Timeless Style Defined
Clarks Archive Tour: Sole Searching in Street
Whether hearing the word ‘Clarks’ instantly conjures up images of the playground, the dance floor or the catwalk it’s safe to say that when it comes to British style this footwear brand is amongst the most legendary. So when the opportunity arose to take a tour of the Clarks Archive (or ‘Clarkive’ as I like to call it) I jumped at the chance of taking a deep dive into 200 years of shoemaking history. So popping on my beloved Desert Treks I hit the long and not so winding road down to Street in Somerset to tick a very special box on my British brand visit bucket list. Upon arrival I was ushered through the barrier and straight past a shoe sitting by the entrance that was the size of a small car, which added to the Willy Wonka style of levels of excitement I was experiencing. A feeling that was only heightened upon entering a room whose walls were decorated with well over 100 years worth of Clarks advertising posters. Rather than weaving my footwear findings into a narrative piece I have instead decided to compile a top ten of the things I unearthed during my day as a ‘Raider of the Lost Clarks’.
We Like Your Look: Andrew Groves on British Menswear & Style
British Attire is a perspective, not a flag, and few bring clarity quite like Professor Andrew Groves, one of the UK’s leading authorities on British menswear and style subcultures. Educator of tomorrow’s heavyweights, founder of the Westminster Menswear Archive, and a walking index of how men actually dress, Groves has shaped taste from seminar room to studio floor. For the latest We Like Your Look, Neil Summers pulled up a chair and let him discussed all thing subculture, McQueen, and the stubborn poetry of British style.
Nice Try London But: Manchester is Greater
Having really enjoyed GQ’s recent ‘What’s So Great About Britain?' issue, I felt compelled to address the slight Southern bias that this optimistic outpouring showed. By shining a sartorial light on some inspirational figures situated a tad closer to British Attire’s home than our glorious capital. So listed below are the ten reasons that I think explain why Manchester is without a shadow of doubt the coolest city in the country.
We Like Your Look: Thomas Griffin
Top model, expert interviewer and all round good guy, Thomas Griffin is a man who has his finger firmly placed on the pulse of British style. Host and founder of the totally brilliant fashion podcast My Own Garms, he has quizzed some fascinating people about their style inspirations and me. As well as being incredibly knowledgeable about the broad church of style and fashion his fits are always reliably fire too. Making Thomas an obvious contender for being awarded ‘We Like Your Look’ status by British Attire.
7 British Icons That Actually Aren’t British
While some nations build culture by design, Britain has often preferred the art of gentle theft… a borrowed silhouette here, a repurposed ritual there, all tied together with a wink and a weatherproof coat. At British Attire, we celebrate this patchwork spirit, not just in the garments we curate, but in the objects, ideas, and icons we hold dear. Because to be Brit-ish is less about birthplace and more about presence. It’s a way of absorbing the world’s best bits, putting them through a drizzle-soaked filter, and calling them ours, loudly, and often in tweed. So, in that spirit, here are a few more things we’ve unofficially adopted. Some global by origin. All deeply Brit-ish by attitude.
We Like Your Look: Shelley Fox
Widely regarded as one of London’s most innovative fashion designers, since graduating from Central St Martin’s Shelley Fox has gone on to have her work both sold and exhibited all around the world. Now a leading design academic, she kindly took time out between moving continents to have a chat with British Attire about life in New York, rooting around Nick Cave’s archive and the surprisingly inspirational impact of mice.
8 Slays a Week - The Runway Success of Fashion Week
Whether you’re a lifelong subscriber to Vogue or someone who wouldn’t recognise a catwalk star if they fell over them due to their ridiculously sized Vivienne Westwood platform heels we’re all well aware of the bi-annual buzz caused by ‘Fashion week’. But did you ever wonder how it all works, where they actually happen and why everyone wears sunglasses indoors? Well fear not because British Attire are here to help navigate you past the paparazzi, show you who to air kiss and who and who to jab with your Ozempic needle before sitting you down next to Anna Wintour for our whistle stop guide to fashion weeks.
