The Tailor

This is a great short film about one of the classic pitfalls of tailoring...

Best Dressed World Leaders

Source: Scabal

Watching President Barack Obama recently make his "We got Osama" speech made me think how presidential he always looks. No doubt about it - he really dresses the part of President of the United States. Obama is usually in a plain grey or plain blue tailored suit with the only splash of colour a plain coloured tie. This is such a classic look and he uses it to project authority and charisma. Obama has his suits tailored by Georges de Paris who is a prominent Washington tailor. His style is classic, understated and above all consistent. In my mind he is easily the worlds best dressed leader.

Source: The Independent

President Sarkozy of France is a bit of an Obama clone. Never backward in his love of the US this also goes to the way he dresses. He has been described variously as a JFK throwback or like Sinatra but I think he takes his fashion cues from Obama.

Source: Petermartin

Modern Australian leaders don't have anywhere near Obama's style and you would have to go back to Paul Keating and his Italian double breasted suits in the 80's to get close. He could never shake the undertaker monika with his long chin and permanent 5 oclock shadow but his suits were well cut and gave him a powerful look. He would have been better in single breasted jackets to soften himself a little.

Source: London Lounge

Dead for nearly 50 years JFK was and still is a style icon. I doubt there will ever be someone like him in politics anywhere in the world again but he sure knew how to dress so women wanted him and men wanted to be him.

Who is your best dressed world leader?

Button Up

(Source: The Sartorialist)

(Source: Essential Style for Men)

It's not universally understood how to button a jacket up. Convention dictates that the last button is never done up and this stems from King Edward VII. As he put on weight he unbuttoned the last button on his jacket to give him some relief and the gentry followed suit. The convention has stuck probably because it is a less rigid way of wearing a jacket and looks better as well.

Always leave the bottom jacket button unbuttoned to be sartorially correct.

Ties Maketh the Man

(Source: A Suitable Wardrobe)

These days ties are worn less and less because our office environments are more casual but wearing a tie displays your individuality and style, and is usually the crowning glory to your look or the reason why it's a disaster. If you want to pull it off the thing to remember is that your tie should complement your outfit - not the other way around.

Ties look best when they contrast with your suit fabric with either their colour or texture. If you are wearing a patterned suit it's hard to wear a striped or patterned tie successfully as usually they will clash. Wearing a plain tie complements the pattern in the suit. Wearing a plain suit you can wear a striped or patterned tie but only with a plain shirt so the patterns won't clash. The best option is to own a number of plain coloured ties that can be rotated with your suits plus a few elegant striped or patterned ties for a more striking look.


Below are a sample of the selection of ties available at Pernac in hand made in silk.

Midnight Blue Plain Satin Silk $49

Basket Weave Purple Silk $49

Basket Weave Blue Silk $49

Autumn Colour

(Source: Sartorialist via GQ)

With the milder morning temperatures, the leaves starting to turn and daylight saving about to finish this Sunday I'm really feeling autumnal. Dressing for autumn means an extra layer or a thicker existing layer. This is when we wear our jackets for warmth as well as fashion.

Autumn is all about grey and windy skies and is the moodiest of the seasons and we can reflect this in our clothes. Be bold and instead of wearing plain or striped fabrics wear squares and checks and also bright colours for an uplifting mood and the warmth they give us.

Tailored Overcoats

Winter will be upon us very soon. We're lucky it doesn't get too cold on mainland Australia but we do need something to cover our jackets during June, July and August to keep the elements at bay when outside. Wool and cashmere fabrics between 300gr and 430gr are perfect for our climate as they keep the cold at bay but are supple enough to still drape beautifully. Choose a neutral colour with black, blue and grey the best choices in plains or herringbones. The Pernac coat pictured is fashionable in a 300gr grey herringbone with epaulettes on the shoulders, a black velvet collar, black buttons and stitching. Perfect for a mild winter. You may also consider wearing a pocket square in your coat's breast pocket if it has one.

Pernac have coat fabrics in 100% wool at $549 and $749 and 100% cashmere at $999.

Colours, Patterns and Textures

(Source: Overseaspropertymall)

More than two different colours, patterns and textures in combination is very hard to successfully pull off and even if you do you'll draw attention to yourself. If that's not the aim of the game (and it usually is not) it's best to stick to just two colours, patterns or textures in your combination. To complete your look make sure you wear a matching belt to your shoes and your socks should be the same colour as your suit.

(Source: Soundoffcolumn)

David Beckham is known more for his street fashion but when he wears a suit he usually gets it right. Here at top he wears a classic grey suit and white shirt combination but the feature is the black textured tie. Below he is in a modern cut blue suit with white shirt but again the tie is the feature in a striking red satin silk. Keep it simple with the focus on one element and you can't go wrong.