I have a little confession to make. Generally, I am not a fan of spring and summer collections. I find them boring, dull and unimaginative. You will never catch me wearing Hawaiian type half-sleeve shirts, baggy cargo shorts or sandals. Nor am I a t-shirt and jeans guy. On one hot summer afternoon back in 2014, I remember I decided to give the t-shirt and jeans look a try – it was at Sophia Webster’s private party. I can tell you, without even exaggerating that I felt miserable every single minute that afternoon – all because of the t-shirt. I remember feeling a strong urge to leave the party and pop into the nearest menswear shop just so I could quickly buy a shirt and feel like myself again. This is true and not made up. I don’t care how hot it is, I simply must wear a blazer, shirt and tie/bow-tie to feel remotely human. When it comes to attending press days and viewing spring and summer collections Dunhill is an exception for me. It’s the one brand that truly excites me all year long, simply because they don’t do plain or dull garments. They do checks, polka dots, herringbone, pinstripe, paisley, stripes and more. Dunhill lives and breathes patterns and colours. There is a great deal more to see than the same old brown, navy, grey, black you find in most menswear shops.
I always think of Dunhill as a brand that caters for the man who is the epitome of adventure and confidence. He wants to stand out without looking like a peacock, not blend in. He leads rather than follow. I say this because it takes real confidence for a man to dress in an outfit that makes a statement.
One garment that has a real wow factor is a cream v-neck jumper (from the golf clothing range) which is liquid-proof. Yet it looks like it is made of cashmere and feels super-soft! A good friend of mine, Jamie, who works at Dunhill had put on a little demonstration for me to show me how good it is by pouring water over it. It was literally like watching water off a duck’s back. LITERALLY. I imagine it would be handy to wear at parties too, in case someone should accidentally pour wine over you. Honestly, it’s something that has to be seen. You can see a video I made of the demonstration by clicking here.
There is so much I want from the collection. I love all the check suits, double breasted blazers and check waistcoats. Let’s not forget the all the bowties, particularly the floral bowtie and the paisley. And let’s not forget all those beautiful holdall bags and small leather goods. Did you see the cufflinks and business card holders? How about the grooming/shaving kit? My God. I am tempted to buy it for my dad’s birthday which is, coincidentally, in the summer.
