Plenty of grey at London Collections:Men, but no grey hairs. Why not?

This month's London Collections:Men showed that, for AW15, menswear is going monotone. Grey, black and white sometimes relieved by dark blues was the dominant theme in the more classic collections. Some used brighter highlights as relief; orange and yellow ochre being popular. 

I approve; such tones make an ideal background for pops of colour and a fine structure for patterns like Prince of Wales, herringbone and dogtooth checks. However, the silver, titanium and steely greys were not reflected by the hair of the models showing the wonderful collections on display. Why not, I ask?

E Tautz - shades of grey, but no grey hairs (image ?Hunger Magazine)

I have no objection to youthful models, but their exclusive use in advertising and on the catwalks locks out the growing demographic of which I'm a member; older men. In fact, it also excludes anyone who isn't tall and skinny, but that's another issue.

Thomas Pink at London Collections:Men AW15

There were exceptions: Duchamp, Oliver Spencer and Thomas Pink were among the few acknowledging that older men also represent the menswear market.

Oliver Spencer

One of my favourite collections was that from E. Tautz. British-made, superb materials; checks and herringbones in greys, charcoals and silvers, all colours which go so well with grey hair. Yet there was not one older model wearing these amazing clothes. The collection would have been graced by a few grey hairs and this would have opened it up to a whole new consumer: the older man in search of well-made style. The same goes for most of the more classic collections on display at LC:M.

Duchamp

At the risk of repeating myself, older men are an affluent, settled, and growing group. They may not all be interested in style, but with a little encouragement this is a market waiting to be opened up by shrewd selling. Such marketing can start by showing men's fashions on older models. This provides the role models and inspiration that older men need to get involved in style by purchasing menswear. It's as simple as that. Come on fashion industry, get real.

Dashing Tweeds - have some fun this summer

I've long been a fan of Dashing Tweeds' irrepressible style. Their collection successfully combines the qualities of its founders; mixing the extrovert nature of Guy Hills with the consummate originality and design skills of Kirsty McDougall. And, of course, it's British-made and designed, using high-quality British or Italian cloths.

Tweeds and summer don't mix of course, so the Dashing Tweeds summer range uses seersucker, wool and cotton to produce a colourful, comfortable collection that cries out to be worn on holiday or during these final summer days.

The cotton knitwear is designed by Quinton & Chadwick, whose superb designs are justifiably becoming well-known. I hope to feature them and their products another time.

Although the clothes shown here are modelled by a fairly young man, this shouldn't put off the older man. You don't need to own a skateboard to appreciate Dashing Tweeds' design and quality. These are true classics with a twist, ideal for the man who looks back at his fortieth birthday but is willing to show an element of originality in his style.

Dashing Tweeds offer 30% off their Summer Collection until 31st August. I'd buy the lot if I could, but have a particular hankering for the shorts suit - and their combination of lightweight seersucker blazer and ideal-length shorts is too tempting, particularly as the seersucker is woven in Suffolk.

Visit Dashing Tweeds website or, better still, go to their newly-refurbished shop in Sackville Street, equidistant from Piccadilly, Savile Row and Regent Street in London.

Style tips for the older man: Sarah Gilfillan advises the shorter-legged man

A Reader Asks.... Dear Grey Fox,

I always have trouble purchasing jeans and trousers [pants for our US readers]. I have short legs and everything I purchase seems to highlight this. Are there jeans or trouser brands that have a slightly higher waist or is there a fashion term that I need to look out for? Any information gratefully received. 

Best wishes 

Bruce 

Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist, shorter than average and here showing how to wear jeans. Image Lee Oliveira

Sarah Gilfillan, stylist, of SartoriaLab replies:

Dear Bruce,

I'm answering your question on behalf of Grey Fox as I'm afraid he has very long legs!

When someone looks at you they literally look you up and down, until they come to any distractions or horizontal lines which draw the eye from side to side. Therefore, in order to make your legs look longer, you need to keep the eye running up and down the leg - preferably from the very top of the waistband to the tips of the toes - with no interruptions. Horizontal lines include stitching details/ pockets/changes in colour/ whiskering or the width of the trousers.

