British Country Style, Shooting Parties & The Art of Dressing Like a Gentleman

The Gentlemen is back — and Eddie Horniman is dressing for the occasion.

 

Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen returns for its second season with Eddie Horniman, played by Theo James, no longer the reluctant aristocrat who stumbled into the criminal underworld.

One year on, Eddie has become considerably more comfortable occupying both sides of the divide: aristocrat and businessman, country gentleman and criminal mastermind.

And, naturally, his wardrobe has evolved with him.

Season 2 opens with “The Road to Kingdom”, an episode that perfectly establishes the show's continued fascination with the relationship between British aristocracy, country-house culture and impeccable tailoring.

There are shooting parties, country estates, influential guests, international crime figures and the ever-present question of just how far Eddie is prepared to go to reclaim the status and influence he believes belongs to his family.

For Off The Cuff, however, there is another question worth asking:

What does a modern gentleman wear when he is trying to conquer the establishment?

*Image sourced from Pinterest

 

*Image sourced from Pinteret

*Image sourced from Pinterest

 

🎬 The Road to Kingdom

The opening episode immediately places Eddie firmly back in the world of Britain's landed elite.

His ambitions have grown considerably since Season 1.

Rather than simply trying to escape the criminal empire underneath his family's estate, Eddie is now looking to expand his influence and move further into the world of wealth, power and privilege.

Netflix describes Season 2 as taking Eddie and Susie Glass beyond their original English operation, with the story eventually stretching from the English countryside to the lakes of Northern Italy.

But Episode 1 remains firmly rooted in the British countryside.

A shooting party provides the perfect backdrop.

And there could hardly be a more quintessentially British setting in which to demonstrate the relationship between country clothing, social status and tradition.

*Image sourced from Pinterest

 

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest

 

The Country Gentleman

There is something particularly interesting about the way Eddie dresses in The Gentlemen.

His clothing rarely screams for attention.

Instead, it communicates quietly.

The tailoring is sharp.

The fabrics have texture.

The colours are considered.

The silhouettes are unmistakably British.

And the clothes make sense within their surroundings.

That last point is important.

Netflix's own fashion feature on Season 2 highlights one of Eddie's key style principles:

dress for the occasion.

The show's costume team deliberately differentiates Eddie's wardrobe according to where he is and what he is doing — from formal tailoring and country clothing to more relaxed Italian-inspired dressing.

And Episode 1 is a perfect example.

A country shooting party requires a very different wardrobe from a London boardroom.

This is where traditional British country style continues to influence modern menswear.

*Image sourced from Pinterest

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest 

 

 

🧥 Tweed, Texture & Tradition

Few fabrics are more closely associated with the British countryside than tweed.

Its origins are practical.

Its appeal is aesthetic.

And its longevity is testament to the fact that some clothing simply refuses to go out of fashion.

A well-cut tweed jacket works because it combines texture, structure and practicality.

Herringbone.

Checks.

Donegal-style textures.

Country-weight wools.

Earthy tones.

These fabrics don't simply look good — they belong in the environment.

And that is one of the reasons country clothing continues to have such influence on contemporary tailoring.

At A Hand Tailored Suit, we see this principle regularly.

A bespoke garment doesn't need to be loud to be distinctive.

Sometimes the most interesting piece is the one where the cloth, cut and construction do the talking.

 

*Image sourced from Moviestills

 

🎩 Dressing for the Occasion

The phrase dress for the occasion might sound obvious.

But it is one of the foundations of good tailoring.

A gentleman attending a country shooting party shouldn't necessarily look as though he's just stepped out of a London financial district.

Likewise, a three-piece business suit isn't necessarily the appropriate choice for every social occasion.

The beauty of bespoke clothing is that the garment can be designed around the life of the person wearing it.

That could mean:

• A structured country tweed jacket
• A lightweight wool suit
• A double-breasted blazer
• A three-piece morning suit
• A relaxed linen suit
• A formal dinner suit
• Or a completely individual combination created specifically for the wearer

The Gentlemen understands this distinction particularly well.

Eddie's clothes aren't simply costumes.

They help establish where he belongs — and where he wants to belong.

