Falling for evening wear

When most men think of evening wear they think that the available options are limited...a black tuxedo, a starched white shirt, a bow tie/tie. During the teen years these are by in large rented from moss bros. However, as we get older I would suggest that it actually makes more sense to buy a tuxedo, rather than renting one out. If you choose the right one for you, both in terms of cut and style, it will be well worth the investment! I personally think most men in evening wear look a little bit uncomfortable in their ensemble so we all have to get more comfortable! It is always best to show off with ‘I’ve already been to three black tie parties before this one’ look, wandering into the room with relaxed swept back hair, looking slightly dishevelled but still perfect at the same time...If in doubt I recommend reading through a recent post on Men's Flair that runs through a number of options when it comes to evening wear. For inspiration look at Fred Astaire who wore them tails as if they were pajamas and a tuxedo as though it were a part of his everyday routine, rather than borrowed from some Prussian general or Moss bros!

Having only just recently stumbled across the wonder of menswear editorials on show at fashion156, I thought I would share my current favourites (I have no idea why I've not given this site the attention and devotion that it deserves!). I have been thinking about evening wear over the last few weeks (as it is party season after all) and have fallen head over heels with these images.

Suit with piping detail by Alexander McQueen @ Selfridges. Shirt by Burberry at Matches. Bow tie by J. Lindeberg at Harvey Nichols.

I absolutely adore the J Lindeberg metallic jacket below!

Shirt by Number Nine at Liberty. Metallic black blazer by J. Lindeberg at Harrods. Black velvet bow tie from a selection at Harrods. Black dinner suit trousers both by Gieves & Hawkes.

If like me you couldn't quite afford the delights on show above Topman's new range of suits is well worth looking at. I'm a little unsure about the waxed tuxedo jacket having liked it online but not in person (for me the finish was all wrong, and the stiffness of the cloth affected the shape of the jacket!) but there are plenty more on offer. Whatever your budget it is time to embrace the suit. Instead of the classic white shirt why not wear a black ruffle neck shirt. Instead of the skinny black tie, why not wear a beautiful bow tie, over sized and woolly if you are feeling adventurous. All this talk of evening wear just makes me want to watch Top Hat...

Despite my love of Fred and near daily singing of 'Top hat, white tie and tails' (seriously folks, I cannot recommend this album enough), I've never really been a fan of men in tuxes. James Bond just never really did it for me- something about a bow tie just turns me right off... however, I must say that chap in the Alexander McQueen suit does look extremely dashing. The detail on the shoulders is just interesting enough without being ridiculous and that shirt is just brilliant. I know I try to be an exponent of doing things on the cheap but I'm afraid that when it comes to black tie... well, who goes to balls dressed in Primark? HOWEVER, the one thing that can be taken from the look is the hair. The sort of slicked-back-but-with-volume look is definitely one to copy and reasonably easy to copy I'd imagine. We'll definitely have to add it to our list of hair styles to do a how-to on.

Are fat men allowed to have style?

Oh I do enjoy a lazy Sunday surrounded by newspaper supplements, pastries and strong black coffee as the outside world looks uninviting, grey and cold! During such a scene I came across an interesting article in Style titled 'Pity the fat boys' where Simon Mills explores the notion that British men are increasingly overweight and badly dressed, mainly because they are fat. It seems that larger sized men don't have the same level of help on offer compared to their female counterparts, they aren't described as curvy or voluptious but instead at best called 'porky'.

Within the article he discusses how fat men have limited options in the style front, with most turning to oversized sportswear. Ironically clothes meant for athletes are loosely adorning beer bellies and moobs across the country. On the high street and online where can men who wear xxxl+ buy their clothes? On a quick google search it seems that a large number of stores that cater for such men are located in Wales and a quick visit to their sites didn't make me wish I had that build but at least there are some options out there in fact it made me feel quite the opposite!

Can you think of an style icons for men that weigh more than 15 stone? I can't think of any, can you? I suppose you can look at rugby players (who aren't overweight but certainly larger) for some inspiration. Jonny Wilkinson is far from overweight but always looks well presented in Hackett (who he is the face of). There are however plenty of example of men in the media glare losing weight. My favourite is Karl Lagerfeld. The famed couturier Lagerfeld was determined to lose weight, not because he was obese or suffered from health problems, but because he wanted to wear clothes designed for younger, slimmer men - clothes designed by Hedi Slimane to be specific. His vanity paid off: he lost 80 pounds in a year on the "Spoonlight program.

