Summer List Pt 2: Two Tone Penny Loafers

Away from the office my normal summer attire consists of chinos, white oxford button down shirts and deck shoes. Should I wish to dress these basic items up I simply add a navy, cotton, soft shoulder, buggy lined jacket.

On the one hand my choices are the pinnacle of simplicity, humdrum you might say. On the other hand, given the tatty t-shirt and shorts wearing age we inhabit, you could think of it as being relatively formal – it certainly is when I compare it to the majority of my friends and colleagues.

I have an image of summer style which, being weak to the forces of nostalgia, hovers around the idea of the 1930’s and the Riviera. Recognisable keystones of the look are off-white linen suits and trousers most commonly paired with a white shirt. Of course these elements are similar in tone – if not in material - to my current summer garb, which is in part why I wear them. But they do lack the sophistication which embodied the era.

The problem is that if I go down that 30s road too far I’m in danger of looking like an extra in search of a film set.

As much as I’ve admired this look, and the era, its formality is for the most part out of place in our own time, except perhaps in some work environments or the most formal of social occasions.

I’ve long held the view that one of the benchmarks of being considered ‘well dressed’ is the ability to dress appropriately to your age and your environment. It’s easy to admire men like the Duke of Windsor for their beautiful clothes and exquisite taste, but I often wonder how they’d fair now. Whether we like it or not we live in a very much more casual age.

Of course one shouldn’t dress for the satisfaction of other people, but I think the key is to carry over a sense of that era without necessarily replicating all the elements. To achieve this I’m looking to an item I’ve not yet mentioned, the two tone Penny Loafer. An item of footwear remembered for its association with the Duke of Windsor they embody the era. Rarely seen on the street – in fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody wear a pair - worn with or without socks I think they’d set just the right tone and raise the game of my conservative summer wardrobe.

I’ve thought about them for several summers now, but lacked the courage of my convictions. This year they’re going on the list.

The Summer List: Sunglasses

Yes, I’m banging on about lists again.

You see, the last few years I’ve had less disposable income than at any other time in my working life, but I’ve acquired more clothes, of better quality and more complementary to one another than at any other time; all by virtue of taking the time to compile my little lists.

It may not feel like it but summer is on its way. Naturally I’ve begun to compile my list of summer essentials. Whether it is filling gaps or replacing kit that is no longer fit for purpose I usually start by compiling my ‘dream list’. This usually bears little resemblance to my financial means. I then whittle this down to the essentials, kit which will last for years to come and represents an investment.

Two items have thus far survived the initial whittling process. The first is a pucker pair of bins.

I’ve always hesitated at investing real money in a proper pair of sunglasses in the past. Firstly, I don’t trust myself not to lose them, and secondly, I think a lot of the ‘labels’ today offer not very much for an awful lot of money.

I mean, look at Ray-Ban Wayfarers, a prime example of taking something that ain’t broke and then fixing it. Instead of leaving this classic alone, new pairs have Ray-Ban written across the lens! Who asked them to do that? Why take a classic and ruin it with cheap clumsy branding. Of course, for many the label is all that matters. A fool and their money are soon departed.

And so for years I’ve been content to wear cheaper Wayfarer-style sunglasses from a reliable source with good UV protection at next to no cost.

But when London based Lee Yule contacted me to introduce his website Loveiwear, I kinda new this would be my cup of tea.  Via his Shoreditch showroom, commercial website and blog, Lee preaches the gospel of great design and individuality in the form of vintage sunglasses and frames. His blog has become a daily addiction of mine.

Lee and I seem to be kindred spirits, after 15 years in the business, which included helping to launch Police sunglasses in the UK, he became disheartened with the way people get taken for a ride by the big manufacturers; who produce cheap frames, stick on a well known name and charge high prices for them. According to Lee the 50s to early 90s was something of a golden age and this is his focus for his business. That said, he’s begun to stock a few of the interesting new independents that have come to the fore, reprising many of the old school values.

Sunglasses are one of those items of apparel, much like cufflinks, watches and pens which can quickly become an obsession. And like all obsessions it’s the rare and unusual that excites most. In particular it’s his collection of 1950’s frames that most interests me (as pictured above left).

When you think about it, sunglasses play a huge part in the iconography of great dressers, whether from the worlds of film or music.

I’ve decided it’s time I took this accessory a little more seriously, I believe it will be time and money well spent.

In my next post I’ll talk about the second item on the list.

Checks And The Casual Suit

Images credit: TheSartorialist.com and anortherndandy.blogspot.com

They say “dress for the job you want not the job you’ve got”.

Sound advice, but surely this rule should apply to more than just matters of employment. Who says going on a date or taking your girl out to dinner needs to be done in a drab urban uniform of jeans and a shirt, or most likely T-shirt. Dress for the job you want! Dress for the life you want should be the motto.

