17 questions to a well-dressed man – Jeremy Hackett
Photo credit: Jeremy Hackett
The gentleman who answered the ‘’17 questions to a well-dressed man’’ today doesn’t need much introduction at most readers. But I still love to do as I think the story of Jeremy Hackett is an interesting one. Jeremy was since a young age already interested in gentleman’s clothes and especially those with a quintessential British look to it. He started working for a tailor in Bristol and moved after that to London. There he was working at some point at Savile Row at the time there were exciting things happening there before he started his own shop selling vintage clothes. Those vintage clothes he found on flea markets for example on Portobello Road and in Paris, the garments were often made by excellent tailors and cut out of good cloth. His shop became popular for that and at a certain point when he couldn’t find good vintage clothes anymore, he decided to start producing them in that style and getting close to that quality. This led to the brand Hackett as we know it today. Hackett is the only classic English full look menswear brand with international appearance, and they never lost their touch with classic English tailoring. The best sign of that is their bespoke shop they opened two years ago on Savile Row in the former Hardy Amies building. Jeremy himself remains an excellent example of how the perfect English gentleman should look at the present day. Classic and flamboyant but certainly not too much! The outfits of Jeremy have a certain harmony that makes that you notice him as a well-dressed man, but don’t keep looking for 5 minutes with an open mouth. Jeremy takes care of quality and craftsmanship which is something he for sure shares with many readers. It’s a bit of an honour that he wanted to answer the ‘’17 questions of a well-dressed man’’ and I won’t hold you longer from reading his answers here below.
What are you wearing today?
Today, because surprisingly for May it is very cold so I am wearing a grey Fox flannel double breasted JP Hackett bespoke suit with a blue and white stripe double cuff shirt, my Muffin and Harry silver cufflinks, claret bow tie, navy blue long woollen socks and George Cleverley bespoke black oxfords, well polished, naturally.
If you had to choose to spend money either on a suit or on a watch, what would you choose?
Definitely a suit. If I’m that desperate to know the time I can always ask
What jewellery could a man wear?
Very little. A good watch, cufflinks, and a tie pin. I’m not one for rings or bracelets.
Tie or a bowtie?
I have taken to wearing bow ties recently, it makes me feel more like a St James’s art dealer than a business man.
Do you remember your first jacket?
I do actually, it was a suit that I had made when I was seven for my first holy communion but I hated wearing short trousers so I almost always wore it as a jacket. The cloth was a grey Donegal tweed and I recall asking the tailor if I could have a ticket pocket like the one on his jacket; I was a precocious child.
What is your favourite watch?
A few years ago I was invited to design a watch for swatch to celebrate the year of the dog in China, it featured my dog Muffin and we made 1, 983 to coincide with the year both Swatch and Hackett were established. We sold them all in ten days.
Fountain pen or ballpoint?
I prefer fountain pens but having lost several expensive ones I now use whatever biro is nearest to me.
Have you found the perfect garment yet?
I have, my navy blue JP Hackett suit. If you only have one suit then my advice is to choose navy blue that way you can also wear it a blazer.
Explain your biggest passion in one sentence?
I love taking photos and carry my Leica DLux 7 with me wherever I go on the off chance I can capture something.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Cigars, although I’m not quite sure why I feel guilty.
Who is the best dressed man in the world for you?
David Hockney, who looks as though he couldn’t care less and yet.......
The best book you ever read?
A book my mother sent me The Oxford book of Quotations with a note and I quote ‘ when you are writing something and you include a quote people will presume you are much better read’. I have dipped into it frequently.
Which city should one go shopping?
For me it has to be Tokyo
Tweed or flannel?
Tweed Jacket with Grey Flannels. It’s impossible to choose.
The most elegant restaurant in the world for you?
Wilton’s in Jermyn St Old fashioned dining at it’s best. I remember they relaxed the tie rule and I thought in that case I shall wear a tie and when I arrived every single man in the restaurant was wearing a tie. A rebellion for standards must be maintained. The fish is the best in London.
Describe your style in three words?
I came up with this strap line about 30 years ago ‘ Essential British Kit’ and for me it expresses my style
Best purchase you did in the last 6 months?
Not only my best but my most extravagant a Vacheron and Constantin asymmetric watch although I convinced myself it was an investment and I had done rather well selling a couple of paintings that had been in the attic for years.