Tyler Brûlé is Monocle’s editor-in-chief and chairman.
Brûlé was also the founding editor of Wallpaper* and writes the Fast Lane column in the FT Weekend.
I could tell spring officially arrived last week (both on the calendar and outdoors) because Fast Lane’s inbox made that dramatic shift from a place for comment to a forum for fashion advice.
Last Saturday’s cloudless skies and warm temperatures in Paris and London prompted many men and the odd woman (on behalf of a husband or boyfriend who clearly was a balmy weather embarrassment in the knitwear area) to send urgent messages seeking shopping leads on everything from footwear to travel blazers.
Two weeks ago I was hoping to make my semi-annual pilgrimage to see Alberto at A Gi Emme (my favourite men’s store in Europe) in Como but the sun on the slopes in St Moritz was more persuasive and I didn’t manage to make the journey south. On Monday I’m heading to Tokyo but not before doing a brief tour of Paris, which is an increasingly more interesting place for menswear than London. In between meetings I’m hoping to go to APC, Kitsuné, Officine Slowear (the umbrella brand that houses Incotex trousers, Zanone knitwear, Glanshirt and Motedoro jackets), Pierre Hardy for desert boots and Old England for outerwear.
In Tokyo there’ll be a visit to Loopwheeler for sweatshirts, Tomorrowland for a jacket fitting, Beams for T-shirts and Soph to torture myself because I could buy everything but sadly none of it quite fits. And back in London I’ll pay a visit to Albam, Oliver Spencer and then find myself frustrated by the lack of decent men’s wear shopping in western Europe’s biggest city.
For those seeking advice for their summer wardrobe then I hope what’s below will fill in the gaps. And I do realise readers still suffering through winter on the far side of the Baltic may not be feeling springy this weekend, so you might want to clip and save this for a sunnier day.
Socks: I’ve pretty much given up on most brands and find myself stocking up with Japanese brand Tabio, either at their Omotesando Hills branch or, occasionally, in London.
Footwear: I’m rarely out of desert boots and usually have a pair of Pierre Hardys clamped to the bottom of my feet. For sneakers it’s hard to beat the simplicity of Common Projects. For travel I usually opt for canvas Vans.
Underwear: I recently sampled some trunk-style briefs from Swedish label Acne – and on my next trip to Stockholm I might go for a restock. For value for money and quality, I’m still a big fan of Swiss food retailer Coop’s own label undies, or Calida.
Denim: APC has long been my staple choice for denim because they never get overly tricky and tend not to mess with their cut. Acne also does a good job if you stay away from the odd finishes and effects.
Chinos: Every season I’m seduced into trying some other company’s attempt at making the perfect twill trouser and they’re never even close to Venice-based Incotex. They get the leg silhouette just right and also ensure that wearers never suffer from SAS – saggy ass syndrome.
Shorts: This is very dangerous territory as too many men venture into the shorts department still thinking they’re either riding a tricycle or they’re still in college. If you’re north of 25 you must avoid all the tricks (drawstrings, dangly bits, too many pockets et al) and go for a very no-nonsense, trim pair of shorts that hit you just above the knee. Incotex get it right here, too.
A summer suit: If you’re not going for something bespoke then the best options are Tonello (mostly found in Italy), Piombo (ditto) or if you’re of slim hips and shoulders there’s plenty on offer at all of Japan’s leading men’s stores – United Arrows, Beams, Ships and Tomorrowland.
A summer blazer: For the past three summers I’ve visited Tomorrowland and had them make a variety of wool and cotton blazers for me. This season I’ll probably pick up something from Piombo and Montedoro. And I just tried a navy blazer from Zegna.
A good travel blazer: This has frustrated me for years so I just collaborated with Daiki Suzuki and Woolrich Woollen Mills to launch my own. It’s going to be available in navy or olive and is made from US military standard rip stop cotton.
Polo shirts: While I’m not big on logos I think Kitsuné’s fox is quite fun. Otherwise it’s hard to do better than Drumohr and Napoleonerba.
Dress shirts: After five years I’m still stuck on having my shirts custom made by MCR at A Gi Emme.
Sweaters: Sea Island cotton John Smedley’s and Uniqlo’s cotton/ cashmere sweaters are hard to beat.
Outerwear: Always a weak spot but for spring/summer I have my eye on a trench coat from APC, cotton jackets from Engineered Garments and something for downpours from North Face Japan’s special black label.
Tyler Brûlé is editor-in-chief of Monocle
tyler.brule@ft.com
More columns at www.ft.com/brule
Special Thanks to Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
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