Soldiers Dress Different: The Military Mindset to Style & Masculinity w/ Chap’s Guide

Join Jack at Walker Slater in London as he speaks with Ash Jones of Chap’s Guide about the military’s influence on classic menswear. Ash shares insights on style, discipline, and the ethics of quality craftsmanship. You’ll see here how personal development and style intersect!

Video Transcript [Lightly Edited for Clarity]:

Jack: It is my distinct pleasure to welcome the chap behind Chap’s Guide YouTube channel, Ash Jones.

Ash: Thank you, Jack. Nice to meet you.

Jack: Pleasure. Today we’re at Walker Slater in London, and we’re going to speak to Ash about military influences on classic style. Ash, perhaps if you could tell us a bit more about yourself and your history.

Ash: Okay, well, I mean, the military actually runs rather deep in my family because we—my family—goes back to the Boer War, in fact. First World War, Second World War, Korea, and my father served in the British Army. He was based in Germany in 1949.

He’s 93 and still does not leave the house today without wearing his tie. So it never leaves you. And I, myself, as a 17-year-old, enlisted in the Royal Air Force. So I spent 10 years in the RAF, and yeah, it’s certainly influenced and flavored the way that I think of clothing.

Jack: I see, okay. I see that you have a tie on today, which has got some military sort of influence.

Ash: That is the Royal Air Force tie, so everybody who’s served in the RAF can wear this one.

Jack: Excellent. With that in mind, actually, I think we’ll jump in with quite a big question.

What’s your view on people who haven’t served in the military wearing military garments?

Ash: What garments in general? Well, of course, there’s this whole thing about stolen valor, right? So, I think it is the intent of the wearer that you need to examine, because if you’re wearing a military item with the intention of passing yourself off as having a military background, I think then it would be inappropriate. But if you’re wearing it because, you know, you just enjoy the colors, I see no problem with that at all. I’m not precious about sharing, you know, our heritage with others.

Jack: Because I think that’s one of the differences I’ve definitely seen in a lot of videos online between English culture and American culture when it comes to military history and stolen valor. Of course, there are many pieces of menswear that have deep history—military historical roots—but, for instance, wearing a field jacket is a lot more acceptable than perhaps wearing a full officer’s uniform.

Ash: Yeah. I mean, obviously, if you’re dressing in a uniform to pretend that you serve for some personal gain, be that, you know, status or whatever, I mean, I think that’s inappropriate.

But things like, if you wear, as you say, a field garment, the reason the military adopted it is because of its practicality. And of course, you know, it’s universal in its nature, so I see no problem with that at all.

Jack: Of course, understood.

So in your service with the military, was there a particular garment that you absolutely loved wearing?

Ash: I would say the combat jackets, which we wore, as you say, sort of a field jacket—the practicality of it, the comfort of it—is universal. You know, you can wear it in any sort of situation. Working, you can make them look smart if you want to. I mean, they’re not, in the traditional sense, a sartorial item, but it is the utility of them.

I still enjoy very much wearing utility garments. No, I mean, I walked down Savile Row yesterday, and in every shop window—Huntsman, Anderson & Sheppard—all of the mannequins are wearing utility jackets or chore jackets, as the modern, you know, parlance is. But it’s because they’re so practical, you know, and they’re very useful.

So yeah, I always enjoyed that element to it. Of course, when you put your formal uniform on, it’s the connection with heritage and the history, because your forebears in that sort of institution wore the same. And there is that association with the uniform, which is important too. But yeah, the practical stuff is the stuff that stays with you, you know, in later life.

Jack: For sure.

To reverse that question, is there anything that you wore during the military that you really, sort of, don’t want to wear?

Ash: Well, I mean, in the RAF, they made us wear these terrible direct-molded sole shoes. They were a cap-toe Oxford of a style, but there was no comfort. They were, you know, rubber soles, and whilst you could get a fairly good shine on them, I spent many a long hour trying to bring those damn things up to a mirror shine, to no positive outcome.

So is there a difference between a military mirror shine and the mirror shine that you’d see within the sartorial community?

Ash: The military shine is something that you’re forced to do, so you probably don’t put much love into it. Whereas, I find gentlemen who you encounter who’ve brought their shoes to a mirror shine, in general life, there is an enjoyment and a passion about it because, you know, it takes effort, it takes knowledge, it takes the material. So you’ve had to have gone out and likely bought better quality polish to do that.

So when I personally see a gentleman who’s shined their shoes, in general life, my first thought is this is possibly an ex-military person and they really are interested in sartorial style.

Jack: So when it comes to the military shine, I’ve typically noticed that it’s an all-over shine on the shoe rather than what you would do for a pair of dress shoes, for instance, where you typically want to focus on the toe and heels.

Is it beneficial to have the shine all over the shoe?

