‘Boys, now the times are changing, the going could get rough,’ - so say the lyrics of Japan's 1979 Quiet Life. After the turmoil of the past 12 months, Quiet Life - the title of the new collection - is all Patrick Grant desires. This considered, Japan’s lyrics seem particularly pertinent.
Japan (the country, not the band) seemed to have influenced this season’s colour palette. The E.Tautz Instagram earlier this year was decorated with scenic snapshots of silent streets, simple signage and picturesque scene-scapes of a quiet life in the land of the rising sun. The palette of these pictures was mirrored throughout the collection. Powder blues, eggshell, warm greys, rich oxblood and slate could be found on pin-stripes both wide and delicate, sport shorts and poplin shirts.
Much like Japan (the band, not the country) this new line had an eighties twang. Tailored jackets with broad shoulders were left long and with a single vent, whilst undulating tucked-in shirts complete with double pockets alluded to the young Jeremy Irons mentioned as influence.
Wide Tortoiseshell rimmed glasses by Kirk Originals and cotton socks pulled to mid-calf nodded to a slight school boy aesthetic, as too did the neutral lattice brogues by Christian Louboutin - based on the Keds tennis shoes from the early sixties.
Work appropriate ties, both single and double breasted jackets and pleated trousers, nodded to the Saville Row heritage of the brand and provided an out should the quiet life become to banal. Be lured back into the laid-back with Grant’s oversized tailoring, soft silhouettes and casual blouson jackets.
There was something for every gentleman here, as is often the case with E.Tautz. Marking the brand’s 150th anniversary, this collection offered the buyer both trim tailoring and casual function - a perfect combination for the quiet life.
