Henry's Shoes: Grey Fox talks to the founder of a new British-made footwear label

I'm always excited to hear from new menswear brands. While this blog is by no means focused on British-made labels, it's always particularly interesting to hear from young entrepreneurs starting out with new enterprises in the UK. 

Henry Davis is the founder of Henry's Shoes and he's answered a few questions to give us some flavour of the excitement and challenges of setting out on the launch of a new brand. To find out more, support Henry and buy his (men's and women's) shoes, visit his website here. You can read the interview below.

Tell us about the business.

Henry’s is a range of British-made suede shoes designed for those who appreciate the classic styles and aren’t afraid of adding colour. All the shoes are available exclusively online and everything down to the shoe bags are all made in the UK. 

How did you get started? 

I’d had the idea for a few years but didn’t even consider it would be something I’d pursue whilst at University. Having left though in 2012 I started considering other options, I had this gut feeling that I wanted to try my own thing. For the next few months I did some research into potential manufacturers and believed that it would be possible but it would take some time! Having done History and Politics as a degree I wasn’t best suited for a fashion retail start-up and so everyday I had to teach myself what would be required to put a business model together. As this was going on I was also ordering samples, and it proved very difficult not to get carried away with the excitement of receiving each new potential Henry’s shoe whilst tackling the endless financial forecasts and describing my ideal target market! These processes proved to be invaluable though as I managed to secure funding to put my first order in at the beginning of this year and I haven’t really looked back since. 

Where are your shoes made?

I’ve got a wonderful family-run manufacturer in Northamptonshire that has been in business for 130 years or so. At the very beginning when I approached them I didn’t think they’d be willing to work with an inexperienced young start-up with a low starting order. However, they reassured me straight away that they have always loved taking on new business and helping young brands. It was remarkable to hear it at the time and from there they held my hand through each and every process of design and I’ve been extremely fortunate. 

How important is the British-made and designed aspect of the product to you?

It was absolutely essential to the brand. If I hadn’t been able to secure a British manufacturer I wouldn’t have pursued with the idea. I have always been a fan of British-made footwear and truly believed that there was a space for a young brand that utilises one of Britain’s most prestigious industries. Both the designs and the craftsmanship in each process, reveal just how much talent there is on our own shores and I think that should be showcased. I also wanted to encourage spending a little more on British made footwear because they represent real value for money and ultimately last far longer than a number of foreign imports. Furthermore by buying British our consumer is supporting our own businesses and boosting our manufacturing sectors, which were once so revered. 

Who and where are your main markets? How would you like to see these develop?

With all of the different creative industries now, it seems young professionals are no longer restricted by dark suits and black oxfords, and with this I think there has been an explosion of demand for ‘smart casual’ options. I put Henry’s as an alternative to the black and brown everyday wear, something that offers a bit of personality and individualism. I think Grenson are truly leading the way with adapting modern elements to old designs, especially with their use of metallic coloured leathers and chunky platform soles. Their success over the past two years just goes to show that the market for young professionals is expanding for British manufacturers. I wanted Henry’s to stay truer to the styles of the classics and so they’re not quite as adventurous as Grenson, but I think we share a lot of the same ideals. 

Henry's makes women's shoes too

How would you like to see the business develop?

I’d like Henry’s to develop online for the first year or two and look to start finding stockists. I’ve got quite a few ideas for a leather holdall bag range that I’d like to introduce. All made in England still! I’m learning everyday as trading continues and I’d love to think about opening a shop within 5 years or so. Long way off though and I’m just thrilled to be getting the name out there at the moment and gauging people’s reactions. 

What have been the particular challenges?

Retailing online certainly has its perks and I think I would have struggled to start without it but it also means your website is the only shop window you have. Therefore bringing footfall through the site is totally dependant on you and your media plan. With a fairly limited budget, doing this organically has meant quite a few fruitless hours at the keyboard! It’s all part of the process though I think and I’ve already learnt from a few mistakes.

What inspires you in driving the business?

I think knowing the hours that I’ve put into it to get to this point means there really is no option to fail. Putting my name on a brand and being the sole-decision maker means you can’t shy away from anything and I quite like that pressure. If things don’t get done then the business loses out and so do I. It has given me a work ethic that I’ve never had before and I’m relishing it. 

What have been your favourite moments in running the business?

Without a doubt receiving all my stock after my first order. Standing in the stock room with stacks of yellow boxes all filled with my shoes and branded with my logo. It was actual tangible prove of what I had been working toward for 18 months. There was something so uncertain about the future that I found incredibly exciting and just wanted to get on with it.

Henry's Shoes for men and women, priced from £175.

