Picture Postcard - Kanye

Today's picture postcard is a little more topical/tabloid-y than normal. If you care it seems Kanye is winning the 'battle' of the rappers (I do abit, I bought the album and it's good...plus I really like the artwork by Takeshi Murakami who also worked with Marc Jacobs on those Louis Vuitton bags among other things) but lost his cool at the VMAs. Whilst I'm on the subject of the VMAs did you see Britney's performance or there lack of, if not watch it here. The words train and wreck spring to mind. Anyway, enough of this Perez bitchiness, back to the style. I personally really like Kanye's style, here is an example of him wearing his clothes well and of course a pic of those much talked about sunglasses:

I really like this outfit and it clearly shows that he's not your average rapper. The weekend bag is great as his deep v neck sweater. Overall this outfit has a relaxed sartorial elegance about it. I do expect him to be wearing sunglasses though...

Apparently Kanye had designs on specific Jeremy Scott shades to wear in one of his performance scenes for the 'Stronger' video — and it took him three months to find them, finally spying a pair in Paris. ("I wanted something you can't get in stores," he explained.) Personally, I like them on Mr West but they aren't for me.

What do you think of Mr West? Have you heard DJ A-Trak's remix of Stronger? Here it is.

I like Kanye, but oh what an angry man he is in that video clip. Britney I just feel sorry for... poor lass, she clearly wasn't ready for that. I'm not sure about the first pic. The clothes certainly look sharp- the very low v neck makes it that bit more interesting, as does the way the sleeves are rolled up.- am I imagining it or are they a different colour to the collar? Really like that back too- I keep going to Selfridges and stroking very similar bags. They haven't thrown me out yet though.

I adore the sunglasses. The man seriously knows how to pick interesting stand-out pieces (and he shares my not-so-hidden love of cardigan jackets). I love how he's not ashamed to be seen/filmed in the same item of clothing more than once. I saw an interview recently where he defended this, saying quite reasonably that when he likes something he wants to wear it all the time. I certainly know how that feels!

By the way, have you seen the Bape/Kayne West trainers?

It's up to you...

Photo courtesy of low resolution

Much to Steve's jealousy, 2 weeks today I am off to America! I will be visiting Boston and New York. This does mean that there will be a couple of weeks where I won't be posting (I'm just not that dedicated... I haven't been in an internet cafe for about 5 years now), but I'm sure the blog will thrive in Steve's capable hands. Hopefully when I get back I will be bursting with ideas, not to mention awash with photos as I'm planning on buying a camera (hurray for the exchange rate!).

While shopping won't quite be at the uppermost in my priorities list, I welcome any suggestions of places I just shouldn't miss.

I'm so excited!

10/10 for 10 plus

Thank goodness we are finally in the season of new magazines. On today's visit to Borders I bought and fell in love with 10 plus. It's aspirational men's fashion but isn't done in the normal way. I have finally found some great fashion writing when it comes to covering men! The highlight thus far is Richard Gray's assault on fashion victims which made me laugh out loud a few times on the 134 bus home and consequentially a few stares from my fellow suitably glum commuters. He mentions both The Face and Depeche Mode on the very same page, I think I am in love. I will give you a quick round up of his top ten victims but will return to them and will both expand and illustrate them as soon as i get the chance.

1 - Fluro - 'it's over'
2 - Army Scarves - 'You're not in the Territorials'
3 - Pointy sneakers - 'These verrucas in leather just haven't moved on'
4 - Fat legs in tight jeans - 'God made the world round for a reason, and he wasn't wearing skinny jeans'
5 - Literalists - 'flicking through back copies of The Face and picking the wit out of the fashion pages, like crows pecking the eyes from carrion'
6 - Fashion irony - 'curse of the creative industry'
7 - Ad campaigners - 'victims who push, nay force a look by one particular designer, top to toe'
8 - Mediocrity - 'Mediocrity breads contempt'
9- Disconnected hair - 'Glasgow is the capital of disconnected hair'
10 - Jean Saggers - 'Get the balance right as the Depeche once sang'

Accompanying the witty and insightful words are superb editorials. I am just cursing the fact that this magazine has passed me by up until now but I guess there is always the back catalogue...

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

Lost Control. Found Style

Just to counter all of the colour we have been featuring lately, lets go in the monochrome world of Joy Division (as I'm getting excited about the film). They are one of our favourite bands and I have been waiting for this film for some time! Upon hearing the gossip that Jude Law was touted as playing Ian Curtis I must admit that I was a little worried but after seeing the recent stills I am excited once more.

The film is directed by Corbijn who is renowned as a photographer and image-maker to great bands like Depeche Mode and U2, but let's not forget Travis...and according to reviews Corbijn acquits himself well. According to Stephen Dalton for Times Online "He and his cinematographer Martin Ruhe frame Control in stark monochrome, a bold but appropriate choice, complementing both the angular modernism of Joy Division’s music and the northern social-realist tradition echoed in the film’s austere style." Even if there is no substance it seems that style wins out. The film 'Control' is a profile of Ian Curtis (played by Sam Riley...who looks remarkably similar).

For those of you who don't know (but damn it you really should, have you no taste!?) Curtis was the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23 (which is my age). I recently bought a photo book of a Joy Division gig and loved the style on the pages (this is now with EJ as it was a present for her). I'm not sure exactly what it is about them, they certainly aren't unique...I just think the fit and how they are worn just really works (or maybe I am seeing them through rose tinted specs) with the image of the band.

