Wednesday 7 October 2009

Time to have a little fun each morning

After encountering the below Sartorialist shot of Patrick Grant sitting front row awaiting the Jonathon Saunders show I was forced to turn to twitter like an excited little school girl. I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit here that I asked "Hands up if you have a (man) crush on Patrick Grant..." Of course many people responded by virtually raising their hands. It seems, a number of people (male and female) swoon at the mere mention of the man's name but as I step over the piles of fainted bodies who took the swooning that bit too far, I ask myself what it is that I admire about him.

Patrick Grant, shot by the Sartorialist

I have huge respect for what he has achieved since becoming the youngest guv'nor on Savile Row. He is the man behind the resurgence of the 187 year old Savile Row firm of tailors, Norton & Sons and has since relaunched the storied house of E. Tautz as a ready-to-wear collection to much, deserved acclaim. Having dressed the pre war elite, from Churchill to Cary Grant, it is a label rooted in history and the past seamlessly runs through the collections. E. Tautz championed the notion of dressing properly and of men taking pride in what they wear. It adheres to the age old belief that how you dress reflects your respect for the event and for your host. Edward VII, a major inspiration for the first two offerings, said it best: "Be always well and suitably dressed for every conceivable occasion." Having met Patrick Grant a number of times now and having seen the latest flurry of street style shots, both on the Sartorialist and this cheeky gem from StreetStyle Aesthetic, it is clear that he follows this mantra whilst having fun with it.

Playful tailoring, E. Tautz SS10

"I think men have lost sight of how much fun it is to be well dressed. It’s actually really fun to spend a little bit of time every morning putting your clothes on, picking 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." Patrick Grant, from an interview with SwipeLife.

I was alarmed by the number of comments below the Sartorialist image which described the ensemble as all too much, focusing on the pocket square in particular. The comments on the post combined with just a quick glance out of the window suggests that a lot of people do not experience the pleasure of dressing anymore. It is such a shame. They’ll put on a pair of jeans and a white shirt and will look perfectly good but won’t feel special about what they’re wearing. During menswear day I made the stroll up to the E. Tautz presentation and I'm glad I did. Not only did I get my first bit of food for the day, a piece of shortbread washed down with a cup of tea but I was able to view the playful Quentin Jones video whilst admiring the SS10 collection all over again. The label offers simple tailoring with a little something extra, a bit of pomp, colour, a sense of humour. It is this little extra which makes E. Tautz special.

In the interview with SwipeLife Patrick continues, "It seems like men are almost embarrassed to be well-dressed. It feels like it’s too much, or you’ve tried too hard." I think it is about time that such a belief is quashed. What I love about the E. Tautz collections thus far and how Patrick Grant dresses personally is that both clearly prescribe to the belief that dressing each morning should not be a chore or a bore. It is time to have a little fun each morning.

8 comments:

georgeface said...

Oh wow. Well dressed men = EPIC SWOON.

Chuck Bass anyone?

Seriously, these outfits are divine.

Laurence John said...

when people say 'overdressed' it says more about how dressing-down has become the norm, than about what the person in question is actually wearing.

Patrick has something of Clark Gable about him i think, which can never be a bad thing.

Barima said...

I find that dressing up tends to be a bonding point with Patrick ;)

Seriously, on that topic, he's absolutely correct. And if I ever lose the love for it, I'm done. It's bad enough I only get to don my black tie around once every year

Good post, Steve

B

davidsl said...

i participated in that sartorialist thread. i simply don't like the rolled trouser thing that seems all the rage. other than that, though i agree with him about dressing well, in the states, dressing as well as he does requires money and cojones. one needs cojones for two reasons.

first, one will either be asked incessently why one is "all dressed up", which is annoying and implies that one has dressed contrary to the expectation that we not dress "inappropriately" or to attract too much attention.

second, a man dressed as well as mr. grandt will be assumed to be gay, because only gay men pay that much attention to their appearance. that is homophobia, plain and simple. i say this as a gay man. and the straight men hate it.

nobody under the age of 50 wears a suit in san francisco anymore, let alone with the style and panache of mr. grant. it's a shame. and it makes any attempt to strive to dress as well a battle.

Style Salvage Steve said...

georgeface: Ha, epic swoon indeed! Chuck Bass would love Patrick's sartorial embellishment.
Laurence John: Couldn't agree more.
Barima: Thankfully, I think you have plenty of life in you yet!
davidsl: Ah yes, I saw that thread (a different image of Patrick) and I understand your point of view here. That is such a shame but I think cojones are needed here as well at times. We must fight the good fight.

AMIT said...

The suit is very good suitable to him.

Bouquet Sauvage Collection

Richard said...

I agree with what Patrick said in his interview, it does feel good to be all dressed up, but it does take a bit of effort.

For me, I'd dress up for occasions but for the normal day, I'm just in jeans and a t shirt just because it easy and simple.

Anonymous said...

I would not say that I have "crush" on him (or anyone else whom I have not met), though I am totally gay. However, I do admire him for being a very talented craftsman, an immaculate style icon and a very handsome man indeed.

He has that effortless class that can not be copied or learned. One has to be born with it. His tall, strapping good looks is a bonus, but this man would have looked his best even with less fortunate features.

//Jack

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