Fred Perry M12 Polo - Made in England

A good polo shirt is an essential piece of any man's wardrobe. Now there are some good options of the market, but not nearly enough. Especially if you want the classics. Of course you have the iconic Lacoste, but nowadays they're not even made in Europe - at least not the most recent ones I've seen. You also have the ones from Ralph Lauren, but they're made in the Far East. Sunspel makes some descent polo, but I'm not even sure that they're made in England any longer and in my opinion a polo should be made in a somewhat sturdy pique.

But then we have Fred Perry. Most Fred Perry is not interesting at all - Poor quality and made a long way from England. However they still make some polos in England and from my experience they're very good, unfortunately not that many retailers offer the Made in England version. It does have some skinhead and mod connotations, but there's no doubt about its anglo iconic status and in my opinion it would go well with so many things. I'm definitely adding a new M12 to my wishlist for the summer.

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Want - Alfred Sargent Derby

Normally I'm not too fond of black shoes, but I desperately want these heavy derby shoes by Alfred Sargent. They're perfect for the season with the heavy Commando soles by Itshide and the waxy leather is quite easy to maintain. They're made in England, in Northampton to be precise and they're, of course, goodyear welted.

Good thing my birthday is coming up and I've behaved very well this year.

 

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Guernsey Knitwear - Le Tricoteur

The whole heritage movement has shed light on a lot of knitwear, which has a great history and a legacy that you just don't find in modern knitwear. I'm thinking of the Aran, the Breton and the fairisle sweater However the Guernsey jumper seems to have flown under the radar and it hasn't been gaining the attention that it deserves. Especially when you take into consideration that the classic Guernsey jumper has been made on Guernsey in the English Channel for centuries.

Nowadays the most classic Guernsey sweater is made by a company called Le Tricoteur, but there are other good makers that still make the sweater. 

The original Guernsey sweater is made of a sturdy worsted wool and it's constructed in such a way that the front and back side are identical making it very easy to put on - even in the dark. Other than that it features the recognisable pattern, where the sleeves are attached and on the hem, which is slit at the bottom. Just like the Aran and the Breton the Guernsey sweater was also used by sailors and fishermen, so it's extremely hard-wearing, as you probably already guessed. It's so hard-wearing that it's affecting sales, as people buy one and never return for another, as the sweater outlives the owner.

The Japanese have of course embraced the classic Guernsey.

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Crockett & Jones - Prince Albert Loafers

This is certainly not for the timid dresser and they might be quite hard to pull off, but I'm getting a bit obsessed with these. This doesn't mean that I'll ever buy them with a £300 price tag, but I'll certainly enjoy my C&J penny loafers even more.

I think the correct term for this loafer style is a Prince Albert. Mostly intended for evening wear with a smoking jacket but I think they would look good with just about anything. At least the colours are just great. That rust orange suede...

You can even get them in velvet with a monogram.

Head over to Grafford, if you want a pair or just browse through the most comprehensive collection of C&J shoes, I've ever seen online.

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Norman Walsh Runners

The British footwear company Norman Walsh  has long been on my radar because they produce sneakers and runners in the UK (in Bolton to be exact), however I've never particularly liked any of the models, I've seen. I also couldn't help but wonder, why no British retailers stocked their shoes and why basically no Japanese shops were offering them. Especially knowing how obsessed Japanese shops are with small, unknown brands with local production and a good heritage.

Therefore it was a real pleasure seeing Oi Polloi adding some Norman Walsh runners to their stock in two great colourways. The use of silver and gold may be a bit tacky, but other than that they look good with a nice vintage aesthetic and they look very well made.

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Brady Bags - Severn and Gelderburn

Despite having a very good Filson 257 that has served me very well over the years, I often contemplate about buying a Brady messenger bag. Maybe it's the urge to own a piece from every good maker out there or maybe it's the anglo influence or maybe I'm just more into fishing than into hunting. At least I find myself looking at the beautifully made bags by Brady. I already own a very large tote from Brady, which is a limited edition tote made from raw selvage denim, but I would much rather have either the Severn or the Gelderburn because of their classic, almost iconic, design. 

The recipe is basically the same for all Brady bags. Expertly crafted in England using quality materials, such as bridle leather, solid brass hardware, cotton webbing and layered waterproof canvas. Which is probably also why they are so popular in Japan, and why Brady produce several bags, which are intended for the Japanese market only. Mr Mudd and Mr Gold in Stockholm used to carry some of the Japan-only models, but they seem to have seized their relationship with Brady unfortunately. Speaking of special editions; Nigel Cabourn has also used Brady to produce some bags in both Harris Tweed and if I remember correctly also some woolen fabric from Fox Brothers. But I wasn't, as fond of them, as the classic offerings from Brady.

The Severn

The Gelderburn

 
The Gelderburn is probably my favourite. Especially after seeing a picture of Michael Palin rocking it.

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New Balance 991

Of all the sneaker brands in the world I would personally only consider wearing sneakers from a handful of them. This is mainly due to the fact that they manufactured in the far east and I'm just not too impressed with the overall quality of them. Of course they aren't meant to last as long as a pair of well made, Goodyear welted leather shoes, but I often feel that something is missing.

