Chapal are a old, high-quality French producer of leather jackets and coats. They make a few things that won’t be to readers’ tastes (T-shirts, painted chairs) but it’s worth turning a blind eye to that and focusing on the  jackets. 

I met the team behind Chapal at Pitti last year and visited their showroom in Paris a few months ago. (There is no shop. There are a few stockists, but I recommend visiting the showroom if you can.) 

More usefully, I have also watched a Chapal jacket age slowly and gracefully over the past year – on Gaziano & Girling patineur Thomas Brunschwig. Thomas bought a made-to-measure ‘USAAF’ jacket last year and wore it through the winter, pretty much every day. The sheep leather has acquired a nice patina, darkening around pockets and lightening on exposed edges. 
  

  
When you put on the jacket, or indeed any other model in the Chapal range, the quality is immediately apparent. The leather is veg-tanned and beautifully soft (Chapal has its own tannery – pretty rare these days), the hardware is solid, and the lining is a really thick cotton drill. 

I’ve shown a few pictures here of Thomas’s jacket, as well as a shot of Francois Pourcher at Corthay wearing the same model (top). 
 

  
Chapal made for the French airforce, and was behind many innovations in flight jackets. Most famously it invented the coating applied to shearling to make it water-resistant (in 1920), which was later supplied to the US airforce and used on their B3 bomber jackets. (It had a factory in Brooklyn from 1880 to 1970.)

The model worn by Thomas and Francois is directly taken from a US design, hence USAAF, and has a detachable rabbit-fur collar. Alongside the shearling B3 and English version (RAF), it also offers original designs for the A1 and A2 jackets. 

Below is the earliest design for a flying jacket – supplied to the French airforce during WWI. It is cut much longer in the body that later designs, but is cinched effectively at the waist to keep it warm and tight fitting during flight. 
  

  
Chapal has both its own tannery and its own fur factory. The fur is supplied to other companies as well, but the tannery is just for Chapal’s production. Even more unusual is that Chapal makes absolutely everything itself, from driving shoes to fibreglass helmets. 

The company was founded in 1832 and has remained in the family ever since. It is now on its seventh generation, with around 35 people working there including the tannery. Jean-Francois Bardinon took over as creative director in 1982 and has pushed the company into more lines and more modern designs (though as I said, I prefer the classics).

There are a few stockists around the world, but most customers have jackets made to order. The advantage of this is that small changes to the fit (eg longer arms) can be done with only a small surcharge. A full made-to-measure service is also available, but costs 20%-40% more. The USAAF jacket starts at €2600 and shearling pieces such as the RAF are €3100.  
  

  
Back in June, standing in Pisa airport with Luke, we considered the dozen or so buyers and journalists we knew who had been on the same flight.

Some were wearing, consistently, good-quality clothes. They clearly understood what we talk about here on PS so much – the value of craftsmanship and quality. They were knowledgeable. (Admittedly it probably helps that they could buy everything wholesale.)

Then there were those that, despite not wearing particularly expensive or well-made clothes, looked good because the pieces had been well chosen and assembled. This is the most common type among the English: men with taste. You’d put money on the fact they also had beautiful upholstery at home, and knew at least a few William Morris patterns by name.

Finally, there were one or two men who just had style. Their clothes weren’t necessarily well-made, or tasteful, but the way they wore them almost overcame all that. It was an attitude, an angle, a gesture. Most of them looked a touch Italian.

If this were a Venn diagram, there would be a few acquaintances in the overlaps: those with both knowledge and taste, for example, but not much flair to it.

And there would even be the odd person – perhaps just one (we will spare him the embarrassment of being named) who sat square in the middle. Who had all three: knowledge, taste and style.

They are very different attributes, and ones that different people aim for with different levels of success. But they should not be confused with each other.

Of course, as so often happens, we later remembered that someone had put better than us about 50 years ago. As Hardy Amies said: “A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them”.

Here’s hoping Permanent Style helps with the first and second, and habit does for the third.
  

Pictured: Vincenzo Attolini, a man with oodles of style

  
The most striking thing about the Mont Blanc leather factory, which we visited last month, was the pairing of modern computer technology and traditional leather craftsmanship.

Few leather factories have good quality control machinery, and none have some of the machines Mont Blanc have installed – because they designed them themselves. (There is a great one for testing belt buckles I’ll write about later.)

In this video, a mechanical arm taken from the automotive industry is being used to test the strength of a bag handle. Various lifts and spins are performed hundreds of times to make sure the handle – and its hardware – are sufficiently strong robust.

How accurate the testing is, of course, depends on the programming of the machine. And in the opinion of the Mont Blanc engineers, the biggest points of weakness are when a handle is twisted, or when it is lifted to head height (to put it into an overhead locker, for example). Hence the actions on display here.

I’m not always a fan of the Mont Blanc aesthetic – which has a tendency towards the clean and clinical – but the quality control side was fascinating.
  

 
I’m pleased to say that there will be 500 copies of my new book exclusively available to readers, to have signed, numbered and personalised. 

The first people to sign up will be sent a first-edition copy of The Finest Menswear in the World when it is released on September 14. It will be signed, dedicated and numbered.

To order yours [running total: 124 gone] email me on the normal address: simon@simoncrompton.co.uk. Specify your address and any particular wording you would like in the dedication. The price is £29.99 plus shipping.

I hope this will be a nice way to reward loyal readers of Permanent Style. And as the dedication is specified, it can of course be bought for friends or spouses.

Many thanks for your support. It’s not easy getting books published today, but the support of readers like you makes these things possible. And together we are more powerful than any traditional publisher. 
 

  
The Finest Menswear in the World is a luxurious, hardback book covering some of the finest makers of menswear in the world, including tailoring at Cifonelli,the quality of a Bresciani sock, and hand-woven panama hats at Brent Black.

