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14 British Menswear Brands That Will Give Your Style A Classic Masculine Edge

Whether it’s dressing Bond, a monarch, or David Beckham, British clothing brands have done more than their fair share of introducing understated masculine style to a global audience. Britain is arguably the birthplace of menswear and the traditions of the past are still heavily ingrained in its menswear scene today.

While you might think the Brits are all about raincoats, stuffy clubrooms, and posh names that remind you of the guys who bullied you at rugby training, there’s much more to see than just the polished suits of Saville Row.

With a plethora of great British clothing brands making cutting edge menswear for the modern man, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the best British clothing brands for men you need to know about, ranging from the elder statesmen to the young and experimental.

Where British Clothing Brands Make Their Clothes

Whilst British suiting brands pride themselves on being meticulously crafted in only the United Kingdom, British menswear labels are a bit more relaxed when it comes to their clothing’s country of origin. That’s not to say that they’ve off-shored all manufacturing to Asia. Swimwear brands like Orlebar Brown still make their clothing in Portugal and England. Their materials meanwhile are sourced from Italy, France, and Portugal.

For high-end British clothing brands like Belstaff who pride themselves on being British, their entire collection oddly isn’t made there anymore — most of their products today are Italian made. For brands like Barbour, if there’s no country of origin on the label indicating ‘made the U.K’ then you can assume their products were made in European regions like Turkey, Portugal, and Bulgaria. Their biker jackets are still made in the U.K by third parties though.

Even clothing brands that are quintessentially British, like Burberry, have multiple countries of product origin. The iconic label has factories in China, Polan, Romania, India, Spain, Italy, England, and the U.S.

Where To Buy British Clothing Brands From

We don’t live in the stone ages anymore so you’ll be pleased to hear that many British clothing brands have online stores these days. If they don’t provide worldwide shipping you’re likely to find them through local distributors, albeit at slightly higher prices. Beyond that, your best bet is to hit up online stores like ASOS, MR. PORTER, SSENSE, End Clothing, YOOX, and Everlane.

Don’t Centre Your Identity In Your Group Of Friends

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An inspiring day in LA. #Regram #RG @moby: An inspiring lunch with two of my favorite environmentalists @leonardodicaprio @janegoodallinst

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Apr 8, 2018 at 4:26pm PDT

He is friends with a pantheon of Hollywood actors but Leo is more likely to pose for photos with obscure environmentalists. Or, as The Hollywood Reporter recently put it, Leo is “arguably the only global superstar left in a film industry in which an interchangeable group of actors regularly suit up in spandex or brandish a lightsaber for the latest billion-dollar earner — only to be ignored by audiences outside of franchises.”

“Unlike waning megastars like Will Smith, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Downey Jr., DiCaprio sits alone atop the Hollywood pantheon without ever having made a comic book movie, family film or pre-branded franchise. Leo is the franchise.”

What does this mean for you? Value your friendships and stay loyal to your friends — but don’t lose your identity in the process. When a potential suitor is browsing your Instagram, for instance, your personal brand should shine, rather than just merging into a background of beer and brunch.

Have Ruthlessly Good Taste

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A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Jun 27, 2018 at 6:00am PDT

“One of the things I like about Leo is he just doesn’t plug himself into two movies a year,” Tarantino told The Hollywood Reporter in their recent piece, “How Leonardo DiCaprio Became Hollywood’s Last Movie Star.”

“He kind of stands alone today, like Al Pacino or Robert De Niro were in the ’70s, where they weren’t trying to do two movies a year — they could do anything they wanted, and they wanted to do this. So that means this must be pretty good.”

Take the same mindset to your Instagram — cull the crap and keep what represents you. Same goes for where you channel your efforts in real life: if it’s not a “f*ck yes,” then you’ve got to ask yourself: why are you doing it? Put all your effort into the aspects of your life (or job) that really matter and your very own “brand of excellence” will follow.

Be A Perfectionist

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A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Sep 27, 2016 at 5:14pm PDT

As “The Renevant” director Alejandro Iñárritu told The Hollywood Reporter of working with DiCaprio, “He is a perfectionist and demands a lot of himself.”

“There was this scene in the river that he is meant to be floating, and there were huge pieces of ice. He never hesitated, and even when you got the take, he asked for another.”

The takeaway for us? Be “relentless when it [is] sometimes not necessary.”

Be Humble

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#Regram #RG @natgeopristineseas: Last week, New Caledonia created multiple marine protected areas safeguarding 28,000 square kilometers of pristine coral reefs in the Coral Sea!

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Aug 29, 2018 at 8:46am PDT

As The Hollywood Reporter observes, “While modern stars scramble to maintain a constant presence and relevance via social media and nonstop work spanning all platforms, DiCaprio as an actor sticks to cinema.” Plus, when he does use social media he discusses things he cares about, rather than promoting himself.

While promoting turtle conservation might not net you 19.1 million followers like DiCaprio, showing you have interests and passions beyond yourself will probably make more of your 20 followers actually want to date you.

