The Cromford fur hat: Shearling for deep winter

January 6th 2023

A few weeks ago, just before Christmas when it was suddenly freezing in London, I was in Cromford talking to them about offcuts. The shearling coats we’ve done over the past three years have been pleasingly received - the olive double-breasted...

The Cromford fur hat: Shearling for deep winter

Match in comments:
If I had to guess, Simon, I’d say simply the spelling of the word (and its similarity to the word “shear”). Personally, I’ve always assumed the former pronunciation (“sheerling”), having never actually heard ...

HatsJanuary 6th 2023

New colours in the Arran scarf and PS watch caps

September 9th 2022

The popular PS Watch Caps and exclusive Arran scarves from Begg & Co - introduced last year - have just been restocked on the PS Shop, with two additional colours. It was a real struggle last year to get things in on time, with delays not ju...

New colours in the Arran scarf and PS watch caps

Match in comments:
Fine with brown shoes, certainly. Just a bit chunkier and perhaps casual as a result...

Hanks and scarves - HatsSeptember 9th 2022

Holiday snaps 2022: Illustrating versatile packing

August 17th 2022

In recent weeks you may have noticed comments have not been published quite as quickly as normal. That’s because I’ve been on holiday - in the north of Portugal, where my wife’s family is from. It’s a beautiful part of the w...

Holiday snaps 2022: Illustrating versatile packing

Match in comments:
Have a look here Shem https://boutique.marinenationale.gouv.fr/fr_FR/la-selection-d-hiver They are decent quality,but cut slim....

Casual clothing - Glasses and jewelleryAugust 17th 2022

Rain: Cap and cordovan, or felt and suede

May 9th 2022

This may be a little niche, but it’s something that often stresses me out in the morning, so hopefully it will be of some use to others. My plans for what to wear on a particular day usually don’t account for rain. I might be going int...

Rain: Cap and cordovan, or felt and suede

Match in comments:
I wish trucker/ball cap wearers (actually ALL hat wearers) would google "hat ettiquette" and learn that gentlemen remove their hats when indoors. Pet peeve of mine to see men in a decent restaurant sitting eating with th...

Coats - HatsMay 9th 2022

The Spring Top 10: Fun, paper and lavender

April 20th 2022

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

Match in comments:
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...

Casual clothing - CoatsApril 20th 2022

Reader profile: Andy

March 25th 2022

This is Andy. A long-time reader and customer, Andy had led, shall we say, an interesting life. Currently a hydrographic surveyor, he has also been a pilot, a mountaineer, and dabbles as a model (fashion and life). He is passionate about clothing, ...

Reader profile: Andy

Match in comments:
Thanks Willie my man. Appreciate your comments mate, I'll have to give you a big hug as you are sitting only about 10 feet away from me in the offline room just now. Top hat and goggles - Its the way to go and of course,...

Coats - HatsMarch 25th 2022

I have Gay Talese’s hat

March 14th 2022

Gay Talese. In a different hat By Tom Mastronardi "The story I’m about to relate is true; it really happened, just a few short years ago, before Covid upended the simple everyday pleasure of running into someone you know on the street and havi...

I have Gay Talese’s hat

Match in comments:
I'm pleased you continue to enjoy it Robert. And yes I agree, I enjoy dressing so much more now than I did when I was younger...

HatsMarch 14th 2022

Christmas gift list 2021: Shawls, soap and Swan S...

November 17th 2021

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...

Match in comments:
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...

Casual clothing - HatsNovember 17th 2021

The custom-block service, from Optimo

April 12th 2021

Over the past year or so, Optimo has been developing a unique bespoke hat programme, where a personal ‘block’ is made for each customer. Most Optimo hats are already made to order, so customers pick their felt, their crown style and the...

The custom-block service, from Optimo

Match in comments:
I've never really looked at this James, as I don't wear black tie that often, and even less often think about the head gear, given that will not be on display (rather like a silk scarf) at the event itself. I'd imagine a...

HatsApril 12th 2021

Hats with coats: A sliding scale

March 19th 2021

I’m often asked which hats work best with different types of coat. In fact, it often comes up at this time of year - I guess when unexpected showers are more of a hazard. The sliding scale of formality with hats is pretty intuitive: a fedora i...

Hats with coats: A sliding scale

Match in comments:
once in a gale in Scotland.....the wind caught it and the fedora rolled on its brim edge for 2 blocks before a bush snagged it. I feared it was lost as it was travelling much faster than I. I switched to a flat cap....

HatsMarch 19th 2021

The complete capsule: Prices, budgets and timelines

July 13th 2020

  Our ‘complete capsule’ article last month went down particularly well with readers. Setting out a concentrated, versatile wardrobe, I think it provided both a good starting point for new readers and a way for older ones to real...

The complete capsule: Prices, budgets and timelines

Match in comments:
Oh good. Helps when you've been there!...

Coats - Hanks and scarvesJuly 13th 2020

The hats of author Ned Brown

April 13th 2020

In our recent article on Wellema , much of the conversation in the comments centred around the relevance and wearability of hats today. So I thought it would be interesting to look into the habits and collection of a reader, in this case author and...

The hats of author Ned Brown

Match in comments:
Dear Ned, How fun to reconnect after all these years. I thought of you a few years ago when I was in Banff again, remembering riding a tandem bike ride with you around town there! Camp Pennington was truly a great experi...

HatsApril 13th 2020

Wellema bespoke felt hat: Review

April 6th 2020

This is my first hat from Cody Wellema, the LA-based craftsman that we covered the background on a couple of weeks ago. A hat from Cody is an investment - something that is truly made to last for years, and to be cleaned, reblocked and looked after....

