Shoes for Spring & Summer: A Private White V.C. x Grenson collaboration

Private White V.C. and Grenson have collaborated to produce a small collection of men's shoes for spring/summer. All are made in Northampton and are Goodyear-welted. 

The olive green canvas derby has a rubber sole attached to a leather through and sports characteristic PWVC copper eyelets (pictured below). 

The other shoe (below) comes in two shades of brown/tan perforated suede (why do I think tea-bags here?). They come with light Vibram rubber soles and I love them. 

The collection is designed to be lightweight and cool for summer while looking both stylish and comfortable. Ideal as an alternative to my sometimes-too-warm leather shoes. 

Go to Private White V.C. for more information and to buy. They are priced at £325 to £350.

Private White VC at London Collections:Men

Readers with good memories may remember how much I enjoyed my visit last year to the Private White V.C. factory in Manchester. A dyed-in-the-wool British manufacturer, PWVC quickly established itself last year with a factory shop and a new store in London's Duke Street to join that in Lamb's Conduit Street.

(All images Grey Fox Blog)

Under the design direction of Nick Ashley, it has developed its collection rapidly from being an outerwear specialist to selling a wide selection of casual wear and has collaborated with other British manufacturers to produce knitwear and shirts. 

Due in AW15 too are unstructured suits (above), slightly more formal in nature than the work wear suits they sell at the moment. The collection for AW15 varies between work wear, through military and country-inspired outerwear to smart casual suits and jackets.

I think the future looks good for PWVC and the cherry on the icing is that they make in Britain. The company has deserved the royal recognition it received when The Princess Royal visited last year.  See Private White VC.

Grey Fox's Friday Favourites: socks, hair, boxer shorts, Private White VC

This is the first of an occasional Friday round-up of news and of products I've tried and approved of. If you'd like to contribute your selected tips, news or recommendations about favourite products, please e-mail me.

Archer & Peyton socks

I'm a bit of a sucker for a nice pair of socks, particularly if they come brightly-coloured. I've had to struggle hard to manipulate this image to show the lovely apple-green of these socks from Archer & Peyton, whose products are beautifully-made in Italy. Lovely colour, lovely socks.

Visit Archer & Peyton's website for a range of patterned and colourful socks, with style advice, limited editions, information and a shop to buy your choice of hosiery.

White Hot hair products

I reviewed these products for grey and white hair a while ago. I recently realised how much I'd come to rely on them when I ran out of their shooshing creme, which so effectively keeps my longer Fox locks on place. An urgent message and replacements were rushed to me by the lovely people at White Hot.

I've been using a number of their products, from shampoo to conditioner, and they've been ideal for my grey hair as it becomes whiter, keeping it lustrous and healthy-looking. Highly recommended.

For men and women, they can be ordered from the White Hot Hair website.

British Boxers introduce stretch trunks, made in England

Another brand I've talked about before, British Boxers have added stretch trunks to their range. For those of us who prefer their assets to be held more securely than looser conventional shorts, these provide the very comfortable answer. I'm planning a feature on this brand soon.

Meanwhile, you can buy the stretch trunks online at British Boxers (new website due soon) or at Susannah Hall Tailors.

Private White VC news

It's been a busy time at Private White VC. They've welcomed The Princess Royal at their Manchester factory, refurbished their shop in Lamb's Conduit Street in London, had a successful time at Goodwood Revival and are about to open a second London store. Their AW14 collection contains some mouth-watering products, including gorgeous knitwear and the rather nice cashmere Ashley blazer.

It's good to see their collection developing each year and to see a proud British menswear producer achieving the recognition they deserve.

The Princess Royal pays homage to Brutus, head of Private White VC

Goodwood Revival - everything a man needs

If I were a perfumer charged with creating a new man's fragrance it would have a base of fresh upland air laced with a sea breeze, hints of warm grass, pipe tobacco and barbecue smoke and a dash of warm car leather. Above this would hang the sweet and stirring scent of hot motor oil, vapourised by the overheated and over-revving engine of a 1930s racing Bugatti. Finally I would add hints of floral and citrus from the perfumes of passing well-dressed and elegant women. 