Don’t Be Ashamed Of Your Quirks

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A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Feb 29, 2016 at 7:53am PST

As The Hollywood Reporter recently… reported, during the filming of “Once Upon A Time” some crewmembers were instructed to avoid making eye contact with DiCaprio because it put him off.

Rather than see your own quirks as glitches to be embarrassed of: embrace them and help the people in your life (i.e. your partner when he/she asks you to actually wash the dishes rather than putting them in to soak) see that you need to follow a ritual to perform at your best.

Keep Your Private Life Private

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A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Dec 8, 2015 at 10:02am PST

DiCaprio hardly ever talks on-air (or social media) about his personal life and usually promotes a film only in partnership with the director. Also, as The Sydney Morning Herald wrote this morning, despite his fondness for supermodels and recent graduates generating headlines for days, real information about his private life “has remained impenetrable tabloid fodder since his mid-’90s teen stardom days.”

How does this apply to you? If you want to stick out from the crowd when dating, leave a little mystery about your accounts so that Tinder Bae’s best friend won’t be able to tell him/her so much about you that you have nothing to talk about on the first date.

Remember What’s Truly Important

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A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Sep 29, 2015 at 10:50am PDT

“I’ve admired the fact that throughout all of this fame, all of this success, he has maintained his friendships, his relationships, his closeness with his parents,” Paramount Chief, Jim Gianopulos told The Hollywood Reporter of DiCaprio. “He is a truly lovely human being. Hollywood can change people, and it really hasn’t changed Leo.”

Although this should go without saying: it’s something we would all do well to be reminded of.

Be Polite & Respectful

As Samantha told us, “When making contact, I always ask for name, age and profession. Not because I judge, but because I want to see if you are able to follow simple instructions.” In other words: be a pain in the arse to deal with at this stage and you won’t make it to the next.

Be Reliable and Punctual

One of Samantha’s pet peeves, being late (or not showing up) is rude in any profession or — for that matter — interaction: “If you say you’re going to be there, be there.”

Don’t Act Surprised When They Ask For A Deposit

Something men new to the game might not realise is that “a lot of escorts now ask for deposits to cull time wasters.” Samantha’s advice? Don’t balk at this: “Believe me, no escort is going to run away to the Bahamas with your $150.”

Shower

It’s not rocket science but — in terms of first impressions — being “clean and hygienic” is as important as a space shuttle’s afterburners.

“Have a shower just before your booking and don’t think a wash eight hours prior is enough.”

“Oh and guys,” Samantha added, “use soap — water alone isn’t enough.”

Don’t Be Patronising

“If you write ‘Hey,’ or “you available hun?’ — don’t expect a response,” Samantha told us. “Escorts don’t sit on a bed in lingerie just in case you call,” so give notice “in a properly worded message.”

Be Honest

“I once went to a booking and the client ‘forgot’ to tell me he was in a wheelchair,” Samantha told us. “Not that I would have minded one iota, but I could have at least mentally prepared. Be transparent.”

Don’t Be Shady

“Don’t call from private numbers.”

Don’t Be A Gossip

Believe it or not but, according to Samantha, “Men are gossips!” So don’t reveal intimate details about other escorts if you can help it.

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Forget the stigma of dating us. Would we date YOU? I ain’t met someone worth turning down a $3000 dinner date for – sorry! #catchflightsnotfeelings #lovewhatyoudo #single #lovemylife

A post shared by Samantha X® (@samanthaxreal) on Apr 7, 2019 at 2:41pm PDT

Don’t Be Nosy

“Don’t ask too much about her private life, and stop asking what her real name is. What does it matter?” Oh, and do not ask to see her “outside of here.”

Don’t Complain

Top tip from Samantha that applies both to escort encounters and casual hookups with anyone: “Don’t be a dick and whinge about using a condom.” Or, better yet, “Don’t be a dick full stop.”

Bring A Gift

“If you turn up with a little gift, you will be rewarded, and if you smell nice, arrive on time, leave on time and text her a thank you after, that’s very sweet.”

“Most men are very sweet… nervous, but sweet!”

Final Advice?

The most important thing, according to Samantha, is to “be yourself… and [to be] respectful.”

“Most clients are gentlemen, but I’ve sure had my fair share of dickheads. Luckily now I can spot them a mile off — just by their first few text messages, I have a theory: If a man is a dickhead, he will give it away pretty quickly without realising it. There are, of course, different levels of idiots. I’ve had clients who have been violent (luckily just once), and I walked out on a client who talked to me rudely.”

“Clients are rarely annoying,” Samantha continued, “but the ones that irritate me are the ones who will push for extra time, or try to rev up the intimacy just as time is over. I am confident enough in myself now to cut the booking but it’s taken a few years! I am lucky enough to pick and choose who I see, so I don’t see the annoying ones anymore!”

Where British Clothing Brands Make Their Clothes

Where To Buy British Clothing Brands From

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