So, today, I'm going on a sartorial Journey with the
English singer-songwriter and musician.
James Blunt, a former reconnaissance officer in the
Life guard, Regiment of the British army.
He served under NATO during the 1999 cost of a wall.
After leaving the military, he shot to Fame in 2004 with the
release of his debut. Album back to Bedlam, You're
Beautiful Goodbye. My Lover 1973.
A bonfire of the heart. All of those fabulous songs
became worldwide, smashes, and the rest as they say, is
history, as well as a record-breaking sales and
accolades to countless, to mention, James has become a
Twitter icon, documenting his rise in the book, how to become
a complete and utter blunt Diary of a reluctant social media
sensation. So, welcome James, lovely,
lovely, sweety introduction. I've had ever.
Thank you everyone, and when you come on before, Kant says, to
visit, feel the warm up act. Yeah, thank hardly.
Charging famously, known for my clothes and my style.
So that's entirely why I'm here. Well, that's why I thought it
would the invitation essential that we should talk.
I mean, look, the, the cover of your book, you're in a bright
yellow suit Yanks. I promise.
It's not mine and will never be worn again.
How did that come about? Well, you know, I think we're
doing a photo shoot for, in for a newspaper and a found, an
amazing venue in London with Paris.
It's everywhere and an amazing kind of tropical bushes and a
swimming pool in. Stuck me in a suit and said,
jump off there and we'll take pictures.
I don't believe it because honestly, I could have sworn
that Senor. Beautiful pool in Ibiza in the
sun, that's its London. It isn't that amazing not for
real, not for real. Did you get the suit wet?
I did. Yeah, they got me for hours, you
know, standing on the edge and then falling and trying to
capture the moment. I fell in and then we'd have to
take half an hour to dry the suit.
And so every, you know, Two pictures as you know, an hour in
the making. Whoa.
But let's paste right back to Childhood and your earliest sort
of awareness of clothes and your earliest sartorial memory where
your parents really stylish? No, I mean, my father, my
parents are, you know, my father's from the Army were
pretty weird, pretty well, how well I can say not.
Not over exciting when it comes to Close, I suppose as a child,
what can I think of her clothes? Clowns always scared me.
You know, parties. You could see people dressing
up, an account. I think I still have nightmares.
That counts will eat me but so I understand Getting dressed up.
I suppose that was what I remember most and and and
probably enjoying parties because of that in fancy dress.
Yeah. And did you feel like you became
someone else when you were in in a costume?
Yeah, I mean I, you know, I went on to join the Army myself and
so obviously as any Soldier would tell you cross-dressing is
an important part soldiers routine.
And and so, there's not many a fancy dress.
Even as a child, that I wouldn't go dressed as a girl and those
as a smaller, man, as well. I suppose I have, you know, The
benefit of doing that as I could borrow some heels and give
myself a little extra bit of height.
So, what size are you? No, you're not, you are
absolutely not nicking my food. I mean, offering one often has
it, you know, as in my twenties I probably try and go out with
people who are size 7, just so I could.
So I could swap. And did you wear tights and all
of that sort of going as a girl, if it was chilly, and did you
shave your legs first? I think, you know a dark tight.
You don't need to do, you don't look at me.
Sorry. But you know and I feel I have
good legs and it's their worst showing off.
If you get the opportunity, sounds good.
I coming back to the Army, you know, I sometimes think of
clothes as being our armor, they're sort of what stands
between us and our naked selves and the rest of the world.
But obviously, for you during your military time, you know, it
It was your armor. What did it mean to you to wear
a British military uniform? Well, I suppose you're really
right in that respect that's, you know, uniform is I mean a
perhaps it's seen as a way that your undefinable in between
amongst other soldiers. So then he looks at you and you
and you appear all as one, but that is your arm in the sense
that as a reconnaissance officer, I was hiding, stalking
the enemy in the end in bushes arm and and said have camouflage
on, you know it is Is talking about practicality everything
that we will was about practicality, how lightweight it
was, how easy access the pockets are and, and what and what you
strap onto yourself on top of that.
And so, yeah, for me, it was about practicality news and I
think that's probably what I've carried on in later life.
Now, as a touring musician, you know, as you know me already.
