Emmett

One of the best ready-to-wear English shirtmakers, Emmett pride themselves on the quality of their tailoring and their colourful extravagant style.  Emmett shirts are finely finished with a slightly Italianate style, collars, cuffs and seams are just that little bit crisper than many other brands.  They also have some quirky stylistic touches, such as using contrasting fabrics on some shirts, on the reverse of the collar and cuffs,

Emmett shop, City of London

 Above all else Emmett are the masters of colourful, manly fabrics.  At the moment their collection has some bold checks, striking (and often edgy) stripes and some bright solid colours.  The majority of their shirts are build around a Prince of Wales (classic) collar so, allowing for conservatism, most of their shirts are suitable as work wear.  They come in single and double cuff, with the single cuff shirts being in noticeably quieter colours, pale blues, muted checks etc.  Emmett also have a slim-fit shirt which is basically the same model, cut a little closer to the body.  They also make casual shirts, of which I like their linen stripes.  There is a classic English summer style about them combined with some rather clever stripe patterns.  

For me Emmett is the prefect shirt for work-into-leisure activities.  Their business shirts are formal enough for your day job, but fun enough to go out and look good in. 

Buying Information

Emmett shirts start at around £85.00 and sell both in their stores and on their website (details below)  They also have a made-to-measure service (check store for availability) starting at around £125.00.  

 Emmett

 112 Jermyn Street,

St James

London,

SW1Y 6LS

+44 (0)20 7925 1299

 And:

 4 Eldon Street

City,

London

EC2M 7LS

+44 (0)20 7247 1563

Emmett website here 

 Thomas Pink

 The master of English shirtmaking.  Thomas Pink shirts are made in Ireland at one of the last shirt-tailoring factories in the United Kingdom.  Their shirts are well-tailored in very good quality cottons.  As soon as you put a Pink shirt on it feels good against the body. 

 As befits the most successful ready-to-wear shirt brand in England they have a really wide range of shirts. Their standard business shirt comes in solid colours, checks and stripes.  The patterning on Thomas Pink shirts is stylish and sophisticated, with clever colour combinations.  Collars are Prince of Wales, regular business collar with a smattering of cutaway Windsor collars.     

Thomas-Pink-Jermyn-Street

 Style and fit.

The business shirt comes in double and single cuff, though fabrics and patterns vary across the two styles.  Like Emmett, they mostly sell a standard Prince of Wales collar, with a few button-downs.  Pink sell a neat button-down, in solid colours and fine stripes.  Like Emmett they also sell a slim-line shirt.  Pink’s slim-lines are very stylish, with a lighter collar, less visible stitching and bright colours and designs.

 Pink shirts also come in several sleeve lengths, which is a huge boon for tall chaps like me.  I dress in the classic English style, with a half-inch of shirt cuff showing below the cuff of my jacket.  Pink shirts give me the sleeve length to do that.  If you are not sure what collar size/sleeve length you require the staff at Pink will be happy to measure you.  Service is courteous and knowledgeable at Pink stores.      

 Pink have a really good flagship store in Jermyn Street, where their full range of shirts are on display.  They also have a “White shirt bar” where they have more than a dozen styles of white shirt, for every occasion, business or formal. 

 My tip with Pink is if you see it, buy it.  Pink have short-run shirt ranges, with sophisticated patterning and stylish variations in cut.  I have been caught out on several occasions when I have returned to a store for a shirt only to be told that the run is sold out.

Buying Information

Pink shirts start at around £85.00 and sell both in their stores and on their website (details below).  They also have a made-to-measure service starting at around £130.00.  Pink have many stores, two are listed here and I recommend a visit to their flagship store in Jermyn Street.

 Thomas Pink

 Flagship Store,

85 Jermyn Street,

St James,

London,

SW1Y 6JD

 +44 (0)20 7930 6364

 And

 16 Blomfield Street
London
EC2M 7AD

+44 20 7374 2800

Pink website here

Eton Shirts

 These are interesting shirts.  Regardless of the name, Eton shirts are a Swedish company, founded in 1928, they have a process which “improves the hydrophilic quality” of the shirt and makes the shirt resistant to creases.  Eton say their shirts will remain wrinkle-free though-out the day.  If that is true I suggest that Eton shirts are bought by Summer Interns in Banking, as many of them seem to be incapable of ironing a shirt. 

Eton shirts, Kingsway, London

The shirts themselves are classic Prince of Wales collar, (Eton refer to the style as “cutaway”).  In inspecting Eton shirts my take on it is that the collar “wing” down to the point is a little larger than a similar shirt from Pink   They would look good on bigger men, framing the neck appropriately. 

 The shirts come as single and double cuff in a variety of colours and patterns.  My experience of Eton is that their designs are classic, with tried and tested colours and patterns.  They also have a longer sleeve option.  They also make a regular button-down, in the same crease-resistant fabric.   

Buying Information

 Eton shirts start at around £100.00 and sell both in their store and on their website (details below). 

