Dress better, look better, feel better

Mr Londoner offers some gentle menswear advice for upping our sartorial game

“Our clothing is an unspoken language that tells stories of ourselves. What you’re wearing right now is sending message about who you are, what you think and how you feel. This goes beyond the limitations of fashion: it is a daily, even hourly, signalling of our beliefs, emotions, intentions.”  What Artists Wear, Charlie Porter, Penguin Books.

Touching-down in the well-appointed surroundings of one of London’s top hotels recently, I was struck by the stylish interior, the well-thought through lighting, the plush upholstery and the smartly-presented staff. But the guests… now that was another matter. This five-star West End hotel, popular with A-listers, appeared to have been taken over by an army of men in late middle-age who wore an unflattering, identikit uniform of baggy track pants, sportswear and baseball and trucker caps. Some of these (presumably successful and well-resourced fellows) weren’t in bad shape at all. But, my goodness, those clothes! By contrast, the female guests were considerably better-attired. In the words of fashion curator and collector Mark Reed: “I think some people have forgotten how to dress”. Whether we intend it or not, everything we wear says something about us.

Elegance and grace
So what’s going on guys? Most of our continental cousins generally manage to pass muster on the fashion front. But we Anglo-Saxon types are, it seems, undergoing a crisis of confidence when it comes to getting dressed in the morning. When I was a kid, I so admired the dapper look of my grandfather. He was a modest working-class guy. But there was a natural grace and elegance there. And, like seemingly all older British men in the 1960s and 70s, he wore a tie regardless of the occasion. I’m not saying we have to return to the formality of an earlier age, but there has to be a middle way.

A tie with any occasion. Mr Londoner’s father-in-law Michael Williams at the wheel of an ERA in the late 1950s

It now seems that pyramid has been inverted. Today’s dads and grandads seek to copy the look of their junior offspring. Cargo shorts with those funny dangly bits, hoodies and baseball caps round the wrong way look fine on 12- year-olds. But we fellows of a certain age need to demonstrate a bit more confidence and originality. By now, we should have developed our own personal style, one that’s simple, comfortable, easy-on-the-eye and appropriate for our years.

Kiddult
Besides, this so-called ‘kiddult’ style, rather than making us appear younger, it’s actually rather ageing. In a recent interview for the Observer Magazine, British politician Harriet Harman, 74, said: “Be the age you are and own it… Freeing ourselves from the quest of looking younger is fundamental to real liberation.”

I run fashion and styling tours for guests from around the world. We don’t need not be slovenly to be comfortable. My advice, especially to first-time visitors to the city, is to dress neither like a teenager nor a tourist. Somehow more elegant attire helps us to walk taller when we dress better. None of this needs to be expensive. Mid-market brands like Uniqlo, Arket and John Lewis all offer a wealth of possibilities for the conservatively-attired man seeking to gently up his game.

Don’t feel you always have to run with the crowd. It might just be time to let that baseball cap go @meetmrlondoner

It’s pants
I have some suggestions. First let’s talk trousers (or pants). It’s really easy to source well-cut cotton pants or chinos in London. Cotton lasts and it’s easy to maintain. This is a much better look than those multi-pocketed, multi-zipped, technical explorer pants, in obscure man-made materials, favoured by some middle-aged men on holiday.

But even these are better than those inexplicably-popular, artificially-ripped jeans, made by fast-fashion labels. I’m all for letting our clothes, much as ourselves, age gracefully. But this is not that. The complex making process to create mechanically-shredded and aged jeans inflicts terrible damage on the environment. And it looks fake. It consumes hundreds of litres of water contaminating natural systems with polluting dyes and bleaches. The actual distressing of the jeans is done with the sort of power tools you’d expect to see on a construction site. These are often wielded by children in countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam or China. The dust created is especially tough on young lungs.

So let’s make better, smarter and more ethical choices. How about a pair of nice wool pants? Wool drapes beautifully. But watch out for those moths. Linen crumples but cuts a pleasingly raffish dash. Swedish brand Nudie takes an ethical approach to its jeans and chinos, offering free lifetime repairs. It has branches in Soho and Shoreditch.