Read about the foundation story of Drake’s ties; the awe-inspiring archive of Loro Piana; and the things that make peccary leather so tricky.  

Sub-titled ‘The craftsmanship of luxury’, it is intended to explain and illustrate the craft that goes into these pinnacles of product. And perhaps highlight those so-called luxury brands who do nothing of the sort.

You can read more about the book here.

To reiterate, in order to buy a personalised copy of the book please email simon@simoncrompton.co.uk. Thank you 

  
As with many reader questions, this one evolved over several email messages back and forth. I know Joel won’t mind if I restructure that exchange into a conversation, in order to put the inquiries in the right order. And add a little narrative.

Joel: I am about to buy a pair of black shoes, so your 29 June 2012 post about buying a versatile black shoe was really great, as that is just the kind of shoe I need. Based on that, I’ve planned on buying the nicest cap toe I can manage, which I decided to make this Alden.

But then when I reread your post I noticed that it described its versatility as running from the more formal to the office. However, I never wear suits (once or twice a year at most). Is this still a wise choice?

Simon: Well, what do you normally wear day to day?

Joel: I teach at a university where the dress code is a bit more casual, so I tend to wear blazers and sweaters with trousers, cords, chinos, etc. This made me wonder if the black cap toe might be slightly too smart; if so, I wondered if I should get the blucher oxford instead.

Simon: It sounds like brown shoes are probably more suited to your daily wardrobe, particularly with cords and chinos. Do you have brown shoes already?
  

  
Joel: Actually, one of the reasons I was thinking about getting black shoes was that I now have a pair of dark-brown long wings that I love, a pair of mid-brown bluchers, and a pair of light brown/tan oxfords. But when it comes to the few times I want to wear black (when I am wearing charcoal flannel), I am forced to wear my black Chelsea boots, as I have no black shoes at all. I do think the boots work, but sometimes I wonder if they are not quite right.

Simon: As in, not quite formal enough for the flannels, being boots rather than shoes?

Joel: Exactly. I’ve been building up my wardrobe for about two yeas (and your blog has been invaluable!), and have put off black shoes for the various reasons you suggest in terms of what to prioritise. I just thought that it was now the time for the versatile pair of black shoes. Which then brought me to the question I wrote to you.

Of course, if the style I’m building does not really require or work with black shoes, I could just continue to wear the Chelsea boots when needed and put the money I’ve saved into other things (I am starting to move away from chinos, for example, although that might bring me back to the black shoes!).
  

  
Simon: It sounds like the wardrobe is ready for some black – particularly if you start to dress smarter, as you say. Wearing flannels rather than chinos can make a big difference to how smart you look (and perhaps therefore how serious/professional) but with quite a subtle change.

It’s usually worth having a good pair of black shoes, as for smarter or more formal evening occasions, even a dark brown isn’t quite right. And I can see how Chelsea boots could look too casual. (Incidentally, I like black boots with denim and an otherwise simple outfit – blue button-down shirt, grey or charcoal sweater. It can smarten up an otherwise casual outfit.)

As to which black shoes you should buy, I do think a cap toe would work well. The blucher wouldn’t make much difference to formality, and unless you’re going to wear them with black tie, the cap toe should bridge most formalities of outfit.

As your shoe wardrobe expands more, however, don’t feel bad about buying more dark brown or mid-brown shoes. I obviously have a lot of shoes, but I probably have 10 brown for every one black.

Hope that’s helpful

Simon

(Pictured: three Alden shoes, all from Leffot. Black calf cap-toe oxfords, dark-brown cordovan bluchers/derbys, tan calf wing-tip bluchers/derbys)

  
Wow. Over 400 emails in the past five days. Four hundred requests for first editions of The Finest Menswear in the World, often with wonderful notes of appreciation – not just for personalising this book but for Permanent Style in general.

I never thought we would get near the 500 limit. And I would be slightly regretting the offer of personalisation – with visions of book stacks and an aching wrist – were it not for the lovely comments that have accompanied some of the requests.

I’m sure they won’t mind if I reproduce some of them here. They included:

• Thank you so much for dedicating every book. It will take a while but I promise you it is appreciated!
• You should know how valued Permanent Style is, particularly your balance and willingness to write both good and bad reviews
• Many thanks for all your hard work. There isn’t much good dressing in Oakland and books like this, as well as the site, are how we fight against the flood

Many of the books were bought as gifts, which is nice. There were presents for brothers, boyfriends, fiancés, sons, fathers. One requested the dedication: “Your father couldn’t afford to buy you the contents, so he thought he’d get you the book.”

Many dedications were rallying cries to good style. One reader asked: “I would be grateful if you could sign the book under a simple message that I have come across in your writing recently: One should give the basic impression of being well dressed, but nothing more.”

Some left it up to me: “I just would like something, that – when I open the book 20 years from now on – will leave a little grin on my face and make me say: ‘Simon already knew it – I still had to find out myself’.”

And others had no specific wishes: “Anything is fine. What’s important for me is that the author who spent months, years on this project leave a track of the “sweat” of his labour.”

I’ve learnt that James wears his Rapha gloves for riding in Mallorca; that Ben is super-pleased with his first suit from Elia Caliendo; and that John is anxiously awaiting his meeting with Simone Abbarchi.

Thank you, one and all. To VYL, to the Hogtown Rake, and to Savile Row’s unofficial ambassador to Kentucky. You make it, and you make it all worth it.

A few things to clarify that people have also asked about:

• More than 500 books are being printed. There will be several thousand, available in book shops worldwide. 
• This is entirely different to Permanent Style 2015, the self-published book we put out in May, which is still available here. This new book is being produced by international publisher Thames & Hudson.
• The Finest Menswear in the World is available from September 14. Pre-orders now will be paid for at the beginning of September, and delivered then. 
• When ordering, please let me know your address and any dedication. Payment details will be sent in September.

