Inside Laura Ashley: How Britain's Fashion Empire Was Built and Lost

How to dress like a British Gentleman By CORDINGS

 

How to dress like a British Gentleman

By CORDINGS

https://www.cordings.co.uk/eu/news/how-to-dress-like-a-british-gentleman/

 

Wednesday, 11 October 2017

How to dress like a British Gentleman

 

Tweed and moleskin – two distinctively British cloths

From the city gent in bowler hat and pinstripe to the country squire in a tweed jacket and corduroy trousers, British style is immediately recognisable the world over. What makes this look so distinct and why is it still synonymous with good taste? And, more importantly, how do you get it just right?

 

We’ve put together a item list for those asking how to dress like a british gentleman, which includes:

 

A well fitting jacket in a classic British Cloth

A well fitted trouser, with a neat leg, also in a classic British Cloth

A waistcoat in matching cloth or with a dash of colour

Add detailing with accessories, like ties and pocket squares.

The British Jacket: Ensure The Correct Fit

 

British jackets have a distinct, waisted silhouette and are unashamedly more solidly constructed than their European counterparts. With this in mind, it is essential you wear a jacket that fits. They are not meant to drape or pull across the chest, the shoulder should sit neatly on your own shoulder, and the sleeve length should sit about ½” above your shirt cuff. Investing in a well-fitting jacket makes economic sense: get it right and you will be able to wear it for decades. When wearing a three button jacket, only ever button the middle button.

 

Two button and Three button jackets in tweed and flannel respectively.

The Cloth:

British mills create distinct cloths that are instantly recognisable. If you are looking to buy your first jacket, a timeless Shetland will never look out of place.  Check the weight of the jacket suits the climate and the conditions it will be worn in.

 

Harris and Yorkshire tweed, each have their own distinct characteristics.

The Trouser: The Right Length

A higher waist and neat leg are synonymous with British trousers. Side adjusters are particularly good at keeping the silhouette clean around the waist. Many of Cordings trousers have brace buttons. Although braces are often seen as a style statement, they are also the best way of ensuring you never have the embarrassment of hitching up your falling waistband, or your shirt billowing over the top of your trousers. It is essential you make sure your trousers are taken up to the correct length. Puddling around the hem, or Chaplin-esque half-mast trousers are a British style no-no.

 

The Cloth:

Traditional cloths such as corduroy and moleskin are eminently versatile, and flannel and cavalry twill are particularly good teamed with tweed in a more urban environment.

The Waistcoat: Add Style and Warmth

Adding a layer of warmth, with the option of a dash of colour, a waistcoat creates the tailored silhouette favoured by the British gent. When wearing a waistcoat, never do up the last button, and avoid trousers with a belt, as this creates an unsightly bulge around your midriff.

 

Tweed, corduroy or velvet waistcoats are the perfect alternative to a sweater to add an extra layer.

The Cloth:

Corduroy, velvet and tweed are is a very British cloth, with a long pedigree, it works beautifully well with tweed.

 

The Accessory

Nothing epitomises British style quite like the small details. Accessories are a chance to add a touch of colour; investing in well-made pieces in luxury fabrics doesn’t need to cost the earth, and will add understated elegance to your outfit.

 

The Tie: Pair To The Shirt

Choosing the right tie will inject colour and personality into your style without overshadowing the classic British style. When matching a tie to your tattersall shirt, pick out one of the overcheck colours.

 

Make sure your knot is right up to the collar of your shirt; nothing looks sloppier than the top button of your shirt being visible. When wearing a tie, avoid the temptation to undo your top button. If you need to do this, the collar size is too small.

 

Ties – choose from woven and printed silk, knitted and country wool merino.

Pocket squares and Scarves: Complement the Tie

Make your British gentleman look complete and complement your tie rather than match it. Madder silk prints in subtle hues, such as wine and navy, will work with most jackets.

 

Hanks in silk and wool are the perfect finish to your outfit.

Belts: Pair With Your Shoes

A carefully chosen belt will bring your outfit together whereas a mismatched belt will work against the sophisticated look you are striving for. Avoid this pitfall by matching the colour and finish of your belt to your shoes.

 

For the perfect fit, the belt should do up on the middle hole. As mentioned, avoid wearing a belt with a waistcoat.

