OFFICIAL Simon Crompton thread (PermanentStyle.com)

[Markus123456789]

Why should he look great? As a model he is just the ordinary man dressing. That is the purpose of what he is aiming for. What I find strange is that he seemingly never seeks esthetical advice from anyone else. He has a preference for dark and muted colours, for example, which not only makes his blog repetitive, but also monotonous. Bringing in new writers has been a good thing, and the «normal guy» profiles really add diversity. My attitude is that he is what he is, he has great technical knowledge for a layman, I am less impressed by his esthetics, I am increasingly concerned about how commercially independent he is, and his choice of tailors and especially manufacturers is narrow. Increasingly, though, he is the one remaining menswear blogger publishing with some regularity? I read him, appreciate him, and I do not expect him to change my world.

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Why should he look great? As a model he is just the ordinary man dressing. That is the purpose of what he is aiming for. What I find strange is that he seemingly never seeks esthetical advice from anyone else. He has a preference for dark and muted colours, for example, which not only makes his blog repetitive, but also monotonous. Bringing in new writers has been a good thing, and the «normal guy» profiles really add diversity. My attitude is that he is what he is, he has great technical knowledge for a layman, I am less impressed by his esthetics, I am increasingly concerned about how commercially independent he is, and his choice of tailors and especially manufacturers is narrow. Increasingly, though, he is the one remaining menswear blogger publishing with some regularity? I read him, appreciate him, and I do not expect him to change my world.

 

[Knurt]

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[Markus123456789]

Again, I don't understand the personal attacks against Simon Crompton here. In my opinion, there is a lot of personal envy that Simon has managed to turn his passion (menswear) into a profession. Only very few are granted that.

I am to a certain degree a fan of Permanent Style and find both the writing style and the detailed information about manufacturers, fabrics, etc., interesting. I don't know of any other similar source. In addition, the style of most other menswear bloggers is often very costume-like.

Further, the style of most other menswear bloggers is often very costume-like. Of course you can write about three-piece suits, ties, suspenders, hats, outdated rules like "no brown in town", etc., but who wears those these days respectively adheres to such rules? The move towards casual chic, which Simon has done well in my opinion, is more interesting to me in my own life. I'm a lawyer in a commercial law firm in Vienna, which is a conservative business in a more conservative city, but even here hardly anyone wears a suit on normal days, let alone a tie. As far as leisure time is concerned, I find his blog even more interesting.

The fact that Simon is not a supermodel makes the pictures more valuable to me. A very professionally photographed supermodel looks good in almost any piece of clothing. I can derive little for myself from such photos, although I myself am very slim and relatively athletic. For a more corpulent man, for example, there is probably much less to be gained from such photos. The normal-guy approach is better in every respect.

As far as Simon's webpage is concerned, I have one big criticism. You can't accuse him of not being financially independent. It's his job and he has to make money, BUT

+ Simon keeps writing that you can't order paid-for articles and I have no reason to doubt that. Nevertheless, each article is opaque as to what support it has received and why this particular company / maker has been chosen. It would help if he announced at the end of each article that, for example, the presented coat was made for him for free, that he received a sweater for free, that the trip was paid for by the presented company, that he has already been commissioned by the company to provide another service for which he was paid, or that he creates ongoing income from this company e.g. through advertising. It would be even more transparent if he were to disclose the sums he has earned, on second thought probably not the sums themselves but a description (e.g. "substantial", "minor") which in my opinion is state-of-the-art.

+ It is striking that Simon repeatedly describes and pushes a small number of often niche companies, but simply ignores others that would fit the profile of Permanent Style. The extreme example here is Rubato, which became big because of Permanent Style. Simon is open about the fact that one of the founders is his friend, but the constant Rubato articles are so conspicuous that I would be interested to know whether Simon is, for example, a silent shareholder of Rubato. A more recent article about, for example, Johnston of Elgin, or Willam Lockie, or Jamieson's, etc, cannot be found on Permanent style.

+ My final criticism is that he concentrates almost exclusively on English, a few American, a few Japanese (again, it's noticeable that Bryceland's is mentioned so often) and Rubato (Sweden). Aside from tailoring, for example, he hardly reports on Italian makers like Fedeli, Malo, Colombo, etc., of which there are many more than English ones and who, from my perspective, have a greater influence in the menswear sector and are often more creative than English or American makers. Other countries are not mentioned anyway. An example: When he writes about belts, it is almost always - you guessed it - Rubato, who have a few belts on offer but are not a belt company. But I have never read anything about, for example, Kreis-Lederwaren (Germany), which has a comprehensive MTM program for high-quality belts, or about Italian or English belt makers.

