My first post here, and I hope you can excuse a slightly critical one. I have become increasingly irritated by Mr.Crompton's site (in particular, his rather self-satisfied facial expressions on photographs of his latest "triumph"). I would welcome your views on the - I thought - surprising judgement when describing his "Permanent Style Club Tie" (sic):

"A few little changes of my own though, like not having a keeper on the back (no sartorial gent uses them, but the tie companies generally have to keep them to cater to the lowest-common denominator)."

As someone who is clearly at the lowest common denominator level in Mr. C's book as I rather like to use the "keeper", should I be bothered to post a reply on his site?

No tie keeper?

Who would want to be a "gent"? I would be perfectly satisfied to remain a gentleman.

I see that he is giving Cleverley a plug today (it must be their turn again!) - as well as a revolting selection of shoes on Daniel (Harry Potter) Radcliffe and - style icon of the age - Jason 'Bovver' Statham - in a pair of blue crocs! How sartorigent - new word - well, mebbe.

Thank you for your replies. I am beginning to think that Mr.C must be some sort of elaborate - if well-remunerated - spoof.

For example, the following is surely an arcane joke?

"In the end, the tie is also a sign of fealty with the site. I know many people have been reading Permanent Style for years, and I’m very grateful for all the support shown to me over that time. Until now, there has been no obvious way to demonstrate that loyalty...(interspersed with a photograph of Mr. C inspecting the tie and looking very pompous)...The Permanent Style club tie costs £125."

I am in his stats. I wish that I could stop visiting but I just can't. I'm hooked. He's an absolute must read. No day is complete without Cromps and the weekends  feel empty. His peculiar combo: of hit-and-miss pretence, pretentiousness, hubris, cunning, brass-necked cheek, self-importance and po-faced total lack of humour is a compelling formula - what will the little f***er get up to next! He's better than the Archers! I especially like the fact that this clothing expert, this style guru - adviser to A&S and Harrods - is an East Sheen boy who has made it - to live Peckham Rye - and still get taken seriously!! You gotta give the boy points for that. Waoar, waw, waw, waw. I say carry on reading Cromps - he's the tops for a piss-yerself, gut-busting, roaring laugh - a bit like 'Posh Spice' Beckham.

In the lavender cardie he looks like Professor Higgins who one day got dressed in the dark in Liza Doolittle's old rags.

I reckon there's a lot of jealousy around old comps ... I know I'm jealous of how much free stuff he manages to bag .. although I'm not sure I'd want to go to 9 or whatever different tailors, some of whom I know for a fact are rubbish.

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-10-17 04:00:34)

I would just like to get some free suits .. which at the moment cost me a few grand a piece. some bespoke shoes would be nice from somewhere like fosters or lobb.

yes agree his wardrobe does very little for him, and he looks more comfortable in the odd photo of him in a jeans and jumper .. probably fits more with his lifestyle too. I mean if you are a journalist/blogger, living a suburban existence are you really going down to the local pub in handmade three piece suits etc? that's a big issue with the iGentry .. their style of dressing is incongruent with their lifestyle. they want to dress like the british aristocracy 30 or 40 years ago .. but live in a three bedroom semi in some suburban town making them look weird.

Very good points - I cannot imagine the Huntsman tweed number gets many airings (though he claims to wear it when cycling?):

http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2011/03/huntsman-tweed-suit-part-6.html#.UmEINBZgPzI

Huntsman tweed with breeks as well .. there would be very few people who authentically dress like this in 2013, those who do probably do so as it's an old tweed suit from the old days which they want to wear out, many would probably choose to opt for modern technical hunting clothing from people like musto etc as it is lighter, warmer, easier to clean and so on. Walking through the country shooting guns is a greasy, dirty and muddy activity often in the damp and wet in the UK. I would hazard a guess that people who actually do wear clothes like this to hunt in don't wear this type of attire to actually go out in like the iGentry like to imagine and instead would likely wear a worsted/flannel wool suit and tie.

The iGentry live in a fantasy land of make believe to play dress up. Amusingly most seem not to actually live in the UK ... but come from the US or Singapore / Hong Kong where anglophiles still seem to thrive. If you really want to dress like a typical brit on an evening out ... opt for jeans, untucked shirt and a pair of scuffed loafers .. less costly and more authentic.

I have some tweed jackets and suits but I have come round to the city clothes for the city and country clothes for when you're out of the city rule. Its an oldie but still makes a lot of sense. I only really wear tweed jacket sometimes on the weekends, going to the local pub in the suburbs and that sort of thing. Tweed is rustic, if worn properly it doesn't make most people turn and think 'wow, isn't that guy well dressed' .. its also heavy, very warm in a weight over 15oz (which proper tweed is) and therefore in a modern metropolis is totally impractical .. even Will from SW who seems to be a collector of such things concedes as much, although of course he is on the W Coast in the States, opting for worsted tweed substitutes instead now he's worked out he doesn't actually wear his proper tweed stuff (ooops). Theres a good reason why tweed went out of fashion unlike other items which probably should have remained.

fruity

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-10-18 07:39:55)

compie has a degree from oxford .. do you know what in? what an absolute waste of a good education!