I've turned up here in jeans and a t-shirt and I only ever seen
you, I think exactly. And I'm very much about the
practicality of what I'm wearing.
And I suppose also maybe that goes with what I do with music,
which is, you know, lots of artists dress up and put on a
Fanfare. But I'm singing very very open,
very raw, very heartfelt songs, and not trying to deceive, or
show, something else. I'm trying to show real human
being. And in many ways, I'm, you know,
you talked about the arm and cover your nakedness in many
ways. I'm trying to reveal myself to
stand up there and as if with no clothes on and say, these are my
Frailty. He's my failings, my flaws.
And I here, I am unafraid to show them.
I can feel a naked set coming on at some point.
Maybe note, hopefully not. But with the stripping away of
that individuality that you have in the Army.
How did that affect you did it affect you in any way?
Well, it's a strange thing that lots of people ask, you know,
fantastic about the discipline within the Army.
Do you struggle with that? You know, you're saying the loss
of individuality. But actually the Army isn't like
that. Perhaps, the uniform makes you
think that but our army is very, very small.
And so our army is actually about individuals using their
Common Sense using their brains to work out a best the best
solution. And that's that a different way
than say the Russian army, which we can see in action now where
they just Chuck a massive soldiers in One Direction.
Don't necessarily give them any free will.
Where's as being a smaller Army told, you know, this is your
mission and how you complete that mission is up to you.
So you really don't lose your individuality.
You know they are they talk about needing risk-takers people
who have independent thought. Yeah.
Just as long as you do it within certain guidelines it's a hell
of a training for life isn't it? Definitely and completely for
what I do now you know I used to tour the world in a tank sent
off to different places. I now Tour the World in a
slightly more comfortable tank a tour bus but you know it is
pretty fabulous at how pretty good if you're if you like
sleep. 16 men every night, but you know, but there but the kind
of logistical side of that is very similar.
I have a tour manager who is like my troop Sergeant who he
knows what we're doing and then I have a crew who are like your
non-commissioned officers who are the guys who can make it
happen, and then you have me in the band to just, you know, like
the soldiers who, who just get thrown out there and and have
fun. Yeah.
And you do it. So, well, when you, when you're
thinking about, About closed. Do you obviously, you've created
your sort of uniform of your jeans and your t-shirts and do
you think you are dressing for yourself for your audience?
Your wife? I'm well, I think I've
definitely kind of gone through a sort of change in the way I
approach close once upon a time, I had a dream that I wanted to
be, you know, a rock star and you are never achieve that.
So now I've just managed to try and be a pop star instead but
but in living that dream, I definitely warmer.
Small kind of loud outrageous clothes.
I'm you know if you saw any old photos me hours in Pink jeans or
purple jeans with flowers on them and and generally, yeah,
quite extrovert and weirdly. When I did succeed in the music
business, I wanted to be much less visible and understated and
so now. Yeah, I am.
I think I dressed for practicality for myself and
something easier? I can so I can so I can run
away. Now, I think where you've got
his great. You're beautiful.
Beautiful song Monsters about your relationship with your
there at the time, very ill, father, and that sort of lovely
bond between Father and Son. I often think of that when I see
you, and your two sons wearing either, exactly the same board
shorts or exactly the same jeans and shirts and I I think the
something so Charming about that.
How did that all come about? How does that when did that
first start wearing the same clothes?
Yes. Well because I'm small enough to
where my children's clothes. So it just you know these are by
the way mix and match. I think it's just amusing, isn't
it really? I mean for the video, I was
wearing some of the clothes to my father because we want, you
know, because we do licks look so similar and we wanted to
capture the fact that, you know, obviously I'm I'm his son and
and no one else has a chip off the old block.
And and yeah, I might do the same with my own because it's
just, he looks rather sweet. Oh, it looks so beautiful.
And by the way, James and Sophia's children are my
absolute all-time favorites. You have been quoted as saying
opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.
And on that note, does your beautiful wife have opinions on
your wardrobe and if so do you listen she definitely hasn't she
really knows her stuff. Um, and I'm so glad to have her
opinion. Otherwise I would be at Sea.