Sam Riley as Ian Curtis

Now you can help me out, is it the flash or are these jeans very Dior-esque? Either way I like them. I will leave you with an image of the jeans I am referring to and let me know your thoughts.

I have got a feeling that I have been seduced by all of the monochrome here. My next post will return to some colour.

Joy Division are a wonderful and much-imitated group (never so much as by Interpol a couple of years back!). Pictures from the photo book can be found here. I'm (well, Rob is) lucky enough to have a vinyl recording of that gig too.

I think what is so resonant about their look is that it just goes so well with the music they made. It has a sincerity about it, a sincerity that you find in their entire body of work. Can't wait for the film.

There are no words that could make this better than it already is

Well what can I say to that? Truely remarkable. The reactions from the other customers are just great. Just one question though? Am I missing something or did that newly created teddy boy walk out with that quiff creating device still in his hair? Surely not. . I have been doing it all wrong and definitely need some help so I want a quiff creating device for Christmas or failing that my own barber who posseses those skills.

Picture Postcard: Lacoste Colour

After not being able to get my fix from the sartorialist and facehunter I am now in overdrive and my thirst for treats for the eyes is hard to quench. To be honest I've not missed too much in the last few days (although Ivan's recent posts on new York have confirmed my desire, no scrap that, NEED to go!). I've also been advised to visit misshapes which thus far I've neglected, well frankly because of my own ignorance but have enjoyed wasting the last couple of hours spotting celebs and scensters alike! All of these sites keep me out of trouble. Anyway...there was a point to all of this. That point was thus; to extend on your discussion of colour and men's apparent lack of balls to try it. I completely agree and I am guilty of it but this autumn/winter I will experiment and be a little more adventurous. That said, classics do work but classics don't necessarily have to equate to monochrome. This guy looks awesome in the classic Lacoste colour combination of pale pink and apple green. He has a certain Kanye meets Andre 3000 thing going on and in my book that's not bad at all! I love his use of accessories, both his sunglasses which and his bad, I am a big fan of totes at the moment (they are so practical!)...The moral of this post is you can use colour and it doesn't automatically mean unusual experimentation but there is certainly more out there than just monochrome.

I all-out love this guy (and love that our posts now have morals!). I think the trick to pulling this look off without looking like you're trying to hard is to keep it relaxed. Skinny jeans nd trousers are ok but here you wouldn't want these trousers any narrower than they are: the colour and the cut should not be competing for attention in such a bold look. This is the second photo I've seen in a little while with a half-tucked shirt like that (one of the blokes in the plaid post being another)- is this some trend I'm missing out on or just people being snapped before they're ready? I somehow think it's more likely to be the former.

We seem to be out of sync with bags though- I don't like this one that much (plus it looks a little tatty). Maybe because it looks a little drab compared to the rest of the outfit. Want those shoes badly though.

Funny you should mention Andre 3000 too- I have been rekindling my love of Outkast recently. It's amazing how much 'So fresh, So clean' makes me want to dress up in my maddest, coolest outfit and dance around the house.

Picture postcard: Channelling Pablo

Hey-ho Steve

Today's image is courtesy of my new favourite street style blog of this exact moment, Stockholm Streetstyle, and any rambling that takes place is courtesy of my poorly, poorly brain. I'm going to be completely honest with you here: I'm probably just loving this quite so much because it reminds me so much of our man Pablo Picasso.

This is such a good look for the mixed-up weather we're having at the moment. The lightweight trousers make a nice alternative to shorts and means when it starts raining (again) you don't look so ill-prepared. I think the bag really works here too, somehow toughening up the look (it would be ideal for stashing away a scarf, too, for if the weather got REALLY mean). It's the top half of the look I like the most though: really like that stripy top (and looking for one similar for myself at the moment) and completely enamoured with the colour of that jacket, it's just lovely. I do very much like his hair too, though I'm not entirely convinced that it totally suits him. I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I've grown a bit tired of the medium-length shaggy indie hair that almost every boy seems to have nowadays- short,sharp haircuts like this make very refreshing change.

Anyway, I'm going to drag myself to bed now. I hope your weekend at home is going well and I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say on this matter when you get back on Sunday.

Bisous,

EJ

Hey Eliza,

Oh I apologise for my silence. I am chomping at the bit to get back into blogging action. First things first Stockholm Streetstyle is a great site and I really enjoyed the sartorialist's recent trip. However, when I went to Stockholm I really didn't see as many interestingly dressed guys. I saw many well dressed guys but very safe and at times very dull. That said, the sartorialist found some great dresses so my style eye must be a little short sighted or something whereas the sartorialist has 20-20 vision.

Now onto the image and the reference to one Pablo Picasso...Pablo is THE Man (although, upon a recent quotation search I stumbled across this, which I'm sure you wouldn't approve of... "Computers are useless. They only give you answers"). I've dabbled with the Parisian look and I love it. This look would be complemented by a small weekend bag as opposed to the satchel currently worn. I managed to find the perfect black and white horizontal stripe t shirt in Hurwendeki (back when it was my favourite shop, sadly the amount of menswear on offer has fallen in recent months!). The jacket works really for this guy, the fit and colour are perfect. Like you say this is great dressing for the upcoming months where it can be hot one minute, cold the next with a monsoon downpour during the interim. The trousers are cool but I tend to avoid light coloured trousers mainly because of the high probability that I will spill something on them in the first few moments of wearing them! The overall look would be better if he was wearing similar trousers but in a darker colour that complimented his jacket. Now onto the haircut, I think the shortness of it has been forced upon him due to a receding hairline but it looks good and I doubt think there's too many other options for this chap.