To conclude on a positive note, Permanent Style is unique, especially when compared to numerous other menswear sites that either follow an unwearable costume style (e.g. Gentlemen Gazette), or are clearly paid for individual items and are very superficial (à la -- "The ten shirts a men needs", "what you have to buy this summer").

 

[DorianGreen]

You know, being a lover of tailoring and also someone that has at times been an serious weight-lifter I've only ever heard the criticism of sloping shoulders from the tailoring crowd. Not something I've ever heard anyone else talk about in weightlifting circles, nor elsewhere! Is it something that is that bad?! I've always thought slightly sloping shoulders look nicer and more elegant than someone who is very square!

Interesting point. I would say that (very) sloping shoulders do not represent the ideal human physique, although it obviously has a subjective aspect too.

Personally, I also prefer a slight slope to completely square shoulders, and also think that it's advantageous for tailoring.

As for Simon Crompton, I think that he looks better in jackets that don't highlight his sloping shoulders, but mitigate this aspect instead.

 

[ladislav.jancik]

You know, being a lover of tailoring and also someone that has at times been an serious weight-lifter I've only ever heard the criticism of sloping shoulders from the tailoring crowd. Not something I've ever heard anyone else talk about in weightlifting circles, nor elsewhere! Is it something that is that bad?! I've always thought slightly sloping shoulders look nicer and more elegant than someone who is very square!

Soft / sloping shoulders might look better on people with wide shoulders. But for people with sloping shoulders the more structured shoulders are usually better. It's a matter of balance. In Simon's case, accentuating his very sloped shoulders with a soft / sloping shoulder jacket doesn't look good to me because it makes his look bottom heavy.

This silhouette looks very good:

This silhouette not:

 

[MaE]

Isn’t that a matter of personal preference?! I do prefer a softer, rounder silhouette on him, but I get that this might not be the case for everyone.

I think @Markus123456789 post is very interesting. My only issue with the blog also is that you do not know why some brands/products keep being pushed and how objective some of what’s written in those articles really is. The rest (aesthetics, the shift from formal to more casual…) is more a matter of personal preference and I feel that some of the critics Simon has earned in this thread aren't always objectively justifiable.

 

[smittycl]

Again, I don't understand the personal attacks against Simon Crompton here. In my opinion, there is a lot of personal envy that Simon has managed to turn his passion (menswear) into a profession. Only very few are granted that.

I am to a certain degree a fan of Permanent Style and find both the writing style and the detailed information about manufacturers, fabrics, etc., interesting. I don't know of any other similar source. In addition, the style of most other menswear bloggers is often very costume-like.

Further, the style of most other menswear bloggers is often very costume-like. Of course you can write about three-piece suits, ties, suspenders, hats, outdated rules like "no brown in town", etc., but who wears those these days respectively adheres to such rules? The move towards casual chic, which Simon has done well in my opinion, is more interesting to me in my own life. I'm a lawyer in a commercial law firm in Vienna, which is a conservative business in a more conservative city, but even here hardly anyone wears a suit on normal days, let alone a tie. As far as leisure time is concerned, I find his blog even more interesting.

The fact that Simon is not a supermodel makes the pictures more valuable to me. A very professionally photographed supermodel looks good in almost any piece of clothing. I can derive little for myself from such photos, although I myself am very slim and relatively athletic. For a more corpulent man, for example, there is probably much less to be gained from such photos. The normal-guy approach is better in every respect.

As far as Simon's webpage is concerned, I have one big criticism. You can't accuse him of not being financially independent. It's his job and he has to make money, BUT

+ Simon keeps writing that you can't order paid-for articles and I have no reason to doubt that. Nevertheless, each article is opaque as to what support it has received and why this particular company / maker has been chosen. It would help if he announced at the end of each article that, for example, the presented coat was made for him for free, that he received a sweater for free, that the trip was paid for by the presented company, that he has already been commissioned by the company to provide another service for which he was paid, or that he creates ongoing income from this company e.g. through advertising. It would be even more transparent if he were to disclose the sums he has earned, on second thought probably not the sums themselves but a description (e.g. "substantial", "minor") which in my opinion is state-of-the-art.

