The name itself is inspired in part by Sleater’s grandfather, Cad, who was a loveable
rogue in the cloth industry, and in part by Oscar
Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest, in which the main character is a ‘cad in the
city’ and a ‘dandy in the country’, which underlines the brand’s duality of design and breadth of appeal. In Act 2
of the satire, Algernon, one of Wilde’s seminal characters, comments that “If I am occasionally a little
overdressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated,” something of a motto for those who believe
one can never in fact be too overdressed, and his love interest Gwendolen quips “In matters of grave importance,
style, not sincerity is the vital thing.”
Cad & The Dandy’s AW20 collection is certainly rich in vitality. It centres
around three stand-out pieces that illustrate the house’s expertise with cloth (using mills such as Lovat,
Dugdale and Fox
Brothers) plus a strong silhouette. Cut in tweed, wool or linen, the hunting-style gilets are brilliant layers for
country walks and, incidentally, the ideal garment to throw on whilst visiting your tailor as you can slip it on and
off in between fittings. Safari jackets are also updated in tweed, denim-effect linen and waxed cotton, but it’s the
two superb greatcoats we’re adding to our wishlist. Cut in Lovat Mill’s herringbone tweed (tobacco or
goose grey), they come with generous lapels, double-breasted closure, an inverted centre back pleat and slanted
pockets (a house signature), plus authoritative turnback cuffs.
Cad & The Dandy continues to prove that youth is no disadvantage, allowing them
to pivot quickly and stay reactive to the shifting menswear landscape and unstable economy. There’s nothing quite
like sifting through their luxurious swatch books, but whilst we can’t make it to Savile Row right now, we can bring
a bit of Savile Row to you. Shop the full Cad & The Dandy selection here.
