I’ve been working for the last 2 weeks on a potentially new ebook with an American author, Julia Dweck. It’s called Zombie-kids and is a humorous poem about a small boy who meets up with friendly teenage zombies at night. We are trying various outlet options to find the best one for publishing this sort of picture book for purchase on ipads, Kindle etc. Will let you know once it’s up and running. In the meantime, here are a few sample spreads…

Front cover.

Page one.

Final page.

Feb’s edition already booked!

Whereas, The New Heroes, a story about teenage superheroes, meant I had to adopt a more comic book style using heavy black shadows. It was an enjoyable challenge as you really have to think about where to place them. The temptation is to minimise the amount of black, but I found I had to let go, and add far more than I felt comfortable with. I’d like to try my hand at a graphic novel one day, so here’s hoping.

For the city, wear a formal top or overcoat when dressed in a suit; made of a heavy pure wool, or maybe cashmere, in charcoal grey or navy. Alternatively, the classic British covert coat made from a tightly woven covert cloth with 4 rows of stitching around the cuffs and bottom hem, and can come with a plain collar or velvet. This coat looks good in any environment but has recently been adopted by some undesirable types thanks to gangster films such as Snatch.

The Barbour waxed jacket reigns suprime in the country and is a great coat for walking your dog or going to the pub. Equally useful and stylish is the quilted jacket with corduroy collar along with the sleeveless Puffer. Ski jackets too are de riguer out of town. For smarter occasions in the countryside such as country house parties or church services, a well tailored tweed overcoat is essential. Ideally made to measure, but off the peg versions are fine from the likes of New & Lingwood or Cordings.

Wool overcoat, covert coat, Barbour jacket, tweed overcoat.

Jewellery – A true gentleman wears very little in the way of jewellery. In fact he distrusts any man who dons too much, and would cross continents to avoid a ‘blinged’ up chav because he thinks most of the gold/silver would be fake and those that weren’t were probably stolen.

What he will wear with pride has been handed down to him such as his grandfather’s gold cufflinks or watch. Where cufflinks are concerned, it really is best to own a few good pairs rather than a box full of odds and sods. They must always be chain linked rather than the hinge-backed sort. Plain or machine engraved solid gold ovals are the safest choice and the older they are, the better. Novelty Sterling silver ones, like bath taps or hunting based animals, can be a bit of fun for casual events, but really far inferior to the aforementioned and best avoided if you’re uncertain. When travelling, and at the risk of losing them, the silk knot or turk’s head links are very useful. They only cost a couple of pounds, so no great loss should you drop them overboard.

Another item of jewellery that a man of breeding would be happy to wear is an inherited gold signet ring with either engraved initials or his family’s coat of arms emblazoned on it or set in a semi-prescious stone such as jet or onyx etc., once used to seal letters by impressing the ring into wax. This ring is worn on the little finger of the left hand and is often played with whilst deep in thought.

Watches – If you are fortunate enough to possess a handed down gold pocket watch, preferably a half or full hunter, and Albert chain then no doubt you would wear it every time you put on a waistcoat. The chain is generally looped from one pocket to a button hole, then again to the opposite pocket housing the watch. Otherwise, they can be worn in the breast pocket of your jacket with the fob attached to your lapel button hole.

More common, and far more practical, are wrist watches. Once again, old is best. Originally purchased by your grandfather or even his father, your watch should be gold and by a top quality manufacturer such as Patek Philippe, Cartier, Garrard or Rolex, with either a round or oblong face. If you prefer to buy your own watch, then there are many names to look for which, as a rule, you will NOT find in any high street jewellers. Instead, you need to hunt down a specialist of fine watches such as the above, plus Vacheron Constantin,  Panerai, and Omega. You ought to steer well clear of diving style watches as these are a bit brash, very common and often faked.

