The Case For The Cigarette Case

Having finished my last carton of Duty Free fags it’s time to make good on my New Year’s resolution and quit smoking. So I’m the last person to encourage such a bad habit – before we get any comments on irresponsibility.

But, for all those unrepentant smokers, I advocate investing in a cigarette case – and by that I mean a proper hinged case like the one above.

A bit of old school elegance from a more stylish age, the fact that most smokers don’t use them is another reason to adopt one in my view.  As long as I’ve been a smoker I’ve carried one, and there are practical benefits.

The first, and most important, is that having a packet of fags in your pocket, with its hard rectangular shape ruins the line of your suit.  A cigarette case being no more bulky than a wallet, with softer edges isn’t so obtrusive, enabling you to maintain an elegant silhouette without an unsightly bulge in your pocket.

In my own case there were other considerations for carrying one. There is some snobbery amongst cigarette smokers, the worst offenders being social smokers - that odd breed who never smoke unless it is with a drink in hand. These folk never buy fags merely beg them off of fellow drinkers.

While asking for a fag they will tell you they only smoke Marlboro Lights, and then proceed to turn their nose up at the lesser (read cheaper) brand you’ve offered them. They refuse your cigarette or take one under sufferance. But, to coin a phrase, people are suckers for a bit of magic, and when brandishing a silver cigarette case no one questioned the quality of the cigarette inside. Indeed, most assumed they were getting something special.

A cigarette case wasn’t an unhelpful ice breaker either. In the days when you could smoke in bars, it wasn’t unusual to be approached for a cigarette by women. The bringing the case out, popping it open and the rarity of seeing one usually invited comment and conversation. And as any player will tell you, initiating conversation is the first step to a successful pick-up.

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Three More Tips On Ties

This post refers to ‘three more tips’ because way back in April 2008 I wrote a post called Two Tips on Ties. I think the alliteration rather pleased me at the time.

That was a discussion about the best way to get a nice dimple in a tie knot. And it does work: you just have to create a memory of the fold in the tie’s lining (assuming it is lined).

This post is about getting your tie to stand upright in the collar, arching out from the neck to create a flattering curve. The three tips are: keep it at the top of the collar band, tighten it horizontally and make sure it remains central.

None of these will keep your tie at its proud, priapic best all day long. No matter how well tied, or how great the quality, no silk necktie will stay in its ideal position permanently. It will need occasional adjustment. But the alternative is a tie bar or pin, which rather stifles the silk in my opinion. Rather, let it hang and adjust when needed.

The first tip: make sure that the neck of your tie is at the top of the collar band of your shirt. While most ties won’t be much narrower than the shirt collar, making sure it is right at the top will make a surprising difference to the curve of the tie. Once the knot is tied, you can check this by tucking one finger in each side of the collar and pushing the tie up. This is most important on high collars, and is easiest with spread collars.

Second tip: when you tighten the tie, do it horizontally, parallel to the ground. Lift up the rear blade and push the knot flat into the collar. The initial angle will subside after a while, but it still makes a perceptible difference.

Third tip: make sure the top of the knot is central in the collar gap. Because a four-in-hand knot (assuming that’s what you’re using – you should) is always skewed to one side, the bottom of the knot will not be central if the top is. The tie will come out of the knot slightly to one side. Some men, not realising this, keep the tie central and the top of knot slightly under one side of the collar. As it is therefore slightly constricted, the knot will often pull slightly away from the collar or not curve as it could.

Three tips on ties.

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Cocktail Cuffs

In Japan they’re known as the James Bond cuff; the Italians refer to them as Portofino; and the English –if they refer to them at all- call them the Cocktail Cuff or the Turnback.

You really won’t find very much written about cocktails cuffs, and even less in support. The best Hardy Amies can muster in his ‘ABC of Men’s Fashion’ is to say;

“one must recognise and condone the constant tendency towards simplification, and if the job of joining up four bits of shirt seems rather fiddly in the morning, you can strike a reasonable appearance with the single cuff of double thickness…”

Nicholas Antongiavanni, in his enjoyable and rather useful book ‘The Suit’ says even less:

“There are two kinds [of cuffs], button (or “barrel”) and French. (“Cocktail” or “Bond” cuffs, a clumsy attempt to combine the two, are too pretentious to be elegant.)”

I find this statement a curious one given that the double cuff requires an item of jewellery, which is by its nature showy.

It’s no easier a job to find the exact history of the Cocktail Cuff either. Three variations make the rounds, two sound reasonable and one could well be the nonsense of my own imagination.

The first, and most repeated, is that it was created by Turnbull and Asser and later adopted first by Sean Connery and later Roger Moore in their portrayals of James Bond, hence the term James Bond cuff. That last bit is true. The second, less well known story, is that it was the creation of London’s esteemed bespoke shirt maker Frank Foster (www.frankfostershirts.com), who is still in business (www.esquire.co.uk) and whose shop is located in Pall Mall. The third story is that it was created for David Niven by Ede & Ravenscroft, but as I can’t remember the source for this information it’s probably BS.

