Sir Hardy Amies - A Century of Couture

He was Britain's most renowned couturier and dressmaker to the Queen for over thirty five years, not to mention a leading Savile Row tailor. Now the life and work of Sir Hardy Amies is to be celebrated with an exhibition on Saville Row. His career offered him an unrivaled insight into the world of the rich and famous. Now the nosy and the aspirational amongst us will also be able to peer into his world. His vast archive will be on show containing unseen photographs of the royal family, letters from Cecil Beaton and Margaret Thatcher, intimate diaries, sketches of his film costumes for 2001: A Space Odyssey and of course clothes will all be unveiled. Timed to coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, the exhibition, Sir Hardy Amies: A Century of Couture, opened this week and will run throughout November.

Amies' rule that "a man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care—and then forgotten all about them" is one of his gems of sartorial wisdom which is timeless.

GQ recently declared that 'if there were ever a patron saint of menswear it would have to be the late great Sir Hardy Amies. He is most fondly remembered as the author of the perennials of English style, ABC Of Men's Fashion and The Englishmen's Suit. There are very few books about men’s style worth reading, but Hardy Amies managed to write two of them. Back in 1945, Hardy Amies restored the Blitz hit derelict husk of a Regency house at No 14 Savile Row and opened his doors. Amies was widely admired for his fine tailoring, attention to detail and upper crust style. Throughout the course of his life he became a true Savile Row legend and one of its greatest patrons. It is the first time a British couture house has opened its archive to the public and those who can, should take advantage of it.

Picture Postcards: The good old days

The good old days by Carl Bengtsson for DV Man. Images courtesy of The Fashionisto.

Even for a magazine junkie like myself, many editorials seem to blur in to one and I take very little style inspiration from any of them. Over the last couple of months or so I've flicked through freshly bought issues all too quickly and have yet to summon the desire to reopen them. It is safe to say that I've been a little disappointed by the fashion on show in the latest issues of my favourite magazines and I think it might be time to look further afield. The Fashionisto never ceases to showcase the best editorials from around the globe and from time to time he unearths a real gem. The Good Old Days by Carl Bengtsson’s is one such gem. The editorial was taken from the Autumn issue of DV Man and since I first stumbled across it last week the images have been playing on my mind.

When I'm in a state of ennui about the seemingly relententless pace of fashion, I often trawl through a selection of archives on flickr (with the Library of Congress being a particular favourite) for alternative inspiration. At times, even though I love the style demonstrated in the shots it can be difficult to translate this is in to modern day attire. This editorial does just that. The introductory blurb to this DV Man editorial succinctly reads, 'An age of cheeky rascals and debonair merchants, a time when things really were better.' There is an age old charm in the shots themselves but also in the styling. The spread of images certainly captures a bygone era but the styling avoids the obvious trap falls of appearing like costumes and little more. The nostalgic styling by Ursula Wangander features designers including Acne, Rogues Gallery, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, Old Touch, Jil Sander and Carin Wester to name just a few. The editorial has renewed my enthusiasm for print editorials and inspired me to trawl through image archives on the hunt for more sartoriaol gems strewn throughout history....expect quite a few related posts in the coming weeks...

Happy Birthday Fine and Dandy!

We might have differing opinions when it comes to men's style at times but both of us here at Style Salvage are united in our love and admiration for an eye catching dandy- a point hammered home when we spent about 20 minutes not-very-subtly staring at one such chap in the pub on sunday. It was inevitable then that we would fall for the accessory charms of online store Fine and Dandy. Back in June we caught up with proprietor, Matt Fox, for a transatlantic natter. Like us, Matt has an appreciation for the well dressed gentlemen of yesteryear and is inspired by their unabashed use of accessories, so this is what he stocks in his marvelous online store. Fine and Dandy is a shop which provides all the finishing details to truly be fine and dandy. One year on since launching the online store, Matt Fox and his dapper team decided to mark their anniversary by releasing a look book showcasing their 2009 offering. After congratulating the fine and dandy chaps we just had to share it with you...

Black Derby Hat, Burgundy Striped Houndstooth Bow Tie, Silver And Paisley Pocket Square

We are fortunate enough to receive quite a few look books in our inbox each week but very few leave us in a state of mirrored head nodding. This one left us marveling over the dapper accessories and the humorous photography shot by Patrick Roxas. Yesterday, Valet declared that the 'preppy-but-playful images pair nicely with the shop's new pieces' and we couldn't agree more. Dressing each morning should be fun and accessories like these provide the required pomp and colour.

Grey Diamond Hat, Purple Melange Silk Tie, Purple Handkerchief (part of set), Silver Fleur-De-Lis Cufflinks, Brushed Stainless Steel Pocket Watch

We love the fact that head wear is involved in every single look. As EJ mentioned in her campaign for hats, 'just look at the street scenes in almost any film made the 50s or earlier to see how commonly the hat used to be worn and how much better it makes almost everyone look.' Where would a dandy be without his felt ivy cap, black derby hat or grey diamond hat? The styling showcased here is inspirational for anyone looking to add a few new touches to their wardrobe this season. From the grey Herringbone Newsboy cap to a small gold key tie bar (our favourite) to an array of handkerchiefs the look book displays an array of finishing touches for the dapper amongst us.

Grey Herringbone Newsboy Cap, Grey With Red And Silver Bow Tie, Beige Handkerchief (part of set), Wood Pen, Leather Portfolio

"It’s actually really fun to spend a little bit of time every morning putting your clothes on, picking a tie, picking a handkerchief, choosing a shirt from your wardrobe, picking a jacket and a pair of trousers and putting it all together and feeling great in your wardrobe. It’s really a lovely thing to do each day." Ever the dandy, Patrick Grant, from a recent interview with SwipeLife.

Looking at the men walking the streets outside it seems a large number have men lost sight of how much fun it is to be well dressed. This look book clearly prescribes to the belief that dressing each morning should be anything but a chore or a bore. It is time to have a little fun each morning and this look book provides the required facets. This past year the chaps at Fine and Dandy have shown the way.

Brown Flecked Newsboy Cap, Grey Melange Silk Tie,Dress Stewart Wool Scarf, Gold Key Tie Bar

As we are separated by an ocean we weren't able to present the FineandDandy team with a cake complete with a single lit candle. So, we caught up with Matt Fox for another transatlantic chat and to wish the store a very happy birthday....

SS: The look book celebrates one year of Fine and Dandy. Congratulations on reaching this landmark. How has the last year been?
Matt Fox: Amazing. The response has been wonderful and we feel confident that we've set a great foundation for our brand.

SS: What has been your most fine and dandy moment?
Matt Fox: Shooting the look book was a major fine and dandy highlight. We really felt that everything we've been working on came together in that shoot and we're so pleased with how our new photos represent the Fine And Dandy look.

SS: Talk us through some of your inspirations for the look book..
Matt Fox: We wanted to have a diverse mix of formal and less formal looks. And we wanted to show how a little dandy style can be infused in most any outfit.

SS: What are your favourite pieces for AW09?
Matt Fox: Some favorites: our Brown Fleck Newsboy Cap, our Buffalo Nickel Cufflinks, and our new collection of handkerchiefs.

SS: What can we expect from you in the coming year and beyond?
Matt Fox: The big news for our European fans is that we've begun making plans to ship to Europe in the new year.

Black Crushable Felt Ivy Cap, Purple Paisley Bow Tie, Blue Multi-colored Pocket Square