Gentlemen, we should be proud of our grey hair - why hide it?

Should any man using products to cover grey, silver or white hair be excluded from Grey Fox membership? I wouldn't use them, as I have an  instinctive dislike of fakery, but I appreciate that many will disagree with me. Certain hair colouring products are being sold hard here in the UK at the moment.

We should be proud of our maturity in middle age and beyond. To be otherwise suggests that we are easily  swayed by others' prejudices, and surely we're old enough to be our own men. Are products like these the enemy of Grey Foxes everywhere? What do you think?

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!

Middle aged men and the pleasure of owning beautiful objects

Men of whatever age love well-made objects. Most of us with an interest in style will want to own something of beauty or an object into which care and craftsmanship has been invested - a watch with an in-house movement, a classic camera built to last, a custom-made bicycle, an original work of art, a bespoke suit/ shirt/ pair of shoes, a precious antique. With many of us this interest will become a drive to collect - I discussed this in passing in my last post about military watches.

Once you've handled a pre-digital Leica, for example, you're hooked by the solid metal body, the snick of the shutter which just exudes mechanical engineering quality and the pin sharp images - as a result you want to expand your collection of lenses. It's the same with other things - cars that have engines you can tinker with and don't have to be repaired by mechanics with degrees in computer science, steel-framed racing cycles with smooth shifting Italian gear systems, bespoke jackets with a flattering fit and details like hand-stitching and opening cuff buttons.

Photo Grey Fox

A common theme is that these items will last, the camera won't stop working after the first shower of rain, the buttons won't fall off the jacket after a few weeks' wear and the custom-made bike will feel as if it's doing the pedalling for you. These possession may cost more, but in the long run you save money and the Earth's dwindling resources - it's all about sustainability as well.

Photo courtesy of Ming

The welding on a custom-built titanium Seven Axiom
Photo Grey Fox

Vintage military watches - style on the wrist

Men have peculiarly acquisitive instincts - how many men do you know who are obsessed by collecting something? It may be cars, watches, clothes, cameras, books, golf clubs, rare birds, works of art or racing bikes. We're no doubt reflecting some ancient instinct which had us collecting weapons, women or whatever was required for our survival and that of our genes.

One item that a man of style might collect is watches - and why not vintage military timepieces?

Photo Grey Fox

There's a move towards smaller watches of plainer design - possibly in response to the proliferation of what I call footballers' watches - huge ugly timepieces, (often 44mm or more in diameter) covered with enough dials, pushers and winders to keep the most frustrated engine driver happy. Nowadays a sophisticated minimalist watch design can work well with formal or informal wear. What better than vintage military watches to fill this niche and to appeal to man's collecting instincts?

The watches in these pictures were made for the British military between the forties and sixties, a vibrant period of military watchmaking, before electronics brought rather soulless quartz watches. They are small by today's standards, around 34mm to 36mm in diameter, but they stand out on the wrist because they were designed to do just that - and to be instantly legible. They are robustly designed with movements which are beautifully made and generally easy to maintain.

Vintage military Hamilton watch - photo Asos

Most can be bought for under £500, though collectible ones like the Omega 53 or Mk11 navigators' watches made by Jaeger LeCoultre and IWC can cost in the thousands. Unlike modern watches, however, they should hold their value, and in many cases actually appreciate. Inevitably, buying vintage military watches is a minefield - a lot of fakes are sold on eBay and even on watch fora and by dealers - get good advice before you take the plunge. 

There is one watch in the picture below which is modern, can you spot it?

Photo Grey Fox

Military watches are often worn with one-piece nylon or "NATO" straps - these can be bought in a wide variety of colours so you can change the appearance of your watch to suit your mood.

Articles discussing older and middle aged man's style and fashions

Here are a few of the better (and not too serious) newspaper and other articles on style and fashion for middle aged and older men. They are in no particular order; just as I find them. If you know of others please let me know. 

The important thing about fashion in middle age is that we are getting too old to take fashion seriously. Dress for yourself, feel comfortable, and don't listen to the fashion police.

What do I do? I keep an eye on the better blogs for ideas, but try to use them to dress to suit my own personality rather than slavishly following transient fashions. Whatever you do, be careful about trying to relive lost youth by dressing like a teenager. It may work, if you have an extremely sophisticated sense of style, but you run the risk of looking a little sad. It's also unnecessary; we should be proud of our maturity - there are many classic styles ideal for the older man.

Photo The Sartorialist

Can you wear Topman at 67?
An interview in the Guardian with Nicky Haslam and his sense of fashion and style.

Old men dress cool
From one of my favourite bloggers, Style Salvage.

Take That:Style Icons for Older Men
An article in the Guardian. Take That!! Must be some mistake, surely?

