Recreating the look - Steve McQueen relaxes in a camel jumper

The blogger's standby for style posts of this sort is Steve McQueen. His clothes are never complicated and he always looks stylish and relaxed. This is his secret, of course. Achieve a simple look and carry it off unselfconsciously. Suppliers' details below.

Suppliers
Albam

Sander & Sanders 

Tripl Stitched

Spoke

Jones the Bootmakers - Cheaney Fenchurch shoes made in England

Jones the Bootmaker was established in 1857 and has a firm presence on our high streets around the UK. Their strength is the wide range of men's shoes that they sell, from lower-priced to shoes hand-made in Northampton, England like these calf-leather Joseph Cheaney & Sons Fenchurch Oxfords with brogue punched detail, worn here with a blue pinstripe suit.

They have a Goodyear-welted leather sole and a slim, elegant shape that goes well with a formal or semi-formal style. Like all Cheaney shoes, these are very comfortable and will provide a shoe for life if properly looked after. 

The selection of styles at Jones the Bootmaker appeals to men of all ages and it's hard to go into one of their stores without finding something that suits. If you can't get to one of their shops, visit their website to find what you need. 

Click to find the Cheaney Fenchurch shoes here.

One jacket - five styles. Making full use of your wardrobe with Sarah Gilfillan and an M&S tweed jacket

As a stylist, Sarah Gilfillan works with clients to review their existing clothes and revives little-used items by suggesting new and different uses. We thought this would be a useful idea for readers and have applied it to a reasonably-priced Marks & Spencer grey herringbone jacket. We agreed that its colour and style make it the perfect for this project. The middle-aged or older man will find plenty of inspiration here for rejuvenating their wardrobes.

The herringbone tweed jacket has been a useful item for decades, as stylish men as diverse as Gianni Agnelli and Steve McQueen (above) have shown. It's ideal for casual wear, but we feel it also, in its grey/black form, has potential to be useful for smart and even formal events. 

I'll hand over to Sarah to comment on the five looks she has styled after rummaging through my wardrobe. (To make use yourself of Sarah's styling services see Sartoria Lab).

Outfit 1 - Cream sweater and jeans

Outfit 1

Sarah Gilfillan writes: 

I've always loved these vintage fisherman's type sweaters and when I discovered this old Royal Navy submariner's jumper while raiding David's wardrobe, I wanted to use it as the basis to our first outfit. I like the juxtaposition of a casual sweater like this with some tailoring, but the grey herringbone texture of the jacket means they're still in keeping with each other. The dark slim cut of jeans, worn with a small turn-up, keeps the look modern and shows off this great pair of boots. The gold toned pocket square was chosen to pick up on their colour and adds a nice little kick to the neutrals. We finished it off with a chic and super soft toning grey scarf.

Jacket: Marks & Spencer (from 2013). Scarf: The Merchant Fox. Pocket Square: bought by Grey Fox on Lake Como, Italy. Jeans: The Jean Machine. Boots: Loake Dovedale.

Outfit 2 - White shirt and navy trousers 

Outfit 2

Super classy, non?! A classic look when worn with navy trousers, we've dressed the jacket up here with a double cuff white shirt. It gives a sharp contrast which adds formality, and the double cuff allows you to sport a dashing pair of cufflinks, further formalising the look.

We've chosen a grey wool tie which tones in well with the herringbone of the jacket and adds a quiet elegance to the look. Using a stylised 3-point fold on the white pocket square continues the formal feel and polished black brogues finish off the look perfectly.

Shirt and tie: Marks & Spencer. Trousers from a suit by TM Lewin. Pocket square: Mr Porter. Shoes: Charles Tyrwhitt.  

Outfit 3 - Pink shirt and burgundy chinos

To contrast well with the neutral grey of the jacket and give it a smart/casual look, we chose tonal shades of a light pink shirt and burgundy chinos. The button down detail of the shirt keeps it on the casual side of smart/casual, and this is continued with the choice of a burgundy & blue knit tie. (This is a vintage one that David cleverly hung on to from first time round - right back in fashion now!) Along with the toning (never exactly matching) pocket square, it brings the colour of the trousers into the top of the outfit. Navy suede shoes echo the casualness of the rest of the outfit.