And so literally I will with almost anything whether I am
doing something professionally in the music business or
privately. If I'm doing something
professionally, I'll step out and there's a manager and
there's a record label and there and they'll be some stylist that
they've roped in to guide me through my ignorance and the
person I would normally turn to when they've all had their say
is severe and say what do you think?
And it's thumbs up or thumbs down that I really listened to
good. Good.
Would you say you've had a worst
fashion moment, many? So what was it?
Yeah, many. Well, going back to, you know,
the dressing up. I'd I remember, you know, doing
walking back home from a party at something like 6:00 in the
morning was a long party. It's not the Walk of Shame, it
was the wrong party. Let's at least go for that, in
this, the sake of talking to you and it was through verbier and I
was dressed up as a woman in high heels and there's a guy in
a poor stuck in a snow drift and I offered to pay Pin push is
pushed out of a snow drift, fully dressed as a woman, but
fairly obviously, not a woman. He'll he begged me not to help
and and I definitely haven't had some terrible.
Other ones, I went on the have I got news for you and you know,
I'd got a leather jacket because you know, because I do want to
be cool. So I think a leather jacket is a
first step in that direction and the leather jacket.
Like it kind of looked like a quilt rather than a leather
jacket, a black quilt on there. Pretty serious TV show.
So, yeah, you know, it can't really delete these things.
So now you absolutely can't be when we grew up was a lot easier
to yeah. To.
But now it's sort of out there in The Ether.
Exactly. So, when you're unsure of the
dress code and being a global pop star, do you just sort of
say soldered I can wear what I want?
Yeah, I mean, that's when, if people say you know, it's this
is whatever black tie. If you're supposed to be turning
up as a pop star, then it's a great moment.
You can just say, I'm just going to turn up like this.
But, but, you know me, I'm fairly institutionalized and
sometimes if I'm given the instruction and I'll turn up as
instructed. So I did turn up to Elton, John
his Elton, John and David furnish as white tie, and tiara
party. And I just left the Army and
just become a pop star. So, I went out and hired white
tie and Tiara and turned up, you know, looking ridiculous and I
never know. It was pop stars and they just
turned up as pop stars and so I was the end.
You are like a waiter looking like the weight and looks like
Pratt and I, and so I learned the hard way.
I won't be doing that again. You've also been quoted as
saying, I don't agree with superstitious routines, but
there are a couple of things. I'll always do before
performing, I'll get together with the band and chill out.
And then, just before I go onstage, Al always check my
flies. It's a story behind this.
Well, you know, as someone who takes opens are flies of a lot,
It's just I think it's just a safe, a safe thing, you know
you're standing up over an audience and I've yeah, had,
yeah, it's just a sensible thing to do.
Don't feel other than Superstition seem silly, you
know, or rather practical, you know, don't walk under a ladder,
not because you're superstitious, but because
someone will drop something on your head potentially but
checking my flyers before seems like a sensible thing and I know
you love a bit of fancy dress. Yes.
When did that actually Art with the so that was as a child.
Yeah. I mean, I even yeah.
I mean, I really might my sister my and myself were working on
doing that all the time. She'd even insist on going to
school still dressed as a clown. I think she even as an adult.
Now, picks up her children dressed as a clown so it's
definitely in s, you know, she was more clowns.
I'm more scared of those maybe because my sister dressed as a
clown cross-dressing, I can't do that too much anymore apart from
back in the privacy of my own bedroom and So, but, but often,
when we've gone out, I mean, you know, you and I have seen each
other in verbier, we often get dressed up as superheroes there
because if you're having a party of you dressed as superheroes,
then it's very easy to identify who's with you.
If you're in a public space, you can just shout superheroes over
here and I hate having to do. Also, if you're in there like,
you're trying to get into a nightclub and then you're in the
queue and then the bouncer isn't, you're letting in, and
then suddenly he lets you in, you can literally gather all the
super superheroes on me and and then you're like, yeah, I do
remember this. Yeah.
Next time, the dress code is superheroes.
I'll really do it properly rather than, and yeah.
Generally, people think are useful as well, if you like
that. So it's just who you are.
You are. It's all of the sort of army
training behind you, you are a genuine superhero.
There's a great picture actually which they're bad brats, he
caught. I don't normally enjoy pepper a
see pictures but I was walking home from a party with my wife.
