Style Series with Benedict Browne

The premise of the Sunspel Style Series is very simple. We’ve invited stylish friends of the brand to curate five looks from our recent collections. They take us through each look, offering advice on how to dress well and inspiration for the current season.

Today we are with stylist and journalist Benedict Browne. Having styled some looks from our AW24 collection, photographed by London photographer Barney Curran, we’ve caught up over a coffee in the Chiltern Street Deli.

“I can't wait for it for the seasons to change,” Benedict begins, “I love the winter season. I feel much more excited and interested in wearing menswear. That’s why I really enjoyed this shoot because suddenly I was wearing overcoats, layering, knits and gorgeous fabrics again.

“I was really impressed by the collection. The colours really spoke to me too – I have far too much navy and black in my wardrobe but I wish more men wore some of these warm tones in winter, layering them in such a way.”

Here are his five looks, along with some styling tips to help inspire your wardrobe as the seasons change.

Colour Blocking

“Colour blocking is a burgeoning trend in the high fashion world so that’s why I thought of doing this this, playing with that green and blue. You take garments of singular colours and layer them over each other with contrasting colours.”

Styling Tip:

“Colour blocking can be quite artistic and a bit playful. Usually, you take very different colours that normally clash but the beauty is in the clashing – if you get it right. You just want an accent; you don’t want all the colours spread equally - a knit over the shoulder or a collar popping out like I’ve done here.”

Lambswool Crew Neck in Cornflower, Lambswool Crew Neck in Smoke Green, Extra Fine Merino Polo Shirt Drill Green

Autumn Layering

“This look is all about layering over the Classic T-shirt. There are these autumnal, rustic tones that are stacked on top of each other. The brown Herringbone Harris Tweed with the warmer camel polo neck. Then the flannel trousers are just a winter staple in my opinion. I think anyone can wear this look.”

Styling tip:

“Flannel is much easier than denim or cotton chinos. It can have that drape and that sharpness, and be both formal and so comfortable it’s almost casual. It’s such a beautiful, charming, soft cloth that really does get better the more you wear it.”

Sunspel Classic T-shirt, Lambswool Polo, Harris Tweed Car Coat, Pleated Wool Flannel Trouser

Modern Twinset Suit 

“This is a boiled wool twinset with a zip-through jacket. I really like this look. It has that sense of uniform to it but it still feels very casual and perfect from day into night. You can wear it to the office but then it’s perfect for date night, or just mooching around on the weekend. I hate to use the word versatile – but it’s very versatile!”

Styling Tip:

“I think the suit has really taken on a new form. It can refer now to a matching top and bottom in the same fabric and it doesn’t have to be a single breasted, three-roll-two sports jacket with matching trouser. It can be something more casual, like this.”

Boiled Wool Zip Jacket, Pleated Boiled Wool Trouser, Sunspel Classic T-shirt

The Cashmere Car Coat

“This cashmere coat is so soft and light – if you invested in that you’d get a lot of wear out of it, this season and beyond. Then I’m wearing a navy polo underneath it too. The key to a look that’s just a singular colour is mixing the textures. You’ve got the brush softness of the cashmere that kind of clashes with the crispiness of the polo against the softness of the Classic T-shirt beneath.”

Styling Tip:

“In the winter, put a T-shirt beneath your polo and you get an extra layer and that bit of contrast. It’s quite discerning – not many people will pair a T-shirt beneath a polo but it’s a nice way of being more stylised.”

Cashmere Car Coat, Riviera Polo Shirt, Sunspel Classic T-shirt, Pleated Wool Flannel Trouser, Sunspel x Cheaney Loafer

Cashmere Collared Jumper

“This one is all about this cashmere polo neck jumper.  Sunspel is very much a design-led knitwear brand. It’s pushing the boundaries. They’re not just regular crewnecks, roll necks or cardigans. There’s real design there. David [Telfer, Sunspel Creative Director] is thinking laterally about how you can do classic menswear in new and interesting ways.”

Styling Tip:

A raglan shoulder opens up a jumper and makes it much freer and a bit more natural to wear. It comes from Lord Raglan who lost his arm at the Battle of Waterloo so asked his tailor to attach his sleeve straight to his collar, as is done here.

Ribbed Polo Neck Cashmere Jumper, Japanese Selvedge Denim Jean