Shirt: Tripl Stitched. Tie: vintage. Pocket Square: vintage Liberty's. Chinos: Paul Smith 2013. Shoes: Bodileys.

Outfit 4 - Blue polo neck sweater and jeans

This outfit was David's favourite. The simplicity of his fine knit roll neck in deep periwinkle and dark jeans makes a great backdrop for the texture of the grey herringbone. We added the orange pocket square and matching socks to create some focus to the outfit and which keep it looking modern and fresh. I really like the retro-style tortoiseshell glasses which give a nod to current trends, and you can never really go wrong with classic brown suede brogues. It's an outfit you could pretty much wear anywhere.

Polo-neck sweater: Uniqlo. Glasses: Scarlett of Soho. Pocket square: Duchamp. Socks: London Sock Co. Shoes: Cheaney x Mr Porter. Jeans, as above.

Outfit 5 - Fair Isle knit and cords

Herringbone and cords to together like love and marriage, don't you think?! We wanted to include an outfit that had a country-ish feel, so went for earthy toned cords, and a Fair Isle knit which we then teamed with a denim shirt to keep it from looking "fusty". The wool tie with a hare print fits in with our country style, and the paisley pocket square echoes the colour. Brogues originally had holes punched in them so the water could drain from the shoe when walking through boggy countryside, so of course they are a fitting accompaniment to this outfit.

Shirt: Hentsch Man. Fair Isle sweater: Drake's. Pocket square: vintage. Tie: Cordings. Cords: Massimo Dutti 2013. Shoes: Loake Otterburn (link as above).

Sarah's pick of grey herringbone tweed jackets. Please mention us to suppliers:

Beams + at Trunk Clothiers

Man 1924 at Trunk Clothiers

Paul Smith at Matches

Gant

Oliver Spencer at Liberty
Marks & Spencer

For more on the vintage submariner's jersey, see my post here.

This is not a sponsored post. If you would like to see your products included in future styling posts of this sort, please contact us.

Drake's - a silk tie is made in London

My hunt for style had uncovered many manufacturers making menswear in Britain, but I'm always excited to discover those making in my home-town, London. Drake's is a menswear business I've been aware of for a while. I have one of their superb Fair Isle sweaters and have often visited their website to drool over scarves, knitwear, ties and pocket squares of an exquisite beauty and design.

Ties and colour at Drake's Haberdasher Street factory in London

I was invited to visit their London atelier in the appropriately-named Haberdasher Street in Clerkenwell, East London, a few weeks ago. There I was offered a bespoke tie and watched as skilled crafts people made a silk tie from a beautiful Macclesfield-made ancient madder. I followed the tie around the workshop, from cutter to machinist to pressing and final checking, chatting to the workers. As with all factories I visit, the pride in their skills and the final product is palpable. 

The cutter starts on my tie

The products Drake's make are the result not only of these workers' skills, but of fabrics of outstanding quality and of design skills that take their menswear to a level that all UK manufacturers should aim for. Essentially classic, their menswear is contemporary in style, making it ideal for the older man looking for something special.

I'll be writing about Drake's AW14 collection in a future post. You too can have a bespoke tie made, or select from the off the peg range. See Drake's website for more information or to buy online.

The machinist starts on the tie and then moves to other workers further assembly and stitching

Checking symmetry and angles

The labels are stitched on before final checking and packing

My Bodileys blue suede shoes - a review

For the past few weeks I've been road-testing a pair of shoes from Bodileys, a family-owned English shoe company that recently launched its own range of Northampton-made footwear. Beautifully-made with leather Goodyear welted soles, these bench-made and hand-finished Derby shoes come in blue calf suede with a detachable fringe and contrast laces (I wear them without the fringe).

I usually wear the more rounded shapes of English brogues, so it took me a couple of days to get used to the slimmer and slightly more pointed style, but I soon came to love their elegance. They're ideal for an older or younger man looking for a stylish alternative to more traditional brogues as they give a slightly lighter appearance, going well with slimmer-cut trousers or denims.

