English style in men’s clothing
England has always been one of the poles of men’s fashion along with Italy. And if the Italians with their inherent expressiveness dress brightly, boldly and flamboyantly, the English are the exact opposite of them: severity, moderation, muted tones. The chilly climate of England brought up people who are firm, calm and proud, and the clothes are always a reflection of character.
The English style is first of all the style of a gentleman, so here you will not see sports suits, polo and sneakers. Everything is strict and refined. No yellow pants and red loafers: a gray suit with brown shoes and a black coat. Cool colors and great fit.
The British suit – the basis of style
The basis of British style is the classic suit-double or triplet. It is not an American suit, but it is not an Italian suit with a tucked-in waistband. As the weather conditions require from clothes to be warm, the material for the English suit are usually different types of wool, most often – tweed.
Feature is the pattern of fabric: large and small checks, herringbones, hound’s feet and others. This distinguishes British models from all those black and gray unattractive suits, which clerks and civil servants like to wear.
There is a certain danger in a three-piece suit: yes it’s effective, but by and large it’s already archaic. The three-dress suit was actual a hundred years ago, when there was no central heating and the houses were mainly heated by fireplaces, that is why the room was heated unevenly. If on the first floor you could be comfortable in a shirt and vest, on the second floor it was much colder. Most likely it was this trait that led to the English layering of clothing, which is not quite justified now: in a modern, normally heated room with a temperature of +22-23 degrees it would be hot in a three-piece suit, and any element of the closet should be comfortable in the first place. But traditions often prevent progress, so three-piece suits are still in fashion, although now it looks a little exotic.
What’s under the jacket.
Obviously, a classic shirt, but without any gypsy. A variant in a discreet plaid, or monochrome, again in muted tones will do. Leave the blatancy to the Milanese. T-shirts and polo-shirts are undesirable, because it’s already breaking from the strict formal style. Such experiments are better left for sport jacket and pants. And to the shirt it would not be superfluous to add a tie or bow tie, preferably made of wool, so they would look harmoniously with the tweed suit.
Instead of the jacket you can wear a sweater, pullover or cardigan, but it is less formal clothing, which was originally indecent to be seen in public: it was worn at home, on the hunt or a short walk. The rules are the same: wool and muted, discreet colors.
Coats are the only outerwear in the English style.
The coat selection is sparse and hinges on the all-important overcoat variety. England is not the coldest country: the temperature there even in winter rarely drops below zero, so there is no need for fur coats and down jackets. About an English coat, we can say the same thing as about the suit: tweed and typical drawings.
Although separately, we should say about dufflecote: long, often almost knee-length coat with a hood and characteristic stick buttons. This model came from the British Navy.
British Headwear.
Gone are the days when cylinders and bowler hats were worn with the suit. Since those days, only different types of caps have remained in the arsenal of British stylists: eight-links, airplane caps and duck caps. They are traditionally made of wool, although sometimes you can find velour.
The cap is an English style hat
It is worth saying that caps – this is the most controversial part of the English closet in relation to our Russian reality: for some reason they are loved in Russia gopniks, sellers of watermelons and cab drivers, and young intelligent people in vosmiklinkah until recently could not be met often. But credit should be given to the TV series “sharp visors”: the series, in fact, reanimated the interest of young people to the English style and re-injected into fashion, already forgotten by all the haircut under-cut. Now on the streets of the cities can be seen more and more youth in the capes, which not so long ago were worn only by cab drivers.
English shoes.
English style – of course shoes and boots, and there are many varieties of them.
Oxfords are the shoes of the British style.
The most formal shoes, characterized by closed lacing, i.e., the sides of the shoe are under the union. This is not the most clear explanation. Just compare oxfords to derbies, – shoes slightly less formal and characterized by open lacing – the side pieces are stitched on top of the front.
Brogues are a type of shoe in the English style.