Ash: I wouldn’t say so. I mean, it’s a lot more effort, and, you know, obviously, as you walk along and the shoe flexes, you’re going to lose most of that material. I mean, the guardsmen, who you’ll see in London here—I mean, of course, their shoe polishing regime is far more complex, which involves the application of beeswax and things like that.

So, the shoe or the boots which they wear would be fundamentally uncomfortable to walk in because there is no flex. Whereas, you know, a gentleman—I think a polished toe cap is enough to show the world that you know what you’re doing and you take passion in your clothing.

Jack: So we talk about polished shoes and how that’s very much a part of the regime of the military influences, perhaps both in civilian life and when you’re in the service. Is that the correct term—in the service?

Ash: You can call it that, yeah.

What are the main tips that you’ve learned from being in the military that relate to style outside of your military service?

Ash: I think in the military, the importance which is vested in dressing well—it’s all about showing professionalism, right? So you’re demonstrating to your foes, in essence, that you’re a very well-put-together organization, because if the soldiers look this good, that means, you know, if their clothing is this razor-sharp, can you only imagine what their level of combat readiness is?

So we’re demonstrating to our potential enemies: we are very professional. You can see that by the way we’re dressed. I think when you apply that to the civilian world, it’s not a dissimilar situation. You know, you’re walking into an environment, perhaps where you’re meeting people you’ve never encountered before.

And whilst I will always say that clothes don’t make the man, what they do is make the first impression. So if somebody sees that you’re exceptionally well dressed—as indeed you are today, Jack.

Jack: Why, thank you.

Ash: Well-shined shoes. It tells me something about you immediately. And that’s what a military uniform does to other people, obviously. It demonstrates your skill, your interest in your clothing, your self-discipline. I think the same can be drawn from a well-dressed man. You know, you’re, you know, I don’t know what your inner soul is like, but I can see elements of your personality demonstrated in your clothing.

Jack: And I think there is that element of that bit of inner soul perhaps reflected on the outer. Because, as you say, that intention is clear from the get-go. And it’s one of those interesting things where we as human beings are very coded to make that split-second judgment. As much as we’re all told, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” that’s inherently what we’re keyed to do, so that makes a lot of sense.

Ash: Yeah, sure. I mean, walking around the streets of London, and I think London’s probably one of the more sartorial cities in the world, you will see men. Occasionally, I’ve walked past some chaps the last few days who are impeccably turned out, and it will turn your head because you think, wow, you know, there’s a man who knows how to dress. And whilst I’ll never see that man again, for that moment in time, I appreciated the effort that he went to. Now, if you can project an image in life, isn’t that the one you want to put across to people?

Jack: Yeah, absolutely. It makes perfect sense. There are obviously many, many garments that have military origins.

Do you have any that are particular standouts that you’d say are the ultimate garments that the military has produced?

Ash: Well, by chance, I was in the National Army Museum in Chelsea yesterday morning. Merely because it was a somewhat wet day in London and, you know, it’s a free museum. So, I was enjoying a walk around there. And actually, as I was walking through the galleries where the uniforms are displayed, I was struck by how many of them, even though many are over a hundred years old in their origin, they actually still are present in the way that we dress today.

So obviously, the trench coat—I know everybody talks about that. And, of course, the army officers back in the day opted for the lighter material of a trench coat over the thick greatcoat, which could be an encumbrance in that sort of combat world. And maybe not a lot of people actually think about that. But, you know, anything born from practicality, I think, has legs to, you know, pass the annals of time and still be very practical to us.

Something I did see yesterday for the first time was the padded jackets worn by soldiers on the Indian frontier, which bore a very striking resemblance to the sort of padded jackets we see today by companies like Barbour and Schöffel and things like that.

So they’ve, you know, come across the centuries and are still equally as practical. So it’s the utility. I think, ultimately, if something came into this world for a utility purpose, it’s still good today.

Jack: Now, you mentioned Barbour. I own a couple. Being the James Bond fan that I am, I have the Beacon, which was worn in Skyfall, but I recently picked up the very classic—the corduroy collar. I don’t think it’s the Bedale, but it’s one very similar. Are you a Barbour man?

Ash: I think you’re probably thinking about the Burford, is it?

Jack: Probably. I think it is.

Ash: Or the Beaufort, sorry—the Beaufort.

Jack: Yes.

Ash: I’ve got one of those. I mean, they are a great garment. I mean, again, born of utility, favored by soldiers, even in the modern era. You would often find officers opting for a Barbour jacket over the issued garments because they are ultimately very classic and extremely practical. I mean, I still—I have a Beaufort myself and they’re never going to go out of fashion. They last forever. Waxed canvas—I mean, you know, who doesn’t love that?

It’s something which is great and it retains its water resistance. It depends on you. You can either allow the wax to sort of naturally leave the canvas, so you get that lovely patina-ed look, which I particularly like, or you can keep it very water-resistant by treating it every year.