I will leave you with another example of Pablo's wise words and of course a lovely image of the great man.

"Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working."

Look at him here with his thick stripes and deep in thought pose. He is everyone's dream grandad.

Extending the idea

Further to your earlier post about Prince I have been thinking about colour. I've never been a monochrome kind of girl (far too messy and accident prone for white and black is just too depressing) though I can hardly be called a riot of colour. I think colour can be a scary thing and while I see it bandied about in different forms on the catwalk you rarely see real (as in, on the street, not some kind of bizarro macho) men giving it a go. I saw the picture below from the Paul Smith Spring 08 show and wondered why.

Yes, it always helps that he is a pretty boy with lovely hair, but I really think that this could look brilliant on the ordinary person (btw, why do I love the rolled up turn ups in this picture so much?).

This chap, taken from facehunter, proves my point quite well I feel. This is of course a severely toned down use of colour, but I think those bright pink shoes and the crisp white shirt complement each other so very well and stops this look from being boring. I love that he's wearing a neon yellow belt and it's not the first thing you notice.

facehunter again, and the same pink shoes. Now, I'm not big on the shorts, but I do like how this all goes together. The purple of the top is just lovely, while the dark colour of the shorts stops them screaming 'look at me, please' as much as they might have done in a different colour.

One last picture from me, this time courtesy of MTL street:

This looks like the easiest way of wearing colour- and it probably is- but look how well put together this is, with his trainers picking up the colour of his pocket, jeans and his top and his sunglasses matching his belt buckle.

Mad about Plaid

Hey EJ

I am huge fan of plaid at the moment and seem to see it everywhere although at times when I do see it want to burst into the Python's lumberjack song (one day soon I will just have to). I know you are a fan of the plaid shirt but are your eyes feasting on it as much as I am in recent weeks? I'm just working out a myriad ways of wearing it and have been inspired on recent style posts from the sartorialist, facehunter and DDD!

Have a look at these...

The classic - shirt worn with (slightly faded) denim jeans (image courtesy of thesartorialist)
Plaid shirt used as layering - very subtle plaid here, even with the stripes though it works! (image courtesy of facehunter)

Plaid Shirt with matching hat (the shot doesn't do it justice really, it actually looked pretty damn cool) - NB - I love the style of the guy on the left. (Image courtesy of DDD) Dressing up in Plaid - I love the hair here and red socks - not a fan of the trousers (they give him the appearance of sporting child bearing hips). Thesartorialist is finding some great shots in Stockholm (image courtesy of thesartorialist)

I think everyone in the world knows of our love for plaid. I also think H&M have been reading my mind as they have devoted a whole section of their accessories range to black & red plaid... love love love. For ages now I have been meaning to post this picture of Joe Strummer- I love the jacket and the loose teddy-boy-esque look. Come on, this hair is just beautiful.Sigh. And then this afternoon I was watching the extra features on the Science of Sleep DVD and admiring Michel Gondry's rather adorable jacket. I googled him and began to suspect that Michel may share our love...

The coat seen on the DVD- I love the suit GGM wears throughout the film but that's a different post

Michel giving a talk in New York in August 2006

Michel at a show via this blog

It's clearly a long-term love.

Sorry to hijack/distract the focus of this post... oops.

Brand watch: Nom de Guerre

Oh my, I am in love. I was in Oi Polloi yesterday, longing to be male when I saw a shirt I thought you'd like by a brand called Nom de Guerre. It was in the lumberjack-y pattern that we both love, but a heavy, cord-like material. Slightly unusual, a little on the expensive side, but as I said to Rob at the time, if you'd been there you probably would have bought it.

The pattern is just about visible in this pic- I love the styling too

I made a mental note of the brand name and carried on window shopping. I remembered only now to look it up and- forgive me for repeating myself- oh my, I am in love. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is I like, but I suspect it's the colours and the autumn-y, outdoorsy feel to the clothes and photos.

All of these pictures are from the Autumn/Winter 07 collection, though the Spring/Summer 08 lot look pretty tasty too. There is a timelessness (corny thing to say, I know) to all of the clothes that somehow isn't boring with it. I don't know if you will think that maybe it's lacking something, a twist or something, but I thought I had to let you know about it if you didn't know already.

How do I not hate this hat??

Well according to wikipedia it means 'name of war' and refers to pseudonyms adopted by resistance fighters and terrorists. Anyway, i digress...back to the clothes. I do like the style of this shoot. It reminds me of the Heath in Autumn and I would be styled in a similar fashion. I particularly like the whole mood of the middle image. One of the key facets of successful menswear labels for me are those that create styles that create a sense of timelessness. I don't think its corny. I personally like to spend that little bit more n clothes that in know won't be dated in a few months times. I have seen this label in the cloth, it seemed vaguely familiar and low and behold after checking the stockists I saw it can be found in A Butcher of Distinction off Brick Lane which I visited a month or two ago (I must remember to take my notebook out so I can jot down the names of both cool shops and labels). According to their website the a/w 07 collection is the 'Young Americans' collection inspired by the era just before the Vietnam war - the time of blue jeans, plaid shirts and argyle sweaters. I love plaid shirts at the moment. They do seem to be everywhere but so they should be!