+ It is striking that Simon repeatedly describes and pushes a small number of often niche companies, but simply ignores others that would fit the profile of Permanent Style. The extreme example here is Rubato, which became big because of Permanent Style. Simon is open about the fact that one of the founders is his friend, but the constant Rubato articles are so conspicuous that I would be interested to know whether Simon is, for example, a silent shareholder of Rubato. A more recent article about, for example, Johnston of Elgin, or Willam Lockie, or Jamieson's, etc, cannot be found on Permanent style.

+ My final criticism is that he concentrates almost exclusively on English, a few American, a few Japanese (again, it's noticeable that Bryceland's is mentioned so often) and Rubato (Sweden). Aside from tailoring, for example, he hardly reports on Italian makers like Fedeli, Malo, Colombo, etc., of which there are many more than English ones and who, from my perspective, have a greater influence in the menswear sector and are often more creative than English or American makers. Other countries are not mentioned anyway. An example: When he writes about belts, it is almost always - you guessed it - Rubato, who have a few belts on offer but are not a belt company. But I have never read anything about, for example, Kreis-Lederwaren (Germany), which has a comprehensive MTM program for high-quality belts, or about Italian or English belt makers.

To conclude on a positive note, Permanent Style is unique, especially when compared to numerous other menswear sites that either follow an unwearable costume style (e.g. Gentlemen Gazette), or are clearly paid for individual items and are very superficial (à la -- "The ten shirts a men needs", "what you have to buy this summer").

Very well said and I agree. We would all prefer a “Gentleman Hobbyist” with enough resources to constantly experiment with clothing (and write about it) but they are a rarity.

Lots of folks here (some of the guys that go to Pitti regularly) are getting compensated in some way I’m sure and that’s fine. Just something to keep in mind when they flog a certain maker all the time.

 

[jellyroller]

Again, I don't understand the personal attacks against Simon Crompton here. In my opinion, there is a lot of personal envy that Simon has managed to turn his passion (menswear) into a profession. Only very few are granted that.

I am to a certain degree a fan of Permanent Style and find both the writing style and the detailed information about manufacturers, fabrics, etc., interesting. I don't know of any other similar source. In addition, the style of most other menswear bloggers is often very costume-like.

Further, the style of most other menswear bloggers is often very costume-like. Of course you can write about three-piece suits, ties, suspenders, hats, outdated rules like "no brown in town", etc., but who wears those these days respectively adheres to such rules? The move towards casual chic, which Simon has done well in my opinion, is more interesting to me in my own life. I'm a lawyer in a commercial law firm in Vienna, which is a conservative business in a more conservative city, but even here hardly anyone wears a suit on normal days, let alone a tie. As far as leisure time is concerned, I find his blog even more interesting.

The fact that Simon is not a supermodel makes the pictures more valuable to me. A very professionally photographed supermodel looks good in almost any piece of clothing. I can derive little for myself from such photos, although I myself am very slim and relatively athletic. For a more corpulent man, for example, there is probably much less to be gained from such photos. The normal-guy approach is better in every respect.

As far as Simon's webpage is concerned, I have one big criticism. You can't accuse him of not being financially independent. It's his job and he has to make money, BUT

+ Simon keeps writing that you can't order paid-for articles and I have no reason to doubt that. Nevertheless, each article is opaque as to what support it has received and why this particular company / maker has been chosen. It would help if he announced at the end of each article that, for example, the presented coat was made for him for free, that he received a sweater for free, that the trip was paid for by the presented company, that he has already been commissioned by the company to provide another service for which he was paid, or that he creates ongoing income from this company e.g. through advertising. It would be even more transparent if he were to disclose the sums he has earned, on second thought probably not the sums themselves but a description (e.g. "substantial", "minor") which in my opinion is state-of-the-art.

+ It is striking that Simon repeatedly describes and pushes a small number of often niche companies, but simply ignores others that would fit the profile of Permanent Style. The extreme example here is Rubato, which became big because of Permanent Style. Simon is open about the fact that one of the founders is his friend, but the constant Rubato articles are so conspicuous that I would be interested to know whether Simon is, for example, a silent shareholder of Rubato. A more recent article about, for example, Johnston of Elgin, or Willam Lockie, or Jamieson's, etc, cannot be found on Permanent style.