In fact, it’s not even a shoe, but a way to embellish it. Brogueing, i.e. perforation, can be applied to any classic shoes, whether oxfords or derbies. As soon as they have the characteristic “hole patterns” on them, it is already a brogue. Originally, the brogue shoes were through and were used by Irish cattlemen to dry their feet quickly after walking their sheep on the marshy terrain.
The chukka is a type of shoe in the English style.
A much less formal shoe, more related to English cajoling, but nevertheless fitting into a gentleman’s holiday image. As you can see, this model is distinguished by its open and short lacing – 2-3 eyelets – and ankle height. The chukka was originally invented for British soldiers in India who were hot in boots. As is often the case, army uniforms set trends in civilian clothing for many years to come.
Deserters are a type of footwear in the English style.
Very similar to the chukka, but made exclusively of suede and always with two eyelets for lacing. Again, their origins owe to Her Majesty’s Army, which needed lightweight boots for service in the middle of the Egyptian sands.
The Monkey – a type of shoe in the English style.
Almost the most rebellious representatives among the classical shoes: the lacing is completely absent, and instead of it one or two straps with buckles. The name came from the monk’s shoes, which had similar clasps. Monks are much less formal than oxfords or derbies, but more formal than chukka and deserters, so they can be worn with any suit without fear. Classic monkeys are made of smooth leather in black or brown. Now you can also find yellow ones, and made of suede, and with brogering, but it is already a higher category of flibbousness and has little relation to the real English style.
Chelsea is a type of shoe, not a soccer club in England.
Also, an extravagant kind of shoe. It are high boots made of smooth leather with rubber inserts on the sides. This shoe design was originally created for the Queen’s riding crop. And in general came to men’s fashion from women’s. Apparently, therefore, in this model all the same some femininity is guessed.
Chels became really popular in the 20th century: they were worn by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and now this shoe can be found everywhere, despite such a controversial design. It is believed that the Chelsea can be worn with a suit and pants, but still, before you put on this shoe, think twice. It’s not for everyone, they’re not conservative oxfords.
English Style Accessories
Accessories make even the most conservative image interesting, and in our case some dryness of the English style can be diluted by breast scarves, woolen butterflies and suspenders, which, to be meticulous, are mandatory for an English suit. The whole look can be spiced up with a cane umbrella and checkered scarf.
English style is a very appropriate choice for young men in Russia. It’s cold here too, we also don’t like to splash out on unnecessary emotions and wear bright things. At the same time, we want to look dignified and tasteful. But we have to be careful: English style was formed many years ago and for a little bit different conditions, so in pursuit of full conformity to the image from the picture you risk losing touch with our Russian reality and look like a black sheep.
But isn’t it better to stand out with good clothes than to be part of the crowd in bad ones?
What do men in the UK wear?
In the UK, men primarily wear slacks, dress shirts, and jackets. Blazers are also popular, as are knit sweaters and T-shirts. Footwear typically consists of dress shoes or boots, although sneakers are also common.
How do you dress like Londoners?
There is no one way to dress like a Londoner, as the city’s residents come from all walks of life and have their own unique styles. However, some general tips on how to dress like a Londoner include wearing lots of layers, sporting a stylish coat or jacket, and choosing comfortable, practical shoes. Additionally, Londoners are known for their love of accessories, so don’t be afraid to add a few stylish touches to your outfit, such as a scarf, hat, or statement necklace.
How do people dress in London?
People in London dress in a variety of styles, depending on the neighborhood they are in. In general, people in London are fashionable and tend to dress up, even for everyday errands. Some popular styles include grunge, hipster, and mod.
How do men dress well UK?
There is no one answer to this question, as men’s dress styles vary greatly from one part of the United Kingdom to another. However, in general, men in the UK tend to dress conservatively and in muted colors. Blazers, dress shirts, and khakis are popular choices for men’s clothing in the UK, and accessories such as ties and pocket squares are often used to add a touch of personality to an outfit.
