Whilst engaging in a very stylish conversation with a friend recently, my friend asked what was the number one fashion item that I could not live without? I guess the question had stemmed from our discussion as to what records would I take to a desert island, if I could only take three ? – to be discussed at another time!  

My friend undoubtedly expected a response along the lines, of “well it has to be my Gucci loafers, velvet slippers, houndstooth Man1924 Kennedy Jacket or my red corduroys”. In truth it is none of these items, whilst they are all fabulous in their own right, it is the simple pocket square that sits firmly as my number one fashion item that I cannot live without. So here goes, a discussion on the understated importance and versatility of a pocket square.

The importance of a pocket square

The simple pocket square has the ability to both add a degree of super-coolness and style to a look and on the other hand destroy a look completely. If executed in the right way the outcome is a fabulously stylish and effortless signal that reflects both confidence and sophistication.

The beauty of a pocket square is that they don’t necessarily require a significant financial outlay and in truth almost any small piece of fabric (perhaps 30cm X 30cm) will do the trick. There are of course some relatively expensive pocket squares on the market, I personally have a number from the London based brand Drake’s that are outstanding. However in my view it is not the expense or label that are important, the key is how you chose to fold/place the pocket square in your top pocket and secondly how the pocket square interacts with the colours and fabric that you are wearing.

I think that the number one mistake that a lot of gentlemen make is to try and match the pocket square with the tie. In my view the pocket square should never ever match ones tie. The pocket square should be a contrast to the tie or jacket and colours complementary. The pattern should also contrast with what you are wearing in a complementary way. For example a busy paisley pocket square in red’s and light blues against a navy linen jacket works well, the contrast of the busyness of the pocket square against the navy block creates an outstanding look. Whilst I have numerous pocket squares that I have collected over many years, my go to pocket squares tend to be white and I’m regularly seen in a Drakes heavy linen square in the summer and a silk one from Dunhill in the winter.  

The second most important part of the pocket square once you’ve chosen the pattern is how you place the pocket square in your pocket. There are many websites dedicated to the art of folding a pocket square and the styles range from the various pointed styles (1,2,3 and 4 points) through to the puff and presidential styles. I don’t intend to provide a guide to how to fold these particular styles as these can be easily referenced through a spot of googling. In terms of my pocket square style I am inclined to not follow any particular technique, I like my pocket squares to be wild and carefree in order to achieve that ‘Sprezzatura’, effortless style appearance. The only time I specifically make sure my pocket square is super neat and square is when I am wearing a dinner suit.

The versatility of a pocket square

In terms of my own personal style I like to incorporate these fabulous pocket squares within my looks in a variety of ways. As long as the pocket square is large enough, I like to wear the linen ones as neckerchiefs in the summer. This technique works well with old ‘T’s and polo shirts and again achieves that effortless style appearance.

A trend that seems to be gaining greater momentum right now in Europe is to also wear the pocket square on ones wrist. I have worn this look on numerous occasions last summer and as per the neckerchief the result is the appearance of effortless cool which I love.

My tips for pocket squares

• Never match the pocket square with the tie
• Linen squares for summer
• Pocket square colours should contrast and be complementary to one’s jacket, tie, shirt.
• White pocket squares look great with almost anything.
• A pocket square style for a dinner suit should be neat and simple
• The fold of the square doesn’t have to be perfect.

DrakesLondon

Man1924

Join me and my friend and writer Kia D. Rodriguez for a very stylish chat. tonight on Instagram Live. We will be talking stylish smack and in a very candid conversation on fashion sense and sensibility. 8PM NZST

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My friend and fellow blogger, called me this afternoon, she said, ‘Hey, I need you to write something in a hurry, we’re running out of content’. I thought ‘ that can’t possibly be true’. As I sat wondering and rubbing my hands through my beard in a manner that drives my wife mad! It came to me, Beards, yes Beards!

How it started.

If you’d have said when I was 21 that I’d have a beard at 50, I would have fallen over in fright. You must be joking – why? how? that must be a mistake! I’m not a beard guy, I shave twice a day and there’s never even the slightest sight of stubble not even when I’m camping!

But it’s true I can vouch to my younger self that I have a beard. I love it, it’s fab, well I think so, and I’m never going to be without it.

It all started with a prod from what was fashionable perhaps 5 years ago. I’d dreamt about having a go, I’d gone a few days before without a shave and thought how dreadful. I’d tried a few times and just couldn’t. I came across a photo of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman in a magazine and he had one, I thought I can do this too. I think if you’re going to grow one then the obvious time is over the Christmas holiday period. So that is how it started.

The Early days.

As my beard began to become a real beard, I had a stack of questions that needed to be answered. How do I maintain it? do I shampoo it? should I cut it myself? Oh dear the list of questions endless. I did some online research and leant about beard oils, balms and styles. Web content was far and wide, Instagram pages were even dedicated to beards, where did it end?