 Eton

65 Kingsway,

London,

WC2B 6TD

 +44 (0)20 7490 1433

Eton website here

Boggi

Let’s look at some Italian shirts.  Boggi are a Milanese company who have recently opened stores in London.  Their shirts are well-made, in good cotton.  However what makes Boggi remarkable is their flair for colour and design.  Their shirts are richly dyed and their shirts, particularly their striped cottons, are vivid and colourful.  They have a wholes spectrum of blues, lavenders and mauves, in a wider range of shades than most other stores.  Their contrast stripe shirts (royal blue/white, magenta/white) are bold and fresh.  These are shirts for the man who knows his style and wants a bold shirt in classic patterns.  Great shirts for younger men with a slim body shape, Boggi are cut slightly tighter than a comparable English shirt for a more graceful fit.        

Boggi - Jermyn Street, London

Buying Information

Boggi shirts start at around £80.00.  They have a shop in London’s Jermyn Street, as shown below:

 Boggi

49 Jermyn Street,

London,

SW1Y 6LX

+44 (0) 20 7629 2495

Boggi website here 

Hilditch and Key

Classic English shirtmakers since 1899, Hilditch and Key are best known for their made-to-measure shirts.  I mention them here because they also have an extensive ready-to-wear collection at their shop in Jermyn Street.  As you might expect, they sell a classic Prince of Wales collar, with two sleeve lengths, regular and long.  Their styles are classic and their solid colour shirts are very handsome.  Their tailoring is excellent, as are their cottons.  I particularly like their heavy oxford cotton solid-colour shirts.  Mine have lasted a long time and looked good all the while.  A great buy.  Their Sea Island cotton shirts are particularly fine and dress up a suit beautifully, especially when a tie is required.

Though slightly off-topic, their ladies shirts are a superb buy for businesswomen.

Buying Information

Hilidtch and Key’s oxford cotton shirts start at around £80.00.  Their Sea-Island cotton shirts start at around £125.00  

Hilditch and Key

 73 Jermyn Street,

St James,

London

SW1Y 6NP

+44 (0)20 7930 5336

Hilditch and Key website  here

 T. M. Lewin

These gentlemen are at the competitive end of the ready-to-wear shirt market and sell to men in business through-out London.  They have three ranges, the Lewin 100, the Royal, the Lewin Luxury, at various prices from £25.00 through to £90.00.  I find the Lewin 100 a little thin but the Royal and Luxury are good shirts for a man looking to setup an outfit on a budget.  As with other brands they sell a classic Prince of Wales collar but they also sell a racy cutaway collar in a wide range of colours and fabrics.  They also have a longer sleeve option.  Lewin stock a huge range of colours and fabrics so it is a good place to visit for something different.  My experience is that their shirts are not as hard-wearing as some of the other ranges described in this article but good shirts all the same.   

Lewin Flagship Store - Jermyn Street, London

 It is worth visiting T. M. Lewin for their John Francome range.  This is a designer range, including some eye-catching (read bright) fabrics and colours.  These shirts have two-button collars, with a taller collar-bridge.  This makes the shirt stand up under a suit (without a tie) and make your look much more stylish.  So it you work in a tie-free environment then these are shirts to wear under your suit. 

Buying Information

 T.M. Lewin shirts start at around £25.00.  They have many stores around England and two of the London stores are listed.  They sell in their stores and from their website (details below)  

 T.M. Lewin

 103-108 Jermyn Street,

London,

SW1Y 6EQ

 +44 (0)20 7839 3372

 And

 19 Holborn,

London,

EC1N 2JS

 +44 (0)20 7430 2040

T.M. Lewin website here

Canali

Back to Italian shirtmakers.  Canali make great ready to wear shirts.  Their Italian cottons are superb and feel really good on the body.  Their patterns and weaves are unsurpassed, managing to be both stylish and bold at the same time.  Canali shirts are defined by clever stripes, rich colours and finely finished stitching.  Wear these, look stylish, it’s a simple equation. 

Canali - Bond Strret, London

 There are some differences between Canali shirts and most English brands.  Canali are of course famous for their sleek tight cut and their shirts are no exception, they are cut close to the body, relative to other brands.  If in doubt, ask their staff, you may need to go up a half-size.  Canali are also a little shorter in the arms and the shirt length (once again, cut for Italian men) so not such good shirts for the large or tall man.  Also, unlike English brands, Canali sell more single cuff (button-cuff) than double cuff.  Also the collars have integral boning, so they are a good thing for those men who are always loosing plastic collar bones.  

However Canali shirts really make you look good.  There is a finish to a Canali shirt that really lights up a suit or jacket.  And these are the most hardwearing of shirts.  The collars really hold their shape and do not wrinkle (This also makes them easier to iron).  These are shirts that wash up well and look good every time.  Recommended.   

Buying information

Canali shirts start at around £109.00 and they have two shops in London as well as some concessions.  Their website is a general one and will give you a feel for the Canali product range. 