An extremely rotund Lagerfeld using the fan well to cover up multiple chins.

Slim Lagerfeld, still wearing lots of black but using far less material!

All is not lost though if you aren't skinny...

Larger sized bald man courtesy of the sartorialist showing how portly men can still look good. The secret here is the fit of the suit and his use of accessories!

It seems that from my research if you want to wear high fashion and designers the answer that constantly comes up is to change your lifestyle and work a little harder. If that all sounds like hard work then why not find the clothes that suit your body shape and stay healthy. Please avoid wearing sportswear in sizes that are far too big. Wear well cut suits and darker colours.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Will there ever be a style icon for fat men? Do fat men have it harder than fat women?

Further reading:
Style tips for fat men
Karl Lagerfeld's Diet book
Skinny jeans article
Big Fat Problem?

This is definitely a topic I want to come back to at a later date, once I have chance to mull it over a bit more. I think that it's harder to find a style icon for the larger chap because it's harder to find style icons for larger people full stop. A chap I do like the style of whenever I see him in the street/the local is Guy Garvey, lead singer of Elbow. I have failed miserably to find a decent picture to illustrate this point however... maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage to ask for an interview. He tends to stick to vaguely tailored pieces, most often seen in a shirt (God, I sound like a stalker) and in quite flattering colours. Overall, I think that what you have to remember is that when shopping for a larger figure, the basic rules regarding colour and wearing something that makes you feel happy still apply... and at least that's a place to start.

Largerfield still scares me though, big and small.

Darjeeling has trunks full of style

The weekend gave me opportunity to watch Wes Anderson's new film The Darjeeling Limited. As usual with Anderson there is minute attention to details and design which extends to clothes; the monogrammed pyjamas, the sunflower coloured bathrobe, the loafers etc. Throughout the film Anderson creates a jovial contrast of Westerners' neutral-toned suits against the hot ochres and turquoises of India (if you are interested most of the movie was filmed in Rajasthan). I want to explore this mix of vibrant colour and neutral tones in the spring, if done well this look will have a great deal of impact, as it did in the film. In another life, Anderson might have been a Dutch genre painters to whom the details of light, domesticity and clothing were the lifeblood of their art and a way to express the everyday humanity of their subjects. A common critique of Anderson's film is that the appurtenances of style are there to amuse himself rather than to uncover an emotional truth; in short all surface and little depth. I am not a film critic but for what my opinion is worth I enjoyed the film (some aspects more than others) but overall it was a pleasant way to spend an evening and gave me a chance to eat sweet popcorn and drink from a ridiculously oversized Coke cup.

One of the stars of this film doesn't even have a speaking part... I could be talking about Bill Murray but I'm not. It's the 11 pieces of distinctive Louis Vuitton luggage made specifically for the movie. The luggage was designed by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton and includes monogrammed steamer trunks, duffels, and suitcases covered in a jungle pattern created by Anderson's brother, Eric. I must admit though I am turned off by them because they are LV but forgetting my own bias these are really nice pieces and they ignite a desire deep inside me to own monogrammed luggage. In fact I quite want to explore charity shops and see whether I can find an old and battered piece of monogrammed luggage. I don't really want my own initials inscribed on the leather- S.S is not needed- just any combination of letters will satisfy me. Let the luggage foraging begin...

EJ: I've not seen the film yet (the weather is far too grim to venture outside), though have managed to find some nice luggage here and here (ridiculously lovely). Not quite the cheap second-hand shop prices I'm sure you were thinking of though. I must say though, if I was going for Louis Vuitton, I would be gunning for this beauty. I've longed for one of these after seeing them in a Fred Astaire film and I'm convinced that it's the epitome of cool travelling.