Umbrellas – No gentleman would be complete without his sturdy city brolly. Generally with a black nylon or silk canopy, although dark green or blue is rare but perfectly acceptable. The shaft should consist of one solid piece of wood from the tip to the end of the curled handle and made from such timbers as Malacca, Whangee (looks like bamboo) ash or hickory. When not in use, the umbrella must be tightly furled and ideally replaced back in its matching sleeve which the top makers provide. The two best known London manufacturers of hand-built solid wood umbrellas are Brigg (of Swaine Aideney & Brigg on St. James’s St.) and James Smith & Sons of New Oxford St. When you purchase one of their umbrellas, they come with very long shaft which is shortened to suit your height. A Brigg model is recognisable for its gold band around the base of the handle adding even more panache. Be warned though, these umbrellas are anything but cheap! In excess of £225, they are not something you can leave on the train, so take care. The stick umbrella is used for more than just keeping you dry. It makes a great prop for leaning on, a tool for pointing things out and, in some cases, a method of self-defence. You will often see a city gent marching along swinging his umbrella flamboyantly.

English stick umbrellas.

Scarves – Plain coloured cashmere or lambswool are ideal, or a simply designed pure silk  scarf for the city in either polka dots or an equally small pattern. Never wear a university style scarf except on boat race day, the Varsity match or similar. Old school scarves are rarely seen as they seldom survive the abuse they receive at school.

Gloves – Simply wool for the country and brown or black leather for the town. It used to be the case that a gentleman would always wear gloves in public, only removing them to shake hands or use a pen etc.

Hats – The well bred man still, but not that often these days, wears hats. Less so in the city, although a dark brown trilby seldom looks out of place with his covert coat. He will, however, hardly ever be out of his trilby or tweed cap in the country. Make sure they come from one of the established London hatters like Lock & Co., Herbert Johnson or Bates. For the summer, a Panama is essential. Choose the finest weave you can afford, ideally Montecristi from Ecuador in either a trilby shape or the ridge topped folding Panama. Your old school or club ribbon is an optional alternative to the standard black. Top hats are only worn at weddings and royal engagements these days. Search through antique clothing markets for a genuine black silk if you can find one to fit. Heads were much smaller in those days! Hats should always be removed when entering a building and raised when greeting someone.

Two styles of tweed cap.

Fold away Panama.

Other types of headwear would include those worn specifically at certain events such as straw boaters and old school/university/club caps for Henley. They would never be worn anywhere else other than at celebratory matches such as old boys V the school 1st XI on speech days.

Collection of British caps.

Working cuffs

Single breasted – three button jacket with double vents at the rear (sits better than a single) and working cuff buttons. Two hip pockets with an optional extra one on the side. A lot of jackets come with the pockets sewn shut from new. This is only to protect the opening whilst in the shop and should be opened by running a blade through the tacking stitch before wearing. Wearing a pocket handkerchief is fine and can be white cotton or printed silk depending on the suit cloth. White should be worn with more formal suits. Heavier weight city suits can come as a three piece, whilst lighter summer weight suits should only be 2 piece. Waistcoats look best with a lapel as it finishes off the top better than without; and must be worn with the bottom button left undone. add more panache with a gold pocket watch and Albert chain.

Double vented suit.

Double breasted – With pointed lapels and double vents. They can look better than single breasted on the more ample figure. When fastening the jacket, the inside button should be done first and then the two outer ones. With any suit, the jackets should be done up when standing and unbuttoned as you sit down, although a double breasted jacket is fitted so you can sit comfortably with it fastened.

Tweed suit – Strictly for the country although acceptable in London on a Friday afternoon assuming you are in transit to the country. Edward VIII made double breasted tweed and checked suits fashionable, but as a rule they tend to be of a single 3-piece style. If you shoot, then specialised suits are available with breeches and shoulder patches but should NEVER be seen in town.

Tweed waistcoat with covered buttons.

