English school teachers always marked my essays the same way “grammar, poor”, “subject matter, good” Their negative comment never deterred me, because from a very young age I’d figured out that the value was in the “subject matter”. Of course my volition was never to be a writer. At that point in time I was too busy to even think about the future. But one day I had to grow up and make important decisions. So I decided on a career in business fashion and retail. And that’s been my life’s work developing business concepts, employing my creative imagination, “no grammar necessary” .Now in my most recent venture, an online shopping service selling men’s fashion accessories. I find the most enjoyable thing is writing articles about the evolution of style and the progress of fashion through the ages.

One can always find good subject matter, grammar becomes secondary, and besides look at the effect American English (Microsoft Spell-check) has on the English language. What has happened to punctuation and capitalisation? What’s important is subject and facts. Subject is the foundation of any article no matter the quality; it’s what you believe in.

I’ve enjoyably, written hundreds of short articles, including critiques (product reviews). And as a result of many hours research have discovered some fascinating historic anecdotes that many people, even avid experts had no knowledge.

The original motivation was to increase back links to my newly formed transactional website and in turn achieve a page one ranking with all the major search engines. This was part of an urgent strategy to avoid the ongoing high cost of cost per click. But I soon found my motivation changed and is now driven by enjoyment and the fact that I can actually succeed in something that for many years others saw as a weakness (English Grammar).

Writing allows me to exercise my creative imagination, use a little poetic license without fear of any retribution. I can write what I like and at the same time increase back-links to my site. And there’s no teacher cold minded breathing hot air down my neck, intent on controlling and dominating

So now I’ve included some of my favourite fashion critiques amongst some fascinating historic anecdotes.

Here Are A Few Of My Favourite Historic Anecdotes: They tell so much about style as it happened without any thought of actually creating a fashion trend that would survive many decades.

1860
Bertie, the rakish Prince of Wales, ordered a short smoking jacket to wear at informal dinner parties at Sandringham from his friend, the tailor, Henry Poole. It was the first dinner jacket on record and was cut in midnight blue cloth. In 1886, a Mr James Potter of Tuxedo Park, New York, was a houseguest at Sandringham. He consequently ordered a similar dinner jacket to Bertie's from Henry Poole & Co. It was this dinner jacket that Mr Potter wore at the Tuxedo Park Club inspiring numerous copies that fellow members wore as informal uniform for stag dinners. Thus the Tuxedo was born at Henry Poole & Co. It took only eight years for an accidental style to cross the Atlantic Ocean and soon became an American institution. Its humble, royal beginnings were soon forgotten when labelled the Tuxedo.

1971
Maverick screen actress Katherine Hepburn, whose long-term lover Spencer Tracey was a customer of Huntsman, takes the extraordinary step of ordering bespoke denim jeans from her late lover's Savile Row tailor. Hepburn's commission foreshadows bespoke denim collections launched in 2006 by Timothy Everest and Evisu.

1880
The rowing club at Oxford Universities Exeter College invented the first school ties. After an emotional win over their rivals, they celebrated by removing their ribbon hat bands from their boater hats and tying them, four in hand around their necks. When they ordered a set of ties, with the colours from their hatbands, they had accidentally created the modern school tie. Schools, clubs, and athletic ties appeared in abundance.

Some schools had different ties for various grades, levels of achievement, and for graduates. Thanks to historians and their method of accurate documentation all the original college colours are still available from archived samples and replicate ties can be made to order.

Here Are a few of my favourite self indulgent critiques
This is where I exercise my creative imagination and poetic license no matter how naïve they may seem.

One
Men’s wallets have recently been elevated to fashion accessories status, originally created to perform a specific function, to carry paper money; we’ve just given it a much needed face lift. Functionality not lost, designers like Paul Smith, Simon Carter, and Richard James have brought wallets out of the dark and into the light. Vivid colours embossed on their covers and linings with depictions of comic cartoon strips started appearing, even bikini clad women and mini minors. Richard James a Savile Row tailor uses vibrant pinks, purples and burgundy on the inside flaps to create individuality for his brand. Top stitching is also widely used to create some interest. Then Simon Carter came up with a real winner, the Jeans wallet, made from ultra fine, tender calf hide, it’s slim and thin with just enough compartments for cards and cash. It slips nicely into the back pocket of event the tightest jeans with ease and it feels so good in the hand.

Two
A new range of enamel cufflinks by Ian Flaherty have quietly arrived on the market. They’re beautifully formed from English Pewter, giving life to lifeless forms. There is a horse and rider in breathless pursuit of the unfortunate Fox, the Mallard and Partridge, Pheasant, and Trout, all brought to still life by the artistic prowess of Ian Flaherty. You can surf the net and trod the high streets, but you’ll be hard pressed to find anything that compares with Ian’s latest work.

Three
Here is a brand that’s on the up; she’s made all the right moves and a name befitting a jeweller, or dancer. Babette Wasserman, a lover of the Swarovski Crystal, she displays it maximisation style and sets her place as a cufflink designer amongst men. Women bring a refreshing slant to men’s accessories, a little femininity firmed to cuff, a constant reminder of soft and inviting contours and sweet scented women. Like the cufflinks, like the woman.

Four
One prime example is Timothy Everest, a long time emerging Savile Row tailor. His designer silk ties (Spitalfields Flower) impress upon you the conservatism expected of Savile Row, but with a unique originality, affordable luxury best describes Timothy’s ties, made in England with the Savile Row stamp of approval.

To conclude: In essence my strength in literature (subject) over powered my weakness (grammar) “It’s not how you write its why” subject is the foundation.

If you’ve enjoyed any part of this article or learned something then I’d really like to hear from you.