The London Lounge

I am very pleased with the Brady Ariel fishing bag I got following a recommendation on this site. The optional pop-in pocket is also useful.

Nothing wrong with trews but, if you're going to do it, you might as well invest in the correct top half rather than throwing on the old DJ. Contrary to Costi's suggestion, there's nothing to stop you wearing whatever tartan you fancy. The whole 'clan tartan' thing is a nonsense and most of the desi...

Mark Seitelman wrote:Otherwise, it's anything goes!

The exclamation mark suggests this was intentional. Even if not, it made me chuckle.

If it will be a while until you're in practice, I doubt there is any great rush to acquire shirts with detachable collars to wear now in everyday life on the basis that they might come in useful in the future. The starch in the collars tends to mean they yellow with age and the shirts, in turn-down ...

The Lounge is indeed a fantastic resource, and one doesn't have to patronise Savile Row to find these boards useful. Nor does one have to attend lectures in bespoke, three-piece suits to qualify as stylish or well-dressed. Thankfully, as a law student at Edinburgh in the present age, you should be a...

Yes, Calton Hill for relatively easy access to a great view. If you must have cocktails, there's the Balmoral or perhaps the new Hotel Missoni, but the traditional pubs are really where it's at in Edinburgh. For well-kept ales, there are several options in or near the centre of town. In the Old Town...

I’m not an interior decorator, but I’d love to have the apartment that the character Niles Crane had on the TV Show “Frasier”. The bathroom had dark wood paneled walls with dark green marble counter tops. I couldn’t see the floor, but I’d go with white floor tile with small black tile diamonds conn...

My mother-in-law tells me that knitting was traditionally done by men as it was deemed too complicated for women.

And back in the 30s, the Scottish judge, Lord Thankerton, used to knit while presiding in court. Something to keep in mind, Mark, should you be elevated to the bench!

Thank you, Glenroyal, for mentioning the darts option. H&K offered this when I visited but I wasn't going to be in town for long enough. I plan to try it out with an alterations tailor on one of my standard-cut Coles shirts after it has been through the wash a couple of times. And thanks, FiS. I kno...

As a skinny cratur, I have encountered difficulty in finding RTW shirts in a 14.5 collar with 'normal' length sleeves (34") and without masses of extra fabric in the body. On visits to London, I have traipsed along Jermyn Street and back to no avail. Lewin's 15" was okay - their collars are a bit ti...

To this list I would like to add Theodore Roosevelt's speech, The Strenuous Life . When friends of mine have found themselves in various types of strife in the past, I have directed them to this text. It is available online: http://www.bartleby.com/58/1.html As imperialistic pep talks go, not bad...

The cobbler is still there on Castle Street. Google tells me it's called "Horace Robertson", but I'm not convinced the name appears on the front of the shop. It's the only one on Castle Street, though, so that must be it. I have been pleased with the very tidy re-heeling and re-soling work that they...

The 21st century's answer to the original brogue?

...Francis Bown’s excellent website... ...if you can live with some of his irrational prejudices (though I'm with him on the chewing gum). Des Merrion's blog recently recounted how Des had received a letter from Mr Bown whereby Mr Bown had offered to review one of Des's suits in return for...the su...

I am fairly sure that this is a picture of F.M. relaxing in his garden at his country home at Penhill House, Sidcup and that what we are seeing here is his version of 'dress down'. I would hesitate to question his footwear when some of us, in a similar context, would be clad in little more than our ...