Fraser Knitwear scarves: made in Shetland - a Grey Fox photoshoot

No matter how good your coat and hat, you're always going to feel the cold without a good scarf. Fraser scarves are made in the Shetland Isles, the home of Fair Isle knitting. The islands' position to the far north of the Scottish mainland has for centuries put them at the centre of trading routes with Scandinavia and the Baltic, leaving cultural influences including the rich patterns of Fair Isle knitwear. 

We're lucky, living in our ancient, multicultural country here in the UK, to be able to raid a rich seam of historic clothing design and wear tweeds, tartans, knitwear adapting it from its original uses to wear in town or country, for formal or informal. For our photo shoot, Joan Fraser asked us to portray her beautiful scarves in an urban setting. 

 

Made from lambswool or cashmere, the scarves come in a very natural range of colours from monochromes, soft blues, through dove greys and stone to chocolate brown. Contemporary and understated, they've rapidly become my favourites: the lengths are ideal, they are soft, warm and comfortable and bring a subtle mix of contemporary and historic design to enhance any casual or formal look. With their Fair Isle designs they also make excellent Christmas presents. See Fraser Knitwear for more information and to buy. Prices from £60 to £110.

Photographer Nick Maroudias. Styling by personal stylist, Sarah Gilfillan of SartoriaLab. This photoshoot was sponsored by Fraser Knitwear.

Suit: Edit Suits

Tweed coat: Greatcoat

Tweed jacket: Gloverall

Marwood SS15 - menswear accessories made in the UK

Marwood's gentle made-in-England accessories appeal to me because they are different. Their look book for their SS15 collection features John Tebbs of The Garden Edit which sells highly stylish goods to the keen gardener. Marwood's soft colours and textures go well in such surroundings. The photography is by Arianna Lago.

To see Marwood's collection of exquisitely-made British accessories, including ties, bow ties, scarves and pocket squares, click here. 

Selected Wool Week Wonders for Men - Quiggleys AW14, M&S Best of British, Noood scarves,

This is Wool Week. I've selected a few woollen items of menswear to celebrate. See The Campaign for Wool for more information about the week's events.

Marks & Spencer 

Two British-made wool items from the M&S Best of British collection.

M&S Best of British - black check wool overcoat

M&S Best of Britannia - Grey cable knit roll-neck jumper

See Marks & Spencer's website for information and to buy.

Quiggleys AW14

This Scottish knitwear brands is one of my favourites and I'll be showing some more from their collection later in the autumn. Meanwhile, here's a rather wearable reversible sweater with a definitely Nordic vibe - the North.

The reversible North from Quiggleys

See Quiggleys for information about their AW14 collection of knitwear.

Noood London is a luxury British accessory label from innovative designer Novello Noades. The hand-knitted Noood is an open weave scarf/hat/shawl or snood created from 100% pure natural wool, cotton or cashmere. Perfect for the coming cold weather.

The Noood

The Noood is available from Nooodlondon.com

A few Made in Britain scarves for the cold weather - Christmas gifts

With colder weather at last upon us and thoughts turning to buying Christmas presents we think of scarves - of course.

Here are a few that have caught my eye from my Made in Britain list here.

Helen Chatterton, Harris tweed and velvet - Perfection of Production

Hilary Grant - scarves and hats for men and women

Laslett & Stocker 100% silk twill, backed with 100% extra fine Merino (from Johnstons of Elgin)

From a small home business Just Wool Textiles in Derbyshire made from UK wool or Falklands Merino - the weaving of each scarf takes 2 to 3 hours - a bargain from £15.50 to £29.50. Also check out the blankets and cushions

Laura's Loom - from a selection made in Sedbergh, Yorkshire

Fairisle scarf from ERIBÉ

Hand-knitted (in London) mustard wool mix scarf from Scott Fraser

Malcolm Mowat's handmade scarves for Spring

Lightweight scarves are a useful accessory in Spring, for those chilly mornings and evening when the Sun's warmth isn't making itself felt. Malcolm Mowat's woollen worsted scarves are British made and come in stunning colours. The fabric is thin and light, allowing it to keep the wearer warm, but not too hot, on a slightly nippy Spring day. They are, at 150cm x 30cm, just the right length and width.

I was sent the Broom scarf to try. Its tartan pattern contains a beautiful mix of blues, greens and orange and it goes well with casual or more formal wear. I wore it with off-white chinos and a pale grey Summer jacket and it added a cheerful dash of colour to an otherwise monochrome look.

The Scottish countryside that inspires the Malcolm Mowat scarves

The merino worsted wool isn't immediately as soft as a knitted woollen scarf (which could feel too warm), but I am told that it softens after a couple of week's wear. As I had the scarf on loan I couldn't check this. But the adventurous use of colours in the tartan designs are what would sell this scarf to me, making it a useful and practical accessory for Spring and Autumn wear. Hopefully they are the first of a more ambitious range of men and women's clothing from Malcolm Mowat.

Available from Malcolm Mowat's website here.

Polka dot scarves - total Tootal

The man who declared a drought in south-east England earlier this month has condemned us to weeks of cold and rain, so we still need scarves to keep out the dank chill.

I've been on the search for a red/ maroon polka dot scarf for a while, but nothing quite right has appeared. This picture shows the type and colour I'm after. As can be seen, it's a Drake's scarf, just the thing for a formal work suit, jacket, blazer or (as in the photo, and if you're brave enough) a denim jacket. The combination of large and small dots works well.

The quintessential polka dot scarf was made by Tootal and was at the height of popularity in the forties, fifties and sixties. I remember my father wearing his under a tweed jacket as he left for work. They have become popular again and, although easy to find, vintage dealers are keeping the prices high.

For an interesting alternative you could try this Alexander McQueen skull pattern scarf.

Or, if you prefer, there is always the cousin of the polka dot, the paisley scarf - one guaranteed to cheer you up - usually.

Photo The Sartorialist

Scarves - still useful despite the warmer weather

As Spring arrives I find that my warm woolly scarves emerge less frequently. However, a lighter weight scarf comes in handy for those chillier Spring days.

I found this lightweight wool vintage scarf from an eBay seller here who has many similar in a wide variety of paisley and other designs and colours (he also sells a good range of vintage cycling jerseys). Reasonably priced and cheerful, they're worth a look.

What they wore - London Fashion Week - Mr Porter video

I make no apologies for showing another excellent Mr Porter video. As sources of inspiration they are invaluable. What stands out for me here are the pocket squares, brogues and scarves. In fact, I've been on the lookout for a vintage Tootal scarf.

I remember my father wearing paisley pattern cravats and scarves when I was little - and such memories influence fashion style. It's such details that can lift an otherwise unremarkable outfit.