We talk to Adrian Barrows, from The Bespoke Tailor, about Prince Philip and why he was a style icon in 2015.
Whatever your thoughts about the Royals and Prince Philip in particular, you have to hand it to the grand old Duke of Edinburgh on the sartorial stakes.
At 94 years of age, the Duke of Edinburgh has just been voted 12th in GQ magazine’s top 50 best dressed men in Britain of 2015, narrowly behind Benedict Cumberbatch and Harry Styles and well ahead of his nephews William and Harry.
This is not the first time that Prince Philip has made the list. He was ranked a couple of years ago as 26th and praise such as ‘underrated tweedy genius’ ‘time-honoured style’ and ‘services to classic British tailoring’ have been heaped upon him by those in the industry.
I can’t help but feel a little bit pleased about this vindication of the classic tailored look and fine British tailoring that the Prince upholds. Prince Philip has all his suits made by renowned tailor John Kent and he’s well known for having his existing garments altered and updated to reflect a more modern look.
Patrick Grant, the Savile Row tailor, has previously commented that Prince Philip has “always favoured a simple suit made from heavyweight British cloths: tough twills and twist worsted – never excessively fitted, and always well balanced”.
John Ray, creative director of Dunhill, said, “The Duke of Edinburgh embodies duty and decorum and comes across effortlessly in the way he dresses. He is always British, masculine and appropriate for his role.”
It just goes to show that individual style has nothing to do with age or fashion. Classic British tailoring bears the hallmark of what being well-dressed is all about and is the envy of the world. Order books from overseas clients have never been fuller for British tailors and in a fashion industry that is dominated by mass production and synthetic fabrics, classic British tailoring using the finest woven cloth in the world is in huge demand across the globe. Long may it continue!
Main image above credit: Jamie Roach/Bigstock.com
