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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Dear Simon, I'm surely not the only one who's been waiting for that R.M. Williams deep dive! I've been in the market for a Chelsea and I cannot decide between RM and Carmina to try, so I'll need your help I guess!:D Than...
Tailoring for travelling: tough, comfortable, plain
In our recent articles on menswear destinations in Rome, a couple of readers asked about the outfit I was wearing for beating around the hot city. The individual pieces should be pretty familiar: cotton double-breasted jacket from Ferdinando Carac...
Tailoring for travelling: tough, comfortable, plain
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Tabio has quite a few taupe pairs in ribbed and non-ribbed at a mid-calf length. Unfortunately, I cannot attest to them as I tend to stick to knee-length....
Subtlety and drama: The appeal of the purple sock
Today’s article - a debut for someone I’ve long admired, Jason Jules - is an excellent example of why I like having these contributions on PS. I rarely wear contrast-coloured socks these days, particularly purple. But it’s still a...
Subtlety and drama: The appeal of the purple sock
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I'd go off the trousers primarily - if it's khaki chinos then I'd go for brown or a khaki colour. I'd also have one that was safe, like navy or perhaps dark grey, which might be a better versatile partner to the other th...
Autumn/Winter Top 10: Wax, Ivy and secateurs
This year’s A/W Top 10 list includes a sprinkling of new names, but a lot of familiar ones too. I don’t think this is unexpected or unwelcome. The world of classic, crafted menswear is not large, primarily because men still don’t ...
Autumn/Winter Top 10: Wax, Ivy and secateurs
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No, they're a 2-ply which is standard yarn for this kind of polo knit. You could wear over a shirt or instead of one. However, they are different to a Smedley or a PS polo, which use much finer merino yarn. This is expla...
What would I buy from Massimo Dutti?
When is it worth buying the best possible quality, and when can you economise? This, of course, was part of the subject of my book The Finest Menswear in the World , which examined what constitutes ‘quality’ in various categories of clo...
What would I buy from Massimo Dutti?
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Good point, and no, not particularly I'm afraid. I find a similar issue, and often narrow the body but have the same issue with the collar....
Spring/Summer Top 10: Chores, shirts and sweats
1. Drake’s bright-red suede chore jacket £1195 I’ve been asked a few times over the years about these suede chore jackets from Drake’s. Personally I tend to prefer blouson styles, and chore coats in cottons, particularly vint...
Spring/Summer Top 10: Chores, shirts and sweats
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Sure, it's here Henry...
Inside the Bresciani sock factory, Spirano
Following on from our recent article on Loro Piana, here is one more extract from my book The Finest Menswear in the World . It explains why Bresciani makes some of the finest socks – and importantly, what we mean by ‘the finest’ o...
Inside the Bresciani sock factory, Spirano
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Bresciani has online shopping,at long last! Worth checking out. Lindsay...
The Winter Top 5: End, GRP, Real McCoy’s, B...
Anonymous Ism socks, via End £30 The online version of End is a surprisingly good source for classic clothing. Although it’s still dominated by street wear, and the new shop off Carnaby Street is entirely trainers and hoodies, the websit...
The Winter Top 5: End, GRP, Real McCoy’s, B...
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Hi Simon, Very helpful. Many thanks!...
Bespoke socks, at Mes Chaussettes Rouges
Do most people need bespoke socks? No. Most people are fine with simple small, medium and large sizing. And when you get into proper sock sizes (10, 10.5, 11) everyone is catered for. Do they need specific colours, or materials? Well possibly, but ...
Bespoke socks, at Mes Chaussettes Rouges
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Thanks for the recommendation, Danny. I'll have to try those out!...
My new favourite underwear: Hamilton & Hare ...
*My experience of this underwear in the months since has not been as good, and I would therefore not recommend it as highly. I experienced quality issues with both the waistband and the material* Long-time readers may remember The Underwear Project ...
My new favourite underwear: Hamilton & Hare ...
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No I haven't, but it wouldn't make sense for me as I don't wear boxer shorts - I prefer boxer briefs, in a semi-stretch material or lyocell...
Christmas gift list 2018
It’s that time of year again. The TV adverts that started a month ago should have been a warning. Below is my Christmas gift list for 2019. It is not a comprehensive list of the best menswear gifts right now. It’s certainly no...
Christmas gift list 2018
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Sorry Christopher, I've had to skip it this year, there's been so much else on. Very pleased you found it so useful though - sorry, will certainly reinstate next year......
No Man Walks Alone A/W: Frank Leder, Monitaly, So...
It’s been over a year since I last had the chance to browse the stock at No Man Walks Alone and write one of these pieces, for which I blame a lack of travel to New York. It is possible to select a few favourites online, of course, particularl...
No Man Walks Alone A/W: Frank Leder, Monitaly, So...
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'No man walks alone' - possibly not the best brand name during the current Covid 19 outbreak. We are all walking alone now! They will need to rebrand....
Sartoria Pasinato cavalry-twill suit: Review
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
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No, not at all...