Cloth – City suits or lounge suits, which are lighter in weight and generally 2-piece, tend to remain fairly conservative in Worsteds, flannels, Gabardines for blazers and dinner suits, and tweeds. Patterns such as birds eye, houndstooth, Prince of Wales check, chalk and pin stripe as well as plain are all perfectly acceptable in greys or navy blues. Tweeds should be from Donegal, Scotland such as Harris cloth or the North of England.

There ought to be three types of jacket, excluding suits, in your wardrobe:

Sports or hacking jacket – Ideally of a good quality tweed with horn buttons. These are always single breasted, usually with a single vent at the rear, and look best as a 3 button cut. This results in a shallower V at the top showing just enough shirt and tie. Only the middle button should be fastened unless you’re in foul weather and need to cover yourself up. Two button jackets over-emphasise the chest. The step lapel, formed from a v-shaped notch in the side, as used on the majority of jackets, is normally used on single-breasted jackets with a usable buttonhole on the right side. The choice of tweed is a personal one, but they usually consist of either a plain cloth, herringbone, houndstooth, or an over-check. Very busy checks are best left to secondhand car salesmen and their ilk. The Norfolk jacket, designed for shooting, having two large pleats down the rear flanks for ease of movement, is an alternative but really best left for sport.

Added extras like leather elbow patches and edging around the cuff are fine provided they’ve been added due to necessity rather than put on by the maker. Tweed jackets can be worn with almost anything; jeans, smart flannels and a tie, or even over sports clothing to keep you warm between rackets matches. A fluffed up silk square in the breast pocket is almost essential to finish the look. Never fold them and don’t show the corners sticking out either.

The blazer – Another must have in your wardrobe for the summer months and drinks parties etc. More formal than a tweed jacket, but still wearable with casual clothes for a trip to the pub. The best style is a 6-gold buttoned double breasted navy blazer with two vents at the back and pointed lapels. Military, club or old school embossed buttons can replace the plain sort provided you have the right to wear them. If you wish a splash of colour, then a claret coloured silk lining can be added. Again, the English cut is waisted and square shouldered to give that unmistakeable wine glass shape. Add a silk square to the breast pocket for extra panache.

For the summer months, and especially events such as the Henley Royal Regatta, a coloured blazer is a favourite to wear. They generally come striped for cricket or school/club, and a plain colour with contrasting coloured ribbon edging for rowing with an embroidered crest, initials or blades motif on the breast pocket. As with old school ties, these are best avoided unless you belong, or you choose one with no distinctive markings to associate with one particular club. New & Lingwood sell a range of very well tailored colour blazers or if you so wish, you can have one made by adapting a plain blazer by adding the braiding. University outfitters Walters of Oxford will do this for you preferably if you buy the jacket from them first.

Summer jackets – The classic cream linen lightweight jacket looks great with grey flannels and a panama hat and is ideal for warmer climes. Again, a three button cut is best with double vents, but two buttons will do. Must be kept clean and crisp, which does mean regular dry cleaning.

A. Tweed jacket, b. Double breasted blazer, C. Rowing blazer, D. Linen jacket.

Stick to standard styles of knitwear such as the crew or v-neck marino, lambswool or cashmere sweater, heavier wool versions of the same, and cable knit chunkier jumpers for colder weather. Try and avoid ones that come with elbow patches, but otherwise go for whatever colour you choose, greens, mauves, pinks, blues, greys….

Yes there is also a correct way of wearing a sweater. You should always wear a collared shirt beneath and not a t-shirt or bare skin; both look dreadful. The collar should be tucked inside that of a crew neck pullover, whereas with a v-neck it can be worn inside or out. The shirt cuffs too should be visibly protruding from that of the sweater. When taken off, you will find that gentlemen wear it draped neatly around their shoulders. Builders wear theirs around their waists, not you.

Sleeveless tank vests are also fine as they won’t get you too overheated when worn with a jacket. A cardigan too is a staple item which can solve the problem of messing with your hair every time you take your knitwear off. The ideal colour for this is camel with acorn or horn buttons, but grey or navy is just as traditional.

