Best menswear blogs, books and magazines
I was recently asked by a client for recommendations of blogs to follow and other inspirational menswear sites. The following were the ones I recommended to him so I thought I'd share them here with you too. If you have any other favourites, I'd love to hear what they are so please leave a comment below.
Blogs
Grey Fox aka David Evans blogs about his search for style as an older man and he's particularly interested in smaller brands and Made In Britain. (Image by Jonathon Daniel Pryce)
Fashion Beans is aimed at a younger market and is great for clear explanations and simple guides on all aspects of menswear - clothing and grooming.
Permanent Style focuses on reviewing bespoke products but even if you're not in that market, it's great for detailed learning about menswear....make sure you read the comments on the posts too as there are often some very interesting discussions going on! (Image by Jamie Ferguson)
Online magazines
The Rake features classic style with lots of references to style icons and how to get the look, plus articles on historical influences on fashion. There's an online shop there too so if you get inspired you can click straight through to buy.....sounds dangerous!
The Jackal is quite a new lifestyle magazine with sections on Smart Dressing, Smart Living and Smart Thinking. I find the recommendations in the Smart Dressing section are things that my clients would actually want to wear as oppose to crazy fashion that just looks good in photo shoots.
The Gentlemen's Journal has a wide range of lifestyle articles including grown up fashion and grooming advice. It's a great blend of how to's, history, style icons, and 'best of' articles.
Books
Dressing The Man - Mastering The Art of Timeless Fashion - Alan Flusser
I love this book though I know not everyone agrees (ask David from Grey Fox blog above!) I personally think it's a great resource and has excellent advice about colours, mixing patterns, and which shapes suit certain body types. Not to mention very detailed information on cloth, accessories and every item of menswear you could imagine.
Bespoke - Savile Row - Ripped and Smoothed - Richard Anderson
A great read if you'd rather glean your info on menswear and tailoring in a storytelling way. This book tells the tale of Richard Anderson's journey through Savile Row from when he started his apprenticeship at 17 years old to having his own shop there now.
Gentleman - A Timeless Fashion - Berhard Roetzel.
This book covers every type of menswear clothing from underwear to outerwear and thoroughly explores it. Less focused than Dressing the Man on what will suit the individual, it nevertheless covers all the 'rules' of menswear.....it may seem a little old fashioned at times, but you've got to know them before you break them!