So it’s—and I like the natural element of it too. You know, of course, Gore-Tex and modern performance fabrics are better. Nobody climbs Mount Everest wearing a Barbour jacket. We don’t ski wearing, you know, wax cotton. But it’s got that Ventile element where it naturally breathes because the materials you wear are derived from nature.

They’re not, you know, a creation from a laboratory, as many of these performance materials are today. You know, I still think wool is one of the best insulating materials. I don’t care if it’s, you know, quite simple, but it comes from the donor animal, and it’s—there’s nothing better than a beautiful wool jumper, I think.

Jack: Well, I think that’s the thing. Wool has the ability to be simple or very interesting and complex. I mean, I particularly enjoy—like, the suit I’m wearing today is a high-twist wool. Fresco is the branded name, but I think it is a remarkable fiber, and actually, I think there’s that link back to the military. So many military garments that I’ve seen have really tough, really heavy wools used in them, but again, I believe that’s down to practical uses.

Ash: Yeah, for sure. I mean, if you look at, say, the submariner sweater, for instance, talking about wool, I mean, I’ve got a few of those, and you know, they are still worn by submariners today, because in the sort of cold environment under the sea—I mean, admittedly, modern nuclear submarines, they do have good air conditioning—but, you know, you’d go back just one generation where it was really cold.

People turned to wool because wool, you know, people forget, it has the unusual quality of still providing its insulating qualities whilst it’s wet. Now many of these modern fabrics, once you get them wet, they lose that performance element which they are selling themselves on. But wool, it’s always got you covered.

Jack: The other thing about performance fabrics that I don’t like is that although they’re incredibly light, once they are wet, they kind of—they do a clinging to the body, which then enhances that feeling of being wet.

So, yeah, it’s not one for me. I would much prefer, like you say, wool, waxed cotton, et cetera. Now, Chris, our cameraman, he and I went shopping after dinner last night because, when you’re in London and when you’re menswear aficionados, you’ve got to do that. And we stumbled across a TK Maxx that happens to be open—or TJ Maxx.

And inside there was a Barbour trench coat, so I know that they—the Barbour range has the trench coat with the heart cape that comes over the shoulder, but this is very different. It was very much like your classic trench coat, where the collar and lapels were faced with corduroy. Is that something that you would wear?

Ash: When it comes to Barbour, I do love the brand, but I think I’m very conscious these days when I’m making my purchasing decisions. I base a large part of that decision on the origin of the garment. Because I like to think that if I’m buying something which is valuable to me, I’m curating my outfit, I want to know that it’s been made by somebody who’s paid a living wage, is preferably benefiting the economy of my own nation.

So, that’s where I like to increasingly think more about that when I buy my items today. Now, the thing with Barbour—and I in no way seek to deride their sort of policies—but only part of their range is made in the UK.

Jack: Oh, interesting.

Ash: So, you’ve got their classic range, including the Beaufort jacket, which you’ve just talked about. They are made in South Shields, in the factory by, you know, generations of folks who’ve worked there. A large portion of their range is made internationally—in Vietnam, places like that—and are fundamentally not of the same quality as the British classical range. So, the item you’re talking about there, I’m gonna guess, is probably not from the classic range, and it will be outside of my horizon, really, for the purpose of its origin is of importance to me.

Jack: So, less emphasis on the style in that question, and it’s more about the origin and potentially the ethics that go along with that.

Ash: Absolutely. I mean, when you’re investing a large amount of money in an item, you want to know about the backstory. For me, when I buy any item, I tend to favor brands, which I can trace their heritage back.

Because for me, it’s part of the ownership experience to know that I’m wearing something which has been, you know, brought into this world with the best of intentions. And the people who made it are happy, they’re being paid a living wage, and that way all of us in the chain can feel comfortable.

Where would you recommend people go for that really military-inspired look in terms of brands or shops?

Ash: Well, I think the thing is you don’t have to spend a great deal of money, you know, that’s the goal, particularly people who are starting off seeking to start dressing a little better. I would say start from the ground up. So the foundation begins, you know, where the rubber meets the road. So, get yourself a good pair of shoes—proper leather, good Goodyear-welted shoes that you can apply that shine to.

Because I don’t care what anybody says, when I meet somebody, that’s where my eyes go first, and I begin to draw my interpretation of that person by how they have, you know, shown us that they can look after their footwear. Then we move up to the body. I mean, whatever pair of trousers you’ve got, put a crease in them.

You know, learn how to operate an iron, because to me, you might have the cheapest pair of trousers in town—that might be all, at this point in your life, you can afford. But if you’ve got a killer razor, you know, crease on the front of those trousers, again, it tells me something about you as a person. And then I see no problem in, you know, we’re in a shop which sells wonderful tweed garments here.

