Everything you need you know about the British menswear designer, and how to wear his pieces well.

For four months of every year, British menswear designer Mr Nigel Cabourn travels round the world, visiting new places, uncovering new stories and, crucially, sourcing new vintage garments to add to his already enormous collection. As the owner of more than 3,000 archive and military pieces, he’s one of British fashion’s most prodigious collectors. But as the designer of a range of considered, sturdy, vintage-inspired clothing, he’s also one of its most consistent presences. Over more than four decades in the business, he’s remained true to his goal: creating supremely well-made garments that will last for years, and even get better with age. The starting point for such pieces is often an inspiration from the past – whether it’s an old military coat or jacket that Mr Cabourn has picked up on his travels, or an archive picture from his large collection of books and ephemera. The result, however, is hard-wearing clothes that are very much suited for the vicissitudes of modern life.

Today, the Nigel Cabourn offering is split across four lines: Nigel Cabourn Authentic, which focuses on classic garments in British heritage fabrics; Nigel Cabourn Lybro, a reinvigoration of classic British workwear brand Lybro (established 1927); Nigel Cabourn Army Gym, a line of sportswear inspired by WWII army training kit; and Nigel Cabourn Mainline, inspired by Japanese fabrics and specialist techniques. We’re delighted to announce that a selection of pieces from the first three of these is now available on MR PORTER. Here’s how to wear them:

Mr Cabourn’s Lybro line channels the practical details of traditional workwear, which means that each garment comes packed with additional features. This cotton-linen shirt boasts double patch pockets on the chest (presumably for loading yourself up with tools and measures and things like that), as well as pleasingly sturdy reinforced stitching across the shoulder seam and inner collar. Wear it with a pair of cotton canvas chinos to complement its utilitarian feel.

Pieces like this timelessly stylish shawl-collared cardigan – a handy extra layer to throw on as temperatures cool this autumn – are central to what Nigel Cabourn is all about. Designed to be worn and loved for years, each piece is knitted in Scotland at the small, family-owned factory ESK Valley Knitwear, and comes in a fine 3-gauge wool for superb insulation. Wear it with a simple brown T-shirt from Nigel Cabourn’s Army Gym range.

Few denim jackets come with a substantial feel to match this example from Nigel Cabourn Lybro, rendered in a heavy, Japanese-made denim that is designed to closely mimic the denim used by Lybro in the early 20th century, and is exclusive to the brand. Taking inspiration from a traditional railworker’s jacket, it also incorporates details from classic fishing gear (the herringbone taped pockets being a prime example). Wear it with the two-tone wool sweater from the Authentic line and be assured that you’ll be more than ready to face the elements this season.