Sources of Fashion & Style Inspiration for the Older Man

Older men have few sources of style inspiration. In general, the fashion market and press don't see them as potential customers, despite their relative affluence. We all take creative ideas from what we see around us. Without the visual inspiration of adverts, images and press coverage, there is little to guide us in our search for style. Many older men give up, discouraged by the absence of such influences. 

I faced such a desert when I started this blog, so I offer here some sources of inspiration to older men who are looking for ideas to inform their sartorial choices. I will update this from time to time, as I'm sure I've left out a few suggestions. Please get in touch if you have any suggestions for additions. [I updated this post to add inspirational books 12 January 2016]. 

From top left clockwise: From GQ Best-Dressed Man 2016, The Rake, image from The Sartorialist

Blogs

There are very few blogs that cater for the older man; that is why this blog exists.

The Sartorialist has always taken shots of men and women of all ages and by definition these are people of style and fashion sense. Have a browse as there's always something of interest.

Well-Dressed Dad is middle-aged Norwegian blogger 'into classic menswear, tweed, workwear and cool things'. He specialises in the more casual side of style: waistcoats, brogues, denim and outerwear and offers a welcome alternative to the more classic style I advocate here. Like me, he supports smaller brands and the ethical production of menswear.

Websites

Many style and fashion websites are run by large teams of contributors. The result is that the variety and volume of the content is excellent, but they tend to be youth-centric.  

Some are linked to commercial menswear sites, but are often of good quality. Try the The Rake Online, Mr Porter Journal, Fashionbeans, Menswear Style. While The Rake has much content for the older man, you will need to look around the others for inspiration. 

GQ's Best-Dressed Men list 2016 contains a few grey hairs, most significantly Prince Philip at number 12. 

Instagram
The fastest growing medium for inspiring images. Search hashtags #menswear #menssstyle #olderman #maturestyle - when I have a moment I'll feature some of the many stylish older men appearing on this, my favourite, social medium. Instagram.

Advertising

Those few brands that advertise to the older man are worth keeping an eye on as their campaigns show how all ages of men can successfully wear their clothes. See Oliver Sweeney and Oliver Spencer in particular. 

Vintage images

Search online for images of so-called 'style icons' like Steve McQueen, Edward VIII (former Duke of Windsor), Prince Charles, Nick Wooster, Cary Grant etc. Look for elements of their style that you like and try them out. Do you prefer the casual or the formal look? What details work for you? 

Pinterest

Search Pinterest using terms like 'style for the older man'. You will get a rather mixed bag, but among them will be some useful ideas and inspiration.

Magazines

The best print magazine catering for older men is The Rake (link above). The mainstream journals, such as Esquire and GQ (link above), are mainly concerned with younger style, but Esquire in particular frequently features older men from business and the arts. Most of the other style periodicals are so youth-focused that they offer little to the older man in search of style.

The Press

Best regular coverage without a doubt is The Guardian's Fashion for All Ages for both men and women. Why isn't there more fashion coverage of this sort, putting age as secondary to style?

Have a browse through my page on articles on style for older men here.

Books
Some of my favourite sources of inspiration (this is not a complete list, just a selection and is in no particular order):

Best of British by Simon Crompton et al - Prestel
The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman - Penguin
The Sartorialist Closer
The Sartorialist X
I am Dandy by Rose Callahan et al - Gestalten
Vintage Menswear by Sims et al - Laurence King
Sharp Suits by Eric Musgrave - Pavilion
Icons of Men's Style by Josh Sims - Laurence King
Advanced Style by Ari Seth Cohen - powerHouse Books
Men in This Town by Giuseppe Santamaria - Hardie Grant
One Hundred Years of Menswear by Cally Blackman - Laurence King
Gentleman - A Timeless Guide to Fashion by Roetzel - Ullmann
The Ivy Look by March et al - Frances Lincoln

Good hunting!

I'm 60 today

I find it impossible to believe and even did the maths again to check, but there's no doubt about it, I'm 60 years old today. If you're thinking that I'm too old to write about men's style and that you'll never visit Grey Fox again, ponder this. It seems yesterday that I left school, went to university, qualified as a lawyer, married, had children and the children left home. Life passes by very fast. Unless you're older than me, you'll very soon find yourself wondering at the passing years just as I am.