Image top: At Drake’s, in my green-and-black checked jacket from Solito, blue shirt from Luca Avitabile and black knitted-silk tie

  
I like wearing a boutonniere – or buttonhole – on more formal or celebratory occasions. Mostly, I think, because it is another opportunity to play with colour. Having come up with a pleasing combination of suit, shirt, tie and handkerchief, selecting a flower is one more challenge and chance for expression. 

I also like the fact that doesn’t seem that fussy. Unlike many other formal additions – double-breasted waistcoats, tie pins, collar pins etc – it seems like a light-hearted, playful item. That ever-present risk of taking yourself too seriously – or at least appearing so – is mitigated. 

The images here illustrate the range of appropriate colours. Despite the richness of colour elsewhere in this outfit – tobacco linen suit, blue shirt, green tie, yellow handkerchief – all three of these flowers work well. 

Cream (below, from a white hydrangea) is the most versatile colour for a flower. Because cream is rarely worn elsewhere, it will be a compliment to rather than a mere mimic of a white shirt or white hank. And even when there is no white present, as here, its lack of strong colour prevents it clashing with anything.
  

 
Cornflower blue (above, a lobelia) works by picking up the blue shirt and adding a stronger, deeper tone to it. It also highlights an important point: that you can get away with much stronger colour in a boutonniere than you can with other accessories.

That strong blue would have been out of place as a handkerchief, dominating all the other colours around it. But as a small, prick of inspiration, it is an attractive accent. 

Finally pink (shown top, scabious I think) is not reflected anywhere else in the outfit, but was a candidate for a tie or handkerchief. A reader suggested that last time in the comments, and while I considered it, personally I think that would have been too long strong a colour to work with everything else

As a boutonniere, however, it is perfect. Again, stronger colours can work here where they would not elsewhere. 

In closing, a small plea to keep flowers small, even at weddings. No one needs a massive, artificial arrangement that weighs down the whole lapel. Keep it light, keep it small and keep in natural. 
  

  
Occasional readers may not be aware that I write a monthly column for How To Spent It – the luxury supplement to the Financial Times – under the title ‘Inside Track’.

Recent columns have included French leather company Jean Rousseau, the quality management at Mont Blanc, and an interview with perfumer Frederic Malle. Although some of them inevitably feature on the blog as well, the How To Spend It features usually take a different angle and include fresh information. Worth a browse. 

You can see the list of columns here. And the individual ones mentioned at those links above. 

  
I’ve had quite a few requests by readers over the past year for city guides, so this is the first in a series. 

In London, there are so many options that it makes sense to group some together. Also, if I leave too many out I’ll get in trouble.

The guides have several key principles:

• They are guides to quality. Only top shops with well-made products are included
• They only cover menswear, and largely sartorial menswear
• Perhaps most importantly, they only cover shopping experiences that are pretty much exclusive to the city. There are fewer and fewer of these, and they should be celebrated

  
1. Anderson & Sheppard: The haberdashery
www.anderson-sheppard.co.uk/haberdashery
17 Clifford Street

Probably my favourite shop in London. Very strong on knitwear, which Anda and Audie designed almost entirely themselves, and trousers, which they did entirely themselves. I recommend the Shetland sweaters, handkerchiefs and everything in linen. 

2. Trunk Clothiers 
www.trunkclothiers.com
8 Chiltern Street

A trailblazer when it first opened, stocking Incotex trousers, Boglioli jackets and Common Projects trainers. Still the best shop in London for quality casual clothing with a classic aesthetic. Now with a second shop on the same street, Trunk Labs, stocking luggage, footwear and homewares.

3. Drake’s
www.drakes.com
3 Clifford Street

The British tiemaker’s only shop, but good for a lot more than ties. Favourites include their shawl-collar sweater, nicely styled jackets and a new, strong shirt offering. Also the only place in the UK where you can try Saint Crispin’s shoes. 

4. Gaziano & Girling, GJ Cleverley and John Lobb
www.gazianogirling.com, www.gjcleverley.co.uk and www.johnlobbltd.co.uk
39 Savile Row, 13 The Royal Arcade and 9 St James’s Street

The only shops in the world for these top-end shoemakers. All worth a visit: G&G for the range of bespoke and ready-made shoes, and patination; Cleverley for its workshops upstairs; and John Lobb for the rabbit-warren nature of the place. Other shoe shops are less interesting or replicated elsewhere in the world.

5. Henry Poole, Richard Anderson, Chittleborough & Morgan, Anderson & Sheppard…
15 Savile Row, 13 Savile Row, 12 Savile Row and 32 Old Burlington Street

There are perhaps a dozen bespoke tailors it’s worth visiting in the centre of London. But you’re not going to visit them all, and they are not really shops – you go in for a polite inquiry, and perhaps an explanation of house style. Most are pretty welcoming. If you’re looking to commission a suit, pick out a few likely candidates. If you’re after history, visit Henry Poole, Gieves & Hawkes and Huntsman.

6. Gieves & Hawkes
www.gievesandhawkes.com
1 Savile Row

Gieves deserves its own listing for the superb ready-to-wear clothing that Jason Basmajian has designed in recent seasons. There is also the archive on display – as mentioned above – and a nice bespoke room.

7. Private White VC
www.privatewhitevc.com
73 Duke Street

A long-time British manufacturer that recently set up its own menswear line. Well-made jackets and coats at very reasonable prices, particularly distinguished by the functional aspects of the designs and copper hardware.

8. Lock & Co, Bate’s and Christy’s
www.lockhatters.co.uk, www.bates-hats.co.uk and www.christys-hats.com
6 St James’s Street, 37 Jermyn Street and 16 Princes Arcade

Nowhere else in the world would you find three great hat companies in such close proximity. Lock & Co has the history, of course, and beautiful hat boxes, but if you’re actually shopping for a hat then the other two are worth visiting as well.

