Links: Bryan Ferry, Pair of Shoes, Clothes with a Story…

• One of my favorite contemporary style icons. (gq-magazine.co.uk)

• The joy of buying a pair of shoes. (aheadlongdive.com)

• We need our clothing to be meaningful, with a story to tell. (to-the-manner-born.blogspot.com)

• I love to use Google Translate to learn that woolen ties are for summer too. (gentlemannaguiden.com)

• How young gentlemen should dress. (gentsdresser.blogspot.com)

• Tailor visit: Leonard Logsdail. (thetrad.blogspot.com)

• Stumbled upon this quirky website with quirky reviews of fine tailors. (bownsbespoke.com)

How Important is Heritage?

The jumper pictured above was hand-knitted on Inis Mor, the largest of the Irish Aran islands. It was made from locally-sourced wool; wool which has been woven by islanders for generations. Each jumper takes approximately one week to make, and in order to receive the Aran Seal must be entirely hand-crafted by the same person.

Spot any problems with the paragraph above? As well as lacking a suitably jolly Gaelic folk backing tune and narration by Liam Neeson, the whole thing is actually total lie - the jumper was made in China, and very likely by machine. But it is a snapshot of the dilemma faced by many traditional western menswear companies who want to keep production in their countries of origin. If it looks good and is cheaper, why should the average consumer spend more on the “real thing”?

Regions and towns throughout Europe often have strong associations with certain types of clothing manufacturing. Vigevano, in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, has long been central to the country’s shoemaking industry. As a consequence the city’s shoemakers have amassed generations’ worth of knowledge and expertise. This is reflected in the quality of the shoes they make, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that shoes made in, say, Indonesia, are inferior. There may be some decidedly shoddy Vigevano-based shoemakers who are getting away with producing sub-standard clogs on the back of the city’s reputation, while some great young shoemaking talent in Jakarta might be being unfairly ignored.

High-end menswear manufacturing expertise in emerging economies has improved dramatically over the past two decades, a trend that is likely to continue as long as demand remains high. Traditional Western menswear manufacturers have had a tough time of late, and can no longer rely on domestic consumers to support them. There will always be brands whose mystique allows them withstand pressures to relocate production - Louis Vuitton is a case in point. But in recent years many small British manufacturers have been forced to make some difficult decisions, with redundancies the inevitable end result.

But it’s not all bad news: some British manufacturers whose futures once looked bleak have been fighting against the offshoring tide. Two fine examples are Sunspel and John Smedley, both of whom have managed to rescue themselves from the brink. Their success lies in careful backroom restructuring and, more importantly, in finding a way to successfully cash in on their heritage - something that is especially valued by well-off consumers in the Far East. The importance of Japan, and increasingly China, to the long-term future of these companies cannot be ignored.

Personally, I’m quite fond of learning about a company’s manufacturing history and so on, but there is a danger of heritage overload: reading endless press releases, websites and labels that liberally sprinkle words like ‘finely crafted’, ‘curated’ and ‘authentic’ can reek of pretension, and it’s hard to stick out from the crowd when every other menswear manufacturer is using them. The key to British menswear manufacturers’ survival is to maintain the high quality of their products and remain profitable without relocating production. If John Smedley were to start producing sweaters in China it may very well boost profits in the short term, but it’s highly unlikely that consumers - especially in Asia - will be willing to pay the same price for them once they realise what’s going on: they will perceive the quality as inferior and, crucially, will lose the much-loved “Made in England” label from their cardies. This might benefit other British-based knitwear manufacturers with a similar price point and heritage (like Sunspel), but it would be a loss for the industry as a whole.

So, what should we, the consumers, do? It’s true that buying western-made clothing helps keep textile-related skills and jobs in their countries of origin; but - despite the sweatshop horror stories - buying eastern-made clothing ultimately plays a part in pulling the world’s poorest out of poverty.

It’s a tricky one. Maybe the best thing to do is simply buy whatever suits you best. It might be ethically dubious, but it’s better than being the kind of person who berates people for not supporting local manufacturing while owning a wardrobe full of Chinese-made clothes.