Canali

 122 New Bond Street,

London

W1V 1DT

 +44 (0)20 7499 5605

 And

 Liverpool Street (18-31 Eldon Street)

EC2M

 +44 (0)844 93 93

Canali website here

Hackett

For those men who want classic English style, Hackett shirts are a well-priced ready-to-wear option.  Hackett are of course the brand for re-interpreting classic English fashion for the modern stylish man. 

 These are English shirts in traditional style, classic stripes and discreet checks on good heavy cotton.  Double and single cuff, with classic prince of Wales collars.  Hackett also sell a beautifully tailored Eton collar shirt and a handsome button-down.  Not too traditional though, because Hackett make a slim-fitting shirt (The Brompton) which allows one to look true-Brit without wearing yards of fabric.  Colours are perfectly matched to classic blues, greys and pinstripes.  Quiet style and perfect for a business suit.  For the man who instinctively dresses well.

 Hackett shirts embody classic English style, with Prince of Wales check, Herringbone and other traditional patterns.  They have also updated the contrasting collar (white on blue, white on grey) for the modern age.  Great value shirts.  

Buying Information

 Hackett shirts start at around £70.00  They have many stores across England and sell from these and their website (details below).  They have a made-to-measure shirt service at their flagship store in Sloane Street (ring the store for details).  The flagship store is definitely worth a visit.

 Hackett

 Sloane Street
137/138 Sloane Street
London
SW1X 9AY

 +44(0)20 7730 3331

And

 Bishopsgate
117 Bishopsgate
London
EC2M 3TH
+44 (0)20 7626 7020

Hackett website here

 Brooks Brothers

From classic English to classic American.  Brooks Brothers business shirts are of course amongst the best ready-to-wear that one can buy.  They are famous for their button-downs but also do a classic Prince of Wales collar.  The PoW collar is a little smaller than that of most English brands and lends itself to the current fashion for a slimmer tie with a smaller knot.  The fabrics, colours and patterns are of course classic and their oxford cotton is beautiful, light and tightly woven.    

Brooks Brothers - Regent Street, London

These shirts are the epitome of reliability and endurance.  They always wash up good, look good on and they last a very long time.  I have Brooks Brothers shirts that are over ten years old and still as presentably (I still wear them for business) as when I bought them.  Great shirts, highly recommended.

Buying Information

Brooks Bothers shirts start from around £90.00  They have two stores in London. 

 Brooks Brothers

 lagship Store
150 Regent Street
London, W1B 5SJ

+44 (0)20 3 238 0030

 And

 City Store

Old Broad Street
London, EC2N 1DW
+44 (0)20  7256 6013

Brooks Brothers website here

Eterno

From the classic to the extravagantly beautiful.  Regular readers will know that I am an Eterno fan.  Eterno are an Italian company that make beautiful, striking and dramatic shirts.  They are not really collar and tie shirts but they look superb under a suit (their collars range from the high to the very high and almost all are two-button).  If you want a dramatic, eye-catching look, then an Eterno shirt will transform the dullest of suits. 

Eterno - Conduit Street, London

Eterno are Italian shirtmakers based in Salerno.  They produce their own fabrics, sophisticated patterns woven in dark colours like chocolate, maroon, French blue, deep red.  They make dazzlingly bright yellow, ice-blue and white cottons.  They excel at bold stripes and clever print patterns. They tie these up with a high-collar, two-button barrel cuff shirt pattern that is elegant and eye-catching.  Their regular cut is slim and the Italian darting (different from an English shirt) accentuates the chest and the shoulders.  If you can’t look good in these shirts you must be already dead.  You really want style that the ladies are gonna spot? Here are your shirts.  Very recommended.

Buying Information

Eterno shirts start at around £130.00.  They also have a made-to-measure service in store, which starts at around £140.00

Eterno

 19 Conduit Street

London,

W1S 2BH

 +44 (0) 20 7493 5603

Eterno website here 

These are ten of my best ready-to-wear shirtmakers in London.  There are others and I hope to write about them soon.  As always, if you have an opinion, or a shirtmaker you want me to write up, drop me a comment or an email.

News from N. Peal, who as many readers will know, produce beautiful knitwear in fine wools and cashmeres.  N. Peal was one of the favourite shops of Cary Grant, who often wore their mens knitwear.  Today they produce luxury knitwear that is notable for its original and classy designs and rich sophisticated colours.  In my opinion they are better than ever, with some strikingly stylish sweaters in their current range.   

The summer sale is now on and it coincides with the launch of N. Peal’s new website which has an e-commerce shop that enables you to buy a selection of their knitwear on-line (details below).  So if you cannot make the journey to London’s Burlington Arcade, here is your source for some of the best knitwear in England. 

N Peal shop

Buying Information

N. Peal knitwear starts at around £140.00

N. Peal,
37-40 Burlington Arcade, London, W1J 0QD
+44 (0) 20 7499 6485

www.npeal.com

As regular readers will know, we are big fans of Grenson shoes here at What Makes a Man.  We like their combination of traditional British craftsmanship and Italianate flair.   So I was pleased to hear that the Grenson sale was on.  I went along and took these photographs. 

