At Dashing Tweeds we delight in meeting and dressing interesting people. Without fail, happy customers all mention how much pleasure they derive from wearing our clothes. What ties Dashing men together is their sense of individualism and style. Since we offer so many fabrics and tailored shapes, it’s fascinating to see how stylish men formulate their original looks. With this in mind we are spotlighting ‘Dashing Men’ in the coming months, showcasing how different people define what they wear and why.

WHY DID YOU START DASHING TWEEDS?

“I started Dashing as I just couldn’t find interesting fabrics when I began to have my clothes tailor made. I had loved buying witty, well made clothes from fashion brands such as Vivienne Westwood but when I wanted an original city cycling outfit in a modern tweed the choice of cloth from tailors was very limited. Through my photography work for Savile Row I learned of the rich variety of fabrics from the past. The tailors had archives stretching back 200 years featuring some wonderfully colourful cloths, but they had not been in production for a lifetime.

On a visit to the graduate show at The Royal College of Art I met weave designer Kirsty McDougall. I instantly loved her novel designs and use of colour. I asked if she could design a one off cloth for me; the result was so good that we decided to buy a design loom and together set up Dashing Tweeds.”

HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR CLOTHING?

“I think that clothing is the most important aspect of your personality. Before you even say a word you project an image of yourself through your outfit. What I love is that you can so easily change your image just by throwing on a new look. I really enjoy meeting people and learning new skills, so being approachable and hopefully of interest is important to me. I dress to project an element of creativity and optimism. I have a love of colour and texture and favour clothing made from natural fibres as they are both comfortable to wear and sustainable. I enjoy the mood changing aspect of clothing; when I wear something joyful I undoubtedly have a good day.”

WHAT DOES STYLE MEAN TO YOU?

“Style in dress is such an interesting concept as everyone has a style whether they know it or not. Developing a personal style is very much part of growing up and once found it can be set for your whole life. Experimenting with your style through dress is easy and entertaining, just go shopping and try on different looks. The important thing about style is that it rides above the changing vista of fashion and can develop slowly. I’d say my personal style is playful; seeing how far I can mix clothing seen as traditionally British with items that have a more conceptual, artistic origin. It’s really what Dashing is all about, taking tradition and continuing to develop it to todays whims and needs.”

Each month we will be interviewing different Dashing men, so watch this space.