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How to buy a watch, part 3: Style
Following my recent posts on how to assess value in watches, and my own collection, here is my advice on style. Metals As a general rule of thumb, it is good to be consistent with metals on your...
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The Asprey workrooms, London
While there are many workrooms in central London dedicated to menswear, most of them are given over to tailoring, or occasionally shoemaking. There are a handful of leather factories in east and north...
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Camps de Luca suit: fitting
I’m getting pretty excited about this Camps de Luca suit now. Not only will it be one of the most beautifully made suits I own – coming from a Parisian tailor – but also one of the most versatile. In...
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Deakin & Francis – England’s oldest family jeweller
Here’s an exploration of a different craft. Deakin & Francis is England’s oldest jewellery maker – specialising in cufflinks, using silver, vitreous enamel and gemstones. It is a variant on a...
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Cashmere, denim and fresco
In response to a couple of requests from readers, here is that photograph from the Asprey workrooms in colour. Navy cashmere jacket from Solito. Dark-brown horn buttons that I bought myself from...
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How Permanent Style started
I’m frequently asked why and how Permanent Style started. So often, in fact, that it occurred to me it’s because I’ve never written it down. So here it is. Seven years ago, I got a bonus from work and...
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How great things age: Levi’s ‘big E’ denim jacket
Denim is really beautiful in the way it frays and fades. Most cotton twills used for workwear age in this way – losing their saturation at wear points as the surface dye rubs away. But the thickness...
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Foster & Son bespoke shoes: Last-making
This is Jon Spencer, last maker at Foster & Son, making up the last for my first pair of bespoke shoes from the team. The black, Oxford whole-cuts will have the classic ‘West End’ Foster’s toe...
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Shirt cuffs and watches
A reader recently asked whether he should have his shirt cuffs made bigger – or the sleeves shorter – in order to accommodate a watch. This is relevant to anyone buying a shirt, not just those...
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Permanent Style on Instagram
Unusually, I will be at Pitti this week, before going onto Milan. (I normally only go in the winter - unless you’re a buyer there’s little point going more often.) There will be a few images of both...
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Ferdinando Caraceni: central Italian tailoring
Back in February I began working on a jacket project with Nicoletta Caraceni, of Ferdinando Caraceni in Milan.There are, as you know, several tailors with the name Caraceni in Italy. They all stem...
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Clothes for travel
Attire for flying out to Florence this week.Polo shirts make great travel items, particularly long-sleeved under jackets. They are comfortable, cool and versatile, and navy is the smartest option....
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Five tips on bespoke suits
The process of commissioning a bespoke suit is a nerve-wracking and, of course, expensive one. Permanent Style has provided extensive advice on this process over the years, particularly in posts...
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My trainers: Common Projects
Some readers might be surprised to learn that I regularly wear trainers. Few should be surprised that there is a rationality both aesthetically and functionally to the selection.My brand is Common...
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Tommaso
This is our friend Tommaso Capozzoli. He is, among many other things, the sales manager for Stefano Bemer, and we usually stay with him when we’re in Florence. Tommaso has style. It is not loud, and...
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Summer: Tan, white and cream
Summer outfits often involve white somewhere, as it’s nice to reflect the brightness of the weather – particularly if you’re in Italy and the sun is that much more consistent than it is in the...
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The best shoes for summer
When the temperatures rise, one of the most uncomfortable things can be your shoes – particularly when dressing informally.The key to keeping cool is to have light, preferably unlined shoes, and wear...
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A Caraceni: bespoke tailor, Milan
Although I decided to have my first Milanese suit made at Ferdinando Caraceni (see previous post), I’ve visited and got to know Carlo and Massimiliano Andreacchio at A Caraceni as well. Between them,...
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Five tips on bespoke shoes
I do like it when readers suggest posts. You feel you’re fulfilling a need. Two weeks ago, on Five Tips on Bespoke Suits, a reader requested a similar post on bespoke shoes, so here it is.1 Be...
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Spanish tailors
Over the past couple of years I have got to know several of Spain’s leading tailors fairly well, particularly Langa, Reillo and Calvo de Mora.Spanish tailors can be characterised as flexible and value...
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