What’s the purpose in having your personal trumpet when you can’t blow it occasionally? So let’s blast it out loud and clear; in terms of males’s model, the UK has at all times led the best way. And it’s carried out this through a timeless, and patented, mix of magnificence and eccentricity. As that celebrated iconoclast – and honorary Londoner – Oscar Wilde as soon as stated: “Be yourself; everyone else is taken.”
Give it some thought; in different vogue capitals – Milan, Paris, New York – the rule of thumb is to decorate like your friends, solely higher. In Britain, we like nothing greater than to take our unrivalled model heritage – from Savile Row tailoring to tweeds, tartans and paisleys – and subvert it.
From the dandies and the gents to the mods and the punks, from Ziggy Stardust to Tinie Tempah, British model has conquered the world by tweaking the classics. Premium menswear specialists
“We started off selling suits, and we still have that formal foundation, but we’ve gradually branched out into all areas of the modern man’s wardrobe,” says Alex Area,
1. Class
The British just about invented tailoring; Savile Row’s most venerable homes have been plying their commerce for, oh, 1 / 4 of a millennium or so.
What marks the British out from their European or American friends is their extra nonchalant angle to magnificence; sure, we’re simply as targeted on reduce, material and element, however we’ll throw a number of curveballs by pairing an impeccably crafted double-breasted jacket with, say, a wool roll-neck or a white T-shirt.
Prince Charles is considered one of Alex Area’s model icons, “because, of course, he’s incredibly elegant and ever the gentleman, but it’s shot through with an individual flair and a hint of eccentricity.”
Nevertheless, in an age the place even the likes of Goldman Sachs have adopted the dreaded “flexible dress code,” and Mark Zuckerberg solely forsakes his cashmere hoodie when he’s hauled shame-facedly earlier than Congress, fashionable concepts of magnificence have shifted considerably.
“A suit is still occasion wear, and there’s still nothing better for feeling and looking your best,” says Area. “But today there are many ways to make the suit less ‘suit-y’ without compromising on style, whether that’s cutting a slimmer silhouette or going for a softer construction. I don’t think British style has ever been about being brash or in-your-face; when I talk about ‘elegance’ with the team at
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2. Practicality
Bear in mind the denim onesie or the bondage trouser? British model is actually not afraid to go a bit of outre when the event calls for, however, as with all one of the best jazzmen, the occasional improvisation at all times returns to a rock-solid baseline.
As Cary Grant, who knew a factor or two about model (and was born Archie Leach in Bristol, lest we neglect) as soon as stated: “All it takes are a few simple outfits. And there’s one secret – the simpler the better.”
Easy, nevertheless, ought to by no means be confused with plain. “For me, practicality is really important,” says Alex Area. “Producing great pieces that stand the test of time in a man’s wardrobe is our primary focus at
For Area, these items would come with: “A white T-shirt of course. A merino crew neck is a given. And, naturally, a well-cut navy blazer. For winter, our sales of roll neck knits have been amazing. I mean, every guy looks razor-sharp in a fine-gauge roll neck.”
And in the present day, the British want to face out in all one of the best and subtlest methods fortunately coincides with the backlash in opposition to quick vogue. “With sustainability at the forefront of everyone’s mind, value for money and the lifeline of our product is key,” says Area. “We want people to be able to rely on us for that.”
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3. Versatility
With costume codes in terminal freefall, the British genius for adaptability is within the ascendant. For a chief instance, Alex Area cites a person who places the “pro” in protean: Mr David Beckham.
“When the rules are more relaxed, you have to follow suit, and he’s always perfectly turned out for the occasion, from the blazer-and-tie combos at Wimbledon (when he’s playing the British gent) to the tattoos with T-shirts, leather biker jackets, and baker boy caps he wears when he’s with friends.
“But he also mixes and matches in really creative ways. The key for most men today is to put together an outfit that works for the office and then out for a date, or with friends to the pub. It has to be considered, but also flexible.”
One answer, based on Area, is one thing that the British male, dealing with the vicissitudes of a temperate local weather, has at all times been greater than adept at: layering.
“A smart trainer with a slim-fit suit and soft wool overcoat is pretty acceptable in most workplaces these days. Yet the layers can be peeled off after work and you could be standing in a pub in a white T-shirt, slim-fit navy trousers, no socks and trainers, without missing a beat.” That’s one method to bend the foundations like Beckham.
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4. Consolation
So far as British model is worried, consolation is the brand new rock ‘n’ roll. Or, a minimum of, consolation carried out the fashionable method – that’s Damian Lewis’s soft-power hedge-funder Bobby Axelrod in Billions, together with his knitted blazers, chambray shirts and alpaca cardigans, relatively than Harry Enfield and Kathy Burke as Wayne and Waynetta Slob.
“You’ve got to do comfort without looking like you’re wearing your Sunday hangover track suit,” says Alex Area. “The benefit for us is that
This interprets right into a wardrobe that meets the very fashionable, always-on-call wants of those that discover that enterprise and leisure have gone into the blender to create a work-life smoothie.
“We’ve put stretch into our fabrics,” says Area, “elasticated the waistbands of formal trousers, softened the color palettes, and added linings or hybrid pieces that can be zipped out or added into coats to provide that feeling of ease – without compromising on style.” As British model continues to evolve,