The importance of the sidewalk

I've been inspired to write a post about the the sartorialist by the article in today's Guardian Weekend magazine. The article discusses how our perceptions of who or what is stylish is not as straighforward as it was in previous times. The models and actresses who were once revered have now been analysed to the point of inducing humour and even pity (see Perez Hilton and gofugyourself). In short traditional style icons have lost their shroud of elusivity and in some cases their dignity and sanity (not naming names but I think Ms Spears highlights this point quite well). Enter Scott Schuman armed with his Canon G5 camera he has created a photo blog that is required reading for the fashion industry and people watchers alike. Have we entered into an era of the celebration of the individual, not just the individual but the seemingly ordinary individual? Two years after launching the blog (I wonder what we'll achieve in two years time...world domination no doubt, mwahaha), 50,000 people visit the site, he is listed in Time magazine as one of the most influential figures in the world of design and now prints of his work are being snapped up at $1,200!

It has been said (I believe EJ unearthed an interesting article) that the subjects of street style blogs can all blur into one. I can see this point highlighted across a number of other sites but this does not ring true on the sartorialist. In the article Schuman states 'Most bloggers are 20-year-olds taking pictures of other 20-year-olds, which is great if you are 20.' The sartorialist offers alot more variation. To illustrate this point and to applaud the work of Mr Schuman please see some of my favourite subjects.

Inspired by the Marx brothers

Mad about Plaid

How to wear a suit colourfully.

Metallic Cardigan!

The Red DMs - smart casual personified!

The article Steve refers to can be found here. Thought provoking stuff.

Picture Postcard - Will Young in Burberry

I meant to post about Will Young's Burberry jacket for some time but for one reason or another i just didn't have the time. I was fortunate enough to go to the event at Koko on Monday night and no I didn't get a goody bag but i was left with the thought of how lovely this coat was and how I would personally add to it. Although the cut is excellent I would add a metallic belt and a pair of arm warmers because well let's face it it's damn cold out there! I'm not so keen about his choice of footwear wear though...

Oh it is rather nice... Will Young does tend to look pretty snappy though. Glad to finally get to see it after the number of times you've mentioned it to me this week!

Splitting hairs

Oh I have a odd and complex relationship with my hair. It is a strange part of both myself and my attitude to style and grooming. I should take more interest in it and at time i do but something is missing. I don't love it as much as what hangs in my wardrobe or what hangs on the rails of my favourite shops and items undiscovered! my current attitude to hair and how best to style it revolve around the following:

• Invest in a good hair cut, (which doesn't necessarily mean expensive but living in central London it normally does)
• Wash your hair as often as you need to. use Baby Powder if you don't have time to wash it.
  
• Spend money on good hair products and use them moderately. I like Bumble and Bumble.
  
• Take note of your hair and what it wants to do - after straightening it for a while I've realised that it is far better to let the natural gentle wave of my hair do its thing!

There it is, my simple hair advice. I will post (in the next couple of days) about my advice on how best to achieve various looks complete with pictures of course but today is a bad hair day!

On the subject of hair I enjoyed reading The Post Office's account of the rise of the square haircut, as shown on catwalks across the land, in editorials and most recently on the cover of V magazine with Brad Pitt. In front of Mario Testino’s camera Brad Pitt showed his many different faces for V Magazine. I have dabbled with these styles in recent years but unfortunately the curse of my laziness means I always go back to my tried and tested! What do you prefer, the Fight Club Brad Pitt or the more refined and slightly geeky versions? Which version has the best hair, how would you wear yours? Can't decide, well just enjoy both versions!With party season upon us if we need inspiration on how best to wear your hair, look no further than Cary Grant.

The only thing I'd add is to make sure that you get it cut short enough at the back!

The Scarf Post

I'm feeling languid after an unexpected day off (God bless minor fires and power cuts) and a glass and a half of red wine, so thought it time to do the Scarf Post. We thought about this about two months ago (the photos themselves are a month old) so it's a bit overdue. It came about when thinking about the different ways that people can and do wear scarves and wincing at the term 'snug tug'. Steve is our willing model, skillfully directed by me (i.e. told to 'look cold'). So let's begin.

The undercoat, understated:
Best done with a thinner scarf so as not to ruin the line of your coat/jacket and on milder days as this basically provides little to no warmth whatsoever. A more decorative (poser-y?) way of wearing a scarf, perhaps providing a contrast to the rest of your outfit, or a flash of colour. I bought Steve this scarf by the way, so I think it's quite nifty.

The show-off:This is almost wearing a scarf as a tie and works best with scarves with a really flashy detail as on this me&yu number. This can be a bit annoying to wear, particularly on windy days as you will probably be constantly fiddling with it to make sure the main design is on display. It does keep your neck relatively warm though and really can liven up a wintery outfit.

