For this week’s post, we have teamed up with family owned and operated shirt-makers Harvie & Hudson to bring you a selection of essential style classics.
With a rich heritage and fascinating history, Harvie & Hudson have been cutting beautifully crafted garments for 70 years, predominantly at their flagship Jermyn Street store in London. Similar to ourselves, quality of raw materials and expert craftsmanship take precedence in order to ensure the integrity and transparency of the brand.
For this collaborative post, we picked our favourite selections from both brands to bring you essential pieces that will stand the sartorial test of time.
The Formal Dinner
The most formal of occasions call for classic tailoring but that doesn’t mean the whole ensemble has to air consistently on the side of tradition. Velvet fabrics add a contemporary edge to formal wear and sleek loafers are a refreshing choice over patent lace-ups.
The Relaxed Weekend
Off-duty outfits call for pieces that are stylish, but easy-wearing. Quality fabrics that are breathable, such as Merino wool, are great options for weekends and pairing with a bright, contrasting material keeps the image fresh. Slipping on loafers with socks (oh yes, we went there) is an hotly debated topic in the sartorial world and we will leave the notion of ‘to sock’ or ‘not to sock’ down to you.
The Brand Signature
During an era where made to measure shirts were only expected to be of the plain white or blue variety, Harvie & Hudson raised a brow or two when they started cutting shirts featuring contrasting stripe designs in a variety of colours, and placing them on display in the windows of their Jermyn Street store. It was a bold business decision that later became their signature design for the brand. With this in mind, if you’re going to purchase a classic Harvie & Hudson shirt, make sure it has stripes.
Similarly, a shoe that has rich heritage and features the classic ‘Cheaney DNA’ is our Tenterden II capped derby brogue. The shoe was originally crafted on one of Cheaney’s longest running lasts, the 175 before being re-introduced on a reinvigorated 130 last. Whilst still featuring a classic shape and almond, rounded toe, the Tenterden II has been a staple throughout the Cheaney archives and was even worn by Jack Reacher in the Lee Child novel, ‘The Hard Way.’
The Accessories
Accessories can make or break an outfit and can be as modest or as bold as you wish. We particularly enjoy the whimsical snail print on the silk tie and similarly the contrasting dots on the handkerchief.
As the saying goes, look after your shoes and they’ll look after you (we don’t know if that’s a saying, but the sentiment rings true so we’ll say it is for now). With this in mind, a solid polishing brush and wax polish are a good place to start in making sure your shoes stay nourished. You can find our step by step polish guide on our blog here.
Many thanks to Harvie & Hudson for loaning their lovely garments to us. You can also receive 10% off any full price Harvie & Hudson products from their website by using the code HH19 at checkout. Excludes sale and discounted items and can only be used once per order.