A reader asks, 'Can I be a dad and still dress stylishly?'

This is a question Grey Fox received recently -

Hi Grey Fox

Great blog! I've recently turned 40 and expecting my first child in April. I want to dress appropriately and stylishly - I do not want be that dad who wears hooded tops and trainers. At the same time I realise that from a 'functional' point of view certain clothes may be more suitable than my normal pre-baby staples. As a modern fella I'll certainly be doing my share of nappy-changing, bottle-feeding etc etc!! Wish me luck!

I normally like to wear things along the lines of dark denim jeans with brogues, shirt and tailored jacket and use your blog, The Sartorialist, Permanent Style Mr.Porter etc. for references.

All that said, as I'm going to be a slightly older father, I don't want people to mistake me for the baby's grandfather when we're out and about.

So my question and idea for a blog post..... do you have any tips on what's best to wear for the style conscious father-to-be?

Thanks and regards, Richard

[Editor: On 9th April 2013 I heard from Richard as follows -

Hi David
just a quick note to say that our baby - William - was born yesterday morning, 6lbs 2oz (although I'm not sure why, that's what people always want to know!). Mother and baby very well. Those Smedley jumpers of mine are in for a test over the next few years!!
Best regards, Richard.

Congratulations to Richard, Mum and baby William - enjoy the new experience!] 

 Here is the reply -

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your question. I write this reply as a man in search of style and also as a dad whose just seen children through to adulthood.

Firstly, at 40 you’re not going to be mistaken for the child’s grandfather. Parents are starting families much later and you will join a veritable throng of dads aged from their early twenties to well into the forties. Nobody will notice - anyway, they won’t want to look at you, they’ll want to coo over the baby. Also, as a dad you will find that what other people think is the last thing you will worry about – there’s too much going on.

I agree that you don’t want to be a hoodie-wearing dad; that begins to look a little sad at any age after about 25. I like the references and influences you’ve chosen for your personal style – they are all mine too.  

The functionality of clothing is an interesting point. As you will discover, changing nappies and feeding times can be extremely mucky. I recall often hoisting a baby over my shoulder after a feed to wind it and then finding that a sweetly-scented stream of milk or solids was glooping down my back – not to be done in a business suit, even with a protective muslin cloth. 

But you're not going to be popular if you excuse yourself from every mucky task because you’re wearing your new tie from Drake’s, coat from Burberry Prorsum, jumper from Richard James, waistcoat from Hackett or shoes from Loake. You will not have the chance to leap upstairs to change into your functional M&S wear before a chore – possetting happens without warning (you’ll soon find out what possetting is). 

So, what’s the answer?

I suggest you continue to dress in your normal stylish manner, but ensure that everything is machine washable. I agree that this will exclude that camel-wool cardigan you’re desperate to wear and the mohair suit from Savile Row – but the sad truth is that having babies is more of a drain on your finances than buying bespoke garments, so you will no longer be able to afford such luxuries anyway. So, buy stylish stuff, but have a peek at the washing label thingy that sellers have to put in all clothes and, if you can interpret the symbols, get clothes you can throw in the washing machine after each little accident. Whatever you do, don’t feel you have to resort to cheap, boring, acrylics once you become a father.

Good luck! By the way; you’re about to embark on the greatest voyage of your life and, really, having a child is so much more important than fashion anyway!

Best wishes,

Grey Fox

 If you have any thoughts to add, please comment below......

Paul Stuart - inspiration for the stylish older man?

I hadn't heard of Paul Stuart (it's a US company, with no UK presence as far as I can see) until I stumbled on this picture of a stylish grey fox. I followed them on Twitter and this led me to their website, where I found information and images describing Paul Stuart's products, recent and past.

There is much to influence the older man's search for style. Unusually, they acknowledge implicitly in their marketing that men can live to over 40 years of age. There are no ties at half mast, brogues without socks or over-tight blazers (so beloved of the streetstyle blogger brigade) here - just classic good taste with a contemporary twist where needed.

They model themselves partly on London's Savile Road, offering an Anglo-American style - classic blazers, shirts, ties etc. The British style comes in the style and shapes; the US element in the brighter (by UK tastes) checks and plaids for suits and jackets and different formal wear to that seen this side of the Pond. In case this all seems a bit old school for you, they have recently launched Phineas Cole, which they describe as -

...firmly rooted in the heritage and tradition of Paul Stuart, but it offers a reinterpretation with a slimmer, more contemporary silhouette. Phineas Cole embodies an aesthetic that brings the dramatic side of Paul Stuart into sharper focus.

