A gentlemanly takeover! Featuring the best-dressed (and well-mannered) chaps in sartorial menswear.

This post is a first since I started blogging in late 2013, because today I’m shining a spotlight on menswear, with real experts on the topic. In 8 out of 9 of books, sartorial menswear is a central point for my male characters, especially in the Waldorf Manor series.

In my very first novel, The Solicitation (Waldorf Manor book one), the first chapter begins:

       Brayden straightened his tie and double checked his waistcoat before pulling down his blazer one final time. Perfect. As always. His shoes had been shined to reflect the daylight and his perfectly manicured nails and hair hinted - nay - bellowed, that a flawless and sophisticated appearance was top priority. And it was. Just as priority as proper behaviour was.  
     He looked at his reflection in the mirror without reaction. He was pleased, but no need to show it. Navy blue had always been his colour; navy blue with thin white stripes marching up and down his trousers, to be exact. A starch, made to measure, white shirt with a perfectly pointed collar lay beneath the navy blue striped waistcoat. His solid navy jacket was secured in front by two gold buttons, with another two matching on the underside of the cuffs.

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That set the tone for how Brayden James and the rest of my male characters would be introduced; by their love for a bespoke wardrobe. Details are important to him. Everyday is worth looking his best and that’s what makes Brayden delightfully unique in a world otherwise dominated by an obsession with casual. I had no idea that four years later I would be working on Waldorf’s seventh book (my tenth overall) and digging deeper into the details of suit colours, patterns, textiles, his extensive shoe collection, or indeed, that I would eventually have real-life examples to look at for inspiration.

Readers escape to Waldorf for just that – escape. There is an entire world to live inside; from the sprawling estate, to Brayden, Bennett, Damian and Jonathan’s sartorial clothes, to life with domestic staff and chauffered cars, to Alice’s cheeky antics. It is all fiction within the bounds of complete realism. Nothing described is impossible. What’s most encouraging and exciting for an author is finding realism beyond the world she built, and being able to share it with her readers.

It is with great pleasure and thanks to my four top-rated Instagram accounts for Waldorf (and general) inspiration. And might I just say, that all of these chaps were pleasant to communicate with, from start to finish. Not only do they look like gentlemen, they act like it too. In no particular order and without further ado, I'm pleased to feature:

Artworth Brothers, Switzerland
Most like: Brayden James

@artworth_brothers
Two brothers sharing their lifestyle/All about the art of gentlemen

To say Vasco and Thomson are the real deal would be an understatement. Scroll through their feed and you’ll see why they attract so many followers. Readers of Waldorf will feel right at home as they share a bit of their everyday life in Switzerland. Gems across the board with a spiff-imaged portfolio of class, elegance and the real heart of what makes a man with good taste in the 21st century feel like a man: bespoke clothes, nice cars, gorgeous watches and good coffee. Well, and Jack Daniels. Like any gentleman, they love a warming drink at the end of the day. There is no mistaking that you will see Brayden James in each photo, whether its Vasco or Thomson there. Ties are always straight, collars sit comfortably around the neck, jacket opened or closed with waistcoats or cardigans underneath with a high focus on quality pieces.

What is inspiring for me is that even whilst Waldorf takes place at a country estate in Southeast England, the city-scapes often found in the Arthworth photos look as if they’ve been shot by an award-winning director of photography, and the countryscape isn’t entirely missed. Deep, bold and unashamedly masculine, every day invites you to take a closer look at some of the nicest, best-dressed guys around. The photos of espresso and croissants only add to the lovely sartorial journey. Classic cuts and clean lines, fearlessly layered, and tailored perfectly to suit (pun intended) their shape, these two will inspire any man to perfect their everyday wardrobe with looks that will always be timeless. If you follow Vasco’s link through to his website you will instantly be greeted with the words: Stay positive. Work hard. Always dress up. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

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Bernhard Roetzel, Germany
Most like: Jonathan Fowler

@bernhardroetzel
photo credit to Jan Hemmerich
Menswear writer, fashion critic.