Just another Hack?

After reading Style from the Sunday Times this morning (I say read but I really mean cast aside because there was article on Sadie Frost discussing 'perfection' and her life which quite frankly put me off my marmalade and toast until I could take no more) it made me want to write about men's fashion journalism and in particular Jefferson Hack writing for the Telegraph. Hilary Alexander recently commissioned Jefferson Hack to write a fortnightly column for the Telegraph about menswear and it's quality. I like Hack. I like Dazed & Confused and ever since The Face folded it is one of the best magazines out there (oh I miss The Face but fortunately I have a few old ones which I turn back to from time to time). I have bought Another Man and this is full of pretty editorials and adverts, blurring the boundaries between the two. I have read all of his recent articles for the Telegraph and enjoy reading his words but to be honest what he is saying is not that interesting, most of what he is writing about is not new, not innovative and the people who read it I am sure already know about it. However, in recent weeks highlights include:

Christopher Bailey - my favourite article so far, as Bailey was talking about the relationship fashion and music. For Burberry's new advertising campaign Bailey includes three 'rising stars' of British music, Patrick Wolf, Larrikin Love (hmmmm) and The Paddingtons (oh come on really!?). His choice of musicians aside I liked his comments "Look at The Pistols, The Jam, The Clash or Freddie Mercury," says Bailey. "They are people who have all shaped and influenced fashion massively. The emotion of music is so important to fashion."

Recent Burberry campaign with Wolf and Deyn

His mention of the Sartorialist - Well just because I like him. 'On his blog, thesartorialist.com, Schuman has created an invaluable source of ideas and inspiration for the style-conscious. "I love how this gentleman layers his suit with that short, extremely fitted nylon vest, shoulder bag and helmet."

Dover Street Market - Hack calls DSM a revolution in retail (these are strong words especially when you compare the retail space to examples in countries like Tokyo) and it is certainly one of my favorite shops in London. Hack then goes on to discuss how DSM might have had an influence on retail sales within men (not too sure about that myself) but the shop has definitely paved way for a change in attitude. Adrian Joffe (of Commes des Garcons and one of the brainchild's of the store) says "Men are definitely being bolder in their sense of individual style. Factors like DSM, but also London's creativity, magazines and other creative role models, are all encouraging that."

One of the cool spaces within Dover St Market

It seems Hack writes about a few of the things that I like and to be honest I do like reading about them. But (and it is quite a big but) I do find his articles a little uninteresting as I feel that the people reading them more than likely already know about it. Plus how he writes about men's fashion as a whole is uninspiring and to the most part just anecdotal and mentions of how seemingly great his life is. Maybe I am just a tad jealous. Apologies Mr Hack because I do like you and I don't blame you. Have you read any of his articles yet? Are there actually any good male fashion journalists out there? GQ writers can be good at times (but only at times as Dylan and co can get too much) but I see an abundance of great food writers and critics but there is a void where men's style journalism should be. It seems that it is reduced to merely a few pages within supplements like Style (before I cast it aside this morning I noticed a few pages on Chelsea's stylish players) or men's fashion magazines. I think it is time for change.

Picture postcard: Indecision

Dear Stevie

How tentatively I post this one. Brando at his most beautiful age, that's for sure, and utterly compelling. Still, I'm not entirely enamoured with this look. OK, what do I love? I love his hair, I love his stance. I love the contrast of his really workman-like jeans and the smart two-tone shoes. I ADORE the vest. I have been thinking about vests, particularly white vests, like this since watching an American in Paris for the billionth time the other week. Once a vital part of a man's wardrobe, vests seem to have been relegated to the clothing collections of old men and Arctic explorers (OK, and maybe the occasional body-builder). A shame I think, as a vest on someone of the right build (not too skinny, but no man boobs of any kind- whether due to overeating or over exercising) can look amazing. I suppose Marlon here is testament to that. To tone the look down, or to give a more Gene Kelly style, a light coloured, possibly short sleeved shirt worn open over the top would be in order I think.

I just have one question: is that a bracelet he's wearing?

EJ

Good afternoon, happy Saturday to you.

First things first I will attempt to answer the question. I believe it is indeed a bracelet of some kind as it doesn't appear to be a watch.

This image is at the point of Brando's peak in terms of his greatness, complete with tight T's and chiseled arms but I agree that this image just doesn't work. We have to accept this for what it is though, this is casual, on set Marlon; he looks as if he is mere moments away from putting on his bowling jacket and intimidating his cast. The words of his character Stanley sum up this image: "Be comfortable. That's my motto up where I come from. You gonna shack up here? Well, I guess I'm gonna strike you as being the unrefined type, huh?." For me though, the stumbling block of Brando's attire is the shoes, so I am afraid we have to disagree on that point. Don't get me wrong I love the two tone shoes and I have been looking for a similar pair for myself but they just don't work with the rest of his outfit at all! I do like his flat cap though even though it covers his cool hair.

