Manly

A little while ago we received a comment that clothing we had mentioned was 'not suitable for anyone with a y chromosome'. This sort of comment (it's not the first of its kind and I doubt it will be the last) always gets me thinking. What is it that makes clothing 'appropriate' for you as a man? How important is it for you that your clothes make you look 'manly'?

Patrick Petitjean in a shoot for GQ style from last year

I come at this issue as a woman who loves having short hair (and I mean short) and feels equally comfortable in trousers or dresses. Women, in western culture, are generally allowed to play around with the idea of what is appropriate for their gender... and yet if a man is to put on a pink shirt or a top with a low neckline it is considered strange, gay (with an intonation that this is somehow wrong or less masculine) or just plain wrong. God forbid if they want to go really 'out there' wearing, say, a skirt or leggings.

You may remember me obsessing over this shoot here

I'll openly admit that I prefer a more traditional look for guys (whatever that means- for me I think that it means suits, trousers, simplicity of tailoring and print), but I think that it's a shame that men are dissuaded from pursuing a different aspect of style for the sake of this sort of propriety. I'm going to keep this post brief- it's a subject I can talk about for hours (just ask my boyfriend, I've been talking about it for about a week solidly now), but if I tried I'd never finish writing this. I'm more curious to know how our readers feel. Does looking manly matter to you? Is there anything that you wouldn't wear because it's too feminine, or are you more put off by the way that others might percieve you? Please let us know in the comments (or if you really want to go on about it, you can drop us an email).

A different Ken

New Look Ken...yours for £179.99

Firstly, apologies for the random post...put it down to me being excited by the upcoming four day weekend and the delightful Spring weather we have been treated to recently. I have to admit that I was a little perplexed as to what to post today as whatever it was would be the burger to the buns of TheSundayBest's (man, that sounds wrong) style diary. As most burgers are a little fake and leave a strange taste in the mouth, I just had to turn to Ken (apologies for the tenuous link, ha!). To celebrate Barbie's fifty years of iconic status there has been much hoo-ha and fanfare and even Ken has got in on the action and received a makeover by none other than Gareth Pugh. I got to inspect the new Ken at the Barbie Party at DSM last night...I'd like to add that my masculinity was restored in time for the football.

Pugh wanted his Ken 'to be outside the confines of what is acceptable' and he certainly mixed it up a little. To make the stiff plastic man a little more contemporary he gave Ken a rather awesome black PVC coat (a scaled down version of one from his debut menswear collection) and some skinny black trousers. Personally, I think the hair is a style feature too far but aside from that it is refreshing to see Ken looking so good.

As a nipper I was obsessed with all forms of action figures and I was something of a spoilt child, my favourites being The Turtles (drove my whole family mad with my obsession to collect every model), Bucky O'Hare, The A-Team (I liked their soft heads and used to bite them) but none of my figures were interesting sartorially speaking...there certainly were no outfit changes for any of my figures! Maybe it is time toy companies experimented with men's style for their toys of the future. Lets shape the sartorial choices of our children today. After seeing Tim Hamilton 's AW09 lookbook over on Blindman's Circus I'd love to sit down and play with a Hamilton inspired doll.

Items Worth Saving For...

Last week the chaps over at Get Kempt brought Details' recent article on Investment Pieces to our attention and it has been on my mind ever since. The idea of buying investment pieces is one we have been looking into for some time and is one we firmly believe in. The article sucked us in with the following statement... "Ostentatious displays of wealth have gone the way of the seven-figure bonus. These days it's all about thoughtfully acquired items that can subtly spruce up a wardrobe and still look fresh a year later" but unfortunately lost us with this seasons top ten. Get Kempt's dissection of the article is spot on with "the result is a few safe staples mixed into the same trend-driven stock they’ve always specialized in". Is the tipped cardigan really a time less essential? Or as The Sunday Best pointed out is $200 for a polo shirt really a good investment? We think not. With this in mind we'd like to share our pick of the items which we think are worth saving those pennies for and the 'Worth saving for' post will be a regular feature.

Below are a selection of items which have captured my imagination in recent weeks and will no doubt force me to scrimp and save my pennies until I can have them in my possession.

YMC Sheep Suede boots, £89
Do I need another pair of casual shoes like this? No but that doesn't stop me wanting these. These are everything I want in a shoe and more.

Folk drawstring cotton and wool cardigan, £119
Folk collections are typically understated with an attention to design and detail which makes the individual stand out and this cardigan is a prime example of such design and detailing.

Burberry Prorsum Trench
This fashion house has always been synonymous with trench coats (quite rightly so, given the fact that Burberry made the first trench coats in 1914) but Bailey has helped create variations which turn this practical staple in to something to truly covet. The SS09 Crumpled Classics collection was full of light and airy options which fit perfectly with my vision for the season ahead.

Bespoke Suit
I have mentioned my 'bespoke suit fund' for some time now and it is moving in the right direction but only slowly. This for me is the investment piece. Giancinephile recently posted about his love for Kilgour and I will certainly pay Mr Brandelli a visit during my hunt for the right suit for me.

Jil Sander Contrasting Collar Trip Poplin Shirt, £220
A man can be rejuvenated simply by wearing a crisp white shirt. This one by Jil Sander is simple yet is given a slight twist with the contrasting collar.

Stingray Orwells by Mr Hare
Ever since we interviewed Mr. Hare I've been thinking about wearing these shoes and I will no doubt continue to think about them until I own them.

Luggage by Globe Trotter
My mind is currently filled with dreams of escape and Globe Trotter offer my kind of handmade luxury luggage. These British classics have been around since 1897 and have been the choice of royalty and politicians...so why not me?

An honourable mention needs to be made to the white and blue cotton shirt by Comme des Garçons with ombre-style fade from top to bottom which EJ posted about earlier this week, because this has now been added to my list.

Luxury in the downturn

As the tills stop ringing what will happen to luxury brands? Image sourced here.

Our attention in recent weeks has been firmly focused on the various fashion weeks and trade shows around the world but now it is time to take a breather from that side of the fashion industry and get back down to business. We love a good conversation about men's style and fashion so what better way to kick start the week than with a topical and multi-faceted one. The chaps over on Get Kempt recently ignited the fires of a good old fashioned chat on how luxury brands should respond to the economic downturn which is affecting us all in some way or another. Choosy Beggar started things off by calling for a return to 30s-style simplicity and durability. Get Kempt recall a time before disposable fashion when a man's wardrobe was like a house - he bought pieces of clothing and he maintained them so they would last, shirts were mended and ultimately their character was enhanced. There are merits to both of these points but over the course of this post we will explore our standpoint on the issue and we would love to hear yours. We have broken down our views into three digestible paragraphs: price, the role of luxury in trends against lasting quality and wardrobe staples with a difference.