9. Nigel Cabourn and The Real McCoy’s
www.cabourn.com and www.realmccoys.co.jp
28 Henrietta Street and 15 Henrietta Street

These two casualwear brands both set up their first shops in London this year, on opposite sides of the street. Both specialise in recreations of old styles, with McCoy’s aiming for precise imitations, and Cabourn more inspiration and modern improvement. The latter also does more seasonal designs, and I highly recommend the coats and knitwear.

10. Son of a Stag
www.sonofastag.com
9 Dray Walk

Possibly the best shop in London for denim and leather. Stacks of imported Japanese brands, leather jackets from around the world and chain stitching on site. If you like the workwear style, also worth checking out Present and Albam in this area of east London. 

11. Turnbull & Asser 
www.turnbullandasser.co.uk
71-72 Jermyn Street

The scale of the Jermyn Street shop is what will impress most people. Quality menswear and accessories in almost every department, with bespoke round the corner. Getting more of a designer edge, but still with one of the broadest offerings to sartorial men in London.

12. New & Lingwood
www.newandlingwood.com
53 Jermyn Street

Across the street from Turnbull & Asser is another unique outfitter, again across two shops. In contrast with T&A, however, I would recommend N&L for the unusual – both in terms of colour and design. Few other places stock cloaks. Few have so much in green and pink. Plus the dressing gowns are beautiful.

13. Bentley’s Antiques
bentleyslondon.com
91 Lower Sloane Street

A lovely antiques store specialising in luggage, bags and men’s accessories. Run by Tim and Julian, with a well-curated and revolving collection. Recently re-housed in a new shop on Lower Sloane Street. 

14. Harrod’s and Liberty’s
www.harrods.com
87-135 Brompton Road and Regent Street

If you simply want the greatest range of luxury clothing, Harrod’s is the best department store. But most brands in there wouldn’t get in this list. Liberty’s, meanwhile, is worth visiting for its superb perfume section. The best-curated collection you’ll find anywhere. Avoid Selfridge’s.

15. Edward Green, Mackintosh, Tricker’s, Smedley etc…

There are a lot of shops in London, probably more than in any other city, that have their sole retail outlet in London. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the shops for any other reason, but if you’re a fan of those brands, they are likely worth visiting.
  

There are many, many more places in London I would recommend, but there simply isn’t room. It seems criminal to leave out Cordings, Budd shirts, Sunspel and Thom Sweeney. In fact, writing this post has made me realise afresh what a diverse and innovative menswear destination London is. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Please feel free to leave your own recommendations in the comments.

  
As readers never fail to point out, I have had a lot of bespoke items made over the past 10 years. But while I love pretty much all of them, some get a lot more use than others.

These pieces become staples – the things I turn to time and again. And I think many of them offer lessons for people beginning to invest in quality clothing.

Particularly with bespoke and made to measure, it is tempting to order unusual items that will stand out both for their fit and their material: Prince of Wales checks; royal-blue flannels; double-breasteds with unusual button arrangements.

But I would argue that, at least at the start, investment clothing should be basic pieces you will get a lot of wear out of. (A tuxedo or wedding suit perhaps being the obvious exceptions.)

These have proven to be my go-to items.

1. Navy cashmere blazer
Solito, Naples
Full image here

It’s too warm at the moment for this lovely blazer from Neapolitan tailors Solito, but in the UK there are only 2 or 3 months like that. The rest of the time it stays at the office, thrown on with everything from a blue spread-collar shirt and tie, to one of our Permanent Style polo shirts. 

The colour and material work with almost every colour of trouser and shirt, and occasion. The only thing they are too smart for is weekend wear – jeans and chinos. It’s is the kind of jacket that will eventually need elbow patches.

2. Navy cashmere overcoat
Cifonelli, Paris
Full post here

This overcoat will, obviously, only be used for 4 or 5 months of the year. Yet it will still be worn more than almost anything else. That’s because during that period it will be worn almost every day, put over the top of every suit, jacket and knitwear. Although the navy cashmere is smart, the design makes it a little more casual – more a polo coat, with patch pockets and horizontal gorge.

It’s worth saying, as well, that I think everyone should have an overcoat made as one of their first three bespoke orders. A bespoke overcoat is a thing of unique beauty, given its heavy weight and long length. Double-breasted garments in general also benefit more from a bespoke fit, and more people are likely to wear a DB overcoat than a DB suit. 

3. Dark-brown Oxfords
Gaziano & Girling, Kettering
Full post here (before patination)

I wear dark-brown shoes perhaps 80% of the time – with suits, with odd trousers, with jeans. There is some variation, between calf/suede/croc, oxford/derby/boot, and degrees of darkness. A dark-brown suede from Corthay has a very different style one from Edward Green (the former far more sharp, formal, feminine).

But they are all, still, dark-brown shoes. And the ones that get the most use are my bespoke Gaziano & Girling Oxfords, in the Adelaide style, patinated by Thomas in the Savile Row shop. They go with virtually everything, and are the best fitting shoes I have. 

4. Grey flannel suit
Anderson & Sheppard, London
Full image here

You know the piece that you feel bad about putting on, because you’re afraid you’re shortening its life? This is mine. Every time I look at it hanging in the wardrobe, I think ‘Should I wear it today? Isn’t there anything else that would be just as nice?’

A suit cannot be repaired quite as easily as a jacket (patches etc) given its relative formality. And it’s always tempting to wear the trousers on their own. So I fear for the life of my grey-flannel suit, even if it’s doing well so far.

The colour and material are also among the most versatile in suiting, sitting happily with both a chambray shirt and woollen tie, and a fine poplin and printed silk. 