This was the era of the vest, it was celebrated during this time and was very popular indeed. It died out and now has an image of being worn either by Ryan Atwood types (i forget that you didnt watch the OC but look it up!), wolf whistling builders, old men and geeks wearing them for PE class showing off their skinny arms, overall not really worn by style icons! That said I recently bought a vest (mainly because I had bought a see through T shirt and need something to cover my nipples) but it has grown on me and I have worn it out when it has been very hot. I would always wear it underneath a shirt initially and then peel of that layer if it was too hot.

I picked up the Evening Standard magazine and was confronted with a very pretty boy with defined cheek bones, Roman nose and soft pouting lips, it was the Grandson of Marlon Brando. He has just embarked on a modelling career. He was prettier than Marlon but not as handsome...if that makes sense at all.

Much love

Hand to hand combat with a ball of wool

Oh my, am I rubbish. But less of that and more posting!

Although you may not consider this post to be strictly about style, it is a topic close to my heart. I want to write today about knitting, and specifically men who knit. I learnt to knit late last year and was pleasantly surprised by how easy (not that I can knit anything more complicated than a square or scarf yet) and relaxing it is. I've found it to be the ideal thing to do while listening to music or watching rubbishy tv (I have great difficulty doing just one thing at once) and making things yourself is the ultimate in bespoke.

I keep hearing about a rise not just in women knitting (the so-called craft revolution has done wonders for wool shops) but also a subsection of cool male knitters.

All over the web there are brilliant knitting sites, and some really great ones dedicated to male knitters.

Men who Knit

Men Knit (ok, maybe they're not very creative when it comes to naming.. though I love that there's a men's knitting group called 'Dicks with Sticks')

A great issue for men from Knitty.com

That last link has some great patterns including a brilliant baggy sleeved cardigan. The way I see it though is even if you're not ever going to get to the level where you can knit cool stuff like that, how great is it to be able even to make your own scarves in the colours you love the most?

If you don't know how to knit yet, you may want to check out the following link for some helpful videos.

How to knit a scarf courtesy of VideoJug

Hello there.

Oh why is Russell Crowe on our blog? Damn that neanderthal and his poor sense of style. other than that I love the post. You need to teach me how to knit. I want some arm-warmers because I've seen them worn really well under coats and want to emulate the look. Next time I visit you in Manchester you have to teach me the basics. I could learn from online videos or by abducting an old lady but I would prefer to have your wise words and demonstrations rather than from someone who smells funny. I stumbled across the look on luisaviaroma and even I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a pair of arm-warmers so why not make them. If I fail I can always buy a cheaper version but I want to try. What fun we will have in Manchester!

News - Topman Launches the White Shirt

August 24th - this is a date for your diary. Topman have invited a select few designers to interpret their vision of 'The White Shirt' signifying the start of an ongoing project, titled very inspiringly - 'Man'. I look forward to the rest of the collection but right now let's focus on the up and coming release. First things first I don't believe in The White Shirt, as this collection shows there can be a tremendous amount of variation on this item of clothing and one can own and indeed wear a number of white shirts (on rotation of course) for different occasions. To support this notion I want two of the five shirts on offer. My wish list (it does extend much further than just this one collection but for the benefit of this post) includes Deryck Walker's effort which is short sleeve (which I normally tend to avoid), and elasticated complete with panelling.

My favourite however is Ute Ploier's design. Seeing this design has made me explore this designer further and I love what I have discovered. The shirt to spark this all off is based on the traditional biker jacket and features rib detailing on the cuff and hem a short stand up collar and quilted shoulder. To be honest though I have seen a very similar shirt on an online store and if i give up on waiting for the release date of the Topman range or if the racks are bare by the time I get to them I will buy this, just to ease any possible feeling of loss. I am sure that at £50 each the shirts on offer will soon be snapped up so I will do my best to be as quick as possible to avoid losing out.

When the shirts are as different as the ones chosen here the search for THE white shirt isn't important, we should just be on the hunt for the BEST white shirts out there and buy according to our needs. Currently when shopping I am constantly drawn to white shirts and at times have to tear myself away from the racks! As they are seen as such a staple in any wardrobe (male or female) I am intrigued to see how the designer has approached it; the cut, the material (too many white shirts are far too see through and cheap looking, I do not want to see nipples on display and neither do most people!). Sartorial features can and indeed do make a vast difference to the look of a white shirt and personally (just to be a little outrageous maybe) I feel these sartorial features can have more of a visual impact on this wardrobe institution than on any other garment. White shirts are certainly worth celebrating and deserve much more than their, at times, dull image.

I'm not sure about this one, Stevie. While I like the second shirt, I'm not sure how well it would work as a shirt. All of them seem to look a bit... cheap, but that may just be the lighting- although the fact that they're from Topman doesn't fill me with hope for high quality garments. I think the first one suffers from that a fair bit. I think a lot of them look quite incomplete somehow, like they were a nice idea for a design competition, but didn't really work out. Still, I shall keep an eye out. I do love white shirts though, albeit it not on myself- my uncanny talent for spilling food and drinks down my front and white coloured clothing does not mix. They are classic for a reason- you don't see enough boys walking around in a nice pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt these days, such a shame.

That Sartorialist is stealing our thoughts!

Hey EJ

Have you seen how that pesky sartorialist has been inside our brains or maybe he is just one step ahead! I let him off the first time when he mentioned Fred Astaire's use of the tie as belt (although I mentioned this in an earlier post) but now it seems he is delving into the inner depths of my inspiration. Is this just a coincidence? I think not. I will have to don my trench coat and fedora and snoop around his archives. Regardless of whether he has or not (I really don't think he has been reading this blog) I am extremely happy to see him bring up the great style icons that are Cary Grant and Fred Astaire and to see the that the level of response following this post far out number the comments left for other posts. If you missed it, although I very much doubt you have, here it is.