The controversial:
So called as I've heard a lot of people complain about how prevalent this way of wearing scarves is. Still, it's easy and very very cosy. Works best for shortening a longer scarf as it can look a bit weird with just a little bit of fabric sticking out the end. Basically created by folding the scarf in half and pushing the ends through the loop created. Did that make sense? I don't think so, but I'm sure everyone in the world knows how to do this. Also, I MADE this scarf. It took FOREVER.

The loop-de-loop:Totally easy and perfect on very long scarves like this one. Wrap, then wrap again, long bits down the front. My personal favourite at the moment, just because it's so warm and you're not constantly having to fling a bit of scarf over your shoulder (however dramatic that is). This can even in seconds become the wrap:

though I'm not sure if this is a bit much. However, I'm sure that this can be done a lot more neatly and look a lot better as this was a bit of an afterthought.

The extravagant:

Don't worry, we're nearly finished. This is, on a practical level, a largely pointless way of wearing a scarf. In no way will it keep your neck warm as the scarf is on the outside of the collar and, as such, no where near your neck. Still, I suppose it could be a nice way of storing a scarf if it's milder than you expected, or maybe if you're popping in and out of shops. Plus, once again, it's a nice way to break up the blackness of a winter coat and add a bit of colour (yes, I know this scarf is beige but that's not the point.

And finally...

The cheesy, FUCK YEAH:Oh yeah. And if you don't mind, I'm off to watch TV and hopefully not freak myself out any more by identifying an exact location in London simply from a 2 second close up of a phone booth.

Music style

After last night's TOTALLY AWESOME gig I have been thinking about band t shirts. Now, I'm not someone who owns a lot of band t shirts because... well, I don't see many that I like. The vast majority seem to just be the standard black t shirt (normally in some huge size) with some album artwork on. I couldn't resist this QOTSA one though, largely as someone else got it for me (I couldn't make the gig and had to give up my ticket due to bereavement and only saw a full QOTSA gig last night so this t shirt means a lot to me). I also like the detail, the metal rings that show through to skin underneath.

It does seem tough to get a decent band t shirt, though there are still some bands out there up to the challenge. Ones that I've come across include this one from Sonic Youth, this one from Kanye (love the bear and that wrap around detail) and I can't resist the little red eyes on this one from the D (when's the next album?). In tribute to the dude wearing a Kiss t last night, I felt that I had to share this with you too.

Although it's not strictly a band t shirt, I thought I'd get your thoughts about this t shirt from Threadless. What do you think? I like it but wonder if it's a little too gimmicky/music nerdy...

Wow, this is a seriously link heavy post.

Standing on the cracks

OK I might be standing on the cracks of the pavement outside the Palais Royal in Paris (which I was always informed as a child would give me bad luck) but I just don't care because I am now the proud owner of some quite beautiful Lanvin boots. What is luck when you have a pair of beautifully handmade boots from Italy that make you look like a long lost third member of Daft Punk?

It was quite an adventure getting to Paris in the first place as the most efficient route of the Eurostar was far too expensive at £230...I was only going there for a quick wander around and to pick up something at the sale! So, we took the coach from Victoria which was full of French people complaining about the cost of the UK (seriously the two guys in front of us chatted for the duration of the seven hour journey about the expensive nature of all of the cities in the UK, even Manchester, sorry EJ!). We didn't have a ferry crossing on the way there, that adventure was saved for the return leg of the journey...anyway, I will save these tales when I next see EJ in person, let's get back to the...

The 'aren't they beautiful?' close up

So as you can see I managed to pick up a pair of Lanvin boots in Paris during the recent sample sale over the weekend (I have connections, I can say no more). I am told that the menswear on offer as a whole was not that great as it included a number of suits even my Dad wouldn't wear and a collection of shirts that were far too big for my frame...However, fortunately for me the sale did have the perfect solution to my current footwear conundrum. I have been on the look out for a pair of boots for sometime now and the sale provided the solution. I was not able to try on the boots myself because I was not at actually at the sale myself. At the time I was inside Colette buying christmas gifts whilst receiving picture messages of various Lanvin sale items (oh the life I lead at the weekends certainly beats the Monday to Friday monotony of work!) but the picture of these boots stirred my consumerist loins and I just had to have them. The price? Well I am told that these were originally priced at 2000 euros but this being a sample sale and all I managed to acquire them for 150 euros!

