I’ve to say, I used to be actually happy with the response to this yr’s PS Awards, which have been set out right here two weeks in the past.

It’s all the time nerve-wracking altering the format of a preferred collection, however after virtually 1000 product suggestions from readers, I feel it’s honest to say the brand new scheme has been fashionable too. 

After all being PS readers, the factor that’s most putting about these suggestions is how considerate they’re. 

Whether or not it’s a comparability of various horsehide jackets over time, or a narrative of a favorite outdated shirt that’s now used – as a mark of honour – to shine and buff sneakers, the entries show each emotion and data. 

That second story jogged my memory of indigenous peoples that see it as a gesture of respect to make use of each a part of an animal they kill – the pores and skin in addition to the meat. It is the identical concept of valuing garments extra, it doesn’t matter what they’re. Extra materialism, much less consumerism. 

Anyway, thanks all very a lot on your great contributions. I proceed to learn them, and I do know different readers have gotten a whole lot of worth out of them too. 

The one subject with this awards format, it seems, is that it’s inconceivable to show the responses into precise winners. They’re simply too diversified. 

Maybe subsequent time it might make sense – if we talk about favorite clothes once more – to maintain the classes slender, comparable to favorite sneakers or knitwear. As ever I welcome your ideas. 

As a substitute of saying winners in at this time’s submit, subsequently, I’m thanking everybody; recommending others browse the lists in the event that they’re ever in want of inspiration; after which giving my very own nominations. 

First, my favorite piece of clothes I purchased in 2022. 

 

Favorite piece of clothes in 2022: Rubato Officer’s Chinos

My favorite items of clothes are practically all the time ones I put on quite a bit, purely as a result of I’ve so many alternatives to take pleasure in them. 

And so they’re practically all the time ones that fill a particular place in my wardrobe: not one other color or sample of blouse, however one thing that’s distinctive within the function it performs. 

My Officer’s Chinos are each of these. 

The Rubato look of white shirt/polo, V-shaped knitwear and good chino continues to please me each time I put on it. It’s good and stylish. It feels a good distance from tailoring, nevertheless it’s equally removed from denims or streetwear. 

When a buddy asks what he ought to put on when everybody else within the workplace has deserted tailoring to the sloppiness of low cost chinos and half-zip sweaters, that is what I like to recommend to him. He’ll virtually appear like everybody else, however not fairly. Higher. 

The Rubato chinos themselves have the right rise, the right easy (however high quality) make. There’s no two-button French bearer, which used to appear so particular and now feels somewhat foolish. There are simply razor-sharp hip pockets and finely made buttonholes. 

I’ve the ivory (pictured above), the khaki, and I’m attempting to convey again the brown. 

 

Favorite piece of clothes ever: Liverano ulster coat

This class is extremely exhausting, as readers have attested.

When you have an excellent variety of good garments, it’s actually inconceivable to pick one. You want too many in numerous methods, for various causes.

So I picked one which, off the highest of my head, provides me most pleasure to put on.

I’ve a long-running love affair with tailor-made coats, and this Liverano ulster is particular amongst them. The minimize is so roomy within the chest that every little thing appears to suit simply below it, but it by no means feels massive.

It’s effectively made, however there’s nothing in any respect showy about it. And naturally it’s in what’s now referred to as PS Harris Tweed, which is good. 

I feel feelings like this have quite a bit to do with what garments develop into your favourites. This coat feels very private on condition that tweed – and it is a reminder of Antonio Liverano, together with his ever-knowing smile. 

 

Favorite bespoke ever: Anderson & Sheppard twine go well with

After all, that coat may have gained this class too, however selecting it for the earlier part permits me to have one other piece of tailoring right here. And it too is a combination of pleasure and private connection. 

I’ve all the time preferred the drape minimize of an A&S double-breasted jacket, and that is the DB I put on probably the most; most likely as a result of the others are both fairly good (charcoal worsted) or fairly uncommon (royal-blue flannel). 

I put on the jacket by itself more often than not, and doing so lately jogged my memory how good a cotton/cashmere corduroy is.

It doesn’t should be cashmere, it might be wool. However that blend of animal hair provides the jacket extra softness and pliability, which additionally permits it to be minimize somewhat nearer than full cotton. (And each are so significantly better than stretch synthetics.) This one was from Scabal. 

It’s not an excellent fibre mixture for trousers, sadly. However as I mentioned I put on the jacket largely by itself, and the trousers are serviceable if pressed incessantly. 

Emotionally, it jogs my memory of John Hitchcock in fact, who minimize all my A&S tailoring till he retired. 

 

Favorite piece of ‘luxurious’ clothes: Recycled fur lining

In class 4 of the PS awards, it was very attention-grabbing to listen to readers’ experiences of what luxurious means to them.

It was, as I anticipated, a combination of rarity, supplies and craftsmanship. However there’s nothing like listening to it spelt out by totally different folks at totally different factors of their life. All the things is restricted and private.

For me, luxurious has all the time been carefully recognized with tremendous supplies. I’ve a daunting attraction to top-end suede; I like the soft-strong nature of PS Oxford cloth. When folks discuss liking low cost denims, I get it: they nonetheless look good. However I am unable to assist feeling there’s no pleasure taken within the materials. 

The moulding of horsehide, the dusty look of outdated duck canvas, the sponginess of loopwheel cotton: I feel a whole lot of the pleasure of nice clothes is the pleasure of supplies. 

Proper now, that luxurious for me is the fur liner I had made final yr by Yves Salomon, and now use on my herringbone Donegal coat – in addition to the Coherence raincoat it was initially made for. 

It was product of ends of mink that may have in any other case gone to waste. It’s a quite idiosyncratic mixture of browns because of this, nevertheless it feels no much less wonderful on a freezing day, hugging your chest and again.

And I used to be thrilled after I managed to place in a set of buttons on my Donegal coat (under) with a view to put on it below that too. It means I can put on that coat all via the coldest (London) winter if I need to. 

4 extra tales of beloved clothes, so as to add to the thousand already submitted by PS readers. 

I hope you loved mine, and located them as helpful as all of the others.

See you in January subsequent yr, for extra extremely thought-about nominating and story-telling. And when you have any ideas on what the classes needs to be in 2023, as I mentioned, do let me know.  

Simon