The Perfect Gentelman

Inside Pockets - Bespoke

Ascot Tie

What is an Ascot?
Traditionally an Ascot cravat was only worn with morning dress. The name originates from the famous Ascot horse races where dressing up in your finest was order of the day. Today the Ascot has evolved into a stylish, but far less formal form of neck-wear. Less formal even than a traditional neck tie, but still formal enough to still be called a tie. An Ascot is made, tied and worn in similar ways to the more conventional necktie, but with enough differences to make it uniquely special.

Remember how a few years ago the only people who wore bow ties were those who wanted to be a bit different, but today bow ties are very much in the mainstream? If you are looking to make an impact and stand out today, you don’t choose a bow tie, you choose an Ascot. You can dress up your smart-casual/business-casual work wear. You can also dress up your casual clothes and denim. An Ascot is a really versatile addition to your wardrobe. If that wasn’t enough, if you choose carefully, you can even find reversible Ascots to double your opportunities to wear them.

How to wear an Ascot.
For casual wear you can smarten up your denim jeans by wearing a dress shirt and sport coat. If however, you add an Ascot, you will lift the style to a level befitting a modern gentleman. This look is great for classy day wear and stylish evenings out.

For a different look at work, many offices are loosing the suit jacket and neck tie, having the shirt open. By adding an Ascot here it will keep you smart, but will add a dash of stylish fun. It’s a very continental look that takes confidence to wear, but is rewarding for those who are looking to be a bit different without resorting to a bow tie which in my opinion are becoming far too common to be different.

ALDEN SHOE – SIX EYELET CHUKKA (makeup shoes)

An excerpt from and interview with Brunello cocinelli by Permanent Style

From the Brunello Cucinelli Spring/Summer 2012 catalogue: “The color palette features pastel shades with slightly grayish, faded, and mélange tones: Lily, Plum, Chamomile, Geranium, Lime, Mint, Quartz, Antarctic White, Coral, Orange, and Eucalyptus”


Permanent Style: Thank you for talking to us from Solomeo, Brunello. 

I’d like to ask you about your use of colour in your collections, if I may, particularly for Spring and Summer. Your clothes frequently use pale colours for this season, and I think this is something English men are traditionally bad at wearing during the summer months, tending to extremes of pale linen and nothing else. What is the key to wearing pale colours well?

Brunello Cucinelli: I think the key is to always match a colour with something neutral. So you could wear a nice pale orange trouser, but with a mid-grey or navy jacket. Or, if the weather suits pale colours everywhere, make sure one of them is a neutral colour like a beige or a cream. 

The collection is organised along these lines, and it’s not too much to say that it is the philosophy of the company to present things in this way.

Canvas Fully Floating Jacket

Fused or Canvas

Fully floating canvas

The point that started the discussion on quality came from explaining what is commonly referred to as the pinch test to see if a jacket is canvassed or fused. The test is to see if the coat has a lining that has been glued (or fused) to the inside of the jacket or if it is a structure in it’s own right (canvassed). I know I said in the opening statement that there is no single thing that makes a suit a quality garment, but having a fully floating canvassed jacket is probably the strongest indicator of quality there is. OK so what does all that actually mean and what is this pinch test?

Traditionally, suits are constructed by creating an inner frame work made from horse hair or a combination of wool/mohair called a canvas, the outer fabric is then attached to it by hand stitiching. The canvas was there to provide structure to the coat, and so is made from a much stiffer fabric. Over time the stiffer canvas moulds to your shape providing a perfect fit, this allows the exterior panels to hang naturally. This method is labour intensive and not suited to mass produced, high volume sales suits. All this ads up to a great indicator of a quality suit.

Te Polo Coat

History of The Polo Coat

Originating in England, the Polo coat refers to the loose-fitting, casual style of overcoat that was originally worn by polo players in between chukkers  – hence it became known as the Polo Coat or Wait Coat. Originally, a polo coat was made out of camel’s hair and was designed as a wrap coat. Instead of buttons, it simply featured a belt.

Before WWI, polo arrived in the US and when players wore their coats after games, the polo coat was adopted by spectators and fashion leaders alike. In 1926, the camel hair coat became particularly popular with college kids in Princeton and Yale, and a few seasons later, it had conquered the United States entirely. By the late 1920s, almost any Ivy League undergrad counted a Chesterfield as well as a Polo Coat  wardrobe staples.

Polo Coat With Spectators

In December 1928, the famous Men’s Wear magazine remarked: ” While the vogue of this style [Polo Coat]with the best dressed men of the world is indisputable, it is only getting started, so far as national popularity is concerned. By promoting this style for fall and next spring in the medium weight material, which is really an all year round proposition, merchants will not only increase profits, but enhance their style prestige” .

Polo Coat & Covert Coat

In November 1929, at the Yale-Princeton football game the camel hair coats worn by the spectators far outnumbered traditional raccoon overcoats, and given the sartorial importance of this event, the Polo Coat had certainly made its mark.

Overall, the polo coat was the overcoat that had the biggest impact on men’s fashion in the US between 1920-1930.

Polo Coat with inverted Pleat in the back

In the 1950s, the once-ubiquitous Polo Coat was overshadowed by the emergence of the all purpose raincoat with a detachable lining, and the subsequent loss of popularity meant that it could no longer be easily found in stores. As such, it could only be found in the wardrobe of the style-conscious men who deliberately sought to add this classic piece to their repertoire. It resurfaced again briefly in the mid 1980s, but it never became as popular as it was during the 20′s.

Polo Coat Style Features

Polo Coat 1930s

London Lounge Polo Coat in Herringbone

Unfortunately, pure camel hair fleece wears out rather quickly on hems, cuffs and collars. Therefore, Camel’s hair fabric is often blended with 50% virgin wool. You may also find blends with nylon, but these may be inferior because of the use of camel guard hair instead of fleece.Unfortunately, the Polo coat was initially worn only by polo players, and so the exclusivity of the original leaves us with little documentation of it’s true features. Once the public caught on, the belt of the wrap coat was enhanced with a button closure, and the 6 x3 double breasted model with a half belt, set-in sleeves, Ulster collarand patch pockets was considered to be the classic polo coat. As always in fashion, a number of variations evolved, among them a single-breasted camel hair coats , raglan sleeves, full belts, no belt, peaked lapels, cuffs or eight buttons instead of six. Some Polo coats also had an inverted pleat in the back. With all these modifications, the Polo Coat became very similar to the Ulster overcoat.

Camel’s Hair Fabric

Polo Coat Ralph Lauren

Camel’s hair is a woven fabric made of yarn that consists of fibers from the Bactrian camel, a special long-haired species with two humps that is native to central Asia, but is presently produced in China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, New Zealand and Australia.

The best quality of camel hair fiber is derived from the fine fleece undercoat grown under the camel’s shaggy outer coat guard hair. It is lightweight, soft and insulating as it has to protect the camel efficiently from extreme heat and cold.

Camel hair is often seen in its natural golden tan color, though on occasion you can also see it in black, charcoal or navy. Also, by the early 1930′s you would see patterned fabrics such as herringbone or windowpanes but this fashion did not last for very long.

Since Polo Coats were always made of camel’s hair, some people referred to it as Camel’s Hair Coat, which became a synonym for Polo Coat.