Bespoke Suit and Luggage

As a successfully detoxed label-hunter I know full well the apparent attractions of wearing other’s brands; my previous naïveté in this regard is somewhat embarrassing and consistently mystifying. When I rifle through old collections of sweaters at home I cannot comprehend why I purchased so many with emblazoned brands. I remember my mother accompanying me on shopping trips, encouraging me, sometimes imploring me, to purchase alternative items of equal quality but comparative plainness; bizarrely, I went for the billboard.


Ever since I realised my folly, I have been a strong critic of shameless branding, mainly from the point of view of an aesthete. As each year passes I seek greater distance from the brands which I purchase. Not because I am ashamed of my patronage but because the whole point about purchasing something someone else has made is that you are buying an item of quality and/or design that you alone do not have the resources or invention to create. Any quality or design is denigrated by the presence of overt branding. Branding symbolises ownership and alarmingly, it is not that of the wearer but the brander; ranch rules still apply.



Valextra are an altogether different proposition. An old Milanese brand, though not as ancient as Goyard or Vuitton, Valextra was rescued from the unloving clutches of Samsonite by Emanuele Carminati Molina in 2000. Although it sounds more like a patented lab-tested material than a luxury leather goods brand, Valextra has, in the past 10 years, returned to doing to what it does best; simple elegance. The bags are blissfully logo free, beautifully made and extraordinarily exclusive – even the sales assistant at Harrods, their only point of sale in the UK, spoke about the products with a hushed reverence that mirrored the subtlety of the bags’ designs. The leather is stiff, plain and of outstanding quality. Unlike the neo-Edwardian aesthetic of Goyard and Vuitton, the appeal of Valextra is firmly mid-twentieth century; a nod to the birth of air travel. Available in a range of colours including black, bright blue, Hermes orange and an incredibly impractical white, Valextra is almost perfect – until you look inside the pocket for the well-concealed price tag.



Unfortunately, as beautiful as a Valextra is, it isn’t worth the money being charged. I examined the lovely briefcases, laptop cases and overnight bags with care but struggled to see how the breathtaking prices were justified. Leather is by no means a cheap material but nigh on £4,000 for a non-croc leather briefcase is a hefty price; I don’t care how many ‘Italian artisans’ were involved. “Valextra”, as the man in Harrods keenly informed me, “will last longer than Vuitton.” A brave assertion but what, I wonder, could he be referring to? The product itself or the brand? As a brand it is earning itself a reputation as ‘celebrity endorsed’ with Victoria and David Beckham, Katie Holmes, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie as admirers. Whether such associations advance or hinder the brand, in the long run, is unknown.


For more details about bespoke suits, please go to TailorU.

Bespoke Shirt of Old Themes

I happen to think that ginghams and checks are a natural fit with a blue blazer as a rule. In my view they’re a less formal type of shirting more fitting to the reduced formality the blazer encapsulates. However, owing to the fact that a couple of years ago they were worn everywhere by everyone I’d tired of seeing them and hitherto banished them from my wardrobe -an error of judgement on reflection. I’m hoping that the combination of coloured but subtle check paired to a subdued tie will provide that sense of relaxed formality which has so far eluded me.


Now, the shirts themselves are from Haroutunian’s off the peg range of formal shirts, which retail for £39 individually or £75 for 3. The made-to-measure are made in the same family owned workshop, and the cloth is 2 fold Egyptian. I have to say pound for pound these are about the best low cost off the peg shirts I’ve yet found.


In fact I’m so confident in my recommendation that I’ve asked the family whether they will manufacturer shirts for my own label. Thanks to the encouragement of Mensflair readers I’ve decided to take the plunge. One of the first projects will be two shirts over which I have a fixation. The first a good cocktail cuff shirt, and a button down oxford in its original form, with no interlining in the collar - a subject on which I’m currently doing some research.


It’s funny how certain themes keep on reoccurring.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Shirt of Old Themes

I happen to think that ginghams and checks are a natural fit with a blue blazer as a rule. In my view they’re a less formal type of shirting more fitting to the reduced formality the blazer encapsulates. However, owing to the fact that a couple of years ago they were worn everywhere by everyone I’d tired of seeing them and hitherto banished them from my wardrobe -an error of judgement on reflection. I’m hoping that the combination of coloured but subtle check paired to a subdued tie will provide that sense of relaxed formality which has so far eluded me.


