Fashion or Style?

Try to chart the course of fashion and you’ll need more than a sexton, compass and telescope, to navigate to its beginning. The rise and fall of fashion is like waves in a storm filled ocean. Charting the course of style is much easier, it has a known beginning, its progress can be documented and unlike the turbulent fluctuations of fashion, style dictates a constant theme that has the ability to cross cultural barriers and oceans. One prime example of style to note is Harris Tweed; it’s been constant through many decades of fashion fluctuations. The dark business suit dates back to the early nineteenth century, initiated by Beau Brummell, this style continues today. The tie dates back thousands of years. For the past eighty years the tie as we know it has remained pretty much the same. So let’s drop a few names of individuals who initiated styles, Coco Chanel, Jean Patou, Beau Brummell, Amelia Bloomer, Jessie Langsdorf, Tommy Nutter, Vivian Westwood, Oxford University, and Cambridge University. It’s all history, but like fashion history has a habit of repeating itself, actually fashion is just repetition of style. “Style is constant, fashion comes and goes”

Women in Uniform

Although women have probably always adorned their necks, they did not wear neckties until the later 1800s. Feminine versions of men's neckties began to appear along with the more tailored clothing women wore while bicycling, skating, hiking, or boating. A pioneer of the Rational Dress Movement, Englishwoman Amelia Bloomer, invented a pair of long, loose woman's pants, which bear her name.

Even more women began wearing ties, and trousers, during World War 1, as millions of women headed to offices and factories to fill the vacancies created by men at war. Women in uniform are so appealing, even more so in a suit and tie. A tie draped down a woman states the obvious on both sides and points the way, such a handsome package.

Simon Carter designer wallets

Simon Carter Designer Wallets

We’re familiar with Simon Carter’s reputation of being the “King of Cufflinks” His designer ties are starting to populate more and more stores and then there’s his casual wear. But have you seen his wallets? Now lets face it, there’s only so much one can do to design a wallet that truly differs. Paul Smith wallets have bright stripes, others with photos of mini minors embossed. Richard James uses bright colours on the inside of his wallets as do many other designers, pretty ordinary “Simon Carter take centre stage” he bought the rights of a cartoon strip, transferred to fabric using digital print and then used the brightly coloured material to line his jeans wallets. This is what I call smart design and they’re functional too, lightweight, they slip in and out of small pockets easily.