Simon is just our second reader profile from outdoors the UK. He lives in New York, though after we discuss on the telephone he’s truly in Washington DC, having simply landed on the pink eye from Arizona.
Simon travels loads. He’s a journalist and his travels drive quite a lot of his wardrobe, which must be sensible off digicam but in addition presentable on it. Though this may be restrictive, it’s additionally launched him to many little retailers and types, from Miami to Belfast.
Having met at our pop-up store in New York final 12 months, it was nice to have the time to speak to Simon extra – about his time as a DJ, about menswear silhouettes, and about snug sneakers for the (barely) older man.
Outfit 1:
- Jumper: The Actual McCoy’s
- Linen knit shirt: The Actual McCoy’s
- Socks: Rototo
- Trousers: P44s, The Actual McCoy’s
- Trainers: New Stability
Inform us concerning the sort of journalism you do, Simon.
Effectively I labored for a few years within the UK for Panorama, as an investigative reporter. After that I used to be the present affairs correspondent on The One Present for a white. And now I work for Al Jazeera within the US – I’m the senior reporter on the investigation group. So quite a lot of shifting round, quite a lot of interviews.
Are you able to put on garments like those pictured on the job?
The informal items like this primary outfit, certain. The job has two phases actually: on display screen and off display screen. Throughout the off-screen half I can put on what I need, issues which might be very me.
I can’t put on garments that take an excessive amount of preparation – shirts that want ironing, trousers that want urgent – as a result of it’s simply not sensible. However I costume in very purposeful garments anyway, so it’s simple. I’d put on the outfit proven right here for a espresso within the morning in New York, but in addition yesterday strolling round in Arizona.
And once you’re on display screen?
If I do know I’ll be doing interviews on display screen, or a arise, then I’ll put on one thing smarter – but in addition that doesn’t stand out. I feel most journalists would agree that the goal along with your clothes there may be to not distract from something you’re saying.
I bear in mind within the days after I was doing The One Present – the place it might be two days of travelling, two days of capturing on display screen – I drifted right into a sort of Ivy League look: chinos, button-down shirt, jumper. It was nameless. The shirt would have been OrSlow, the jumper from Scotland, however it might be quite simple.
The garments you’re sporting listed here are a little bit extra characterful than that, although.
True, and typically I’d tone it down a little bit. Yesterday I used to be sporting these identical Margaret Howell trousers with only a navy jumper and a few Alden loafers, for instance.
However truly I discover as I become older – I’m turning 50 this 12 months – I can put on extra fascinating issues. I feel if I’d worn white trousers like this 20 years in the past, it might have been seen as extra of a trend selection, however it doesn’t now. A part of it is likely to be that I’m simply extra snug in these garments – they’re very a lot me, they swimsuit who I’m, and I’m used to them.
Are the trainers a part of that journey too?
Sure, partly. I used to put on Converse on a regular basis – excessive tops, low tops, with every part. However strolling round New York all day I ultimately felt the impact of getting no assist in any respect – it was killing my again.
And these felt like a superb compromise – they’re not the hyper-cool coach that an advert exec wears, to try to look down with the children. However they’re not the previous individual’s comfort-is-everything coach both: the sort of factor a politician wears to a convention.
Outfit 2
- Flannel swimsuit: Drake’s
- Denim shirt: Classic, from Entrance Common
- Undershirt: Classic, from Entrance Common
- Pocket handkerchief: RRL
- Socks: Drake’s
- Footwear: Black-scotchgrain longwings, Alden
How did you get into extra traditional, crafted menswear?
That was a operate of journey. My work has meant that I’ve lived in DC, Belfast, travelled nearly all over the place world wide. And in every place I discovered totally different types, was uncovered to new issues.
I bear in mind strolling into The Bureau in Belfast, and seeing a raft of manufacturers I hadn’t seen wherever else. Then Oi Polloi in Manchester. In Florence I found classic locations, and little menswear retailers that you simply couldn’t purchase wherever else. This was partly earlier than social media too, pre-2010 or so, when there was a lot much less consciousness.
I bear in mind after I first discovered your web site, I used to be shocked that everybody knew about these manufacturers – that it was a a lot larger world than I’d realised.
Do you continue to hunt down these sorts of locations once you journey?
Sure, completely. The wonderful thing about the web is that now after I know I’m travelling someplace, I’ll lookup whether or not there’s a pleasant little classic store I can go to.
So there’s a fantastic classic store in Denver I went to as a part of a piece journey for instance – La Beautiful I feel it’s known as. There’s Provide & Advise in Miami, that’s nice. And after I lived in Brooklyn I’d go to Entrance Common, the place this shirt and undershirt are from.