Price
Given the current world economic climate luxury brands are in danger of becoming largely irrelevant and they need to address a number of issues as soon as possible. As markets start to stutter and in some cases grind to a halt (Japan and Russian markets which recently booming are now in decline) luxury brands need to reach out to a new consumer. The real problem facing these brands is justifying the prices charged. For us the days of a name being enough are numbered and rightfully so. We applaud and are wooed by history but the label still needs to deliver. With increased competition everywhere you look it is inevitable that at least one brand will crumble and becomes nothing more than a style footnote. To survive, brands need to address their prices in light of the competitive and difficult market but, more importantly for us, they need to return to representing something truly special; provenance of and a story surrounding the product as well as great craftsmanship need to come to the fore. In short we are turn into complete suckas when we hear that our shoes are being crafted by the finest materials by a family of shoe makers who have handed their secret from generation to generation.

Disposable v lasting quality
Will this downturn see the decline of disposable, purely trend led and seasonal fashion? Probably not and would we really want to wave good bye completely...but there will be changes. It might be somewhat masochistic, but there are parts of me which feels that the recession we’re going through at the moment is exciting and dare I say it required on some level. There are a significant number of luxury brands which are failing to create anything, well luxury or covetable. For luxury to work the products needs to shimmer, shine and last, frequently brands fail to deliver on all three. There is clearly a counter argument though, which is easily shown by the importance of sites like hypebeast...the speed of consumerism is such that customers demand new products. Many men have become entrenched by this need to buy the latest, shiniest anything. This said, financial conditions seem to show that more people want less at the moment. The difficulty facing luxury brands at the moment is successfully tapping in this mindset of buying less, but buying quality.

We recently talked about the seemingly forgotten art of wardrobe building:

The art of wardrobe building is not fast or haphazard; instead it is developed and nurtured over time. A mans wardrobe may rather eloquently tell the story of his life less ordinary.

These inspiring words from E. Tautz forced us to purge, cleanse, organise and fix Steve's own wardrobe whilst devising a blueprint for the perfect collection of clothes. At this stage of our lives, luxury brands are a little out of our reach but we are (in theory at least) the future consumers of luxury so a selection of these brands should surely find a place in our masterpiece.

Wardrobe staples with a difference
Many luxury brands create highly covetable wardrobe and accessory staples. Yes, there will always be a place for basics but brands need to realise that basics should not necessarily equate to dull. We are strong advocates of classics with a twist. We can see little point buying yet another white shirt (aside from replacing another), but a white shirt of quality fabric with interesting detail means it feels like you're treating yourself while investing in something that will last. A Suitable Wardrobe has been one of our favorite reads since we entered the blogging game and he predicts that as 'hard times bring a turn to conservatism' people are less inclined to take risk and this extends to their sartorial choices. This attitude has certainly been noticed on the runways which have become a touch more formal in their vision for AW09. We still think that the market needs staples with a difference.

When we think of luxury brands our thoughts are instantly filled with fine leather shoes but there is definitely a sense that the industry has lost its way. We all love shoes and there is a certain romance that is attributed to hand crafted specimens but luxury brands have seemingly forgotten the romance and gone straight for our bra strap. Mr. Hare's debut shoe collection (interview can be read here) has hammered home the point to us that brands need to put elegance and craft back into an industry which in many instances has sacrificed quality craftsmanship for gimmicks. It is these distinctly old fashioned values and approach which should be applauded by all and adopted by the men's fashion industry on a whole. Over the course of the next week we will pick out some of our favourite luxury brands as well as the ones which frustrate us to try and create an idea of what makes a luxury brand great.

We could go on and on about this subject but we want to pass the ranting baton across to you whilst we catch our breath. Where do you see luxury brands in the months/years ahead? What would you like to see them doing? Please drop us a comment, an email or even better, write your own post on the subject (giving us the link after it is done). There is so much to say and we are sure you've got your own perspective on it all so please do share it.

In need of pain relief

The New Tylenol? Looks from the Lanvin AW09 show.

Always read the label. Do not operate heavy machinery.

From bad planning on my part and an eagerness on the behalf of my Grandparents I ended up packing a small case full of jumpers and took the train for a weekend break on the South East coast. All of this meant that I was sans Internet for two days (aside from my phone) and I duly missed much of the activity in Paris...although, did I really miss that much (answers on a postcard, or alternatively the comment box)? I have to admit that I've not caught up on all of the shows as yet because quite honestly the sheer number of looks (mostly mediocre) on offer have given me a headache and I needed a break from it all.

The collection which I took the greatest time over (as it relieved the symptoms of my headache) was unsurprisingly Lanvin. After salivating over the catwalking images, I progressed to the WWD show report and chuckled over the following Elbaz remark:

“In difficult times the public needs something uplifting. You can either take a Tylenol or wear a Lanvin suit.”

Unfortunately, Lanvin suits aren't quite as easy to get hold off as a paracetamol but nevertheless I agree with the sentiment...so many of the shows in Milan and Paris have focused on the negativity of the current economic situation or at best, played it safe, whereas we all want and deserve more! For me fashion should offer some form of an escape and as most of us are forced to reach for the Tylenol (or in my case the English equivalent, paracetamol) and financial markets crumble around us, we can at least aspire/dream and attempt to emulate the look on the runway - and I certainly feel that way about some of the looks created within this show. I just wish more designers shared this mentality, we certainly do need uplifting...and until that happens I guess the message is to hit the painkillers...


Despite my headache I did manage to gaze over the Sartorialist's shots over on men.style and I have to take the trophy out of the hands of Zegna and provisionally award best dressed crowd to Anne Demeulemeester but there is still all to play for...

A Nation of Shopkeepers?

Source

Over the last week most of our attention has been focused on the goings on over in Milan and now Paris...Charlie Porter has notified us via his Twitter that the YSL presentation is his favourite show thus far so I am desperate to see the first lot of images (update: now up on Dazed Digital). Despite the fashion week activity I have also been contemplating the other side of the business, retail. Even the collections themselves were deeply affected by the current state of the world economy...the recession wasn't hinted at but instead the shows almost screamed panic due to the state of affairs...which sends a warning signal to the rest of the industry. I am torturing myself by watching and reading the news...as the doom and gloom seems to be getting darker by the day...which leads me to thinking about the business side of men's style.