Paul Smith jeans

Here are some ideas on how you can achieve that and what to look for:

Casual 

As you mentioned, choose jeans with a slightly higher waist like these ones: Armani J31, Levi 501, Levi 522, APC, Paul Smith . Look for jeans that are marked high or mid rise and avoid the ones marked low rise. Choose carefully though as you don't want to look like Simon Cowell and some styles can look dated! 

Darker colours in a clean wash ie: not washed-in or "whiskered" will make your legs look longer so choose a dark indigo and also consider ones with dark stitching instead of the more traditional orange that's used on jeans. By avoiding creating a line across the pockets of the jeans and the hems you can gain a precious few centimetres. And never turn your jeans up - this will immediately shorten your legs.

Wear a slim cut style so as not to widen and therefore shorten the appearance of your legs. For the same reason avoid cargo style pants or shorts with bulky side pockets. Make sure you check the back view when trying jeans on too and don't buy any that have very low slung back pockets as this will also visually shorten your legs.

Wear belts that are a similar colour to your trousers not your top and avoid bright contrasting colours or designs in your belts and shoes. On the top half wear shorter length jackets like a short peacoat or a bomber style, and avoid 3/4 length jackets. Tuck in shirts or ensure they're not too long.

APC

Formal wear

A crisp crease down the centre of your trousers will help to create that all important vertical line. Choose slim or straight leg trousers with no turn-ups which are more fashionable as well as more flattering than pleat fronts. Have your trousers tailored to exactly the right length with a single break.

Try and get shoes that have a tiny bit more of a heel and avoid contrast stitching or brogue-ing if possible which will allow for the eye to travel uninterrupted from the top of the waistband to the toe of your shoe. Avoid squared off or very rounded toes and choose a more flattering almond toe. 

Levi 501s

It can look a little weird if you exactly match your shoes to your trousers but if possible avoid too much of a contrast - e.g: wear a grey suit or trousers with black or dark brown shoes instead of tan ones. 

Wear your blazer or suit jacket a little shorter - fashionable at the moment and also helpful to make your legs appear longer. Have fun with your top half instead and bring the attention to this area. If your body is long in comparison with your legs then it will shorten your body if you wear horizontal lines and details such as pocket squares, tie clips and interesting ties like this one.

I hope that helps!

Sarah

See more advice on men's style at Sartoria Lab and read more about Sarah Gilfillan, who contributes regularly to Grey Fox here.

Crombie - a tradition of style

Crombie was a name I knew well in my youth; their overcoats were worn by most businessman of style and also became popular among more sartorial (and no doubt more affluent) skinheads (something I suspect that the great and good at Crombie were less keen about). They were also adopted by mods, a culture which is now seeing quite a renaissance.

The name Crombie became synonymous with British-made overcoats - for example The British Warm. The company has been around since the date of the Battle of Trafalgar, (a date* hopefully familiar to all Brits).

Image Crombie

Now Crombie has updated itself and skilfully combines modern styling with its traditional core values. It has tried to preserve its Britishness as far as it can. The majority of fabrics used in their coats are milled in England and Scotland (otherwise in Italy). Likewise, 80% of their accessories, from five-fold silk ties hand-rolled by English craftsmen, to handmade classic fur felt hats, are "Made in England". It offers a made to measure tailoring service at three stores.

I looked at their range at their flagship store in Conduit Street in London, just around the corner from Savile Row. I liked what I saw - the emphasis is on the classic, with some beautiful fabrics, but there is a modern edge to much of what I saw, which makes their clothes ideal for both young and older men of style.

I'd love to talk about the garment they're best known for, the overcoat, because they are beautiful, but I'll leave that to Autumn, when you'll be thinking about warmer clothes. For now I'll show you some of the items from their Spring and Summer range that caught my eye. For more information see Crombie's website here.

*Battle of Trafalgar - 1805

Style tips: J.F. Kennedy - a plain, simple and self-confident style

JFK is considered a men's style icon. How did he achieve this?

He kept his clothes plain, simple, well-fitting, well-cut and, no doubt, expensive. But that's not enough to acquire style icon status. Kennedy went further - he looked comfortable with what he wore, wearing even formal clothes with casual confidence and elegance.