Or maybe I'd just go to Goodwood Revival, taking place this weekend.

This beautiful woman apologised for getting in the picture - she thought I was photographing the car!

At Goodwood Revival you'll experience all the above, with the welcome addition of two further senses. The tearing-calico sound of vintage racing cars, pushed to the limit by their proud owners and the sight of beautifully-dressed and elegant women for whom the forties and fifties were the height of flattering femininity (what's happened since to hide women's natural curves?) Goodwood provides all the elements of the perfect weekend for a man. 

And I haven't mentioned the Battle of Britain Memorial flight, with the steady bass of Rolls Royce Merlin engines droning overhead, or the sinister whisper of early jet fighters such as the Gloster Meteor or the Canberra bomber.

I was at Goodwood Revival as a guest of Private White VC, those Manchester manufacturers of casual menswear, who had a couple of cars racing on the track (below). They are, of course, as British in style as Goodwood Revival itself.

Links -

Private White VC

Goodwood Revival

Nick Ashley, designer, and some of the Private White VC team

Style for the older man: the unstructured jacket & the rise of smart comfortable wear

The rise of British manufacture has revived skills which are bringing shapes and styles to menswear which have roots in a long heritage. Tailoring has long British traditions in producing formal suits, jackets, blazers. These are all structured garments with lining, internal canvas pieces and a construction that makes them formal and shaped in appearance.

Older man style: an unstructured jacket allows me to wear a suit, but feel comfortable, as if in jumper and jeans

But another style of jacket has been revived in the last few years. It's unstructured, unlined or semi-lined, and comfortable, with soft shoulders, patch pockets and even (as mine above) shirt-style cuffs. It's generally cheaper than a tailored jacket because it has its roots in the working coats that used to be turned out for engine drivers, bus conductors, mechanics, road repair and factory workers.

Workers needed to wear a garment that was cheap to produce and allowed freedom of movement while looking reasonably smart (this was a time when men, however humble, still took pride in their appearance). These characteristics are exactly what younger, middle-aged or older men are now looking for in their search for smart but comfortable casual wear.

The rise in popularity of this style coincides with the deformalisation (if that's a word) of menswear. Men now wear suits for both semi-formal and casual wear, encouraged by the comfort that an unstructured jacket brings. I find I now throw on my Oliver Spencer linen/cotton mix suit (pictured above), with its unlined jacket, as readily as I might a cotton jumper and pair of chinos - and I feel just as relaxed. 

Such styles are available from many menswear labels that design and/or manufacture in the UK including -

Old Town
Tender
Private White V.C.
S.E.H. Kelly 
Albam 
Cro'jack
Universal Works
Oliver Spencer and others.

Try them and you'll find a coat jacket that's immediately comfortable. The tailoring won't be as sharp or the fit as snappy as a structured and lined tailored jacket - but that's the strength of a garment that is fuelling the rise in comfortable, smart casual menswear.

Jacket Required July 2014 - a few favourites

Jacket Required, a menswear trade show, took place at the end of July. I find events like this useful in providing inspiration for my search for style. Many brands attending sell streetwear or younger baseball-cap-type clothes; maybe not what most older men would go for, but there are many interesting and more classic styles to see. Here are a few of my favourites:

Sanders Shoes - an interesting brand making shoes in Northamptonshire for sale under their own and other labels. Many are classic designs, many have a colourful twist. Click here to visit Sanders -

Private White VC - Manchester-made, I wrote here about my factory visit earlier this year. Casual and outerwear with a difference, all with a very classic design basis. Click here for Private White VC -

Greatcoat - a fairly new label making outerwear and raincoats in London, England. Click here for their website -

Realm & Empire - casual wear brand, making some products (knitwear) in the UK. They base their styles on inspiration found in historic British artefacts and documents. See their website here.

Baracuta - although now Italian-owned, their traditional Harrington jackets are still made in the UK. See their website here -

Triumph & Disaster - I liked the humour and design of this New Zealand skincare, shaving and grooming brand. See their website here.

Private White VC - menswear made in Manchester

I've been wanting to find out more about Private White V.C. since the early days of this blog. For me, it ticks all the boxes; British manufacture, exciting menswear (and now womenswear too) design, a range made for all ages (see their advertising images in this post), a fascinating history and a wonderful name. 