The most important decision I made in the early days, was that I should never ever cut it myself. Don’t even think about it! How many times had I seen guys with a beard one day and gone the next following some self-grooming gone wrong. I so wanted to avoid this. Afterall, you kind of got used to looking a certain way and the beard to no beard transition can be frightening.

There were times in the early days that I gave up and had to start again. I spent a month once growing a decent beard only to shave it off one night after a pint or two. As soon as it was gone, I desperately wanted it back, argh!

What I’ve learned about Beards

My closest friend when it comes to beards, is my Barber. Aside from myself he’s the only person whom I’ve ever let near my beard. His advice on styling has been outstanding. The shape of the beard is of huge importance and his advice in the early days invaluable, particularly with what suited my face shape and what worked with my hairstyle. We agreed that a beard could really rock with a great hairstyle. A bad hairstyle along with a beard would make me look like a hobbo or a sad uncle at the family Christmas party. I’ve looked to avoid this and constantly booked appointments at the Barber for every 4 weeks to tighten the beard and ensure my hairstyle equally as tight. I think my Barber calls this a ‘tune-up’.

Always one for a change, I’ve identified that the correlation between hair length and beard length is minus one for those mathematicians. What this means, and this is my approach at least, is as my hairstyle gets longer the beard goes shorter and as my hairstyle gets shorter the beard gets longer. Right now, my hairstyle is what I would describe as tight, similar to one of my role models, that being the French actor Vincent Cassel, whose short style is a favourite, and therefore my beard is a little fuller. I love it, I really do.

I think one of the reasons I love my beard, is that my face underneath is of the rounder shape, the beard elongates my face, and, in my opinion, a longer face makes sunglasses look better and hats suit you like a dream. How superb can it be that one can changes one’s appearance without doing anything at all, just sit and wait for it to grow!!!

My tips

• I always avoid the too manicured beard styles, these kind of remind me of 90’s boy band looks.
• I prefer the natural fade down the jaw line rather than a hard line which to my mind looks like the beard is a stick on one.
• A beard balm smells fab and keeps your beard in check
• Seek advice from your Barber, avoid DIY grooming If you can’t do it in style, then don’t do it.

SHOP NOW

NewCityBarbers

The Merchant Beard Balm

Who am I and how did I get here?

Whilst thinking about putting this blog together, it occurred to me that I needed to introduce myself. I had a mountain of articles ready to go but no article on who I was and how I became to be ‘The Global Style Pilot’. More importantly, I thought it appropriate to discuss what had inspired me to proceed with sharing my knowledge and thoughts on style to a global audience.

Saturday 4 April 2020.

It’s a warm autumn afternoon, normally on a Saturday afternoon I would be out watching my boys play field hockey. In the early evening we’d pop to my favourite Greek restaurant for a meal and a bottle of red. However, today we find ourselves in unpresented times, in lockdown as the world tries to overcome the Covid19 pandemic that threatens the wellbeing, health and lives of so many. So there is no field hockey and my Greek restaurant is closed for the foreseeable future. I dare say that what we knew as normal before the virus will be quite different in the aftermath. The lockdown has provided everyone the opportunity to stop and think, and in effect reset. So rather than just sit and wait until it all ends with the view to returning to normal, which of course may never happen, I have decided that if there is one thing more than anything else I would like to do. It is this, yes, to share my passion, knowledge and thoughts on style and contemporary menswear through a blog.

So what is it you do again?

Being quite a social person and attending many functions and parties (well, it would be rude not to!), I have often wondered why it is, that on meeting someone for the first time, the first question is; “so what is it you do again?” My view is, that it is not important how you choose to occupy your day time, what is far more important, is who you are, and for me that is what you see on my Instagram page. These are the pictures of my finest looks and pieces; double breasted suits, ties, shoes, colourful cords, tweed, shawl scarves, fragrance and books on style. This is me, this is what makes me the happiest. There is of course the argument that people’s lives are not as you might see on social media, however these pictures are me and this is what I do and wear, every day.

How did I get to here?

I got to this place and day, through a long journey. A journey that I have been fortunate enough to take, in most part sponsored by my once career working for an investment bank and my passion for style and fashion. My earliest days of building my style knowledge base began in London working in the square mile, a haven of financiers dressed impeccably, working in historic buildings and living a life of luxury in between times. I built a collection of Hermes ties. I learned about chalk stripes suits, loafers and brogues, overcoats, Dunhill, cigars, martinis, Gucci loafers and fragrance. I am what I would describe an observer. I study and save the ideas away for future reference. My London days are what I describe as my formative years on which there were 13 of them. During this time I was heavily influenced by Sloane style, perhaps an appropriate point of reference might be James Hewitt, the gentleman most famous for his relationship with Princess Diana.