It can be hard to do this. Try to feel at home in your clothes. Unless you're an extrovert, happy to wear high fashion, bright colours, unusual styles, stick with simple classics - particularly as an older man. Try to carry yourself in a relaxed manner - too stiff and your clothes won't sit well and the effect is ruined.

If you find it hard to relax when wearing a suit, try to imagine you're wearing your favourite jeans and casual top and act accordingly.

Ageless Style - Looking good without dressing in high fashion

Photo Telegraph

What is ageless style?

Menswear has seen a move towards ageless style - a look that suits men of all ages, from young to old. This isn’t the same as all ages wearing exactly the same clothes, although it could be. Take the example of a young man who wears his dad’s evening suit. He may (if it fits him) find that the trousers are baggy and have turn-ups, the jacket may be double-breasted with large lapels; all depending when the suit was made. 

However, if he wore a suit with a more modern cut, probably slimmer-cut trousers, with a single-breasted jacket and narrow lapels, the overall impression given wouldn’t be much different, although he’d probably prefer it. For both he would wear a white dress shirt, black bow tie and suitable shoes. 

The overall style is the same, even if the cut of the suits varies slightly. This is ageless style. Men (unlike women) don’t want to be buying a new outfit every time they go to a black tie event; so, for evening wear, they have evolved timeless style.

Ageless style in everyday menswear

I took this photo of a retired cavalry officer at Somerset House during London Fashion Week. He wears a beautifully-tailored coat with velvet collar and a striped shirt and red silk tie. Under the coat (it was chilly) he wears a green quilted waistcoat (maybe vintage Barbour?) [edit - I'm grateful to a reader for telling me that it's probably a British Army issued cold weather quilted liner; a 'Mao' suit].

While not high fashion, it is an extremely stylish outfit that wouldn't be out of place at the fashion shows of Milan, Paris or London. This man has been wearing this style for decades (he had the coat made when he joined the army), so it’s classic and traditional.

Ageless style on the catwalks

In January’s London Collections: Men, the capital’s new and important men’s fashion show, we saw ageless style on the catwalks. Hackett and Richard James’s collections were full of gorgeous tweeds, traditional knitwear, colourful chinos and classic brogues – styles until recently unfashionable, but always stylish. At a Savile Row event at Spencer House (below) young men modelled clothes their fathers would be very comfortable wearing. Quite apart from the obvious question, why were there no grey-haired models, it was good for young men to see how effective a timeless, classic style can be.

Classic menswear style

I’ve used the words classical and traditional several times; it’s those characteristics that make a style ageless. Even those uninterested in clothes look well-dressed and elegant, because the styles have passed the test of time. 

Fashion and style - are they the same?

So, there is also no need to buy the latest clothes  be well-dressed. Fashion is not the same as style. If you dress with style you will look good. This isn’t necessarily the case if you dress fashionably.

Ageless style lasts forever. For me, starting a search for style as an older man, it holds the answer to the vexed question, how should I dress once I’ve reached 40?

Coloured trousers - gentlemen, let's brighten up for spring and summer

The shops are full of colourful trousers - jeans, chinos, even formal wear. How will the mature man of style, used to khaki and navy blue chinos, approach this development?

Brightly-coloured trews have, for some, had unfortunate associations in the past - raucous 'hooray henries' getting plastered on champers at Henley and throwing each other in the river, undeserving bankers spending our money at Ascot, or buying £2000 bottles of wine in pricey London restaurants. And see the wonderful site that pokes gentle fun at red trousers here.

But it's no longer like that. Men are more comfortable about dressing stylishly and are less self-conscious about using colour - look at the popularity of bright blue suits over the past year. Even Grey Fox has got into the act. In 18 months I've bought a pair of pink jeans, two pairs of bright blue chinos (see above) and have been sorely tempted by bright red  and soft yellow - but one has to stop somewhere. Apart from comments by two teenage girls on a bus (it transpired that they liked bright blue chinos, so I was being laughed with, not at - I hope), I've survived unscathed and with a thirst for more.

Salvatore Ferragamo

For spring and summer, coloured trousers work well with a jacket, blazer or sweater - select a neutral colour that will highlight the brightness of the trousers. By all means select a brightly-coloured top, but be wary, unless you're feeling very outgoing. Complementary or clashing colours look cheerful on a sunny day and brighten up a dull one. 