And sure I do appreciate the innovation that a company like Nike continuously keeps on showing, but I prefer to appreciate it from afar, as it doesn't suit my aesthetics.

A company that manufactures - some - of their sneakers in both the UK and the US is of course New Balance and they're one of the only company, whose sneakers I would consider wearing.

At the moment I'm especially into the 991, which is somewhat innovative and pretty well made. These new colourways are a nice addition to the grey standard edition.

So if you're buying a pair of New Balance, I suggest you look, where they were made. It does matter.

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Acme Thunderer

For some years now I've also kept a whistle among my keys. I don't know why really, as it's not a safety measure, but I think I was attracted to design and the story of pilots using the whistle during WW II as a survival whistle. I don't know, if the story is true, but I do know one thing though; The Acme Thunderer is one hell of a whistle.

The Acme Thunderer is the most iconic pea whistle ever made and it's still made in England (in Birmingham) by Acme Whistles. It's made of solid brass that has been nickel plated (which will look even better, once the plating starts to chip). There are a few different make ups in the Thunderer series and some of them are even made of plastic, still if you go for the classic no 58, you should be settled.

In all honesty I've never found a genuine reason to use it which hasn't stopped me from enjoying carrying it around. But if you're a dog trainer, a referee, a pilot lost at sea, a policeman or if you frequently go to raves, I suggest you buy one straight away.

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The Tender Co. Trestle Shop

I have to say, that no other brand inspires me as much as Tender. I could read about his projects for hours and hours. Every time I do so, I quietly think to myself, this man is doing it right - this is how things should be done. I mean, it seems like the founder, William Kroll, isn't that worried about the extra costs of adding a genuine horn button (that is specifically made for Tender in England) or spending extra time finishing a product by dyeing it using natural dyes. He gets the fact, that when it comes to making a good (good is an obvious understatement) no short cuts can be made.

Knowing all of this about Tender, I was really intrigued, when I heard, that Tender would be opening its own webshop called the Trestle Shop some time ago. Well, the wait is over, and has been for some time now - I just totally forgot to mention it.

As you probably guessed, this webshop is astonishing. The offering is quite eclectic, which some people are totally afraid of, but it seems very logical. The offerings adds to the whole idea of this being a lifestyle and they all bear the Tender hallmark. To me the Tender hallmark means handmade, functional, engineered, made to last, well-thought-out, longevity, purposefulness, provenance and I could go on. It's just great.

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Want - North Sea Clothing "The Expedition"

Though it's supposed to be summer and I should probably be looking for shorts and, God forbid, t-shirts, I can't help thinking about buying something, that I feel, I should have bought a long time ago; The Expedition sweater from North Sea Clothing.

It's made in England (by a family owned company in Nottinghamshire) and it's roughly based on a sweaters, that was issued by the royal navy during the First and Second World War. Something some people might not like is the high content of natural lanolin in the wool, which makes it rather water repellent, but it also has a very special smell, which some people can't stand and some people enjoy. I belong in the later category. From good people, whose opinion I trust, I've heard, that the quality is impeccable and that it's a sweater, that will last you a very long time.

Honestly, that brass anchor button and the shawl collar are just crazy nice details.

READ MORE - Want - North Sea Clothing "The Expedition"

Making a Belt

Working with leather isn't that hard. That is, if you have all the necessary tools and someone with experience to help you along. I sometimes let friends make something simple like a belt, a cardholder or an iPad case, like my friend Rune did. Some days ago I helped my friend, Anders, make a belt for himself, as his old belt was starting to look a bit shabby. We went for a nice, thick, vegetable tanned leather from England and a solid brass buckle (also from England). Sometimes it looks nice when you attach the belt buckle with rivets, but the proper way of doing this is by handsewing, so that is what we did using a thick (6 ply) waxed linen thread.

Someone asked, how you use a stitching clam - I hope this answers the question.

Thick, waxed linen thread is the way to go.

The brass buckles look good, when they're new and/or polished, but they also look amazing, when they tarnish.

Holes for sewing are prepunched using a pricking iron.

The final part of making anything in leather is always the burnishing, which is best done by hand. The burnish is done using a bit of water, some thick canvas and then you just rub it vigorously creating some friction, which keeps the leather fibres down and creates a nice, smooth edge. You then repeat it using beeswax or possibly gum tragacanth. We used beeswax this time.  

Here's the final result

Notice the nice grain structure of this leather. Very pronounced, deep, rustic, defined - I could go on.

I never get tired of brass, which is why, I'm almost exclusively working with brass hardware.

Pretty flawless stitching.

  
A small detail taken from the equestrian world, where you number each hole to adjust the height.

Lastly - the burnish. A tell-tale sign of true craftsmanship. That being said I do also appreciate a clean cut raw edge.

 I might be making either picture or video tutorial on how to make a belt or something else, if someone would like to see this of course. 

If you would like to see, what gets made in the workshop, I suggest, that you join After the Denim's Facebook group, where I'll regularly put up (terrible) iPhone pictures of, what I'm working on at that given time.

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