The picture below shows some of Grenson’s brogues and heavier shoes.  Most of the brogues pictured are actually much lighter and easier to wear than a standard brogue.  This is because the leathers are lighter and finer and the soles are slimmer and more flexible than a traditional brogue.  I particularly liked the pale grey suede.

Grenson brogue ranges

Here is a close-up of a pair of Grenson Alberts, which sharp-eyed readers will see is a modern take on the American Gibson shoe.  Thse are made up in Bookbinder leather, a hard, gloss-finish leather that takes a very high shine.  This is a naturally wide shoe-shape and a comfortable and stylish (two words that do not always go together) wear for any man who takes a wide fitting.   They are of course the ultimate Preppy shoe and, strangely enough, go really well with jeans (though I am not so sure about the Black). 

Grenson Alberts

Here is a picture of some brogues in the Abraham range.  The mid-grey shoe with the contrast stitching is pretty cool.

Abraham

Here is picture of Grenson’s Kent range of Oxfords.  Grenson have two ranges, the competitively priced Rushden range and the Rose collection, which top the £200 mark and are worthy competitors to Church and Crockett and Jones shoes.  The Kent Oxfords are in the Rose collection.  This is part of why I like Grenson so much, that even in their top-end range, they are enterprising enough to produce original and adventurous shoes like the green/brown suede Oxford in the picture.

Grenson Kent Oxfords

A picture of Grenson Jodphur boots.   Grenson are of course famous for the quality of their boots and they manage to be both hardwearing and stylish enough for City wear.  I personally rate Grenson town boots very highly and own three pairs.      

Grenson Jodphur boots

And here is the man who makes the shop work.  Keith John is the manager at Grenson and an absolute goldmine of information about Grenson shoes and shoes generally.  I like to ask Keith’s advice about the clothes that the shoes might be worn with, he has a real stylist’s eye.  If you want skilled and unbiased help, you can do no better than let Keith assist you.     

Keith John, manager at Grenson

And here are the pair of shoes I got on my visit.  These are a pair of Grenson Salisburys, in a pale chocolate brown.  They are of course Oxfords, with a slightly squared-off toe, which for me gives them a slightly more stylish look than traditional round-toe Oxfords.  I also like the subtle, neat styling, espeically the raised tab at the join of the vamp and the eyelets.  The visible stitching, especially across the toe-cap is very fine, and superb craftmanship.  I think they look subtly Italian and have understated style.  I have an Italian suit in Cobalt-blue and intend to wear them with that, I think the paleness of the chocolate-brown will set the suit off perfectly.  Superb shoes.

Salisbury Oxfords

The sale is now on, there are excellent discounts on the shoes.  Go see for yourself.  If you cannot get to the sale, Grenson also sell their shoes from their website (see buying information below).

Keith at the counter at Grenson

Buying Information

Grenson are open from 10.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday

Grenson,
Unit 24, Great Eastern Hotel, Liverpool Street, London, EC2 7QN
Tel: 44 (0)20 7618 5050

www.grenson.co.uk

Here are a pair of Cheaneys that I bought a couple of days ago.  The Cheaney sale is on and I had gone there to look at their shoes.  I am, as regular readers know, a fan of Cheaney.  However, the shoes I wanted were not in the sale.  Sometimes it just happens that way….

Cheaney Monkstrap - side elevation

I had been looking at these monkstraps for some time.  They are a rather daring departure for Cheaney and stand apart from their more classic ranges.  They are less rounded, with a longer vamp/toe shape than other, more traditional Cheaney shoes.  They have a strong Italian influence and are a bit of hybrid and in my opinion a very successful one. 

 What do I like about these shoes?  Firstly I like the shape of the Quarter (that is the piece of leather that rises up either side of the shoe to form the bridge for the buckle).  The Quarter rises sharply and then sweeps back to form the collar of the shoe.  It is flamboyant but perfectly proportioned so the overall design looks stylish, rather than loud.  The buckle follows that logic, it is smaller than the buckles on most monkstraps, and the straight rectangular design (most monkstrap buckles are rounded) echoes the clean linear line of the shoe.  It is also quite subtle, which matches my personal style.  I like to think I have a classy, understated and cultured style.

Cheaney Monkstrap - profile

I like the long narrow vamp (front piece) and square toe, which gives the shoe a racy, modern feel, whilst the Cheaney craftsmanship lends it a classical feel.  I like the single line stitching detail around the vamp of the shoe; it makes it more interesting without being over-complicated.  The slope of the vamp from the buckle to the toe is sleek and long., once again giving a contemporary feel to the shoes.  The low heel block adds to the sleek look of the shoe. 