However much Tyler Brûlé frustrates me, he frequently covers the topics that interest me and within his Observation column in Monocle he talks about playing shop. I visited the Monocle shop in November last year and at just nine square metres in size (it is only a touch larger than my childhood bedroom which only allowed my bed, a small television set and my Sega Mega Drive) the space has been beautifully designed and furnished so it feels welcoming and feels so homely. After over two months of trading Tyler Brûlé feels there is a core of consumers who are looking for a more personal, hands on approach to minding a shop. I couldn't agree more! My favourite shops are the ones which have a strong but friendly and welcoming ownership. bstore which is now in it's seventh year has gone from strength to strength and this can only be down to the vision, drive and commitment of the two owners, Kirk Beattie and Matt Murphy (and maybe a little luck). We featured parts of an insightful interview Matt Murphy gave with Ponystep and I have to admit that I re-read this from time to time and it inspires me...Another prime example of how a shop owner should be is Daniel Jenkins who has single-handedly put Monmouth (a small town in Wales, population 8407) on the men's style map and is always buying in great menswear. As mentioned on the blog previously, I met up with Dan at the last MAN show and this guys passion and knowlege for menswear is in my experience unparalleled...and over a beer before the show he was taking calls from designers and customers alike. I just wish more store owners shared these attributes but they really are few and far between.

In a recent interview with BUCK, Creative Director of oki-ni, John Skelton, predicts that 'there is going to be a real return to the independent retail mentality of old, where small/independent stores will make their money by offering something different.' Over the last year or two, we have certainly seen a number of retailers, large and small, offering emerging menswear talent and I hope this continues into 2009 and beyond. There is undoubtedly a market, where people like myself, are eager to buy designs from recent graduates and small fashion teams but this market is certainly not the safe option: the demise of London-based fashion concept store twosee which showcased avant-garde designers but is unfortunately closing it's doors at the end of this month is testament to the difficulties. The Shop At Bluebird (even the website is down) used to be a favourite of mine and I managed to pick up a number of pieces from emerging design talent but in recent visits I have become frustrated by the 'safe' Buying, there is no longer a place for brands like Unconditional and Omar Kashoura, they have been replaced by much more established brands. Yawn.

The UK used to be dubbed as the nation of shopkeepers but in recent years the landscape has changed from busy, bustling stores to empty and even boarded up stores. I can honestly count the number of exciting stores in London using my fingers. Tyler Brûlé mentions how Japan's lost decade was the catalyst for the rise of a new. super talented merchant class that kept the retail scene buoyant despite the dire state of the economy. Let's hope that one positive outcome of the recent troubling economic times will be a new breed of shop keepers. It would be great if the UK could be crowned as the nation of menswear shopkeepers.

There is a lot that could be said on this subject so I feel that this is only the beginning. I would like to hear your thoughts thoughts though....What in your eyes makes a good menswear store? What would you like to see store owners do in the year ahead and beyond?

Personal uniform

Found here

Both of us here at Style Salvage have been enjoying Valet in recent weeks, but one article in particular caught my eye.

The idea of a personal uniform is something that I've been mulling over since before we even started the blog. I know without a doubt that, without really thinking about it, I've developed my own personal uniform which consists of jeans, t shirt and cardigan. I own a slightly silly number of dresses and some very nice skirts, but day after day the ease and comfort of jeans appeals to my lazy, comfort-obsessed side. When I write this down, this makes me sound very conservative and boring (and I'd be inclined to agree), but I think it also highlights the importance of smaller details. Colour is very important to me- I'm not a head to toe black person- so lately I've been trying out almost all purple outfits or different combinations of colours. The relative safety of the uniform outfit gives me the confidence to try out more outlandish accessories or outwear- a new cape, a large, flashy brooch or the like.

I think the important thing to bear in mind if you do embrace this idea is to keep assessing and reassessing what you're wearing and how you're wearing it. What properly represented you, or made you look good, two years ago may not be so fitting (in both senses of the word) now that you've lost three stone or got that high-powered job. Just because you've got the formula right, doesn't mean it's always going to be right.

This article just makes me think of non-uniform day at school. Once the excitement of being allowed to wear whatever we wanted died down., it soon became clear that we had all opted for the same thing. T-shirts, blue jeans and white trainers had replaced shirt and tie, black trousers and shoes. What a difference!


After just a few months in to my last job I realised that a definite uniform had been born. A safe, somewhat unadventurous style (similarly to yours) consisting of polo shirt, colorful merino wool sweater, jeans and either my suede bstore lace ups (if I was feeling fancy) or trainers. There was very little deviation from this. The informal work environment had a strange effect... maybe there was just too much choice for me. Of course, a significant chunk of my wardrobe would have raised eyebrows on many of my colleagues faces but that didn't really effect my outfit decisions... it had much more to do with comfort. Another reason is that when I buy something new, I just love wearing it and thus the wear and then wash cycle begins. With regard to shopping, Richard Haines's mentality of having less, but owning quality is one that should certainly be adopted...although at times I feel that there is just so much quality on offer... can't I have both quantity and quality?

However, writing this blog and attempting to keep track of my outfits on wardrobe remix (as well as dating Susie) has pushed me to be more adventurous and change things. I definitely recommend keeping some form of style diary because it makes you really think about what you are wearing and how it evolves (however large or small) over time. The key to dressing well is to find what best suits you and to have fun at the same time. In a recent feature on WWD Thom Browne stated...“It’s the beauty in the uniformity that I find refreshing. Not having so much choice is what I find refreshing,” Indeed, Browne is well known for his regimented daily habits, which extend to the shrunken grey suits and white button-down oxford shirts he dons every morning. Having rewritten the rules of suiting up, Mr Browne certainly doesn’t deviate from them. I'm just not sure that this is for me... at the moment at least.

Once you've found that secret formula (if it even exists) of a great outfit the key is to tweak as you go, accessories and colour can certainly be experimented with. Have you embraced a uniform?

Celebrities to go uggly?

