Going Full Mettle For The Summer

The crack of leather on willow, a red dot racing across a green field and hitting a rope to a joyous ripple of applause, the afternoon sun beating down on a coffee table with ham & mustard sandwiches, ready salted crisps and a cup of tea, my grandparents talking about names I’d know and never see, Hobbs, Sutcliffe and of course always Headly Verity, that’s how I fell in love with cricket as a small boy in the 1980’s, even through the woes of the England team in the 90’s I listened to TMS as they took me round the world, for me cricket is as quintessentially British as it comes, it’s to sport what Elgar is to music, or Shakespeare is to theatre.

But what has that got to do with fashion you ask, well make a list of iconic British garments and the cricket jumper, the woolen stuff of legend and warmth will be on there, not just on the pitch, but evocative of drawing rooms, collegiate style and a relaxed coziness. With that in mind and my love of the game I was very interested when into my inbox fell Mettle a brand mixing the idea of sportswear with the every day wardrobe.

Deeply embedded in the sport, Mettle is dedicated to championing cricket in all its forms, inclusive of gender, race, and ability, from grass roots to the top tier of international competition. They do this through grassroots partnerships & engaging longform content. For those of us that love the game, the more people and companies involved that champion inclusivity and diversity currently, the better.

The collection is clever, you may think of it as sportswear, but move to the side, each piece could be picked out and added to an outfit, the polo screams crisp whiteness of a sunny Friday with outdoor drinks, the sleeveless jumper can bring a casual softness to a more formal look, and as we’re in august, its the one month you can wear white trousers without looking like a warm weather wishing wally.

As well constructed as a Martin Crowe off drive, they’ll give your wardrobe the flourish of a David Gower style simple but beautiful push to square. It’s fair to say, this is menswear I genuinely love.