Edward the Brigadier

The day we almost froze to death at church

It was on Christmas Eve, just past midnight. We were attending a two-and-a-half-hour long Latin mass. We were in freezing Poland. The outside temperature was (only) -13C, but the church was not heated.

How can a style expert be making so many mistakes?

Dear reader, Like all knowledgeable people, we feel we haven’t scratched the surface. And there’s one area where we regularly feel humbled, it’s choosing the correct size. We already touched on this here. If this happens to us, there’s a chance it happens to you too.

Car shapes Tier list – Cool Wall

Are SUVs cool or not? Probably uncool. Most people agree on this. But what about supercars, and sedans? Here we give you our opinion: SUBZERO COOL UNCOOL SERIOUSLY UNCOOL TOYOTA PRIUS City/Small Sedan SUVs Supercars Wagons Compact Sports cars Vans Old school SUVs G Class Best regards, Edward

Affordable SUVs Tier List – Cool Wall

Affordable SUVs are all the rage. They've replaced both minivans (MPVs) and wagons (estates). But which ones are cool? We give you our opinion: SUBZERO COOL UNCOOL SERIOUSLY UNCOOL TOYOTA PRIUS Enyaq Puma Tesla Y Kia Niro Alfa Tonale Kuga Qashqai Tucson Kia EV6 Tiguan T-Roc Id 3

Luxury SUVs Tier List – Cool Wall

Every luxury car manufacturer has releases their luxury SUV. It's the hottest of the hot automotive segments right now. But which luxury SUVs are cool, and which are uncool? We give you our opinion: SUBZERO COOL UNCOOL SERIOUSLY UNCOOL TOYOTA PRIUS G Class GLS Macan Lexus RX Ranger

Luxury cars Tier List – Cool Wall

Flagship cars are like brand ambassadors. So which one is cool, and which one is uncool. We give you our opinion on the Cool Wall below: SUBZERO COOL UNCOOL SERIOUSLY UNCOOL TOYOTA PRIUS Jaguar XJ S Class 7 series G70 Lexus LS EQS Panamera 971 Genesis EQS Taycan EQE A8

How to get rid of mildew smell in shoes

You’ve tried fresh air, white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, rubbing with alcohol, brushing but nothing worked? You can smell the mould and mildew are still hidden inside your shoes? We have the solution for you: the ozone generator, sometimes called an ozonator.

SUVs make sense

So many people complain about SUVs being everywhere, too big, too heavy, not aerodynamic, etc. No-one likes them, but everyone wants their “high driving position”. The truth is that SUVs’ driving position is not “high”, it’s “normal”.

Review: Rolex Oyster Perpetual 14238

The closest thing to a Rolex clock, like the ones you see in airports, fancy streets, tennis courts and golf courses.

Buying clothes online the right way

Dear reader, We have a confession to make: We tend to buy shoes that are too small. Yes, we have studied extensively how shoes should fit. Yes, we know that shoes should be bought after a day of walking when our feet are swollen slightly. We know we should really

Are you ironing your polo shirt collar the wrong way?

Dear reader, We like polo shirts, but the collars seem to be temperamental. For some reason these collars don’t seem to age well. Or at least, this is what we thought until we discovered the trick. We know many gentlemen have the same issue for polo collars. Many of

Why we hate Tod’s gommino driving loafers (and Gucci loafers)

Dear reader, We hate Tod’s gommino moccasins for mens. No, it’s not about Tod’s outrageous price tag. No, we actually like Tod’s women gommino loafers. Proportions are spot on — beautifully shaped. We regularly buy them for the wife. And Tod’s colour scheme is best in

How to dress for a white party, without looking like a magician?

