Guide to Clothes Sales Shopping

Along with champagne, Auld Lang Syne, countdowns and resolutions, there is one year-end tradition that is known and loved: the sales. Yes, try as they might to make people purchase throughout the year through multi million-pound marketing and try as they might to make fashion more affordable for everyone, the fact is that the populous loves cut price goods. It’s a matter of self-satisfaction. It’s rather like cheating the system in a legitimate way and people are prepared to put up with extraordinary queues, imperfect goods, incredible rudeness, frustration and no end of temporary misery to hold their purchase high when they are warmly ensconced in their own homes once more, like a trophy kill from the day’s battle.

There is certainly much to recommend sales. However, price reductions have a marked effect on even self-professed ‘rational’ purchasers; they can make them buy things they never even wanted. When the price to pay is so little, and the possible use to gain is so great, you might think buying six or seven things, which you had no notion of considering an hour beforehand, harmless. You might be looking forward to a hefty Christmas bonus. Generous relatives might have lavished cash on you for a secure New Year. However, even those with money to burn can waste resources on unwanted items. Here is some field advice when entering the sales battleground.

Know what you want

It’s very important to set yourself targets when sale shopping. As with all target-setting, it’s wise to be realistic; don’t expect to find exquisite suits for £50. Imagine the worst case scenario vis-à-vis price and you are likely to be pleasantly surprised. Secondly, be open to alternatives. You’re likely to be very disappointed if you set out to find a few coveted items only to find the sizes are inappropriate or they have simply sold out, so if you’re looking for, as an example, skinny grey denim, do some research. Pencil in visiting several contending shops for the item, and you’re more likely to strike it lucky.

Don’t wait too long

Reductions: we get them, but then we want more. It’s a very risky game waiting until the latter half of the sale period, hoping the jacket we’ve seen will be reduced further and will still be available in our size. I’ve learned my lesson on this score. In the end, just to save a measly £20, I missed out on a wonderful blazer, with a very individual pattern, that I could have bought at a, retrospectively, very reasonable discount. If it’s smart and classic, and your size is common, do not wait; you are likely to be disappointed.

What to buy/not to buy

I could fill an entire wardrobe with items I have rarely worn because their appeal did not last beyond a couple of months. Very ‘trendy’ items, with little substance, are generally a waste of money in the sale period. The best items to choose are the standards; two-button jackets, classically shaped denim, ties, shirts and underwear. Suits are also great purchases come sale time, and it’s sad when I see wonderfully cut suits densely piled onto creaking racks in unpopular and uncared for retailers.
A suit that cost £500+ new, if it fits well enough (it can always be altered a little), if it’s reduced by up to 50%, is an absolute steal and yet I see masses of the things come late January, still there, dusty, being offered at a price cut of 75%. A suit, properly made, will never go out of fashion and buy a good enough model and it should last you a good number of years.

Another good purchase is footwear. Well-made shoes are costly, and most specialised shoe shops will not offer reductions at any other time of year than mid-summer and January. Expect reductions to remain fairly rigid, but comparatively generous; spending £175 on £250 shoes is money very well spent.

Avoid budgeting

Though prima facie, this looks like terrible advice, what I actually mean is, do not set out to spend all the money you have set aside for the sales. If there is some dosh left over, and you haven’t found something else you really want, avoid wasting it on an irrelevance. It’s far better to save it, and add it to next month’s clothing or grooming budget and buy something you really need instead.

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The Joy of Mixing

One thing I cannot, quite literally, stomach is mixing my food. Munching on a spicy chicken wing after a chocolate sponge pudding makes the tummy turn. I can’t abide boiling hot drinks on a summer’s day, heavy reds with fish or any other contradictory companionship as far as foodstuffs is concerned. I like order with comestibles; steak with béarnaise sauce, fish and chips, bacon and eggs.

However, my taste for order and being bound by accepted principles does not extend to clothing. It’s true that I like tradition, and I applaud perfectly sympathetic combinations, but I have a curious appreciation for mixing clothing styles. It’s tricky making such a statement as a reader may very well believe I am an admirer of extremism in this regard; hard-hats and steel-toe boots with crisp pinstripes and wot-not. This sort of experiment just leaves me cold.

What I do like, and find pleasure in seeing, is the clever, and often unintentional, mixture of clothing of different eras. Imagine if you will a gentleman dressed in a 1930s double breasted suit with a 1960s multicolour Missoni jumper and scarf. The staid suit may belong with a cream flannel shirt and knitted tie, but it’s perfectly happy with the psychedelic knitwear. It’s like an energetic remix of a big-band number or another of those twists on the martini: the original is irreplaceable but open to experimentation.