Now, the shirts themselves are from Haroutunian’s off the peg range of formal shirts, which retail for £39 individually or £75 for 3. The made-to-measure are made in the same family owned workshop, and the cloth is 2 fold Egyptian. I have to say pound for pound these are about the best low cost off the peg shirts I’ve yet found.


In fact I’m so confident in my recommendation that I’ve asked the family whether they will manufacturer shirts for my own label. Thanks to the encouragement of Mensflair readers I’ve decided to take the plunge. One of the first projects will be two shirts over which I have a fixation. The first a good cocktail cuff shirt, and a button down oxford in its original form, with no interlining in the collar - a subject on which I’m currently doing some research.


It’s funny how certain themes keep on reoccurring.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Shirt of Old Themes

I happen to think that ginghams and checks are a natural fit with a blue blazer as a rule. In my view they’re a less formal type of shirting more fitting to the reduced formality the blazer encapsulates. However, owing to the fact that a couple of years ago they were worn everywhere by everyone I’d tired of seeing them and hitherto banished them from my wardrobe -an error of judgement on reflection. I’m hoping that the combination of coloured but subtle check paired to a subdued tie will provide that sense of relaxed formality which has so far eluded me.


Now, the shirts themselves are from Haroutunian’s off the peg range of formal shirts, which retail for £39 individually or £75 for 3. The made-to-measure are made in the same family owned workshop, and the cloth is 2 fold Egyptian. I have to say pound for pound these are about the best low cost off the peg shirts I’ve yet found.


In fact I’m so confident in my recommendation that I’ve asked the family whether they will manufacturer shirts for my own label. Thanks to the encouragement of Mensflair readers I’ve decided to take the plunge. One of the first projects will be two shirts over which I have a fixation. The first a good cocktail cuff shirt, and a button down oxford in its original form, with no interlining in the collar - a subject on which I’m currently doing some research.


It’s funny how certain themes keep on reoccurring.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Hiring a Bespoke Suit for Horse Racing

I’ve just had confirmation on my tickets for this year’s Royal Ascot, one of the great horse racing events in the flat season.


Our tickets will mean hiring a morning suit and top hat. This strict dress code may appear to leave you little room for individuality or possibility for error, but there are mistakes to be made, and plenty of people make them.


Firstly you have a choice of four types of morning dress; first, a light grey jacket, trousers and waistcoat; secondly, the charcoal grey jacket, waistcoat and trousers; thirdly, black jacket, and light grey trousers and waistcoat. Finally, the most common and most versatile is the black jacket, dove grey waistcoat and black and grey stripe trousers. Any colour variations on these four are an aberration fit only for weddings in Las Vegas.


You’ll find that black and grey top hats are interchangeable with each morning suit choice according to individual taste.


The key to dressing with style at Ascot is (a) not looking like you hired your kit, (b) appearing to be at ease, and (c) using the freedom afforded you. Five tips you may want to remember;


1- Try to avoid the ultra-conservative and traditional single breasted dove grey waistcoat. It makes it look like you hired your suit. Some hire companies offer a single breasted buff waistcoat, and if you’re not looking to spend any more cash, then go for this option.


2- Go for a double breasted waistcoat if you can, and preferably one made of Linen. While bright colours and patterns can work well, try to avoid shiny materials like silk, they’re better suited to evening wear, and can also make you look as though you’ve hired your kit. The best most elegant dressers pick soft pastel colours with a matte finish.


3- Plump for the black top hat. Traditionally, grey is for weddings while black is for Court functions (Investiture, Garden Party etc). Those who really know what they’re doing go black.


4- A formal dress code can be intimidating and lead you to play it safe, through fear of ‘getting it wrong’. Ascot permits a little more individuality than you imagine, so ditch the white shirt. If you want to show yourself truly at ease in morning dress, go for colours, stripes or white collar and cuff with an appropriate tie. However, they should complement, not match, your waistcoat to avoid being OTT.


And;


5- Do not under any circumstances be tempted to wear a Cravat/Ascot. This is a day collar and tie event, lured down any other road and you’ll look like a man in search of a wedding. Despite the similarity in dress code they are not the same thing.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Suit with Unusual Tie

My dad constantly told me never to purchase a polyester tie. Every time I picked up a promising cheapy, he would look at the label and point to the tiny and disappointing print; “Look; 100% polyester! I wouldn’t buy that.” It was always thus; I would fall in love with a tie and, hearing my father’s voice, I would search through the tie’s lining for the little white labels. It wasn’t until I had amassed a collection of good silks, with a few polyesters (if a tie cost less than a pint, I didn’t care if it was made from seaweed), that I understood why it was that my dad had issued such dismissive noises when confronted with a ‘poly’ tie.