5. Grey tweed jacket
Elia Caliendo, Naples
Full post here

The only piece on this list that is consistently worn at the weekend, as well as the working week. That’s down to the Neapolitan cut and make, of course, but also the colour of Permanent Style tweed it is made from.

The grey is just about smart enough around the office (perhaps on a Friday) but its texture and touch of brown make it casual enough for the weekend. Perhaps with taupe Incotex chinos and suede shoes. 

I also considered two other structures for this post: 5 items I get most excited about putting on, and 5 types of clothing that give the most value being made bespoke. Let me know if either would also be of interest

   
In the spirit of our recent posts on assembling outfits, here’s the process that put this one together.

Originating idea: I’ve always liked the way this pale, silk tie from Ralph Lauren goes with my Rubinacci cashmere jacket. The corn colour of the tie picks up some of the lighter aspects of the donegal pattern. Very few plain, silk ties work with odd jackets, but this one does. So, what to wear with it?

The default assumption with the shirt is it will be plain blue. It’s easily the most versatile of the shirt colours. And that works here, successfully bringing the jacket and tie together without the starkness of a white background, or the complication of another pattern.
  

What trousers? Several could work, each with a respective level of formality, from fresco to chino. But I’m most interested in more casual combinations of jacket/tie/handkerchief; it’s just more of a challenge, and something you rarely see done well. So I went with chinos.

Cream was too close in colour to the tie, and navy contrasted a bit too much with the jacket (we are playing with a very subtle colour combination above the waist, after all). So these grey/green ones from Incotex were chosen.

An odd jacket/odd trouser combination always needs enough contrast to tell the two pieces apart, but the degree of contrast should also be a reflection of the rest of the outfit.

At this point, it seemed like there was a theme emerging. Subtle, muted colours – and perhaps a touch of the military. The pale-yellow tie is very similar to that worn by American soldiers in WWII, and I believe still worn by the Marine Corps. And the green/grey of the trousers is not far off the rest of the uniform.

With that casual theme in mind, the blue shirt became a blue denim, and my Gaziano & Girling hatch-grain loafers went on the feet. Nice that the loafers, again, are not too dark and therefore don’t create too much contrast with the trouser.
 

  
Watch is my Rolex GMT-Master with tropical dial. Reading a copy of Permanent Style 2015. In the gardens of Inner Temple, London. (Oh, and a blue/white hank to pick up a little from the shirt.)

–

The book, Permanent Style 2015, is still available by the way. I think we had about 400 copies left at last count, out of the original 2000. You can buy it here.

All are hand-numbered, and can be distributed from the US or UK. If you are in the UK, make sure to click ‘Estimate Shipping and Tax’ and enter the UK as the country. You will then have a ‘Promotion shipping offer’ of $7.

Photography: Ade Udoma

Edward Sexton

  
Before the public part of Tailoring Symposium in June, we all gathered next to the pool at the Four Seasons to have a chat about tailoring and its future, with The Rake busily making a video of the event in the background. 

This was perhaps the most pleasant part of the day, with myself and Wei posing questions to these greats of bespoke tailoring – gathered together for the first time. As expected, everyone had similar stories to tell, about difficult customers, about the benefits and dangers of having a house style, and about new blood coming into the craft. 

John Hitchcock, Simon Crompton and Richard Anderson

Antonio Panico and Antonio Liverano

  
Our two Italians, Antonio Liverano and Antonio Panico, didn’t speak enough English to interact directly with, say, John Hitchcock of Anderson & Sheppard, but with the kind aid of Tommaso Melani of Stefano Bemer, it became clear that the three of them were saying exactly the same thing about the rigidity of house styles. Just with different mannerisms and anecdotes. 

As I say, it’s what you’d expect – similar experiences, similar headaches – yet it was a pleasant surprise to see it play out before our eyes. 

I’m sure we’ll organise something similar next year. Here’s hoping it is equally as productive and as enjoyable. 

The event was kindly supported by Stefano Bemer and Vitale Barberis Canonico, with The Rake as official magazine. Check out Tom’s great article on the event in the current issue of The Rake.

Posts on the public part of the Symposium here, and analysis of the styles of the different tailors here.
 

Lorenzo Cifonelli

John Hitchcock

Simon Crompton

Richard Anderson

Tommaso Melani of Stefano Bemer

Simone Ubertino Rosso of Vitale Barberis Canonico

Re-fitting for a Simone Abbarchi shirt, Florence

  
In comments to Friday’s post on my ‘go-to’ clothing, readers said they would like to see a post suggesting which types of clothing it is most worth having made bespoke.

In order to set out my views on this, I have listed five items that are often made bespoke, and explain where I see the relative value – both to other bespoke items and to ready-made.

1. Bespoke jacket

The standard by which everything else must be judged.

A jacket is worth having bespoke more than any other item, both in terms of cut and of construction. The three-dimensional nature of a bespoke cut, dealing as it does with pitch, angle and curve, is of greatest benefit on the torso, which is far more irregular than the legs. This is a major reason why a bespoke jacket looks so good.

Bespoke construction then creates structure around this torso. A hand-padded chest creates a flattering yet natural shape, while a structured collar keeps the jacket closely around the neck, anchoring the jacket. No other bespoke item has this difference in quality compared to RTW.

2. Bespoke coat

A coat is the second-most valuable thing to have made bespoke. Largely, this is because it has the same benefits of a jacket, above. It is usually in a heavier cloth, which might appear to be more forgiving RTW, but then we all know how great bespoke looks in a heavy cloth. Like pure sculpture.

An overcoat is also superior to a jacket in its greater proportions. An overcoat sweeps. Usually from a strong shoulder, though a wider lapel than a suit, across a double-breasted fastening, and out into a very long skirt. Nothing is as dramatic.
  

