Harrys of London

It’s September 1st…the air is a bit crisp in the morning and thoughts of cashmere blazers are dancing in our heads.

Everyone is back from holiday; tanned and ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Today, I opt for the simplicity of the white shirt with a new pair of jeans (prps are my jean of choice for the past few years). This is my uniform when I need to get down business and not make much of a statement. There is nothing more simple and stylish, whether you wear a tie to the office or sleeves rolled up over a t-shirt.

Speaking of cashmere blazers: I took a stroll down Bond Street yesterday with a bit of free time on my hands. Since returning from hols, I have been thinking about adding a new staple to my wardrobe for the winter: a cashmere navy blazer. It sounds boring, but the right cut will make it modern and since I am a denim-every-day-kind-of-guy, I thought a new navy blazer just felt right – and not flashy or trendy in any way. After trying on a few things in Brunello Cucinelli, I went back into my old favourite, Armani. Armani Collezioni to be exact. The Collezioni label caters to a more classic aesthetic and always has something smart in cashmere each season. There it was – the Perfect Blue Blazer in 100% cashmere and the deepest navy blue. Say what you will about Armani, but the man knows what a good navy blue looks like. He should – he wears basically no other colour everyday. There is something right again about the understated, friendly refinement of an Armani jacket that needs to be experienced in order to understand. The cashmere is of the best quality and the shine that comes off the dark navy is nothing short of sexy. The soft construction looks sharp, but feels like your wearing a bathrobe. The 52 was a perfect fit and will become a member of my bedroom closet soon – but at over £1500 – I may have to wait another month and pay off my holiday bills first: a continuous drip of Prosecco for three weeks can really add up.

The humble desert boot has made a very public return in recent years. Respect to the classic Clarks – there is nothing more simple and chic in our opinion – but there are some serious flaws with natural crepe rubber soles. If you’ve ever tried to run across the hot pavement in them, you know what I mean…

I’ve spent the better part of the past few years trying to create a more sophisticated, yet comfortable version – and I think we have a winner. The Harrys ‘Bradley’ desert boot combines the super-luxe look and feeling of kudu suede with the more versatile option of a leather/rubber combination sole. The upper is only partially lined which makes it extremely soft and comfortable. This is a proper city boot and yet relaxed enough for throwing on with a pair of shorts and high socks a-la Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient. That movie inspires me every time I watch it – and I could not resist attaching the trailer here for your enoyment. The beige-on-beige-on-beige desert finery that they wear out on the mapping expeditions makes me want to rush over to Holland & Holland and order everything in the store.

In the mean time – check out the site for the new colours of the Bradley that will deliver in September and November – they sell out every time so buy early to ensure your size or contact us for a custom order. This is the perfect year-round footwear for work or for a bit of extra traction while carrying the corpse of your mistress out of a cave during your next adventure in the Sahara.

The English Patient

Albam is a great recent addition to the neighborhood here on the edge of Soho just around the corner from the Harrys offices. We love their cool, casual, English-made clothes and the no-fuss interior that reminds a certain Creative Director of little shops on the coast of Maine back in the old country. I am currently sporting one of their easy, lightweight Painter Shirts and found the perfect pair of chino’s there a few weeks ago. We would like to give a shout out to their ‘Gibson’ brogue made by our friends at Grenson here in the UK. Nice shoe gents – I may break my Harrys only rule and get myself a pair.

BLAKE: The Ultimate Boat Shoe

This summer, every guy in London is wearing a boat shoe. The trend has been building for some time now – but I think it’s reached its zenith in the last few months. We’ve been interested in Boat Shoes for some years now at Harrys. I designed our BLAKE boat shoe in 2006 merely because I grew up in this style of footwear and wanted a cool new version. Versatile, comfortable, perfect without socks and a must when jumping onto somebody’s deck.

Now there are many ‘fashionable’ imitators out there at the moment, and you can certainly pick up a classic Sperry for under £100, but I would suggest a trip through the selection of BLAKE’s on our site. This is a hand-sewn Boat Shoe of the highest caliber and made in some very interesting colours and materials. The non-marking white TPU rubber bottom has a unique contrast colour leather innersole ‘injection fused’ with the rubber. This is a Harrys exclusive. I am a huge fan of both the Black Patent and Black Vintage Bridle versions – both of which are on heavy rotation in my wardrobe at the moment. Note: We will also produce the Genuine Alligator version (pictured here) upon request from our London Store (the price is available upon request and is not for the faint hearted.)

Kevin Martel,Creative Director