The Sunspel Style Series, with Charlie Teasdale

The premise of the Sunspel Style Series is very simple. We’ve invited stylish friends of the brand to curate five looks from our recent collections. They take us through each look, offering advice on how to dress well and inspiration for the current season.

Today we are with writer and editor Charlie Teasdale. We’re on the streets of Marylebone surrounding our Chiltern Street store with London based photographer Barney Curran whose distinctive style provides a perfect context for Charlie’s style.

“There’s a really nice sweet spot in British style at the moment,” Charlie says as Barney leads us to the first location, “It’s a little bit sporty, there’s a bit of heritage in there, slightly Ivy League almost. I think what we think of ‘casual’ has changed quite a bit recently. Previously it was an alternative to formal – the two existed separately – you’d wear formal for work or a wedding and casual when you weren’t doing those things. Now those lifestyles have blended. I suddenly find my every day has become much more formal.” 

It’s a beautiful hot day and the looks Charlie has chosen have taken the heat into account. “You really feel it when you leave the house and you’ve misjudged the weather don’t you?” he says, “When you realise you’ve got the whole day ahead!” It’s one of the challenges of summer dressing, balancing staying cool with looking put together. Charlie is here to take us through exactly how to do it.

Smarter Summer Layering

"I’ve paired white jeans with a Cellular Vest and a lightweight, breathable Cotton Cashmere Shirt with a faint stripe and over that, I’m wearing a brown blazer that’s a mix of wool, silk, and linen and it has this lovely slubby texture. I’d say tailoring right now is really having a moment and this layering is lovely. The shirt is really thin, extremely breathable and really light too.”

Styling Tip:

“The assumption with layering in summer is that it’s really hot. But a Sunspel Cellular Vest – I’ve always been a fan – is great because they are visually interesting but keep you cool as they allow air to circulate.”

Cellular Cotton Vest, Cotton Cashmere Shirt, Linen Silk Wool Blazer, White Jeans

Casual Summer Layering

"For this look I’m wearing a really lovely loose, lightweight, off-white camp collar over a white Classic T-shirt, paired with black jeans and loafers.” This look is all about keeping it light and breathable while still looking put together. The shirt is super-lightweight and allows air to move freely which is perfect for summer.

Styling Tip: 

For summer, slightly oversized shirts in breathable fabrics are ideal. They keep you cool and add texture to your outfit, making it both comfortable and stylish.

Sunspel Classic T-shirt, Embroidered Cotton Shirt, Black Jeans

Dressing Up

For this look, Charlie goes for a smart yet casual look, a typical staple of modern British menswear.

“So this is a formal look in that it’s a suit and tie, but it doesn’t feel like traditional British structured tailoring at all. The fabric of the suit, this lovely crispy linen, and the fact it’s unstructured make it incredibly comfortable so it feels really nice, especially with the high-waisted pleated trouser."

Styling Tip: 

Charlie says that shiny tailoring is generally bad but matte fabrics on the other hand look much more luxurious and tactile. Meanwhile, opting for an unstructured suit gives the smartness of traditional tailoring while being incredibly comfortable.

Linen Two-Piece Suit, Cotton Cashmere Shirt

Jeans Done Well

This look is all about combining casual and classic elements: blue jeans with a white Sunspel Classic T-shirt, brown suede Paraboot shoes, a Cord Harrington Jacket and a neckerchief to finish. “The jacket has a nice double zipper, which you can zip all the way up or keep it loose. It feels quite mid-century sporty which is really nice."

Styling Tip:

Accessories add a finishing touch to an outfit. “They speak to the detail-oriented way that men are dressing now.” Consider things like jewellery, neckerchiefs, elevated caps and bags – Charlie says you can’t go wrong with a nice canvas tote.

Sunspel Classic T-shirt, Cord Harrington Jacket, Blue Jeans, Sunspel x Paraboot Suede Michael Shoe

Tonal Dressing

“The key for tonal dressing is mixing textures. The jacket is that same wool, silk and linen blend, which is great because it gives a luxurious, tactile feel. The polo is a blend of silk and cotton which I thought would be really hot but it isn’t at all, it’s really comfortable. And then the trousers are a matte cotton – also really comfortable. This kind of suit is a bit more interesting than just a standard blue suit and thanks to the unstructured jacket it feels casual still.”

Styling Tip:

“When tonal dressing, beware of mixing lighter or bolder colours. Pink might be difficult for example, but navy, black, charcoal – they’re all really nice.”

Linen Silk Wool Blazer, Fine Rib Silk Cotton Polo Shirt, Cotton Linen Drawstring Trousers