Groovy Old Men: The Rise of the Silver Swingers
From the Independent, 'nuff said.

Can Middle-Aged Men Have Long Hair? 
From that excellent blogger, That's Not My Age.

Styles Middle-Aged Men Should Avoid If They Don't Want to Look Old: These Fashions Don't Make Anyone Look Young

Yahoo Voices.

Middle Aged-Men Who Dress Like Teenagers
Style Goes Strong

Newbie Fashion Tips for Grown-up Men
Stepcase Lifehack. This may seem a bit proscriptive, but is worth a read - most of the rules are sensible.

The Almost Shocking World of Older Men's Fashion
In a Grand Fashion reviews advice for older men. The article mentions Grey Fox as follows, "While there are many blogs for young, definitely under forty, I could find only one aimed at older, middle age men.  Grey Fox stresses dressing for one’s self instead of  for the latest fashion trend".

Why do men over 50 dress like tramps?
Mail Online. For personal reasons I avoid the Daily Mail. The standard of journalism is appallingly, with damaging and hurtful articles published with no proper research or regard for the truth. However, this is an unusually (for the Mail) sensible analysis and it is recommended reading.

Men stop caring about clothes at 37
Apparently the conclusion of a survey, apparently based on a survey, but I'm a bit suspicious about this one - it may be a dubious publicity stunt. Reported in the Daily Mail here and the Guardian here. Despite my doubts,  there is probably a degree of accuracy in these reports.

Fashion Tips for the Older Man
From the Belfast Telegraph - some interesting and useful comments about older men dressing well and not so well.

How to be a Middle-aged Man
The Financial Times looks at middle age. Only partly about style, but nicely written (in 2007, so a bit dated - talks about Facebook, but not Twitter).

Medallion Man is Back - The Rise and Rise of Middle-Aged Vanity
From the Independent - not too bad, in parts. I agree with the warning that '...dignity is in danger of being jettisoned in the rush to drink at the fountains of eternal youth, or at least the rush to the hair dye kit, which is the next best thing'.

The humble Mamil: why we need 'middle-aged men in Lycra'
The Guardian. A nice defence of the MAMIL (middle-aged men in Lycra) by one of my favourite cycling writers, Matt Seaton.

Why do fathers insist on dressing like their teenage sons?
Do they? In my experience it's often the other way round (crisp shirts, chinos and brogues) - and that's confirmed by the picture illustrating the article which shows Tom Cruise and his son. Sydney Morning Herald.

The Sartorial Geniuses aged 60 plus
From The Telegraph - with wise words from blogger Tony Ton of jakandjil.com.

At the age of 37, you needn't start dressing like J*r*my Cl*rks*n
From The Guardian, a newspaper that I doubt Clarkson has ever read.

Skateboarding Past a Midlife Crisis
From the New York Times. Be careful, though; your bones have become more brittle as you get older.

Has your man just bought a new bike? Looks like he's having a mid-life crisis
From The Mail Online. The content doesn't really reflect the headline - but then the Mail is looking for sensational headlines, not interesting content.

Jeremy Paxman in tweeds is typical of the affliction that grips men in middle age
Hadley Freeman in the Guardian discusses older men's style. All about men reaching an age where they want to try something new. Some vestiges of truth here; maybe.

Why men over 40 are fashion disasters
From the Mail Online. The writer is mocked by his family for his dress sense. He suggests a few ideas, but this article is rather inconclusive, as I feel he doesn't really find a solution. He should find inspiration for his own style, grasp the nettle and confidently forge his own path. Not a happy outcome to this one.

How to dress well after 50
British GQ. Sensible with some interesting discussion; but nothing new.

Guys don't be a fashion disaster
Chicago Tribune.

Men should ditch low-slung jeans and embrace middle-age
Well, I agree. The Telegraph.

Middle-aged men and their sad self-regard
The Independent. Sadly close to the bone; but then all ages are guilty of self-indulgence, not just older men.

Baseball caps, backpacks and an unlimited supply of flannel shirts: How middle-aged Silicon Valley CEOs compete with their twenty-something rivals

From the Mail Online - given that it's the Mail, it's a surprisingly good read (assuming it's not all made up). It reports, for example, how, 'One tech CEO admitted that he probably wouldn't be in his job if he had not shaved his grey hair and swopped brogues for sneakers to blend in.'

Fifty shades of silver fox: Blog celebrating stylish middle-aged men takes internet by storm

From the Mail Online again. About a blog called Grey Fox started by a middle-aged man looking for style. Seems unlikely to me!

Dad dancing may be the result of evolution, scientists claim

Funny and unfortunately probably true. The Telegraph.

What's a man to wear when his pecs turn to 'soft peaks'?

Speak for yourself! From The Guardian.

Dressing your age - 40s
Dressing your age - 50s
Posts on Fashionbeans - I don't agree with everything here, but basically sensible advice.

