TOBY'S NEW COLLECTION PICKS
Our new, Spring'Summer '24 collection slinks back to '70s Mustique, the covert Caribbean islet famously favoured by less-reserved Royals, aristos of a boho bent, socially acceptable songsters and the moneyed beau-monde. Design and Brand Director Toby Lamb tells us about his six top picks...
This double-breasted Hepworth suit in papaya (above) is cut from an Italian-milled wool fresco, which is an open-weave cloth and almost mesh-like. Obviously, it's very light and airy, but it also holds its shape beautifully and is super crease-resistant, which means it's perfect for formal wear and travel.
A few mills are producing some really interesting seersucker blends at the moment, and this single-breasted Chapman suit is made from the best example that I could find in Italy. It's 90% 150s wool, which is very fine, and 10% silk. It's quite unique, and really luxuriant compared to a more traditional cotton seersucker.
Possibly the perfect summer shirt. It's made from a super cotton poplin, which has a very high yarn count and is correspondingly fine. It's informal, but it's also sharp enough to dress up a bit, which is what we've done here with pleated linen trousers.
This coral blouson is one of the most versatile pieces in the collection. It's made in England from a very tightly woven cotton blend which has an almost sateen-like finish to it. It's a light, packable, layering piece, ideal for travel and resort wear. I also like how the quite deep ribbed hem nips it at the waist when it is buttoned up and accentuates the torso and shoulders.
Peak lapels paired with patch pockets makes for the perfect formal/casual crossover suit... This is a great for summer weddings and evenings out. The lapels are cut wide and are balanced and complemented by the forward facing pleats on the trousers. The lightweight linen is beautifully breezy, and will take on a patina of its own and only wear better with time.
In a way, chore jackets have become the new blazers. We've been using some fine tailoring fabrics for them recently, and this one comes in a really soft and luxuriant Italian-milled cotton needlecord. This is a refined take on a practical and versatile jacket that can be worn year-round.
Shot on location at Richard James House, 19 Clifford Street, London W1. The Spring/Summer 2024 collection is arriving in-store and online now.
