A few weeks ago I was invited to suggest a list of summer brogues for Shortlist, a free London style magazine that's handed out on the streets or available online. I have to confess that I wouldn't wear all the shoes I selected; I felt I should cover as wide a range of tastes and styles as I could. However, my favourites were the white Nubuck shoes from Jigsaw, pictured third down in the scan below.
In the Shortlist piece I suggested matching the shoes with a linen suit, vivid pocket square and Panama hat. It seemed a perfect summer look - smart or smart casual. I hoped to put together the look using Jigsaw products, but, in the end, wasn't able to do this - instead I found a variety of linen suits and matched them with some favourite accessories from Monsieur London, Age of Reason scarves, Arthur & Henry shirts, Shaun Gordon ties and Sanders Shoes (who make the Jigsaw shoes) - links below..
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| The summer suit look (left hand image, New York Times) |
The suit doesn't have to be cream or white, of course. I've selected one made in London by SEH Kelly from Lancashire-milled linen. Below I give links to other suppliers of linen suits of a wide range of colours, styles and prices. When you come to check prices, you'll notice that SEH Kelly's suit is nowhere near the most pricey; so let's forget the myth that British-made menswear is expensive.
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Links
Fair Trade straw hat from Ecuador - Monsieur London
Arthur & Henry fine stripe blue shirt ethically made from Fair Trade cotton
Lawrence blue pattern silk tie from Shaun Gordon
SEH Kelly suit - linen from Lancashire, buttons from the English Midlands, tailored in London
Age of Reason & Grey Fox collaboration pocket square
Sanders Made in England Nubuck shoes from Sanders Shoes
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A summer suit needs colourful socks -
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| Socks from London Sock Co |
For a choice of linen suits at different prices and colours, try the following (some sell as separates, so search for jackets and trousers. Some sites, like Hackett, are not easy to search, so persevere):