Cool summer suits: style inspiration for men

The heat brings discomfort, but this doesn't mean that sartorial excellence has to go out of the window. I don't have a smart summer suit and am on the lookout for one. Here are some images that inspire me in my search for the elusive ideal suit.

If you own the rights to any of the above images and would like them removed, please get in touch.

Linen, cotton, lightweight wool, silk, or a combination of these, make the best cool cloths. I like the crumpled, comfortable, casual style of linen and would look for pale blue or cream/tan as the most classic and practical colours. Wear with a linen or seersucker shirt; no tie, or with a cotton floral tie and a silk or cotton pocket square in pale, sunny hues.

Make sure the suit fits properly, snug across the shoulders and the correct length in arm and leg. Have the suit altered if it's not too far out; there are alterations tailors on most high streets. If it's too far out in sizing, alterations won't succeed, so don't buy.

Here are some of the places I will try for my summer suit (if you're quick you may find something in the summer sales):

For off the peg:

Richard James

Hardy Amies

Hackett
Marks & Spencer (affordable)
Oliver Spencer (more casual)

Or for made to measure or bespoke:

Edit Suits (affordable)

Hirsch Tailoring (bespoke)

Susannah Hall, Tailor (bespoke)

Eton Shirts: quality and style from Sweden

In my search for good quality and stylish shirts I'd heard of Eton Shirts, but only recently had a chance to inspect them closely when they sent me two to try.

Despite the very English name, Eton are a Swedish company. The range of shirts they sell is large and their well-designed website divides them into four different fits, with extra-long sleeve lengths a further option. A DNA Collection is made in Sweden.

Here I'm wearing Eton Shirts white button-down Oxford contemporary-fit shirt

As they arrived from Eton Shirts

The huge choice of colours and cloths means that there is something here for everyone. I selected a blue indigo slimfit shirt with cutaway collar in what I assume to be chambray and a white button-down Oxford shirt. Both are well-made, fit well (although the sleeves on the white shirt are a little long) and very stylish. 

I'm a great believer in wearing well-cut denim and chambray shirts with ties and jackets or suits, mixing formal and informal. The Eton chambray shirt has a collar stiff enough to wear with a tie, giving you the option of doing that, or going tieless.

The strength of the Eton Shirts offering is the wide choice of fabrics, fits and styles. For more information, see Eton Shirts.

Best of Britannia & the best of British menswear & accessories

Best of Britannia is now in its fourth year and it continues to be an event that attracts established and new businesses making everything from bicycles to basques in the UK. It is open to the public this weekend (27 and 28 June 2015) at 3 - 10 Shoreditch High Street, London.

While I was interested mainly in the menswear and accessories, I was diverted by other well-crafted products, as you'll see below. Regulars will recognise some of the businesses below, several were new to me and I hope to cover many of them in more detail at some point. Meanwhile, you will find basic information and contact details below.

Brita Hirsch showed me her beautiful tailoring. She is based in Cheshire, but makes regular trips to London to see clients. She is a true bespoke tailor and your clothes will be made from a unique pattern that she will cut for you. Hirsch Tailoring.

Hill & Ellis make leather bike bags in England. The detail and quality of the construction is outstanding.

The Holborn magazine celebrates quality wherever it's found. A good read for anyone with a wide interest in anything from craft, food to fine tailoring.

Well-known to regulars of this blog, Susannah Hall is a great supporter of made in Britain and all her clothes are tailored here in the UK. A visit to her shop in Clerkenwell is a must. 

Here are two great British head footmen together. On the left is Justin Hall of Pantherella who make such superb socks in Leicester and on the right is William Church of Joseph Cheaney & Sons, English shoemakers. Coincidentally, I was wearing their products when I took this image; no doubt explaining their wonderful smiles.

Cravat Club is well-known to readers and their English-made silk cravats and pocket squares are firm favourites.

New to me, EDG London was founded this year by artist Natalie O'Hara. Beautiful ties and accessories, all made in England, hold promise for a successful brand and I look forward to bringing you more in the future.

The incomparable Walsh make trainers for both performance and casual use in Bolton, Lancashire and I wear a pair as I type - 'nuff said really. Norman Walsh.

Loveday London is a product for men in the sense that, if you see it, you will want it for the woman in your life. Their luxury lingerie, loungewear and candles are beautifully made in Wales and are just so sexy. Very highly recommended.