The Corthay bespoke basement, Paris

3. Bespoke shoes

Bespoke shoes don’t have many advantages over RTW in terms of construction any more. Several brands offer hand-welting (Saint Crispin’s, Stefano Bemer) and others have top-end uppers, oak-bark soles and tight waists (Gaziano & Girling among others).

There are some more differences in terms of fit. No matter how many sizes and widths a brand offers, a bespoke fit always has the potential to be better. But then more brands are now offering altered lasts as well – such as Saint Crispin’s –that approach bespoke.

Yet I would still place bespoke shoes above bespoke shirts, bespoke knitwear and many other items. This is because although the differences between bespoke and RTW shoes are small, they are among the most beautiful things in menswear. The perfect segue from heel cup to heel stack; the sinuous irregularity of a bespoke sole. Men, including myself, treasure such things.

4. Bespoke shirt

There are no construction advantages to a bespoke shirt; it is all about fit.

And while a bespoke fit is often superior, this is largely in the body of the shirt – which creases; which often remains hidden; and which has to be looser than a jacket to allow one to sit down. A good fit in a shirt is important, but it can often be achieved made-to-measure, or even altered RTW.

The most important thing in a shirt is the collar, which may be better in bespoke or may not. If you can find a RTW collar you like, that sits gracefully with tie and without, and is the right height for your neck, you’re most of the way there.

5. Bespoke knitwear

I’ve always said more brands should do bespoke knitwear. Or made-to-order with alterations. Where you can try on a few sizes in the shop, then order it in any colour with slightly longer arms and a slightly slimmer waist. Well-fitted knitwear is so flattering on a man, and has broader uses than tailoring.

But knitwear still belongs at the bottom of this list, because there are no differences in make and because the alterations required are more akin to made-to-measure.
  

Lorenzo Cifonelli fitting a bespoke suit

 
German brand Merz b Schwanen has changed quite a lot since it was taken over Peter Plotnicki (below), having been bought up, moved production and overhauled its product. But thankfully the changes have been in cut and design, rather than fabrication.

In some ways Merz’s story is similar to that of Sunspel, which was bought in 2005 by Nicholas Brooke and Dominic Hazlehurst, and re-launched with a modernised line of product that updated many great pieces from the Sunspel archive.

Fans of heritage are often sceptical of such re-launches, presuming that the buyers will play on the brand’s history without honouring any of its values. But it’s worth giving them the benefit of the doubt, to begin with, if only because without the new owners such companies would often have just ceased to exist.
 

  
Merz had ceased trading when it was taken over by Peter, but he has done a good job at reviving it. Although the Merz factories closed seven years ago, Peter found another manufacturer using the famous loopwheeler knitting machines in Germany, and started production there.

Interestingly, although some would emphasise the fact that Sunspel has its own factory, the loopwheeler production is much more unusual, and most of the Merz collection is centred around its distinctive seamless look – where Sunspel has branched out far more, into shirting for example.

For those that don’t know, loopwheeling is an old technique for knitting garments in a circle, creating a tube of fabric without any seams. It was patented in 1926 and died out in the 1950s. It produces a slightly irregular knit but also one that is very dense and soft.

That density is largely down the slowness of production, which means less tension is put on the cotton. Most loopwheelers can only produce around one metre of fabric every hour.
  

  
“We were so pleased to be able to keep that technique when we moved to the new factory,” Peter told us. “But the product still needed a lot of work.”

The traditional sweatshirts that were made with loopwheelers (most famous under American athletic brands like Champion) had a very wide body shape, and sleeves that were entirely straight – the same width all the way up. There would sometimes be a triangle insert under the arm as well, for extra movement.

“They were very baggy,” says Peter. “We had to slim them down rather, as well as reshape the sleeves.” Peter has also been working on new products and materials, such as versions using Sea Island cotton.
  

  
I’ve worn Merz button-facing (‘grandad’ style) shirts as undergarments for a few years now, and the loopwheeler technique does create a distinctive softness – yet with good body and stretch.

The weight makes most of them impractical under dress shirts, but I often wear them under a shawl-collar sweater or casual jacket. Personally I also think that is more flattering, as the low-scooped collar does not suit many men.

Merz and Loopwheeler in Japan are the two biggest companies selling loopwheeler products today – and Merz is stocked in Trunk and Son of a Stag among other places in London. It is also sold in a dozen or so stores in the US and No Man Walks Alone online.
  

  
On September 16th, we will be closing off the Royal Arcade in London to hold a book launch for my new book The Finest Menswear in the World. 

The event is being hosted jointly by GJ Cleverley, Anderson & Sheppard and Permanent Style, with all the brands included in the book invited, as well as many others. There will be books available to buy and be signed, and drinks and cocktails supplied by the lovely people at Balvenie. 

We have 100 places available for readers, if you would like to come. Please email me at simon@simoncrompton.co.uk for a place. I’m afraid we can’t accept attendees on the night. 

The event begins at 6:30pm, and will be accessible from the Old Bond Street end of the Royal Arcade. 

I look forward to seeing you
Simon

 
Handkerchiefs are not easy for a modern man. Few things are as conspicuous and unusual. Enough people wear ties and waistcoats to make them anonymous – even hats, which change the silhouette more than anything else, are more likely to be forgiven for their practicality.

One easy way to reduce the impact of a handkerchief is to soften its contrast with the rest of the outfit. In fact, of the three main things that affect the formality of a hank – colour, pattern, texture – it is colour that makes the biggest difference. 

Above I have shown three outfits of mine to illustrate this softening.

At top is a pure-white linen handkerchief, worn against a navy hopsack jacket. The contrast between hank and jacket is high, creating a smarter, more formal outfit. That contrast is down to the jacket as much as the hank, of course, but a pure white hank on any jacket is going to be smart.

