France’s hopeless politicians will determine all of our futures April 23, 2012 WHAT a race. And what a mess. The useless Nicolas Sarkozy was given a bloody nose; the awful, economically illiterate Francois Hollande is in the lead ahead of the second round of the French presidential elections; and the horrendous national front grabbed almost a fifth of the vote. Listening to the candidates last night, it [...]
UK is wrong to have turned its back on individual freedom April 17, 2012 LIBERTY. Freedom. When did you last hear these two words in the UK political debate? Well, I certainly can’t remember. Our country is dominated by busybodies and collectivists who believe that they and the state have the right and duty to tell us all what to do, to spend our money for us and to [...]
Government wrong to demonise generous philanthropists April 13, 2012 IT has become increasingly difficult to understand what the coalition government is up to. Take its decision to demonise those who donate large amounts to charity, depicting them in a grossly unfair manner as tax avoiders who should be ashamed of themselves. This is an astonishingly stupid and nasty thing to imply. The government claims [...]
We need an open contest to decide who will run the Bank April 12, 2012 THERE is no doubt that George Osborne’s most important decision over the next few months will be who he appoints as the next governor of the Bank of England. That job, which becomes vacant next year, is by a huge distance the most powerful unelected position in the UK; its formal powers now span monetary [...]
Attracting attention in your job hunt is a subtle science April 11, 2012 WHAT value is there in seeking attention? The practice has a bad reputation, known as part of the power-play of ill-disciplined little children. But in a competitive job market, where even the best must struggle to win over recruiters or potential employers, some argue that there’s virtue in trying to be noticed in the early [...]
Boris is right to want to transform London into a city-state | City A.M. April 5, 2012 BORIS is right: London should keep more of its tax money. Too much of London’s GDP is transferred via the tax system to other parts of the UK, a situation which is bad for both sides. Londoners pay too much tax, and those in receipt of the cash become too dependent on it. The Mayor’s [...]
OZWALD BOATENG The man who made tailoring cool again March 29, 2012 Frankly, unless you’re wearing Ozwald Boateng then you’re not dressed properly.” It’s a bold statement, made by the actor Paul Bettany in new documentary A Man’s Story, which follows the Anglo-Ghanaian designer through 12 turbulent years at the top of the menswear industry. There is some truth behind the hyperbole. The rude health men’s suiting [...]
THE LOWDOWN ON TAILORING March 29, 2012 Hugo Boss employs a modern travelling tailor The idea of the travelling tailor is hardly a new one, but it’s an interesting development when it gets embraced by one of the biggest menswear brands. Hugo Boss has launched an exclusive made-to-measure service for its luxury Boss Selection line, with its experts making brief stops in [...]
The best way to fit P Diddy’s suit? Keep him relaxed March 29, 2012 I have recently been over in LA fitting various people for the Golden Globes and the Oscars. The most frequent question I was asked was “what makes the perfect suit?” The first step is finding the right tailor. It needs to be someone you can relate to. They must understand your personality and how to [...]
NEWS from the SHOP March 29, 2012 Ted Baker quick to the draw with its new Spring/Summer menswear collection Ted Baker launched its menswear Spring/Summer collection this month, rather grandiosely dubbed The Great Exhibitionist and His Private Views. Its business-wear range focuses on suits in taupe, silver and navy jacquard, with a tendency towards lustrous material – very indicative of the bolder [...]