Yet I feel privileged. Age brings contentment, stability and confidence to many of us. We have experienced the ups and downs of life. This brings frustration, as we see others (not least politicians) repeating past mistakes, but it also brings a certain wisdom. 

The blog enables me to explore new interests and areas. I will continue to write about style, will harry the fashion industry to take notice of the older man and will support young, new or British-made businesses when I can. 

Please stay in touch. 

Grey Fox Blog is three years old today - age, style, fashion and the older man

Grey Fox Blog is three years old
When I started this blog three years ago, I thought it would last three months, but it's still going strong. I love it; almost every minute. The many approaches from brands and PR firms are proof that the blog has impact. On the other hand, they bring pressures on a lone blogger.

Image by Jonathan Daniel Pryce for Holdall & Co

This won't change. I like to write honestly and independently about things that interest me; well-designed menswear, style for the older man and British-made products. These are aspects of the blog that readers repeatedly tell me they value. I'm reluctant to undermine this by becoming too large or commercial.

Another birthday
I reach my sixtieth birthday after Christmas. This is relevant only in that I still feel that the fashion industry doesn't give the older demographic the attention it deserves, despite its increasing size and affluence. However, I've seen some evidence of change and have decided to do what I can to encourage this through my writing and, more recently, even modelling for brands as diverse as Holdall & Co (above), Mr Porter and Marks & Spencer.

I've taken on the photo-shoots either because I want to support a brand or because I want to provide an example to older men. If they see stylish, fashionable and well-designed products being worn by men of a similar age, they will buy them. They are alienated when clothes are modelled by young men hardly out of their teens.

Older models have an impact

The aims of this blog: fashion industry and the older man
The older man needn't resort to slippers and cardigans once past his fortieth birthday. I want the fashion industry to recognise that they could sell to the demographic if they made a little effort. The reluctance of brands to market themselves to older people astonishes me. It may be that research tells them that this age-group is uninterested, but to not even try smacks of defeatism that must be unique in the history of marketing.

Increasing health and life expectancy means that older men have time, money and the appetite for a more stylish existence than did our parents. They are a potentially lucrative target for menswear brands. What's needed is advertising that recognises the existence of older men. Ralph Lauren, Hackett and others have led the way, albeit often with a token 'dad' figure at a house party; but others could follow and give it a more serious try. Why not have a mix of young and older men in your next photo-shoot?

Older men simply need ideas, inspiration and encouragement to buy. For brands that try and for ideas, see my Pinterest board here.

Contacting Grey Fox for coverage on the blog
Finally, back to the blog. I'm going to say 'no' much more. If you approach the blog with a request and I am unable to help, please understand that this is self-preservation. I simply cannot do all that I'm asked, however much I'd like to. However, if you're a new or young business, or make in Britain, or are prepared to sponsor the blog, I may bump you up to the top of the waiting list.

Please stick with Grey Fox - the blog is you, the reader and the brands who've helped out so far. Thank you for your support. I love to hear from you, so don't hesitate to e-mail with your thoughts or queries or suggestions.

Walsh: trainers made in England

I love these Walsh trainers, made in Bolton, England. Founded by Norman Walsh, who made shoes for some of the great athletes and sportsmen of the fifties and sixties, it's a British brand based on genuine heritage and skills; one to be proud of and to support. Why buy trainers made in far-flung parts of the world when you can find well-designed and reasonably-priced UK-made shoes?

Seoul '88 blue

And this raises the issue whether the older man should wear trainers other than at the gym. Frankly I wear what I like, not what some fashion guru tells me to wear, so I'm going to wear my British-made trainers with pride.

To find out more about Walsh, visit their website here to browse and buy.

Challenger black tan

Navy blue - the colour for every man

I realised recently that the major part of my wardrobe is navy blue. For a man, younger or older, navy blue is the new black. It goes with any colour, from your crisp white shirt to the favourite acid-green trainers. My favourite pairings are to put navy blue with grey (see the image below from Crew Clothing) and with orange (here's a link to a previous post on this topic).