I was delighted to be invited to visit their Manchester factory recently and I followed that up by seeing their London store and going to a viewing of their AW14 collection (which I'll cover in a future post).

Private White VC garments come machined with a smile - image Grey Fox

Private White was a real person; he volunteered in the First World War, won a V.C. fighting in Gallipoli and returned to Manchester to work in and eventually own a clothing factory which is now overseen partly by his great grandson, James Eden.

Brutus keeps an eye on things, ensuring everything is British to the core - image Grey Fox

PWVC's collection is designed by Nick Ashley. I love the outdoor/military/motorsport/casual approach using British materials - tweeds, Ventile, cottons - all put together by a wonderful workforce at the factory (also called Cooper & Stollbrand who manufacture for other high street and fashion names). Their extensive archive is packed with clothing of all sorts where I could have spent many hours browsing the evidence of past years of creativity and style.

More smiles at PWVC - image Grey Fox

On my visit, I enjoyed talking to the machinists and other workers whose skills give the clothing a palpable spirit and character. What's produced here are clothes we should be proud to wear. How much more value and interest is there in a garment made in this way in Manchester, than an overpriced designer item made anonymously overseas? Brands like this should be household names in the UK. 

Part of the extensive archive at Private White VC - image Grey Fox

There's an outerwear/casual emphasis to the collection, but new items are being added all the time and I look forward to keeping an eye on future developments.  A man often likes to know where his clothes are made and what fabrics they are constructed from. A rich heritage adds to this interest. Private White V.C. provides all this in bucket-loads. I don't yet own any of their clothing, but I will be putting that right soon.

These are grown up clothes for all ages of men of style - image PWVC

Private White V.C. are opening a shop at their Manchester factory. If you're in London, visit their store in Lamb's Conduit Street. They also sell their clothes online here. Look out for their new womens' range too. To read more about Private White himself, click here.

Brutus is a model too! image PWVC

Above images PWVC

John Lewis AW13 - a preview - in a word, WOW!

John Lewis's Autumn/Winter 2013

Being a blogger has helped me work out what I like and don't like. British, tweedy, heritage, quality - all work for me. I recently had a preview of John Lewis's Autumn/Winter 2013 ranges (due in the shops later in the year) and, for me, they hit the spot.

I came away feeling very excited. Classics like this suit any age - and are ideal for the middle-aged man of style - I'd love some of them for myself.

British-made heritage and classics

The John Lewis & Co range continues to develop each year and includes British-made garments and fabrics from Abraham Moon and Harris tweed. For AW13 it's inspired by twentieth century explorers and contains and some beautiful chunky knitwear. There are also waxed fabrics and workmanlike shirts, including one whose pattern is based on a pack of cards found in Scott of the Antarctic's base camp (see below). 

Joe Casely-Hayford, Private White VC, Barbour, Gloverall

There are some really mouthwatering designer collaborations. Unfortunately, Autumn sees JL's last with Joe Casely-Hayford, but they have worked with Private White VC, Barbour and Gloverall to produce very tempting products. One of my favourites is a shearling and butter-soft leather flying jacket from Goodwood by Belstaff (pictured below. Chocks away! This one will fly off the shelves). 

Another favourite is Gloverall's union jack-lined duffel coat. Having owned a vintage Royal Navy duffel coat, I immediately recognised the pattern that Gloverall has used for this - taped reinforcing seams and rough cord loops for buttoning up the wooden toggles. The feeling of quality and heritage is reinforced by a union flag lining; not printed, but strongly stitched from individual red, white and blue pieces - outstanding. This coat accompanies a tweed jacket with a similar lining. I just hope there is one of these left for me when they hit the shops.

There's also the remarkable Manchester-made pieces from Private White VC. Quite honestly, I was like a kid in a sweet shop - when they come up for sale I won't know what to go for.

I'll be writing more nearer the time (we don't really want to think about next winter when this one is only just releasing its grip), so will leave you with some images to tickle your taste buds. The John Lewis and Co products come first, followed by collaborations (images below by Grey Fox).