Marc Jacobs at 50
Showing that there's hope for us all in changing our lifestyles and getting fit. From Mail Online.

Male celebrities with grey hair
In case you find comfort in the thought that even they are getting older. From sofeminine.co.uk.

I want to feel like a new man
Guardian columnist has a makeover (apparently paid for by Hennessy - some makeover!)

The obsessive jean
A middle-aged man gets used to the idea of still wearing jeans. From the FT's How to Spend It.

The Vintage Years: is the fashion world starting to respect the middle-aged market?

More about the women's fashion market, but much is applicable to us chaps. From the Guardian.

Are You Too Old For Your Outfit? From Details magazine, by Katherine Wheelock. How to avoid age-inappropriate looks.

How I Became a Fashion Don't A lovely response to the above Details magazine article. Simon Doonan describes Katherine Wheelock as 'some kind of conservative anti-flamboyance watchdog for the colostomy-bag brigade'. Brilliant.

Dressing Up is a Sign of Vitality New York Times. Ari Seth Cohen, of the Advanced Style Blog, comments on the Wheelock and Doonan articles above.

Fashion Tips for the Older Man Belfast Telegraph. Hmm.

Why older men are more stylish than young men A nice piece in The Telegraph, October 2014.

Men's style dilemma: Am I too old to wear this? This Telegraph piece makes some good points and concludes, correctly in my view, that the question is, 'Does this suit me?', not, 'Am I too old for this?'

Men become invisible at 39: Now they know how women feel. Again, from The Telegraph. Reports the conclusions of a survey, but then, as the man said, there's lies, damn lies and surveys.

Is it OK for men not to care about fashion?  The Telegraph (I'm impressed how this newspaper writes about age and style so much). Confuses fashion and style, doesn't add much to the discussion.

What makes certain men more stylish? The Telegraph. A thoughtful piece by David Gandy which comes to the same conclusion as I have in my writing. As I say in my comments at the top of this post, style is about dressing to suit your personality, not following trends. Recommended reading.

Stylish older men prove age is no barrier for fashion Executive Style. This is what we need more of: a round-up of older men interested in style.

How to Dress you Age - Forties British GQ. Good, emphasises style rather than fashion and highlights fit.

How to Dress your Age - Fifties British GQ. Good stuff, based on advice not to give up and again emphasising the importance of fit.

How to Dress your Age - Sixties and Beyond British GQ. Based on the inaccurate (I think, anyway) assumption that most men over 60 want to look younger, but this doesn't affect what is essentially good advice.

20 Things No Man over 40 Should Wear Daily Telegraph. I don't like writing that tells a man what he should and shouldn't wear. We may make suggestions and give our opinion, but not presume to tell others what to do. This verges on that approach. However, I agree with much of it!

Is it time Johnny Depp ditched the leather? The items of clothing men over 40 should NEVER wear - including hoodies, baseball caps and skinny jeans Mail Online. Much of the same really, but purporting to be the results of a survey. Most telling is the finding that 40% of men laugh off adverse comments about their style.

Never Too Old - A New Attitude to Men's Fashion - Fashion Capital. A PhD researcher sees older men as fashion pioneers. Seems right to me.

Tom Hanks is redefining dad style - Not a bad article at all. Some sound advice from US GQ.

And see my own scribblings on this blog, for example on middle aged men and jeans.

Photo Tommy Ton - GQ

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

My favourite shoes - Loake Chester brogues

Nearly ten years ago I badly damaged my right foot in a cycling accident (yes, another one). For a long while I thought I would no longer be able to wear my favourite shoes - brogues. I tried a few pairs of mid-priced brogues, but none were comfortable. Eventually I tried a pair of Loake Chester brogues. What attracted me to them was that they are made here in the UK, unlike many other leading brand (and pricey) brogues which are made elsewhere (India for example). The Loakes have turned out to be supremely comfortable, due partly to the supple leather of the tan calf uppers. They are beginning to acquire that patina of age that the best shoes show after a year or more's wear.

See Loake for more information.

Photo Grey Fox

Photo Grey Fox

100 Years of Menswear - inspiration for a trainee man of style

Being on a search for style in middle age it occurred to me that I ought to take a passing interest in men's fashion so I looked to see what books are available to educate me. The result was Cally Blackman's One Hundred Years of Menswear published by Laurence King in 2009. 

Blackman is a fashion historian and her book contains a fascinating selection of photographs, illustrations and commentary tracing the history of menswear since Edwardian times - highly recommended whether you're interested from a historical perspective, or are simply after inspiration.

Note to Sir Paul Smith - if you no longer want the dusky pink needle-cord jeans you're wearing in the last picture, can I buy them from you please (I'm 32 x 32)?