Firstly, silk looks better. Polyester is far better than it used to be in mimicking but it’s still fairly obvious, in the right light, that it isn’t silk. It’s often too shiny. Poly is also stiff and resistant and the fibres don’t grip each other like those of silk which can be a problem in knotting. This was made evident when I used my university ties – I possessed a cheap polyester one in addition to a smarter silk version; I could never produce the same knot or the same tie arch with the poly as I could with the silk. Since that time, I have reverted to my father’s teachings and avoid all polyester ties, however interestingly patterned. A lesson learned.


However, on some days wearing silk just doesn’t feel right. It might be one of those days on which I am wearing a particularly vivid and shiny silk pocket square when the thought of adding more sheen fills me with dread. Those prepackaged tie & pocket square sets from Moss Bros repulse me not because of some dislike for convenience but because they are crafted from the same material; over sheen, overkill. Perhaps, instead of a standard woven style, I should choose a slub silk? Possibly, although these are few and far between. Or, perhaps I could plump for a tie in a fabric that very few people contemplate when searching for neckwear?


Cotton is one of the most commonplace fabrics but it makes a fabulous neck tie. Cotton ties are nothing modern either, as this was the neckwear material of choice in the 18th and early 19th centuries, even for the elegantly attired uber-dandy Beau Brummell. Its matte finish contrasts perfectly with fine wool suits and silk accessories, rendering a complex ensemble of mixed textures, and, less formal than silk, it is perfect for ‘semi-informal’ garden parties, barbecues and al fresco brunches. It is also cheaper than silk too.


And where cotton is spring and summer, wool and cashmere are autumn and winter. Fluffy, cosy-looking and a refreshing break from the glutton of silk contained in tie drawers, woollen ties share the subtle matte texture of their cotton cousins but are thicker and more substantial. The perfect foil for Sea Island cotton shirts and paisley silk squares, a plain woollen or cashmere tie conveys an understanding of texture and subtlety. There’s more to ties than the silk/poly conundrum.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Suit and White Jacket

If there is an aesthetic I have no interest or skill in adapting it is that of the 1970s Martini Cinzano man. The gigantic open collar, the hideous golden necklace resting in the unspeakable mound of chest hair and the tacky pastel suits; I find it all disturbingly ugly. Naturally, I recoil from anything that I see that indicates such an aesthetic – items in my own wardrobe. A recent wardrobe carousel revealed to me my collection of summer jackets. I brushed the sleeves in a satisfied manner, like the admiring hand of a collector testing the tangibility of his treasure. However, one item caused my eyes to widen and my hand to slip. It was stark, shocking and rather cheap-looking; a bright white two-button cotton jacket that I had once considered an essential part of my wardrobe.


I took it off the hanger tentatively, slightly blinded by its reflective capabilities in the early May sunshine; “Can I even wear this?” I thought anxiously. When on, it washed all colour from my face and accentuated the uneven blemishes on my late-spring untanned skin. It was too powerful a contrast with the trousers I was wearing, so I took out my selection of paler summer trousers and tried to produce a tasteful ensemble that would avoid vulgarity and banish all thoughts of the nightmare of Martini Cinzano. A pair of navy blue linen trousers, a natural choice, looked undignified and tacky with such a jacket; “Christ!” I thought “Backstreet’s back!”


I tried black trousers, which looked cheap, red trousers and finally settled on avoiding brights and moving towards paler and pastel colours; I had avoided them thus far as I associated pastels with the sweaty nemesis of hairy Martini man. A pair of light blue trousers softened the starkness of the white jacket, particularly when wearing the two with a pastel yellow shirt. Likewise, a pair of light stone coloured trousers quietened the contrast; the problem, I could see, was that white is simply too noticeable and too ‘in yer face’ to wear elegantly with dark trousers. It has the effect of shortening one’s legs.