Not all experimentation works. And throwing ‘conservative’ and ‘wacky’ together doesn’t always produce the ‘accidental-genius’ effect. However, I think it’s brave to try as the look, when refined, can be marvellous. The reason for this? The glorious pleasure of the unexpected. People expect bow-ties with tweed, waistcoats and punch-caps not with skinny denim, track jackets and boots. Some may be offended by the mixture; however, combining traditional and contemporary keeps the classics looking fresh and ever appealing.

One of the key things to concentrate on when mixing is balance. As with the Missoni jumper, choosing a classic fabric for the suit rather than an unusual one will set the knitwear off wonderfully. Likewise with footwear, be cautious. Boots have to be artfully worn with smart suits to not appear ridiculous, so it is better choosing retro plimsolls and classic tennis shoes. A further piece of advice on balance is not to overdo it. One or two ‘clashes’ are sufficient.

Another good tip is to mix clothes of contrasting formality. An old grey flannel two-button jacket is a great companion to a classic white shirt, but for spring and summer, switch this to a slim-fit polo shirt for a great contrast. Likewise, when the cold wind blows in winter, smart scarves look swell with your pinstripes there’s no doubt, however, throwing in a long, untidy woven scarf keeps your look youthful and playful. Silk scarves can be used with more casual outfits such as plimsolls and denim. The Kaiser Chiefs are famous for this look; the dishevelled-but-rather- aristocratic-looking rocker.

In my opinion, it’s all fair game and you’re far better off mixing things up and reinventing your own style. If you feel timid, comfort yourself with the thought that thousands upon thousands of boring and unfortunate people buy and wear what they’re told to, when they’re told to. Live autonomously and make jazz of your wardrobe.

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Stocking Filers: Gift Suggestions for Men

A well-filled trouser is a sign of prosperity, but what of a well-filled stocking? Though Christmas offers an enticing mélange of good spirits, plenty of good plonk, gorgeously rich vapours from the kitchen and mountains of gifts, it can often be the small things that make your Christmas truly wonderful. The small, unexcitingly wrapped, rather flat looking package can be everything you had no idea you wanted; a little trinket or bijou perhaps, something that sparkles merrily, a dash of luxurious fabric. Similarly, the Teutonic tradition of placing empty stockings on the fireplace, though a matter of form and custom nowadays, can offer the discerning gentleman of style a surprise such as an accessory du jour, wrapped unassumingly in what is essentially an old sock.

Stocking fillers are a wonderful idea for the modish man and, though the popularity of stockings has waned, there are plenty of gleaming objects of the required size. Here are some suggestions:

Cufflinks

Some elegant cufflinks will always be a sure-fire hit, and keeping abreast of the gentleman’s collection will give you a good idea of what he needs, and also, what he likes. Some men will only buy humorous or contemporary designs for themselves; patriotic flags, hot and cold taps and the like, so this is a fabulous opportunity to buy them something rather more classic and less tongue in cheek. Similarly, men who adorn their cuffs in Deco glory and Victoriana may be offered something a little more current.

Necktie

A high-quality necktie in a luxurious fabric makes a lovely stocking filler. Avoid choosing run-of-the-mill plains; everyone wears patternless ties these days, so try and introduce a little fun and flair.

Cashmere socks

An extravagance for our poor feet, cashmere socks are the last word in leg luxury. It’s a real treat to unwrap a pair, knowing the delicious comfort when we slip them onto our feet on an especially cold and brutal day. The legendary sock manufacturer Pantherella has a great range of cashmere socks. Alternative and bright colours like red and blue make them individual and are therefore more likely to be used sparingly, justly so, on very special occasions.

Card holder

A man cannot do with loose cards and notes, and by no means should a man of taste and style go half-measure where currency retention is concerned. Launer’s of London have been making leathergoods for 60 years and the Queen is one apparently satisfied customer. Royal warrants, in the matter of everyday goods such as these, are rarely bestowed and therefore a Launer wallet makes a right royally elegant and classically stylish addition to the stocking.

Tie-clip

Another sparkling gift, the tie-clip is once more a happy favourite for well dressed men. The dash of gleaming silver against woven silk makes an ordinary outfit quite extraordinary; tie jewellery really does accentuate the smart attire of the wearer. With such items, it is prudent to select quality rather than quantity. Therefore, choose a classic and sturdy design that will complement almost any colour of necktie and shirt. All pictured tie-clips are available from Amazon.com.