From Quaker to Shakermaker, the Clarks 200 x Liam Gallagher Desert Rain
When it comes to iconic British brands, few if any can match the long lasting legacy of Clarks footwear. Currently celebrating their 200th birthday they’ve pulled out all the stops and collaborated with another Great British style institution, the king of the Mancs and big jacket final boss Liam Gallagher. In this piece British Attire will take a look back not in anger but in admiration of this Somerset shoemaker that’s become a cult brand beloved everywhere from the dancehalls of Kingston to the streetwear tribes of Shinjuku and lovingly endorsed by Staten Island hip hop kings and Manchester indie royalty alike.
Dockside Drip: Our Favourite Fishermancore Pieces Right Now
Think chunky Aran knits, classic Breton stripes and weatherproof outerwear, fashion meets utility in this maritime style moment that's causing a storm. Here are just a few of our favourite pieces that'll keep you looking cooler than carp sipping a Cosmo on Carnaby Street
Timeless Style: A Definition
At British Attire we reckon there’s something genuinely special about those ideas that outlast passing trends. Whether it’s next Tuesday or twenty years down the line, they're always in style. Read more to discover how we define timeless style and why it’s more than a mere fashion statement for us. It’s a way of celebrating heritage, quality, and a proper sense of staying power.
Brit-ish Greats
In an attempt to clarify that British Attire is more of a lens of quality in which we look through when we’re sourcing our garments rather than being a geographical barrier, we’ve made a list of things we love that are Brit-ish. Why the hyphen you ask? Well, because just like the wonderful wares we sell, for something to be considered Brit-ish for us it doesn’t necessarily have to be British. One of the many things that’s made these sceptred isles so special is our ability to seek out the best of everything before putting our own uniquely Brit-ish spin on it. So to illustrate our point further here are some quintessentially British things that are actually a bit more Brit-ish.
Is Good Old Gorpcore Here to Stay
Back in 2017, writer Jason Chen came up with the term ‘Gorpcore’ while writing about the move away from ‘Normcore’ into a more technical outerwear direction in New York fashion blog The Cut. While Normcore was all about wearing chinos, New Balance trainers, and quarter-zip tops in understated palettes like Bill Gates (not to be confused with Dadcore), Gorpcore was a trend that took its inspiration from the hiking world, with GORP being an acronym for a type of trail mix (Good Old Raisins & Peanuts). Given the Big Apple’s long-held appreciation of a down jacket and hiking boots, it’s highly likely that Jason was being a little tongue-in-cheek with this term, but for whatever reason, the name took root, and before long Gorpcore became a buzzword used to describe everything from Virgil Abloh’s decision to dress runway models in Arc’teryx jackets to Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Biel being papped out in Hollywood wearing Haglofs. A monster had truly been created, and it had an adjustable hood and very sturdy footwear.
We Like Your Look: Brit Bones
With a name like Brit and style sharper than the tip of a Sheffield blade, how could we not ask Brit to join our hallowed list of ‘We Like Your Look’ interviewees? So smarten yourself, maybe even put on a tie on then pour yourself a seriously sophisticated cocktail and sit back for a cosy chat with the best dressed Brit in town.
The Brit-ish Invasion: Two Nations United by a Common Love of Clothing.
When it comes to timeless style in the good old US of A, the lasting imprint of the American’s British forbears can still be seen all over the place, from Plymouth, Massachusetts down to Birmingham, Alabama. But when it comes to the land of liberty’s influence here on this side of the pond, where do you start? Continuing on our theme of all things Brit-ish we’ve decided to take a specific focus on some of the timeless American brands we stock at British Attire by taking a look at how they’ve earned their place in the British style pantheon.
Required Reading: 5 Books That Shaped British Attire
At British Attire, we’re not just hawking coats and calling it culture. We’ve always said we want to be more of a lens than a label... a Brit-ish perspective on quality, craft, and character. But a lens still needs polishing. And ours was sharpened, squinted through, and occasionally steamed up by a stack of very good books. Books that made us rethink what a brand could be, what style means, and why a £50,000 overcoat might actually be worth it. So here, in no particular order and with just the right amount of passive-aggressive Britishness, are five titles that helped stitch together the identity of British Attire.