Shackleton Clothing is basing its products around the famous explorer and I will be writing about them again soon. Made in Britain, as you'd expect.

Swift & Co make very interesting footwear in Burnley, Lancashire - a cunning mix of classic uppers and sporting soles. I hope to bring you more in future. Meanwhile, see Swift & Co. 

Sam Brown, English leather wear and belts on which all the components (and buckles in various metals including silver) are made in the UK. New to me - beautiful workmanship.

Finally, and again new to me, Nuwold, making leather goods and umbrellas. Lovely stuff, I'll bring you more information when I can. 

London Collections:Men, an overview of SS16

The diversity of styles on show at London Collections:Men earlier month showed the richness of the British Menswear market. I was looking for clothes that I like, or which might appeal to the older man; meaning good tailoring and well-made casual wear that is different, but not extreme. Most brands used young models to show their clothes, giving the older man little chance to see the possibilities, so well done to Duchamp (below) for showing models with grey hair. (See here my recent post on this topic).

Duchamp SS16

The variety of menswear on show makes spotting trends, so loved by newspaper fashion editors, very hard to do. My earlier prediction of looser cuts and the demise of skinny-fit trousers was accurate, but slim-fits (unloved by many older men) are still here. Double-breasted jackets, ties, pocket squares, Harrington or safari jackets and chunky shoes give a fair overview of the looks for next year. Evening and party wear becomes more varied. Overall, colours remain rich but muted, without the splashes of colour we saw last year - not that this will stop you adding colour in shirts, ties, pocket squares etc.

Here are a few of the many brands that caught my eye with links to their websites (I'll look at Oliver Spencer and Turnbull & Asser in separate posts). The products shown here will be for sale next summer (SS16).  For more information, see London Collections:Men.

     

Duchamp's use of beautiful fabrics made their SS16 collection stand out for me. The feel of a suit or jacket is so important and emphasis has been placed by Duchamp on the tactile nature of the materials. As usual, the tailoring is immaculate with a wide range of lapel and button styles to suit all tastes for day or evening wear. 

Duchamp SS16

Hardy Amies is one of the traditional Savile Row brands that is reinventing itself. I have heard complaints about this trend to streamline and update such labels, but to me it makes sense. A man of style needs a choice and the businesses that are moving forward and exploring new horizons provide the richness that is needed to prevent stagnation. Hardy Amies, Kilgour and a few others are part of this. They are not replacing classic tailoring, but updating it for the modern man. The Hardy Amies SS16 show did this to perfection. 

Private White VC's offering gains in maturity and style with each season. Moving away from pure workwear style, this autumn see suits and the tailoring theme continues in their SS16 collection here. Remember, these are made in Manchester, reason enough to support this exciting brand.

Private White VC SS16

Nigel Cabourn is another British-made label. The vintage military/explorer/outdoor themes rely on recreating the genuine durability and quality found in original clothing of that type. I'm keen to explore further and hope to feature their clothes in more detail later this year. No sharply tailored evening suits here - this is for practical smart casual.

Nigel Cabourn SS16

Universal Works 'Not Another Catwalk' show was one of the most enjoyable and original presentations of LC:M and typical of the creative style of this brand. The aim is to make clothes that people want to wear, retaining a British feel with comfortable casual wear which has a distinct workwear feel to it. Clothes for every man, you can wear them, rather than vice versa.

Universal Works SS16

Chester Barrie is a brand that my generation associates with grey high street tailoring, so I was quite unprepared for the superbly updated classic styles on show in their SS16 collection. Seersucker, silk blends, sharply-shaped lapels and everything from casual to evening wear interpreted in an interesting way. These themes are less extreme than Hardy Amies, so their quiet classic 'with a twist' style will suit many Grey Fox readers. One to explore at a future date. I was unable to obtain any images in time from them, so here is one I took on my phone of a rather nice seersucker suit.

Gieves & Hawkes is, in common with others on Savile Row, updating its image and styles while retaining the sharp and tailored look that we associate with this very British-style brand. The  casual look and the suit below are typical of SS16's snappy, colourful looks. 

Loake repair and refurbishment - new life for your shoes

When I visited the Loake shoe factory in Kettering a few weeks ago I noticed that there were many shoes that had been sent in by customers for repair and refurbishment. My beautifully made and comfortable pair of Loake Otterburn brogues needed a repair, so Loake kindly agreed to refurbish them and record the process for the blog. I wasn't disappointed, after what seemed a short time the shoes arrived back in an almost as new condition.

