In Conversation With Ed Speleers

What does a typical summer day look like for you and your family?

Summer is the season that our family thrive in! We spend a lot of time as a family chasing the sun, trying to find moments of togetherness, often by being on a beach - maybe somewhere tropical or maybe somewhere closer to home. We explore, and that is often centred around the water - be that in it or on it. We are all huge fans of sea life and charging around on the beach.

A typical day would be finding a little cove - somewhere low-key with a simple beach bar on it - eating lots of fish, drinking cold refreshments, and just hanging out together. Quite often now, my son and I will get up for a run in the morning wherever we are, which starts the day off. Then some sort of family activity across the beach, and maybe going into a local village or town and picking up some fresh pastries and coffee. That is as much of a routine as we have.

For the rest of it, we are pretty much chasing the sun for the day, trying to find the best spot where we can all switch off, eat good local food and enjoy whatever local activities are on offer. Engaging in as much time in the sea as possible and bathing in the turquoise waters of wherever we might be. I’ve noticed that there’s nothing better as a family - we are all very relaxed, it all works for us. And one of the best parts? Turning the phone off, not having to answer anything and just focusing on my three nearest and dearest. Quite literally switching off! 

Left: Ed Speleers wear's Men's Cream Archer Knitted Polo Shirt.

You mentioned "switching off" — what does that actually mean to you, and is it something you find easy or hard to do?

Switching off is not always the easiest thing for me to fully do. We live in a very fast-paced world, so even when you try desperately hard to, you’re never fully able to switch off. There’s always a niggle, be that a WhatsApp that comes in or a lingering email. There’s always something! 

People talk about trying to find meditative states, and I find mine mainly through exercising. I always have done. Whether it be me playing football, going for a run, or swimming in the sea where all you can hear is the water around you. It’s a feeling that I’m forever searching for. Take now, for example, when we are entering the summer holidays… it can be very tricky to find that balance of being incredibly present for your children and your family, but also knowing you have tasks to do. So when I do take a moment to properly switch off, I’m getting a lot better at it. 

We were in Mauritius earlier in the year, and I had really strict rules about where I was able to be on the phone. Avoid social media wherever I can. Avoid too much noise and traffic that comes in via this one little device! So switching off for me is finding room to calm. Laughing. Properly engaging with the people around me. I’m very excited to do a bit more of that this summer. I’m not planning on leaving the UK, so it’s going to be about exploring Somerset, exploring the Dorset coast, days in the English sea by the beach, eating good fresh food, listening to good music and trying to be as present as possible.

Right: Ed Speleers wears Men's Turtles Hold On Staniel Swim Shorts.

Is there a particular summer memory or moment, with your kids, or growing up yourself, that you keep coming back to?

I’ve been incredibly lucky with travel throughout my life. From a very early age, my Mum and Dad used to take me to Spain quite a lot. My Grandfather also sort of retired there, so there was always a pull to Spain. It is a language I’ve explored, even from my school days. I think Spain and the Balearic Islands will always have a big pull for me. 

But the experiences that I’ve had with my young family are the ones that will always bring the biggest smile to my face, and are the ones that I cherish the most. There’s been a lot of happy moments in California when I’ve been working there, and we’ve all gone and spent months hanging out in Venice and Santa Monica. There’ve been incredible moments in Mallorca. 

But I think earlier this year, actually on my birthday, being in the Indian Ocean with my wife and two children swimming with spinner dolphins. All four of us properly in the ocean, going on this journey with these dolphins, who in turn were also a young family going on their own journey. I didn’t know if our daughter would be intimidated by that environment, but the fact that she threw herself into it, just as excited to see these dolphins as the rest of us, all snorkelling together with this pod was a slightly mind-blowing moment. And then just to spend the rest of the day on this little boat travelling round that part of the island and exploring the reef… that was a real moment of magic. One that I think I’ll still be smiling about for many years to come. 

Left: Ed Speleers wears Tortoiseshell Lightbourne Sunglasses and Men's Sky Blue Hoffman Linen Shirt.

What do you actually look for in clothes when you know you'll be in and out of the water, on sand, chasing kids, etc.?

Comfort. Comfort with an element of style. I’ve always liked, and even more so as I’ve got older, quite simple colour patterns. Classics. I’ve always been inspired by the likes of Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Classic Hollywood actors. I think they had a style that was very clean-lined, simple but timeless. 