Finally, there is the cricket sweater. This, like the old school tie, can be a minefield if you choose to wear a specific set of colours that you have no real right to wear, such as MCC, a Varsity blue or OE 1st XI. If you have not earned the right to one, then select a common stripe such as blue/red or navy/white to avoid any confrontations. Alternatively, you could have your own design made for you. There are a few cricket sweater manufacturers who will accept one-off commissions. This way, you can have full control over what colours to select and embroidered initials or motifs such as crossed blades on the front. Luke Eyres is such a company and the cost is pretty reasonable at around £60 depending on what you request for the embroidery. Do try not to buy any sweater of a colour other than the standard natural wool. Bright white ones shout ACRYLIC at you, and any other hue is just wrong!

Good quality knitwear can be bought from any high street or gentleman’s outfitters according to your budget. However, try The Edinburgh Woollen Mill omnipresent in any city. They may have a rather geriatric/tourist image but they sell very good lambswools at around £20 or less, and cashmere at £70… Bargain! T.M. Lewin also do very reasonably priced lightweight pullovers.

A. Cable crew neck, B. V-neck lambswool, C. Camel cardigan, D. Cricket sweater.

So what should you be wearing?

The Oxford: The all-time quintessential British leather shoe. These come in a variety of styles from the plain Oxford with a simple toe cap and no punching, to the full brogue. The semi-brogue is probably the most popular style with a decorated toe and similar punching around all the edges of the component parts of the shoe. Once again, Jermyn Street reigns supreme as the place to purchase. The shoe maker with the finest pedigree is John Lobb who have an archive of wooden lasts (the mould carved to replicate a client’s feet exactly, around which each shoe is made) that include kings, Hollywood actors and prime ministers. Other more affordable ready to wear manufacturers well worth a look are:

Foster & Sons – Jermyn St. Superbly made shoes that just seem to have THE right look. The cost of a pair of ready to wear Sandringham semi-brogues is around £455.

George Cleverley – Royal Arcade, Bond St. Probably the most elegantly crafted shoes even in their ready to wear range which possess their trademark chiselled toe normally the reserve of bespoke shoes. This gives them a slightly elongated toe with a flat end rather than a rounded one, with very fine stitch work all over. Similarly priced to Foster’s shoes.

Edward Green – Jermyn St. Quite frankly, I find their shoes over priced at around £640 per pair, compared to other shops.

New & Lingwood – Jermyn St. They have three ranges of shoes, the main being their own brand which, in my opinion, are slightly inferior to the ones above, but then they are also cheaper at £350/pair. Their Poulsen Skone shoes are much better quality but a more limited range; and then there’s their Russia Calf shoes that use hand-curred reindeer hides and come in at a staggering £1250 for a pair of semi-brogues.

Ducker & Son – Turl St. Oxford. A good out of town option as they’ve been shodding undergraduates since 1898. Hand made on the premises and a wide range of styles from classics to the quite eccentric. Slightly cheaper in price to their London equivalents.

Trickers – Jermyn St. Tend to make a clumsier heavy-weight shoe geared more for country use than city.

These shoes are expensive but at the same time an investment for the future as, if treated properly, they will last you several decades. They can be resoled and heeled many times provided you take them back to the manufacturers or, failing that, a traditional cobbler. Avoid high street repair shops like the plague! Leather shoes should never be worn for two days on the trot to give them a chance to recover, and should be polished very regularly. Avoid getting them wet if you can but if they do, stuff them tightly with newspaper and let them dry naturally. Only apply polish once fully clean and dry.

