OFFICIAL Simon Crompton thread (PermanentStyle.com)

[Markus123456789]

I understand some of the criticism… but if anybody has found a different and perhaps more modern blog on classical / high-quality menswear with a comparable industry knowledge, pls let me know. To me it appears that Simon has found a niche, which many people do not like, but he is the only one who plays it.

 

[vegancrabcakes]

I understand some of the criticism… but if anybody has found a different and perhaps more modern blog on classical / high-quality menswear with a comparable industry knowledge, pls let me know. To me it appears that Simon has found a niche, which many people do not like, but he is the only one who plays it.

Kirby Allison seems to have tried many of the same tailors and haberdashers as Simon. Obviously he makes videos rather than blog posts. Do we prefer Kirby's content?

 

[Texasmade]

Kirby Allison seems to have tried many of the same tailors and haberdashers as Simon. Obviously he makes videos rather than blog posts. Do we prefer Kirby's content?

I prefer Kirby's videos over Simon's articles. His fitting videos are great ASMR.

 

[KWang94]

Kirby Allison seems to have tried many of the same tailors and haberdashers as Simon. Obviously he makes videos rather than blog posts. Do we prefer Kirby's content?

Kirby needs to learn to shut up. Try taking a shot everytime he says something along the lines of "...speaks to the beauty of bespoke craftsmanship."

 

[Jon 1981]

No, particularly the video of him (Kirby) teaching us how to shave. All whilst wearing a $2000 robe.

 

[corpseposeur]

I prefer Kirby's videos over Simon's articles. His fitting videos are great ASMR.

They are both a certain type of menfluencer but Crompton's taste, if at times overwrought and tedious, is more in line with my own than Allison's. He is considered but confident in the things he wears.

Crompton also has a general awareness of how to wear tailored clothing without being making a spectacle of oneself. Crompton also seems more self assured in his style than Allison who seems concerned about what is "proper"...I think it's a bit out of line with what I consider an American sensibility of having style and taste but ultimately not giving a damn and wearing nice things because you like them. Style comes from having a considered worldview and adorning oneself in a manner that is in line with that worldview and I am generally unimpressed by adhering "rules" that simply do not matter to anyone of importance.

I also don't get what Kirby is trying to sell me on in his videos: handmade buttonholes? cigar smoking? fedoras? Is it a lifestyle thing? Crompton has a hustle too, he's just more into clothing and less into the "lifestyle".

At the end of the day they're both looking for that ad revenue and free stuff and I respect their hustle in a niche space. They're both well dressed and have made a living off of it. Salut!

 

[Markus123456789]

I have looked at Allison but the site is not really for me.
That leaves me again with Permanent Style.
By and large, I like Simon‘s style and would prefer a slightly more modern version, but well.
The items and brands he promotes are generally good but often overpriced. It would be great if he had a co-author who introduces cheaper makers but that would probably not go well with Simon‘s advertisers.
I do not have an issue that Simon sells his own items. The few I have bought are really good, but again very expensive. Somewhere he has to make money and I much prefer his considered approach than the obvious paid-for-articles on other websites („The five sweaters you have to own.“ etc).
One downside of Permanent Style is that it does not look much beyond Great Britain (and Japan for workwear and interestingly Sweden) and refers again and again to the dozen or so same makers (Drake‘s, Rubato, Colhay‘s, Private White, Connolly, Anderson & Sheppard, Anglo Italian, Saman Amel, The Real Mc’Coys and, of course, many tailors). Interesting smaller Italian brands apart from tailors, of which there are more than one can count, Hungarian, Austrian or Spanish shoemakers (Vass, Reiter, TLB), etc, are completely missing. Very seldom are articles on Germany, which do have good and interesting makers (Heimat, Kreis Lederwaren, Ironheart). And while there are too many articles on Trunk Clothiers and Anglo Italian, I have never read about Besnard, Frans Boone or Jondral.