Overcombe jacket, grey Oxford jumper Crewe Clothing Co. - blue and grey together

Navy blue suits a wide spectrum of formality, from dinner jackets to jeans. The last few years have seen the rise in the deep blue evening suit (or tuxedo), popular because it shows up as a luxurious midnight blue under artificial light. For work, a navy blue suit is ideal. A classic of simple elegance, it looks superb with a striped shirt and silk Paisley tie. For casual wear, dark navy is the colour of raw denim jeans or of a wool or waxed-cotton pea coat. 

A navy flannel made to measure suit from Susannah Hall Tailors

The CEO of Whistles, Jane Shepherdson, has said: "When I see someone in navy, I think they are sophisticated, effortless, not trying too hard but with an innate sense of style," and she continues, "It is more forgiving than black, less harsh and carries with it a subtle whiff of sophistication. It stripes better than any other colour, and looks both classic and sharp at the same time." 

Smart: blue business coat. Hackett AW14

Casual: Navy and tan from Crew Clothing Co. Abingdon navy gingham shirt

The colour flatters a man so well that it was selected by the Royal Navy as the main colour for its uniforms many years ago. The Navy, keen to keep everything shipshape, recognised that Jack would look good in blue; and certainly women seemed to agree. The nautical look is now popular with both high street brands like Whistles (below) as well as retailers with one foot genuinely in the sea, like Crew Clothing Co, which started in water sports.

Whistles textured pea coat - the nautical look

So, navy blue is a useful colour for a man, whatever his skin tone or hair colour. It covers a range of hues from midnight blue to a cobalt or dark royal blue, so adding to its flexibility. The only problem is that, as in my case, it can become the easy option and you find your wardrobe has become too blue. In that case relieve the effect with contrasting textures (as below) or with colourful accessories; bright socks, ties, pocket squares and sweaters. Alternatively, play with different shades and tones of blue, the overall effect can be striking.

However you do it, use the versatility of navy blue as a base for more daring sartorial adventures.

Oliver Spencer SS15 - shades and textures of blue

Links to suppliers -

Crew Clothing Co. (to whom I'm grateful for their sponsorship of this post.)

Susannah Hall Tailors.

Whistles Menswear.

Hackett.

Oliver Spencer.

The Grey Style Project - Nigel Cabourn, Covent Garden

For various reasons The Grey Style Project, recording older men of style on our streets, has slowed in recent months. But here's my shot of Nigel Cabourn outside his just-opened Covent Garden store.

Nigel Cabourn image © Grey Fox

For other Grey Style Project images on this blog, click here. Please follow The Grey Style Project on Tumblr.

I'll be writing about Nigel Cabourn's new shop soon. Meanwhile, click here to go to Nigel Cabourn's website.

An internet dating survey: where are all the stylish older men? Part 2

In a previous post, Where are all the stylish older men? I revealed that women over 40 feel that many men they meet while internet dating make little effort over their appearance and style.

Fascinated by such complaints, Grey Fox contributor, Sarah Gilfillan, carried out a survey to find out more so that we could advise the older man how to prepare for an internet date.

Image Ste Johnson

This is Sarah's report on the information she gathered -

I sent out a short survey to find out how women liked to see guys over 40 dressed and I thought it would be interesting to share the results with Grey Fox readers. 

In general terms, when asked how they liked their man to dress, women want to see a man looking smart, groomed, and wearing good quality, well-fitting clothing. There seemed to be a slight leaning towards soft tactile fabrics - like cashmere sweaters, velvet jackets and soft brushed cotton shirts - all the better to cuddle up to! 

It was pretty clear what they didn't like on their guys over 40: baggy jeans, bright logo tees, trainers, and poorly-fitting clothes. Men tend to wear over-large garments, which looks sloppy. There were a few comments about mismatched items - either in terms of colour/pattern/fabric or the styles ie: walking trousers and a smart shirt.

No one thought guys over 40 should stop wearing jeans, as long as they're dark, smart, fit well and are not too faded, ripped, skinny, or showing pants! Worn with a smart, plain t-shirt, polo shirt or casual shirt and perhaps a v-neck or half zip sweater, most felt that jeans are good weekend staples.

Many favoured boots for casual wear as an alternative to trainers - desert boots, Chelsea boots, Redwing boots all came up as ones they liked. The other favourite was the ever popular pair of brogues.

For a smarter look - going out for dinner - nearly all said smart jeans again, or trousers/cords and a shirt, possibly with a smart jacket and worn again with brogues or smart shoes. Interestingly, only one person said a suit. 

