For weeks now, London has been shivering in a kind of blinding Narnia state; snow and biting wind, so unusual to the city, have gripped its citizens. Fixated by the weather, people spend half the office morning talking about the difficulty of their journey in, shaking off Wellington boots and laying damp scarves over radiators. They pontificate on how long the matriarch Mother Nature will subject their world to the wintry freeze. There is no … [Read more...]

When I was sat in a bar waiting for a friend recently, I listened to the conversation of some hair-flicking, bangle-wearing fashionistas. Unsurprisingly, my ears pricked when the conversation turned to trends. “Why are slim trousers still trendy? It’s been like 7 or 8 years now of skinny jeans and slim trousers. Loads of fashion designers have stopped making slim cuts now. When is the fashion going to change?” "Ah yes!" I thought, … [Read more...]

When the cold weather bites, something fascinating happens to London. A hush comes over the city. The streets empty of dawdlers and gawpers, the lights gleam in windows and the great cacophony of London’s human noise - the merriment and the misery - is locked behind closed doors. In many ways, it makes a relaxing change. I much prefer a crisp, cold morning to a drizzly grey one. It is far more pleasant to walk the streets. They are always … [Read more...]

I dislike rucksacks. Actually, scrub that: I despise rucksacks. This won’t be news to many, as I have often referred to the rucksack as one of the items most unsuitable for gentlemen of style. This has proven to be a somewhat incendiary position as rucksack owners, quite naturally, have lashed out at the criticism and, by extension, the alternatives. However, my general dislike of rucksacks developed  into active hatred when I … [Read more...]

“Errr...naff!” said an acquaintance peering in to TM Lewin’s window on Jermyn Street. The object of his disgust was a plain white shirt with a puppy tooth silver tie. I failed to see the connection between his comment and the ensemble. “What’s wrong with it?” I asked, half expecting a tirade against TM Lewin and their lurch towards a ‘lower standard product’ – an increasingly common refrain. “Those bar collars are just … [Read more...]