Outside the Palais Royal

Christmas lights

While some people I could mention are swanning about in Paris, I am left here in Manchester thinking about what on earth to get people for Christmas. Thanks to Gala Darling I have some idea. Japanese Watches of course! I absolutely love these, even if I can't quite work out how to tell the time on most of them. Ah well, hopefully people will be distracted by the pretty lights...

Image courtesy of Tokyoflash

Good evening Miss EJ, I have arisen from my catch up sleep session but have lost my Sunday! I will try and post later on tonight however because I have much to say and to show...I did enjoy perusing the site on Friday morning whilst all of my work colleagues were eating bacon sarnies my hunger was satisfied by LEDs! Who needs a watch to tell the time these days anyway, I just check my phone or ipod for that, so I am all for watches that have the primary use of looking cool.

Picture postcard: something to think about

Image courtesy of me. Ha!

Steve,

I return! Internetted and new flatted and eating peanuts. No outfit to drool over today, but a poster from the lovely folks at Oi Polloi (for some reason posted literally round the corner from their shop) for you to mull over. So what do you think? Do you dress up for rock? It's certainly true that a hell of a lot of people do- just look at the lollipop boys that are so prevelant now (skinny in tight jeans, round head of backcombed hair) to go with the trend for 'indie' music... or the Stroke wannabes that went before.

While you ponder that, I'll be pondering whether QOTSA will actually play on Sunday. Do 'severe chest infections' last more than 3 days? Sigh...

EJ

Bonjour EJ

I am sitting in an internet cafe opposite the Pompidou trying to get to grips zith the subtle differences between English and French keyboards. Those folks at Oi Polloi must think you are a strange girl indeed...always lurking around the shop front! There is no doubt that music influences fashion and vice versa. One only hqs to examine the work of Heid Slimane who has tqken ,uch inspiration from emerging artisits, for example These New Puritans. This excerpt from men.style.com following the Dior fall 07 show highlights the point well: “His band du jour, These New Puritans, provided a sound track that left one wanting more, their drummer George Barnett made for a much more appealing muse than Pete Doherty, and their home, the British town of Southend, provided a rich seam of inspiration for a collection that roamed confidently across the terrain of English youth cults.” Music has an influence on fashion but there is little doubt that fashion can also have an influence on music, well atleast in swaying press and ultimately public opinion.

I have to mention the work of Christian Joy and her costume design for Karen O and I was fortunate to see some key pieces at a recent V&A exhibition. As shown on stylebubble, Joy has now worked with the Klaxons. I agree with stylebubble that this is a welcome wardrobe change from the band that has helped get the designs of Cassette Playa greater attention (refer to ny previous rant if you have forgotten my opinion on this label!

I am sure that music and fashion will continue to influence each other and there is nothing wrong with that in my book!

I am now off to enjoy Paris!

Movember

I can't believe that I didn't know about this until now! Moustache lovers, if you remember it next year, make sure you sign up to do this. Movember involves lovely generous chaps growing their taches throughout November and getting sponsorship to do so, raising money for Prostate cancer. I know this isn't directly related to style, but it's a cause close to my heart (plus, any excuse to encourage tach growing!). If you fancy donating, details are here

Picture Postcard - Chequers and Polka

To cheer myself up before I go outside I thought I would post a picture. EJ first showed me this image to pass the time at work last week but it is an image that I've not forgotten about and I thought I'd share (plus it will give her a chance to talk about it because I know she wants to!). This image is courtesy of fak! which we have blogged about before but why not again eh?

The combination of accessories is very good indeed, far better than most of the shots that one sees on facehunter (I have been looking over his recent shots of London though and I do approve). For me this outfit would be perfect if it he was wearing jeans as opposed to leggings/treggings. I just can't accept them and I don't like looking at them. I can however gaze at the combination of the chess board top and yellow polka dot neckerchief for quite some time. With this I leave you and this warm room behind but I will be back later.