Nearly all of the women asked said that grooming was very important, but not overly groomed TOWIE style (which they found a complete turn off)! Most preferred clean-shaven, but some were happy with a beard as long as it was not too long or scruffy. All said regular haircuts were a must - even if there's not much left, it needs to be neat round the edges. Other aspects mentioned were tidying up nose and ear hair, and clean short nails - fingers and toes!! 

Image Ste Johnson

There were mixed views on aftershave - one said "lots so it wafts" and some said it wasn't important. It generally seemed that the ladies did like some sort of scent (I guess to denote that you're fresh and clean) but not to go overboard. 

One of the other things that cropped up was the importance of accessories, helping to make an outfit look groomed and smart and also contributing to a more modern, youthful look when chosen carefully. Colourful socks, good quality belts, bags and wallets plus hats - either flat caps/baker boy style/trilby (maybe as a distraction from thinning hair?) were items mentioned. 

Some of the brands the guys bought and the ladies liked were Nudie, Eton, Tiger of Sweden, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Joseph, Redwing, CP Company and Levi's. 

The overall conclusion was that simple, smart, classy and well fitted clothes work. You don’t need to try to be too young or fun, just find your own style and make sure it fits well! Update your look with interesting, quality accessories to keep it fresh and modern.

Every woman, bar one, said that it made their man more attractive to them when they were better dressed. Good advice!

But if you are feeling intimidated by this or think it's shallow, you might be cheered by the couple of girls who said "he's a bit of a scruff, but I love him" and "I knew I was marrying a scruffy muppet so no problem!" I would still argue though that you should get ahead in the dating game by not being a "scruffy muppet" but dressing well and giving yourself an edge over all the other men.

So, gentlemen, whatever you may think, the women's perception is that older men entering the dating game aren't trying their best. As one woman remarked, "We make all the effort only to find that the man hasn't even tried to look presentable".

Next week, in the final part of this series, we'll summarise with advice for the older man preparing for a date.

NOTE: I'd like to thank Ste Johnson for his permission to use the images in this Internet Dating series. To see more of his wonderful work visit his website here.

Jacket Required July 2014 - a few favourites

Jacket Required, a menswear trade show, took place at the end of July. I find events like this useful in providing inspiration for my search for style. Many brands attending sell streetwear or younger baseball-cap-type clothes; maybe not what most older men would go for, but there are many interesting and more classic styles to see. Here are a few of my favourites:

Sanders Shoes - an interesting brand making shoes in Northamptonshire for sale under their own and other labels. Many are classic designs, many have a colourful twist. Click here to visit Sanders -

Private White VC - Manchester-made, I wrote here about my factory visit earlier this year. Casual and outerwear with a difference, all with a very classic design basis. Click here for Private White VC -

Greatcoat - a fairly new label making outerwear and raincoats in London, England. Click here for their website -

Realm & Empire - casual wear brand, making some products (knitwear) in the UK. They base their styles on inspiration found in historic British artefacts and documents. See their website here.

Baracuta - although now Italian-owned, their traditional Harrington jackets are still made in the UK. See their website here -

Triumph & Disaster - I liked the humour and design of this New Zealand skincare, shaving and grooming brand. See their website here.

Grey Fox interviewed on New York's BreakThru Radio

I was delighted to be interviewed today by DJMarie on New York's BreakThru Radio. The show was introduced as follows:

In the youth-obsessed culture of fashion media, where can the more mature sartorial eye turn for age-appropriate inspiration? While resources are still few and far between, bloggers like David Evans of Grey Fox are slowly changing the landscape of style to accommodate its significant older demographic, giving them an opportunity to see themselves reflected in contemporary fashion. On today's show, David joins me to talk about the foundation and growth of Grey Fox, Britain's growing Made in the UK movement, a few style guidelines that will help older men to look and feel their best, some of his favorite accessories, a few Grey Fox fashion icons, and more.

To listen to the interview, click here.

The Grey Style Project - tweed, denim and brogues in Carnaby Street

Image © Carole Evans Photography and The Grey Style Project

For more on The Grey Style Project see here
And please follow the project on Tumblr.

