Style

My five favourites – by Margaret Howell

Known for her focus on the staples of a man’s wardrobe, Margaret Howell has found a new range of younger customers who have been seeking better quality than the high street is able to offer. She speaks to us about her five favourites from her spring collection. 

1 MHL Double-breasted Jacket (above)
“When I was about 17 holidaying in France I fell in love with the blue cotton shirt jackets worn by French farmers. The indigo twill we use for this jacket has that same reassuring, tough, raw appeal. I love its dark navy, the colour of ink. The cloth is one of my favourites – we use it a lot in MHL. I know this garment will wear and age and come into its own character like the best workwear. It’s a jacket that wants to be worn.” £295

2 Printed spot linen scarf (above)
“I always pounced on vintage silk scarves and handkerchiefs at Jumble sales. I started to produce my own as soon as I was able. I particularly like this small graphic spot printed onto our Irish linen shirting. The linen crumples well and makes a modern accessory out of a traditional one.” £95, margarethowell.co.uk

3 Unlined Navy Blazer
“My first linen jacket broke all the rules. Unstructured, unlined, relaxed, it now has a place in our archive. It inspired this season’s navy blazer, which uses a wool linen hopsack weave developed at one of our suppliers of English suitings. To achieve the same lightness as the original we asked our own shirt machinists to produce this jacket in our Edmonton workshop.” £525

4 Classic shirt
“This shirt is all about the fabric – woven in 79% cotton 21% silk the fine weave looks good crumpled or pressed. The feel is soft and light. The subtle putty colour – neither white nor cream – looks good under dark or light colours. The fabric just speaks. A good shirting deserves a good make, and this style is produced in our Edmonton workshop where each shirt is carefully and skilfully stitched by one machinist.” £215

5 Edwin Jeans
“I get great satisfaction and enjoyment working with specialist manufacturers, such as Edwin, who produce excellent Jeans from high quality denim woven in Japan. Our aim is to produce an iconic straight leg jean, not one treated as a fashion item. We do work on the colour each season but maintain our khaki selvedge. I like the greyed-off blue as an alternative to the darker indigo blue. Edwins are tough and wear well – I know, I wear them almost every day.” £165