Re-arranging colour. Whites cut with neutrals or with an icy putty tone. A virile base of burgundy, billiard green and opaque blue touched with grey. Well-defined, vital hues. 

Re-interpreting fabric. Double wool crêpe –for fine, unlined, almost impalpable jackets. Wool piqué. Snappy linen-and-wool grisailles. Wool shantung. Silk-and-linen madras. “Lifted” silk stripes, where nuances are kneaded, worked, crushed. English grisaille effects with airy weaves. Seersucker. Very lightly striped cotton gabardine –especially for trousers. Interchangeability between suit fabrics and separates. 

Re-inventing materials. Patchwork workmanship for knitwear. Ribbed elasticity articulated at joints – elbows, armholes – combining glove peccary and knit, featherweight cloth and knit. Double-face leathers, reversible: suede and pigskin in different tones, framed by bi-colour ribbing. Featherweight suede for polo shirts and trousers. 

Re-constituting the jacket. Soft shoulders – but never sloping – or bias-cut to emphasise the figure without altering proportions. Increased freedom of movement achieved through bias construction at the armhole. 

The fabrics. Double-weave constructions, substantial and apparently heavy. Abundant use of tweeds with a touch of cashmere. Ultra-light leather, specially greased, for blousons with bellows pockets as soft as a folded glove. Nappa-finished shearling coats, enlarged Prince of Wales checks, supple trench coats with loose linings that sway with each step. 

The colours. Certain beiges, greys and stone tones with an Irish flavour. An opaque blue, reminiscent of old work overalls. Greys like slate. Contrasts between blue and vivid red.