by Mansel Fletcher | Jun 27, 2013 | Bespoke Suit, Wedding Suits
The modern world has few occasions smarter than grand weddings, and for the majority of men the dress code will call for the most formal clothes they own. However, not all weddings are stiff affairs, and the location and style of the ceremony will dictate what kind of outfit the male guests should wear. Of course, at a social event, rather than a professional one, a man’s outfit should say something about his character, rather than about his job title. There is no better way to do this than by commissioning a bespoke suit, which, done right, speaks eloquently about the man who’s wearing it. (more…)
by Mansel Fletcher | Jun 14, 2013 | Bespoke Suit, Film & TV, Style Icons
Some men dress up well (Cary Grant), and some men dress down well (Steve McQueen), but Gary Cooper dressed well all of the time. Kitted out in a plaid shirt and faded jeans he was every inch the rugged outdoorsman, and yet he was able to look just as natural in a dinner jacket, or even white tie. As well as being a fine actor Cooper was a real man, and enjoyed skiing, hunting, sailing and fast cars. In Enduring Style, G Bruce Boyer’s excellent book about Cooper’s clothes, the actor is photographed at the wheel of an impressive convertible Duesenberg, with a finely wrought dimple in his tie. (more…)
by Mansel Fletcher | May 30, 2013 | Bespoke Suit, Film & TV, Style Icons
An apocryphal story about the legendary actor and dancer Fred Astaire has it that after a disappointing screen test a studio executive gave him the following report: “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Balding. Can dance a little.” To which we might add, Can dress. Astaire had neither a face nor a body that inspired desire or jealousy, but as studio boss David O Selznick had it, “I feel in spite of his enormous ears and bad chin line, that his charm is so tremendous that it comes through.” His wardrobe, and the way he wore it, seems to have been a physical manifestation of that charm. (more…)
by Mansel Fletcher | May 23, 2013 | Bespoke Suit, Style Icons
Born 65 years ago into an aristocratic and well-connected family from Italy’s Piedmont region, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was a racing driver before an impassioned performance on a radio show caught the attention of Enzo Ferrari. The legendary carmaker employed Montezemolo as his assistant in 1973, and put him in charge of his racing team a year later. These days Montezemolo is chairman of Ferrari (among other things), but despite the car company’s flashy image his dress remains resolutely classic. A close examination of his clothes reveals just how many different elements come together to produce the apparently effortless style that we Brits are often tempted to envy. (more…)