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest 

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest 

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest 

 

*Image sourced from Moviestills

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest

 

✂️ Eddie Horniman's Tailoring

Theo James' Eddie has always been one of the most traditionally tailored characters in the series.

But Season 2 takes that style further.

Netflix's costume coverage notes that Eddie wears braces more frequently during the second season, helping create a sharper silhouette, while his wardrobe continues to combine structured British tailoring with country clothing and, later in the series, more relaxed Italian influences.

This is particularly appropriate for Eddie.

His character is effectively walking between two worlds.

On one side:

The Duke.

Heritage.

Country estates.

Tradition.

Old money.

Formal occasions.

On the other:

The criminal entrepreneur.

Risk.

Power.

Ambition.

Money.

Influence.

His clothing becomes the visual bridge between those worlds.

 

*Image sourced from Moviestills

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest 

 

 

*Image sourced from Pinterest 

 

 

🥃 The Modern British Gentleman

Perhaps the most appealing element of The Gentlemen's style is that it doesn't attempt to recreate an old-fashioned version of British aristocracy.

Instead, it takes traditional elements and gives them a modern attitude.

That means:

The tailored jacket — but with attitude.

The country cloth — but with a contemporary cut.

The polished shoe — but worn with confidence.

The classic shirt — but without unnecessary fuss.

This is what makes the show's wardrobe so relevant to modern menswear.

British tailoring doesn't have to mean looking like you've stepped out of a history book.

The right cut, cloth and styling can make traditional tailoring feel every bit as relevant today.

 

🇬🇧 Why Country Style Still Works

There is a reason that country-inspired tailoring continues to appear throughout fashion.

Tweed, corduroy, flannel, wool, cashmere and textured cloths all add something that flat, lightweight fabrics often cannot:

depth.

They create visual interest.

They respond differently to light.

They develop character with wear.

And, importantly, they work particularly well with tailoring.

A textured jacket paired with a crisp shirt and well-cut trousers can look effortlessly sophisticated without appearing overly formal.

That balance is something The Gentlemen gets right.

 

✂️ The A Hand Tailored Suit Interpretation

The great thing about taking inspiration from The Gentlemen isn't necessarily trying to copy Eddie Horniman's wardrobe piece-for-piece.

Instead, take the principles.

Dress appropriately.

Choose quality cloth.

Pay attention to proportion.

Don't underestimate texture.

And, most importantly, make the garment yours.

For a modern client looking to capture some of Eddie's country-house aesthetic, we'd look towards beautifully textured British and Italian cloths, classic checks, herringbones and rich woollen fabrics.

The result could be a bespoke jacket designed for country weekends, weddings, race days, shooting events or simply adding a little more character to an everyday wardrobe.

Because bespoke tailoring isn't about dressing like somebody else.

It's about taking inspiration and turning it into something uniquely yours.

The Gentlemen Season 2: Episode 1 — Our Style Take

The Road to Kingdom sets the tone for a second season in which Eddie Horniman's ambitions — and wardrobe — are becoming considerably more sophisticated.

The episode reminds us that British style has always been about more than simply putting on a suit.

It's about knowing what to wear, when to wear it and how to wear it.

And perhaps that's one of the reasons The Gentlemen works so well visually.

Behind the guns, gangsters, country estates and Guy Ritchie one-liners is a world where clothing communicates status before a character has even said a word.

The right cloth.

The right cut.

The right occasion.

That's the art of dressing like a gentleman.

And as Eddie Horniman is discovering, when you're trying to reclaim your kingdom, it certainly helps to look the part.

✂️ Want the Eddie Horniman look?

From classic British country-inspired tailoring to fully bespoke three-piece suits, A Hand Tailored Suit creates garments individually cut and crafted around the wearer.

Because when it comes to bespoke tailoring, there's no need to follow the crowd.

Make your own rules.

Coming Next on Off The Cuff

The Gentlemen Season 2, Episode 2: There's a Rat in the Kitchen

Our journey through the style of Season 2 continues as Eddie's world begins to expand beyond the British countryside — and the influence of Italian style starts to make its presence felt.

Stay tuned.