Issue 48; The Year of Weddings

I had taken a deep breath and slowly let it out, all my friends who were going to be, were married, I was married, I was done with weddings.  Then something happened I was not expecting, there were some people hiding in the cracks, real couples I had not thought of, whom I thought would never or wouldn’t.  So here I was in 2024 with four weddings to attend, so obviously I went and bought a new suit.

Issue 47; Styling the Hollywood Lies

Writing in the world of gentlemen's clothing and lifestyle always brings you into the same boring troupes.  Of course the Negroni, even though I am a drinker of this, it is not because of the Gram, it is because I have drunk it for years. Secondly, the love and admiration of the style of Steven McQueen, Daniel Craig (as Bond) and the film The Talented Mr Ripley (Messrs Damon and Law). But why are so many looking up to the lies of a made up world of movie stardom, do you actually like their style, if so, maybe you should follow the stylist.

Issue 47; Time for Hats

There are a rare few occasions when I will be seen wearing a hat out and about in town or country.  When I’m in more sunny climates on holiday then a straw style trilby dons by head, which was purchased in the Dominican Republic many years back when I realised I hadn’t brought a suitable hat, of any kind.  It has on occasions been brought out when at home, with the scorching summers we have been having recently.  There is no better attire to sip a chilled Gavi watching the world go by.

Issue 46; The Rough Lapel: White Trouser Cometh

Summer is coming to a close soon, the summer has been hot but typical of the English kind, with hot sunny days forgotten by a few days of rain and storms that we all remember thinking that summer is over and was short.  The time in between showers gives us some beautiful days of sun and dressing for the sun, especially in the high thirties which have become the norm.  Enter the white trouser.

Issue 46; 40 in Flip Flops

We have all seen those nobbled feet sticking out the bottom of some sandal, croc or flip flop in recent weeks.  Feet that have been cooped up like a battery hen in a warm moist cell and are suddenly given light and air for the first time in nine months.  Some things are just better left to the darkness.

Issue 45; The Rough Lapel: Jacket Sir? Volume 2

Too much choice is always a problem, the now well known coffee order dilemma, it would just be nice to have fewer options.  Of course in other areas what you want is choice and one thing Norton & Townsend had was choice when it came to cloth, so the search began.

Issue 45; In The Shirt We Trust

The shirt is the greatest piece of clothing ever created.  Starting as an undergarment before moving into the must have item of clothing for any outfit.  It is the most versatile of wardrobe staples and with the many styles and cloth now out there, it is amazing any other top is needed.

Issue 45; Athleisure Disaster

When did the world start dressing like toddlers when we leave the house? Oversized tracksuits, slip on shoes with socks, the only thing missing is the blankie.  It is about time this was turned around.

Issue 44; The Rough Lapel: Jacket Sir? Vol 1

What felt like a complete heart break was when I pulled on my favourite wool blend unstructured sports coat to notice that there was a pinkish stain on the shoulder of all places and then heading down the arm.  It could be only one thing, red wine.  So I guess I was talking with my hands with my jacket close by, I only notice when someone else spills on me.  Trips to cleaners and then trying to clean myself did nothing, so the time had come to discard the jacket, a sad time.  But something did ignite within me, the idea that now I needed a replacement.

Issue 40; Cubitts, They Are Not Square

Summer is here, fully here, we are basking in the Sun and getting a good Sun Burn (using language from Ian Fleming) plus I do not Tan in the modern sense so it is a better term.  Chinos have become a weekend staple along with boat shoes and my standard oxford shirts, just with an extra button undone and cuffed sleeves.

Issue 38; Dressing for the Outside

I had grandparents who would regale us with tales of being able to leave their door unlocked back in days gone by, I feel that now I myself am in a situation when I am talking about the times when we used to get correctly dressed to go outside. Those were the days.

Issue 37; Thing of Beauty

Certain items have a function in our lives, they exist for the purpose of carrying out that function, a pair of shoes, an umbrella, a pen, a cigar lighter or even a wrist watch.  But these items, even though built to carry out their day to day task, can also hold some elegance, history or prestige within them and a simple beauty that many items do not.

Issue 37; Just a Shoe Thought

The shoe has and is very much taken for granted, especially by me.  I have owned and do own a large collection of shoes, maybe in comparison to your average gent.  They range from cheap pairs that do the job to slightly higher priced pairs.  But no matter their monetary value they do the job, keep my feet covered and protected when out, to varying degrees. 

Issue 36; Winter, Naval Style

Winter is coming, a well known phrase and a term now used by a writer whose brain has not come up with a witty term of his own, so easier to delve into the lazy world of pop culture, or in this case, outdated pop culture of a few years back. With this term in mind and even though this popular wardrobe staple will not keep away snow, fictional or otherwise it will however protect you against the brutality of the British weather.

Issue 35; Not Just For Cowboys

From Levi to Lee, from Nudie to Neuw, there are hundreds of brands making the classic denim jean.  They have gone through changes over the years, the fits, the styles, the colours but all have something in common, denim.  The denim jean has gone away since it was invented and recently with a simpler thought on fashion and the desire to keep away from fast fashion, it is only right to go selvedge.

Isseu 34; Some Things Should be Left Alone

At a certain time in your life you should realise that some fashions are not for you, mostly because you will eventually realise that even though you are into fashion you look silly, your inner youth is just that inner.  Fast fashion seems to not be totally going at this time which is a shame but leave this to the younger generation.  This is coming from someone not that old, so please trust me when I say “You are too old for that shit”.

Issue 32; Seven Days of Time, Long Read

To get away from that standard of one watch life that I have found myself in of late, I began a simple project. To create a seven day photo journal of one man's humble watch collection, to showcase the use of some of the collection on a daily basis, which turned into a journey of self evaluation and questioning if my time is well spent.

Issue 32; The Rise of the Independent

Lock-down and isolation is taking its toll on us all, but also on big fashion brands.  US giant J.Crew has filed for bankruptcy along with a few other larger brands, the fashion world is reported to be the biggest hit and that as a whole it will be down more than forty percent of its key business.  Even though jobs will be lost which is never a good prospect, does this now push fast fashion to the side and open up the roads for smaller independent brands?

Issue 28; Turning My Back on Fast Fashion

written by @coombstw

Many of us are aware that we live in a world of fast fashion.  This is because clothes are so cheap now and things come in and out of fashion like tide changes and with so many trying to keep up, tons of clothes end up in landfills.  So what do we do? I for one am trying to turn my back to fast fashion.

Issue 26; A Moment in Time

written by @coombstw

Created to a point at the, well, the dawn of time, was, Time.  How we know it now came into the world in 1847 in Greenwich, even though the concept and breaking the day down into blocks happened centuries before.  But now it rules our life in everything we do and I am glad we have time. Not because I hate being late and wouldn’t know this without time, but what would I put on my wrist and spend so much money on.