Monday's in Mayfair

Let's take a walk around the Hardy Amies neighbourhood, where London's most sartorial men head for their suits.

Hardy Amies

Four pocket cotton field jacket

Weekday

Charon long sleeve t-shirt

Oliver Spencer

Navy pinstripe trousers

Common Projects

Achilles Retro Leather Sneakers

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Dress codes have never been something I’ve particularly agreed with. I’m not saying I was the rule breaker at school who didn’t wear all-black shoes or white shirts, but perhaps I’d wear an unbranded polo instead and steer clear of Clark’s kids. Dress codes can be there for a reason, but sometimes I’m confused by all the #menswear rules.

I think it’s important to acknowledge tradition, while allowing yourself to sew in some personal touches to your style. This is helped when brands notice how menswear is changing, even those on London’s most recognised street for tailoring. Enter stage left, Hardy Amies.

The brand is known for tailoring and their suits will of course serve you well, that’s why they live on 8 Savile Row. Hardy Amies himself knew everything there was to know about men’s fashion, to the point where he compiled everything into the ABC of Men’s Fashion, dubbed crucial reading for the menswear writers reading this. However, away from suit jargon and the beautiful wit and insight inside his book, the brand has now developed to produce outerwear that isn’t led by rules and stock lifestyle products from other brands that shows how Hardy Amies isn’t a one-tie pony.

And you know those rules I mentioned at the top of this post? Well high on that unwritten rulebook is to not pair black and navy together, but in this instance it works for me. The cotton-mix cropped field jacket is separated from my navy pinstripes with a white base layer. Poking out my tote is my London Undercover umbrella, a brand you’ll find inside the Hardy Amies shop walls and is certainly not only practical, but a nice touch… just look at that handle!

I had a wander around the Hardy Amies neighbourhood with Joe – specifically Mayfair – to get a feel for it. London has those pockets where you can tell from a lamppost, railing or building detail where it is. The clash of red brick and white with sharp lines says Mayfair for me. Often I look for the clean wall spaces and dark greys, but shooting in different areas means thinking about angles and backdrops differently.

Mayfair’s street might be busy at times and full of people attached to their briefcases, but if you’re able to not get swept up in the hustle, a walk down Savile Row and a visit to Hardy Amies isn’t a bad idea at all.jbicon

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Photography by Joe Galvin

This post is sponsored by Hardy Amies. However, my views on London's cool Mayfair area and Hardy Amies are my own.

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