Before (top) and after (below) refurbishment by Loake 

The shoes receive what is effectively a complete rebuild. Some of the processes the shoes went through are shown in the images below and in the video. For more information on Loake's repair and refurbishment service, click here

On the left, my shoe is stripped down, (moving clockwise) the welt is sewn, the sole stitched and heel attached.
The shoe is afterwards polished and inspected before despatch

Announcing the result of the #GreyFoxLCM competition

Competitions are great fun; unless you have to judge a winner. The second #GreyFoxLCM competition has been harder than the last to judge.  All entries displayed the pride, humour, pluck and creativity that are the best hallmarks of our national character. Thank you all for entering by posting images on Twitter and Instagram.

The final decision was mine alone and I've selected this image by Gavin Kelly whose tweet said, 'Built by MG in Abingdon '55, rebuilt by my dad in Liverpool '77'. I selected it because it's obviously a very personal image for Gavin, the MG is one of my favourite cars, it was built during my birth year and it emphasises the durability and style of a classic British product. Well done Gavin, we'll be in touch to sort out your prize.

Please support all the wonderful brands who supported this competition and Grey Fox Blog. Details of the competition and prizes are here.

I'm grateful to the blog's own personal stylist, Sarah Gilfillan and to Katharine Watson of Push PR for helping me to narrow down the choices when judging. Without their help, I'd give all the entries a prize. Thanks also to the brands involved for supporting the competition and Grey Fox Blog.

Gucinari - affordable shoes modelled by an older man of style

Gucinari isn't (as I assumed at first) an Italian brand; it's a family-owned British business that's been selling shoes in the UK for many years. I selected a pair of red loafers because I was in an adventurous mood and felt that change was needed from black, brown and tan brogues.

Gucinari are one of those rare menswear businesses that recognise that older men (a) like to dress well, (b) in general, are the most affluent demographic, (c) like a choice and (d) can model menswear The shoes are modelled here by Jon Campling, model and actor (of Harry Potter Death Eater fame). 

The shoes are not expensive and cover a wide range of styles from Goodyear-welted brogues to casual styles like my loafers. They offer much to men of style everywhere. See Gucinari to browse and buy.

Today is the last day to enter the #GreyFoxLCM competition to win great British menswear

To win a wonderful selection of British-made menswear and accessories, you must post an image of your favourite British manufactured object on Twitter or Instagram by the end of today. See here for more information. Good luck!

The 30 year sweatshirt by Thomas Cridland on Kickstarter

Occasionally I urge you to support a new business setting out on Kickstarter. Thomas Cridland's 30 Year Sweatshirt caught my eye as it's a genuine attempt to make something that will last, introducing an ethical and sustainable element to the buying of clothing. The shirt has a chunky softness that I hadn't felt before in a similar garment. Amazingly, it is actually guaranteed to last 30 years too! I'm going to step back and let Tom Cridland do the talking in this video.

This sounds like a venture to support. Visit Kickstarter to see how you can do so, earning various rewards in return.

Gentlemen: a new book by Jonathan Daniel Pryce and Penhaligon's

This week has brought the launch of a book, Gentlemen celebrating, exploring and recording the contemporary gentleman. A collaboration between outstanding photographer, Jonathan Daniel Pryce, and English fragrance manufacturer, Penhaligon's, the book contains some hundred or so portraits of men of standing and style (and also Grey Fox, image below).

David Evans, Grey Fox Blog, by Jonathan Daniel Pryce/Penhaligon's

There is some discussion about the elusive definition of the word, but creativity, respect for tradition, good manners and sharp wit seem a common characteristic of a gentleman. The superb images bring out so well the personalities of the sitters. The book, designed perhaps to capture the qualities of typical Penhaligon's customers, is on display in Penhaligon's shops.

British menswear, the older man and where are the grey-haired models?

London Collections:Men took place last week and showed the best of British menswear to the world. It's wonderful to see how the event grows each year with foreign sales increasing and British brands having a high standing in the US and Asia. However, I continue to be puzzled by the industry's failure to see the largely untapped and affluent market under their noses at home in the UK.

