Uniform Wares British Designed Watch

My wife got me a Uniform Wares watch last year, it is a grey 100 series .

It is based on utilitarian British clocks and I can say that I have not really been using any of my other watches ever since.

I am even considering investing in the stone version for the summer.

Is Paul Smith Missing the Mark this Season?

I have always bought a lot of Paul Smith clothes for myself over the years but I have found certain times where I have become bored of the collection.  I would imagine this is quiet common for most people buying a designer for over twenty years.

Paul Smith has been at the forefront of British design for a very long time now, I have a lot of respect for him as a person and a businessman.

This season I have felt that the menswear collection has just been a little bit too "Paul Smith", there are not enough pieces pushing the collection forward.

The women's collection is very good this season with a great balance of fashion and classic design. 

New Bill Amberg Selvage Skiff Bag

The new Bill Amberg selvage skiff bag looks interesting.

I have had one of the old style bags for the past couple of years and I still really enjoy the bag and use it every day. You can see the green selvage skiff with my everyday essentials.

What a Great Look from The Sartorialist

What Makes A Great Digital Store?

I have been thinking about what makes a great digital store, a few points to think about.

Like all shops the product must be excellent quality and I can easily point towards Tres Bien as the best collection I have found this season.

Service is essential and this includes delivery, returns, packaging quality and keeping the customer informed, for me Oi Polloi have always been the best at delivering this service.

Finally the site design, I was trying to buy a new Bill Amberg bag the other day and gave up because it was so painful.  For design you can not get much better than Yoox.

All very simple points but very difficult to get right because the one thing that connects all of these stores is an attention to detail.

The detail is the key to successful digital stores.

Falling Back in Love with CP Company and Stone Island

Over the past few years I have flirted with the odd piece of Stone Island and CP Company, two brands that I loved back in the early 90's.

I was re-introduced to CP Company following a gift of a jacket from my brother.

Over the last couple of seasons I have purchased the odd piece, normally gloves or a scarf.

This season I have been really drawn to both collections and I feel the brand has actually gone back to it's true values.  Or it is that the younger people buying the brands, because they wanted to look like football lads, have stopped buying into Stone Island and CP Company?

I am not sure but I am happy to be enjoying the clothes again.

My Favorite Shops

It can be very difficult to get a shop just right , so I have put together a list of my favorite stores.

Oi Polloi
Not much that I can say about this shop that has not already been said a great collection and worth a visit if you are in Manchester.

Folk
Lambs Conduit Street is always worth a visit when in London and for me Folk is the highlight, great clothes and great service.

Margaret Howell
I am not much for the online store but the stores are always worth a visit, it just makes you feel comfortable and it a pleasure to buy a few pieces.

Yoox
Probably the best digital store around.

Liberty
I am not a big fan of department stores but it is a pity to call Liberty a department store.