Dear reader, The question was asked to us by a reader. It is true that wearing all white can be intimidating. Many are not confident they could pull it off. So here are some tips: It is probably best to avoid the dress shirt. Play with textures: wear a more

Wishful clothing

Dear reader, Are there clothes that you really like, but would never be able to wear? We’ll give you an example: Tyrolean shoes We would really like to have a pair of Tyrolean shoes – either Clarks Wallabees, or Paraboots Michael. But they’re just not “us”. Everytime we try

Over 30? Here’s the basic trimming you ought to be doing from now on

Dear reader, Body hair keeps on growing as we age. As a teenager, grooming mostly consists of beard shaving. And we get used to it. So used to it that we forget that other hair starts becoming messy: eyebrows, nose hair, possibly ear hair. Culturally, we all agree that this

Why we don’t wear short sleeves in the summer

Dear reader, When you think of summer, you think of t-shirts and polo shirts… … unless you’re us… we use short sleeves if we want to be comfortable at home, when we exercise, or for sleeping (sometimes). It would be stupid for us to wear short sleeves under the scorching

Read this before buying your next watch

Dear reader, The watch offering is polluted by fashion (just like with clothing). As a smart buyer, you’ll need to ignore trends so you don’t end up wasting your hard-earned cash. If you fall for a trend, you won’t want to wear that watch in 12 months.

Maybe it's time to give up on your beard

Dear reader, We need to talk about your beard. We know why you’re growing one — you want to look older than you are. You want to look more masculine than you are. Maybe your lady encouraged you to grow one. However, please evaluate your beard density… honestly! … because most

How often do you change clothes?

Dear reader, People don’t like to talk about this. It’s kind of implicit. But no-one knows exactly what’s what… So here we go: We change our underwear (trunks, socks and undershirt) everyday. Women can afford to change their tops every two days — though it depends on the

Please don’t wear your watch like this…

Dear reader, You have certainly seen men wearing their watch loose on their wrist. So loose it’s always sticking out. They usually come across as show-offs. And we have to say it’s working great. While facing this type of men, we have noticed we cannot focus. We are

Why we suck at buying ties (and we imagine you too)

Dear reader, Ties are more tricky than they appear. They’re incredibly hard to wear in turn. The occasion always seems to call for the same ties. we guess they too follow a Pareto distribution. So you end up owning dozens of ties which seemed “wearable” and not too extravagant

Why you shouldn’t own a pair of derby

Dear reader, Derby shoes are usually second in a list of shoes styles. After oxfords, before loafers. With experience, we’ve noticed that derby are of less importance than other styles lower down the list: loafers, boots… In fact, we believe you dress for all occasions without owning a pair

White trousers are overrated

Dear reader, Growing up we looked up to men wearing white trousers. Truth be told, white trousers are fancy and crisp. Therefore we began thinking white trousers were a staple of the gentleman’s wardrobe — an essential piece. They're not. To be fair, we probably got the idea

Does this jacket fit me? Let’s train our eyes

Dear reader, Ready-to-wear. We were born with ready-to-wear. And it will follow us to the grave — certainly. Bespoke used to be the norm. Now, it’s unaffordable for 99.7% of people. Why can’t we wealthy Europeans afford to have a fellow National cut and see a made-to-measure garment

In search of the ideal shoe last

Dear reader, Believe it or not, there is a perfect shape for shoes. Maybe not on this earth. Maybe not only one perfect shoe last. But it’s like with cars and watches : there is a certain shape and design that is hard to surpass. It might not be timeless.

Fashion is wasteful

Dear reader, We try to avoid fashion as much as we can. And so should you. Fashion is wasteful. It’s a waste of money, because things will be out of fashion before you manage to recoup their cost. Plus, they will be worthless should you try to sell them

Why you should never wear a WHITE undershirt

Dear reader, This is a mistake we see repeated everywhere! This white undershirt Barrack… please, no.If you have fair skin, you want your undershirts to be of a nude or tan color — not white. And if you have dark skin, you want your undershirts to be brown — not black.

The biggest mistake when wanting to stand out (are you making it?)

Dear reader, Our biggest mistake as an aspiring gentleman was… … to care about color and pattern, more than fit. Yes, we want to stand out. But not because we look like a clown. We should stand out for the right reason. And after years of mistakes, we can tell you

The only pair of shoes you will ever need

Dear reader, What’s the only pair of shoes you will ever need? A pair of black oxford? Please, no. It’s time to rethink the gentleman’s everyday pair of shoes. The black oxford is no more an everyday pair of shoes than the little black dress. We have