Razor from Trumper’s of Curzon Street

Trumper’s have been shaving the great and the good at their barber shop on Curzon Street, Mayfair since 1875. They’ve held warrants aplenty from approving monarchs and the barbers’ skill with a blade is renowned. However, unless you happen to live within easy reach of W1, there really is no joy. Having said that, you can shave off a piece of the Trumper’s action with a splendid safety razor. They use universally available Gillette blades and the handles are well-built, ergonomic and attractive.

ABC of Men’s Fashion by Hardy Amies

It’s a relief to see more and more information is being made available to the inquisitive style devotee. Magazines, blogs, television programmes; there’s a mass of information out there. Not all of it is reliable, some of it is misleading, and there’s an amount of it which is downright nonsense. Hardy Amies little jewel of a book however, is not nonsense. It’s quite brilliant; consistently useful and very entertaining. It’s not ‘light reading’ – this isn’t a coffee table volume to be picked up, laughed at and then forgotten. There’s some very serious and valuable advice from Amies, the Queen’s clothier himself, and it deserves some sober consideration.

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Lapo Elkann: Creative (or Affected) Dresser

It must be difficult being the wild, party loving younger son of a family very much in the public eye. The elder, the heir, courts responsibility from an earlier age; the family guides them, history sets fine examples and though a great weight is set upon their shoulders, their path is clear and pre-defined. Younger sons, though they may be part heirs, are not given this sort of mollycoddling. Second sons like Prince Harry are privileged, yes; the third in line to the throne never wants for a thing, but just what is expected of him?

The Agnelli family are the Italians royals’. They are photographed, interviewed, fawned over and worshipped as surrogates for the vacant throne. Though the Prince of Naples and the Duke of Aosta may fight out their pretensions to the kingdom of Italy, Hello!, OK! and the “stalkarazzi” only seem interested in what the people want, and an insight, whether welcome or unwelcome, into one of the most glamorous and privileged Italian dynasties is, ironically, what the people want the most.

One member of the family, a younger son as it happens, is currently the media’s target of choice. Agnelli by blood, but not by name, Lapo Elkann is becoming an increasingly recognisable chap on the transatlantic chichi charity circuit. Ciao-ing everyone in Cipriani from Mary-Kate Olsen to Donald Trump, the enigmatic New York born Italian has also made a name for himself as a man of style. Though he is criticised by some for mocking his grandfather Gianni’s true style in an over-affected way, Elkann’s approach is actually rather more sophisticated than an alleged raid of old Agnelli’s wardrobe.

His elder brother, John Elkann, who is tipped to become head of the Fiat group, is certainly well-dressed but not in a noticeable way. His clothing, like his so-far-so-good life, is sober. Lapo is wilder; his risky choices in clothing mirror his high-octane reputation for drugs (he survived an overdose of cocaine in 2005 that put him into a coma), dating numerous MAWs (model/actress/whatever) and pursuing a vigorous enjoyment of life that is standard form for third generation scions.

His interesting blend of hand-me-down suits, tailored jackets, retro sports clothing and natty accessories is actually quite original. I can fully understand why Vogue saw fit to drape the prestigious accolade of Most Stylish Man over this stallion’s shoulders; combining double-breasted suits with Bikkembergs and using a piece of tying rope as a belt is somewhat revolutionary and though his experimentation produces mixed results, I applaud his efforts.

One thing affirming his innovative approach is the inability to pin-down or label one designer or one icon of his influence. Some men dress like window displays from Bond Street; borrowing everything from one designer and reproducing a look. What I like about Elkann is that he IS his look. He is impossible to pigeon-hole and that makes him all the more appealing.

I also like the curious duplicity of his wardrobe. Sometimes, he masquerades as the obedient offspring; stiff collars, styled hair and pinstripes, then suddenly he is the billionaire-to-be hellraiser; insolent tennis shoes, plush pashminas, stubbing out cigars in his grandfathers suits. ‘Tut-tut’ indeed.

Apart from his little foray into design with überfashion designers DSquared, or his updating of the Fiat brand (his suggestions to return to retro, including the reinstatement of the 1930s badge, were fantastically successful), Elkann has been quiet in his artistic pushes. However, something tells me that a man with so many ideas for his own form must have more creativity up his sleeve.