Duchamp - one of the few menswear brands to use older models

The older man is a demographic that increases in size and spending power every year and the failure to market to this group is short-sighted. A few grey hairs on the catwalks and in advertising would awaken this market, but, Duchamp and Oliver Spencer excepted, the models at this LC:M were again young men in their twenties, many of whom did not even properly fit into the clothes they were showing.

I would urge brands to employ a few grey hairs when casting for future shows and advertising. Older men will then see the possibilities and buy.

The Globemaker: from Community of Craft, a Shinola x Jocks&Nerds pop-up collaboration

I have a globe on the desk in front of me as I write and my eyes occasionally take a journey across it to faraway cities and across unexplored seas. It's a cheap plastic globe; but what of those beautiful creations made many years ago recording a world that was largely unvisited by western man? Globes were then objects of art and craftsmanship. And one man still makes them to such standards.

In a collaboration between Shinola, Detroit-based quality manufacturers and Jocks&Nerds, the eclectic magazine covering style, history and culture, craftsmen such as Peter Bellerby, globemaker, are showing their skills at series of a pop-ups in Shinola's London shop (details below).

In an interview with Jocks&Nerds, Bellerby describes how his company, Bellerby & Co, design and craft each globe by hand, working with local craftsmen on each step of the process to revive a largely forgotten art. You can now watch them at work and learn some of the skills involved as they will be handcrafting and painting globes and taking bespoke orders at the Shinola store from 12-6pm on Friday 19 June and Saturday 20 June and from 12-4pm on Sunday 21 June 2015 at 13 Newburgh Street, London W1.

Keep an eye on the Jocks&Nerds website for details of this and other past and future craft pop-ups at Shinola. This post is a collaboration with Jocks&Nerds. Photography by Kevin Davies.

CLOSED the Grey Fox British Menswear Competition for London Collections:Men

[This competition is closed]

The final look in the British menswear #GreyFoxLCM competition is a smart casual outfit; product information below. The lightweight wool jumper is from Realm & Empire, trousers by Spoke (who manufacture in Portugal and the UK), socks by Pantherella and brogues from Cheaney.

I also give in this post details of the competition to win an outfit comprising many of the British products I've been photographed with since Thursday. 

Jumper - Realm & Empire

Shirt - Triplstitched

Boxer shorts - British Boxers

Tie - Dashing Tweeds

Trousers - Spoke London

Socks - Pantherella

Shoes - Joseph Cheaney & Sons

Bag - Tusting

The #GreyFoxLCM competition

To enter the competition to win the British-made products listed below simply upload an image of your favourite made in Britain item to either Twitter or Instagram (or both if possible) using the hashtag #GreyFoxLCM. Without the hashtag your entry won't be found and counted. The item can be anything, from a 1950s steam engine, to a Savile Row suit or plate of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Whatever, it must have been made in the UK. The entry is limited only by your imagination.

The competition will close at midnight on Sunday 21st June (Father's day) and I will announce the one winner  of the outfit the next day, Monday 22nd June. I'll be looking for striking images, originality and examples of the Best of British-Made. Good luck.

Competition Prize: 

• Pantherella, seven pairs of the new socks as featured here over the last five days
• SPOKE, a gift card for a pair of trousers (value £79)
• Tusting, tan Henley bag (as shown in Thursday's post)
• Cheaney, shoes to the value of £325 (no cash equivalent, no change)
• Oliver Sweeney, navy suede bomber jacket (as worn in Saturday's look here)
• Triplstitched, shirt
• Worcestershire Leather Company, belt
• Cravat Club, silk pocket square
• Realm & Empire, jumper (as worn in Friday's look)
• British Boxers, 5 Pairs of boxer shorts
• Dashing Tweeds, tweed tie (as shown in Thursday's look)

Sponsorship - please note that I have earned nothing from this competition/collaboration/feature.

Grey Fox British Menswear Competition for London Collections:Men (Day 4)

For cooler days, today's #GreyFoxLCM look again features British menswear and accessories centred on a waxed cotton coat from Oliver Sweeney. I'll give more details tomorrow about the competition in which you can win many of these items. Information about products and suppliers is given below.

Waxed cotton coat - Oliver Sweeney

Shirt - Triplstitched

Belt - The Worcestershire Leather Company

Trousers - Spoke London

Boxer shorts - British Boxers

Socks - Pantherella

Shoes - Joseph Cheaney & Sons

Bag - Tusting