Ugg Boots become a must have fashion accessory for celebrity men

This is the most provocative headline I've read for some time which is saying something given that there have been some ridiculous ones in recent weeks what with the US Election and the Brand/Ross BBC saga. For me there is a great deal of room for men to interpret the world of fashion and style and interpret them to fit them as an individual. I dislike the very idea of following rules in all aspects of life but in particular with regards to personal style. I do have one rule/commandment though:

Men shall not wear ridiculous bear feet monstrosities instead of actual shoes/boots.

Is there anything to salvage from di Caprio's outfit?

I appreciate the fact that these boots have some appeal; they are supposedly very comfortable and warm but no self respecting man should be wearing them outside the confines of his own home and question marks can even be raised when he's wearing them in the safety of his own abode. These are comfortable slippers nothing more. They should only be worn when the the central heating packs up or if you have circulation trouble. At £140 these are far from cheap as well and there must be more affordable and better looking options out there for those who suffer from cold toes. Male celebrities should certainly know better! Sadly, once again this is a case of a celebrity having more money than (fashion and style) sense. You have let us all down Mr Di Caprio but most of all you have let yourself down. How can we take your ideas on politics seriously when you wear such ridiculous boots and combine them with that purple velour tracksuit?

My favourite part of the article was the final paragraph where an unnamed editor of a men's magazine (Dylan Jones perhaps?) told the newspaper:

"They are a monstrosity. They are like glorified slippers. You may as well shuffle down the street in your pyjamas and a pair of incontinence pants."

Disclaimer: If I've offended anyone by posting about my distaste for this particular choice of footwear, I apologise (for your bad taste, mwahaha). In all seriousness thought, if you think you wear these boots wear then let us know, you can even send us images and who knows you might be able to change my mind.

Oh god, this is really testing my salvaging skills... um, um... like the purple, just not on Mr DiCaprio? At least he's adding colour to his wardrobe? Maybe there's something tasty in that plastic bag?? Oh, I give up. Perhaps this is just his fancy dress costume for Halloween... and he's dressing as JLo from about 8 years ago... Someone please tell me this is a belated April Fools joke!

Daniel Jenkins on British Mens Fashion

We asked Daniel Jenkins if he would like to write a guest post for the blog and were surprised after he agreed without hesitation. He went away back to his store in Monmouth and wrote the post in secret (he didn't even give us any clues on the subject matter) and here it is. A recurrent theme on the blog in recent months has been the discussion on the rise of menswear but despite this rise there are still so much room for improvement. As a store owner Daniel Jenkins has a clear vision on menswear and the designers he wants to sell. As a passionate, intelligent chap he has insightful thoughts on the current state of men's fashion in Britian so here they are!

Posts from the last week or so have forced me to rethink what I was going to write about, particularly the Lulu Kennedy interview. Her comments regarding men’s fashion fascinated me. As someone who believes in British menswear to such an extent that my shop is only stocking British menswear labels from ss09 I have a slightly vested interest in what happens with regards to MAN and menswear during British fashion week. During fashion week this time around there was much talk of New York, Milan and Paris trying to expand their timetable. In order to facilitate such a change London Fashion Week would have to be truncated. Maurice Chittenden in The Times wrote that menswear was likely to be the main casualty, something that, if I was of a sensitive disposition, I might find deeply upsetting. However, it could be argued that British menswear, despite a lack of mainstream coverage, is currently stronger than womenswear. In spite of this when was the last time you read an intelligent and thought provoking piece on menswear in any of the mainstream newspapers? Unless it is about how to look as if you’ve surrendered your manhood. Some of the looks that are proposed as ideal for the chap about town would make you look as if you’ve fallen out of an advert for Next and been dressed by your partner – I remove Charlie Porter from this blame, who is perhaps the best men’s fashion journalist we have in the UK. Time and time again I have the same line fed to me that women buy clothes for their husbands, boyfriends and sons. I’m struggling to see the evidence for this. It’s certainly not the case in my store or online. In fact I did a quick straw poll amongst my girlfriend and her friends the other night. They agreed with me that they would rather cut their arms off than go shopping for the ‘other half’. Is this the case with you as well?

As I stated before, menswear is fairly healthy in the UK. Some of the UK’s best stores are purely menswear affairs... something that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. The British male has certainly become more savvy and demanding. Is it any surprise then that we lead the world in online retailers? Last week saw the launch of FarFetch, another British concept. In fact I sat down and thought about purely womenswear stores which offered the level and breadth of talent that some of the best men's stores do. I’m not talking about replicating Vogue and Elle but rather those that offered well made clothes sourced from small labels from around the world. Answers on a postcard please.

British Talent: Satyenkumar, Lou Dalton and Stanfeild.

Not all is peachy though. Of the men’s fashion weeks Paris has traditionally been where the most business is done. Almost all the British labels we deal with do large amounts of business when in Paris or perhaps in Copenhagen. As a store based in deepest darkest Wales – only 200 years from London - I could quite easily do all of my buying without ever setting foot in London... the creative capital of the world? This isn’t because of a paucity of talent. Some of the best and brightest men's talent, those that will last the course, are British. We have labels as diverse as Lou Dalton, Stansfield and Passarella Death Squad – a modern phenomenon if there ever was one - all of which are stocked in the best stores in America, Japan, Europe yet have small presence in this country. Why is this? I found the last MAN show interesting. I usually go to fashion shows alone so I enjoyed watching it with Steve and being able to pick his brain about the collections.

Ms Kennedy is right, there was a good balance – although wool in July is never going to be a winner - but three labels and Topman design does not a fashion week make. The idea of a men’s fashion week in London is something I don’t believe I’ll see in my lifetime. The menswear could presently be fitted into one day. What a fine day it would be, but, it’s not enough! The New Gen programme has worked well for womenswear and poses interesting questions about menswear. Far too many labels are allowed to gather a head of steam then left to crash. I understand the 'why should we help people?’ argument. No-one helps retailers etc but if we aren’t careful we will lose our brightest and best talent. Rachel Sanderson in the International Herald Tribune writes about the shift away from British manufacture, stating that labels have decided that being able to put 'made in Britain' no longer has the cache it used to and that the problems in the global economy force them to construct their garments elsewhere. This is something I often chat with customers about. Most are quite informed about where something comes from and we’ve found as a business that those labels that are made in the UK tend to do quite well for us. Satyenkumar is quite a good example. We’ve had a number of repeat customers who have commented on the fact that everything is British and made in the UK. The use of British fabric again is important.

If you missed the Tailoring show - go watch it on iplayer now!