She was dressed as Wonder Woman is just in our heels and I was
dressed as as Obviously, you know, four inches shorter than
her wash. Is he and I just look like a
little child being me. Being left home in my.
Did you ever have a go-to clubbing, outfit?
Um, yeah, I mean, I from from University, I was University of
Bristol and I really loved it for it's not nightclubs effect.
It was a fantastic club. And then, I would come up here
to Hanover Grand which a man called, Roger, Michael would run
on Thursday and to a Ministry of Sound, which I absolutely loved.
And even in the Army I was still out clubbing.
And I mean, I remember being stopped by the police six in the
morning, when they were in the club had closed.
I was, you know, so because I was there, I was there
designated And drive. And so they were driving back to
the barracks as well and I was and I got out, I had tight
tight, lime green flares with daisies on them and a pink
crop-top back to the very back to the barracks and he stopped
me and said, you know, I at the car and they're gonna you know
breathalyze me and things like that and I pulled out my Army,
the ID card and said yeah hi there Lieutenant blunt mr.
Dick is it said no fucking way. But you know but anyway it was
entirely sober sent on my way with him again, just shaking his
head. So yeah, I think anything tight,
lime green, with flowers decent crop top a bit of neon and I'm
away, right? I'll be looking out for that.
Best raving accessory. Whistle glow.
Stick rubber ring. Am I allowed to say vibrating
butt plug or not, you know, because no one knows he'll just
away. A and and then there may be a
little bit of cash in your pocket and just hey yay way.
Too much information. Okay, Ona lighter note, maybe
not but I think as human beings were a little guilty of sizing
people up when we first meet them especially by what they're
wearing is this something you're conscious of?
Do you ever look at the face or do you look at the total look?
Well weirdly and it most people when having a conversation was a
toad See the guy in the blue suit over there or the girl in
the red dress and I really just don't see the clothing.
I would like to I see through the clothing, I don't do that
and that's perverse but but now I normally see I suppose I see
the face the hair, that's the guys, six-foot-four little
fucker and yeah I don't really don't see the clothes that much
you've attended Royal weddings. What do you have to take?
Take into account sartorial E when when you're dressing for
that occasion will is really easy for a man.
Isn't it you know this conversation?
Because as a man you know we just can stick on a tailcoat and
we're away. You know, the only thing I think
about is whether my socks are the right color to match my
wife's dress. But but do you ever sort of go
out of the box or for that sort of thing and change your sock
color or do anything socks? As far?
I'm going to have literally, I have the most high Range of
colorful socks in the world. And I'm almost the thing that
I'm obsessed by as a color that's or identify interest as I
get on that. But my only time with Harry's
wedding, I was on tour and so it's an amazing invitation to
get and and I was thrilled, but I was playing the night before
and the night of the wedding. So I flew back and the only
thing I had to really think about was whether I what I could
wear, as I got the back of her most bike that drove me know.
I had a one of the career mode. Termites that drove me back to
an airport to get to my concert in time.
And so, you know, in a morning coat was quite a look on the
back of that. And I arrived back in Estonia
with 15 minutes to spare before I ran onto stage and played two
to jump into your jeans and t-shirts.
Thank you fantastic. Would you say you've got a style
icon? Was there anyone that you looked
at maybe as a kid growing up and thought?
Oh, he's cool. I mean I mean, you know, me
having jeans and t-shirt so who is the style icon?
No, I don't think. I mean I could walk and I think
of really I know this guy who who is probably a spy maybe it's
not. Maybe just thinks it's by.
He definitely, he definitely thinks he's James Bond and so
perhaps I idolized him as a jet. You know, his name is Hugh
Morrison. Oh stop it.
He's definitely my partner could say you know somebody that's my
style icon to Martian is his name.
Well thank you. I'll mention it to him.
Has nothing to do with the so toriel makeover that he's had
over, the last decade in huge, any guiding him.
So you're also probably then is you if you're you know you're
the one guiding him. Oh you're very only I only wear
Amanda. Wait only Amanda wakeley.
Kashmir course. So many of these questions.
How would you describe your style now?
Your style DNA but it's a jeans and t-shirt.
Yeah, sort of Manchild child. Okay, and your looks.
