Founded in 1829 by Joseph Tricker, R. E. Tricker Ltd is one of the longest established shoemakers in England. Having gained a reputation for producing footwear of superlative quality, in 1989 they were granted a Royal Warrant by HRH The Prince of Wales. Five generations later, Tricker’s is still a family-run operation. Each pair of… … Keep Reading
Many have heard speak of the legend of Northampton. Historically the home of English shoe making since the 15th century, it is said that one may purchase footwear for a song from one of the eleven factory outlet stores. Four of us fired up Mick Hawksworth’s shooting brake and we set forth for the Midlands.… … Keep Reading
Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo, is host to the Sapeurs: a group of dandies approaching the seriousness of a cult. Brazzaville is poor, like most Central-African nations, and it went through a civil war several years ago, the evidence of which is still pockmarked on quite a few facades. This is the reason… … Keep Reading
Hard-boiled language to go with hard-boiled plots. In fact, everything about Film Noir is pretty hard. Hard urban clutter in hard, rain-sodden mean streets. And the people who live on those streets are hard, too. The characters of film noir are not fulfilled, three-dimensional people. They are ciphers, stereotypes, interacting uneasily through confusing tales of… … Keep Reading
For the capital city of a superpower nation, Washington is sadly insular, non-cosmopolitan and aesthetically conservative. The suits are gray or navy, the ties are red or blue. Not since the pith-helmeted and moustachioed Teddy Roosevelt has a president looked like anything other than a businessman. On top of this, the summer heat can be… … Keep Reading
The Dilemma faced by a chap when deciding what to wear during the longish hottish British summer, or when sauntering through far-flung lands, can be a sticky one. When the season finally prevents the donning of 18oz tweed three-pieces, where does one turn to find sartorial solace on sunnier days? Many modern lightweights lack the… … Keep Reading
Think of clothing in World War II and chances are you’ll imagine either RAF officers on bombing raids or victory-rolled Land Girls in breeches and beetroot lipstick. You probably won’t think of men’s fashion. There’s a good reason for that. A new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, Fashion on the Ration, 1940s Street Style,… … Keep Reading