How to dress a man for summer - The Women's Room Blog give us the female perspective

I'm very grateful to Jane Kellock of The Women's Room blog for allowing me to reproduce this highly authoritative woman's view on summer wear for men. It's always good to know what presses the buttons of the fair sex when we throw open our wardrobes and muse over what to wear. For more wonderful advice for the older woman visit the blog, where you can see this post in its original form.

[Note: Grey Fox takes no responsibility whatsoever for the views contained below (brogues without socks? Sheesh!) Enjoy...]

Jane Kellock writes - As the weather begins to warm up (she says optimistically) and our thoughts turn to summer dressing, I thought it might be time for a few words of advice for the men in our lives, on how to approach the coming months.

Middle-aged men can have a hard time when it comes to dressing, particularly in the summer, as it can be tricky to find the right flesh to fabric ratio, length of shorts, appropriate footwear and most importantly, age appropriate look. As you know, we don't like too many rules when it comes to clothes, but there are certain things which are clearly wrong when it comes to middle-aged style and unless you are married to David Beckham or an Italian, most of our menfolk need a little guidance as they age.

David Beckham, while not strictly middle-aged, is the perfect example of a man who exudes style from every orifice. While some women might find that level of self awareness and grooming unattractive in a man, in my eyes, he can do no wrong. He gets both casual and formal completely right and has clearly passed his innate sense of style onto his boys.

David is also one of only a handful of men that can carry off a vest and unless your partner/brother/dad is a Beckham body double, South American drug dealer, or pro skater Jason Dill, a vest is to be avoided at all costs. Tommy Lee may be able to cavort on Venice beach with Pamela Anderson and look good in a vest, but the majority of British men will look more Eddie Yates in Hilda's living room after a long shift on the bins. 

So just what should M.A.D [middle aged dads. GF.] bear in mind when putting together the essential summer wardrobe? Simple neutral colours such as black, white, grey or navy and perhaps even pale blue are fine. Pastel and bright colours are not. Stripe combinations ditto.

Keeping it clean and simple from either Margaret Howell, Uniqlo or Gap, avoids awkward fashionable (not fashionable) colour choices. Football tops or sportswear (apart from when doing actual sports) are unacceptable - always ditto flip flops, unless they are poolside and, even then, a more covered up pool slide is a more attractive option. No man (apart from my husband - but that's another story) has nice feet and no-one wants to see them ever - especially not at work!

Shirts again should be kept simple and clean. Pastels and bright colours are acceptable here, however, but only in checks or gingham. Stripe pastel shirts (along with ironic ties and socks) are too "Wolf of Wall Street" should be avoided. Bright coloured trousers and shorts are a tricky one unless you are the super cool (young) hipsters in the top image, European, or the posh bloke from Googlebox (God, I love that programme).

Bright shorts are easier to pull off on holiday [sounds fun, GF.] and bright trousers are fine if you are a lord or live in the country, but generally navy, black or stone narrow-leg trousers and tailored shorts work best. Shorts should be narrow, but not tight (therefore gay, which is fab, but not on the father of your children) and on, or just above the knee - any shorter is venturing into Joey Essex territory and we all know how wrong that would be!

For a modern look, a rolled up trouser leg, no socks and a Grenson brogue says contemporary smart casual, but still manly. Denim should be detail free and clean. High quality Japanese selvedge denim (Albam, APC, Margaret Howell) is ideal, but if you can't persuade your man that £200 is good value for a pair of jeans, Uniqlo dark wash work equally well.

Knitwear also should also ideally be high quality and simple, ditto sweatshirts - in fact the general rule of thumb for successful middle-aged male dressing is "less is more". There really is nothing more ageing than a man who likes a pint rather than the gym, wearing all the latest Top Man trends in one outfit. We call them "Brighton Dads" in our house, which is probably a bit mean. But you know the sort. Worked in advertising but recently it's been all about viral online marketing, spends more time in Shoreditch House than is good for his relationship and favours Opening Ceremony sunglasses, Obey t-shirts, mid calf length Abercrombie shorts and accessorised with a Palace skateboard at weekends.

With many thanks to Jane Kellock of The Women's Room - GF.

The Grey Style Project - a very English gentleman for St George's Day

Taken in Jermyn Street, London - quintessential English style.