My own personal favourite of the two has to be Fred Astaire. He was not blessed with the natural aesthetic beauty of Grant but Astaire used his style to allow his aesthetics to bloom and even surpass Grant's. The little touches within his style that at first can go unnoticed but once seen excite and wow the viewer, such as the tie as belt (my personal favourite which I have salvaged for myself), the slanted tie clip and the slim cut sleeves on his suits. In contrast Grant was always sleek and well styled but not stylish to the extent of Astaire whose style was simply breathtaking on camera and off. I commend the sartorialist in bringing this style debate to the fore. I hope to continue the good work and will post in much more detail at a later date.

I say we approach the sartorialist for a collaboration of some kind, are you with me?

Oh Stevie, you know my adoration of Fred. Looking at pictures today has made me realise that I might have been channeling him a little, but it's probably best not to dwell too much on that. My most favourite thing of all about him is his apparent lack of conceit and his fantastic smile. In every photo I see (bar the ones where he is concentrating on a scene) he has that lovely, open smile. He never seems aloof or mean, particularly not in any films that spring to mind. His style is so casual that any surprises it brings seem even more wonderful- dandyism without the pose and knowingness. Other people may disagree with me on this one and hold a completely different view, but for me he's the tops.

Picture Postcard - Prince

Hey Eliza,

Well as Prince is in town (Laaaaandan town that is) I just couldn't resist talking about him and his style. These are just a few words that the little man himself had to say about style 'Style is not a lie, style is a man that cries, style is the glow in a pregnant women's eye...' (The rest of the words can be found here if you are interested, he even says that 'style is puppy breath.') Whatever you think about Prince he certainly does things his own way. Ever since 1977 when, at the age of 19, he signed a three-album deal and blew the budget for all three albums on the first one (which is very similar to how I spend my wages), and this after insisting that he play all the instruments himself, record all the vocals himself and produce it himself. I'm not convinced about his style though and would like to know your thoughts. He's not a style icon of mine but he does give all short men hope of being seen a sexy (despite the fact that he is extremely short he does wear well fitted clothes which helps his stature) and he certainly uses colour (to varying degrees of success). What can we salvage from the below images?

I like the colour combination but wouldn't wear such a block of colour personally

I like the cut of his suit and again his use of colour

But what do make of all this you this?

Good evening stranger!

You're lucky to hear from me this evening- had the house to myself for a while and was almost sucked in by bust a move on the wii. Still, I have freed myself for long enough to take a look at Mr Squiggle. I LOVE Prince. Don't think much to his new album, but love his weirdness. Who could ever resist those cheekbones?

I really like these pics, even if I don't love these clothes. Sunglasses indoors? No! Is he even wearing a shirt under the first suit? And yet... Look how well the colour of the first suit, well, suits him. You so often hear women's mags talking about dressing in flattering colours, but I can't remember the last men's mag I read saying the same thing. And that guitar... talk about customisation. It might seem naff with another rock/pop star, but he does it with such conviction that it just works.

I love the line and fit of the second suit. I'm not sure what it is that makes him look taller than he is (not standing near anyone perhaps?), but I think it might be the single, high up button. I really want to know if he's wearing matching pale blue shoes. I think, if it was me in that suit, I'd have a different, patterned pocket square and some white crocodile skin type shoes. I think I may just be having a Vegas day.

Did I mention the hair? It slays me. I wish he had more facial hair going on. Ok, I'm definitely having a Vegas day.

Rock on

EJ

Brand watch

YMC: Having returned from Manchester not too long ago I noticed this label in a number of shops. This type of look seems quite popular with the locals and this has kicked me into action to talk about them (I have appreciated them from afar for some time now). The following blurb comes straight from their site and I have quite blatantly stolen parts from it, but this brand knows all about stealing...the name comes from a soundbite from Raymond Loewy (pioneer of American Industrial Design) who reasoned that "you must create your own design style." What I like about this brand is that they attempt to provide the solution for intelligent clothing that is both wearable and distinctive. This is a brand that helps to satisfy the demand for stylish, functional, modern clothing which of course is important and is all the better when it gives a nod to the past in the process.

Their recent S/S collection as shown above and here takes inspiration from the spirit of '69 British youth culture when the hard mods became 'suedeheads'. It was a movement of anti fashion at its best embracing the anti racist movement and the music culture of ska and reggae. I love their mix of modern and traditional materials and at times superb detailing.

Raf Simons: His shows are a mix of fashion, youth culture, music and performance."I don't want to show clothes,I want to show my attitude, my past, present and future. I use memories and future visions and try to place them in today's world." He has often criticised the rigid and dictatorial stance of the mainstream fashion system (a view that I at times support). The message from Raf is 'pride in individuality'. In 2005 he created his second line , Ray by Raf and this line has found its own feet. In a recent interview with Dazed he talks about his second line and how he doesn't "want to be ruined, like other people have been, by their second line" and on recent evidence he certainly won't be! What I like most about him was this sentence in the aforementioned interview "In the beginning, my dream was to bring tailoring to a young audience" which is one of my dreams...now where did I put that course application...

