Country Clobber: Dressing for the Countryside

Picture the scene; it is a crisp October morning in the heart of the countryside. Birds sweep up into the sky, glowing yellow with the promise of new dawn; dew drops cover the grass and glisten like little crystals. Only the distant sound of running water and the cry of the geese is heard. The air has an unmistakable coolness to it, and each intake of breath feels like the cleansing of the soul.

Ah yes, the countryside. For an Englishman dwelling in the city of London, the countryside is a glorious retreat; a paradise that exists beyond the smoke and the brick walls. more…

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Dressing for Cocktail Parties

Two invitations fly through the letterbox; one reads ‘Birthday party celebration – smart casual’, the other reads ‘Cocktail party – 8pm’. Stumped? Well, don’t be. Adding mystery to the surprisingly commonplace announcement of a cocktail party is standard; it gives the evening a promising air of the unknown.

The fact that one party announces humbly that there is really no need to dress particularly specially for the occasion gives us cause to wonder why on earth there is no stipulation for the cocktail party, and there is but that simple explanation; the sense of mystery. more…

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Hats for The Modern Gentlemen

“Strange” wrote Graham Greene, in relation to his character Henry Miles, “how much dignity there can be in a hat. Without it he looked like one of the anonymous, the dispossessed.” From a 1951 perspective Mr Greene’s observation is accurate; hats were everyday accessories of gentlemen and barrow boys alike. Men of purpose and place had headgear. more…

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The Waistcoat Renaissance

Many wardrobe items experience a renaissance. It is well known that even fashion has its limits; classic designs are rarely bettered, and instead of replacing what works, designers merely alter and sometimes improve timeless pieces.

The necktie has ballooned and dieted more than a narcissistic Californian; a tiny slither one minute, a vast kipper the next. Shirts had frills, and then no frills; the fact remained that it was still a piece of cloth which buttoned down the centre of a man’s torso. more…

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Travelling to Warmer Climes: Mastering the Colonial Look

Imagine the scene; it is a hot day in Yangon, and at the Strand Hotel, in the lobby, afternoon tea is being served to the exhausted new arrivals. One of whom is a man who fits the picture-postcard perfectly. Dressed in a cream suit, with white buck shoes and a panama hat, this gentleman might have walked from the pages of a Somerset Maugham short story. more…

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