Video: How to Buy a Suit by Jim Chapman - British GQ

In this first of a new series, The Luxury of Less, the GQ columnist and YouTuber, Jim Chapman, looks at buying a suit, bespoke or off the peg. Containing some sound advice, it rightly emphasises the importance of fit over the label. Men are often too keen to buy labels and this blinds them to the fact that what they doesn't fit or suit them.

Video: Peregrine Clothing made in England from British wool and fabrics

Knowing my love for British-made menswear (and factory visits), family-owned Peregrine Clothing, founded in 1796, have kindly given Grey Fox Blog readers an exclusive preview of this video showing their clothes being manufactured at their factory in England using British wool and fabrics. For more on their innovative ranges of men's and women's knitwear see Peregrine Clothing.

Book review: Menswear Dog: The New Classics

Over the last two years Menswear Dog had become an internet sensation with thousands of followers on social media. Bodhi, the four year old Shiba Inu and his owners stumbled into fame after posting photos of the dog dressed up online. The images were quickly picked up by the press and fashion industry and Bodhi is now famous.

The first Menswear Dog book is published by Artisan in the UK on 1st May. This full-colour men’s fashion and style hardback book includes over 100 photographs and illustrations. Despite the unusual nature of the model, the book, Menswear Dog: The New Classics (Artisan, £11.99) is full of serious fashion and style advice. The fact that the model is a dog makes the advice more accessible than if the clothes were modelled on a too handsome, too young, too perfect male model, as they invariably are by the fashion industry.

This is a fun book that includes some good stylish outfits that are accompanied by sound advice and tips on items to try with the look, colour matching, wardrobe essentials and what to wear for various seasonal events and venues. This book will soon have you wagging your tail.

And here's a video of Bodhi at work:

Augustus Hare video - how to tie a bow tie

Artistic and seasonal instruction on how to tie a bow tie from Augustus Hare, the ties and cuff links people. Their ties are made from knitted silk in Northern Italy or in England from Macclesfield silk.

Clarks - Art of Craft video 2 - the shoemaker and the tailor

This is the second of this nicely-made series of videos by Clarks comparing various crafts - here tailoring and shoemaking.

Clarks - Art of Craft - Family from Run Productions on Vimeo.

UK wool industry spinning back into business - and why we should buy British.

This video shoes how at least one element of the British wool industry is showing signs of recovery.

Here's an argument to support buying British menswear products, made from British raw materials and fabrics. We have the skills and industrial resources, let's use them and help them develop.

(Video from CNN)

Five ways to wear a blazer - Mr Porter video

As is said in this video, every man should own a blazer. Extremely versatile, it can be worn formally with trousers or chinos, or less so with jeans or shorts. My favourite combination is with denims, chambray shirt and brogues. 

This video from Mr Porter gives some ideas.

Loake shoes - a film

My favourite comfortable brogues are a pair of Loake Chesters. Here's a video I found describing the Loake manufacturing process.

The wool production process

How is wool processed to become the products that we wear?

This video gives the answer.

 

What are we looking forward to in autumn?

...well maybe some good weather here in London would be welcome...

Here are the views on of a few fashion nuts on this autumn's trends as caught on video by Mr Porter. Hooray for tweed and denim and pocket squares. What else may influence your search for style?

London Collections, what they wore - Mr Porter video

This video from Mr Porter shows more of the colour and details seen at London Collections. For the older man there are a few ideas here - try bright colours and combinations, classic blazers set off with cheerful pocket squares and, yes, roll up those over-long trouser legs.

I'll probably be reserving the camo for fishing and birdwatching, but that's a middle age thing.

Harris Tweed video

As I said in yesterday's post, with spring advancing into early summer it's no longer the weather for Harris Tweed, which is best used when the temperature is below 12 degrees Celsius or so. However, this is a nice video with much information about my favourite fabric.

Style...an Anglophile living in Brooklyn

I stumbled on this video about Sean Crowley who, believe it or not, lives in Brooklyn. He's clearly an Anglophile - anyway, enjoy! There's lots to inspire here. With thanks to The Dandy Portraits.