This week the BBC’s British Style Genius series dealt with Tailoring. Within the show there was a brief segment that dealt with Burton. The creative director was at pains to mention several times that they were using British fabric for their ‘Heritage’ range. Unfortunately this is something that is unlikely to end up in Monmouth’s branch of Burton. They however do fabulous business in Mister Men t-shirts...

In France the FFC was set up not only to deal with the organisation for Paris Fashion week but also to protect the interests of French fashion. We have the BFC in this country that aims to do this. It’s created an interesting dialogue with the media regarding the size zero debate. Yet we hear very little from them about British menswear. I’ve certainly never spoken to anyone connected with the organisation. Of course there are organisations such as the CFE (Centre for Fashion Enterprise) which offer government backed help. but this only goes so far.

Jonathan Saunders in an interview with Style.com stated that he and the other stars of his generation quickly realised that you needed to work on collaborations and for other companies in order to further your own business. MAN does a wonderful job of bringing the industry together and celebrating menswear through the show and party, but there is only so much they can do. Once fashion week is over we seem to be left to our own devices. Constantly I hear that British Fashion is a multi billion dollar industry... given that according to Robert Peston of the BBC the world should end sometime next Tuesday shouldn’t we do something to make sure that we safeguard it?

In more trying and testing economic times the maxim was always that people dressed better, stopped buying disposable fashion and moved towards items which would last and wear well. This has always been our maxim. Trying to offer something a little different to the customer. Limiting the chance that they will see 5 men wearing the same outfit while out and about. This is what the British male who is interested in fashion strives for. Limited edition releases and hard to find products will always do well. Sir Paul Smith (my hero) summed it up quite nicely last night when dealt with the topic of other nations being better dressed than us Brits. He said “the Italians are extraordinarily well dressed. Yet there is very little individuality in the way they dress... In Britain we have our own character and we dress to fit our character.” British fashion is incredibly important. We created most of the prevailing trends of the last 200 years. Constantly we are at the forefront pushing new ideas without losing that sense of British identity in our cut and drape. Raf Simons – the nearest we currently have to a genius in men's fashion - is constantly influenced by British fashion and our youth culture. Wouldn’t it be a shame to lose that sense of craft in order to push fast celebrity fashion?

To tie or not to tie?

An article on the Times website had me both irritated and curious. The gist of the article is that, contrary to a earlier article, ties are actually 'out' and apprently not advisable in this climate of economic crisis. The main basis of this argument? That several authors at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival were seen sporting open collared shirts.

Robert Kennedy - wondering whether to do up that tie?

I can't really put my finger on why this article riled me so much. I think part of it is that is seems supremely fickle. Yes, fashion IS fickle, but for me, the way men dress- wearing ties or not, wearing jeans or trousers, this colour or that- is not so much about fashion or about fads, it is more about personal style. One of the main reasons that I was drawn enough to men's style to want to write about it was because it seemed that bit less fickle than women's. That is not to say that men are not interested in fads or trends obviously (I'm not blind to the number of stylish men I've noticed turning up their trousers a bit shorter of late... I'm looking at you, Steve) but I've always hoped that men who wore ties (or who didn't wear ties) really wouldn't be bothered by whether or not someone else was or wasn't wearing them (or whether the economic climate demanded it!)

So here's my question to you, dear readers. How much DO you feel you're influenced by such things? Do catwalks, celebrities or magazine articles have much of an affect when you're planning your outfits for the day/month/season? Or is it something else, and if so, what?

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This has nothing really to do with any of the above, but doesn't this chap over on Brandish look like he's channelling Ian Curtis of Joy Division to a ridiculous degree in this picture?

Reader's Questions: A budding designer

Just like buses here in the UK we were waiting for a Reader's Question with some trepidation and doubt...then two come at once. We recently posted about Daniel Osburn's move to London and gave him our recommendations on how best to adapt to London life. Then we received an email from Paul Hardy, a reader who, like most of us, is a little bit bored with menswear right now and is keen to push things forward and wants to take matters in his own hands. The timing of this email was perfect. As The Sunday Best's awesome comic shows, the New York Shows were far from spectacular, they demonstrated fine, wearable clothes but quite a few of us want more, Paul certainly does and we love his attitude.

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Dear StyleSalvage,

I love your blog please don't stop updating it. Now onto my question. Are you in the fashion business by any chance? Do you know any designers or editors? I am aiming to be in the fashion business (right now I'm just 14). I would be extremely happy if you could get me some advice on the subject. I currently want to be in the field of menswear as its boring right now. Its the same thing over and over again. I want to add uniqueness to it, something different and innovative. Right now I am thinking of a biker jacket in tweed (your thoughts please). What I want to know how I can improve my knowledge of menswear - its designers, its fabrics, its techniques, its history (anything connected to menswear).

Thanks Steve and EJ. Keep up the good blogging.

Yours Truly,

Paul

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Above is Paul's sketch for his tweed biker jacket, Steve would certainly wear this... Steve fell in love with a Peoples Market biker jacket in grey wool seen in TwoSee but the size gods were against him...in fact he want to wear this right now. Paul is currently learning tailoring (something Steve has talked about for some time and needs to actually do!) and this should inspire us all. Tailoring is something of a dying art form and that is just plain wrong. Have you got any advice for Paul? Are you thinking of taking matters into your own hands and sketching your own visions for the future of menswear?

Addressing the balance

Thom Browne is one of the few designers pushing menswear in a different direction whilst bringing some theatre to the show - Image taken from Dazed Digital's excellent coverage of the shows across the pond.

In modern society (as I live it anyway) there is a welcome questioning of the balance between the sexes throughout all aspects of society be that at the office in terms of promotions or sexual harassment, or in Sport, with the of the allocation of prize money or even participation itself being debated and addressed. This is a good thing. However, as the majority of men enjoy their hegemonic status, in certain arenas they simply don't. Fashion is one of these arenas where men, or atleast menswear, is shunned into the shadows. Yes, there is has been a great deal more attention afforded to it but it still perceived to be the ugly sister, both in it's treatment within the media and even (most dishearteningly) by the designers themselves. Two recent posts have forced me into writing this and I would like to continue the debate with all of you and ask for your opinions on the subject. In his recent podcast with enc (which is well worth a listen, if you've not done so already) The Sunday Best mentions how he is frustrated by a number of designers seemingly approaching their menswear lines halfheartedly, giving the example of Nicolas Ghesquière (which is a great example). The treatment and perception of menswear and womenswear is inherently different, but why? Can designers change this, would you like them to? There are few contemporary menswear designers who confront the conventions of the genre. While notable visionaries such as Rei Kawakubo, for Comme des Garçons, and Martin Margiela are revered for their radical approach to fashion, their main focus is still womenswear... the men's line is something of an afterthought.