How would you describe yourself? If you were say, if someone
didn't know of the, yeah, well, you know, a strange, but
beautiful mix somewhere between Tom Cruise and Alan Partridge
favorite bits your body to show off.
I have a great ass. And in fact, I've just been on,
I have been very lucky to be gone on holiday my mouth.
The coast. It was an amazing experience.
I didn't have any shorts so I went you know in the in the
airport until I could find was super dry and the woman said,
you know, sorry this is the girl Sexton and I said I know because
the men's were just a little bit big and so I spend my holiday
and size 8 Women to know shorts and and my holiday friends said
that it was yeah, definitely little bit revealing.
Serious note, what is the one item of clothing?
That means the most to you may and might be something that what
your fathers or Uncle's or grandfather's or I do still have
some bits of army uniform which from my ceremonial time near the
green bits of when I was you know a green Soldier cream and a
versus I haven't really get their tool but from being
Majesty's ceremonial bodyguard to the queen mother's funeral to
the Bits of uniform that you wear when you're doing that or
absolutely incredible. And you know that you you look
you know, ridiculous and wonderful and it is so fashion
and and so I've managed to keep a few bits of uniform.
Actually I hope you had been broadcast this because if the
Army find out there probably come knocking on my door and
asked for them back. No, but yeah, some great hats
and jackets that that yeah. Again you know, sometimes I
dress up at home for the wife. Just so she remember you've got
one lucky way. Why would you ever consider
buying clothes on the metaverse? I don't know what the metaverse
is Right finish. That's but, hey, but probably
what do they sell? So it's all virtual.
Don't worry there. Is it like, it's matter?
Okay, it's not real. It's so you can be this Avatar
and you can dress up in your designer clothes.
It's a bit like cyberdog, does anyone?
No cyberdog. Yeah, yeah, heels.
And yes and leather and I am kind of into it.
Sounds good. I'm gonna Google it later.
You mentioned earlier about using or using a stylist or
having exposure to a stylist. Have you ever let them take you
out of your comfort zone? Almost always and I've almost
always regretted it, you know what I do because obviously, I
need help in so many ways, but particularly with clothes.
And so, you know, doing any kind of photo shoot with the record
label or any TV show, they'll say, come on please.
Can we put you in something? And so, Silas will turn up there
with a, you know, racks and racks of clothes and I do try
app, see everything. You know, I think the best
they've made a huge effort. They probably spend a couple of
days looking stuff, and I will try on every single item of
clothing and then at the end. So, you know, please come out
just where these genes that I've come with and this t-shirt, but
maybe I'll put on a jacket and yeah and, and, and quite often.
I'm yeah, when I, when they're pushed out of their my own
comfort zone, then I generally look back on the TV show, I
think, I just can't, I can't pull that off.
Pull it off. If you've worn something to an
award ceremony where you been presented with an award and you
know, wonderful moment. Do you keep that outfit as a
sort of in a special place or does it get relevant relegated
to Archive? I mean, if it's a, if it's a
freebie that's that fits. Yeah, I'll definitely keep it.
And it's, you know, that I that I work that I do the works.
Definitely. I'll hang on to it.
I mean, you know, I remember an MTV award, And getting a great
cashmere hoodie in black with the words, Faith over it.
And I've still got that to this day after Ward's.
A woman came up and said, hey, you just kind of touch my chest.
That's, that's my name Faith. I can make it a good for you,
but you're not getting good for you left the faith.
Anyways, her name is Faith. He'll have you ever?
I mean, I often think that celebrities and pop stars and
rock stars and actors and actresses.
Often asked for items of clothing to go into auctions to
raise money for charity. Have you ever done that and then
regretted it? Well no, I'm they don't normally
do auctions for children's clothes.
Do they host? I'm so so then nobody asked me
for those clothes, but do you know?
But I mean, I most closely I yeah, I'm not good for charity
shop. A lot with clothes afterwards
and went around there and see if they'll take them.
Because as you say, if you've been to any of those things like
that, you normally only worn it once and And so it definitely
needs to be put back in a system and and you believe in the
circularity of the system, I mean, definitely if you can, it
would be a criminal to throw those kind of things away.
I mean, because they're often the price of something, you'll
give them for an award. Ceremony is just ridiculous.
So if someone else will have it, I'd be thrilled.