Wearing these shoes

Until I had bought these shoes and worn them I was unsure about wearing them for work.  As regular readers know, I work in banking in the City Of London, the financial district.  Now, no-one in the city has a problem with monkstraps, they are one of the more stylish aspects of English menswear.  In fact, one of the few English menswear products that Italian and French bankers like to buy is a pair of bench made monkstraps.  Americans do not seem to care for them, though I would be interested to hear from any American readers who have a different view.  

Cheaney Monkstrap - top view

No, the problem is with narrow, long-vamp shoes.  A lot of younger guys in the City wear them and wear them badly.  This is not to pick on young City guys, a lot of older City guys wear those appalling synthetic leather Oxfords with black crepe soles and what looks like an inflated welt around the collar of the shoe.  Not a good look.  The problems come with cheap long-vamp shoes which are generally not Goodyear welted.  This means that the uppers tend to “rise” if they are not looked after carefully, the shoe curls up and takes on the appearance of a harem slipper.  Added to this, it is easy to scuff the toe of a long-vamp shoe.  Once again, if they are not taken care of, they look tired and ugly very quickly.  All I can say is there are a lot of shoes like this and they do their wearers no credit. 

But the Cheaneys are beautifully made; Goodyear welted, and will hold their shape, so I am in no danger of inadvertently wearing harem slippers.  Also, their sheer class is obvious; no one is going to mistake them for cheap shoes.  I am looking forward to wearing them, they are very stylish shoes.

Buying information

 I bought the Cheaney monkstraps from their store in New Bond Street, London.  They currently cost £215.00.  They are part of a new range (which I recommend) and seem not to be listed on the Cheaney website.  If I hear differently from Cheaney I will update this article.

 If you are new to Cheaney and want to know a little about them, I wrote about them before here

 If you want to know about caring for English benchmade leather shoes, our article on the subject is here 

Store details

Cheaney New Bond Street store

Cheaney

163 New Bond Street,

London W1S 2UQ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7499 9449

www.cheaney.co.uk

London Summer Sales 3

 Here is a round-up of sales in Covent Garden, Soho and Bond Street.   Given the economic climate in London at the moment there are some excellent bargains to had in the sale.  And, if you are feelng venturesome, you could ask for a discount on non-sale items.   Most of the menswear shops in London are dealing with the downturn as best they can and you will soon find out which shops are open to offers.  Give it a try.

Alfred Dunhill

Sale now on at of the world’s finest luxury brands.  Top bargains here have to be the own-brand chinos and knitwear.  The knitwear in particular is superb.

Alfred Dunhill, Bourdon House, Davies Street, Mayfair

Alfred Dunhill,
Bourdon House, 2 Davies Street, London, W1J 3DJ
Tel: +44 (0) 845 458 0779

Closet Case

The friendly and stylish chaps at Closet Case have a sale.  A great shop for Neal Barrett, Dirk Bikkemberg and other modern classics.

Closet Case, Sale

 Closet Case,
47 Brewer Street, London, W1F 9UF
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 1652

Hackett

English style at reduced prices in the Hackett sale.  Some great prices on casual trousers, long-sleeve summer shirts, summer suits.  As always the Hackett sale is getting hit hard by stylish men looking for quality at good prices.  If you want a bargain go soon.

Hackett, sale, Covent Garden

 Hackett

31-32, King St, Convent Garden, London, WC2E 8JD

Tel: +44 (0) 7240 2040

 Simon Carter

Big reductions on suits at Simon Carter, who are a stylish but competitively priced British menswear brand.  My experience of this brand is that their knitwear is often very good, so you might want to check what is in the sale. 

Simon Carter, sale

 Simon Carter

29, King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8JD

Tel: +44 (0) 844 8479296

 Massimo Dutti

Italian style at budget prices.  Some good pieces, especially knitwear and jeans, in this sale. 

Massimo Dutti Sale

Massimo Dutti,
156 Regent Street, London, W1B 5LB
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7851 1280

Emmett

Emmett have reductions on their superb shirts.  Classy, lively and colourful shirts, finely tailored. 

Emmett, sale

 Emmett

112 Jermyn Street
St. James
London
SW1Y 6LS
United Kingdom

Tel:  +44(0)20 7925 1299

Roderick Charles

English ready-to-wear classics, for the smart older man and the conservative (in the classic sense) dresser. 

Roderick Charles, sale, Jermyn Street

 Roderick Charles

90, Jermyn St, London, SW1Y 6JD

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7930 4551

Thomas Pink

English shirtmaker.  This is a good sale, dozens of fabrics, lots of choice.  

Thomas Pink, sale, Jermyn Street

Pink,
85, Jermyn St, London, SW1Y 6JD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7930 6364

New and Lingwood

I did not get a chance to visit this sale, but given that everything New and Lingwood make is a piece of modern craftsmanship, it has to be worth a visit.  Classic English style, made with skill and dedication.  

