CULTURE & FASHION
Dutch brand Suitsupply are most certainly a favourite of mine on The Gentleman Select. Consistently they have produced many stand out pieces over the years. Happily once again, I can say they have knocked it out the park by presenting the worlds lightest suit. A wonderful alternative to linen and indeed perhaps the perfect answer for that upcoming summer wedding you have on the cards.
Last year top clothing brands FatFace and Folk collaborated on their first collection. The result of this ski based lifestyle and minimal British streetwear brand joining forces was full of winter wardrobe essentials, perfectly incorporating function and style. Happily I can say they have decided to link up again, producing the FatFace x Folk SS19 collection, a range full of summer staples and essentials designed in Britain. Recently here at The Gentleman Select I had a closer look at some of the key pieces you can expect to see and moreover want in your wardrobe come sunny season.
I’m certain most of you own or have owned a denim shirt in your life time. A fantastic, versatile item to have in the wardrobe, it goes with anything from chinos to denim jeans. Yes indeed the old “double denim” is something I’am an advocate of as long as they are not matching in the same colour. When it comes to popping on the shirt itself however, I would guess a good percentage of you have never worn one with a suit. With this in mind, last month I paid a visit to renowned tailor Andrew Brookes in Edinburgh to check out some shirt options and where I also found a denim shirt perfectly suited for any occasion.
Established on London’s famous Jermyn Street in 1898, T.M.Lewin has been helping men dress to impress for over 100 years. Their fantastic e-commerce set-up and some 100 U.K stores, including new sites opening around the world in Europe, Singapore and Australia, offers up a wide and rich variety of high quality shirts, impeccably tailored suits and jackets, with dapper accessories to match. Here at The Gentleman Select I was lucky enough to link-up with this tailoring titan to explore some of their key, new season pieces. Items that are perfect for everyday use, perhaps a special occasion or if you are dressing to impress. T.M.Lewin certainly has it all.
Currently as we are in the peak of British summer and holiday time, its always good to make sure your shirts are at their sharpest when you head to the local bar, restaurant or poolside. To help you out, I’ve teamed up with the folks over at Debenhams and picked some electric Resort Shirts from their range in store that is guaranteed to help you look and feel as cool as possible.
Now readers do hear me out on this one, although this is a short sleeve, satin shirt, it is a pick that Iam convinced will accelerate you ahead of everybody else in terms of your summer wardrobe shirt game. Iam of course talking about the Visvim Camp-Collared shirt by designer Hiroki Nakamura.
In the words of legendary gentleman outfitters Mr Porter and professional valet Mr Stephen Haughton, here is how to simplify one of life’s inescapable chores.
“If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well – and there are few things as worthwhile as taking the time to properly iron your shirt. When it comes to dressing with style, some rules are made to be broken. Others, not so much. And a crumpled, poorly ironed shirt is up there with the most heinous of sartorial sins.
There was a time, not too long ago, when the only men expected to know how to iron a shirt were soldiers. In his endlessly quotable and deliciously anachronistic style guide of 1964, The ABC Of Men’s Fashion, Sir Hardy Amies offers the following advice on the topic of ironing: “If you haven’t been in the services, then get a wife and train her.” It goes without saying that anyone who still clings on to such opinions needs dragging, forcibly, into the 21st century. Every modern man should have this skill at his disposal.
That’s why we’ve asked Mr Stephen Haughton, founder of Burford Valet Service, to provide us with an expert’s guide. With more than 20 years’ experience in keeping his clients’ clothes – and, by extension, his clients themselves – looking their very best, Mr Haughton is a man whose opinion you can trust.
This video guide has been designed with the beginner in mind. As such, it assumes no prior knowledge, but we hope that even an old hand might discover something new. Did you know, for instance, that there’s a specific direction in which you should iron your collar? Watch the video, above, to find out how to do it and why”.
Our high-street king Burton has always delivered varied, strong options for all occasions and none more so than this summer. Here at The Gentleman Select, in line with the launch of our new website, we have teamed up with Burton to give you four summer shirt options and the chance to win a little helping hand for your summer wardrobe, with a £25 gift voucher. Read on for more details.
The key in said selections is having variety so you can really mix-up different outfits throughout your holiday, from the poolside to the bar in a flawlessly smooth transition.
First up we consider texture with a nepp effect in this classic button up, short sleeve shirt featuring lightweight Linen to give breathability in those hot summer nights. There is five colour options to choose from, the grey which we selected below, could be paired with slim fit Burton chinos and ice white plimsoles. Effortlessly cool indeed.
Next is an option which we find is often very over looked, be it the name or its out of norm appearance. Its the grand dad collar. It is a version of shirt which has seen modernisation by many clothing maestros like Burton. They have given it a spruce of pastel, with examples of pink and green as seen below. Paired with some equally light coloured tailored shorts and this nautical t-shirt, you will be more than welcome to pull up a pew at the beach-side bar.
This leads us to our next shirt which has been around almost since the dawn of time on the bar scene, a piece always revisited. The denim shirt. A staple item which always has a place in the male wardrobe, Burton has produced five wonderful variants in short sleeve length, two with a pattern effect and three solid. Our chosen example below is the classic dark denim, hugely adaptable in any outfit wether its paired with chinos and some boat shoes or as Burton hints, quintessential skinny black jeans for after dark.
A personal favourite on the short sleeve scene, in which you don’t need to chop trees for a living to wear one, is the check shirt. Here it gets a boost with some great colour options, pair it with some slim fit denim, perhaps similar to the colour above, and see both items really stand out. The check is also great with a plain block coloured t shirt worn underneath, we suggest white, loose and open which really emphasises the check pattern.
Whatever selections you make, we found a great variety over at burton.co.uk which tops the bill for all occasions and really bolsters your summer wardrobe. We also highly recommend entering your email address now and boost your chances of winning £25 towards your Burton outfits.