You good with your shopping. Do you plan the multi pack of
t-shirts that you need to buy? And the multipack of jeans that
you need to buy? So this set of genes is from I
think it's on Barney and I have 20 pairs of these and I bought
them buy in bulk. So will I just went in the shop
and said you know can you show me some jeans?
I was playing at Twickenham the next day and they found me these
pair of Ins. And I said fantastic.
And then I said, you know, do you have any more on this?
We have 20, I said, great, I'll take the lot and that I think
was in 2007 and if I have just torn them on the way here, but I
take them into magic Stitch and I repair them almost, every, you
know, couple of weeks I'm back in Magic Stitch and these have
been going. So that's the genes and these
t-shirts. You know me.
I think you've seen me wear this t-shirt every single time.
I think I'd probably have Mayhem pairs of these and I've just Had
in the last week, kind of, you know, eight pairs of another
thing. I walked past a shop and thought
that'll do. It's not blue, it's a blue, it's
a t-shirt. I love eight of those, I love
them. And so, yeah, as far as, yeah,
the only thing I really get that is totally different color.
All the time of socks. Got it exciting life.
I live where do you where do you get all these multicolored?
Socks from Father Christmas she's really good and really
good. I'm going to ask you about
travel. When you are going through an
airport, do pay attention to the fact that you will be
photographed. And or is it just?
I am James Blunt. I wear my jeans and T-shirt and
my faith hoodie. And this is how I am.
Well, they really wise about the little fuckers in the airport.
That's the paparazzi, not not, you know, your everyday guy guy
or girl on the street, but Paparazzi in airports is really
frustrating. Because and I've had, you know,
there was really invasive, really invasive, and you've come
off a plane and it's a long haul, and you've slept a new
dribbled on yourself and your hair's looking ridiculous.
And then there's some Paparazzi in your face and then it turns
up in the Sun What's his name was that guy did always
articles, you know, worked for radio ex Gordon smart, you
little fucker and you know, writing your pathetic, little
stories about how badly someone looks.
When they've come off a long-haul flight, I mean, fuck
you let's let's see you and your grotty little face showing
yourself so but then you feel strongly, but I don't feel
strongly exactly. I'm not even going to ask If
you're a good pack or a bad Packer because I know you're
probably an excellent Packer post Army Post.
Yeah. And so, I travel and tour the
world and I gone towards for sometimes 18 months at a time.
And I travel with hand luggage only.
And that's mainly because, you know what?
Often my bags have gone missing. Previously, if I stick them in
and I can't believe it. That's an old Nick, my clothes
again. You know, you're going to be a
huge extra large, man. He was carried that suitcase,
and you come across this. A small T-shirt you can't fit in
the fucking thing and still a robe.
So I travel with hand luggage only and and yet, I travel the
world like that and it just makes life really easy.
And also because if you're on tour and you've and it gets
lost, then you know, they're going to send it to you in
Denver and you've already reached Detroit.
And so it's just, it's just going to play catch up with the
rest of the Torso hand luggage, and them, and you solve the
problem. Guilty Secrets.
Then what is the most expensive item of clothing that you've
ever bought. Don't have to tell me how much.
Thanks, you know. I don't know.
Nothing. You're going to have.
You're going to have some girls. You've got ridiculous dresses,
aren't you? Yeah.
I was an X Factor judge. And I was on as another guest
was Chris Isaak and I thought, well, he's corny as hell.
So I'll buy myself. This is coming from me.
Chris, I love, you know, I do. Ascension, competitive, dressing
gown, actually. He and I are really, really
close friends, which is the only reason I said can say that in
the first place. But I walked past Le Bouton and
they had a men's section and I and I saw this blue suede shoes
and their ridiculous price. I mean, yeah.
I mean, I'm guessing how much 700-800 I would think probably
more but anything just start the car down.
Just worth it and it's going on with coming anyway.
And And just so I could look a little bit more like, Chris
Isaak. And did you love them wear them
today? I've still got them there.
I really do your pride and joy sold with another red Ray, I
haven't, I mean, every time I go out, I winced a tiny bit at the,
you know, because you know, I'm always going to spill a drink on
it. I'd say you've seen me stumble
out party. Yeah, it was a vodka, something
on it, but that's good though, because it doesn't stain, but
there you put Lee mixed with it. That suede is just, yes.
