Hardy Amies' spring 2014 collection stays close to the founder's vision
London fashion house Hardy Amies bends the rules set by its founder while retaining his distinctive flair, writesFrancesca Fearon
Sartorial guru of the 20th century Edwin Hardy Amies said, "a man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them". It was an observation that serves not only as a mantra for the Savile Row tailor's collections, but also as essential advice for the modern gentleman, just as new collections arrive in store and London hosts the autumn-winter 2014 menswear line-ups this week.
I think there will always be certain truths in menswear
Amies founded his label in the 1940s, staged the first menswear show in 1962, and was dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II until his retirement. He had some pointed views on the way men should dress, all of which he documented in his book ABC of Men's Fashion, published in 1964.
Using the alphabet as a guide, A was for Accessories, Air travel, Alpaca, and Apres ski, while F was for Fair Island (knitwear), Fashion, Fit and Flare. Q stood for Quality and Z for Zips.
One entry, which reveals the dress code of the day, states: "Avoid sandals and shorts: always wear a collar and tie in town, even if it's by the sea, after six o'clock. Never wear shorts except actually on the beach or on a walking tour. All short-sleeved shirts look ghastly. Sandals are hell, except on the beach where you want to take them off - or on a boat. And, worn with socks, are super hell."
It gives a flavour of Amies' writing style and his profile as an arbiter of taste.
As menswear collections kick off, there is a renewed interest in formal tailoring, especially among young men and those who don jeans and sneakers for their day job but enjoy wearing a suit or tuxedo jacket in the evening.
Some comments sound dated today, and hard to follow in Hong Kong's climate but others are still relevant.