Tweed is something which is universally acceptable in the world. You know, a good tweed jacket for a gentleman in a nice, I don’t know, earth-toned color, that’s pretty much all you need. And you’ve got a fabulous little outfit, which anybody who sees you will know this is somebody who’s curated their look, and they’re interested in their attire.

Jack: Absolutely. So, there are many places on Savile Row that I can think of with that deep military history in terms of tailors and outfitters to, like I said, Royal Guardsmen, etc.

If you could only pick one tailor on Savile Row, where would you go and why?

Ash: Without a doubt, number 10 Savile Row, Dege & Skinner. I’ve been there many times. I actually, earlier this year, my wife did give me permission to commission a suit from Dege & Skinner. And I’ve been to a few of their events. I’ve had the privilege of having quite a few long chats with William Skinner, who deeply impresses me. I like the fact that they’re a family company.

They can trace their heritage back. They’ve had the Royal Warrant. And I had a bizarre moment. I was talking to Mr. Skinner earlier in the year. And a few days later, I was on holiday in Oman, and I was walking through the Oman National Museum. And there was a mannequin dressed in the Sultan—the previous Sultan’s—I don’t know, coronation outfit, wherever it was.

And sure enough, he was tailored by Dege & Skinner, and I thought it was a, you know, a heavenly sign that I was making the right decision with Dege & Skinner. And of course, they have the Royal Warrant from the Queen. Still waiting to hear if the King will renew it, but yes, I think, and I like this style.

I like their military heritage, and more than anything—I mean, I went down into the cutting rooms, I had a chat with the fellows, and it is their ideology. You know, they are really about putting passion into the clothing. Now, that’s not to say the other guys on Savile Row are any different. I’m sure they’re not, but, I don’t know.

You get a resonance with a certain brand, don’t you? You get that feeling. And I think with a tailor, that’s important because you’re going on what is, in essence, quite a long personal relationship to achieve the outcome at the end. And it’s quite a significant financial investment. So, you know, you want to make sure you get it right. And that starts with a personal connection, I think.

Jack: Absolutely. So, I don’t want to spoil anything for your own channel, but can you give us any hints as to what that suit’s going to be?

Ash: I’m still thinking quite deeply about where we’re going to go, because it’s a big decision. And, you know, I don’t really want to commission a two-button notch lapel navy suit because that’s what every other man in the world is wearing. So, I want to go with something a little bit left of center, and that takes a lot of thinking. So, yeah, it’s a work in progress.

Jack: Absolutely.

Is that time and patience [when ordering a suit] something that you think is very useful to know about when deciding on a commission?

Ash: Yeah, I mean, it’s not a next-week kind of thing, is it? You know, it’s six, twelve months maybe, it depends. And certainly, if you’re abroad, you need to use a trunk show or something like that to get that piece of work done for you. It is truly a journey that you’re going on, and I think that’s part of the enjoyment of it.

Any bespoke item—shoe, hat, suit—it’s the fact that it isn’t instant gratification. You have to work for that outfit to get the right thing at the end. And whilst it’s costing you a lot of money, I think the thing you get at the end will be all the more enjoyable because of it.

Jack: Now, with the discussion of ethics, morals, etc., just taking a break from style specifically for a moment, there’s the element of the military discussion where you mentioned that you’ve been out of the military longer than you were in the military at this point.

What sort of difficulties do you see with people taking part in that journey, coming out of the military and going back into civilian life?

Ash: It’s a really challenging scenario for many people. So my own journey actually saw me leaving the military to take up a job in the British police service.

So I went from one highly structured, hierarchical body into another, in which, although it was a different goal that we were, you know, striving towards, ultimately when you work with people who share a common purpose, who have the same mindset, it’s going to be a fairly easy transition. Many service people in any military, wherever you are in the world, often find that difficulty of returning to civilian life because the things which you had were provided for you, you know. You will be told what to wear.

If you live within the environment, you’ll be provided accommodation. They’ll provide your meals for you. They’ll provide your medical care for you. You know, it’s almost like being a child again. But the parent is, you know, the organization which you work for. So it’s understandable, perhaps, when people come out of the other end, that it’s very—can be very difficult for people to re-assimilate into society. And I’ve actually worked for a few charities which support people when they get into difficulty when they pop out the other end of the military world.

I mean, that’s not to say the vast majority of people go on and make incredible citizens because they’ve had that grounding of citizenship, pride in their nation, and service. You know, service before self is clearly what the military is all about. And they make great subsequent citizens, but there are folks who find it quite difficult. And, it’s not easy, but, you know, the country owes a debt to the people that we ask to make sacrifices on our behalf. And that’s part of the journey as well.

Jack: Very well said. Speaking of the charity work that you’ve done, that’s how your channel all started, if I remember correctly.