Clearly they saw a need to reinterpret their existing products for a younger market, without undermining their intention to remain firmly rooted in the 70 year old Paul Stuart tradition. For my female visitors, there is a women's section here.

Here are a few things that caught my eye (the pheasant pocket square is my favourite item) -

Summer suede chukka boots

Swimming trunks

Wayfarer sunglasses

Double-breasted suit

And a blazer from the Phineas Cole range -

Crossing Paths - Niall McDiarmid, showing personality through street photography

One of the major influences in my search for style has been street photography - the best of which shows how clothes can reflect the wearer's personality. I first came across Niall McDiarmid when he followed me on Twitter and I found his website, Crossing Paths. This is a photographic record of Niall's journeys across the UK and the people he meets. Niall tells me that,

"The portrait project is ongoing and is basically my view on who I meet as I travel around the UK. From the eccentric, to the fashionably dressed, from the colourful to those who simply fit with their surroundings...whoever crosses my path".

Much street photography records what people are wearing, but gives little clue as to the subject's personality. Niall's photos are different, each one recording clearly the whole person in front of the camera. This is enhanced by a very special sense of colour and humour which make these pictures exceptional.

Many thanks, Niall, for allowing me to reproduce these portraits and I look forward to seeing the project develop. Visit Crossing Paths for more.

Socks appeal for Spring - breaking all the rules

Sartorial experts would have us wearing socks that match our trousers (or pants if you're American; but that gets confusing for those on this side of the pond who don't see the need to match socks and underwear). The reason apparently is that it makes out legs look longer. I don't follow the logic of this advice as you will usually only see a man's socks when he is sitting down; a time when it's hard to judge leg length.

Anyway, rules are made to be broken. I was clearing all the odd socks out of my drawer when I thought I'd try a few colour combinations with my pink, blue and khaki chinos. The blue ones are a very old pair that have survived many years of patching and probably deserve a post of their own one day. Without doing this intentionally most of these combinations are based on complementary colours (at opposite ends of a colour wheel - see below), although others are more harmonious combinations (like blue and purple). If you have an idle moment you can experiment by playing around with your socks, trousers and a colour wheel!

 

Grey Fox is three months old - over 6,000 visits - thanks all

I started this blog three months ago to describe a man's search for style in middle age. Inevitably it has gone well some days, slowly on others - I am always looking for a fresh approach and new ideas. I would like to thank everyone who has visited, particularly those who have left interesting and encouraging comments. The blog has had over 6,000 individual visits, with more than 12,000 page views, nothing compared to the great men's fashion blogs, but it's early days and I have much to learn.

I should again thank the Sartorialist, whose blog I stumbled across one day and realised that there can be style in middle age - I celebrate with some of the Sart's photos below.

I'm still looking for another blog with a similar theme - older women receive excellent coverage from many blogs; middle age men do not - and I'm struggling to understand why that is. Are older men not interested or are they content with the generally youth-oriented fashions covered in the men's style blogs?

I'm still uncertain what it is I'm looking for - classic clothes provide one answer, but I wonder if there's a less safe and more exciting way forward for the older man wanting to dress well without looking like mutton dressed as lamb. The search continues. Feel free to get in touch with me, here or on Twitter.

Photo the Sartorialist

Photo the Sartorialist

Photo the Sartorialist

You're never too old for Ivy League style

The Ivy League look dates from the fifties, but has been persistent in its influence since. I bought Graham Marsh and JP Gaul's The Ivy Look recently to see if it would assist my search for middle-age style. It struck me that the original proponents must now be in their seventies and eighties. However, because it has become such a classic style it can be worn by any age - and no doubt some of the originals still don their Bass Weejuns and button-down collar shirts each morning. 

The look was adopted on both sides of the Atlantic, but those generally associated with the style are American, for example, the Kennedy family and Steve McQueen.

A book I must buy!

Quite coincidentally, I was wearing a Gant button-down and a Brooks Brothers sweater this morning. With a Harris tweed jacket there is a hint of Ivy League maybe? At least I can claim it as an influence.

A modern take on a very traditional Harris tweed jacket

In my search for middle age style I'm always on the lookout for modern takes on traditional clothes. The traditional tweed jacket is generally not well-tailored; it's usually a bit sack-like in cut, a little long in the body for today's taste and (for me) too wide across the shoulders. This limited edition Harris tweed jacket from John Lewis is cut short, slim and slightly waisted, but comes with traditional features like leather arm patches, dogtooth check fabric and flapped pockets. As such, it's ideal for all ages, as it combines traditional and modern styles so well.

It's good to see British design and manufacturing being supported by a large retailer. The jacket is [was] available on-line [link broken, sorry] for a reasonable £299.