Made for each other

While I'm aware that it's about time I did proper post for this place, I'm afraid that birthday fever has taken over and my tiny attention span is even shorter than normal. I thought that I'd just post quickly about a couple of articles that have caught my eye lately: this one about bespoke shirts and this one about bespoke shoes.

I love the idea of having all my clothes made just for me, but have reconciled myself to the fact that this is not possible just yet. I think what is interesting about the first article particularly is what he discovers about how clothes are meant to fit (as well as learning the terminology). It is shocking how many men you see walking around wearing clothes that are completely the wrong size. A friend of ours thought that- despite being extremely skinny- he was a size large or extra large simply because he was slightly taller than average. The fact that the shoulders of his t shirts hung close to his elbows and that his body was just swamped with excess fabric (and not in a trendy, deliberate way) did not trigger off any thoughts in his head that maybe- just maybe- these clothes were 3 sizes too big. So many people, myself included, will also sacrifice decent fit because they like something so much they're desperate to MAKE it fit. With me this just means I wear the item a couple of times, feel incredibly uncomfortable because it doesn't look or hang right, then shove it in the bottom of a drawer with a vague sense of guilt until the next charity shop clear out. Well no more! I say.

Don't worry, I'm not about to say we should all sacrifice our social lives and food budgets for half the year to afford four bespoke shirts (£700 seems indecent, but then I'm not wealthy) but it's time we stopped compromising on fit. Do it today! Go to that wardrobe and drag out anything that doesn't fit quite right. Trousers particularly are easy to fix- I would hope that the waist is right or, really, what were you thinking? If they're too loose, make sure you have a good belt that suits them, if they're too tight, chuck them, they look crap anyway. Look at the length: if they're too long, seriously consider getting them shortened. By and large trousers should break once on the shoe, not pool around your ankles- I'm sure you all know that by now, so why are we putting up with anything but perfection when it is so easy (and relatively cheap) to get them altered? Be ruthless too with your tops. I am aware that it's not so easy to get these altered and I know that a man's bond with his favourite shirt or his favourite t shirt is sacred but call me sacrilegious, looking really good is more important than a material posession if said material posession just isn't working. If you love the fabric of a shirt too much to get rid of it entirely, try using it in a different way, perhaps tearing it up to make hankies (sorry, pocket squares), patches or if you're really handy with a needle and thread, to line the inside of another shirt's collar and cuffs.

Hmm, I seem to have gone off topic a little here. I did warn you about birthday fever though.

The glory that is my 21st birthday cake- check out the long hair!

Picture Postcard - Guilty Secret

Picture from Manchester Looks

Dear Steve

By now you should be back in London hopefully... hope the journey wasn't too bad. Just a quick message today as, frankly, I've run out of things to say to you, and also because I don't think i need to say too much.

Confession time: I'm starting to warm to cardigans on men. Not the flimsy, thin ones though, ones like the one above: chunkier, thicker knit ones that can be worn as jackets. Absolutely love the colour of this guy's cardie and the pattern formed by the wool- someday I will have to learn to knit something like this for myself. By the way, have you noticed his shoes? I think I'm slightly in love.

Okay, time for a cup of tea. See you soon!

EJ

Dear Eliza,

I just knew you would come round! Normally it is I who has to make a small style u-turn so this is a nice change! To be honest though I believe there is a place for all types of cardigans as the flimsy kind offer great opportunity to layer. I am working on the idea of incorporating your present (polka dot scarf) into a look involving a cardigan. I will experiment and post some pictures (if i feel brave enough). The thick cardigan works well and the collar detail is awesome, but the overal look makes him seem a little heavy set but that might be the picture. As Autumn approaches thicker cardigans as shown here will be the perfect solution for mild days. I need a close up on those shoes damn it! That is your mission if you choose to accept it. Is that a blue belt I can see or am is my descent into madness continuing? I really want a blue belt. Not too sure why except for that fact it will match my shoes.

I am at work now but I really want to be elsewhere! Still, it is your birthday soon so I have Birthday activities to look forward to! Ok, back to work...

Steve

Pocket Squares - more than just hankies

First things first, yes I am calling them pocket squares...this is an Americanism but this isn't because I love all things stars and stripes, this is because they mean more than your average old hanky. On many occasions a look that involves a jacket or even a shirt can be greatly enhanced by a pocket square. When I talk about pocket squares it isn't in the strict sense of folded cloth, one can be as imaginative and interesting with filling a breast pocket as possible in my opinion. That said any dark jacket with shirt underneath looks so much better with a complimenting fold of material.

This accessory is associated most with evening wear and, yes, without one the evening look isn't quite right but it has far more use than just complimenting evening attire. There are amazing styling perks with a pocket squares which most men do not realise; any mediocre or worn out jacket can be instantly livened up with an inexpensive, casually folded pocket handkerchief.

On one of my frequent explorations of the sartorialist I came across this interesting quiz question. The common opinion would be that it is a bit over-the-top to put a pocket square in your overcoat but if you actually saw this on the street you would barely notice it and therefore this is a perfectly subtle sartorial detail. Style is all about details and this is where the pocket square can shine. There is so much more than the basic fold, there are a number of ways to fold your chosen material! The grace with which Milan men manipulate the silk or linen is represent their character more than any other element in their outfit. Remember to make the accessory your own, experiment, re-invent something you have seen and try something completely new.