Final 12 months I went to Tokyo for the fifteenth time, and irrespective of what number of occasions I am going there I all the time uncover one thing new – some cities are simply constructed like that, so huge and so arrange for small retail.
This second outfit is smarter – is that this the sort of factor you put on right this moment once you’re on display screen?
Smarter than this actually – this Drake’s swimsuit however with a shirt and tie. Though, sporting a tie on TV now nearly looks as if an excessive amount of: as a result of so few folks put on them, sporting one may stand out greater than not sporting one.
I put on this swimsuit with a tie after I’m giving speeches at conferences although, and the evening earlier than these pictures had been taken I wore it to an awards ceremony in New York, with the identical denim shirt and handkerchief, since you could be a little bit extra expressive there.
Outfit 3:
- M65 discipline jacket: Classic, The Classic Showroom
- Trousers: Margaret Howell painter trousers
- Beanie: Drake’s
- Jumper: Margaret Howell
- Boots: Alden Indy boots
- Bag: Classic
The M65 right here seems to be nice, the place was it from?
From The Classic Showroom in London, again after they had the shop. A lot of my information about garments comes from speaking to managers of classic shops, who 99% of the time are extremely useful and pleasant.
I truly acquired caught in London throughout Covid, and The Classic Showroom was one of many solely retailers that was open. It was about 100 metres from the Air BnB the place I used to be staying, so I used to pop in most mornings and simply have a chat.
That they had a primary mannequin M65 and I’d all the time wished one. It’s arduous for me to search out classic although, being an even bigger man. Every part is all the time too small. So after I tried this one and it match completely, it was a performed deal, no brainer. I really like classic sweatshirts too, however throughout their 50 years of existence they’ve all been washed a thousand occasions, and now they’re all tiny.
How did you get into classic clothes?
My curiosity has come and gone over time. The primary time was in all probability after I was rising up within the mid-eighties: the style was Lacoste and Lyle & Scott knits, with Sta Prest trousers, however lots of people would hunt down earlier, uncommon variations of the knits in brilliant, lurid colors.
Then after I was 18 and 19, I used to be DJ’ing and the music was funk, Northern Soul. Everybody there would costume in classic from the fifties. They’d put on white-collar shirts, vests, leather-based jackets, all from classic markets round London. I didn’t put on most of it as a result of it felt like costume to me when it was all collectively, however I noticed it and appreciated it, and adopted the odd piece.
In my twenties classic wasn’t actually consideration, it was new manufacturers – Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein – and I used to be working too arduous to essentially take into consideration clothes a lot. However then classic got here again round in my thirties, simply because I noticed extra folks sporting it, stuff you couldn’t get in regular retailers.
I vividly bear in mind seeing this older man sitting on a bench in New York, sporting a tremendous, thick suede overshirt with a pink beanie. It seemed about 100 years previous. I attempted to search out one thing related all over the place, however with none luck.
I’ve been eyeing one in Drake’s, however it’s $2000! Possibly one in all lately. With the pink beanie that would definitely be a really present look.
It sounds such as you’ve honed your style over time.
Yeah, I feel after I was youthful I might be very influenced by each store I went into – it might be about making an attempt to put on what they had been providing. In the present day I’ve a a lot clearer concept of what I like and what fits me, so it’s extra a case of going into a store and seeing what fascinating issues work with that.
Is the bag classic as properly?
Sure. Some time in the past I went to Brimfield, this huge antiques market upstate. I didn’t discover something there, however on the way in which again I dropped right into a classic store in Sag Harbour, on Lengthy Island, and located this nice previous bag.
Do you suppose you swimsuit larger items like that, as an even bigger man?
I by no means considered it truly, however you’re in all probability proper. Individuals do remark that it’s the largest bag like that they’ve seen, however it by no means feels huge to me – in all probability due to my top. I must restore it truly, I’ve performed that just a few occasions with an previous pilot’s bag of mine, and this wants some consideration too.
It additionally jogs my memory of a profit I discover in websites like yours: explaining why issues work and don’t. I don’t learn guides to learn to costume, however every now and then one in all them will clarify one thing properly. On this case, it jogs my memory of some extent I learn that garments are loads about silhouette – this scale of bag works with the silhouette of my form and the sort of garments I put on.
I bear in mind years in the past I purchased a giant Stetson hat, and thought I seemed one million {dollars} in it. I wore it in LA – carrying it on my lap on the aircraft from New York. However after I walked right into a bar I noticed one other man sporting one too, and it seemed so a lot better on him – a billion {dollars}! I realised the proportions simply didn’t work on me.
It now sits on prime of a wardrobe in my home, and makes a fantastic decoration.
Thanks Simon, a pleasure and hopefully see you in New York within the Autumn.
Sounds nice Simon, trying ahead to it.
Pictures: Christopher Fenimore