A. G. Cleverley Oxford, B. Foster's full brogue, C. Chelsea boot.

My tip when buying a new pair of hand made shoes, is decide on the style you want, set your maximum budget, then try on a variety of different maker’s models to find the best fit for you. Their ready to wear shoes tend to be made using each manufacturer’s selected last

Other styles of shoe to consider are the elastic-sided Chelsea or jodhpur boot. Looks very horsey and great with jeans or moleskins. Available with leather or man-made soles for better grip. Most shoe makers do a version of this, but also look at R.M.Williams, New Bond St. London.

Slip on loafers in either black, brown or brown suede. The latter is the most popular and worn casually down to the pub or acceptable at most events. Low cut sides which show a bit of sock for those who favour brightly coloured ones. The usual stockists above sell their versions of this classic, however, avoid ones with tassels, they tend towards golfers and spivs. The ever classic Gucci snaffled loafer is a must-have, especially the ones designed for the British market with a coloured (green/red or navy/red) webbing band under the snaffle. Worn with suits as well as casually.

A. Suede loafer, B. Gucci loafer, C. the monk shoe.

Never wear trainers or any other sports based shoe unless you are actually participating in that activity. The only exception is the leather deck shoe such as those made by Timberland or Sebago in both the thin sole or chunkier treaded one.An alternative to the Oxford is the side buckled monk shoe or boot. These come with either a single or 2  buckles in brass or silver coloured metal and are suitable for city and countryside alike.

Velvet slippers for home use only are a bit of luxury for your wardrobe. Once again they are made by most of the above shoe manufacturers and come in a wide palette of colours from bright scarlet to bottle green to black. You can have you initials embroidered in heavy gold thread on the upper if you so wish as well as various designs such as foxes for the hunting fraternity and skull and cross bones for a bit of fun. Expect to pay around £250 for a pair. The all leather or corduroy Eton slipper is an alternative.

Cotton chino type trousers are a must have in your wardrobe for the summer in either a stone, pure white, or any rich or pastel shade. Only posh gentlemen wear brightly coloured trousers so don’t be afraid. But for them to work, they must be fairly narrow and worn often with slip-on loafers or oxfords.

For the winter months, you can’t really go wrong with cords or the narrower needle cords, and moleskins. Again, a full spectrum of earthy and more vivid hues are available from outfitters such as Cordings of Piccadilly (arguably the best), Hackett, New & Lingwood and Roderick Charles on Jermyn Street where they are much cheaper than the aforementioned. Try to avoid any heavy seaming at the ankles as this really should not be visible. In fact turn-ups are best as they add weight to the hem pulling the legs nice and straight. You may also have the option of whether braces or a belt need to be worn. Please note, if your trousers have belt loops then please wear a belt! It looks messy if you don’t. And remember, if you’re wearing brown shoes then you must have a brown leather belt, and vice versa for black shoes. A military style webbing belt is also acceptable.

Grey flannels are also a must have in your closet. Not too pale however. Stick to a charcoal grey. The boys at Harrow School wear much lighter grey trousers and for some reason they look a bit shoddy. A well tailored pair should have a single pleat at the front, crisp front creases and side adjusters for when you put on or lose weight. Again, turn-ups look best.

Jeans are perfectly acceptable to be worn to the pub and at weekends in the country. No fashion jeans though! Keep to straight legged classic cuts (not boot cut). Levi’s are a bit too common, so take a look at Hackett, Ralph Lauren, and R.M.Williams on Bond St., who are an Australian outfitters providing hardwearing but well cut bushman style clothes. Their stone coloured moleskins are a true classic worn with their elastic sided Chelsea boots. Other jeans in varying colours or plain white also work well.

The perfect cut.

All of the above, apart from any jeans, qualify as being smart and/or casual and so are perfectly acceptable worn at any event apart from the very formal. Jeans, however, should never be worn with a tie as this is the reserve of pony-tailed mid-life crisis afflicted men of more mature years.

Other types of trousers (not pants as our former colonial cousins refer to them as) that you might consider are cavalry twill (rather old gent than young) and of course tweed, although these are usually part of a suit.