The other problem is that bright white cotton is associated with the clinical. A bright white jacket, if worn incorrectly, could look just like a doctor’s coat. To avoid all medical connections, any ‘isolation’ of the jacket must be avoided – a white jacket is isolated when its luminosity is all too evident. Pairing it with pastel shirts and trousers as well as carefully chosen accessories should avoid any connotations or suggestions that the item is intended for the strip-lit corridors of the nearest hospital. The other thing I discovered, through experimentation, is that wearing white shoes with the jacket, whilst sporting odd coloured items across the rest of an ensemble, has the effect of splitting the vision between the torso and the feet, to the expense of any detail or colour variation in between.


Finally, the importance of buttons on a white cotton jacket cannot be stressed enough – white is the perfect ‘blank canvas’ on which to show off fine horn. The most important thing to remember when selecting is to choose paler, smaller buttons – dark, oversized buttons are distracting; think peanut butter not mahogany.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Suit and Belted Style

“If there’s only one thing that ladies find unattractive”, so I have been told, “it’s seeing the vanity of women reflected in men.” Women are apparently happy to admit their own vanity. After all, they claim quite correctly, it’s hardly their fault. For the fairer sex know full well that they are continually judged on the way they look, the way they appeal to the male. What truly irks them is when men enter their domain; “Babe, can I borrow your eyeliner?” is surely one of most dreaded questions for a happily smitten woman. Such a hammer blow can permanently fracture the respect and admiration she had for her beau. She might still love him as a human but her respect for him as a man may be irreparably damaged.


God knows women love a well-dressed man, though not an overdressed one. A mirror gazer is emasculated by his own self-obsession. But it is not only vanity that women recoil from but also the idea of men borrowing from the feminine style book; for many women, skinny jeans on a man are a deal breaker (no matter how good he might look in them). Women who borrow from men, by contrast, are not only acceptable but actually encouraged and enshrined as examples of modernism; the ‘Boyfriend Fit’ jeans in GAP are a classic example. Part of this has as much to do with the masculine idealisation of men as well as the feminine; broadly speaking, women can be boyish and yet attractive whereas girly men are not only unattractive to the female but also vilified by the other males.


I once posited by instant messenger the idea of purchasing a long-belted cardigan to a distant female friend who replied abruptly; “Lol! Woman!” From an aesthetic point of view, I liked the three-quarter length, the cabling and the lazy way in which the belt was tied; I could see it with jeans, smart trousers, crisp shirts and even a merry bow tie but, alas, the only ensemble in which it was ever suggested was, even to me, vaguely feminine – a low v-neck and casual trousers. It seemed to suggest some kind of sartorial cross-dressing Stars In Their Eyes; “Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be Gwyneth Paltrow!” Imagination was required to really sell this item as a possibility. In all the pictures I was copying into the messaging window, the men seemed to be wearing a shrunken dressing gown. It was no wonder that the girl who looked at these chiselled, stubbled men was in fits of laughter; they desperately trying to be masculine in a woman’s outfit.


Warm and low maintenance, these cardigans are perfect for lazy Sundays when a man might wish to relax at his homestead, but they need to be taken at face value – a cable cardigan is not a standout item, it is no ‘look-at-me-in-my-Prada-knitwear’ garment. That is the sort of thinking that summarises modern women’s fashion; attempting, in vain, to make the ordinary extraordinary. The deep V for men, by way of example, is something of anathema since it is a design that flatters those with breasts. Instead, the belted cardigan should be thought of as the sort of thing he throws on over a shirt and tie when he gets chilly. It is first and foremost a practical garment of no especial elegance. Everything else a gentleman wears can express his masculinity, such as his tie or his well-ironed trousers. The femininity or masculinity of an item such as a belted cardigan is not inherent; it is in the way it is worn.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Retailer Garment or Bespoke Suit?

I selected a rather nice heavy twill cotton Pea Coat from UK retailer Jaeger. I loved the design and the price was right. However, what wasn’t so agreeable was the additional £20 I had to spend on replacement buttons – that’s not including labour.


Sadly, Jaeger had done what so many brands appear to be doing, which was to over brand their own products. The buttons, perfectly serviceable in all other respects, had the company name all over them. Not so noticeable from afar, it was too obvious up close and personal. They had to go.


This disagreeable trend for retailers to plaster their name and logos obtrusively over products has in recent years become a pandemic. Society in general has moved to a position where style is prized more than substance. And in so many ways much of the public and the mainstream media accept the mere wearing of brand names as a substitute for both. I suspect too that the culture of ‘Bling’ has had much to do with it. This being a direct result of the popularity of Rap, R&B and their like amongst the middle classes; with all its in your face, splash the cash, ‘how do you like them apples’ attitude to money and wealth.


