Jeremy Hackett - The Mr Classic Blog

During the summer months when the mercury rises, those of us who wear a shirt and tie for work or in our daily life have been known to suffer.

Dispatching the tie is, of course, the first step you can take to cool down. But what of undoing shirt buttons?

My own personal preference is to undo just the top button. I find this more than sufficient in the heat of a British summer. We are not, after all, going to experience too severe extremes of temperature.

Besides, I find that more than one button gives off a faintly ‘gigolo-esque’ impression, so unless that’s the look you are going for, I’d steer clear of showing too much.

There are many events in my social (and work) calender each year, but there are few I enjoy more than the Henley Royal Regatta. As a day out it’s simply fantastic, with so much to see and do.

However, it’s important to make sure you dress for the occasion if you are planning on attending.

There are some good striped cotton blazers around this season which look perfect with grey flannels and a white shirt. If you feel confident enough, you could even try a bow tie. To take the dressed up look off a little, why not wear the whole ensemble with retro style plimsolls?

Of course, you could also wear a classic navy double breasted blazer, striped tie and white cotton trousers; a panama hat is mandatory.



Hackett offers a range of jackets and bow ties to help you effortlessly get the Regatta look you desire. Just make sure you leave yourself enough time to get the order in before the day.

My advice is to invest in purchasing the whole ensemble after all it won't go out of fashion: it is beyond fashion. So what you need is a black Morning Coat that fits neatly with the tails hanging to just above the back of the knee, a buff waistcoat, single or double-breasted making sure that there is no gap between waistcoat and waistband of the trousers.



My mantra has always been that Formal Dress is not Fancy Dress so avoid garish waistcoats. The trousers should be dark grey/black striped which taper to a narrow bottom breaking once only onto black Oxford shoes (Polished). White cut-away collars with double cuffs look best but if you really want to make a sartorial statement then a separate stiff collar is perfect worn with a silver/ grey woven silk tie.


A top hat is mandatory just make sure it fits and carry a well furled black umbrella because the odds are 25/1 that it will rain. Only a couple of furlongs away you will have the opportunity to wear the whole outfit again over the Summer Season and I'm betting that there are bound to be a couple of Weddings to attend, so your purchase will have been a good investment.

All formalwear is available in our stores. For your nearest store click here

Whenever I go on holiday I always like to keep my wardrobe simple - partly because I hate packing. With this in mind, I thought I’d share my tips on how to choose your wardrobe for the perfect British holiday.

One classic summer staple is the polo shirt: pack several plain colours such as white, navy, sky blue and also throw in a couple of nautical striped numbers for variation.

Take several pairs of cotton shorts in white, khaki and that ‘classic sailing’ colour Brixham red. A good piece of advice is to bring some long sleeve cotton casual shirts and roll the sleeves up - it looks quite ‘old-fashioned British’.

A pair of jeans is always useful, and make sure you take a navy blue cotton crew-neck pullover in case it gets nippy. Take one jacket - a navy blazer, something in cotton and not too structured - and some long cotton trousers; try khaki and white, as both work well with a blazer.





Finally - not forgetting this is a British holiday - an umbrella is essential because it's bound to rain.

While preparing for your British summer holiday, why not take a look at some of the items we are offering with this style in mind? Our range of polo shirts are ideal for those balmy summer days, and swimming shorts are available should you fancy a cooling dip.

This is often a linen jacket or blazer co-ordinated with cotton trousers in colourful hues and the obligatory Panama hat* and of course a jolly brolly, because it's bound to rain.

Interested as I am in all the current political upheaval I couldn't help but notice the frequent references to rolling up shirt sleeves and getting on with the job voiced by several senior politicians.

I have a feeling that with the predicted austere times ahead this shirt sleeve rolling may just become a bit of a fashion statement. Not since the early 1960s have we seen this particular style, a time when our cricketers went out to bat with a healthy display of forearms.

The Army has always been a strong advocate of short sleeve order; Khaki shirts folded and ironed with military precision and knife edge creases.

There is something distinctly masculine and workmanlike about it, so whether you are toiling on the soil or poring over your computer, now is the time to get down to business and roll up your shirt sleeves before this fashion whim passes you by.

I received a comment on my Bafflement over Men's Blazers post recently that asked:

"Could you tell me whether elbow patches on a jacket are a good thing or an affectation?"

It may well be a question on which many of you have pondered, so here are my thoughts on the subject.  Historically, there was some purpose - when gents wore their clothes until they were threadbare, they had not only elbow patches sewn on but the cuffs of their coats were also trimmed with leather, making their favourite coat serviceable for another ten years or so.

Though these days elbow patches are undoubtedly an affectation, I don’t think it is a bad thing. Today elbow patches have been applied in various ways just to add a touch of fun to what sometimes can be a rather dull jacket.

Elbow patches have also been appearing on pullovers and recently I made one, but rather than putting on patches I had the pullover knitted with holes at the elbows so that the shirt beneath showed through. Affected, yes, but it amused people every time I wore it and I really liked that there was something subversive about it. Speaking of which, have you seen our shirts with elbow patches?

What do you think about elbow patches? I'd welcome your opinion - or even a photograph of you sporting some. Thanks to Antonio for raising the issue and to everyone else who has been asking me style questions here on the blog - do keep them coming in.