14/01/2018
Welcome to the first instalment of a new series I’ve decided to call “The Garmsman Dozen”. Garmsman? Street-lingo for Garment Man, and dozen because I send out a list of questions and ask for at least a dozen to be answered. Enough waffle though and over to Jon aka Heavyjon on Instagram. Welcome to the Garmsman Dozen Jon! Who are…
07/01/2018
Over the past almost five years, and over 500 posts, it’s pretty much been me and my whims that have provided the topics I’ve written about, which might be considered eclectic or wide-ranging, at least within the quite narrow scope of being more or less related to menswear. And that’s good, as it’s only my motivation that drives it, it’s…
01/12/2017
Sometimes really good things can come from places where you might not suspect they would come from. Take rugged leather boots, your mind probably goes to American made workwear makers like Red Wing or Thorogood. Or take quality Goodyear welted shoes and you might naturally think traditional makers in Northampton. If your thoughts then take a turn towards more reasonably…
30/11/2017
Another classic jacket on the review bench today, the Cordings x Grenfell Shooter, a design first available in the 1940’s. For reasons that will become clear, I have divided this post into 4 parts. Let us proceed. The history of Grenfell and Cordings There is a lot of history combined in one jacket here. The maker, Grenfell, has it’s…
25/11/2017
It seems like such a long time since I visited the Hebrides on my grand Harris Tweed expedition, though in reality it’s only been 6 months. The memories are still vivid though, as both the experience was wonderful and the photos great. I wrote about the trip previously (part one and part two), so won’t recap too much of that…
24/11/2017
As confidently predicted a year ago by yours truly, corduroy is a thing this season. I’ll confidently double down on my predictions and predict it will be a thing next year as well. And the year after, and then again. You get the picture, right? In the world of unfashion everything good is perpetually a good thing. Be it tweed,…
14/10/2017
A few weeks back I was doing a little thrifting and came across a pair of vintage Norwegian army field pants. Super condition, worn in and undamaged. Mine for a pound. Score! Only, in the same way, I don’t wear denim jackets, I don’t really wear field pants either. A quirk of taste or a physical manifestation of an inner…
18/09/2017
With Autumn sneaking in to replace those slow Summer days, it’s natural for those of us with a penchant for carrying an assortment of goods around us may start thinking of backpacks, or rucksacks, if you like, again. As all sensible gentlemen know, the backpack is the best way of carrying items of volume or weight. A tote bag may…
22/08/2017
I have a terrible unawareness when it comes to the menswear tradeshows. I never seem to know when they are, I’ve never applied for a press pass and hence, I never get to go. I tell a small lie, I did in fact manage to apply once, to Bread & Butter in Berlin, and did get the press pass, but…
21/08/2017
Backpacks come in many shapes and forms, materials and details, intended for one use or another. I have backpacks that are great for stuffing a weekends worth of hiking gear in, backpacks that are brilliant for the daily year-round cycle to work with an expensive laptop inside, even a backpack that does a sterling job of carrying a library book…