 

Braces: Style and Practicality

Using braces will prevent fabric bunching and ensure a neat and comfortable appearance of trousers. A smart box cloth brace is therefore both eminently practical and stylish. Navy and bottle green are two popular colours at Cordings that are versatile and timeless.

 

Belt and braces – ensure your trousers stay in place and add a touch of British style.

Socks: Add a Dash of Colour

Hosiery is a chance to add individuality to your outfit. Give yourself a reason to hitch your trouser leg an extra ich when you sit down with a pair of carefully coordinated British made socks.

 

How to Dress like a British Gent: In summary

 

Dressing like a British gent is not about wearing the correct labels, following fashion or being ostentatious in your dress. It is about paying attention to detail. We’ve summarised our top 5 tips for achieving that quintessential British look:

 

1. Make sure your clothes fit correctly, and check your sleeve and hem lengths.

2. British cloths will inherently make your outfit look uniquely British.

3. Investing in quality accessories will pay dividends.

4. Choose colours that complement rather than match or clash.

5. And lastly, take the time to follow the care instructions – preserving the quality of the garments for years to come.

The Lownie Report Podcast: Ian Lloyd on Queen Elizabeth II

 

The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II Hardcover – April 21, 2022

by Ian Lloyd (Author)

 

At the time of Elizabeth II’s accession, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Harry S. Truman was President of the United States and Joseph Stalin still governed the Soviet Union. It has often been said that she never put a foot wrong during her seven decades as monarch, and even those ideologically opposed to Britain and its governments have lauded her. Remarkably, she retained her relevance as sovereign well into her nineties, remaining a reassuring constant in an ever-changing world.

 

Royal biographer Ian Lloyd reveals the woman behind the legend over seventy themed chapters. Drawing on interviews with relatives, friends and courtiers, he explores her relationship with seven generations of the royal family, from the children of Queen Victoria to Elizabeth’s own great-grandchildren. He also sheds light on some lesser-known aspects of her character, such as her frugality and her gift for mimicry. In addition, we see her encounters with A-listers, from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, and her adept handling of several of the twentieth century’s most difficult leaders.

 

Above all, Lloyd examines how the Queen stayed true to the promise she made to the nation at the age of 21, ‘that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service’.

King Charles TOP 12 JOKES as he pokes fun at Trump and shares Churchill's NAKED White House story

The John Bull Magazine

The John Bull Magazine

The 1946 relaunch featured covers that encapsulated post-war Britain and employed some of Britain's finest illustrators. During this period, the magazine also included short stories by major British authors such as H. E. Bates, Agatha Christie, Nicholas Monsarrat, N. J. Crisp, Gerald Kersh, J. B. Priestley and C. S. Forester.

 

During John Bull's run it incorporated other magazines, such as Illustrated (1958), Passing Show, and Everybody's Weekly (1959).

 

End of publication

Following a sharp drop in circulation, the magazine was renamed Today, The New John Bull in 1960.[1] It attempted to appeal to a younger readership with features on aspects of youth culture, such as rock and roll. In 1964, its circulation was just over 700,000, but advertising revenue did not meet its costs, and it was closed.[25] Officially, it was merged with Weekend magazine.

 

Inside the Collection: Queen Elizabeth II’s Style | From Princess to Queen

 

The Indelible Style of a Queen Off Duty / "Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style" / Exhibition: The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace

 

Account

The Indelible Style of a Queen Off Duty

 

A new exhibition takes a closer look at Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe of boots, barn coats, head scarves and tartan skirts.

 

Yola Mzizi

By Yola Mzizi

April 25, 2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/25/style/queen-elizabeth-ii-exhibition-her-life-in-style.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serving British monarch, showed her nature as a sartorial strategist from the very beginning of her reign: At her coronation in 1953, she wore a gown featuring embroidered motifs that nodded to places throughout the British Commonwealth.

 

Elizabeth’s rule, which ended in 2022 when she died at 96, coincided with the ascendance of the British fashion industry. She was loyal to homegrown brands and, in 2018, her patronage was immortalized with the creation of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, a distinction since given annually to a rising British designer.

 

In her later decades on the throne, Elizabeth was known to favor bright, monochromatic ensembles that she accessorized with hats, brooches and a black handbag at the crook of her arm. Something of a uniform, the queen’s colorful attire seemingly reflected a philosophy that she once told a biographer: “I have to be seen to be believed.”