We It's just tricky, but it is. And I'm a little bit worried
about the red sole because with a man that's, you know, you
don't have the sort of benefit of that.
Lovely. Sweetness from your right soul
through to heal ya, the red Romaine?
Yeah, yeah, my children to paint him.
Oh yeah, but not the suede. Do you have a brand?
That's your guilty secret. Well, not really guilty secret.
You know, I think I go to All Saints because it's because it's
really easy. My My wife has thrown me in
Ralph's around because they because you know they've got
some good kind of Fairly rugged bits of clothing to in a way, I
don't know what the section is because thing that makes you try
and look like a cowboy mr. Marlboro Man, exactly.
And and no otherwise nothing I can all senses pretty easy.
It's great and it's cool. Thanks.
Most of the time. No, it is.
It's cool. What if anything do you feel?
You've got an excessive amount of In your wardrobe, you're
going to say t-shirts and jeans, aren't you?
Yeah, I mean it's a pretty simple wardrobe, colorful socks
on the top drawer t-shirts on the middle drawer and jeans the
bottom and life is good and your approach to sustainable fashion.
Um yeah, it's a tricky question I'm because you're talking to an
Eco hypocrite but yeah I'm you know anything I'm given that I'm
allowed to give to anyone else at any stage, I absolutely will
but otherwise come on I'm Les. I said, I'm wearing the same
jeans, but I think that's pretty easy going to reach two decades
pretty soon. And yeah, I mean, can you know,
I'm not going to show you my crotch to look.
This is everything that can be, these are our most impressively
restate. Yeah, Impressions, every pair of
them is like that. I'm so, I don't even ask you
what you do with your clothes when you've had enough of them,
because they obviously are so worn out that they.
So, what I do is I go into the shop and they this they're
really nice to me than, you know, this.
I mean, every in pretty much every week and they say, you
know, it would be cheaper just to get a new pair and and I go,
you know, but but if you've got something that you say to your
beautiful wife, Sofia, I'm, I am never going to wear this again,
let's get this to a charity shop.
Do is she sort of able to say this was James Blunt's to
Hopefully raise more money from it.
Well, I think we both know that would probably make it go down
in value. Um, I definitely if I've got
something brand new in the box, take it in there and I'll say
this is just been used for a video shoot or I might say if
it's a brand which I think, you know, because you just don't
know if they know that. I think this is a really
expensive brand and and hopefully be able to flag it for
a decent amount of money. It's probably worth pointing
out. I don't think it's worth
pointing out that it's mine. I don't think that's gonna that
you, you underestimate yourself help but I really Love clearing
out generally. I mean I do try and clear out
the things that if I had been given a staff and then I'm not
going to wear like you know, that it doesn't look exactly
like what I'm wearing. Now then I do try and care as
much as possible and what I've learned when you have children
as well, is that the only way you're ever going to make more
space in your house is by losing your own possessions and so I'm
constantly throwing my own things away and giving up one
drawer to someone else harking. Back to Army days, you obviously
had to be Unbelievably tidy and disciplined.
How I'm saying this with purpose having re merchandize my
partner's wardrobe last night. How tidy are you Immaculate?
I like to be able to find everything when the lights are
off, can you have a word with you about this?
Is he not? Ah, well in the Army when I
joined and, and I was sent to Sandhurst after a very free
experience of, you know, four years at University then It's
kind of like going into a kind of a present really, you're in a
room, you your room is inspected at 6:30 in the morning, it takes
maybe a couple of hours to make your room, the way it's required
to be. And so the shirts are ironed
with the arms folded into position and then hung up
everything an inch apart from each other.
And the socks in the sock drawer alone is a work of art,
everything rolled up. And you know again with a ruler
Immaculate, the bed is again. God, I was proud of my bed You
could, you know, Iron it and fold the sheets, measure it with
a Bible that took 45 minutes to do a whole bed.
So make sure it with a pipe and iron in space.
So I'll sleep on the floor, beside the bed with the curtains
that are also, you know, I'm pleated and folded onto the
windowsill and Burying my, we got spot lights coming through
the window because we're, you know, buildings that need
Security on them. So, you're sleeping on the floor
beside a beautiful bed and with the curtains open, and, and your
sock drawer, and your shirts and everything is just an Immaculate
and, and that's as completely stayed with me.
