It was over a year ago that I first spoke to Sven Raphael Schneider of Gentleman’s Gazette about his plan to launch his own menswear brand. I remember walking around my office in circles while chatting on the phone with him, it was a great way to procrastinate doing my actual work, which at the time was accounting and auditing. Once we got off the phone I knew it would be a while before he launched, but I was already excited. I knew Raphael was not just talking to talk, he was serious. And I knew that whatever it was that he came out with would be the proverbial ‘good stuff.’ Fortunately, for both his and my sake, I can say that I was right.
Raphael’s brand is called Fort Belvedere. Which refers, rather aptly, to Edward VIII’s (aka the Duke of Windsor) royal residence of the same name. The brand is new, very new, it launched in October of this year. Despite that, much of the selection seems to come from a time previous to ours; which I mean in the best, not worst of ways. In short, a time that was perhaps characterized by a bit more masculine elegance than our current time. The spread of goods ranges from knit ties to gloves to faux flower boutonnieres.
But anyway, Raphael and I agreed that I should do a review on some of his products (full disclosure: FB is an advertiser on this blog but that has no effect on my view of the brand) so he was nice enough to send me some products, I purchased some others. So we will go through each item individually in the typical fashion, as I think that is the easiest way to talk about them. I won’t go on much about the materials or construction methods, as Raphael goes into those subjects in depth on the Fort Belvedere site. I will focus more on my thoughts and experiences thus far with the products instead.
What I was most curious about was the Edelweiss lapel flower. Up until that point I was against fake flowers, however, after seeing the realness of Fort Belvedere’s flowers I changed my mind. The silk petals look exceptionally nice and have received numerous compliments from the female side of things.
The flower comes attached to a wire loop that slides into the lapels buttonhole and through the keeper on the underside of the lapel. Which is good if your lapel has a keeper, but if it does not the flower will sometimes move around.
The linen the square is made out of is nice, crisp and bright white. Meanwhile the handrolling and stitching on the edges is very clean. A quick note on the sizing; I have some other squares that are 13×13. Some stay up in my pocket and some don’t, fortunately, this one does.
Fort Belvedere’s Irish linen pocket squares are available with a single monogrammed initial on them. Fortunately, the initial is in white to match the rest of the square so it is unobtrusive. It can be shown when you want and also easily concealed.
Fort Belvedere has socks in both wool and cotton. All of the socks are over the calf, which as we know, I am a fan of.
The wool socks are 80% wool and 20% nylon. I chose the light grey with dark dot socks. The socks have a nice hand to them and are comfortable when worn. I should note that there is a fair amount of blue tint to the socks which has made them difficult to pair with grey trousers at times, but it also means that they have gone well with navy trousers.
Although I think the wool socks are nice, I think the cotton socks are nicer (they are 100% cotton). I especially like the unique shadow sock colorways, which frankly, I have not seen elsewhere. I opted for the brown and blue version. They are exceptionally nice on the foot and leg when worn. It is a very thin sock making it ideal for warmer weather but that does not mean it cannot be worn in cooler temperatures.
Although Fort Belvedere looks to have some nice folded ties I was quite curious about its knit ties.
Of which there are two types. A soft knit tie (bottom) and a more crisp and heavy Cri de la Soie knit (top).
For the soft knit tie I opted for the two tone purple and gray tie. Although the tie feels soft it is substantial enough to hold a good knot and sit well on the wearer. I typically prefer my knit ties to be 2.75″, whereas this tie is only 2.4″ (the site says 2.25″). This will slightly decrease the wearability of the tie for me. But tie width is a personal preference and you may prefer something of this width.
Depending on how the light hits the tie and the viewers angle to to tie the color presented changes. Sometimes grey and sometimes purple; which adds a bit of visual depth to it. It is really a matter of personal preference if this is something you like.
As you can see the knitting is even and clean. The tie has a very soft and fluid feel to it.
For the Cri de la Soie tie I opted for the mottled orange and brown colorway. Unfortunately, the site has the tie’s width listed at 7cm (2.75″), but it is only 2.4″. I prefer a wider knit tie, as I noted above. However, with this tie I absolutely love the coloring and the look of the knit that I do not expect the narrower width to deter me from wearing it at all.
The texture and intertwining of the brown and orange is beautiful. An excellent tie for fall and winter.
In summary I think what Raphael has put together is an excellent collection of accessories for men who appreciate classic elegance and style. Admittedly and understandably, the styles and particularly the prices may not be for some of you. Fort Belvedere’s prices hover more around mid-level luxury prices; like Paul Stuart and Ralph Lauren. However, I think what you are getting for your money is equal, if not better, in both taste and quality; especially compared to the latter brand. The closest comparable brand would have to be Drake’s. That said, I really cannot take issue with the prices. The only other negative I have is the incorrect tie width of the knit ties and a desire that they be slightly wider, but again, that is a matter of personal preference.
Where Fort Belvedere really shines is in its uniqueness. I have never seen a knit tie with the coloration of the mottled orange and brown knit tie. Nor have I seen a fake flower that looks as real as the Edelweiss. So I am excited to see what Raphael comes out with next.
I have little doubt as to the longevity of the items I have thus far from Fort Belvedere; I expect to be wearing them for years to come. I know Raphael well enough to know that he is not much one to compromise on quality and craftsmanship. And as I have said, his level of taste is exceptional. That said, if your budget allows I would highly recommend taking a look at what Fort Belvedere has to offer, I would be surprised if you were disappointed in what is there. I would also say that a man would not be disappointed to find some of these as gifts under a Christmas tree, just a thought.
-JLJ
Note: FYGblog did receive products int he production of this post, however, as always the utmost effort is taken to maintain and objective and unbiased stance on said products and brand.
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