Weekend style is not a polished look to me. Bespoke raglan overcoat, bespoke greyish Harris Tweed jacket underneath, cashmere scarf, blue jeans, and duckfeet shoes.
A couple of photos from recent weeks. As you can see I’m not good a very a very polished look, perhaps because I feel that I’m not perfect enough for that. Still, I need a haircut, I admit that.
Bespoke overcoat (Guida) and bespoke suit (Vestrucci), silk scarf, bespoke adelaide shoes (Kielman).
Photography: Sartorial Notes
Bespoke classic menswear consisting of blue suit with brown pinstripes and tweed overcoat.
I should be posting more often, I know. To receive more updates, let me draw your attention to Sartorial Notes’ Instagram Account.
This post is to highlight an interview Derek of Die, Workwear did with me for Put this On. Not surprisingly, the interview is about classic menswear and bespoke.
Here’s a clip from the interview:
One of the reasons why I wanted to feature you is because your style has an admirable sense of restraint, but things always look good. I find many men often fall into one of two camps — those that are too dandy and those that are too conservative. One can look a bit affected, the other barely distinguishing themselves from other men who wear a coat and tie. Do you have suggestions on how to successfully ride that line?
Thank you for your kind words. Perhaps interestingly, I don’t feel I have much natural flair for dressing well. Could be that is why I’m so tied up in clothing. I’m not in a hurry, though. I’m in it for the long run. I try to buy items that can fill-in places in my wardrobe for decades. Clothing has to be useful and, ideally, of very high-quality. It doesn’t mean I only buy handmade navy blue and charcoal suits, brown tweed jackets, and welted black oxford shoes. Yet, if I order a bold plaid sports coat at the tailor, usually I have thought through beforehand, how I could use the jacket with shirt, tie, trousers and shoes.
I also think honesty and comfort are important to get clothing right. We all imitate, however it’s crucial that we don’t lose ground in that process. There must be a strong link between you as a person and the outer look. It shines through, if the link is missing. Apart from a diffuse psychological dimension, a specific and large component of the link between man and clothes is good fit. Man and clothing should be in harmony with each other, physically. Sometimes I feel I can put on clothes arbitrarily and it will turn out well as long as all garments and accessories are good quality made for me.
I know you use many craftspeople around the world for your wardrobe. May I ask who are some of the ones you rely on most for your clothes? Do you have any favorites? And if so, why do you like those particular makers?
I’ve given up finding a favorite suit and a favorite maker. I can see excellent qualities (and sometimes shortcomings) in a suit I have from Loris Vestrucci in Florence and in a suit I have from Volkmar Arnulf in Berlin, although they make completely different suits. Often I discover details later on that I fancy, for instance the swelled chest on my Malcolm Plews suit, or the delicate soft shoulder points on my jackets from Francesco Guida. What unites the different suits is that they connect to different parts of me. At least that I delude myself into thinking.
For shoes I’ve experienced a huge difference between bespoke shoemakers. I have a bunch of bespoke shoes from Warsaw (Januszkiewicz and Kielman), which are fine and better fitting than ready-to-wear shoes. Then I ordered a pair with Klemann in Hamburg. That was a revelation. Fit, style and make are so more refined at Klemann’s. The price, of course, is far above that of the Polish shoemakers as well.
Bespoke guards coat in bottle green with barchetta pocket.
Isn’t that a nice overcoat?
It has line and flair. I think the mottled bottle green cloth (W. Bill) suits the guards coat design very well. Blue, grey, black or brown are perhaps more common choices for the design, but the bottle green shade works as well.
Line and harmony.
Only a blue suit would be a bit difficult to pair with the shade. Grey and brown harmonize with the forest green shade.
In the photo I wear the overcoat with grey trousers of vintage flannel from Fox Brothers. My shoes are made-to-measure shell cordovans from Kielman. The chocolate brown cashmere scarf comes from Begg. Merola has made the carpincho gloves.
Sturdy overcoating from W. Bill.
Bespoke tailor Francesco Guida has crafted the overcoat.
Subdued winter style.
The martingale back.
Photography: Sartorial Notes
Pitti Uomo 93. Maciej Zaremba in a inspiring belted slip-on overcoat in mocha corduroy.
Oversized overcoat and duffle coat.
What is fashion depends on the eyes that look. So when I summarize what’s happening in men’s fashion at the Pitti Uomo 93 fair in Florence, it’s a perspective, a view with my classically oriented eyes. For your information.
Double breasted storm coat.
There are tendencies for more generous cuts. You notice the development in overcoats. In the sartorial department, I have noticed almost oversized overcoats, often with raglan sleeves, not unlike the big coats from the start of the 1990s. Pitti Uomo 93 in Florence documented the trend of big coats.
Large camel hair overcoat.
Ethan Newton in duffel coat and beanie knit hat.
Corduroy overcoat, earth tones and chukka boots.
Coats and overcoats in corduroy. Another trend in sartorial men’s fashion in the winter. I have thought myself of getting a corduroy coat made up. Corduroy is symbolic, though, referring to books, big furniture, art, and school teachers in the 1970s. The film director Wes Anderson illustrates a modern approach to corduroy and velvet.
Erik Mannby in a green corduroy suit with a beanie on the top of his head.
Erik Mannby.
Earth tones are a signifacant trend in sartorial menswear in winter. Pitti Uomo 93 was a showcase. There were many shades of brown and green there, both among the exhibitors at the fair and on those who visited the event. Earth colors influenced all components from pullovers and ties to jackets, coats and hats.
Andreas in bottle green flannel trousers, shell cordovan shoes, brown tweed jacket, cream shirt, black knit tie and cognac coloured briefcase.
Sneakers continue the march forward. However, leather shoes are still in use, luckily. There are many double sole shoes and brogue shoes in the winter.
Soft jackets, which people in the trade confusingly call “deconstructed jackets,” continue their dominance. Unlike the slim fit fashion, which is about to be supplemented by more roomy cuts, I do not think the softly designed jackets get competition from structured jackets. On the contrary, you will probably see even more jersey jackets onwards.
A beanie knit hat, the beanie, will not die. You also wear it with classic sartorial clothes, if it’s cold.
As always Luca Rubinnaci was well-dressed at Pitti Uomo in Florence. He showcased earth tones in his attire as well.
If you do not carry a knit hat on your head, you could go for a felt hat with a good wide brim. They are also popular.
Russell tweed jacket and brown pants.
Photography: Sartorial Notes
A New Year’s Eve Tuxedo by German tailor Volkmar Arnulf. Ready to party. Shirt is from Camiceria Carmen, and the bow tie by Budd in London. Made-to-measure shoes from Kielman.
It took almost two years from start to finish. Finally, in May I could pick up the tuxedo at Volkmar Arnulf’s workshop in Potsdam.
The tuxedo is a very classic tuxedo, a new year’s eve tuxedo.
Design style is a double breasted two-button shawl collar with one-pleat high-waist trousers with side-adjusters.
Shoulders are extended a bit to give more drop.
Fabric is a mohair barathea from Dugdale.
As always with suits from Arnulf lines are immaculately clean. Moreover, the suit is extremely comfortable and proves once again that unstructured, soft tailoring versus structured, hard tailoring shouldn’t be confused with comfort. Comfort is about cutting technique mainly.
Unlike English tailors Volkmar Arnulf uses silk satin for the lapels.
Price was 4.200 euro.
Photography: Sartorial Notes