Ash: Yes. Yeah, my YouTube journey was, like many things in life, an accident. I mean, I was a trustee of a charity which sought to share its message, which was around loneliness and isolation involving older folks, to a wider audience at a very low cost. Important thing.

So, YouTube was chosen as the platform to do that. And the other folks in the charity, very much like myself at that time, didn’t know much about YouTube. I’m going back six years. So, I was the youngest trustee. So, they said, “You can do it.” So, I set up a channel purely to understand the mechanics of YouTube, how it worked, the simple things, like how do you upload things? How does it operate?

And I thought, well, what can I do? You know, what can be my test bed? And my interest was very much around style and the self-development journey. I mean, style is only a small part of it for me. You know, so yeah, I set up this, my channel, the Chap’s Guide, with simply the goal to learn how to do it.

The charity’s channel was successful. We ran it for a year, the length of the project we were working on. And whilst that retired, my efforts in my own activities persist to this day. So five years later, still here, still enjoying it.

Jack: Excellent! Have you accepted any awards for the charity work that you’ve done?

Ash: Well, like, you know, the thing is whenever you are involved in any charity endeavor, it is a group venture. All right. I’m always very keen to say that yes, the charity which I was involved with was very fortunate. It did win the United Nations Public Service Award in 2017.

Jack: Congratulations!

Ash: It was a little bit frightening because I had to go to The Hague to accept it from the Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and give a little speech. So, you know, this is much more comfortable than that. I can tell you that.

And then a little while later, on behalf of the charity and everybody who was involved with it, I did receive the MBE, which is a state honor in the UK in recognition of the work of everybody in that charity. I mean, I will never ever say that I received the award; the charity received the award. I was just the guy who got the medal pinned on me.

Jack: And are you wearing that medal today?

Ash: Well, the little badge I have here is the daily wear symbol of it. So I only ever wear it when I’m coming out in the city, but yes, it was very special. But you know, for everybody, not for me. I can’t stress that enough.

Jack: So does that mean that you’ve met members of the royal family in receiving that medal?

Ash: Yeah. Yeah. I was quite fortunate. I went to Windsor Castle, to what they call an investiture, where the monarch, or their representative, gives it to you. I think it was two thousand and twenty (2020) I went. The Queen was still with us then, but she was quite frail, so she didn’t participate in the investitures.

And the Prince of Wales, now our King of course, was the member of the family who gave it to me. It was a very interesting day because I’ve always sort of appreciated the Prince of Wales as he was then, because he’s a very dapper man indeed. You know, when you look at the way that he’s distributed his Royal Warrants, for instance, I know his first warrant was to Turnbull and Asser, which is a particular shirt company which I’m very fond of.

And when you look at the way that he has supported British style by the use of his Royal Warrant—I’ve talked about Tricker’s in the past. You know, Tricker’s, they have his Royal Warrant as well. And he encourages and uses his power, if you call it power, to sort of further British style in a way that nobody else, I think, possibly has done since the Duke of Windsor. But, you know, it’s often overlooked, I think.

Jack: There is a really strong link with whomever the Prince of Wales is, and, of course, there’s the Prince of Wales Check. There’s something about that rank in the monarchy and style, which seems to be coming more apparent as time goes on.

Ash: It is. I mean, although I’m—I don’t know if the current Prince of Wales, Prince William, is going to follow in his father’s footsteps because he, on initial observation, doesn’t take such a passion in the way which he dresses.

You know, he tends to dress very simply. And he tends to wear the same things all the time. I know he still wears the same watch—he has an Omega Seamaster, which his mother gave him when he was a teenager. And he still wears it today. And, you know, typically he’ll wear a two-button, single-breasted, notched lapel suit for pretty much everything.

Ash: Which is a shame, because being six foot three and extremely well-built, you know, you could dress him in anything and he’d look fantastic. But, you know, he goes the simple route, which is something to be enjoyed in itself.

What would you like to see the Prince of Wales wearing?

Ash: Well, if he took his father’s sort of lead, I think he could probably—the thing with the King—I think it’s the detail with the King.

You’ll notice he always wears a boutonniere. His tie knot, he puts effort into every little part of the way he dresses. You’ll rarely ever see the man without a pocket square. You know, he dresses with passion. He puts his clothes on every day intentionally. And you don’t often see that, I think, in the modern world.

Jack: So did you meet or do you think there is a valet involved with the royal dressing?

Ash: Well, I read an article the other day, actually, because I know the new Prince of Wales has recently employed his first valet. So up to this point, he hasn’t had the services of a valet; he’s always dressed himself. But with the new responsibility that comes with being clearly the heir apparent, he has employed his first valet.

I know that the King, I believe, employs five valets because he has homes all around the country, obviously, and he likes to make sure he dresses well wherever he goes, I guess.

