Sartorial Doctrine

Anonymous asked: Any comments on Stefano Branchini shoes?

Looks pretty cheap if you ask me and for that price you can get way better shoes, both in terms of design and craftsmanship. However, that’s just my opinion,

I’d recommend Alfred Sargent Exclusive or Carmina in that price range.

Anonymous asked: Cotton/linen mixed dress shirts, what is your opinion? I have dress shirts, they are all Italian broadcloth and was thinking of investing in some for the summer. Thanks.

Sounds pretty perfect in my opinion, linen doesn’t have much structure so combined with cotton it gives the fabric that structure you want. 

Anonymous asked: Looking to upgrade my wardrobe from "scratch". Any suggestions regarding essentials?

That sounds like a nice project to take on, I’ll see if I can come up with a few ideas on where to start.

First of all it’s probably smart to consider the climate where you live, personally I live in Sweden so for me it’s more price worthy to invest in winter clothing since the summer here is short. So if you live in e.g. California you might wanna do the opposite of me.

Secondly I’d invest in high quality clothing that you REALLY like, instead of buying 3 sportcoats that are OK you should go for that one that is amazing. Navy, gray and beige are good staples but I think it’s pretty versatile to also have a more bold sportcoat, perhaps windowpane or glenplaid. 

Also, go for fitted trousers in basic colors(white, beige, navy, brown and grey) and perhaps a pair of raw denim jeans. Go for high quality, but no matter where you buy your trousers they will wear out faster than e.g. a sportcoat.

In terms of footwear I’d buy a pair of double monks and also a pair of loafers, I’m not much for formal shoes but I guess it’s a matter of preference. 

Good luck, mate. 

Anonymous asked: Can't you tell us more about the O&J pullover, e.g. the fit and the detailing? Also, did you experience any issues with the Swedish customs when ordering from Australia? Thanks!

Sure, mate!

Since it is a pullover it cannot be too slim, I would describe it as tastefully fitted. The details are nice considering the price, especially the collar which I really like. From what I can see it is machine-sewn, some may argue that a handsewn sleevehead is better but I don’t know to be honest(it certainly has a charm to it though).

I had no problems with the customs, a good trick is to ask the store where you’re buying from to send the parcel as a gift with a lower value. The problem is if the parcel gets lost, then you will get way less money back if the value of the parcel is marked down.

Anyway, I would definitely recommend it, it is incredibly price worthy.