New and Lingwood, sale, Jermyn Street

 New & Lingwood,
53 Jermyn Street, St Jame’s, London, SW1Y 6LX
Tel: +44 (0) 7493 9621

Hilditch and Key

Reductions on their shirts, linen and cotton trousers.  The trousers are colourful and well-made and would be my pick in this sale, though their Sea Island cotton shirts are also a good buy. 

Hilditch and Key, sale, Jermyn Street

Hilditch and Key

73, Jermyn Street, St James’s, SW1Y 6NP
Tel: +44 (0)207 930 5336

Crockett and Jones

Crockett and Jones shoes are amongst the best benchmade ready-to-wear shoes in the world.  Definitely a sale to go for.  

Crockett and Jones, sale, Jermyn Street store

Crockett and Jones,
69 Jermyn Street, St James, London, SW1Y 6PF
Tel: +44 (0)20 7976 2684

Trickers

Like Crockett and Jones, a master English shoemaker.  Known for their heavier classic shoes, they produce what are to my mind the best English brogues. 

Trickers, sale, Jermyn Street

Trickers
67 Jermyn Street, St James,
SW1Y 6NY

Tel: +44 (0)20 7930 6395

Daks

Upscale British design, beautiful suit cut, some of the best ready-to-wear menswear in England.  The pick of this sale has to be their magnificent ready-to-wear suits. 

Daks, sale, flagship store

Daks,
10 Old Bond Street, London, W1S 4PL
+44 (0)20 7409 4000

Corneliani

The silk and wool jacket in the picture is superb.  One of the finest menswear brands in the world, producing some stunningly classy clothes.  Sale now on. 

Corneliani store, Summer 2009 Sale

Corneliani,

131-132 New Bond Street, London, W1S 2TB+44

Tel: (0)20 7493 7921 

Gant

As usual the Gant sale was full of customers when I went there (it started Thusday 25th).  Some great bargains on chinos., polos, knitwear.  Go soon because in a couple of days there will be nothing left. Gant Store, New Bond Street 

Gant,
107 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1ED
Tel: +44 (0)20 7629 3313

Gant Store, New Bond Street

John Smedley

Their sale also started on the 25^th and there are some good reductions on their finely woven shirts and t-shirts.  Go see and have a look at their newly re-designed store. 

John Smedley sale

  John Smedley,
24 Brook Street, London, W1K 5DG
Tel: +44 (0)20 7495 2222

Burberry

Lots of discounts across the menswear range.

Burberry Sale

Burberry 

21-23, New Bond St, London, W1S 2RE

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 0000

Adolpho Dominguez

There are lots of good things in this sale, most notably a huge collection, of own brand jeans, linen trousers, chinos etc. They also have shirts and knitwear. As always with Dominguez the fabrics are of excellent quality and the discounts are up to 40.00%. If your style trends towards continental casual, echoes of beachfront clubs and late night coffee stops in Madrid this is your store. Very distinctive menswear.

Adolpho Dominguez store, Covent Garden

Adolfo Dominguez,

15 Endell Street, London, WC2H 9BJ

+44 (0) 20 7836 5013

Swank

Venerable London casualwear store Swank has been a trustworthy source of stylish denim for as long as I can remember. Brands on sale include G-Star Raw and Free Soul.

Swank store, Soho

Swank,

72 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 4UN

+44 (0)20 7437 3155

Moss

Lots on sale here, casual brands include Lacoste and Gant. Suits are own brand, Boss, Canali. Shirts are own brand and Canali. Some good bargains, especially Gant polos, Canali dress shirts and Boss suits, reductions up to 50% off. These guys always give a good sale.

Moss store, Covent Garden

Moss,

27 King Street, London, WC2E 8JD

+44 (0)20 7632 9701

Calvin Klein Underwear

Up to 50% discount on underwear (both Men and women) at the Covent Garden store.

Calvin Klein Underwear Store, Covent Garden

Calvin Klein Underwear

120 Long Acre, Covent Garden London WC2E 9PA

+44 (0) 20 7240 7582

 Chester Barrie

Deepest discounts yet seem in this round of sales, from high-end classic suitmaker Chester Barrie. Their ready-to-wear suits are discounted by up to 70%. Suit prices start at £399 in the sale. Amazingly low prices from one of the best suitmakers in London.

Chester Barrie, Savile Row

Chester Barrie,

32 Savile Row, London, W1S 3PY

+44 (0)20 7439 6079

 Jaeger

Lots in the sale from Jaeger, whose mens clothes have taken on a new lease of life. Since their makeover some five years back their style is fresher, more modern and more colourful. Think a budget version of Daks or Hackett. This sale is particularly good on suits and dress shirts. I liked their white jackets, which can be bought singly or as a suit, and look very stylish on.

Jaeger White Jacket

Jaeger,

200-206 Regent Street, London, W1B 5BN

+44 (0)20 7979 1100

 Crombie

Have a sale on at their new flagship store in Conduit Street, near Savile Row. Did not get the time to look in on this one but this is a quality brand so there should be some good bargains.