During my London life I was fortunate to attend many influential and stylish events including the Cartier Polo, Henley, Wimbledon, Ascot and private parties. All forming a base for how I am today. Of course living in London provided me with a gateway to Europe, day shopping trips to Paris were a taken for granted luxury, weekend breaks to Milan, Rome and Madrid all added to my education in style and presentation.

Following London, I spent 5 years in Singapore, again working for an investment bank. Singapore introduced me to colonial living, black and white villas, bars and cigars. I was fortunate enough to spend periods in Tokyo and Hong Kong through my role with the bank. Each trip away allowed me to explore and enhance my knowledge of style and of course shop and socialize. Business trips to Tokyo meant work by day with quick shopping trips to Ginza and Omotesando in between times, followed by after work drinks at some of Tokyo’s most hip and stylish establishments.

At the end of my Singapore experience I took up a new challenge in Shanghai. Whilst London was the base building block and Singapore the middle tier, Shanghai to my mind, was another level altogether.

Shanghai, frequently known as the Paris of the East, dominated by Art Deco buildings and antiques introduced me to tailoring. I had never before had anything made by a tailor prior to living in Shanghai. I spent a great deal of time researching and looking for a high end tailor. I found one and the doors were immediately flung open, to this day he is one of my best friends. He has my measurements neatly filed, and awaits every few months for a new order. I typically plan ahead prior to each season. I have what I call influencers’ that I sometimes refer to and otherwise through reading and drawing on my memory, I choose pieces for him to make.

So I am here. I could be anywhere really. I carry a lifetime of experiences and an eye for style and now I’m opening up in this blog.

The ‘Socks’ v ‘No-Socks’ debate is one that seems to rage on and always without question comes up as a discussion point in the office when the topic of menswear arises. As I sit writing this article, ankles slightly refreshed from the air-conditioning that filters the office, ahead of another 31 degrees day, I recall a discussion on the lack of socks on Monday.

It so happened that on Monday I had a very important meeting with a client. It was the kind of meeting where socks were required along with a perfectly knotted Hermes tie. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought too hard about the socks. However, it seems that my regular lack of socks has attracted considerable attention and as a result, the appearance of socks framing my penny loafers resulted in at least 4 comments of various tones in the office and even my barista noticed the unusual appearance of socks. Given all of this I thought it appropriate to give my view on this interesting debate.

Sprezzatura

I think that most stylish men tend to have what I call influencers, i.e. stylish role models that one takes reference from and incorporates elements in ones look. I certainly do and one of my favourites is Prince Michael of Kent the very elegant British royal with a Russian heritage. Another element that I’m a very keen follower of, is the Italian word for effortless style and that is ‘Sprezzatura’. The term ‘Sprezzatura’ can be mostly simply be described as ‘studied carelessness’, and to my mind this is where the no-socks look has originated. Any close follower of menswear will have observed the so-often photographed Italian gentleman wearing a decadent suit, sans socks and over recent times, this look has been achieving a heightened level of interest and there are more ankles on display than ever before.

Tips for leaving the Socks in the draw.

As I regularly opt for the ‘No-Socks’ look here I introduce some key tips.

I personally think that if you are going to display your ankles then they really need to be tanned. There can surely be no more-ghastly look than pasty white ankles hanging beneath a suit or ‘Cords’. There are of course one of two ways to deal with this problem, either spend countless days suntanning which is a fabulous pastime if you are fortunate to lead the pure life of luxury or alternatively invest in a great fake tan. The second option is my preferred option, not least as it is this most health conscious and secondly because I am very fair, so tanning is a challenge.

I think that the ‘no-socks’ look paired with a suit gives that perfect ‘Sprezzatura’ impression. The tanned ankles, indicative of a life of luxury and vacation, the suit an extreme sense of style and paired with no socks achieves that look of effortless style.

I am a big supporter of loafers and the ‘no-socks’ look is outstanding when paired with loafers. This of course doesn’t mean that you can’t also look fabulous in lace up derby’s without socks.

When NOT to leave the socks behind.

What are my rules when it comes to NOT going the ‘sans socks’ route?

Well if it’s summertime or even spring, I’ll always leave the socks behind unless I have a very formal meeting or I’m wearing black-tie.

If it’s autumn/winter, then socks on, I think it’s just trying too hard if you are leaving the socks behind in the winter, even if you are tanned to the hilt. This to my mind is NOT ‘Sprezzatura’. You’re just trying too hard.

It’s going to be hot for a few months yet…today I’m rocking an Italian Solaro suit with chocolate suede derby’s – Sans socks of course.

If you can’t do it in style – don’t do it!