A Few New Season Trends

Having been to a few collection previews for AW/11 I thought I’d highlight a few trends I’ve picked up on.

Ironically, just as I’ve ordered a windowpane check suit it seems they’re back in vogue, excellent timing or an irritation depending on your point of view. While the pattern on my suit is a relatively subtle one, it seems big and bold are the dominant trends. This also extends to chalk stripe suits, over pinstripe, which is something I’ve seen a fair amount of.

I have to say bold chalk stripes are one of my favourite suiting options and one I’ve been thinking about recently. A chalk stripe is a London classic that just fits in my view. Indeed, outside of London it can look a bit odd.

Pin Stripe, City Stripe and Chalk Stripe

Now, I was taught that pin stripes were thin lines –actually a series of small dots- commonly woven into worsted cloths. A City stripe was the thicker more prominent stripe with the fuzzy edge, but again woven on worsted cloths, albeit of a heavier weight. A chalk stripe, however, is a thick fuzzy stripe woven into an open textured cloth, like flannel. The effect is a highly textured one which gives the appearance of the stripe being drawn onto the cloth with tailor’s chalk, which is the origin of the pattern. It is this last category that retailers have picked up, and that brings me neatly onto the next trend, texture.

It may seem odd to suggest that retailers are finally picking up on texture for seasonal suiting. But for those of us whose wardrobes depend on the whim of off the peg retailers getting something other than heavier weight worsteds hasn’t always been easy. Autumn and winter are the natural backdrops to flannel, and retailers have been picking up on grey flannel the last few winters, but that was all. What I’m most excited by is the prevalence of blue flannel in several collections -not only plain, but chalk stripes and windowpane checks.

But this isn’t the only type of texture you can expect.

I’ve seen a lot more jacketing in luxurious cashmere - like the one above from Gieves & Hawkes - and cloths with a cashmere and wool mix. In addition I’ve seen a lot more herringbone and some interesting variations on Donegal Tweed.

And texture can be found in some unexpected places, such as these boots which go by the name of Sherlock. Available in the autumn from Herring Shoes, these are top of my seasonal wish list. The combining of leather and suede in this fashion has been done by various bespoke shoe makers in recent seasons, but Herring offers a more affordable option.

Just a snap shot of the things we can look forward to in the coming seasons.

In Memoriam: Bijan Pakzad

A friend of mine attempted poignancy recently when we were discussing the passing of Bijan Pakzad. “Who?” he said, initially. After my brief explanation of the Iranian designer’s illustrious past, he scoffed in an amused fashion and declared with remarkable confidence; “With his passing, you will see the passing of his entire approach to selling fashion.”

It is true that Bijan’s approach to style was nakedly materialistic and as “the costliest menswear in the world”, it certainly had no objective other than to portray it’s wearer as a very wealthy person. My friend’s perspective was that the nouveau riche are beginning to acquire a sense of restraint and that buying expensive clothes for the sake of it was no longer the zeitgeist.

However, though conspicuous dress is no longer the most popular symbol of wealth – certainly in comparison with the frilled and baubled centuries of the past – a great many wealthy people need, and will always need, the assurance of expense, particularly in a fashion world which is now more accessible to the masses.

Bijan was just one in a long line of exclusive clothiers, stretching back through the ages, who cleverly preyed upon the insecurities of the obscenely rich; for whom ‘being rich’ was never a problem, but for whom ‘looking rich’ never came naturally. In an age where the average office worker can easily be mistaken for a millionaire, looking as rich as you are is increasingly challenging; Bijan was able to cosset his customers in ‘the most expensive store in the world’, purr through the ludicrously high-priced inventory, flatter them, ply them with white-gloved attendants and vintage champagne and vigorously wave a personal goodbye as he counted the several hundred thousand dollars of revenue achieved from a single visit. When it came to Bijan, those who had it weren’t afraid to spend it.

