Bishop of Briggs wrote:

More freebie BS on Dents gloves? - http://permanentstyle.blogspot.com/2010 … made.html.

"There’s an odd little bit of Selfridge’s between Ralph Lauren and the Kurt Geiger shoe emporium. It contains general accessories – hats, scarves and gloves – and stands out because it is the one part of the menswear floor not obviously split up into concessions. Perhaps the licenses are too small to deserve more floor space; perhaps Selfridge’s wants at least one area that feels more like a store, less like a branch.

This is the only place I had previously come across Dent’s gloves; not exactly auspicious. "

Yet he goes on to write a puff PR piece on the company's history and manufacturing processes but he has not even visited the factory.

"Expect even more unwanted detail when I travel down to Warminster (location of Dent’s current factory) to see the process myself later in the year."

What a tosser!

The translation is this. "I am pitching for work from Dents, who are too small to have their own PR department and will be impressed by my puffing of them on my blog. I'm doing this for free or a small sum, in the hope that my more credulous readers don't realise I'm shilling. Then I'll go to the factory and get paid more for writing them up again (although I won't admit to that)."

What we can do. "Dear Dents, I was considering purchasing a pair of your gloves until I read a puff-piece written by the odious Crompton. Can you assure me that you have no association with him? If so then please accept my order for x pairs of gloves. If not then I am afraid I shall look elsewhere, as I regard his writing as indicating that your product has no genuine merit. Yours most sincerely".

I have no axe to grind either way, but I find your collective slagging off a touch sanctimonious. It may be simply that the guy has stumbled across a business model that fits, or that his hobby is gradually developing into a more complete living, however long it lasts. His english may grate, sometimes, and he may get stuff wrong from a technical perspective on occassion, but the cynic may argue that you are so anti because he has found a seam that most of of you, who all seem to express expert opinions on a regular basis, have overlooked.
I have no real love of U2's music, but rather than sit an write notes rubbishing it, I simply do not listen to it.

esselle wrote:

I have no axe to grind either way, but I find your collective slagging off a touch sanctimonious. It may be simply that the guy has stumbled across a business model that fits, or that his hobby is gradually developing into a more complete living, however long it lasts. His english may grate, sometimes, and he may get stuff wrong from a technical perspective on occassion, but the cynic may argue that you are so anti because he has found a seam that most of of you, who all seem to express expert opinions on a regular basis, have overlooked.
I have no real love of U2's music, but rather than sit an write notes rubbishing it, I simply do not listen to it.

Nah. The 'business model' you identify seems to consist of taking money for puffing pieces whilst concealing that fact and purportedly writing objectively. Your U2 analogy gets nowhere near. What's more, Crompton won't publish critical comments on his blog. That's wimp behaviour and it demonstrates a lack of commitment to debate or objectivity.

That's why we're anti. If the guy is prepared to entertain criticism then he's real. If he hides from it and fibs about what he's actually doing - he's an igent.

Bishop of Briggs wrote:

No self-respecting gentleman or journalist would behave in such a fashion. Both Bown and Crtompton deserve the contempt in which we hold them.

''Journalist accepts freebies'' is hardly front page news.

I can see that it is fun to trash them, but I still enjoy reading the Permanent Style blog. 'Caveat Emptor' is always at the back of my mind anyway.

As for Merrion, well he has had his own issues. I think the Apostle Paul said something about 'casting the first stone' on his vacation trip to Rubinacci in Naples.

Bishop of Briggs wrote:

There is nothing new on "Permanent Style" (sic). It is a poor copy of Will Boelke's "A Suitable Wardrobe". Will, unlike Crompton, has always been open about his commercial relationships and pays full price for his suits from Fallan & Harvey and Thomas Mahon. Will's natural enthusiasm is evident but Crompton looks and writes like a smug spiv.

I think 'Permanent Style' is far better than 'A Suitable Wardrobe'. It is more relevant to a UK readership as the author is based here.

'Suitable Wardrobe' often covers extremely expensive yet irrelevant stuff. The writer has far too many clothes for any man. His whole life seems to revolve around them; with nothing apart from waiting for clothes, repairing clothes, commissioning clothes for various holidays. I am sure he is a decent type but the clothing thing is almost eccentric -though he also has it as his business.

I have no strong issues around Crompton, but then again, you took against Mafoofan with a passion and he does not bother me either. Same also applies to Chensvold on the Ivy forum, I have no problem with him.