 

But just as indelible as Elizabeth’s rainbow attire was her selection of understated rubber boots, barn coats, head scarves and tartan skirts, items she often wore on trips to Balmoral Castle, her family’s private estate in the rural Scottish Highlands. Many of those pieces, along with others from her expansive wardrobe, are featured in a new exhibition, “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” that opened at Buckingham Palace in London this month, timed to coincide with what would have been Elizabeth’s 100th birthday on April 21.

 

Elizabeth often opted for understated casual wear, like a gray Harris tweed jacket and a Balmoral tartan skirt, left, or a forest green overcoat, all of which are featured in the exhibition.Credit...Photographs by Royal Collection Enterprises Limited/Royal Collection Trust; Jon Stokes

 

Elizabeth’s casual wear typically featured neutral shades that blended in with the bucolic environments where she wore it, and it was more relaxed than the finery that she sported for public appearances. For many people, seeing how she dressed in laid-back settings held a unique allure, explained Elizabeth Holmes, the author of “HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style.”

 

“Those choices feel less about how they play in public or for the photographers, and more representative of who that person is and what their style preferences are,” Ms. Holmes said.

 

The queen’s country attire also underscored her deep commitment to British fashion, said Caroline de Guitaut, the curator of the new exhibition. “It’s so British, and it’s so quintessentially the essence of some of the best clothing produced in this country,” Ms. de Guitaut said.

 

She added that the queen’s “off-duty” wardrobe was practical and inspired by her countryside pursuits — horseback riding, hunting and hiking. It included suede jackets from Simpson, Balmoral tartan skirts, Burberry capes, Barbour waxed jackets and Hermès handkerchief scarves (the rare item from a brand outside Britain).

 

The new exhibition showcases many of these garments, several of which Elizabeth routinely had repaired or altered because of frequent use, Ms. de Guitaut said. “That also goes back to the fact that she grew up during the Second World War,” she added, “where, of course, there was clothes rationing; there were shortages of things; and there was a lot of what we call the, kind of, ‘make do and mend’ philosophy.”

 

Elizabeth’s off-duty style has influenced designers in Britain and beyond. The English designer Richard Quinn — the first person to receive the queen’s namesake fashion award — said that her scarves were an inspiration for a coat in his spring 2018 collection. The Italian designers Miuccia Prada and Alessandro Michele have also nodded to the look: Mrs. Prada’s 2024 Balmoral collection for Miu Miu included tweed handbags and chore jackets, while a 2017 collection designed by Mr. Michele for Gucci featured tartan skirts and head scarves.

 

As part of the just-opened exhibition of Elizabeth’s fashion at Buckingham Palace, several British labels were tapped by its organizers to produce promotional merchandise.

 

It includes a Burberry trench coat with a dark green version of the brand’s signature check print, a homage to a style of tartan favored by the queen (2,190 pounds, or about $2,957); gloves made in collaboration with the leather-goods brand Dents (about $128); and tartan socks made in partnership with Corgi (about $24), a knitwear label that shares its name with Elizabeth’s preferred canine breed.

 

Though the queen’s casual wear incorporated luxury brands like Burberry, the fact that a person could walk into a store and buy the same boots or barn jacket owned by Elizabeth created a “personal connection to what she was wearing in a way that was accessible,” said Ms. Holmes, the author. “A lot of her other moments, especially the more glamorous ones, are not.”

"Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style" is the largest-ever exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion, held at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from April 10 to October 18, 2026. Marking her centenary, the exhibition features over 300 items—including outfits, jewelry, and sketches—showcasing her style from childhood to her reign.

 

Key Exhibition Details

Location: The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace (nearest station: Victoria).

Dates: April 10, 2026 – October 18, 2026.

Content: Over 300 items, including clothing worn in all ten decades of her life, from childhood to queen, including official royal news notes on "off-duty" attire.

Significance: Showcases her personal fashion archive, highlighting her active role in the design and symbolic meaning of her attire.

 

Exhibition Highlights

Garments & Accessories: Features clothing, hats, shoes, and jewelry.

Rare Items: Includes design sketches, fabric samples, and personal, handwritten correspondence.

Curator: The exhibit is curated by Caroline de Guitaut, LVO, FSA.

 

This "blockbuster" exhibition, as covered in visitlondon.com blog and NYT style section, explores how the Queen used fashion to shape her public identity.