One of the few - James Long. Graduating from the Royal College of Art with an MA in menswear and accessories, Long's signature fabrics include leather and sheepskin. He fuses them with modern materials such as netting and plastics, to create hard, graphic silhouettes.

Similarly Jaiden James wrote about his boredom of the current state of fashion, in particular menswear - "Even menswear is tiring me gone are the days of Slimane, Lang,Sander and with every designer either using colour and failing or neutral colours and boring the over used minimilistic approach to design is now making alot of designers clothes look the same." One look at the current crop of shows and one has to agree that there is a somewhat predictable theme running through the collections. Menswear rarely gets the theatre, the surprise, the forward momentum that we see frequently in womenswear. Jaiden James then goes on to describe how London has a wealth of talented designers "from Longs exo skelton harnesses, Throups conceptual designs, Mundanes neon monster pixialated world, eurlers furturistic approach to contemporary menswear, madsens sculptrual knitwear etc etc", however there s a lack of support for the new breed of designers, which needs to be nurtured and showcased. Let's look at London Fashion week and the options for menswear. The MAN Show is one of the few options available to these menswear designers and it can only support 3 a season. "All MAN is trying to say is that menswear has been grossly neglected," says Gordon Richardson (design director of Topman). Unfortunately, it still is being neglected (The Man show is now in it's seventh season), despite the growth of menswear (in terms of sales and attention) why are the powers that be so fixated on womenswear. If this element of the industry isn't prepared to change something else has to. Maybe one day Men Represent can join MAN show in supporting menswear in the way that it should be supported.

Men Represent update: The lovely Isabelle (editor of Brandish) posted about the cause today and I'm really feeling a sense of community right now. Fingers crossed we get sent lots of Essentials which we can share with you to start the ball rolling. We've already received a few and we will begin posting them soon.

A Bit of a Boost

As a taller than normal woman (I'm just under 5ft 10, the average man is 5 ft 8) I have a possibly greater interest than most in men's height. I don't care whether someone's shorter than me but it has proven to be an issue with some men. But if you are unhappy with your height, how far would you go to do something about it?

This ramble is sparked off by several things: these articles in the Times and the Daily Mail about lift shoes and a male friend of mine who wears boots with about an inch heel. I suppose this is one of those cases of 'if it makes someone happy, well let them be happy' but honestly, I think it's making a fuss over nothing. When I discovered the slightly falsely named Tall Men Shoes I was intrigued. I read the 'How it works' page with interest, these are some very carefully designed shoes... then I got to this bit:

"WHY BE TALLER?

• Be taller, be more handsome.



• Tall people even earn more! (according to the Wall Street Journal)



• Well proven, thousands of customers worldwide. "

Overlooking the fact that the last bullet point doesn't address the question at all, do people really, truly believe that taller men are somehow magically more handsome? If you do believe this, I've got something to tell you: it's nonsense! And if you don't believe me, then you should believe 5 ft 6 inch of hotty, Gael Garcia Bernal who views being short as a blessing and not a curse

Save the tie campaign

The slow demise of the tie is something that I've noticed during my time working in the big smoke, not just within the offices where I have worked (not that surprising really because the media industry were one of the first to embrace the open neck look) but also more alarmingly during the commute in where I am pressed up against numerous peoples indistinguishable body parts I can see very few ties. Getkempt recently ran the Wall Street Journal article and I've seen enough. A number of articles in recent years have highlighted the decline of the tie and some have tried to explain the reasons why. Kathryn Hughes writing a few back for the Guardian suggested that the tie should be abandoned as ever since the 1880's when the jaunty rowers of Oxford's Exeter College removed the ribbon bands from their hats and tied them around their necks the tie has come to represent class and social divisions. This argument is utter rubbish today. The tie is for everyone and should again adorn neck's one and all. The tie has broken free of the shackles of work/formal wear, no longer confined to being teamed up with bland, ill fitting office suits.

Cherishable goods

The Sunday Best and Carlo Brandelli got me thinking about my theoretical children...

Ever since The Sunday Best wrote about his desire for a legacy bag, the question of what I have to pass on to my theoretical children has troubled me. On the train back up from Kent I happened to find someone's discarded Lux, which is a supplement from The Times (and I thought I was the only one from my hometown who literate... it must have been left by an outsider) and there was a wonderful spread describing a number of interesting and well known peoples inheritances. Far from the dull pound sterling, these gifts were worth far more. One of my current heroes, Carlo Brandelli (if you don't know who he is, he is the Creative Director of Kilgour) was featured and he inherited an entire library from his Uncle in northern Italy. Most of the library is where his uncle left it but Brandelli brought a few favourites back to London with him, including Orlando Furioso and Divine Comedy, both illustrated by Gustave Dore.

What made me fall in love with this story even more was the fact that all of he books are bound in a way which is so distinctive and personal to his uncle, they are covered in the same coloured ale fabric of his summer suits. Brandelli then goes on to describe his most vivid memories of his uncle, how in summer he would wear crisp linen with a silver cane and silk handkerchiefs within his 400 year old Townhouse which was littered was heavy furniture... but there his uncle would be in finely pressed suits. Not only did these words inspire me to ensure that I pass on something as equally special but it also made me want that Kilgour suit even more - as even theoretical children are lightyears away I guess I should concentrate on accumulating the funds to invent in one of Brandelli's masterpeices.

Other people featured included Pierre-Louis Vuitton who- unsurprisingly- inherited a bag... not just any bag though, it was the first Keepall which was designed by his great-grandfather. People forget that during the 30s people travelled with trunks and hard suitcase; there wasn't really a suitable fabric until this soft Keepall, which was personalised with the Gaston V logo and the interlaced blue, white and red design Gaston Vuitton used on all of his designs (a far cry from the Murakami monogramouflage Keepalls. He certainly inherited a legacy bag... I think this has set the bar for The Sunday Best.

I certainly will never inherit anything as stylish as the valued possessions described above but there is hope for my theoretical offspring... although I might just want to take it with me- or maybe I will just live forever...

