The title pretty much says it all. Want to know what Weller wore? The Sartorial 65 – Paul Weller Style book should have you covered.
It’s a great idea and one that’s long overdue. Paul Weller has been setting standards in style for decades, and this book—subtitled Five Decades Of Cool—hopes to give you a flavour of that.
If you are reading this site, there’s a good chance that you are a Paul Weller fan – I certainly am. Personally, I was over the moon when I read in the Modzines book by Eddie Piller and Steve Rowland that Paul Weller read this site as well as my men’s style spin-off site His Knibs. Things had effectively come full circle, but neither site would be here without Paul Weller’s influence.
As the above states, this is a visually stunning publication of sixty-five articles commentating on Paul Weller’s style over the last 50 years, from Dennis the Menace to DAKS and Debussy.
According to project lead and writer Nick Keen: ‘For almost five blue moons, the phlegmatic Paul Weller has undoubtedly been one of music’s most peerless individuals, a fastidious style icon and 21st-century renaissance man.’
‘Catapulted from the rural Surrey suburbs and London’s punk mayhem to the superstardom of Sydney Opera House; he’s left his trailblazers still licking their ideological wounds and pin-striped accountants fretting over diminishing royalty returns by creating more hit records — frequently anointed with more awards to add to his treasure chest.’
‘A fistful of those honours bowed to his sartorial elegance: GQ’s best-dressed man, NME’s most wonderful human being and endless fashion spreads selling the Paul Weller look. Whether he’s stepping out in the latest Gazelles and a Brooks Brother’s polo or heading to Jermyn Street, he oozes style and substance in abundance. It wasn’t long before fashion houses, brands, collaborators and style connoisseurs sought (and fought) for his attention.’
Features within Sartorial 65 include pieces on his brand Real Stars Are Rare, the inevitable collaboration with the quintessential Fred Perry and beloved Ben Sherman, as you would expect. But there’s more depth than just a few clothing items. There’s a look into everything from the music to the hairstyles, the vintage Debbex sunglasses, continental cycling jerseys, the rise and fall of his bespoke record label Respond, his charity work, and so much more over 65 articles. In short, if you are a fan or happen to have been influenced by Paul Weller, this is likely a publication you would want to own.
And as a fan-based project, you know it has been put together for the right reasons and put together with love and attention to detail.
It is available in three editions: limited deluxe, classic, and standard, with exclusive art prints and badges attributed to each. As I said earlier, Nick Keen leads and authors the project, which is designed by Alf Button with Jason Disley contributing penmanship. Harriet Keen is the creative editor, and Mark Hynds of Subbucluture, The Stereo Typists’ Alex Borg, and Matt Grainger of Vinyl Soul have all contributed artwork.
If all of that has whet your appetite, you can pre-order a copy via the website. The three editions range in price from £45 to £110, depending on whether you want a paperback or hardback and the extras included. The higher-priced book is a limited edition signed by all four authors.
Find out more at the Sartorial 65 website