I'd love to wear red chinos with a vivid blue cotton or linen jacket and bright green polo shirt, and one day I might have the courage to do so. But don't be constrained by my tastes, experiment for yourselves and let me know how you get on. Here are some ideas.

I haven't picked out any suppliers of coloured trousers - you don't need to go far to find them this year. See the Grey Fox Pinterest board for more coloured trouser ideas.

E. Tautz

Hackett

Rake

Viyella

Hackett

Image origin unknown

Sartoria Lab - a personal styling service for men

When I started my search for sartorial style style in middle age, I had no idea that I could turn to anyone for help and advice. I then came across Sarah Gilfillan whose Sartoria Lab provides men with a personal styling, shopping and wardrobe management service.

Intrigued, I asked Sarah to tell me more (I threw in a few sneaky questions in the hope of getting some free advice; see below). I'm very grateful to Sarah for taking the time to answer my questions.

For information about Sartoria Lab see the website HERE.

Q – Sarah, please tell us something about Sartoria Lab, how and why you started it and what you offer.

I started Sartoria Lab about 3 years ago as I wanted to offer a Personal Styling/Shopping service exclusively for men. There was hardly anything aimed at men, and to my mind it made sense as a lot of guys don't have the time or inclination for clothes shopping and have no idea where to go. It was a natural progression for me from my background in men's fashion styling to personal styling for individual guys. 

Q – What challenges do you feel that men face as they get older when making decisions about style and how to dress? Are there any styles men should avoid as the grey hairs appear?

Not wanting to look too young and as if they're trying too hard, but not descending into "beige-ness" and looking like their dad either! Also the challenges of dressing a body that may not quite be as lithe as it once was. 

With regard to things to avoid, I think that when your face starts to get a little more worn in, your clothes shouldn't be! So I'd advise against ripping, and anything too deconstructed, or falsely distressed, eg: jeans. It looks better if the styles are cleaner and simpler and you can use colours and textures to help give interest, plus a brilliant fit really helps. 

Q – How do you work with clients to help them achieve an image they like and which suits them? Do you find yourself influencing men’s decisions to help them avoid sartorial disasters?

I usually start with a Colour Consultation and Style Analysis as this gives us a good basis to work from. I advise on what colours, shapes and detailing will work for a guy's colouring and body shape. For example, going for a lower cut shirt collar and slimmer knot on your tie will make your neck look longer, epaulettes or any contrast seam will help widen shoulders, a pocket square in your jacket pocket can distract attention from your stomach. These are things that you may instinctively choose, but you'll get a higher success rate on buying things you like, once you're aware of the reasons they look good on you. 

After this I either do a Wardrobe Edit - assessing (and throwing out!) items in their wardrobe and identifying any gaps. And then armed with a shopping list we can do a Personal Shopping trip - I do a recce first and then go shopping with them, choosing items and putting together outfits.

I definitely influence men's decisions to avoid sartorial disasters - that's what I'm there for! And most guys are very happy to have someone to help them make the decisions.

 Q – Like many men, I find selection of colours difficult. What general advice can you give on the issue of matching colours to a person’s hair, eye, skin colours?

It's tricky as everyone is different, but generally if you have darker colouring yourself then you'll look better in deeper or brighter colours, if your overall look is lighter, then paler or more muted colours are likely to look better, and if you have red tones to your hair, or freckly type skin then browns and tans will probably suit you more than blues and greys. 

When out shopping compare the different colours against your face and see if any make your eyes stand out or give more definition to your jaw line - if they do - that's the one you want!

Q – What staples should a man aim to have in his wardrobe?

Obviously it's dependent on lifestyle, but I would say well fitting dark indigo jeans, an up to date blazer, a classic white shirt (good for business or casual), selection of casual shirts, smarter shirts to wear in the evening - perhaps in a darker colour or print, a casual jacket, trousers that are smarter than jeans but not suit trousers, brown brogues, black Oxfords, a navy suit, fine gauge knits for smarter wear, chunky knits for casual. 

For more information contact Sarah at Sartoria Lab - contact information on the website HERE.