Knitwear from huntergather

Huntergather was founded by stylist David Bradshaw (ex-GQ Style, Prada and Jil Sander) and Chris Bailey, who worked with Jigsaw Menswear in the nineties; so this is a newish brand with a pedigree. I'll return to Huntergather at a future date, but wanted to mention their Aran and Shetland knitwear, which I came across recently. 

huntergather Aran crew neck jumper, available in grey and biscuit

I've become very keen traditional knitwear; its simplicity of shape, material and design makes the humble jumper a classic that will endure. 

Trying on a blue Shetland crew neck jumper from Huntergather, also available in grey, pink and yellow

David Bradshaw, Partner & Creative Director, sees things this way too, commenting to me that:

'In matters of style men always seem to need some kind of validation. So, if somewhere there's a photo of a style icon, say Steve McQueen, wearing a particular piece of clothing, say an Aran sweater, it will always be used as a tool to persuade us that something we might have considered dowdy is really rather cool...

...and [David Bradshaw continues] there was a time when every self respecting mod, Paul Weller included, considered a Shetland sweater essential to coolness - and lets face it, when it comes to style, and Liam would no doubt agree, Mods know what's what.

At huntergather we will always bow at the temple of cool... hence our Aran and Shetland sweaters.'

The jumpers are priced at £145 and seem to have captured that spirit of classic cool that traditional knitwear imparts.

For more on huntergather, their knitwear and other menswear, visit their website or shop at 68 Wigmore Street or Selfridges, London.

Aran jumpers.. are you cool enough for them?

So you think that Aran cable-knit jumpers aren't cool?

So, you've changed your mind and now want to rush out to buy your own (or ask your gran to knit you one, or find a vintage example). A classic fisherman's sweater named after the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, these jumpers are knitted with traditional cable, diamond, zig-zag and honeycomb stitch patterns influenced by the world in which they were made.

Traditional knitwear is going through a renaissance and you can recreate the look easily. Most of these sweaters are not genuine Arans, but all are influenced by the design. I have stuck to cream and white, but coloured cable knits are not hard to find.

John Lewis British breed sheep jumper

John Lewis wool and cashmere

Barbour

John Lewis

Joules

Paul Costelloe for John Lewis

Edinburgh Woollen Mills

D S Dundee

Peregrine

French Connection

Leather buttons - how our memories influence our tastes in style and fashion as we age

A sense of style, fashion or taste is inevitably bound up with childhood memories.  I remember being fascinated as a small child by the leather buttons on adults' tweed coats and jackets.  This memory has stayed with me and has no doubt influenced my taste in clothes as I've moved into middle age.

Grey Fox photo

I have always wondered how such buttons are made and was about to get out my Swiss Army knife to take one apart (in true boyish style) when I thought it might be less destructive to use Google to find the answer.  It appears that the genuine articles are braided from leather thongs.  Here a link to some instructions should you wish to make your own!  Unfortunately many are now made from moulded or braided plastic.

My love of of tweed is enhanced by these wonderful buttons, sometimes called football buttons because they resemble an old-fashioned stitched leather football.  I have seldom seen them used with any  fabric other than tweed, although they are used on Aran knitted woollen clothing.

I recently bought a vintage Harris Tweed coat with huge leather buttons about 3cm in diameter with leather shanks, similar to those on the coat below containing both Audrey Hepburn AND Mel Ferrer.  The buttons are thick and generously domed, unlike newer buttons which have thin metal shanks and are much slimmer in profile.  

Grey Fox photo