In this vein I’ve been thinking about the idea of a casual suit, with all the clean lines and sculpting that a suit offers but offering a more harmonious and complete look than odd jacket and trousers.  The resurgence of tie wearing and ivy influenced casual wear makes this an ideal time to do what our grandfathers, and the likes of Grant and the Duke of Windsor, would have seen as second nature. And for this purpose I can think of nothing better than a bold check.

Checks are undoubtedly a more casual option than plain greys and blues, or even pinstripes. Likewise, a worsted check suit is better suited to urban settings and indifferent weather than say plain cottons or linen, which can look odd in a concrete grey Cities. Even if you wear your check suit with a shirt and tie you’ll still look less buttoned-up in my view. I also think that checks are an ideal choice for business trips and conferences with their typically odd ‘business casual’ dress code, when you still want to look slick and professional but slightly more at ease.

Checks can take you out of your comfort zone, so start small with something familiar like a Prince of Wales check and move on when you feel more comfortable. Easier to dress than you imagine, I’ve always thought the key to dressing checks is to tone them down. For this reason a pale blue shirt can often work better than a white one, which can provide too stark a contrast. I’m a lover of check suits anyways and always have a Prince of Wales (Glen Check) in the wardrobe, so I’m looking for something bolder; and the bolder the check the more natural it looks away from the office.

The art of dressing well is to choose clothes that not only look good and are well cut but which suit you’re own personal style and in which you feel comfortable, physically and mentally. I’ve reached that point in my life where I feel comfortable with the idea of a casual suit.

A Boy’s First Love: Lotus Originals

Ever since I was a small boy I’ve had a deep and abiding love for Lotus Cars. This is partly the result of growing up a bike ride away from the Hethel factory and test track; in the summer holidays I regularly rode down to the test track in the hopes of seeing an Esprit go around the track.

My ardour was only intensified when at the age of eight I saw my first James Bond movie, ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, a film notable only for the Lotus Esprit that turns into a submarine.

So hearing that Lotus Cars were launching their own clothing and lifestyle label I was naturally intrigued, if not a little excited.

It’s not as unusual a venture as it might at first sound. Clothing labels have for years linked themselves to sport in the hopes of acquiring reflected glory and glamour: Hackett with its links to Rugby and Aston Martin Racing is a good example; not forgetting the most famous sporting association of them all of course, Ralph Lauren and Polo. Indeed, I’ve often wondered why we don’t see more traffic coming the other way, particularly in England.

These exclusive preview shots would suggest this is not a venture that is going to disappoint.

I’m told the aim is to “create a line with real fashion credentials, in line with other British heritage brands” and become a major international player on the fashion scene, not merely provide interesting souvenirs for Lotus fans. To that end the clothing and apparel reflect the racing heritage of Lotus, with particular reference to its racing glory days in the 60s and 70s – when gentleman racer and sartorialist Graham Hill drove them to the 1968 F1 World Championship.

But there is certainly plenty of motoring heritage and glamour to build on from this golden age of racing. Thanks to the peculiar genius of late founder Colin Chapman, Lotus became known for authenticity, innovation, design excellence and later on craftsmanship - the cars are still largely built by hand.

The collection is designed by an in-house team at Lotus drawn together from luxury fashion backgrounds.  It’s all part of new CEO Dany Bahar’s (formally of Ferrari) vision to broaden the brand and expand the business – expect to see some exciting new cars in 2013 and 2014.

Garments already previewed feature sweaters of Loro Piana 100% cashmere yarn knitted at 18 gauge for a lightweight but soft touch.  Cardigans and V-neck knits are textured in wide stripes to create a tyre-track effect with white armband detail hinting at race track road markings.  Polo shirts and T-shirts feature double stitch edging and vintage Lotus logos, racing stripes and car silhouettes. Block colour numbers relate to the dates of famous racing victories of the 1960s and 70s, as well as 1948 - the year that Lotus founder Colin Chapman built the first car.

My favourite item is a hand-treated leather jacket, inspired by the 1970s drivers’ suits, using authentic design details in the form of protective quilted padding on the shoulders and a two-button side-fasten collar. The leather goods are made in the same factory that makes all the Ferragamo leather. The next most desirable item and a classic wardrobe staple is the navy quilted Paddock Coat with tan leather trim, reminiscent of the ‘Gentleman Driver’ look, with a discreet Lotus crest and luxurious fleece lining.

The collection certainly looks classic and very British, something I can only applaud. Styling details on many of the pieces refer to specific dates or numbers from Lotus’ history - race wins, car identification numbers etc. British Racing Green features prominently in the collection (referred to as Lotus Green on the website) and is the exact shade of the old Lotus car livery.

Officially launching on the Lotus website www.lotusoriginals.com on Wednesday, I have to say I don’t normally get excited by ‘luxury brands’, but I’m emotionally invested in this one and hope it proves a success. If current form and intent is any guide I think it will.

Interview: Linda Pilkington, Ormond Jayne

With good reason I’ve championed London Perfumier Ormonde Jayne. Not only do I like what they do, I like the way they do it. The scents are original, bold and elegant; it’s one of the few houses to offer Eau de Parfums for men; and everything is made in their London laboratory. What’s more, the business is real enough that you have a good chance of being served by the owner and creator Linda Pilkington. You really can’t say that of most brands.