As to the labels themselves, you would have thought they’d know better. Leaving aside for a moment the fact that bloody great labels and logos ruin the aesthetic of a garment, one of the requirements of exclusivity and glamour is subtlety and discretion. It’s the key difference between nouveau and old school. Savile Row tailors are famous for hiding their labels inside the inside pocket of their jackets, and for not advertising. And yet we are in no doubt as to who they are, what they are and their pedigree.


There is another factor to consider and that is the prevalence, even amongst exclusive labels, for outsource manufacturing to low wage economies. Such practises make the high prices charged for their goods ridiculous - if not damn dishonest - in my view. Over branding is perhaps a means for labels to sooth their own consciences, as though it were adequate compensation to the poor trusting punter; “Here you are Sir. Have a little more style by association, on us”.


Curiously, in an age when most brands worry about the ready availability of counterfeit goods, over-branding increasingly makes the real thing look like the fake. The controversy sparked by Ralph Lauren’s dressing of the US olympic team in Beijing is well known. Those jackets looked like cheap knock-offs in my view.


Time to draw stumps on this rant, but I’ll end by saying I object to the fact that having paid for a garment I am then expected to provide free advertising as a human billboard.


The great irony in this particular case is that I really love the phase that Jaeger is going through at the moment; and if anybody were to ask I’d happily tell them where I bought the coat.


I suspect that is true of most people in most other cases.


For more informations about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Retailer Garment or Bespoke Suit?

I selected a rather nice heavy twill cotton Pea Coat from UK retailer Jaeger. I loved the design and the price was right. However, what wasn’t so agreeable was the additional £20 I had to spend on replacement buttons – that’s not including labour.

Sadly, Jaeger had done what so many brands appear to be doing, which was to over brand their own products. The buttons, perfectly serviceable in all other respects, had the company name all over them. Not so noticeable from afar, it was too obvious up close and personal. They had to go.

This disagreeable trend for retailers to plaster their name and logos obtrusively over products has in recent years become a pandemic. Society in general has moved to a position where style is prized more than substance. And in so many ways much of the public and the mainstream media accept the mere wearing of brand names as a substitute for both. I suspect too that the culture of ‘Bling’ has had much to do with it. This being a direct result of the popularity of Rap, R&B and their like amongst the middle classes; with all its in your face, splash the cash, ‘how do you like them apples’ attitude to money and wealth.

As to the labels themselves, you would have thought they’d know better. Leaving aside for a moment the fact that bloody great labels and logos ruin the aesthetic of a garment, one of the requirements of exclusivity and glamour is subtlety and discretion. It’s the key difference between nouveau and old school. Savile Row tailors are famous for hiding their labels inside the inside pocket of their jackets, and for not advertising. And yet we are in no doubt as to who they are, what they are and their pedigree.

There is another factor to consider and that is the prevalence, even amongst exclusive labels, for outsource manufacturing to low wage economies. Such practises make the high prices charged for their goods ridiculous - if not damn dishonest - in my view. Over branding is perhaps a means for labels to sooth their own consciences, as though it were adequate compensation to the poor trusting punter; “Here you are Sir. Have a little more style by association, on us”.

Curiously, in an age when most brands worry about the ready availability of counterfeit goods, over-branding increasingly makes the real thing look like the fake. The controversy sparked by Ralph Lauren’s dressing of the US olympic team in Beijing is well known. Those jackets looked like cheap knock-offs in my view.

Time to draw stumps on this rant, but I’ll end by saying I object to the fact that having paid for a garment I am then expected to provide free advertising as a human billboard.

The great irony in this particular case is that I really love the phase that Jaeger is going through at the moment; and if anybody were to ask I’d happily tell them where I bought the coat.

I suspect that is true of most people in most other cases.

For more informations about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Suits and 2010 Collection

I was invited to view Ede & Ravenscroft’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. Being a favourite retailer of mine I jumped at the chance, and as soon as the pictures are made up there will be a post on it.


I’d also be interested in viewing John Smedley’s collection. To be honest I wasn’t that bothered. I’d heard the name before and knew it was stocked by numerous retailers, and for that reason I assumed they were just another mass production sweatshop knitwear producer. What I discovered was exactly the opposite.