In the next image is a cream linen handkerchief. The difference with its cousin is small, but there is a definite softening of the contrast. This is helped by the sandy colour of the jacket, which itself is closer to the cream of the hank. The outfit overall is intended to more casual, and this is reflected in the choice of handkerchief.

In the third picture we have a cream cashmere hank (all are from Anderson & Sheppard). The cream colour is similar to the linen above, but the effect is softened further by the material, which has greater texture and absorbs more light. This is the most casual outfit of the three – with tweed and denim – and a stark white linen hank, as in picture number one, would be far too smart for it. 

  
 
One other variation to consider is grey, above. As with cream, the grey removes contrast in the handkerchief and so softens it. In this example the white ‘shoestring’ around the edge also introduces some contrast, keeping in relatively smart, but overall it is not as formal as the plain white alternative.

I find this formality of handkerchiefs interesting because it is slightly different to other items of clothing such as shoes and ties.

The effect of those three variables (colour, pattern, texture) is broadly the same: more colour is less formal; more pattern is less formal. But the order is different. Texture is crucial to the formality of a shoe (suede/calf) but less so a handkerchief (silk is usually less formal than linen, but more formal than wool).

The most important thing to consider with a hank is colour and contrast. If you want to wear one and stand out just a little less, dial down both of them. 
 

  
Some of my best, certainly my most original bespoke projects have been undertaken with Davide Taub, head cutter at Gieves & Hawkes. Regular readers will remember the bespoke leather jacket we made together in 2013, and the pea coat in 2014. 

If I learnt one thing from those projects, it was to keep things simple. Reduce the number of variables and you’ll be more certain of success. The same goes for collaborations – stay with what the manufacturer does best, but change one thing that they either didn’t think of, or didn’t think was commercially viable. 

For our next project together, therefore, I took a part of Davide’s innovative driving jacket he made for the Bentley exhibition, and adapted to my own uses. 

That driving jacket included a quilted panel that buttoned into the front, zipping up the centre and giving the impression of a gilet worn underneath it (below, left).

The whole thing was nothing more than one long, vertical panel of cotton and straps that fastened around the neck and waist. But the effect was striking.
 

  
It’s a look that many fashion brands, such as Brunello Cucinelli, try to affect with actual gilets worn underneath tailoring – but the gilets are inevitably too bulky.

This fake-gilet look that Davide created is also not new – Corneliani have done it successfully for many years by zipping in front panels to their ID jackets (above, right). But doing it bespoke is special, and has many advantages. 

The biggest one is that this gilet can be adapted to fit many jackets. As long as they are roughly the same style, the buttons that it attaches to can be sewn into any jacket, inserted precisely into each one so that front piece lies perfectly down the chest. 

I decided to have the gilet cut to fit into my Neapolitan jackets from Elia Caliendo. I have three: a grey Permanent Style tweed (shown in this post), a tan lightweight jacket and a brown Harris tweed. The gilet probably wouldn’t work with the summer jacket, but it would be great with the other two – as well as a caramel-coloured cashmere that I am having made for winter. 
  

  
So the next question was, what colour should the gilet be? In order to work with as many jackets as possible, brown was the obvious choice. Initially I thought about dark brown, but looking at the cotton bunch, a biscuit-coloured mid-brown was actually more interesting and worked with all the jackets.

In the images here you can see our first fitting, with the brown cotton twill up the front and the canvas around the neck (which will eventually also be covered with the cotton).

There will be a discrete zip down the middle (thinner than on the driving jacket) and quilting across the front. Unlike the driving jacket, the zip will reach right up to the chin, rather than having a flap across the top. (And the quilting lines will definitely match across the front!)

There are many other issues to talk about – including the nature of the quilting and the necessity of a waist and neck strap. But I’ll leave those for another post. 
  

  
I’m sad to say that the Robert Noble mill in Peebles – which Luke and I visited last year – is closing down. 

Readers of the Permanent Style 2015 book will have seen the full photography of the great site. Sitting square in the middle of town – which itself is the historic centre of weaving in Scotland, around the river Tweed – it had an anonymous entrance off a dark-stoned residential street. 

Inside were worn floorboards, a beautiful boardroom made of old ship’s timbers, and everywhere signs of the history of the facility. On the wall was the picture below, showing an old aerial shot of the mill in the middle of town. 
  

  
At the end of May a 30-day consultation period was announced, under which offers were invited to buy the mill. None were forthcoming, so in early July the staff were told that it would be closing. Production will cease by the end of the year.

Replin, which weaves heavy-duty cloths for train seats, airplane seats and similar, also operated on the site. That has been sold off to Hainsworth.

Robert Noble, together with its order book, designs and some design staff, is looking likely to be bought by another mill. The great Noble archive (pictured here) will also hopefully go with them.

It’s tremendously sad to see a British high-end mill close down, but particularly one that respresents such a big slice of Scottish weaving history. 
 

  
Our one-piece leather tote bag, made by Globe-Trotter in Hertfordshire, England, is now available to order. This run will be limited to 20 pieces.

UPDATE: Dimensions are 40cm tall x 37cm wide x 10cm deep
  

I was really impressed when I went to see the new leather facility at Globe-Trotter last year. The materials and the workmanship are first class. In some areas such as the inking, I don’t think there’s another facility in England that can produce the same quality. 

We were inspired that day to design something together, and I decided on a tote bag. This was partly because it was quite simple (always a good idea when starting on something from scratch) and partly because I have never seen a slim tote I like.

Designer versions are usually a bit over-designed, or a bit flash. This would be simple, classic, practical and made to the highest standards.

Key points:

• Made in England
• One piece of veg-tanned leather
• Exceptional level of inking and finishing
• £745 + VAT
• Available to preview at Trunk
• Reserve by emailing simon@simoncrompton.co.uk
    

  
Key to the aesthetic of the Globe-Trotter facility is this beautiful leather. Vegetable-tanned – in class English tan – it is thick and natural, with the odd stretch mark across the body.