I love the idea of Steve being buried, Pharoah-like, with all of his worldly belongings when he goes. I also love the idea of clothing inheritance; being clothed in the same material which once covered a loved one is such an appealing idea to me. Vintage luggage is always classier than those little bags on wheels that inevitably break and jam (or do if you buy them cheap, Steve!).

Dear Topman

Dear Topman,

Why do you hate men?

Ok, maybe hate's a strong word. Why do you put so little faith in the fact that men want to dress well, that they're interested in more 'edgy' fashions? Let's compare what your sister shop, Topshop, provides for us women and what you offer up to men.

You have no less than TWO specialist ranges for women, Unique and Boutique, which seem to be available in most of your stores... or at least the bigger ones that I've been to.

Silk Pocket Dress by Boutique

You then have TWELVE other different designers who have created ranges for you, five of which specialise in just shoes. SHOES! Let's see what you offer the men...

Carolyn Massey Funnel Shirt

Four designers for your LENS range. It was five about a month ago, but Nueue seemed to disappear without a word. There are currently 19 pieces available altogether. NINETEEN! No shoes, no accessories.

Now don't get me wrong. The men that I know are grateful for this range... when they can get it. Yes, it's available online, but most people like to try stuff on first. And if you want to try on, you'd damn well better live in London. I'm sure you'll tell me that it is stocked in stores other than your Oxford Street flagship store, but if/when it is, it's a bugger to find. I have previously just stumbled across odd pieces from the range, tucked away among other clothes in random sizes with absolutely no signage whatsoever. What is the problem here? Don't tell me that it's floorspace as you devote half your shop to bloody jeans. Are you not proud of the range?

Sort it out Topman!

EJ

Oh not much gets you this riled up! Unfortunately, this isn't just the case with Topman we have seen it across the High Street and also online. Menswear is the poor cousin of womenswear...Unfortunately, women just spend more money on clothes, not only that but a greater percentage of women are interested in fashion and style...we are in the minority still despite the continued growth of the menswear market. Topman has taken many strong, definite strides forward in recent years but it will take some time for the store to reflect the changing attitudes towards menswear. I agree that they need to do more than they currently are though. I have been the victim (on a number of occasions) where I have seen an item within the Lens collaborations, only to see the item sold out in my size (small to medium)..the just don't stock enough and i am one of the few who have the items available in my local store (the flagship store)! I hope that within my lifetime, the floorspace is divided equally between menswear and womenswear...I'm having a Martin Luther King moment..."I have a dream..." What are our readers experiences, how do our readers from abroad fare in stores...?

The joy of lists

Daniel Craig was voted Best Dressed Man in Britain for the second year running by GQ magazine. The pic of Craig in his short shorts was for EJ's benefit...reports from other other people in the cinema showing of Casino Royale say she was actually salivating at this point in the film.

Eliza is passionate about lists, she writes lists for everything and through her passion I am a big fan of writing all kinds of lists. My favourite list is my 'Clothes of the Month' list which details any items that I need to complement my wardrobe. Of course there are times when I'm out shopping and the tempting shade of a shoe, or the cut of a shirt will catch my attention and make me forget the list, but I always have the list in the back of my mind and it helps me...list are great. However, when it comes to other peoples lists, I'm not so keen. I pick up GQ from time to time now, for me it has been surpassed by Esquire and Arena in the everymans (allbeit slightly wealthy and middle aged) market, it has become the male equivalent of everything that is wrong with Vogue, far too many adverts, lazy styling and leaning far too far to the right (I'm getting political this morning!) This little rant is after GQ has published their '50 Best Dressed Men in Britain in 2008', for a great run down of the list go here.

With regards to their number one, I have little to complain about, I've talked about Daniel Craig recently - Craig dresses in Savile Row, he is always sharp and crisp, not very adventurous but he knows how to wear clothes well. Noel Fielding (for anyone who doesn't know he is the chap above) at number 2? GQ isn't meant to be picking someone like Noel Fielding; he certainly is an interesting dresser (a man who's never been afraid to wear silver space shoes down the local cafe) but one of the best dressed men in Britain he is not. Apparently he got the female vote. Which is surprising to me because I thought they might be angry with him for stealing their jeans in Topshop.

Now onto James McAvoy, I like the Atonement actor a great deal but he should not be anywhere near the top 50 best dressed men solely because of the cover he did for W. I could go on and on in this fashion but I will try and keep this short...

4th best dressed man in Britain...I'm packing my bag and heading anywhere else...

The Royal Family also find themselves surprisingly well represented, with Princes Philip, Charles, Harry and Michael of Kent all making the list, which was voted for by a panel of international judges including Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani and Naomi Campbell. Conservative leader David Cameron made the top ten, while Gordon Brown fell (or climbed, depending on how you look at it) to third worst-dressed. Can the Conservativeness of this publication being any more subtle?

I will stick to writing my own lists and will be miffed by other peoples....so let's start our own list...recommendations welcome...this is a democratic blog after all.

Is it bad that I've not actually heard of a lot of people on their list? I can't understand how David Beckham can be one of the best dressed men in Britain largely because he doesn't really live here any more. It seems odd that at number one they have someone who dresses so classically, while at number two they have someone who dresses out of a manic 8 year old girl's dressing up box (sorry, in the past year for some reason I've grown to really dislike Noel Fielding).

It's funny though, as much as I love lists, I don't really have a list of stylish men in my head, just particular outfits, films, photographs and moods in a gigantic collage in my memory. I guess for me that's a large part of what this blog's about, trying to pin it all down. Still, I'd love to know who's our readers' number one, or if indeed they have anyone specifically in mind.

Is the Vanishing Point going unnoticed?

Just as I was leaving New York I had a few moments to kill as the gf was packing up (frantically cramming things into her suitcase and, when that was full, mine) and I read an article in the New York Times. The point of the article was that over the last few years the body shape of the male model has changed, the preferred frame aesthetic is now much leaner than before and whilst everyone worries about thin female models, the skinny man goes unnoticed.

The article refers to Slimanization - the dominance of the scrawny kid at castings.