Not only did I love the combination of the timeless and the contemporary, which will be available for Autumn/Winter 2010 – but the firm is everything I usually look for. Most importantly they are not a sweatshop manufacturer. While many UK firms have found it financially expedient to manufacture abroad and simply trade on their name and history, John Smedley’s knitwear has been made and hand-finished at Lea Mills in Derbyshire since 1784. The family run business now employs 440 staff in the UK – some have been with the company for over 50 years.


Now that they are on the radar I’ll be keeping a close eye on their output, but it is odd how a misconception can leave you blind to a perfectly good retailer or manufacturer.


Given the UK’s election results and my own failure to get elected, it appears this recent discovery was the most fruitful thing I’ve done in the last four weeks.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Suits and Wardrobe Caring

I wake up to find the shirt I want to wear rumpled and the shoes I planned on scuffed, and I wish for a valet. These days are certainly the exception to the rule though. While a hundred years or so ago the idea of a true gentleman polishing his own oxfords would have seemed preposterous, I firmly believe that the modern gent knows not only how to purchase and wear nice clothes, but how to care for them as well.

There should in fact be a certain pleasure in caring for the things one enjoys, even if that care is ironing or scrubbing. Personally, I find polishing my own shoes cathartic, and enjoy the quiet time it give me free from the hustle and bustle of school, friends, etc. Polishing a pair of shoes takes me about thirty minutes if I want to get the toe to a decent level of shine, and I find those thirty minutes immensely relaxing and invigorating, not to mention the satisfaction I get in looking at the gleaming toe-caps the next time I put the shoes on, knowing my labor went to good use.

The other, activities are ironing and pressing. Whether it is getting that perfect crease down the center of a pair of trousers or keeping a shirt wrinkle-free, ironing is a necessary part of getting that clean, crisp look many of us strive for. Now I don’t mean too clean, but not I-slept-in-my-double-cuff-shirt casual either. A good, adjustable steam iron makes this requisite process far less tedious, and the results far better.

If your suits need a bit of help, taking them to a tailor for a steam and adjustment is best, and definitely keep dry cleaning to an absolute minimum. A small personal steamer, or even the steam from your iron, is a good quick-fix, but eventually your suits will need a proper tuneup no matter how well you care for them. A lint brush or roller keeps you from looking like you rolled around on the floor, but it won’t help the shape of a shoulder.

Taking good care of your wardrobe doesn’t just mean active things such as polishing and steaming, but also good upkeep as well. Keeping things on the proper type of hanger, keeping suits and coats in garments bags off season, and hanging your silk ties (rolling knit ones to avoid stretching them out) are easy ways to take a beautifully made piece of clothing and make it last like one. For the modern man, who takes pride and pleasure in cultivating his taste and appreciation of the fine things in which he indulges himself, there seems to me to be no excuse for him to not be his own gentleman’s gentleman.

If you like to know more about taking good care of your wardrobe, please go to TailorU's website.

The Contrast of Bespoke Suits

I have never been to expect anyone to follow my advice.

I am one of these people who is confident in dispensing opinion but cynical as to its interpretation and use; I always feel that the majority of people will forget or dismiss what I say as madness or inconsequential. It is not because I do not trust or respect other people, it is simply that sometimes I feel as if I am wandering around in my own little world, firing blobs of advice into Reality that quickly evaporate on entering the atmosphere, thus rendering them utterly useless. I am amazed therefore when friends and acquaintances say to me; “I followed your advice…”, or “You know that thing you said, I decided to try it…” and “You’re not wrong about one thing…” Some of the blobs must have got through.

I was also shocked to see, barely a fortnight after I had advocated such a course on these pages, men filing on and off the Tube and in and out of sandwich shops, cabs and bars wearing contrasting trousers and jackets. As I am a keen observer of other people’s attire, and had seen little of this kind of activity before, I rashly presumed that ‘someone got the memo’. Whatever the reason for such a flurry of experimentation, and I’d wager my words have very little to do with it, the fact that men were trying it – on purpose and with swagger – was greatly satisfying. The only problem was that the crucial point of the exercise had been missed; the contrast was often insufficient, and too far from complementary, to appear intentional.