Jack: That makes sense. I mean, as you say, the now-King is extremely well put together. Huge representative of British style and British craft as well, I would say.

Because, as you say, Turnbull & Asser—I’m wearing a Turnbull shirt today. I’m fond of the brand for the British heritage. There’s a little bit of the Bond element for me as well. And we were talking, actually, about Bond, another famous military man, although he’s fictional.

What would you say his style should be for the new Bond?

Ash: Well, I think what James Bond represents—and I know it’s a fictional character, or is it? But James Bond, what he represents to us is that father figure to a generation of young men. Perhaps in this era, young men today have grown up with their father, very casual, because we’ve seen a casualization of society over the last generation.

I mean, even my own son—you know, he goes to, when I was 11, my father taught me how to tie a knot because my school required me to wear a tie. My son goes to school, they wear a clip-on tie. So I was denied that moment to share the passing of the Windsor Knot secret to my son. But I think perhaps James Bond gives us a reason to want to dress better.

And I think that’s where his value is to the style world. Young men are looking at somebody who is ultimately sexy. He’s very smart. He’s a good representation of masculinity, but he does so through a traditional dressing style. And I think if anything encourages folks to think more about being intentionally well-dressed, yeah, I’m all up for Bond to do that. I would rather see him dressing on Savile Row, rather than dressing, you know, from an American origin source. Maybe Dege & Skinner, who knows?

But clearly there’s going to be a new reimagining of James Bond in the next movie, whenever that comes. Rumored—you know, things will be told soon about who that’s going to be. We hope that they will reimagine the way he presents himself, too.

Jack: Absolutely. And I think there is definitely the ability to have Bond dress on Savile Row again. Case in point being the Kingsman series—very similar, very Bond-adjacent, a little bit tongue-in-cheek, great entertainment. But they literally put a tailor’s house at the heart of their story, whereas I know that the Bond series is so wrapped up in brand deals and partnerships, et cetera.

So, no, I agree. I think Bond can definitely make a return to the Row.

In terms of footwear, where should Bond go? Should he say with Crockett & Jones?

Ash: It’s hard to think of anything much better at that price point. I think—I mean, you know, I would say I’m a fan of Tricker’s, as we’ve talked about. But I think for a city shoe, I think Crockett & Jones are probably at the top of the tree, other than sort of Edward Green. But I mean, Crockett & Jones, for the aspirational person who is seeing Bond and would like to emulate him, I think Crockett & Jones is a good place. It’s a very good place, yeah, to be.

Jack: Should he go bespoke? Perhaps George Cleverley or Gaziano & Girling, or even John Lobb?

Ash: Yeah, the king shoemaker. I mean, Gaziano & Girling I quite like. I think they’re very stylistic in the shoes that they produce—very sort of contemporary. And of course, they’re Northampton-based. They’re a relatively young company as well, desperate to get their own Royal Warrant, I know. And I always enjoy a visit to their store, you know.

They’re so chatty and cheerful as well. They’re not stuffy. They are modern shoemaking at its best, I think. So yeah, I’d love to see Bond wearing those.

Jack: Absolutely.

Do you think Bond should continue to wear the Oxfords, or should he go back to the slip-on shoes that Fleming wrote him in?

Ash: Yeah, he always wears loafers, doesn’t he, in the books. Well, I see, the thing is, if you’re taking part in dynamic physical activity, I don’t know whether I would trust friction alone to keep my shoes on. All right, so I think laces are key when it comes to throwing yourself off a train or jumping into a sports car. So, from practicality’s point of view, yeah, I’m a bit more of a—and I like broguing, personally. I think an Oxford is a little austere.

It’s because there’s a lot of plain leather there, so I like to see a little bit of broguing, a little bit of the shoemaker’s skill in evidence. So, you know, a semi-brogue or even a full wingtip for me, that’s what I’d like to see Bond wearing.

Jack: Absolutely. What about a Chelsea boot?

Ash: I don’t know. I mean, again, a lot of expansive leather, generally. A Chelsea boot perhaps with a bit of broguing? But no, I think a classic city shoe. Dainite sole so you can run, get the traction you need. You know, that’s what Bond needs.

Were there any moments within your military career or, potentially, your police career where you were dressed perhaps a little more formally but then had to spring into action in a very Bondian sort of way?

Ash: I mean, you know, there’s always the risk of it. I mean, for a large portion of my career, I was a detective anyway, so I didn’t wear a uniform. But again, that’s a point in question to a degree. To answer your question sort of somewhat roundabout, when you’re a uniform police officer, you enter a sort of dynamic situation, and often your presence alone—this is the power of clothing.

Your presence alone can defuse something. Because people identify the uniform; it’s a symbol of authority, and they will amend their behavior because of the way that you’re dressed. So it’s a great demonstration of the power of clothing. But when you’re a detective and you’re wearing a suit, it’s a totally different response from the people.