Crombie Store

Crombie,

48 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2YR

+44 (0)20 7434 2886

 Fenwicks

Fenwicks department store in Bond Street have a sale in their basement menswear department. Brands on sale include John Smedley, Mulberry, Strelson Polo Jeans, For all Mankind, Kenzo Homme, Lyle and Scott, Nicole Farhi man.  The ssle is mostly casualwear and knitwear.

Fenwick Department Store

Fenwicks

63, New Bond St, London, W1S 1RJ

+44 (0) 20 7629 9161

Selfridges Department Store

I am late on this one, the sale has been on for exactly a week, so some clothes concessions, particularly the shirts, have been picked over. Still some very good value suit bargains to be had. Brands on sale include Emmett, Thomas Pink, Ermangildo Zegna, Etro, Ralph Lauren (some very fine jackets on sale here), Canali, Boss, Aquascutum, Shoes on sale include Stemar shoes, Church, Bally, Dolce and Gabana, Oliver Sweeney, Patrick Cox. Other brands include Dior, Balanciaga, Raf Simons, Comme De Garcons, Yves St Laurent, Jil |Sander. Casual brands on sale include CP Company Armani jeans, Boss sport, John Smedley, Lacoste. Cutting edge brands in the sale include DSquared, Maison Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten.

Selfridges

400, Oxford St, London, W1A 2LR

0800 123400

Richmond

Upmarket rockstar menswear, black jeans, white satin jackets, charcoal satin chinos, a monochrome collection, with silver-studded black leather belts and similar accessories. If you have a rock chick girlfriend (possibly even a high-maintenance rock chick girlfriend) their ladies wear is definitely for her. Sale now on.

Richmond Store, Conduit Street

Richmond

54 Conduit Street, WC1

+44 (0) 20 7287 1860

Facis

Italian menswear brand with a large collection that suits the older man. Excellent sale, now on.

 6 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XE

+44 (0) 20 7493 4666

Victorinox

Polos, long-sleeve casual shirts and knitwear are the standout items in the Victorinox sale. Their super-modern flagship store on Bond street also has their new (non-sale) casual range, which has a young attitude, and bags of colour. Thir famed watches and penknives are also available here (again non-sale).

Victorinox pink casual shirt

Victorinox,

90/96 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1DB

+44 (0) 20 764

Just a short post with a  quick roundup of some summer sales.   

Alexandre of Savile Row

Alexandre of Savile Row shop

Forgive the quality of this picture, I was crossing Savile Row and trying not to get run over while I took the shot.

This looks like a good sale.  Alexandre sell both ready-to-wear (from around 600.00) and made-to-measure suits (from around £850.00).  Discounts of 50% on ready-to-wear and 25% on made-to-measure are excellent bargains.  Alexandre sell an English slim-cut suit, with a modern thin-lapelled look, a bit Oswald boating, young stylish Englishman. 

 Details:

 Alexandre,
39 Savile Row, London, W1S 3QF
+44 (0) 20 7434 2450

Cheaney

Cheaney sale display

A sale at one of the most distinctive English shoe brands, what could be better?  Lots of classic shapes and bargains.

 Details:

 Cheaney,
163 New Bond Street, London, W1S 2UQ
+44 (0)20 7499 9449

 www.cheaney.co.uk

Belstaff

Bestaff flagship store

Fashionable biker leather shop (for men and women) now has a sale on selected items at their very cool flagship store, just off London’s Bond Street.  Besides leather, Belstaff also have ranges in waxed fabric and that densely woven impact-resistant nylon/artificial fibre that Bikies like so much.

 Details:

 Belstaff

12-13 Conduit Street

London W1S 2XQ    

+44 (0) 20 7495 5897

 www.belstaff.com

More sales coming soon.

Gieves and Hawkes summer sale

This was one of the best sales I saw this week, if not the best sale.  Gieves own-label business shirts are reduced to £59.00 which is a good buy.  However it was Gieves superb suits which were the real bargain.  I saw cuts of up to 50% on their ready-to-wear suits (prices start at around £800.00).  They also have a 20% discount on made-to-measure suits (prices start at around £1,900) while the sale lasts.  In addition to the sale there are also reductions on some of the non-sale new collection items. 

Go visit this shop simply for the experience of doing so.  Gieves and Hawkes have raised customer service to an artform, their staff are friendly, informed and courteous, in a way that few shops can ever hope to be.  Great people and great service.  

Currently I rank this sale best of all, with the Eterno sale here a close second and the Pringle sale here, a close third.

Details:

Gieves & Hawkes,
1 Savile Row, London, W1S 3JR
+44 20 7434 2001

www.gievesandhawkes.com

Pringle shop - sale window

The Pringle sale is now on.  I went along to buy some polo shirts.  I like Pringle polo shirts because they are better made than those from many other brands and the fit is better, not so baggy. 

 I bought this sky-blue shirt in the sale. 

