The Panama Hat: Not from Panama and Never Out of Place
The Panama hat is not from Panama.
Thomas Nakamura · 2025-09-23
The Vault
Archival features, deep reads, and enduring perspectives.
Showing 41–60 of 166 articles
How Edward Green Makes Shoes That Improve with Every Mile
Edward Green was founded in Northampton in 1890 with a stated ambition to produce England's finest shoes.
William Ashford · 2025-09-23
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the Diver Who Demanded a Better Watch
In 1953, Captain Robert Maloubier of the French Navy's combat diving unit approached Blancpain's CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter with a problem.
Marcus Wei · 2025-09-22
How the Gilet Went from Hunting Field to Urban Uniform
The gilet originated as a sleeveless vest for sportsmen needing core warmth without sleeve restriction.
Daniel Hurst · 2025-09-22
How Brunello Cucinelli Built a Fashion House on Cashmere and Philosophy
Brunello Cucinelli grew up in a farming family in Castel Rigone, Umbria.
Daniel Hurst · 2025-09-21
The Desert Boot: Nathan Clark's Bazaar Find That Became a Classic
In 1941, Nathan Clark was serving with the British Army in Burma.
James Alderton · 2025-09-21
How the Morning Coat Survived the Death of Formal Dressing
The morning coat, a single-breasted coat with curved front tapering from waist button to broad tails, emerged as a riding coat in the early nineteenth century.
James Alderton · 2025-09-20
The History of the Silk Scarf as a Men's Accessory
Silk scarves have adorned men for centuries.
James Alderton · 2025-09-20
The Shawl-Collar Cardigan and the Gentlemen Who Made It Respectable
The cardigan takes its name from the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854.
Thomas Nakamura · 2025-09-19
The Panerai Luminor and Its Secret History with Italian Combat Divers
Officine Panerai, founded in Florence in 1860, was virtually unknown outside Italy's military establishment.
Catherine Avery · 2025-09-19
The Zenith El Primero and the Race to Build the First Automatic Chronograph
The late 1960s witnessed horology's great race: three groups worked to produce the first automatic chronograph.
Thomas Nakamura · 2025-09-18
How Berluti Turned Shoe Patina into an Art Form
Alessandro Berluti, an Italian immigrant, founded his Paris shoemaking business in 1895.
Catherine Avery · 2025-09-18
How the Flat Cap Travelled from Northern English Mills to Global Street Style
The flat cap has roots stretching to the sixteenth century in Britain.
Catherine Avery · 2025-09-17
The Blazer: Naval Origins and the Brass Buttons That Started It All
The blazer is most commonly traced to HMS Blazer, whose captain outfitted his crew in distinctive double-breasted navy jackets with brass buttons to impress Queen Victoria during an 1837 review.
Daniel Hurst · 2025-09-17
The Smoking Jacket: Evening Ritual Turned Style Statement
The smoking jacket emerged in the 1850s to protect evening clothes from tobacco smoke.
Marcus Wei · 2025-09-16
The Grand Seiko Story: How Japan's Watchmakers Pursued Perfection in Silence
In 1960, Seiko introduced the first Grand Seiko, a hand-wound dress watch intended to rival the finest Swiss timepieces.
Sebastian Cole · 2025-09-16
The Cable-Knit Sweater and the Aran Islands That Stitched Its Legend
The cable-knit sweater is inseparable from the Aran Islands off Ireland's west coast, where Atlantic storms shaped an extraordinary knitting tradition.
Thomas Nakamura · 2025-09-15
How Tod's Turned a Driving Shoe into a Billion-Dollar Brand
Tod's begins not with a designer but a cobbler's workshop in the Marche region.
Marcus Wei · 2025-09-15
The Breitling Navitimer and the Pilots Who Calculated with Their Wrists
In 1952, Breitling introduced the Navitimer with a circular slide rule bezel performing calculations essential to aerial navigation: fuel consumption, airspeed conversion, distance-time computations.
William Ashford · 2025-09-14
How the Tuxedo Got Its Name at a Country Club in New York
The tuxedo's naming is most commonly attributed to an evening in October 1886 at the Tuxedo Park Club in Orange County, New York.
Daniel Hurst · 2025-09-14