Style Rules For Modern Living
The last thing I bought was a pair of Stepney Workers Club trainers in yellow. I am a huge fan of the brand. They’re great in the day with jeans and a bright shade adds character to an outfit. During the day, I tend to wear all one colour so having a bright shoe is an easy way to lift a look. I also just bought a pair of Oliver Spencer trousers in a seersucker fabric with a subtle check print. They’re great for evenings with a Flax London shirt in an earthy colour.
My failsafe formula for getting dressed is a Nudie jean in black or dark blue paired with a high-top Converse trainer and a Flax London shirt. If the weather is bad, I will chuck on a workwear jacket. We have one at Flax London called the Railway Jacket, which is inspired by traditional French workwear and is made from 500 gsm linen – it’s a really unusual fabric which is almost upholstery weight. It behaves like denim meaning it will break in and change shape the more you wear it. It is such a versatile piece and can be worn with a roll neck or just a shirt underneath.
The combinations that always work are Converse high-top trainers teamed with a pair of well-fitted jeans. By fitted I don’t mean skinny or slim fit, just well-tailored to the leg. Converse and denim are a classic style equation. The denim jacket is a solid mid-season piece and looks cool with jeans. Double denim is a hard look to pull off but done well it’s a winner.
My style icon is the model Richard Biedul. His ability to wear old styles of clothes like high-waisted trousers and 50s shirt shapes in a really contemporary way is unique. He is a great representation of the modern man.
For casual clothing I head to Berwick Street in Soho. It has great men’s clothing stores and the scene there is so forward thinking and on trend. It has the right principles and is full of great-quality fabric shops and haberdasheries. It inspired the first linens of Flax London and I still feel really inspired when I visit. For formalwear, it has to be Jermyn Street or Lamb’s Conduit Street. I love to be able to wander into independent shops and chat to the owners. The men’s collections in Liberty London are really well curated though.
My weekend style is oddly to some smarter than my weekday style. In the week I am normally rushing around. When I have more time at the weekend, I prefer to look more put together. I really enjoy wearing shirts, much more so than t-shirts or sweaters. At the moment I am wearing one from Flax London, which is a heavy linen, but I also love Ralph Lauren shirts. I will always choose a relaxed fit, not too oversized but not slim fitting either and I will always opt for something earth toned at this time of year.
@RICHARDBIEDUL
My style on holiday starts with a great pair of navy shorts. They work with everything as long as they are cut just above the knee. Anything shorter is a no-go for me. My holiday outfit is navy shorts, a grandad collar, oatmeal-coloured shirt and a pair of great sunglasses from Monc. Sunglasses are an extremely unsustainable product because of the wasted plastic but Monc’s are made from a bio-acetate. A dark wine frame goes with everything.
Veja
There is a time and a place for trainers and I would never wear them to an evening event. They are a great run-around shoe for daytime. If I was going to buy a pair right now, it would be the Veja V10s. They are such a stylish sneaker and despite being worn by every single man on the planet, I wouldn’t hesitate to join the masses. That said, nothing has come close to the design excellence of the Converse high-top. It is universal and timeless, and I couldn’t live without mine.
I love accessories and wished I wore more of them. At the moment I think rings on men look great but I am still building up the confidence to wear them myself. I wear a watch every day and I lean towards more military styles with an analogue face, never digital. For evenings and smarter occasions, I wear one from Concord.
My rules on tailoring are simple. Trousers should be worn higher on the waist as this will make your legs look longer. Never wear a suit trouser on the hips. Your jacket should finish at the bum, no shorter. When it comes to ties, I prefer a small tie knot over a Windsor. I only ever wear a dark blue or dark black sock with a suit or a tuxedo and remember: light suit, light shoe; dark suit, dark shoe.
If I were to wear a suit I would choose my made-to-measure, grey-flannel, double-breasted suit I got when I was 24 and had just joined the army. It was designed to be worn with braces, styled with classic black brogues and a white or light blue shirt. I always wear Drake’s ties, which are handmade in East London. A made-to-measure suit is the ultimate luxury.
@OLIVERSPENCER
I would spend money on jackets and coats more than anything else. Oliver Spencer has some great outerwear around the £250-£350 mark, which I am happy to part with because they are classic styles I will wear forever.
The first luxury fashion purchase I made was when I was 22 and interning in London. I bought a pair of black lace-up brogues from New & Lingwood. A brogue is an essential part of a man’s shoe collection. They cost me £250, but they are a quality British shoe brand and they will last forever.
My biggest style inspiration is the brand Oliver Spencer, both personally and professionally. I love the idea of casualwear being inspired by formalwear and Oliver Spencer does this seamlessly.
SHOP GEORGE'S EDIT
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