The problem it seems that men do not possess lighter coloured suits. The silvery classics of yesteryear, like the Prince of Wales check, are just not popular. Darkness reigns in the modern gentleman’s wardrobe. Consequently, the mixtures that I bore witness to were low on contrast – mid-grey with mid-to-light grey, black with very dark grey etc. In a darkened room, they looked like they were wearing a suit; in the bright sunshine, the difference between the fabrics was more obvious – and decidedly unattractive. The lesson from this, for me, is that I should not base my advice on what is contained within my own wardrobe but what hangs in the wardrobes of my fellow men.

If many men are not willing to purchase a lighter coloured suit, they should look into purchasing a couple of pairs of lighter trousers and maybe a couple of lighter coloured odd jackets – seersuckers and linens for summer, maybe a woollen houndstooth for winter – to maximise the utility from their other suit items.

The safest choice for trousers, affecting the classic ‘stroller’ look, is a pair of classic houndstooth trousers, with the timeless black and white houndstooth pattern, which from a distance looks like a very light grey. This option goes perfectly with navy blue, charcoal grey and many other popular colours of suit; the contrast created is striking and tasteful. The thing to always remember is that if you are staying within the same colour spectrum, the contrast must be exaggerated, otherwise you will look like you fished your outfit from a public waste bin.

For more information about custom made suits, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Suits with Technology

I suggested that men were allowed certain accessories, namely; a watch; cuff links; a tie clip; belt or braces; and a wallet. In my own list I would add a pen and a cigarette case, and others wisely advocate a key holder. What links all these things is that they fulfil a practical function.


All these items also represent a pre-technology life we men once lived. I don’t know about you, but these days I rarely leave the house without my mobile and ipod. Indeed, these days even a wallet is excess bulk, requiring just my electronic Oyster travel card and debit card, a simple card holder is all that’s required.


Technology has quite an impact on our sartorial lives. At the macro level, it has made the World our department store, and allows websites like this, where people can exchange ideas and insights, to exist. At the micro level, life is increasingly dominated by those pieces of technology that help it run smoothly. So to me anyway, it makes sense to invest in apparel that allows that tech to blend elegantly and unobtrusively into my wardrobe.


So this week I’ve been looking into something practical and elegant to carry my ipod, mobile, laptop and other items. Many of the old school leather goods and luggage merchants have been a bit slow to cotton on to the necessities of modern life. A young company, it was founded in 2004 by Howard Harrison, Benoit Ruscoe (Creative Director) and Alastair Hops. Based in Great Titchfield Street London, where all the creative designing takes place, the company was set up precisely to produce bags and accessories to carry laptops with a mix of practically and stylishness. The name Knomo comes from combining the words, ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Mobility’ –hence the ‘K’ is silent. The company say they work closely with tech manufacturers in order that their bags and accessories fit the most popular shapes and sizes.


If you like to learn more about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.

Bespoke Suits for Professor

I am shocked most days when I venture onto campus for class. The number of people who look like they have either just come from the gym or rolled out of bed with no time to put actual trousers or jeans on is staggering…and somehow it never ceases to amaze me. Wearing a tie usually gets me asked “Oh, do you have a presentation today?” or the occasional “I didn’t know you work at the law school?” When did the campus change from go-to-hell heaven to a pit-stained purgatory?


But, not everyone falls into this category, and there are still quite a few more well dressed people on campus than off. Most of the people I see consistently well put together in fact are professors. It’s a bit stereotypical and cliche, I’ll admit, but there is something wonderful about walking into English class and wondering where the professor got his tweeds. There is a professor in particular I am thinking of who exudes the aura of “Professorhood” from his pink button downs to chestnut long-wing brogues, and does so completely unselfconsciously. In fact, he would I’m sure be amused and a tad embarrassed if I told him he was being written about.


Even with its more unusual variations, the “Professor” look is unmistakable - almost always a tweed coat, corduroy, moleskin, or flannel trousers as the weather permits (and linen in the summer), foulard, knit, or paisley ties, always loafers or brogues, and the inevitable plethora of oxford cloth button down shirts. Although many of my peers would judge this look to be stodgy or boring, I find it to have an invigorating mix of self-control and whimsy. I would never expect to walk into a lecture on Virginia Woolf and find my instructor in pinstripes, but a flamboyant mix of pink, green, yellow, blue, and brown would be nothing out of the ordinary.


I would like to see it trickle back down to the campuses themselves. Reading a book on the quad in a colorful sweater, rolled up chinos, and sockless loafers is a great feeling, trust me.


For more details about bespoke suits and shirts, please go to TailorU's website.