It is certainly true that the sleekness of Dior Homme suits made other designs appear boxy and old. I actually took a class at Uni for my Law and Sociology degree titled Masculinities which explored, amongst other things, the Male Body and back then in 2003 a musucular and athletic form was preferred. It was interesting reading the view point of American who are used to seeing muscular male models championed by the likes of athletic menswear brands such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. John Bartlett is interviewed and says "The eye has changed. Clothes are now tighter and tighter. Guys are younger and younger. Everyone is influenced by what Europe shows." It is true that designers like Raf Simons, Prada and Slimane champion the scrawny and younger guy so this leaves the big, powerful models of old even unable to squeeze themselves in sample sizes. Demian Tkack an Argentine model has the last words within the article "I understand the designers are not looking for a male image anymore. They're looking for some kind of androgyne."

The image used in the article, models Sascha Kooeinga (left) and Artem Emelianov (right).

Should we be ranting and raving about the state of male models in the way in which has recently taken place for Womenswear or is this the scrawny kid getting their own back on all those guys who used to kick sand in their face on the beach? Personally I feel that trends go round and around, this has just been the time where the thin guy takes the limelight as androgyne prevails. As tastes and fashions evolve,masculinity should not be measured by the size of a man's bicep but by a myriad of complimentary and contradictory facets. If people believe that the scrawny ideal is an unhealthy ideal as they champion the more butch body, then they forget how unhealthy the road can be to reach this ideals. A fact that has stayed with me ever since those uni lectures is that if the Wolverine (a member of the X Men) action figure was lifesize his biceps would measure 48 inches. Is a waist of twenty eight inches more or less unhealthy than a body (Wolverine's) of such celebrated (allbeit caricature like) of masculinity? In conclusion, as long as the man is 'healthy' there is no need for debate. Let the clothes speak for themselves.

I think this is a very complex issue that I find difficult to discuss briefly here. I will, however, say that while I agree that as long as the man is healthy, then it shouldn't be a big deal, when people are shown only one body type (whether pumped up or super-skinny) it can lead to feelings of inadequacy that can have very negative and strong impacts on men's lives. Whether this is fashion's responsibility or not is very much up for debate.

Rant Alert: Menswear Designer of the Year

Can Carri Munden be one of the finalists for Menswear Designer of the Year? Can a brand that has been described as Cartoon Couture be taken seriously? I read this on FUK and I just hoped my eyes were playing tricks on me so I closed down computer went out to work and then came back only to read the very same thing! I've never really taken this designer seriously myself, gaudy colours and patterns; nothing else, this is a fad at best. A fashion that accompanied the rise of Nu-Rave (I can't believe I even wrote that because the music scene doesn't even exist...I even like a lot of it!). I can see how for some London natives who crave neon colors, cartoon imagery, and outlandish graphics whilst listening to dance and electro (which I do myself but see no reason in having to wear such things!) this is an attractive label but outside of this novelty world, no.

"Cassette Playa has a great approach to colour which I really respect and Carri's clothes really form and reflect that air of excitement flooding through London's young creative scene" - Nicola Formichetti (Executive Menswear Editor, Dazed & Confused and Another Man)....I concede that it could be seen (as Formichetti does) as refreshing in some way; an exciting, innovative approach to Menswear (which can be a tad on the safe side) but it's not for me and its not for most men. What do you think?

Regardless it should certainly not be considered for Designer of the Year accolades and sit alongside the likes of Bailey and McQueen. If you are not aware of the label just click onto the website and you will instantly see how annoying it all is! I just hope Bailey wins. Surely he HAS to and Cassette Playa can have the continued support of Sega stalwarts.

Vs

I was always more of a Nintendo kind of girl.

Playing by the rules

Most men's (and women's) magazines seem to like trotting out 'rules for the stylish man/woman' or some such nonsense at least once a year it seems. It's a strange idea when you think about it to assume that all 'stylish' people abide by one set of rules, and not really a myth I buy into. More often than not these lists vary from the vague to the oddly specific. Take this lot from Esquire.com: Tom Ford's Style Rules. The first one- 'be confident'- seems like fairly sensible advice but 'never button more than one button on a jacket'? What, never? Seems very odd to me and not something I would necessarily advise or entirely see the logic behind. Surely most jackets are designed to look their best properly buttoned up? Maybe it's a slimming thing.

On closer inspection it would seem that Esquire is hoarding a collection of style rules . It is probably best if I stop reading all of these, but if you are in any doubt of the stupidity of style rules, please consider the following:

"For all hairstyling products, a little dab will, indeed, do you. In the unlikely event that a little dab will not do you, get a different hairstyle."

Good advice, perhaps, for the men who do overuse, but for the quiffed man? Pah!

So what do we think about rules? Personally I'm inclined to think 'learn them, know them, then make up your own'. That way at least if someone says you look crap at least YOU know what you were aiming for. My own personal rules focus on flattery.

I think at the moment they would be:
make sure it fits,
choose colours that suit you
and remember that accessories make all the difference.

What do you think? What rules (if any) do you follow?

I try not to follow rules but I do know a vast number of them. I used to love reading the ask GQ style questions, it was the highlight of the magazine for me but it did put me off. It reminds me of American Psycho, when an outfit is thought about so much it is no longer style, it's more of a maths equation as opposed to something aesthetic. That said I do try and match my belt with my shoes and aim to match my bag with the rest of the look.

I am not a fan of Tom Ford and wouldn't take too much notice of man who applies the same rule of never buttoning up more than one suit button to that of his shirt buttons (a slight exaggeration but seriously Tom I don't want to see your chest hair!) Whilst I'm on the subject of your style Mr Ford, please take note that you can wear more than just white shirts (unbuttoned) with a suit jacket and jeans! OK, enough of this nonsense. I agree with Ford on his first rule of 'be confident', if you wear your clothes confidently most things will look good. I partially agree with one his other rules 'You can't wear trendy clothes forever. Everyone has to grow up.' It is sad fact of life that we all do get older, although in most cases men look better with age. I advocate that your style should develop with age but growing a few years older should not necessarily mean you can't wear certain things. Is their an age where it is no longer acceptable to wear jeans or trainers? I hope not anyway. I think there comes a time when you can't wear jeans and trainers as your staple uniform but this age should be quite young. Everyone should mix it up when they have the chance! On the flip side (did I just say flip-side? that's a first right there) of this point I don't think age is an excuse for bad clothes.


OK my rules are as follows:

Be confident

Ensure that the clothes fit as they are meat to

Be a style magpie but make your finds your own

Think about the coordination of colour

Where/use complimentary accessories

Mix old and new where possible

Never wear too much of one label/brand at a time

Before leaving the house look at yourself in the mirror for a few seconds at least

Experiment with your style. Try not to wear the same look over and over and over