Now, I’ve always had a soft spot for cocktail cuffs; and while originally intended for dress shirts (hence Cocktail Cuff) it’s also acceptable for formal shirts.

There is something wonderfully fraudulent about them. You get the weight and aesthetic of a normal double cuff without the ultra conservatism of double cuffs. To that end they work particularly well with odd jackets and trousers, particularly in bold patterns. They’re right, but not.

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Two Questions About Wedding Attire

It must be the season for planning weddings. Not only did one of my best friends get engaged (congratulations Henry) I had two questions this week about what to wear as a groom.

KL: Mr Crompton, I’m an avid reader of your blog and I’ve loved your posts on what to wear to a wedding. I’d love to hear more of your thoughts though if you were the groom at an informal wedding. I’ve been thinking of a couple of possibilities like a grey 1b peak w/ db vest, navy db, navy 2b peak sb, navy/grey Hunstman-style 1b suits. I have a houndstooth Macclesfield or a champagne tie that I love and may wear for personal significance.

Peter: Dear Simon, I am a long time reader of Permanent Style. Happily, I am getting married this summer - in the middle of August. There is pressure from the bride for this to be a formal wedding, but her definition of formal doesn’t extend much beyond a dinner jacket and black bowtie. I am not certain that that is entirely appropriate for a church wedding and would like to wear something a little more personal. My initial thoughts are: Black, SB, notched, black silk lapel, possibly with an heirloom silver button (instead of a silk-covered button). Black trousers with silk along the seam. Waistcoat in a dark, dark green (Favourbrook has some nice ones). White shirt, black tie (not bowtie), white pocket square.

Now my opinion on wedding attire can be summarised in the following, hopefully logical, points.

First, propriety is king. So if there is an obvious dress code, either stated or implicit, stay within it. Do not upstage anyone, especially the groom. Be smart enough, even a little smarter than the rest of the guests, but do not stand out like a sore thumb. This is not your day. And if the dress code is black tie, much as I hate that American tendency at daytime weddings, wear it.

Second, if there is no obvious dress code other than being smart, feel free to take it down a notch sartorially. I know that, as a formal day event, you should be wearing morning dress, and if not that then the smartest lounge suit you own: navy single-breasted, crisp white shirt, black oxfords, probably a grey or silver tie.

But that’s too near business dress to be any fun these days. Men never get a chance to wear casual suits, linens, cotton and silk, let alone bright colours. So go wild and enjoy it when you can. Otherwise no one would wear checks or spectators.

My general opinions stated, let’s turn to the questions. Both KL and Peter are keen to go down the formal route without wearing black tie or tails. Good for them. KL has the right idea on dressing up the lounge suit, going for peak lapels and a double-breasted waistcoat. These are both great ideas, particularly if you will rarely wear them on any other occasion. Either navy or mid-grey, with either tie.

Peter is seeking more to put a personal spin on black tie. This can be done in a number of ways, including a shawl collar, double-breasted, even a velvet jacket. But if you’re going to do black tie, Peter, eschew coloured waistcoats. The jacket should have peak lapels and you need something to cover your waistband – cummerbund, waistcoat or double-breasted.

Or how about another suggestion Peter? An old-style stroller – black, SB or DB, peaked lapel jacket in serge or cashmere. Pale grey trousers, white shirt, white handkerchief, Macclesfield tie, black shoes. Keep it monotone. It’ll looker smarter than what everyone else is wearing, but individual too.

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Buy Handmade When It’s Worth It

The fascination with things being made by hand is odd. If I sew a button on by hand, chances are it will be done worse and not last as long as the best machine doing it. This is firstly because I am not very good at sewing on buttons; but secondly and more importantly, it is because a machine will sew more stitches to the inch, so it will be stronger.

Purchasers of fine clothes should ask themselves, when presented with something made by hand, whether that is necessarily an advantage. Seams that come under a lot of strain usually need to be strong above all else. The advantages of handmade construction are flexibility, movement and life; it adds stretch to the shoulder seam of a jacket and personality to the padding of its chest. But it is not always and necessarily better.

Equally, ask yourself whether the marginal difference made by hand construction is worth the money. I know that my tailor, for example, uses pre-made shoulder pads. Some of the Savile Row tailors make their own, by hand. Personally it’s something I am quite willing to save on. But I want to pay to have the chest made by hand.

I have also never understood people that want something to be flawed to prove that it is handmade – fluctuation in the hand-stitched lapel or a slight skew in the welt. To them imperfection is honesty. To me it is a fault. I want my individuality in the fit, the design and the wear. I don’t want to see evidence of the craft; I just want to benefit from it.

It’s true that no two items made by hand will ever be identical. As a bespoke shoemaker told me once “if I ever punched two medallions exactly the same I wouldn’t be a craftsman, I’d be a robot.” But, contrary to him, I don’t see a virtue in the slight looseness of one seam on a shoe’s counter. It bugs me and I want it changed.

The fact that he has lasted the shoe by hand is not something that can be seen. Its virtue is that he was able to adapt the natural leather and its personality when stretching it over the last. The attention to detail means it will wear better. That’s the kind of hand construction I want.

Buy handmade intelligently.

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