Because when you, say, enter a room to interview somebody for a crime, because it’s a detective, not a uniform officer, they’re even more worried because they know the detectives only come out for the big problems. So you would get that response even though you were dressed as you are now. You know, it’s not what you’d imagine [as] an oppressive way of dressing, but it’s the possible consequences of meeting somebody dressed like that in that situation that gets the response from the person.

Jack: So what would you typically wear as a detective?

Ash: It would be, you know, a shirt and tie, maybe a blazer, pair of slacks, something like that. Not overly formal, but enough to, you know, show that you are serious about the way you’re, you know, conducting yourself.

Jack: Within your own style, would you say you wore separates more than suits?

Ash: Certainly. I think there’s—as you walk around the streets of London, you’ll see more chaps wearing, I think, blazers and sports jackets. You know, the tweed, for instance, we’re entering autumn here now. It’s certainly the time of year where you’ve got that flexibility. And of course, you can alter the style so easily by changing the trousers.

You know, you can wear grey flannel slacks. You can wear chinos. Dare I say it, maybe not in this environment, but denim trousers. But you know, it’s so flexible, and I think that’s the beauty. Younger folks who are perhaps less likely to curate a wardrobe full of suits, they are unlikely to do so. But one sort of tweed jacket, sports jacket, it can cover so many of life’s social situations. It’s a very valid thing to buy.

Jack: Absolutely. And I think that’s particularly poignant being in a tweed specialist. I personally would prefer to buy a suit wherever possible so that I could then wear the pieces as separates. Would you say that’s a useful philosophy when purchasing clothes in general?

Ash: Yeah, I mean, you’ve got to be a little careful that you’re not over-wearing one element of your suit, because obviously it’ll change its texture, its color as well. Exposure to the UV will quickly do that if you’ve got a darker suit.

But yeah, definitely. I mean, you’re buying an item which can be mixed and matched much more readily. So yeah, it’s a good way of looking at the economic way of buying things.

Jack: Would you say that there are any elements of military style that you continue to wear in your day-to-day wardrobe?

Ash: For me, I think the things which remain are the pleasure of leaving the house in a well-shined pair of shoes. And the joy which can be gained—and I know a lot of people wouldn’t say this—but ironing. Right? I find the ironing process to be very cathartic.

So I will iron a shirt, and I will not only have the pleasure of ironing the shirt, because I find it quite a meditative experience to iron, but then when you put on a crisply ironed garment, I don’t think there’s anything better.

Jack: Absolutely. So is it a ritual and a process for you? Talk us through—do you set some music on or any television perhaps?

Ash: Well, I often watch YouTube and I will, you know, sort of listen along. But I can honestly say I’ve been married for 18 years, and my wife has never ironed a shirt of mine in all that time. And I often iron her shirts as well, and my son’s school shirts.

So, you know, one of us takes care of the ironing in the family. And as I say, I find it quite a meditative experience. I can get lost on a different plane of, you know, consciousness when I’m wrapped up in ironing.

Jack: It’s interesting, actually, because I do the same. I do the laundry and ironing in my household. My partner, she’s very good at some of the more physical things.

Would you say that’s something about style, masculinity, lifestyle, that is great to be in the 21st century and that it’s okay for a man to do what’s been typically seen as “girly” tasks?

Ash: Oh, totally. I think—I mean, in my own situation, my wife works long hours. She’s got a very intense job. She’s out of the house 10, 12 hours a day. I mean, I think it would be unconscionable for me to sit in the house and expect my wife to come home and cook a meal for me and take care of my laundry when my job is much more flexible. So, you know, I’m grateful that I can play my part in the family dynamic. And also it means I get my shirts ironed the way that I want them, and I eat the food that I want. So there’s always a payoff.

Jack: No, I like that. I think that’s a very good way to look at things—that whole, well, if I want it done a certain way, instead of telling someone how to do it, I’ll do it myself.

Ash: Absolutely, yeah. I mean, you can’t complain if you can’t do it yourself, you know.

Jack: Exactly. Now, you mentioned that you’d been to Oman recently, and I’m aware that you’ve traveled quite a bit with your military career.

Do you have any packing tips that you’ve learned through your military career?

Ash: Packing tips? Well, I mean, the military was a long time ago for me. I’ve been out far longer than I was in. But for me, the key thing is travel super, super light. Even if you’re a sartorial gentleman, you know, you can keep it to an absolute minimum. I never like to check anything into the hold, so I like to, you know, have whatever I’m taking with me within my line of sight.

Otherwise, the airline is going to lose it. You know it always happens. So, wear the things which are most important to you so they’re not going to get lost. You know, whatever happens at the end, at least you’re going to have one suit of clothing that you can rely on. But, you know—and again, I have never met any packing mechanism which means I don’t have to iron everything all over again at the other end.