As with any quality, English, hand-made shoes, they are extremely comfortable. I found them ideal for summer, wearing them with cream and blue chinos, linen jackets and bright socks. The attractive midnight blue suede glows when put with brightly-coloured socks, as can be seen in the photo above.

These are superbly elegant yet comfortable shoes, offering the best of British shoemaking for £300, a price that compares very well with similar craftsmen-made Italian shoes. Taking up to 8 weeks to manufacture, they offer the highest quality. For more information, see links below.

To read my previous piece on the blog about Bodileys, click here.

For more information on price and sizing, see the Bodileys website here.

If you have a favourite pair of shoes, or manufacturer, British or not, that you'd like to recommend, please let me know. You can e-mail me at greyfoxblog AT gmail DOT com.

Ageless style in The Guardian - are attitudes changing? When will the fashion industry sell to the older man?

In an excellent article on 22nd February, The Guardian's Anne Karpf wrote about the rise of older fashion models and accompanied this online with a gallery, Ageless Style - In Pictures. While it was gratifying to see my image included in the gallery, I was more impressed that there is at least discussion about the topic. It's been a strong theme of this blog that the fashion industry needs to sit up and take notice of older men and women - a burgeoning and affluent demographic. 

While there is a long way to go, grey style now has its foot firmly in fashion's door. So, I fail to understand how hard-nosed commercial organisations can ignore a large market like the grey pound. As I'm reporting here on Grey Fox, the products are there, but the willingness to sell them to us, using older models and sophisticated sales campaigns, is absent.

Here are the links:

Ageless Style - In Pictures

Older models: the women in their 60s, 70s and 80s who are shaking up fashion

Hammond & Co - Patrick Grant menswear at Debenhams

Occasionally I feel I might be making some progress with my search for style as an older man. Then I see someone effortlessly exuding style wearing battered basics and my illusion is shattered.

Or I meet Patrick Grant. This master of style always seems to look elegant without being starchy. I know, because I met him a few days ago to see the Hammond & Co collection he's designed for Debenhams.

But, of course, I console myself with the thought that Grant can easily look stylish. He owns a fashion business and no doubt has cutters and tailors to cater to his every whim.

But then Grant tells me that he's been wearing suits costing £299 from his Hammond & Co for Debenhams collection IN PUBLIC and has even had compliments on them from fashion journalists who assumed they were creations from his Savile Row workshops. And you'll be able to see him wearing the same suits in several episodes of the new series of the The Great British Sewing Bee, to be shown soon on BBC.

Grant wears a Hammond & Co suit, made from British cloth

Is it really possible to look that stylish in a reasonably-priced suit? I tried on a Hammond & Co suit jackets and it worked for me. He's right - it is possible to look very stylish (after Patrick has tactfully adjusted my wonky shirt collar) without breaking the bank. The cut, fabric and details look and feel right - rather than cheap and insubstantial compromises.

How have he and Debenhams achieved this? In his presentation Grant used the word 'simple' on many occasions. Every penny has been spent on materials and fabrication. Styles are unapologetically classic - the design team immersed itself in the Savile Row heritage of Hammond & Co before starting the design process.

Maximum attention was given to a reasonable number of products, producing a carefully-thought out capsule collection through which runs noticeable themes of Savile Row-inspired shapes and styles. Colours are generally plain grey, black and navy for town wear, highlighted by splashes of mustard and burgundy. Quality of materials is good - reasonably-priced knitwear is often thin and insubstantial; this is thick and chunky. Suit cloths are silky and flexible.

This is a collection for men of any age. I would have worn most of the clothes without any hesitation, as would a young man in his twenties wanting well-made but affordable British classic styling rather than drainpipe chinos and low waistbands.

This is pure style, rather than ephemeral fashion.

Here are images of my favourites - the best of which, in my view, is the Prince of Wales check double-breasted suit (made from British cloth) worn by Patrick Grant in the picture above. There is more to the collection, which you can find at Debenhams online or at most Debenhams stores.

 

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?