Pringle sky-blue Polo shirt

This is from Pringle’s premium polo range. They are made in Italy, and the fit is a little tighter than that of their standard polos.  If you buy one of these I suggest you get a size larger than you normally buy.  Also the cotton is finer, the interlock weave is tighter and the weave itself has more of a contour, which makes the shirt catch the light slightly and gives it a more interesting character.  This range is really nicely tailored, with really good finishing. 

I particularly liked this range (and this shirt) because of the way the weave reverses direction on the collar.  It gives a subtle and stylish contrast between the collar and the body of the shirt.  I also like the fact that the logo is embossed in the same colour as the shirt.  I am not much of a logo man and I prefer this level of subtlety.  

By contrast, the red shirt below is one from Pringle’s standard range, and like all the shirts in this range the log is picked out in a contrasting colour.  Also the buttons are larger and the overall look is more sporty.  I have to say that Pringle do embroider their logos with a degree of reserve that is more suitable for mature men (that would be me).   I could wear the sky-blue under a suit for a casual summer look, but the red is too casual for that look.  Note. The standard range (the red shirt) is not in the sale.     

Pringle Polo shirt - soft red

I bought the sky-blue shirt for £45.00, which is a big discount (The standard retail price on Pringle premium polos is between £65.00 and £70.00, depending on the model). 

 There are some really good items in this sale and I will be going back for more.  I would put this sale at the top of your list  

Details:

Pringle of Scotland,
111-112 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1DP
+44 (0)20 7297 4580 

 www.pringlescotland.com

Eterno Shirts

Eterno are Italian shirtmakers, from Salerno.  They sell ready-to-wear and made-to-measure shirts from their shop in Conduit Street, just off London’s Bond Street.  Their Summer sale is now on and all of last season’s collection is on sale at 50% of the original price.  If you know Eterno, you will know that this is an excellent deal.  Here is the shop; 

Eterno sell strikingly beautiful men’s shirts.  Their fabrics are exceptional, Italian wools and linens, thick, cleverly woven  and luxurious.  Their shirts feel really good in the hand and on the body, heavy, silky and supple.  The colours and patterns of these shirts are original and eye-catching.  They currently have prints, stripes and solid colours in the sale.  The stripes are sophisticated designs, some with variable stripe widths in the body of the shirt or in some shirts the weave of the cotton raises the edge of the stripe slightly above the weave, givings a slight shimmer to the cloth.  The shirts radiate upscale style. 

Here is a shirt I bought, a dark navy-blue cotton button-cuff shirt, with a slightly cutaway collar.  I bought this shirt for half of its original retail price, £65.00.

Like many of Eterno’s shirts, the clever weave (in this case a tiny interlocking diamond patten) catches the light and gives the shirt a soft shimmer.  When I showed my wife this shirt the first thing she said was “That is so sexy”.  Most of Eterno’s shirts have this sophisticated glossy look to them.   As you can see from the pictures, their shirts are richly dyed, the colours are deep and vibrant.  Quite simply, they look very classy.

Here is a picture of the back, showing an interesting feature. 

Eterno shirts are semi-fitted and unlike English shirts, are not darted from the yoke.  By darting the shirt on both sides through the middle of the shirt (you can see the right-hand dart in the picture) it opens the shirt across the upper chest, making for a very flattering cut.

Here is a picture from the front. 

 Notice that the collar has a wide band and two buttons.  This means that the shirt will stand up under a suit (without a tie) without falling flat.  This makes for a much more stylish look.  Notice also the slightly off-square buttons which complement the diamond weave.  Clever styling. 

Who wears these shirts and when

Eterno shirts tend towards bigger and more showy collars, slightly larger than average Windsors and Cut-aways, also some Long-points (sometimes called a King collar).  The fabrics especially the prints, are striking, and you will be remarked upon if you wear these shirts.  

If your style is romantic, Italian clothes suit you, you have a romantic personality, there is a little of the storyteller, or poet in you, these are the shirts for you.  If you are a dramatic personality, lots of charisma, a little of the Sean Connery magnetism, then these shirts are for you.   Or if you want these characteristics, wear these shirts…      

These are shirts for night-time, parties, the best bars.  These are not office shirts, though if I were an actor or a creative looking to build a reputation for upscale cosmopolitan style, I would wear these shirts to work.  

Prices and Services

Many shirts in the collection are on-sale for around £65-70 pounds, depending on the original price.  The guys who work here are great and, if you want a shirt from the current (full-price) collection I suggest you put on your game face and ask them to do you a deal.  They will cetainly do their best to help.  

Eterno also do a very good made-to-measure shirt service.  The minimum order is one, and a shirt costs upwards from £140.00, depending on the fabric chosen.  You are measured in the shop and the shirt is cut in Salerno.  From measure to delivery takes three to four weeks, which is good swift service for an Italian made-to-measure garment.

The sale is now on, stylish men will be descending on the shop like vikings intent on plunder.  Go now while there are lots of great shirts to be had.  

Details:

Eterno

19 Conduit Street

London

W1S 2BH

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7493 5603

www.eternolondon.co.uk