Far from signalling the end of such extraordinary extravagance in menswear, Bijan’s passing has opened a world of potential custom to the next enterprising designer with half a dozen Hollywood names up their sleeve. For all the famous names he dressed, there were hundreds more who had only wealth to their name; word of mouth draws people in but it is the patronage of the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan and particularly designers like Giorgio Armani and Oscar de la Renta which comfort the high-spending, arriviste, anonymous billionaires when they drop several million dollars in an afternoon in Beverly Hills.

Most of the clothing is unremarkable and, though brightly coloured, is a hackneyed mix of Billionaire and Brioni, which is why I haven’t mentioned it until now - it simply isn’t the story. While my friend was right to point out the comical naivety of being attracted to a store that promises expense above all things, he misread the issue as a one-time-hoodwink; casting Bijan as a chancer who knew his market and exploited their extraordinary wealth and now that he is gone, the billionaires’ mist will clear. The idea that everyone who attains great wealth knows exactly what to do with their money is laughable; great wealth is a puzzle and the most intelligent of minds has little idea what to do with all of it, though charity is often bayed by the masses.

The lesson of Bijan’s success is clear; money may not buy style but it can certainly buy money – at least the appearance of having it.

The Last Pocket Squared King of England

The unfortunate treatment of the upcoming Royal wedding has not been dissimilar to the modern treatment of the festival of Christmas; a glut of early enthusiasm, premature irritation due to over-exposure and a likely feeling of exhaustion when the important moment arrives. The Royal couple have not even begun their individual journeys to the church and yet the ‘congregation at large’ – the television-watching masses – are bored by the very mention of what is now euphemistically termed ‘Friday’s big event.’  Starved of significant street-party royal nuptials for years, we have gorged before the feast and are paying the price.

Instead of providing more meaningless predictions about wedding flowers, the colour of bridesmaid dresses, gold-braided Gieves & Hawkes epaulettes or gifts from the Sultan of Brunei, I think it is a perfect opportunity to discuss the sartorial future of the person who is responsible for creating the hullabaloo; the man upon whom all eyes will be fixed for, make no mistake, though his bride-to-be is an alluring figure, she has been living in borrowed limelight. Had his father not been such an admired figure in dandyland and beyond, invoking deserved praise for his excellent and extraordinarily well-preserved wardrobe, it would be unlikely that Prince William would merit examination. However, he is the son of a man consistently rated as one of the world’s best dressed and as the future king, his personal presentation is of great interest, particularly to his sartorially-inclined countrymen.

There is no doubt that, for a period, Charles attempted to exert his own style influence on his two sons - dressing them in double-breasted suits, sending them to Turnbull & Asser, extolling the virtues of a tiny tie-knot – but there was always something rather uncomfortable in Prince William’s face when he dressed in his father’s image. His suits looked like a uniform; Charles wears them as a second skin. Though he possesses his mother’s coyness of look, he has never lacked confidence when out in public but early years of dressing the part, when he was probably dying to be dressed like the average teenager, were awkward and forced. With his maternal reassurances gone, it was left to his father to mould him. Now that he has a woman of his own, a renewed confidence has appeared in his public presentation – and a new style, too.

Gone are the Charlie touches of extreme cutaway collars, tiny knots, formal-dress tie pins, patterned pocket squares and, crucially, double-breasted suits. Whereas his father dresses with the hang-it-all swagger of a prince from another age, William is quietly self-conscious; the only sign of his using a pocket square has been on formal occasions. He wears sober navy two and three-button suits, wears predominantly white shirts and rarely wears anything other than a plain coloured tie. In fact, his attire is closer to that of our elected politicians, with their identikit approach to suiting, than that of his father or his other nattily attired relatives.

Many will suggest that his youth is the reason for his comparative sartorial blandness and that, in time, the genes that he has evidently inherited from his father will show in his approach to dress, but some suggest that William is being groomed by the Queen for the greatest responsibility of all, due to her rumoured impatience and frustration with his father’s generation and their careless and selfish treatment of royal privilege. Perhaps this public-friendly approach has been carefully orchestrated, much as it is in the ‘Westminster village’ and The White House, to project the prince as less of a loftily-living constitutional Beau Brummell and more of a people’s man. Have we already seen the last pocket-squared King of England?