+ My final criticism is that he concentrates almost exclusively on English, a few American, a few Japanese (again, it's noticeable that Bryceland's is mentioned so often) and Rubato (Sweden). Aside from tailoring, for example, he hardly reports on Italian makers like Fedeli, Malo, Colombo, etc., of which there are many more than English ones and who, from my perspective, have a greater influence in the menswear sector and are often more creative than English or American makers. Other countries are not mentioned anyway. An example: When he writes about belts, it is almost always - you guessed it - Rubato, who have a few belts on offer but are not a belt company. But I have never read anything about, for example, Kreis-Lederwaren (Germany), which has a comprehensive MTM program for high-quality belts, or about Italian or English belt makers.

To conclude on a positive note, Permanent Style is unique, especially when compared to numerous other menswear sites that either follow an unwearable costume style (e.g. Gentlemen Gazette), or are clearly paid for individual items and are very superficial (à la -- "The ten shirts a men needs", "what you have to buy this summer").

Well said.

 

[epsilon22]

You know, being a lover of tailoring and also someone that has at times been an serious weight-lifter I've only ever heard the criticism of sloping shoulders from the tailoring crowd. Not something I've ever heard anyone else talk about in weightlifting circles, nor elsewhere! Is it something that is that bad?! I've always thought slightly sloping shoulders look nicer and more elegant than someone who is very square!

I think it's a matter of preferences, but Simon's shoulders are very sloped compared to most people. I think it's not a "bad" thing necessarily, it lets me see how different tailors try to make things look good on him, either through some structuring in the shoulders, some extension, roping, etc. I just don't think very soft tailoring flatters him, but that's my preference.

 

[Viatu]

I see it often that just b/c some of these people are quasi famous in the classic menswear area and they have access to all the reputable tailors it doesn't mean they are particularly well dressed to me. Simon from Permanent Style and Mark from The Armoury are two guys who I don't think are good dressers.

 

[Thin White Duke]

I see it often that just b/c some of these people are quasi famous in the classic menswear area and they have access to all the reputable tailors it doesn't mean they are particularly well dressed to me. Simon from Permanent Style and Mark from The Armoury are two guys who I don't think are good dressers.

Wait till you see the pics from Pitti.
Among some well dressed fellas are countless ‘alleged’ icons of style that look so fuckin ridiculous it’s laughable!

 

[smittycl]

Wait till you see the pics from Pitti.
Among some well dressed fellas are countless ‘alleged’ icons of style that look so fuckin ridiculous it’s laughable!

Have seen lots of silly Peacocking but all seem to be having fun.

 

[MaitM]

I see it often that just b/c some of these people are quasi famous in the classic menswear area and they have access to all the reputable tailors it doesn't mean they are particularly well dressed to me. Simon from Permanent Style and Mark from The Armoury are two guys who I don't think are good dressers.

I assume that due to their trade they both feel the pressure to try different things, stay relevant and fresh, sometimes with more and sometimes with less success. In Simons case I feel he sometimes "missteps" when he tries to mimic some of his friends.

I'd be interested to hear though, some examples of who would you consider to be good dressers to contrast against these "not good dressers", to put your opinion into perspective.

 

[comrade]

Wait till you see the pics from Pitti.
Among some well dressed fellas are countless ‘alleged’ icons of style that look so fuckin ridiculous it’s laughable!

Do you have a specific problem with Rod? He certainly has an individual style. His clothes remind me
of late 90s early 2000s three button reaction to the Armani big jacket look of the 80s. Or, what I remember of the sharp "continental" look that was inspired by or co-existed with the Ivy style of the
late 50s and 60s eg. what the "Rat Pat Pack" wore.

 

[epsilon22]

I see it often that just b/c some of these people are quasi famous in the classic menswear area and they have access to all the reputable tailors it doesn't mean they are particularly well dressed to me. Simon from Permanent Style and Mark from The Armoury are two guys who I don't think are good dressers.

I think we just have to look at multiple sources of reference and pick up what we like from them. There's not even an objective set of standards of what a good dresser is. I like going to PS to check the differences between tailors' styles, but I also find some of his outfits questionable and I won't copy them. Similarly with Mark, I don't like some of his outfits, but I like some of his youtube videos where he tries to show colors that match well vs those that don't.