And then what they would do, they do in the morning is, they
would have the inspection you'd stand outside in your boxes, and
that, and the troop leader in command will come in anywhere,
white gloves, and you come into your room and he'd swipe
underneath the window. Sill now, bearing in mind, I
dusted under that window. So maybe five minutes, maybe
five or six minutes before we came in.
I've dusted every way I, you know, got up at six to finish
the last dusting Beetle, swipe under the window sill with his
white glove? He won't look at the White
Glove. He'll just stick it in your
face. And say what's that?
Go, it's dust sir and he'll go, it's fucking dust.
That's not my dust that's probably dust from his own but
he would say it's fucking dust and then he will throw open the
windows and then throw out the contents of your room onto the
playground below and and those are our daily and you say thank
you so much. And that was our, my daily
experiences and testing and it's maybe enjoy it.
Adam sadomasochism generally and and I'm pretty anal about where
I put everything in the, you know, and attention to detail
is, yeah, my dad, my part of the house is immaculate and your
part is Sophia as tidy as you. Sadly, sadly, not, is that a
bone of contention? You would use, I don't want to.
I don't feel, I can discuss it. So you just quietly go through
her wardrobe and refold them. Like I do with huge, exactly
sir. It's a work in progress.
Everyone needs a work in progress, quick fire questions,
high-end Ohio Street. I mean High Street really it was
all Saints High Street. Mmm in between, thanks,
minimalism or maximalism. I mean, minimalism on the
surface maximum under the, under that under that, in the heart,
one awful bog off. I mean, not the one off, oh
well, if it's a one-off piece of clothing, but then I'll
definitely get out of my wife Crocs, Que te puke terrible,
sports Luxe or rock and roll. Softly rock and roll Glam or
grunge? Well, I think, you know, I I
look pretty. I look pretty jeans and t-shirt
Granite. Don't I throw in another jacket
once in a while? I think.
I think you own that. Yeah, several genes will I'm in
jeans but then I do lead a double life, a little bit.
You do you know, you take me along to some wonderful events,
um, where you tell me I need to dress up and I do have, I, I
have sorry, I didn't take you to a royal wedding.
So I, you know, I do have And I was at, you know, I'm a posh
twat. So I also sort of useful Taylor
are, you know, we knew Jesus the hook.
So I so I have got a couple of jeeps suits and so I can, I can
Bluff. My, you can do the Savile Row.
I can do, I can Bluff my way but into Trend or style.
I mean, either you're asking the wrong person, aren't you?
Thanks for asking color or monochrome?
I really do love a little bit of color if I was allowed more in
my life, I would pattern or plain.
Plain please. Experimental or uniform and
really into experimental in a uniform cashmere cotton.
Well, I'm talking to you guys, I only wear Amanda hoarder or
editor very much. An editor.
Charity shop will resell charity shop.
No one's going to buy it off me again.
Y-fronts briefs or boxers, I'm an ex-soldier and I'm going
commando that. Shut me up t-shirt or button
down. I really don't like the button
down. At all, I mean shouldn't have a,
you know, just a nice color without, but I'm fat, but I'm in
a t-shirt, muscle fit or oversize.
When you've got these muscles, then get yourself to mother.
Cat yourself, to mother cat either one for their children
aged 10, and squeeze into them. That is a guilty secret budgie
Smugglers or board shorts. Well, in my case Paris Madness.
Beanie or baseball, cap baseball, cap please.
And finally, James Blunt, one last question at the end of the
day, what do you or don't you wear in bed?
Don't pretend you don't know. You're gonna tell me the story
of you chasing the Phantom burglar around the house Stark
naked now. Yeah, exactly.
I did have a moment where we had been robbed three times and but
I hadn't been in the house and then and then Windows smashed
and and I got out and I had kind of tooled up.
And so I was running. Now, my house with various
weaponry Naked and actually discovered of just a picture of
it, broken off of all that but my wife was impressed.
James, thank you so much. This is just been hysterical and
great fun and a great excuse to hang out with you.
So good to see you always mad. The thank you so much for having
me. Thank you.