of Windsor, it's less likely that you will appear as relaxed as Yasuto Kamoshita or Hirofumi Kurino or have the presence of Luciano Barbera and Antonio Liverano. 

All these men are great icons people to adhere to, all have a fantastic sense of style and their own limitations but most of all they are completely comfortable in how they appear and how they present themselves. Their looks do not feel contrived in any way, you are not under the impression they spend hours in front of the mirror deliberating what to wear. These choices are instinctive and subconscious, made up of many life experiences. All these men are also of age, they've learn't over time what suits and they only apply what works for them.

Inspiration for these gentleman for things such as colour combinations may come from works of art or scenes of a film, from stunning scenery or home cooking. It's in these experiences that we collect our veritable colour palette and adapt it to our own environment. It may seem profound to think of something so trivial in the grand scheme like this, but for those who do enjoy the process that much hopefully this opinion will resonate. 

For me that is why these people are so affirming, because the way in which they adorn themselves is appealing without being ostentatious. A sense of style or a stylish person combines a number of attributes the ones we see are attributable to taste but beyond that each man has a number of other influences that make up a personality and it is the successful portrayal of this personality that gives these people their appeal.

So take inspiration, don't conform and be prepared to make mistakes, they happen to the best of us.

Antonio Liverano (right)

Duke of Windsor (4th from left)

Gianni Agnelli (right, with Michele Platini)

Hirofumi Kurino (far right)

Luciano Barbera

Yasuto Kamoshita

Photo Source: Barney's New York, Scout Blog, The Sartorialist, DagoSpia, AltoMareBlu, NY Times, Hypebeast

Graham Browne: A Bespoke Guide (Part I)

When thinking of British tailoring it's easy to immediately focus your attentions on Savile Row, in fact, your hard pressed to think of an alternative. It's probably why for most of us, on what is the modern equivalent of a working class wage, the possibility of experiencing those upper echelons of tradition seem so unattainable.

There was a time however not too long ago, maybe only 2 generations, when all men regardless of class, creed or belief would have his Sunday best. A 'best' pair of shoes, a 'best' shirt, a 'best' suit and a 'best' overcoat and these would be that man's Sunday uniform, when the family would gather together for dinner, tea and merriment or most likely squabble.

In days of yore this gent would typically visit big menswear retailers such as Dunn & Co. or Simpson's of Piccadilly. These retailers would work with high end clothiers like Crombie, Hardy Amies and DAKS to produce lines for their stores giving the customer high quality cloths at affordable prices. The item would be made ready to wear and retailers would then offer the benefit of alterations to induce a better fit. This is not a bespoke service nor made to measure but the important part of the process was the service itself and that the customer would be getting the benefit of fabrics that previously were reserved for those better off.

Department stores eventually moved away from this business model, but more recently have vested renewed interest in this type of service. Collaborations such as Patrick Grant's with Debenhams on the Hammond & Co. line and Marks and Spencer's Best of British collection are harking back to a more refined period in our sartorial history.

Men are taking more pride in their appearance and overall the interest in dressing well is heightened. Tailoring is the winner here because of its obvious masculinity and dandyish air. However not all good tailors are located on the Row. In fact you might argue that some tailors on the Row have to charge for their address.

London is commonly regarded as the menswear capital of the world and there are many fine purveyors of British tailoring all over the capital, areas like Piccadilly are well stocked with outfitters for the well-dressed gent. Tailors and coatmakers also fill Dickensian back streets of the Square Mile around the City.

Graham Browne established their trade off Bow Lane, EC4 in 1968 and the exciting thing about this tailor is that they are not bound by the constraints of Savile Row. For all its excellence and high culture the Row is conformist, and each tailor has a favoured cut or style, and so each is revered for that aesthetic. Graham Browne conversely is relatively young in its tailoring inspiration and as such has many newer and wider influences which help to create an extremely varied bespoke experience.

When deciding to take the bespoke plunge, as it were, your main concern may be the commonly misconstrued conformity of it all. Like when you go to the barbers and ask for a crew cut but walk out with what he thinks would suit you better. From your very first meeting with head cutters Russell and Dan, you'll feel safe in the knowledge that they appreciate your concerns and that they pride themselves on adapting their talents to best suit the client not their own ideals. To blindly ignore advice would be foolish but it's comforting to know that you're in complete control and that your tailor understands your requirements.

Your first appointment allows you to discuss your design and fit and browse the wonderful fabrics and extensive pattern and colour combinations you can apply. Once you're decided your measurements are taken and the pattern cutting process is ready to begin.

Part II