This topic discussion topic has caused a great deal of chin scratching and sartorial reminiscing as we trawl through our most stylish memories. Here we continue the topic with words from the ever inspiring retailer, Daniel Jenkins. As a store owner Jenkins has a clear vision on menswear and the designers he wants to sell. He believes that there is an awful lot of decent men's clothing being designed on these shores that people just are not given the opportunity to try. His store rectifies this and his current offering includes the exciting likes of and i, Martine Rose, Subling, Universal Works, Lou Dalton, Carolyn Massey and Stansfield to name but a few. Ever since we interviewed him way back in June 2008 we have remained in close contact, at first as men's fashion allies and then as friends. Here, Daniel Jenkins tells us of the influence of his father on his own style.
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Tell us about the most stylish man you've ever known....
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Daniel Jenkins, Retailer focusing solely upon British fashion talent.
Without doubt my dad. He’s got a real don’t give a **** punk/mod attitude in bespoke suits and much better hair. It amuses me when I receive look books and editorials and see items dad has been wearing for years and with much more panache. Certainly not interested in fashion but, just manages to look pretty damn cool. I mean off duty the guy’s been wearing Trickers with slim pants - sometimes slightly rolled sometimes unrolled sometimes tucked into socks for years, a shirt with slightly frayed collar and unstructured jacket or windbreaker.
He was the person who taught me the importance about a decent pair of shoes and spending the most you can afford on a suit. My grandchildren will probably hit 30 and be wearing my Dad's suits to muck about in. When my sister and I were very little we hated the way our dad dressed. Constantly asked mum to give him a make over. "Why can’t he look like all the other dads?" I now realise this was a serious strength. Who wants to look like everyone else? Who wants to wear what someone else puts you in? I see far too many men who look like they’ve given in to the inevitable. Well I refuse to and I blame my dad for that!
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It is unsurprising that "My dad" is a fairly common answer to this question but I love the uniqueness of each account. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about my own. Looking back on my childhood I can recall times when I looked at my Dad's style (or lack thereof) and was left perplexed. Of course some men do not possess or learn to master style but my dad was not one of these types of men. He was much more infuriating than that. There were moments in his life where he oozed style from every pore. I have seen the photographic evidence and heard the stories. In the 60s he might as well have been crowned King of the Mods. Wonderfully tailored and always wearing beautiful Italian shoes. When I flick through photo albums and catch sightings of him I really have to question whether or not that is actually him. During my informative years my he had what could only be described as a carefree attitude to style. The overriding style memory I have of him is a pair of colourful candy striped shorts that he would wear any day that there was even a passing glimpse of sunshine. He often teamed them up with a Hawaiian shirt or some sort. Thinking about it now I blame him for my aversion to prints (ha!). Is your Dad the most stylish man you've ever met?
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