Brand round-up: R. Culturi, Mes Chaussettes Rouge...
1 R. Culturi There are many brands launching ties or handkerchiefs online these days, given it’s an easy area to try and express something new - and the lack of sizing makes it relatively easy to sell online. One that was shown to me recently ...
Brand round-up: R. Culturi, Mes Chaussettes Rouge...
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I owe MCR an apology - they replied very quickly to my complaint and reassured me that although my password was shown in the email, the email itself was encrypted. So all-in-all a good response....
James Smith & Son umbrellas, London
The following is an extract from my book Best of British: The Stories Behind Britain’s Iconic Brands , published by Prestel. Dedicated copies are available to buy here – James Smith & Sons Two or three times every day, ...
James Smith & Son umbrellas, London
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Thanks Charles, I didn't realise that about the different synthetic canopies...
Viccel over-the-calf socks
For the past month I have been testing Viccel socks, a Turkish manufacturer that pretty much only sells through its own website. If they tested well, I hoped Viccel would be a good value alternative for over-the-calf hosiery. There are several goo...
Viccel over-the-calf socks
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I recently ordered four pairs of "charcoal gray" Viccel socks and while they arrived, I found the color to be black rather than dark gray. I contacted Viccel and found their response time to be glacial (weeks to reply ba...
New colours of the Perfect Socks
UPDATE: Bram is now offering free shipping for all orders of three socks or more, which include one Diamond Rib pair (our design above). Go through to checkout on the store and the shipping charge will be removed We had such a lovely response to...
New colours of the Perfect Socks
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They do not. Quel dommage....
The Perfect Socks – Permanent Style x Willi...
About 50% of Permanent Style collaborations never come to fruition. The quality’s not right, or the cut, or some other aspect just can’t be perfected. Often the lead time proves to be too long. It makes you realise how difficult...
The Perfect Socks – Permanent Style x Willi...
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Thin merino would be ideal from an odour and longevity perspective, but they might sweat a bit too much for you. Perhaps try and pair and see? If they don't work, you might actually be better with fairly normal cotton (n...
William Abraham socks in HTSI
My latest column for How to Spend It is on the innovative Bram Frankel, creator of sock brand William Abraham. I continue to be impressed by Bram ever since I first helped launch the brand back in February. He is doing something truly original in m...
William Abraham socks in HTSI
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Hi Joseph, For year round, you'll need cotton. For style, generally the best at staying up is ribbed. And the best company for me is probably Bresciani, but most high-end sock makers are quite similar. If they're below t...
William Abraham: behind the scenes
One of the first people I met in New York last week was Bram Frankel, founder of William Abraham socks. Bram’s product is nothing less than a step change for the industry – something few companies achieve in a business as conservative a...
William Abraham: behind the scenes
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I do that on knitwear too - works a treat...
Buying affordable luxury
Last month, a reader asked for some recommendations of “affordable luxury”. By this, I think he meant items that weren’t necessarily that expensive, but were nonetheless luxurious. The best (a little) money could buy. Buying the bes...
Buying affordable luxury
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Today, I received a very beautiful and, in my opinion, a vital sartorial accessory... A coin & key purse made by the leather goods firm Visconti. This, IMO is affordable luxury. This is the GINO Model. It has two zip...
William Abraham – innovative, luxury socks
In the past few years some of Europe’s bigger sock makers have been pushing their own branding and online sales. There is now far greater availability of high-quality over-the-calf socks, which is great. The problem is, the design element c...
William Abraham – innovative, luxury socks
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At this moment, my favourite sock is the Super Durable in cotton made by Manzarin and bought from Mes Chaussettes Rouge. I'm UK shoe size 12 but their size is up to 11.5 which is fine....
Charvet ties: the cost of choice
The cost of variety is rarely appreciated by consumers. Among all the things that make up the price of a piece of clothing – materials, labour, rent, tax, marketing, R&D – the waste implicit in a broad range is hardly ever conside...
Charvet ties: the cost of choice
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Is it possible to get hold of Charvet's knitted ties online or through mail order? I've searched everywhere for a black knit tie, but it seems less easy to get than one would suppose....
A (Christmas) word from our sponsors
One of the nice things about having nice advertisers is the range of Christmas shopping ideas they present. Here are my favourites. Among the best additions to the collection at Drake’s are the untipped cashmeres in various shades of grey. The ...
A (Christmas) word from our sponsors
One of the nice things about having nice advertisers is the range of Christmas shopping ideas they present. Here are my favourites. Among the best additions to the collection at Drake’s are the untipped cashmeres in va...
How to wear socks with a suit: Reader question
Colours that go with tan Dear Simon, I’m getting stuck putting an outfit together, and what it comes down to is the socks. I’m wearing a mid-grey worsted wool suit with a sky-blue shirt and regimental tie of burgundy and navy st...
How to wear socks with a suit: Reader question
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Not sure I quite agree with Antonio, but if you're not going to think about them, then yes navy is probably the safest option!...