If you like leather and the way it ages, there is nothing like a big, wide piece of tan leather.

We deliberately made it out of one piece of the leather, so there is no seam on the bottom. This makes the bag more expensive, and certainly no cheaper manufacturers would ever bother to do it. But I feel it’s the kind of thing Permanent Style readers appreciate.

There is a nice external ‘cloche’, pictured above, which has key rings inside to put keys on, and which then loops around the handles. There is also a separate metal loop inside, in case you want to loop up anything else and be able to recover it easily from the bottom of the bag.
 

  
As mentioned, I was impressed by the high level of finishing at Globe-Trotter. The inking on the edges – shown above – is thick and waxy, created by building up six layers on top of each other.

The importance of good inking is something I have emphasised in lots of pieces, from my articles on Hermes to the guide to buying bags. Cheap inking often has a line down the middle, still showing the two pieces of the leather that have been joined together. It is untidy and will inevitably crack and pull apart. 

The lining of the bag is another thing that attracted me to the Globe-Trotter work. Made from a herringbone cotton, it has none of the stiffness of a synthetic-mix lining, but has a thin surface treatment to make it stain- and water-resistant.  

The aesthetic of the cream lining and neat white stitching, against the veg tan leather, I find particularly appealing (perhaps a little redolent of Hermes). 
 

  
Other features include:

• Two internal patch pockets made out of the same leather as the outside, one sized to fit an iPad
• One zip pocket inside to keep things secure
• A flap that fastens the top of the bag (I particularly like this detail) and tucks away behind a leather loop when not in use
• Handles that are comfortable to hold in the hand, at the side; but in extremis, if you need an extra hand free, can be temporarily looped over the shoulder
• Square rings on the handles so they fold down neatly on either side
• Soft leather side gussets 
• Four metal feet that enable the bag to stand up, despite its curved one-piece construction

There are several design aspects specific to the range, such as the propellor-shaped pull on the zip pocket and archive Globe-Trotter logos embossed on the inside and outside. Each bag will also have a serial number indicating its number in the range.
  

  
If any readers in London want to see and feel the bag before ordering, Trunk Clothiers in Marylebone has our final sample on display. Feel free to go and have a look. 

As mentioned at the top of this piece, the price is £745 + VAT and shipping. Payment and fulfilment will be done by Globe-Trotter, but reservations should be made through me at simon@simoncrompton.co.uk.

Orders will be taken now and then go to the Globe-Trotter factory in Broxbourne, where they will be made and ready to ship to customers at the end of September. 
  

  
I interviewed Vincenzo Attolini (above) back in January. This post is therefore a little late, although the advantage is the clothes will be dropping into shops now, unlike other pieces from trade shows where you have to wait at least six months to be able to buy anything.

In the picture above he is scrutinising the work on my Cifonelli DB jacket. He found it quite fascinating.
 

 
Vincenzo Attolini sells ready-made and made-to-order tailoring under his brand Stile Latino. It is made in Naples and has a distinctive southern Italian softness. The default is no shoulder pad – there may be one, but only on a slightly more formal jacket. 

The style is younger than the more famous brand, Attolini, run by Vincenzo’s brothers Massimiliano and Giuseppe. (Vincenzo split off 10 years ago.)

The colours of Stile Latino are stronger, the cuts are tighter, and the jackets are shorter. There is also more emphasis on texture, with a surfeit of shantung ties and casentino coats. Nothing outlandish for those of us used to buying sartorial clothing, but definitely with an accent on youth. In Vincenzo’s words: “It must be sexy, it must be tight!” 

I can see that description putting off some readers immediately. Certainly, Stile Latino won’t be to the taste of traditional bespoke customers. But there may be a market among younger readers for whom bespoke Neapolitan tailoring is the most formal thing they would ever wear – and the rest of the time want something with a distinctly Italian style, and a strong quality level. 
 

  
For one thing Vincenzo is keen on is quality. Despite being a younger-orientated brand, he doesn’t spend any less on materials than his siblings, or on trimmings – canvas, melton and so on.

Indeed, for him this is where many of the Neapolitan brands have gone wrong in the past 50 years. “My grandfather [also Vincenzo Attolini, the founder of the Neapolitan style of tailoring] stripped down the traditional English suit. He took out the heavy canvas, the heavy shoulder pad, and made it shorter and closer fitting.

“But he still left the fundamentals there. There was always some form of shoulder pad, and a linen chest canvas if not a horsehair one. The mistake many Neapolitan companies have made is that they strip out everything, all padding and all canvas.

“This can make a jacket very shapeless. The only way to get away with that is to have a heavier material – in an overcoat, for example. And in any case you have to cut the jacket closer as you take out the structure. It has to use the body more.”

Not everyone would agree that a lighter-structured jacket has to fit closer to the body, but he’s certainly right that many RTW Italian brands skimp on the canvas, creating pretty shapeless garments.
 

  
Interestingly, Vincenzo is forthright in only using handwork that he thinks is worth the money. He doesn’t use hand-sewn buttonholes, for example, because he considers that the vast majority of hand-sewn buttonholes in Naples look worse than the best machine-sewn ones (he may have a point there).

The problem with quality materials, and a good-sized collection, is that Stile Latino is expensive. Suits are around €2600, with an extra 20% for made to measure.

This might be the biggest issue. At that price many with access to a Neapolitan tailor will end up going bespoke. And those looking for the style ready-to-wear might go for cheaper brands like Eidos Napoli or Sartoria Formosa.

Vincenzo did offer to make me a jacket and overcoat made-to-measure, in order to demonstrate the value of that service. So we’ll have first hand experience soon.
 

 
Stockists (not available on the Stile Latino site): 

EUROPE