Image © Carole Evans Photography and The Grey Style Project

For more on The Grey Style Project see here
And please follow the project on Tumblr.

The Grey Style Project - Savile Row 1

We visited Savile Row and the surrounding area earlier this week and had a very productive time. See also and follow The Grey Style Project on Tumblr. We'll be adding one or two images weekly.

All images © Carole Evans/Grey Fox 2014 - The Grey Style Project

Visit my sister, Carole Evans Photography, here.

For other Grey Style Project posts on this blog click here.

A reader asks - how can I find a jacket that fits me?

Dear Grey Fox,

If you would be so kind, I could do with some help on jacket and blazer sizing. I am trying to find a tweed jacket (Harris if possible and UK/Irish made) and finding it difficult to find something off-the-peg that looks and fits right. 

Jacket length - too short, long, just right?

I am 5'11", 33" waist, 39" chest and 11st 9lbs. What I am finding in the shops looks very long on me, especially compared with the more modern styles modelled on websites where the models seem to go to the other extreme of wearing undersized jackets. Salesmen in gents outfitters tell me that the jacket should cover the seat (their word!) and the jacket bottom falling next to the thumb knuckles.

Your jacket shown on the blog looks good and seems to conform to this advice, but it doesn't look quite right on me. Possibly my tall skinny build might be something to do with the aesthetics. Additionally because my chest is 39", I have tended to go up to 40" rather than down to 38" even though the actual sizes are 4.5 to 5" larger, thus giving room for a sweater without feeling "bunched up". Is this a mistake by your reckoning?

Image The Sartorialist

Possibly I am asking too much of a sports jacket, when I should just get the Barbour or pea-coat out in colder weather. If you can give any advice on the above, even if it's that I need to go bespoke, I will be very grateful. Possibly I need to mentally re-adjust from wearing technical and casual clothing for too long.

I have now got used to wearing the trilby and today bought a flat cap as you advised before (click here). Finally, well done on joining Esquire's top 20 well dressed men on Instagram (see link below). 

Grey Fox replies -

Many thanks for your question and comments. I'd hate you to give up the search for a tweed jacket, so I've asked my tailor, Susannah Hall, for advice. I agree there's a taste for jackets worn short in the body - often, in my view, extremely so - so this may be distorting your expectations. Fit, proportion and comfort are all important when it comes to choosing clothes, so how can you find a jacket that feels right for you?

Susannah suggests that (like me) you are tall and slim, giving problems finding jackets sized to the proportions you need. She says, 

If one is on the taller side, a short jacket will make you look taller; if too long, it will elongate the body, making you look thinner - you can't win! Your proportions mean that you will find it hard to find an off-the-peg jacket, making bespoke the best solution.

Image The Sartorialist

A jacket should cover your 'seat', not everybody likes a 'bumfreezer'. When I judge the length of a jacket I ask the client to cup his fingers so that the jacket edge sits in his hand. This method is less reliable if a client has arms that are proportionately long or short, so I make a judgement based on experience and the balance of the look. I suspect that this judgement needs to be made in your case.

If you buy a jacket a size too large you will find that the shoulders are too large (and possibly too long in the body) and sculpting the waist may still leave the jacket too roomy.

The best option for you would be to buy bespoke and it can be cut to your preference if you like to wear a sweater or waistcoat. I suspect you are a similar build to Grey Fox; he also finds that the ideal fit cannot be found off-the-peg.

Click here to visit the website of Susannah Hall tailors.

Esquire's The 20 Most Stylish Men on Instagram.

The Grey Style Project - Lamb's Conduit Street March 2014

The Grey Style Project - Image © Grey Fox

To read more about The Grey Style Project click here.

The Grey Style Project: Handlebar moustaches in Trafalgar Square

A member of the Handlebar Club caught in Trafalgar Square, London.

All images © Carole Evans/Grey Fox 2014

A reader asks: where to find affordable menswear - Sarah Gilfillan answers

I received this comment from  a reader, John, recently -

I really enjoy your blog, however it seems to be aimed at the "affluent" male of a certain age and unfortunately I do not fall into the former category. I would love to source my wardrobe from British manufacturers, but the reality is that I cannot afford to pay the substantial premium that this entails. For example I would like a pair of Cheaney brogues but £350 plus is out of my league so I wear a pair of £79 M&S brogues. I wear a pair of £45 Next selvedge jeans, instead of £150 plus Edwin's etc. I also buy from Topman and ASOS, to achieve many of the looks featured in your blog. I welcome your comments. (By the way this in not a criticism of your blog).