Until now I’d only met Linda fleetingly, but the opening of her newest shop in London’s prestigious Sloane Square afforded an opportunity to find out more about this up and coming brand that refuses to sell out, and the woman that created it.

When you started out did you ever imagine you would be where you are today?

Linda Pilkington: Selling flowers 40 years ago, there was never a moment where I imagined I would own a perfume house. I bumped into a friend of mine who was working for Chanel [Bruce], he knew me when I was a child (he was a neighbour) – he remembered when I used to sell “scented things”. [Growing up] We lived in Cheshire in the middle of no where, so my parents filled the kitchen with hobby books with endless things to do, art boxes, dressing up boxes etc. I leaned towards making chocolates which I enjoyed, as well as making scented products. I sold flowers outside our home to get money so I could decorate my room.

That’s how it all started. When I met Bruce, he said to me “I’ve bought these scented candles they don’t burn very well, could you melt them down and re-set them for me?” It was amazing, we hadn’t seen each other in 25 years. I thought “this is getting quite serious, they obviously think I’m better than I am, I really ought to do a bit of research”. Eventually after 6 months I showed my wares to Sophie (who also worked for Chanel) and she said “these are great I’ll buy 30”, and I’d created Ormonde Jayne.

And where did the name come from?

Linda Pilkington: I thought my name was boring and my husband said, “well, you’re Linda Jayne” and I live at Ormonde Terrace. There wasn’t really a great deal of thought or market research, anything is better than Linda Pilkington.

So I decided this could be a good thing for me to do for a living. It was very slow progress, I actually made room sprays because I didn’t have an alcohol licence, so I couldn’t buy alcohol to make a perfume. When I moved into a proper studio I applied for an alcohol licence which allowed me to take the company to the next step.

But you never had any formal training?

LP: I did invest in quite a comprehensive studio and the alcohol licence. A lot of people knew I had these premises, and a lot of perfumiers used my premises. This was at a time when people started getting into niche perfume. So over 2-3 years I had a lot of people from the industry coming and going, which was great for me because I asked them lots of questions. It was fantastic for me, a great learning time. I was able to come into contact with some very interesting people at the top of their game.

It strikes me that in the last 12 months things have really taken off, what one thing got you off the launch pad?

LP: I have a mentorship from Walpole (the luxury branding group), they have certain criteria, for example, you have to be British owned. You have to present to them, a bit like Dragon’s Den. 30-40 company’s go and they pick the 5 company’s they feel will be a luxury brand of tomorrow. My mentor was very bullish, he was from a City PR company – he said “what are you going to do with your brand? If you don’t grow your brand you won’t exist in 10 years as bigger investors will copy you and do it bigger and better and faster”. That’s what you have to do. You have to grow your company. Even the other niche companies, Clive Christian, he’s got 300 points of sale but they’re not making the products themselves, it’s all manufactured for them. I told him I can’t [have 300 points of sale] and he said, “lets work out what you can do. You could have 50 points of sales and still be able to make it yourself”.

Where are you in terms of opening your branches abroad?

LP: Well I think I have to babysit this [Sloan Square] for now. Because I’ve opened in Harrods and this shop in one year I don’t want to take on investors or become forced to sell part of my company because I can’t meet my commitments. So I have to make this shop work and make sure Harrods makes money.

With this expansion are you still managing to make your own products? One of the things I like is that you make your own products here in London.

LP: My critical mass is 50 points of sales for me to still make the products myself. I would have to get more staff at the studio e.g. one in charge of making candles, one filling, one mixing/making. They’d also do the internet orders.

I love the fact it’s such a hands on and personal business.

LP: I enjoy that part as well. The thing is with investors they always say the right things and nice things when they want your company, then they turn into beasts. They just want to roll it out for 5 years and sell it on. They want anybody to buy it. I know people who have done it and regretted it.

As you become better known, and you’re known for your original and unusual scents, is there a temptation to go more ‘mainstream’?

LP: I hadn’t thought about that actually. I haven’t made a perfume in quite a while. I think the next time I do decide to make a perfume I won’t be thinking like that. I’ll be thinking, “what should I have in my library or perhaps what’s missing”. For example, I don’t have anything with Tobacco or Sandalwood, so I’d be looking to see what’s missing from my repertoire. It would still be an Ormonde Jayne perfume because that’s what people expect, especially the Blog and internet people. They would post very quickly if something smelt a bit commercial.

Do you still manage to serve in the shops?

LP: As of next week I will work in this new shop [Sloane Square] so I can get to know the customers here and they can get to know me. They’ll get the whole “this is Ormonde Jayne, this is what we do, this is who I am”.  I used to work in the Bond Street store as I didn’t have any staff and found it a good thing to do because you really get to understand customers and who they are.

What can we look forward to in the future?

LP: I think we will definitely maintain our integrity, what you’ll see is Ormonde Jayne staying true to Ormonde Jayne.