If you’re sticking with sneakers, best go for something simple not overly-engineered and loud @meetmrlondoner

Simple sneakers
People love sneakers (trainers as we Brits call them). By all means hold on to that look, but perhaps opt for minimalist versions in one colour. Avoid anything overly-engineered or that screams gangsta-bling. British brand Clarks Originals is famous for its iconic and comfortable suede desert boot and Wallabee moccasins. These present a more unusual and refined alternative to sneakers. The brand has a boutique in Soho.

Comfy, however, doesn’t necessarily mean sneaker or desert boot. Don’t be afraid to give well-made leather footwear a try too. Bad shoes can ruin an outfit. But not to worry, Britain still has a proud tradition of bench-made shoe-making going back two centuries. One of my favourite brands is Joseph Cheaney and Sons, with branches across the city. I advise my clients, if they were to only invest in one item of attire, that it should be their shoes or boots – every time. That said, quality is everything and cheap dress shoes are worse than no dress shoes.

A stylish group of friends enjoying their vintage clothing @meetmrlondoner

If the hat fits
Gents, it might be time to swap out that baseball cap. John F Kennedy, a man with an impressive head of hair, ended the fashion for hats by never wearing one. By the mid-1960s, even 007 ditched his trilby from the Bond film opening credits. Today, sadly, it’s rare to see a fedora or pork pie hat – or a beret. Although upper-middle class Englishmen, gin and tonic in hand, can sometimes be spotted sporting a classic straw Panama on a balmy summer’s day.

My own hat collection has certainly become more significant as my hairline has become less so. And fortunately for me, London has some great hat shops. Its most famous, Lock and Co, dates back to 1676. So, rather than sporting a cheap-looking baseball cap, made of plastic and nylon, how about some elegant headwear in Harris tweed – or perhaps linen for summer? My favourite variation is the baker boy flat cap. Divided into six sections at the crown, it brings to mind those classic early 1930s photographs of construction workers on the Empire State Building. Thomas Farthing and Co, near the British Museum, always carries a good selection of very wearable headwear.

Drop the hoodie
Hoodies and sweatshirts have their place on the sports field. But, with a little more thought, a light sweater in cashmere or virgin wool might look better. And it will raise your game. Marks and Spencer is famous for good-value knitwear. Japanese brand Uniqlo is also pretty reliable for affordable but stylish separates.

Say no to the tech bro
A new fashion has emerged in the City of London. And it doesn’t look great. Tech and finance guys have started wearing black and navy quilted waistcoats (vests) under tailored suits or formal jackets. This is clearly a tribal adornment, described by one fashion commentator as “the coder’s chestplate armour”.

But it’s an oddly jarring juxtaposition, especially so on those who have the resources to make more elegant and informed choices. So don’t go there. Insulated vests are a perfectly sensible option if you work in the chiller section of your local supermarket. It’s not such a great look if you’re selling IT, trading currencies or meeting discerning clients.

TV still drives our shopping habits. Tech bro vests appeared on our streets after they featured in the highly-acclaimed Netflix series Succession. Comedy classics Sienfeld and Curb your Enthusiasm boosted sales of so-called ‘normcore ‘- otherwise known as average-looking everyday clothing. By sharp contrast Madmen’s anti-hero, Don Draper, briefly popularised sharp, three-buttoned, 1960s-style suits. And British 1920s crime drama, Peaky Blinders, helped lift sales of tweed caps. That show’s creator, Steven Knight, even launched his own Peaky Blinders fashion label, Garrison Tailors. If you prefer the real thing, London has some great vintage shops, where unique and well-made items from yesteryear can be sourced quite reasonably.

It doesn’t take much to look good in London and dressing just that little bit better will not require an expensive makeover. A few well-thought through basics can go a long way. Your partner will thank you. And by buying fewer, but better quality, things you’ll do your bit to help save the planet.

Mr Londoner goes for a classic look @mrslondoner

Add a final flourish
Finally, if you love the cool film stars of the 1960s and 70s and you’re still stuck about what to wear, look at yourself in the mirror and ask: “Would Steve McQueen wear this?” If the answer’s yes, but something’s still missing, an otherwise neutral outfit can be seamlessly brought together with a little injection of colour. Try adding a scarf or a jaunty silk pocket square. Grandad would be proud.

 

About the Author

Mr Londoner is stylist, writer and broadcaster Antony Robbins You can find Mr Londoner on Instagram @meetmrlondoner and here