I vaguely remember reading a copy of The Chap magazine once which proclaimed that the straw boater was the hat of the century. This distinction was achieved by virtue of the fact it could be worn by both the gentleman and butcher’s boy. The straw boater is descended from the sailor’s hats issued to midshipmen in the Royal Navy near the end of the nineteenth century. The aim was a simple one, to provide protection to sailors from the … [Read more...]
Credit: TheSartorialist Contrast is one of the most effective weapons in a man’s wardrobe arsenal, and I don’t just mean the contrast of colour or texture either. Some of the most successful looks I’ve ever come across stemmed from an alignment of two or more items which were the antithesis of one another. For example, back when I was policy advisor to the Shadow Minister for Shipping we went down to the Southampton Boat Show as … [Read more...]
It’s funny how despite being a grown man I still get a slight buzz when returning home to find a parcel on the doorstep - even more so when it’s actually for me. But who can blame me when what’s inside is one of Nicholas Atgemis’ beautiful bow ties. Nicholas is the founder of newish and upcoming Australian label Le Noeud Papillon. Just in case you were wondering, the name translates as ‘the knot of the butterfly’ and is how the … [Read more...]
“IF you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...” Rudyard Kipling(1895) I recently took a punt on a few items from An Affordable Wardrobe shop. I say punt not because this is an unreliable source, far from, but because buying vintage clothes can be a bit tricky at the best of times. Buying vintage at a distance of 3000 miles away is even trickier. But I’m glad I followed my gut instincts. Aside from a vintage … [Read more...]
Long time readers may remember it’s been my ambition to start producing a few clothes under my own label. Every season I struggle to find certain items, but without the money to get all my clothes made for me I’ve decided this is the only answer. I’ve settled on a name for the label, and the clothes will be classically inspired, hard to find, limited edition items of good quality all sold at a fair price. The first item I want to produce … [Read more...]
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