Thank you very much for raising this important point - I welcome such comments. I've asked Sarah Gilfillan of Sartoria Lab to advise us. She has much experience of helping clients with styling and clothes purchases.

Uniqlo cashmere crew neck

So, Sarah, where can mature men of style find affordable menswear?

Sarah:   I agree that sometimes we "fashion folk" get carried away by the beautiful products we see which, in reality, are out of reach for lots of people. As a personal stylist, I shop with men of all different ages including many over the age of 40. They have varying budgets so I am challenged to find the best for them within their price range.

Below I've listed some of the places that I have successfully shopped with my clients, finding items they were very happy with, firstly, in terms of fit, price and ability to fit into their lifestyle and, secondly, that we both felt hit the balance between not too young but not veering into 'old and given up' territory.

You may be surprised by some of the shops I suggest, considering them unsuitable, but I urge you to take a look next time you're out shopping or at their online stores.

Cos -

When you look at their website, you may be forgiven for thinking that the clothing is aimed at the very young and hip; but look again - a lot of the things they stock are very simple in design and cut and devoid of too much detail which, in my mind, makes them look contemporary but easy to wear for the older customer . This simplicity means they will integrate well with other pieces in your wardrobe.

My oldest client to date was a charming gentleman of 71. We purchased a number of items from here. I have spoken to his wife since and he's been very pleased with them all - as was she with his updated image!

Cos

Nigel Hall -

I regularly shop at Nigel Hall with a wide variety of clients. They seem to have something for everyone and really tick the boxes of simple style with subtle differences. The trousers go up to a size 38" waist and I'm pleased to see that they are doing XXL (44" chest) again in shirts which they stopped doing for one season. I’d liken them to Ted Baker, but a little more understated and not so well known, which means your clothing won't be instantly recognisable - rather a pet hate of mine.

Nigel Hall

Uniqlo -

I have found some ridiculously cheap and more than fabulous things in Uniqlo for clients. I remember one linen blazer in a small grey check that fitted my lovely client (who was short and rather round) beautifully and looked stunning - and it was about £35! I also favour their jeans and chinos and love that they'll take them up for you in store for free and often within a couple of hours. Their brilliant cashmere comes in soooo many colours!

My trendy Japanese hairdresser, (who's under 40) loves Uniqlo and will style it up a bit, but it can be worn as simply as you like.

  

Reiss -

This is a place I shop with guys of all ages and they often comment that they thought it was just for younger guys and would never normally go in. I agree it does have a fashion slant and I've found recently that the trousers are rather too skinny to work for some clients; but for shirts, knitwear and outerwear it’s classic with a very modern edge. I’d say it works best on guys that are slight or of a smaller stature.

Reiss

Banana Republic -

Great for basics and one of the only places that you can get blazers/sports jackets in the different lengths that are usually confined to suiting - very useful to know if you are particularly tall or short. I got a great couple of blazers here with a tall client who was in his late fifties plus lots of shirts and some excellent Prada-esque smart trainers. It's worth signing up to their newsletter as they often have loads of great discount offers. Sizes run large here.

Banana Republic

Massimo Dutti -

The older brother of Zara, and another place I shop in with clients in their late 40's and 50's. I would describe the pieces they have as elegant with a European style chic to them, usually in subtle and muted colours.  I'd say it's cut on the smaller, slim side, so not perfect for everyone, but well worth checking out.

Massimo Dutti

Kin by John Lewis -

I must admit I haven't actually shopped with anyone from this range but I've seen it and thought it looked really good and as the tagline says "Affordable, well designed, contemporary, yet timeless". I think that sums it up really well - contemporary yet timeless is exactly what I think is right for the older guy, and it does look like it's extremely good value. [Grey Fox: I have some of the range and can confirm that it is both good value, stylish and reasonably well-made].

Kin by John Lewis

In case you're wondering why Marks & Spencer is missing from this list - it's not because I don't like what they're doing, but just because most people already shop there and as men are usually creatures of habit with regard to clothes shopping, I try to introduce them to new places so they can expand their horizons when next shopping by themselves. And besides, you should know all about M&S if you've been paying attention to Grey Fox's previous posts!

