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 |
I'd not heard of them until now so thank you for this post.
ReplyDeleteThey're all beautiful pieces and I love all the colour, but I'm intrigued by some of the combinations.
Do you think that perhaps some of the combos are more about style and showcasing the products than actual wearability (like women's runway fashions) ?
For example, the colours and patterns in the very first picture are classic so no problem there, and I really like everything in the Prince of Wales check jacket photo, but I'm not so sure about the very last picture. Too many blues and different patterns too close together, maybe ? I like the paisley tie, pocket square and shirt separately though. The turquoise of the pocket square seems to clash with the other blues.
Or maybe it's just me. I love mixing colours and patterns, but think one has to be careful combining them.
I agree that some of the combinations are not immediately attractive. However, the pocket square has some of the same colour elements as the tie, so the combination works if you don't mind a rather busy style. GF.
DeleteI had the same thought as Mathew, and it was also my reaction to the Marks and Spencers models a few days ago. The Marks and Spencers ladies were just a little too perfect: they looked to me as if they would be reluctant to venture outside on a day with even a light breeze, or to walk over soft lawns - let alone take a two hour walk beside a stream or along a bridle path.
ReplyDeleteIn the Paul Stuart case it was the fabric in the lime and purple tie which brought me up. Fabric patterns need to be designed to be compatible with the fabric. Designs with geometric patterns can - to my eye - easily cross the boundary where the fact that the material is woven, pliable and dynamic loses touch with the pattern. The thin, straight parallel lines of a pinstripe are geometric but they are not incompatible with drape. The tie, however, with its geometric squares on fine silk seems just wrong. Apart from a few old woollen ties from the 1960s, all my ties are silk but all have non-geometric motifs (apart from a deep blue one with small white spots from the 1980s): floral, Escher-type interlocking stylized images of the natural world. My only striped ties are gifts - stripes are too regimental for me and I do not want to dress like a retired colonel who still can't relax and still has to project a stiff image to commend the respect in retirement he used to receive in the Army. I know I'm in the minority (of one?), but I prefer to see consistency between the material used to make a garment, the use of the garment and the pattern on the material.
I agree with what you say about striped ties and realise the only ones I have are old school ties. GF.
DeleteHi there Grey Fox,
ReplyDeleteI've been to Paul Stuart before, it is just up from the Brooks Brother's flag ship store on Madison Ave in NYC. PS is one of those stores that might intimidate the shippers. As soon as you enter, they (the sales clerks) all look at you, and kind of follow you around the place. You can't go a step without having someone say "May I help you". Years ago I was looking at Winter coats there, and theirs were all quite beautiful. Eight Hundred was not an uncommon price at that time. I could not try on coats as I wanted, as there was a man there who every time I tried on one and took it off, would take it from me and re-hang it up. I asked about sales, and the man said to me the coat I looked at and liked, was a classic and if not sold, would be put into storage until the following year for sale again. That was years ago, hopefully that way of doing business has changed.
It must be hard finding a proper compromise between attentive and poor service. Maybe that it the old-fashioned way of doing things. I think we prefer to browse more independently nowadays - over-attentive service can seem fawning and is offputting. GF.
DeleteI'm such a huge fan of the knitted tie. I absolutely adore the brown suit and green tie combination. Understated, refined and exudes confidence. No better model than a middle-aged man because, of course, it is an endorsement with profound credibility. Doesn't quite work the same way with women in l'age does it? Can you imagine if Chanel or Prada used women in l'age in their advertising? Heresy!
ReplyDelete