When I found Bernhard’s account I was instantly charmed because he is the only man of his age that hasn't lost his style, whilst proudly carrying an authority on menswear that is both confident and humble. Those attributes only exist when one has lived a full life, raised a family and takes great care to dress his mind the way he dresses his body. It speaks of wisdom with age and experience - something we often take for granted. He is someone to look up to and to respect, especially when it comes to the art of bespoke menswear. But there's more to Bernhard than just the perfect suit, and that is proven in the synopsis of his latest book titled, Gentleman, first released in 1999 and updated last year: 
 
An elegantly dressed man does not only look smart and attractive, he also implies confidence and respect. A self-assured appearance, excellent manners and carefully chosen quality garments are distinctive signs of a true gentleman. Which accessories must a gentleman have in his wardrobe? Which shirt-makers and tailors are synonymous for indisputable taste?  
 
In his most recent book, A Gentleman's Look Book published September 2017, another nod to going beyond the wardrobe and getting to the heart of the whole man:

A gentleman is not only recognizable by his singular appearance and charm, but also by his meticulously chosen wardrobe. And there's no one better to curate this book of the best of menswear but the pope of men's style, Bernhard Roetzel, author of the bestseller The Gentleman.

There are few like him beyond the pages of fiction, and my readers will instantly identify him to the likes of Jonathan Fowler of Greystone Hall. When I found Bernhard on Instagram I knew I found the man that would help me style Jonathan through the rest of the Waldorf Manor series. From addressing a historic shoe shop full of listeners on menswear to seeing him inspect cloth samples for his next bespoke suit, Bernhard is the perfect fit for Waldorf and dressing the whole man – manners and all.
 
Bernhard is a menswear writer and fashion critic living near Berlin. His books are available on Amazon.

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Notorious Sartorialist, Vienna
Most like: Damian Fowler

@notorious.sartorialist
Passionate about the art of sartorial menswear, coffee and success.

Remind you of anyone? Damian Fowler. Ages are similar and the passions of a smart wardrobe and good coffee are there – but this chap has it more figured out than Damian. Perhaps my supporting character ought to take some inspiration from Andre. We all know that the youngest Fowler son cannot put a finger on what would make him successful, and that he floats between maintaining the standards of dress and lifestyle he was raised in at Greystone to experimenting with business casual looks. I often feel like Damian is on this feed not in uncertainty, but because I never know what look I’m going to find each day. I love that. There is a healthy balance of three piece suits to turtlenecks and woollen coats, tweed jackets and an insistence to go to a particular tailor in Vienna. That is where the heart of Damian Fowler is – in the things NS knows – he knows well. Solid. Confident. In book six, Stay, Damian walks into his elder brother’s study at Barton-Court house and Bennett instantly recognises the new suit as having been made by his tailor. Damian has been fighting his identity as a Fowler for so long, that the temptation for readers might be to be shocked that he went to Savile Row. He also wears a knit tie in that scene, which Andre features in his own wardrobe.

I don’t think readers give in to being completely shocked, because the thing about Damian is that like Notorious Sartorialist, he knows what is good and dependable and swears by it. He experiments with a mix of textures, like knits with denim shirts under a jacket for his job as a financial manager in Austria. Bold prints and classic lines go well together. You can trust Andre’s word on wardrobe when he gives it. Many of my readers favour Damian and so they will also favour this chap.

You also can't miss the photos of his morning coffee with that gorgeous rocket espresso machine. 

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Seamless_Style, Sweden
Most like: Bennett Fowler

@seamless-style
Classic menswear enthusiast

First things first – this gentleman is my original Bennett Fowler! When I first started writing The Solicitation in 2013 I had an image in my mind that he was over six feet tall, long and lean, fabulous head of dark blondish hair with a side parting, squared-off chin and dark, round spectacles. I searched Google images with every combination of words imaginable, hoping to find some man on the planet to put a face to my creation. At that point, I had found near-perfect matches for Alice, Brayden, Damian, Harriet and Jonathan Fowler. I looked for over a week and there was no such person in existence for Bennett. That was fair enough, because I really had built them all out of my imagination from the proverbial clay of creativity, and eventually had to accept the fact that no one existed to match him. My website had to do without the original image in my mind and I did find a comparable photograph of a British model that adequately got the point across. I even went back through the manuscript and took out all references to Bennett wearing those fantastic round spectacles and the squared chin, because without a photo to satisfy my world-building I felt I had to let it go. Come along to 2017 and I’m scrolling through my favourite menswear accounts when Instagram suggests I look at Seamless_Style. And then I screamed. My original Bennett Fowler! The more I scrolled, the further my jaw dropped. Trust me, readers, if you knew Bennett was supposed to have round spectacles and look exactly like my friend Alex here, you would be shocked. And even though you’ve come to know Bennett to look a bit differently, you will be very familiar with every other aspect and mannerism here. From posture to dress code, to specifying the make, material and season of particular pieces, you will feel like you’re seeing Bennett after he’s dressed for the day and has just descended the grant staircase. Alex knows how best to wear the pieces that work for his frame, just like Bennett. You will feel right at home here, and you’ll also catch a few glimpses of his gorgeous new bride. As a wee note, Alex writes on the side and hopes to one day be published. Let’s all give him a massive cheer of support.  