 

[mak1277]

The items and brands he promotes are generally good but often overpriced

Isn’t this one of the founding principles of SF?

Kidding aside, I feel like more recently there have been mentions of more reasonably priced alternatives to the highlighted items on the site. Also I know I’ve seen references to both Wythe and Buck Mason, among other US brands

 

[Markus123456789]

Isn’t this one of the founding principles of SF?

Kidding aside, I feel like more recently there have been mentions of more reasonably priced alternatives to the highlighted items on the site. Also I know I’ve seen references to both Wythe and Buck Mason, among other US brands

Officially the PS principle is to find the best quality garments in a certain category… and the quality of everything I bought that PS recommended (Colhay‘s, PS itself, Rubato, The Real McCoys, Private White) was unfailingly very good.
Simon compares these (high) prices often with top Italian brands like implicetly (he does not mention names) Brioni, Zegna, Colombo or Loro Piana and - then - they look indeed moderate and reasonable.
But what he does not consider or delve into (intentionally I presume) is that you can get these and similar somewhat cheaper Italian brands, e.g. Fedeli, Malo, Caruso, Canali, Boglioli, Drumohr, FTC Cashmere, etc, but also William Lockie or Johnstons of Elgin, reduced by 50-80 percent when you know where to look. Then the equation is very different and the brands he promotes start looking overpriced.
I have commented on this issue on PS (and it was published), namely what is the „real“ price of a brand. PS and Colhay’s are never reduced, so the real price is their full price, some brands are discreet with their sales and only offer smaller discounts, but I assume next to nobody buys many of the mentioned Italian brands or Berg & Berg or Cavour or RL Purple Label at full price so their „real“ price is perhaps 50 or 60 or 70 percent of the full price. Simon does not comment on that presumeably because it is bad for his business model (fair enough).
I am not sure if that has gotten better on PS, maybe slightly. But it used to be different when, for example, Simon mentioned Luca Faloni with their reasonably priced cashmere knitwear (around EUR 300 for a crewneck) every other week… but this has completely dried up.

 

[garigo]

At the end of the day we need to keep in mind that PS is a personal blog. Yes, the analysis is typically more detailed than other conversations about clothing. But Simon's personal preferences influence what brands get covered and what style is more common. He's the one wearing the clothes, whether he pays for them or not. Brands come and go, styles change because personal preferences evolve. If that doesn't resonate with you, what value do you find in reading in the first place? If you want something that exactly conforms to your taste, why not start your own blog?

As for the PS products, I have a few and I often found the pricing to be honest and the value proposition quite good compared to many other brands.

 

[SailingIvy]

I have looked at Allison but the site is not really for me.
That leaves me again with Permanent Style.
By and large, I like Simon‘s style and would prefer a slightly more modern version, but well.
The items and brands he promotes are generally good but often overpriced. It would be great if he had a co-author who introduces cheaper makers but that would probably not go well with Simon‘s advertisers.
I do not have an issue that Simon sells his own items. The few I have bought are really good, but again very expensive. Somewhere he has to make money and I much prefer his considered approach than the obvious paid-for-articles on other websites („The five sweaters you have to own.“ etc).
One downside of Permanent Style is that it does not look much beyond Great Britain (and Japan for workwear and interestingly Sweden) and refers again and again to the dozen or so same makers (Drake‘s, Rubato, Colhay‘s, Private White, Connolly, Anderson & Sheppard, Anglo Italian, Saman Amel, The Real Mc’Coys and, of course, many tailors). Interesting smaller Italian brands apart from tailors, of which there are more than one can count, Hungarian, Austrian or Spanish shoemakers (Vass, Reiter, TLB), etc, are completely missing. Very seldom are articles on Germany, which do have good and interesting makers (Heimat, Kreis Lederwaren, Ironheart). And while there are too many articles on Trunk Clothiers and Anglo Italian, I have never read about Besnard, Frans Boone or Jondral.

Although I agree with your general observation, when searching for nearly every Brand/Store mentioned you will find something about them!