Grey Fox: Many thanks, Sarah. I would add Debenhams Hammond & Co to this list. I will be writing about them again shortly [Ed. see here]. This collection, designed by Patrick Grant, contains excellently-made clothes in a classic very contemporary style. I'd also like to mention one more point -

The quality/price equation

Care needs to be taken that quality isn't compromised by cheapness. Clothes that last a few months may be cheap in the short term, but good quality will last longer, making better-made clothes a better investment. Most of the brands mentioned by Sarah combine quality with low prices, but I've bought clothes from one of the retailers mentioned above (Massimo Dutti) that hardly lasted six months. I accept that this can happen with even pricey garments and it will depend on the individual item. Check carefully for strong seams, well-attached buttons and scrunch up the fabric to ensure it is not so thin and mean that it will quickly look shabby.

There is a strong argument for buying better-made clothes as investments - you can always find them at good prices in the sales, but if the ready cash isn't available you have, as Sarah has pointed out, an excellent choice from more economically-priced brands on the high street and online.

[Ed. Since this was posted, Sarah has helpfully put together a capsule collection to illustrate how clothes from these suppliers can be put together for Spring on her own website here].

I know we haven't been comprehensive in our selection. If you have any more suggestions for us, please let is know by e-mail or comment below.

If you have any questions for Grey Fox, please e-mail.

A female perspective on Grey Fox: Introducing Sarah Gilfillan of Sartoria Lab

As an outsider in the fashion world, I write with more enthusiasm than knowledge. I need a more expert view on some aspects of Grey Fox's content. So, I've invited Sarah Gilfillan, a menswear stylist of Sartoria Lab, to contribute from time to time to the blog. 

Men often welcome a woman's perspective on how they dress - image Ste Johnson

Sarah will bring much expertise of the fashion business and, most importantly, she'll bring the female perspective to Grey Fox Blog. Women's views heavily influence how we dress, so Sarah will fill a gap. I'm grateful to her for helping in this way. She'll be giving advice on affordable menswear in a blog post later this week.

I asked Sarah to say a little about her approach -

Like it or not we all subconsciously make assumptions about people based on their appearance, and statistics show that it takes just a matter of seconds to form an opinion on someone when you meet them for the first time. This judgement is made pretty much exclusively on how they look. 

That's why I think it's important to take pride in your appearance, and why I run Sartoria Lab, a personal style consultancy for men. I help men with their personal shopping and styling who perhaps don't have either the time or the inclination to do it themselves and don't have enough interest to research new places and brands to shop, but still want to look good. I do have that interest, and take absolute pleasure in helping these men to look and feel their best.

People are automatically drawn to someone who looks attractive (and who doesn't want to feel attractive and alluring to others?!) so why not make the best of what you have?

You can find out a little more about Sarah on the 'About' page of her website Sartoria Lab here.

Fashion and the older man - style past 40 - Grey Fox scribbles in The Guardian

Image Alan Paine 

I thought I'd gather here links to some of my writing on The Guardian Fashion Blogs network. I'm doing this to make these posts available from here on Grey Fox and to ensure that what appears here is a more complete collection of articles on style and fashion for older men, men past 40 years of age - those of us in middle age. Some of these are revised versions of posts here on Grey Fox Blog.

Meet the bloggers, Grey Fox, the old blogger, goes large. Why I chose to write about older men's style here and in The Guardian.

Are men (especially older men) afraid of dressing well? Why is it that the man over forty is often reluctant to dress well?

Denim jeans and the middle-aged man Why shouldn't older men wear denims?

Where are the grey-haired men in advertising? Why do we see so few middle-aged, older, grey-haired men advertising menswear? Are we being ignored by the fashion industry?

Ageless style What suits the older man? How can the middle-aged man dress with style?

Shorts - an older man never grows out of them Shorts and the mature man. Older men are often criticised unfairly for wearing shorts. How can this be avoided?

Marks & Spencer Best of British collection An older man tries it on. Grey Fox emulates Oliver Cheshire.

Men's fashion in 2014 - What's there for the older man? 

Grey Fox emulates Oliver Cheshire for The Guardian Blog