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The Real Evening Wear

‘Tis the season to be jolly and though Christmas cocktail parties seemed eons away in early autumn, they have come around terribly quickly. Whether you’re one of those who dreads these office functions, regarding them as Bacchanalian nightmares that must be endured to continue the illusion of ‘team-spirit’ or if you are one of those bizarre people who drinks, gorges, makes merry and performs the funky chicken to the almighty awfulness that is Slade, you have something in common; a desire to be yourself. And, as we are all unique, what better way to celebrate our own individuality than to pick something out from the wardrobe few others will be wearing. Christmas time excuses eccentricity and oddities like no other time of year, and the man of style should be considering choices one step beyond the vast sea of the commonplace; this is a time to trial new ideas.

The jacket

Many men will choose the modern classic tuxedo jacket; single breasted, peaked satin-silk faced lapels and two-buttons. It is elegant and inoffensive but lacks pizzazz. It’s what everyone expects and therefore, it’s what everyone dreads. Women are unfairly blessed with the potentiality for surprise; they have yards and yards of dress material to choose from. Men are forced into a proverbial corner and very little is expected of them, so it is a magnificent occasion on which to shine.

The ‘DB’

Instead of the ordinary jacket, why not choose something with a little more to give.
A double-breasted tuxedo jacket may sound ordinary enough, but the steady decline in its popularity has meant that they are not ordinarily available. Paradoxically, this has been wonderful for the DB as high-level clothiers such as Hackett have picked up the gauntlet. Hackett’s creation is fantastic. The lapels are large, peaked and gorgeous; no tacky satin on this one but a thick, matt woven silk. Coupled with an equally individual slub or moiré silk pocket square in gold or royal blue, it will make the wearer look polished, regal and unforgettably original.

The Shawl

The shawl collar tuxedo is the true individual’s choice. Like the DB, the Shawl is rarely seen these days. It has a strong association with the 1950s and 60s, an era when the shawl collar was the most fashionable choice for evening wear. Many see it as dated rather than classic, but for me it remains an attractive, albeit more feminine alternative to the traditional peaked lapel. Whereas your DB aficionado is a follower of the Duke of Windsor, the Shawl collar admirer is probably a Cary Grant man; think space age bachelor-pads rather than genteel and crumbling clubs. It’s generally of a lower cut, and therefore will be less forgiving to emaciated chaps like myself, but worn with a shawl collar waistcoat (a velvet version and a cotton version are both available at Zara), it looks perfect.

The smoking

For those of a theatrical disposition, the smoking jacket has to be le dernier cris. It’s too laidback for some, for others it has a deliciously cavalier quality; merely possessing the bravado to wear one outside one’s own home is exciting enough. Forget the Noel Coward-style silk version (these really do belong strictly within the confines of your home and should never be considered for functions unless fancy-dress is stipulated), the velvet double-braided model is the thing I refer to. It can be quite hard to find off-the-rack versions, but Pakeman Catto & Carter have a fantastic deep green model (pictured) available for £395.

The shoes

Most chaps you’ll see at these Christmas shindigs won’t have bothered with selecting shoes; they’ll be wearing what they wore that day to the office in all probability, which is not the worst circumstance, but it is a mite depressing. Patents are available everywhere so polish your look a little with some amusingly labelled ‘shoe-mirrors’.

If you want to be really daring and be the subject of many an ambiguous whisper, the cause of a few splutters of champagne, then go for some evening pumps. Those pictured are $445 from Christian Louboutin. Certainly not inexpensive, but you will have the most beautiful feet at the ball.

The rest

Scarf

For an aesthetic touch, wear an ivory silk evening scarf. I must stress ‘ivory’ or ‘off-white’ for the ideal colour; bright ‘Dulux’ white looks cheap. Make sure it’s a woven silk scarf for added texture and try and resist the ‘two scarves in one’ black and white sided versions.

Studs

Some elegant shirt-studs will make you stand out as a true old-hand connoisseur of the art of black-tie. They perform the same function as the poor old button, but they look a darn sight better. Mother of pearl, antique silver or onyx are the classic matter for studs but I have seen some very rare sapphire and malachite versions. It all depends on budget and whimsy; if both are more than substantial then go forth and be individual.

The real shirt

The Marcella shirt, the pleated shirt – that’s all there is to choose from, isn’t there? Well, no. They still make the ‘boiled front’ shirts (though in very small quantities), and as far as evening wear goes, for the gentleman who is truly determined to do his damndest in the pursuit for individual perfection, this shirt is the real thing. The Vintage Shirt Co. can sell it to you for £66.00, though that doesn’t include VAT and you must provide your own studs and collar. However, this merry contraption of a shirt is a reminder of the fun that can be had in dressing for an occasion. And it’s a thing of beauty when worn properly.

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