Charles Tyrwhitt - The Modern Gentlemans Handbook

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Ebury is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

This edition first published by Ebury Press in 2021

Text Charles Tyrwhitt Shirts Ltd 2021
Cover design Studio Polka 2021
Text design Jonathan Baker 2021
Illustrations Matthew Hollings 2021

Writer: Jo Bryant
Editor: Camilla Ackley
Production: Sian Pratley

The moral right of the author has been asserted

ISBN: 978-1-473-58688-8

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

YOU HAVE BRAINS IN YOUR HEAD. YOU HAVE FEET IN YOUR SHOES.

YOU CAN STEER YOURSELF IN ANY DIRECTION YOU CHOOSE.

YOURE ON YOUR OWN, AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO.

AND YOU ARE THE GUY WHOLL DECIDE WHAT TO DO.

DR SEUSS

I had been thinking about writing a book for many years. Everybody should write one, shouldnt they? It was going to be about my life in shirts. I am still not sure how I ended up in the wonderful world of mens dressing it was never meant to be like that. It was supposed to be a life on stage preferably in front of a million adoring fans in Rio de Janeiro.

Like many, life has not worked out quite how it was supposed to. Having done geography at university (and no geographer has a clue what to do when they grow up), all I knew was that I didnt want to be a town planner.

I did know that I have always loved shirts. We had a New & Lingwood down the High Street at school and I used to love popping in just to feel the beautifully soft two-fold Egyptian poplin shirts (and their brightly coloured socks, but thats another story). There is something magical about a crisp cotton shirt I feel total solidarity with Daisy weeping over Gatsbys beautiful shirt collection. That could so easily have been me.

In 1986, I started Charles Tyrwhitt. Perhaps I should have done computers or mobile phones, but I didnt love either of those things. I loved shirts. I loved clothes. I loved dressing. We evolved into suits and ties and cufflinks and then trousers and waistcoats and shoes. The pandemic moved us on into casual clothing and even hoodies! The world is now changing so fast that it is becoming increasingly confusing to know what to wear when, but I do hope this book will act as a trusted guide.

It has been a glorious life of colourful characters and ups and downs. Like all rag traders, I have been through booms and busts. I have been taken to the cleaners but have somehow always managed to bounce back. Like all entrepreneurs, I am the eternal optimist. Good times are always just around the corner. I am never satisfied things can always be better. Nothing is ever perfect.

More than anything, that applies to how we behave and how we dress. I marvel at the mysteries of dress. What to wear? When to wear it? How to wear it? The emotion, the complexity, the fun that can be had from dressing. It is quite amazing how dressing the part, looking the part and behaving the part can make the difference between a life of unending excitement and opportunity and a life of abject disappointment.

After 35 years, I have seen a lot and I was beginning to wonder whether my book should perhaps be more about the art of dressing and behaving a modern gentlemans handbook rather than tales of the toil and struggle of survival in the rag trade.

So, when I was approached by Ebury Publishing, it seemed like the right time to put together less of the story behind the brand, but more a book to help others to get it right and to consign those ridiculously embarrassing situations that can befall any one of us to history.

I defy anybody to read this book and not learn a huge amount! I wanted it to be fun. Dressing is fun and it is as much about the individual as anything else. Behaviour is a different thing altogether. Get it wrong and you will burn bridges that can never be rebuilt. I do hope this book will make you laugh in places, but I also hope it will help you to build bridges and to become an infinitely better version of yourself.

And if you are already perfect, then I hope that you might find people in your lives that will benefit.

NICK WHEELER, FOUNDER JUNE 2021

STYLE IS WHEN THEYRE RUNNING YOU OUT OF TOWN AND YOU MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOURE LEADING THE PARADE.

WILLIAM BATTIE

When it comes to first impressions, its more about how you look and less about what you say. No one takes the bad dresser seriously dressing the part can up your game personally and professionally, so the right shoes might just be the thing to help get your foot in the door, and on and up the professional ladder.

The rules may have relaxed in recent times, but getting it right still requires some care and attention to detail. If that all sounds like too much hard work, then think of it like this: wear clothes that fit you properly and always look better than the next guy.

Whether youre a rookie learning the ropes or a big shot with a corner office, if you manage a touch of style and flair then you can confidently head into Monday looking the part and thats half the battle won, however your week is shaping up.

I FIND IT HARD TO RELAX AROUND ANY MAN WHOS GOT THE SECOND BUTTON OF HIS SHIRT UNDONE.

BILL NIGHY