Now here are some images demonstrating just some of the ways you can wear this versatile accessory.

Gary Cooper

Fred Astaire

Bandanna as pocket square courtesy of the thesartorialist

Picture Postcard - Summer in Italy

Hey Eliza

This for me is how I would love to dress this summer (if we had an actual summer!) and is courtesy of The Sartorialist. Yes, the ankle bracelet is controversial (demonstrated by The Coherent) and not everyone could pull it off but I think the guy in the picture does (but I have seen other less attractive attempts). All of the components of his outfit work so well together. The muted colours are great for the overall relaxed feel of the outfit. I love interesting accessories when subtly used. His ankle bracelet compliments his shoes perfectly and his trousers with no socks combo is great for this time of year. Oh I just wish Summer was actually here. The guy's style isn't perfect though, I'm not too keen on the tan or the shaved legs but as a whole for me this is great seasonal dressing. The outfit would be complete with a neutral coloured hat. My search continues...hopefully next weekend the sun is out and it will motivate me to purchase one.

Much Love

Steve

Hey hey!

Sorry to be so dreadfully slow at replying but family visits and getting all my hair cut off took it out of me this weekend. This is one of those things you can't put your finger on... it probably shouldn't work, and on someone else it wouldn't but I think he gets away with it. I think maybe if he was younger the ankle bracelet would look too affected. The shaved legs thing is a little weird, but really hairy legs would be worse. I think this requires fair haired, tanned and not too hairy legs. I absolutely adore those shoes they really make it for me. I love men in white shoes at the moment, as long as they're not too shiny (the shoes that is, not the men!). I really will stop writing about hats in every post but I saw a couple of nice ones in a shop on Oldham Street- remind me to take you there this weekend.

By the way, the sun is out here this evening- lovely, lovely.

Speak soon,

EJ

Launching the first campaign: Hats

I think it’s about time the everyday hat made a comeback. It completes an outfit, rounds it off so nicely. What better time is there to start a hat habit than summer? A hat in summer can protect your scalp from burning, keep the sun from your eyes (squinting and the crows lines you get from squinting are not a good look) and cover your hair in summer showers.

I am talking not of the cap, trucker, baseball or otherwise. I feel no campaign is needed for these. Nor am I talking of bowler or top hats, which I feel are resigned to history, fancy dress or weddings. I am talking more of the trilby, fedora or similar. Something a little dressy, a little structured but not too much so.

Just look at the street scenes in almost any film made the 50s or earlier to see how commonly the hat used to be worn and how much better it makes almost everyone look. Something to point out, however, is that this is not something that should be worn with jeans… somehow it jars too much for me to see someone wearing a trilby with such a casual and usually scruffy piece of clothing underneath. I am sure people will disagree with me here, so feel free to send me pictures to change my mind. For me, a hat should be worn preferably with a comfortable looking day suit, some casual trousers or maybe, since we are starting in summer, some nice shorts.

This is just a beginning: a theme we will pick up again as I know Steve is intending to begin this (yet another!) clothing habit and therefore this discourse will continue anew. In the meantime, here are a few pictures:

Sinatra

James Stewart looking a little shifty

Bogart- cigarette optional but love that coat

Picture postcards

Dear Steve,

Check this one out! I don’t think we could ask for a better picture to cheer us up after this week of unrelenting rain. I absolutely love the expression on their faces and the fact that it looks like they’re about to high five. Love that crisp white shirt on Fred and the shiny shiny shoes. The sleeves rolled up to that length just above the elbow always adds a nice casual air I think. Is it bad that those super high waist bands are starting to grow on me? I think I may have been watching too many musicals lately. In Brigadoon Gene has the highest waistband I think I’ve seen him wear in any film yet still looks so dapper. How does he do it? King of dares you to try it out.

How has your search for a hat been going? We shall have to continue it when you come to visit.

EJ

Morning Eliza,

This has to be one of my favourite photographs of all time, just look at Gene's face! I like to think that we are mere moments from THE best high five ever performed and it seems by his smile Gene knows it. You just don't see men dress like this anymore. I particularly like Fred Astaire's look, Gene Kelly looks a bit like he's on safari. Plus this is a great shot of Astaire's trademark mixed accessorising, see the tie/neckerchief as a belt. Awesome! I am still on the look out for the perfect hat but as yet have not found it. The weather has made this search a little less important as in my head the hat I want is a summer hat. The same goes for the shorts I wanted to buy...it is getting to the point where I might as well just think about autumn/winter clothes.

Don’t get me started on white shirts as I adore them and are their biggest champion. I do have four now and find myself drawn to them whenever I shop. This will be the subject of the next blog and my not so secret love for them will be clear to all.

During a recent window shopping trip (I did end up buying things, so technically it wasn't just window shopping but that was my intention) I was very tempted by similar shiny shoes. They were black patent shoes but I was unsure if I could get away with them at work. I think I could though. What do you think?

Now, the super high waist bands are interesting. As I was telling you the other night, ‘Edi’ is no more at Dior and the new chap, Kris Van Assche, has created a very different silhouette to the skinny clothes of Edi with tailored tops and loose, high waisted trousers - http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/review/CDMEN. I quite like it but I am not sure why and doubt i would feel comfortble wearing them. Maybe because it’s a nice change from the tight jeans.

I am now off to enjoy the weekend

Steve