Kingstonian wrote:

Bishop of Briggs wrote:

There is nothing new on "Permanent Style" (sic). It is a poor copy of Will Boelke's "A Suitable Wardrobe". Will, unlike Crompton, has always been open about his commercial relationships and pays full price for his suits from Fallan & Harvey and Thomas Mahon. Will's natural enthusiasm is evident but Crompton looks and writes like a smug spiv.

I think 'Permanent Style' is far better than 'A Suitable Wardrobe'. It is more relevant to a UK readership as the author is based here.

'Suitable Wardrobe' often covers extremely expensive yet irrelevant stuff. The writer has far too many clothes for any man. His whole life seems to revolve around them; with nothing apart from waiting for clothes, repairing clothes, commissioning clothes for various holidays. I am sure he is a decent type but the clothing thing is almost eccentric -though he also has it as his business.

I have no strong issues around Crompton, but then again, you took against Mafoofan with a passion and he does not bother me either. Same also applies to Chensvold on the Ivy forum, I have no problem with him.

Will's wardrobe is not unusual for a regular customer of bespoke tailors. He uses MyTailor (Hemrajani) too so his budget is not unlimited. I am surprised that he his main tailors are based in Britain (visiting San Francisco) as there are very good tailors in America, including California.

Mafoofan accused me of racism after I called him out over how, as a junior lawyer, he can afford to pay Rubinacci's prices. He is an obnoxious attention-seeker who thinks that he knows everything. The truth is that his knowledge is very limited and he relies on Marianno Rubinacci to advise him. Yet he has the cheek to criticise ("Foof") others. He and Manton are so alike and it's not surprising that they hang out together.

NJS wrote:

I think that Will is far more Anglophile than Cromps in that Cromps goes out of his way to please to biggest crowd and Will doesn't. Another thing - was Bown really a priest before he grew over his tonsure and started gliding around in a RR Silver Cloud III?

Father Bown, former parish priest of St. Stephens, Hull



If you search "Francis Bown" on Google images, pictures of Simon Crompton come up on the first page. Fancy that!

I have not had a response from "esselle" who defended Cromps in his first post on this thread.

Last edited by Bishop of Briggs (2010-11-04 13:29:32)

NJS wrote:

Ah! so Bown left the CoE over the issue of women priests. I have ro say that I rather agree with Dr Johnson on them. Bown always seems an agreeable old buffer to me a far cry from Cromps.

There is a touch of the Arthur Daley about Francis Bown. Our Father would be a much more amusing dinner guest than his boring (and pseudish) aspiring successor.

NJS wrote:

How did Bown then make his money to indulge his tastes, or was he loaded already?

My guess is that he had some family money, e.g. to pay for the Roller, and spotted the potential of the internet to get the freebies. He was years ahead of his time.

The clergy who left the CoE over the ordination of wymmen 'priests' back when Bown did were quite generously recompensated, as far as I know.

Bown is The Chap magazine's arbiter elegantiorum nowadays. I vastly preferred David Saxby's column and have in fact stopped reading TC ever since their latest makeover which included David being replaced by Bown and the introduction of 'The Chapette' feature. Rather ghastly these days.

Chaps,

Why are we arsed about Crompton? Anybody, who has advertisements on his website from the companies he has reviewed should be treated with circumspection.

NJS wrote:

formby wrote:

Chaps,

Why are we arsed about Crompton? Anybody, who has advertisements on his website from the companies he has reviewed should be treated with circumspection.

This is true but Cromps has given us a new sport and, as yet, it is totally unregulated by game laws.

If he's sport, then that's fair enough.

Carry on.

No, I am not related to, in the pay of, in any way connected with, your man Crompton.

Rather, I am someone interested in craftsmanship, aesthetics, style and luxury. From time to time, I read for example FNB, or LL, or ASW, or Permanent Style, or Jeremy Clarkson writing about Astons, Lambos or Masers. Or authors on fine wines and watches.

I am not a regular contributor, but I found the preceeding posts fascinating. A defence lawyer gets well paid, but does not blance a client's guilt with innocence, nor does an advertising agency promote the weaknesses in a client's product along with its virtues.

If the names that have appeared in this particular blog are prepared to offer freebies, then perhaps they are the ones you ought to be ridiculing?