All photos John Lewis

Mixing patterns - check on check - take care

Mixing patterns, such as wearing different checks alongside each other, has to be done with care. I've admired the way some men manage to do this without looking as though they've thrown on whatever lay to hand when they got up in the morning. What are the secrets that enable different patterns to be worn together successfully?

One of the masters of the art is Nick Wooster who is often photographed by the Sartorialist and other fashion blogger-photographers. See how he successfully mixes patterns here in a way that is actually so conventional that it's difficult to analyse why it has such visual impact. Maybe it's the total confidence he brings to his clothes and of course their cut and style.

Normally a man would be very careful about wearing such a mix of tweedy patterns, herringbone, Prince of Wales and other checks. But look at the second picture - what do you notice about the colours and textures that Wooster has chosen? Subtly different shades of grey of similar textures bring together what could otherwise be a jumble of clashing patterns .

I haven't yet been bold enough to wear patterns in this way, but it's on the to do list as the search for style continues. One trick I'm learning is to see how others do it and then decide what works for me. Have a look at the pictures below, do they work for you? What makes them successful or not?

A Shed of One's Own - another look at men's mid-life style

I picked up a copy of A Shed of One's Own - Midlife without the Crisis in Watertones (note they no longer use an apostrophe - so much for literacy). It's a light-hearted look at the ups and downs of men's middle age and is an enjoyable read.

 Here, for example, is what he says about cycling, a topic close to my heart -

When you next see your cyclist friends, they have lost all their excess weight and become sinewy and weather-beaten.....Dedicated cyclists don't do small talk any more....They..go to bike shops and salivate over an unusually sleek carbon frame. Out in the garage they keep a small stash of dog-eared bike magazines. They wear lycra without embarrassment. They are lost to the world.

In relation to men's mid-life style, Berkmann describes the relaxation of the middle aged dress code which once saw men dressing quite formally, even at weekends. He sees men continuing to wear younger styles because, "we see ourselves as we once were, and sometimes rather better than we once were." This has led to men wearing clothes quite inappropriate to their mid-life status. He drives home his point - "Skinny jeans: absolutely not. And especially not with gleaming new boxfresh trainers."

Hear hear!

Looking to buy a double-breasted jacket on-line - how easy is it?

I want to look at double-breasted jackets again (see my post of a few days ago salivating over Cabourn's tweed DB jacket). I also like the look of these double-breasted jackets shown in The Sartorialist's photos below (worn by the same gentleman, I think).

The Sartorialist

Firstly, look how well they are worn in these photos. They fit well and are made from quality materials. What makes it for me, however, is the lived-in look he brings to the jackets; has he slept in them? He's totally comfortable and shows no self-consciousness at all - that's how to wear clothes successfully (cigarette aside!). I also like the use of layers, scarves and the collared waistcoat or cardigan works well and provides extra insulation on a cold day.

The Sartorialist

What a versatile garment the double breasted blazer can be, worn indoors or out, appropriately layered with waistcoat, sweater or cardigan according to the temperature. They look good with denims, tailored trousers or chinos which, if the jacket is dark grey, black or navy blue, can be almost any colour. 

I thought I'd see if I could find something similar using on-line retailers. I didn't want to spend too much time on the task and probably looked at seven or eight stores - to my disappointment I didn't find much. I came across many pea coats in my search - they are common at the moment - but are for outdoors, so don't have the versatility of a blazer-type jacket which is lighter and has a more tailored fit.

This exercise highlights for me some shortcomings of shopping on-line -
1. the difficulties of firstly finding sellers who may have what you want,
2. finding what you want on the sometimes extensive sites,
3. knowing if the style and fit will suit you. For example, many jackets are now made of satin-finish cotton which I think looks horribly cheap, but it's hard to tell this from the nature of the fabric finish from some sites' pictures.

These problems are usually mitigated by stress-free return policies and pre-paid postage return packets, so you have to take a slight gamble whenever you buy on-line and be prepared for the additional time and frustration if items don't suit you.

Of the sites I looked at, by far the most user-friendly, and the one I wanted to stay on and browse (because of excellent general interest comment and videos) was Mr Porter. This site is welcoming whatever the age of the shopper - as are Hackett, Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren and J.Crew. Sites like Oi Polloi and Topman are geared more to a younger market if you're after something reasonably classic (I really like Topman's Harris Tweed collection, but know from bitter experience that the clothes are generally skinny cut and more suitable for the younger man).

These jackets looked promising and the next step would be to order and try them on! But is it as satisfying an experience as pounding the pavements on a real, as opposed to a virtual, shopping trip?

J.Crew

Paul Smith from Mr Porter