#MASSIMO DUTI MK FULL#

That’s particularly true with casual shirts, because expensive dress shirts tend to use finer and finer cottons, which is not necessarily a look you want, let alone a quality you need. But if you like the smaller, softer collars that mainstream shirts often have, then this is also somewhere you can economise. Shirts are a little trickier, because the collar is so important to the look it creates.

You might not like the fit of a navy crewneck, but it’s unlikely you’re going to take strongly against the knit pattern or the ribbing at the neck. The design point is important, because it’s often easier to economise on basics, where the design doesn’t vary that much. In some ways this is unfortunate, because the designs of the Massimo Dutti shoes are good - simple and classic, unlike some of the leather jackets, like the sheepskin fronting a polyamide quilt (above). If you only need two or three good leather shoes in life, it’s worth spending on something like Crockett & Jones in the UK, or a Carmina or TLB from Spain.

Plus, they’re £89, and that’s not a lot of money for a leather shoe. Some of the Massimo Dutti shoes are cemented, rather than even Blake stitched or Goodyear, and use split suedes. As people need fewer dress shoes, it should be a lot easier to invest in quality ones. That same logic applies to shoes, especially today. I would save up therefore, for something like the Mr P range on Mr Porter, or a heritage maker like Dehen. Really one or two should be fine, particularly if you’re on a limited budget. Which can be great for workwear, for example, but less so for these smooth, chic looks.Īnother point worth considering is that, unlike shirts or underwear, you really don’t need many pieces of leather outerwear. It is possible to buy quality leather that’s cheaper, but then it will be thicker - a bigger, coarser hide. This is also often a reason such leather pieces are lined, to cover up the rough suede of the split. The Massimo Dutti overshirts are soft, but they also lack body - they feel flimsy.

#MASSIMO DUTI MK FULL#

More importantly, rather like leather shoes, cheaper skins often involve compromises on the integrity of the skin, such as splits rather than full grain. Having worked on a few suede and leather products (at Connolly and Cromford) I would avoid these pieces, because I know how much good leather - such as the nappa referred to here - costs.

The current range includes black and brown quilted jackets, as well as a suede overshirt with a detachable vest, with prices £269-£299. Given the ‘ Italian Smooth ’ aesthetic at Massimo Dutti, it’s no surprise that there is a lot of leather and suede outerwear. I know that applies to a lot of readers today. When I could afford most things in there, but sought out deals on luxury brands whenever I could.

It’s somewhere I used to shop from when I was starting my career. I picked Massimo Dutti because while definitely a high-street brand, they have a good classic-menswear aesthetic: brown-suede shoes and stone chinos, blue shirts and navy knitwear. I spent a happy couple of hours wandering around Massimo Dutti on Regent Street, and working out what I would and wouldn’t buy. In order to give concrete, if partial answers to these questions, I thought I’d conduct an experiment. This, of course, was part of the subject of my book The Finest Menswear in the World, which examined what constitutes ‘quality’ in various categories of clothing.īut what about when you’re not looking at the finest things? When it’s a choice between buying a £100 sweater from the high street, or saving for a £250 Scottish one?Īre you better saving money on underwear and other basics, or are those precisely the things you should be spending on, given you wear them every day? When is it worth buying the best possible quality, and when can you economise?

Massimo duti mk