When you’re hanging out with your kids and one minute you’re playing football, the next minute you’re jumping in the sea, then someone drops an ice cream on your head, you need to be malleable. You need to have clothes that you love to wear but that you’re not overly precious about and you don’t mind that you have to take the shirt off and switch it out. There’s sometimes an element of “wear and tear” - the “wear” part is certainly what I do look for now. Clothes that are practical but are made to be worn and are part of memories and tell stories. 

Comfort is important, but I still like things to be tailored, and I still like a sharpness. You never know if you’re going to be kicking a ball on the beach and then all of a sudden you’re rolling into a lovely lunch, eating as much fish as your body can handle. Versatility is also important. That is probably why I like a really good quality pair of swim shorts. Ones that will carry enough style but will also last as well. There’s no harm in investing in decent swimming shorts. They do last. They don’t become uncomfortable. They weather many trips to the sea. You’re pairing them with towelling shirts, clean-lined t-shirts, linen button-downs, polos, that sort of thing… perfect for various occasions.

Overall, I suppose that I’m quite classic in my style. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned. Or maybe there’s an art to that style, and it's why it’s been a staple for many for generations. 

Right: Ed Speleers wears Men's White Arawak Linen Shirt and Men's Elephant Palace Kerala Green Staniel Swim Shorts.

Is there a piece from the Love Brand collection you've found yourself reaching for again and again?

Other than the swimming shorts, which are perfect for me at the moment, I’m finding ways to wear and re-wear over and over again the towelling in terry cotton - the Powell Polo and the Holmes Shorts. As you know, I love the Kerala Green in our collection, but I also have the Navy Blue, and they are incredibly versatile. You can smarten up, you can casual down. They are great for round the house, great for if you’re going to the pool for the day -  or the beach. I’m finding them really enjoyable, and they are being worn a lot. They’ve already been on so many adventures! In fact, a lot of the Love Brand pieces I’m finding versatile, but they are still relaxing and timeless, which is so important to me.

Left: Ed Speleers wears Men's Kerala Green Powell Terry Polo Shirt and Men's Kerala Green Holmes Terry Shorts.

How would you describe your personal style, in and out of the summer months?

All year round I try to keep it fairly classic. I like things to have a versatility but also a timelessness to them. I used to buy clothes relentlessly, but I don’t buy things as much any more. Once I find certain pieces, I try to go for quality over quantity. 

But also I enjoy living in things. I enjoy having items and pieces that can last me quite a long time. I don’t necessarily wear a lot of vintage clothes, but I do like things I can reuse and hold onto, that I can repurpose and that can tell a story. As my son gets older, I keep sort of nodding to him, “you can have this when you’re older” and “these suits you can have when you’re older”, so I do my best to keep things in as good of a condition as possible. Certain pieces, if you look after them, there’s no reason why you can’t have them for years and years and years. And that’s definitely an ambition of mine. There is something in that for me. Both from an environmental standpoint, but there's also something nostalgic, and an element of family heritage that I find quite intriguing. 

In terms of British summer, I generally rotate white t-shirts, whether paired with jeans, shorts or trousers, either with a bomber jacket or some sort of overshirt vibe. Layered for all weathers! I keep it very simple. Very classic. 

Right: Ed Speleers wears Men's Cream Archer Knitted Polo Shirt and Men's Kerala Green Eleuthera Linen Trousers.

Love Brand supports wildlife conservation efforts; does that cause resonate with you personally, and is protecting nature and wildlife something you feel strongly about?

I think one of the main reasons for engaging in a relationship with Love Brand and being so impressed with what they do, even aside from their clothing, is that passion for conservation and that love of the natural world. It is a shared feeling. 

It is something that I have personally, my wife does, and my children have also embraced that as well. And it is something I would like to be more engaged with. I have been very lucky to have seen some amazing things in the natural world, and that is definitely something that I hope I will be lucky enough to continue to experience. Long may that continue. It doesn’t matter if I’m walking my dog and I see a woodpecker or a buzzard or a deer here in Somerset, or whether we are in California seeing a family of orcas and watching them for hours. 

The natural world is very important to me, and how we protect it and look after it. I know that my own journey with that isn’t perfect, but no one’s is - we are having to learn more and more, but it is incredibly important to me that we are ethical in our approach. How we make clothes, how we consume products, how we travel (if we can)… that’s not the easiest. This friendship is a really positive alignment for me, and I’m really looking forward to exploring and being involved in some of the conservation opportunities that Love Brand has, as the relationship grows and time progresses.