So these folks who will say, “This is how you pack a suit”—you’re still going to have to iron it. Get your head around it; it’s going to happen. That’s the best advice I have for folks.

Jack: Do you find that makes packing a more enjoyable task, then, knowing that I’m going to have to iron it at the end of the journey, so I’m just going to enjoy packing it and kind of get it done?

Ash: Yeah, I mean, you can take a more methodical approach and make sure everything fits in perfectly. But, no. I mean, I just roll things up, throw them in, and sort it out at the other end.

Jack: See, I tend to do something similar. I’ll wear something that’s formal enough without being black tie on a plane, but the rule that I tend to abide by is, underwear and shirts always go in hold luggage. Even if I’m checking something, because I feel like that’s an element of preparation that, if something were to go horribly wrong and that hold luggage gets lost, I know that I can survive the trip. Would you say that’s a good idea?

Ash: Absolutely. I mean, let’s be honest—unless you’re traveling in the third world, you can walk down the street and replace many of those things anyway at a very modest cost. So, you know, it’s not the end of the world. But if you are taking with you a treasured jacket which has been with you for 30 years and you want to pass on to the next generation, trusting it to the hold luggage is probably not a wise idea.

Jack: For sure. No, I completely understand that. So, Ash, you mentioned a while ago that footwear is the first place that you look when meeting a new person.

What brands do you enjoy when it comes to footwear?

Ash: Well, my—the brand which I’m a little bit enamored by is Tricker’s. I recently had a tour of the factory up in Northamptonshire, and I was deeply taken by the passion of the folks making those shoes.

You know, they’ve been making those shoes for a very long time, to a very high standard—possibly the highest standard you’ll find anywhere on this planet. In reality, outside bespoke, maybe even of an equivalence to that. And having spoken to the guys operating the machines, some of whom have worked there for 40 years—you know that guy is turning out a shoe which cannot be replicated by anybody else, with 40 years of artisan experience into that process, and at the price point, potentially, something which may last decades and decades.

We had the good fortune of visiting the renovation section. So there were shoes being resoled which were 40 years old. Now that, when people say, “Oh, I’d never pay 600 pounds for a pair of shoes”—well, no, you’ll pay a 100 pounds for a pair of shoes and replace them every year.

So your 600 pounds is very quickly eaten up. But if you bought one pair of very high-quality shoes, they could potentially be passed on to the next generation if your, you know, your son is fortunate enough to have the same size shoe. But that is a bit of a revelation for me—when you go to the factories and you see the passion. I mean, I say Tricker’s.

I’m a country guy, so I resonate with their country style. I mean, if it was more of a city shoe, I quite like Crockett & Jones. Their price point is good. I was at their factory earlier in the year. Equal sort of thing—you know, folks who’ve spent, I think, in the factory, you will have fathers, sons, even grandparents, all working on the line.

And, you know, there’s more than just—they’re not doing it for the salary; there is a passion in the work that they do. And in Northamptonshire—I mean, the football team is called the Cobblers—you know, it is sort of deeply seated within that community. Footwear is what they’re all about.

Jack: Absolutely. I mean, I’d really like to go to the Northampton shoemakers, and I suppose that would be the sartorial equivalent of a pub crawl. It would be to visit all of the different shoemaking factories. I’m still to plan this, but it’s definitely something that I’d like to do. Have you visited all the factories?

Ash: Well, I’ve been to Cheaney, I’ve been to Tricker’s, Barker’s, and Crockett & Jones. They’re all—oh, and Edward Green. Now, I must admit, they were very impressive. They make an excellent shoe. A little bit high of a price point, but at the level they’re operating, I think their shoe takes a lot to beat. But, you know, you need a deeper pocket.

Jack: Some good deals in the factory stores?

Ash: Very good deals. And they also have sales in the factory stores as well.

Jack: Interesting.

Ash: So you could potentially get a brand new pair of, you know, Edward Green shoes for a quarter of their price, if you’re lucky. They do two sales a year. You’ve just got to ring up and ask when the next sale is. And if you fall lucky, you can be very fortunate.

Jack: That’s a good tip. A very good tip.

Do you have any tip that you would like to give to people about style and finding their own style?

Ash: I think more than anything, I would just remind people that you wear the clothes; they don’t wear you. It is about the confidence of the man who is clothed. It’s what shines out. I mean, you can put a fabulous suit on somebody who has no confidence. They will—you know, if you can’t meet somebody’s glance, if you can’t articulate yourself well, the clothes are meaningless. It is about you, and the clothes go on top.

So for me, the self-development journey is all about the man. The clothes are actually just the veneer. So if you want to look smart, work on yourself, and the clothes will come later.

Jack: Excellent point. Thank you. Ash, it’s been a pleasure having you.

Ash: Thank you, Jack.