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Beyond Waldorf, what does this mean?

It means menswear is alive, well, and booming.

Scroll through Instagram and you will find that there is a new generation of men with class and men who maintain it no matter their age; a storm-high wave of style that combines the traditional suit with modern cuts, mismatched or bold patterns, braces and ties made of varying widths and material. And shoes. Oh dear, are there shoes. Mostly handmade, in every colour, design and texture imaginable. These guys can put a lot of women’s shoe collection to shame. Many of the menswear trendsetters are passionate about bespoke, sartorial clothing, are entrepreneurs in crowdfunding their own styles lines, or being mentored under reveared maestros of tailoring. Others, men who work outside of fashion but use their accounts to post an outfit of the day. Gone is the time when women took over the internet with their style, leaving men in the dust with nothing but the odd-suit donned for a special occasion. Hashtags like sartorial, menwithclass, dappergent will take you straight to the ones who know how to dress and aren’t waiting for a special occasion to do so. But a suit is just a suit, right? Wrong. A suit should fit precisely, not tug or pull across the neck, back or front when buttoned. These guys can identify an ill-fitting suit without hesitation. It’s about the man wearing the suit, not the suit wearing the man.

I've learned not to take for granted the care and consideration these guys are putting into their outfits. There is such a great level of pride, even on many posts put up on weekends labelled 'casual'. Women have had the upper hand in fashion since the beginning, with men having their hayday up until about the late 70s, when everything got a lot more casual. Disappointingly so, in my opinion. People in general stopped putting in daily effort, and it seemed a great emphasis was put on men martyring their looks in exchange of waving a flag of being 'laid back.' And mostly due to social pressure. Since when did men caring about their wardrobes deduct from taking life in stride? In the last thirty years, it seems that wearing a suit requires a reason. A special occasion. For celebration. What happened to dressing one's best everyday? Why does one's personal choice or style have to be pitted against 'what everyone else at the party is wearing?' That's what a lot of these guys have in common with my male characters: class coupled with proud individuality, and I find the similarities are inspiring as they fade one into the other. For readers of Waldorf Manor, they are quite familiar with Brayden, Bennett, Damian and Jonathan being men of impeccable taste. Granted, they mix in circles whereby their friends and family wouldn't question wearing a three piece suit on a Tuesday even to remain at home. I describe some of their clothing choices and patterns because character building in this series involves males with their individual personalities coming through in wardrobe details.

Despite only just participating regularly on Instagram in the last year, I don't regret any wardrobe choices I've made in my books thus far without the visual mentorship I now have. What the new discovery does for me is provide deeper layers of detail now that readers are completely familiar with my character’s tendencies and wardrobes. These guys even talk (often in reply to questions on their posts) about cuts, collar styles, what they would change with their next custom shirt. Sometimes I feel like I’m listening to Bennett and Brayden chat over a brandy about their newest custom shirt. What is more, I see that men's fashion is alive and well beyond the pages of escapist literary fiction. Perhaps that's why there is a warm regard when scrolling through my favourite accounts. It’s like going home to Waldorf. They get it, and they are all incredibly proud to be set apart in a world where it's far too easy to throw on jeans and a t-shirt.

Keep Scrolling

Whether you're a reader and looking to extend the familiar feelings of the characters you love by exploring their accounts, or if you're a gentleman who wants to take his wardrobe up a notch, these are the ones to watch.
 
And what lesson have I learned from all of this? A gentleman’s suit jacket is never to have both buttons done up. At least I have a pool of some of the nicest menswear resources to ask such questions. They may even have a better shoe than the monk strap to suggest.
 
If you’re on Instagram, give these chaps a scroll through or a follow. And whilst you’re at it, your own Bella Bryce is there @authorbellabryce and often featuring photos from her own tailor.