Wellema bespoke felt hat: Review

Match in comments:
Many thanks Simon. Yes I think that will work better....

HatsApril 6th 2020

The quality and style of Wellema hats

March 25th 2020

Everyone you speak to about Cody Wellema (above) agrees on two things. That he’s a lovely, lovely man. And that his hats are top notch. I can certainly attest to the former - and the latter I’ll cover when I review the hat I’m hav...

The quality and style of Wellema hats

Match in comments:
Just come across this site whilst looking at the Wellema site. Some interesting comments about brimmed hats not being appropriate wear in these modern times. I would never have worn one in my younger days mainly because ...

HatsMarch 25th 2020

Baseball cap, white jeans and Ivy: Pick and choose

March 4th 2020

There are five elements I want to talk about in this outfit. Five. And I’ll take them all separately - because you can easily change one, or only like one. There’s no need to lift an outfit (or, give it the thumbs up/down) as a whole. ...

Baseball cap, white jeans and Ivy: Pick and choose

Match in comments:
Yes, it was a small. Bit short as a result though...

Denim - HatsMarch 4th 2020

Video: What makes a quality hat?

January 17th 2020

In a comment on our recent video covering suit alterations, a reader complimented my questioning of Davide - saying I was putting the questions the viewer was thinking. I was really chuffed at that. As someone who spent most of their professional c...

Video: What makes a quality hat?

Match in comments:
Yes it could, though I'd probably start with a sisal one, or perhaps at least a brown band and slightly smaller shape...

Hats - VideoJanuary 17th 2020

PS Watch Caps back in stock

December 16th 2019

The Permanent Style Watch Cap is finally available again, in the popular navy and mid-grey. Although the grey we did originally was well received, a lot of people commented that something a shade darker - more the colour of classic flannels - would ...

PS Watch Caps back in stock

Match in comments:
60cm, but there's a lot of give in these - I find they can fit down to a 56, and certainly up to 61 or 62. When you try it on, if you do, please make sure to wear it as I do in the images - low in the front, high in the ...

HatsDecember 16th 2019

The Optimo hat factory, Chicago

November 8th 2019

Optimo hats in Chicago has to be the prettiest factory I’ve ever been to. Over the years I have been to some impressive ones: Hermes, Loro Piana, Zegna. But they’re grand, sweeping, sometimes in sculpted countryside. Optimo is small an...

The Optimo hat factory, Chicago

Match in comments:
Simon, I had always heard great things about Optimo but never personally met anyone who was a customer or seen their work. Therefore, thank you for the firsthand report of your experiences. I don’t ever see myself as a...

HatsNovember 8th 2019

The Trench Coat with casual wear

September 13th 2019

Over the past three years, Permanent Style has gradually covered more casual clothing in response to requests from readers. Guys want to know how to extend PS principles of quality, fit and simplicity to weekend clothing, and that makes sense. I&rsq...

The Trench Coat with casual wear

Match in comments:
Thanks Dave...

Denim - HatsSeptember 13th 2019

Optimo bespoke felt hat: Review

February 18th 2019

I'm not sure whether it came across, but I was almost surprised by how much I liked the Optimo hats I saw in New York last October. It was the first time I had seen them first hand, and the felt was noticeably different from what I had seen at other...

Optimo bespoke felt hat: Review

Match in comments:
Just let it dry naturally - felt like this is very robust. When you see some police wearing plastic covers over their hats, you can tell they must be pretty poor quality! Let it dry, then brush the nap of the felt back u...

HatsFebruary 18th 2019

Watch Caps back in stock – in navy and cream

January 25th 2019

I'm pleased to say the Permanent Style watch caps are finally available again - on the shop site - after some delays. There are two colours: a slightly darker navy than last time, which I feel is more sartorial and suited to tailoring; and a cream t...

Watch Caps back in stock – in navy and cream

Match in comments:
OK, good to hear. Cheers Dan...

HatsJanuary 25th 2019

Optimo hats, Chicago

December 12th 2018

Optimo is everything you might want from a craft manufacturer. There was a passionate beginning; a long gestation; success and popularity; and now a beautiful new factory that supports transmission of the craft. Plus a product that is superlative ...

Optimo hats, Chicago

Match in comments:
Lovely to hear. Thanks Peter...

HatsDecember 12th 2018

Our Autumn/Winter Top 10, 2018

October 10th 2018

  A reader commented on the last instalment of this list that it shaped his whole season’s shopping. No pressure then. Many of the ranges will feature in other coverage later in the year – particularly the ones I’ve alr...

Our Autumn/Winter Top 10, 2018

Match in comments:
Slim...

Casual clothing - HatsOctober 10th 2018

Sartoria Pasinato cavalry-twill suit: Review

August 29th 2018

This suit from Vicenza-based Sartoria Pasinato has turned out very smartly, with a clean fit and very sharp line. Part of this is a result of the cloth, which is a cavalry twill from Vitale Barberis Canonico (584, 440g). Twills like this (covert is ...

Sartoria Pasinato cavalry-twill suit: Review

Match in comments:
No, not at all...

Hats - Socks and underwearAugust 29th 2018

Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake

July 30th 2018

Next year I will publish a travel guide to the best men's stores around the world, with Thames & Hudson. Alongside the city chapters there will be interviews with well-travelled people in the menswear industry, highlighting their tips and in...

Where and why I shop: Wei Koh, The Rake

Match in comments:
Tatton Baird is a fantastic hat shop and we're very lucky to have them in my home state of Utah. What isn't widely known however is that their master hatter was trained by a gentleman named James Whittington who ran his ...

Casual clothing - DenimJuly 30th 2018