Oh, I love him so! Mine is one of those mad crushes... my brain says:

'no, this is wrong! Look at him, who does he think he is? Some kind of harlequin ballet dancer? You don't like yellow, it's not your friend... and is he carrying a SPEAKER? Who carries a speaker?'

while my heart says:

'Look at him... he's like a harlequin ballet dancer! The boy's some kind of mad genius... a Doc Brown of colour and simple pattern'.

What do you wear when you be illin?

Oh woe is me!

I'm currently lying on the gf's bed wearing my tartan pj bottoms and COS cardigan. My head and throat are sore and the rest of my body aches. This could be some kind of deviation from the dreaded Man flu but I'm not sure. However, I need to go out into the real world once I feel I can brave the cold and healthy folk which creates the problem of what to wear. Obviously I need to take my health into consideration so I will ensure that I layer extensively and guarantee that my neck isn't exposed. I have the words of my Nan imprinted deep within my brain - "Make sure you wear a scarf..or at least do up your coat properly." Other than my physical well being I have a mental consideration of wanting to look good. I have always wanted to look better than I feel. To me this is more important than how I actually feel and in turn this makes me feel better (does that even make sense?). I can illustrate this on a smaller scale: If I am hungover I like to make an extra effort in the morning/afternoon in how I look, always picking my most flattering and favourite pieces and teaming them up well. Once I am wearing my chosen outfit my sore and woolly head seems less significant and I can at least fool people (who don't notice my blood shot eyes) that I am fine and dandy. Am I alone in this?

In terms of today I feel my immediate choices are limited because of where I am. I don't have the full choice that my house brings. After a quick rummage of my weekend bag I believe I will plump in the following outfit. Starting from the bottom...my buddhahood black leather/velvet shoes and thick socks of course (it's damn cold out there), my COS black skinny jeans (they fit so well and are extremely comfortable), a clean, crisp Reiss white shirt (the brightness of the shirt will improve my well being, plus all men look great in a white shirt), my favourite black cardigan, finished off with my mac, arm warmers and scarf.

But first back to bed...

Oh poor poorly Steve... expect little to no sympathy here as some of us are suffering as well and somehow still at work (what am I doing?? Why isn't it hometime?). A good sickday outfit is essential though and for me would involve switching the white shirt for a nice plain T in soothing autumnal colours at the moment (though that's probably just me... I love those autumnal colours), a nice hoody (hood up, to hell with worrying about looking like a scal), a decent scarf, some wide-legged trousers or jeans and cashmere socks. Always with the cashmere socks.

Oh, and next time you visit, leave the germs at home!

A.P.C. oh when will you open a store in the UK?

Paris label APC has dedicated fans the world over..I am becoming one of them (it wouldn't be accurate of me to describe myself as a dedicated fan yet because I've only flirted with buying a number of items) but it seems to have found its natural home in Japan, where shoppers lap up the brand's sharply functional style. Along with Katayama (the Tokyo store designer) APC have revamped their store in Daikanyama (which has been open since 1992) creating a much fresher homme store. Reading this news has made me question whether or not APC are ever going to open up such a store in London...they even have a store in the Philippines but not in the UK! Oh well at least they are stocked here and Paris is even closer with the new Kings Cross link! I do find the prices a little steep (the reason that I've not bought anything as yet) but I am getting over this the more I see the clothes up close. Before I was fooled by the seemingly similarity between the offerings of H&M which is always extremely reasonable (cheap) in the price stakes and those of APC which cost so much more but (on the whole) deservedly so.

This post also gives me the excuse to show images from the recent Winter catalogue featuring the effortless chic of stylists Camille Bidault Waddington and Christopher Niquet.

I adore this shot of Bidault and Niquet!

I really like the autumnal colour tones here.

Current APC favourite are the Plaid bag (as shown on The Staple), cotton checked shirts, their denim of course and the blazer shown in last Sunday's observer magazine (which I lost so cannot show you, please accept my sincerest apologies!) I will leave you with images of their famous jeans and that bag.

Witty style advice from yesteryear

I stumbled across this book reading the latest issue of Monocle on the train ride home (after the great knitting mistake - see below post for details.) It was first published in 1964 and is a great present idea for any man you know. For all men—and indeed all women who are interested in men’s clothes—here is an alphabetical guide to men’s fashion written with wit and expert knowledge. From the etiquette of dressing for all occasions to the meaning of technical terms, Hardy Amies’s skillful eye guides you safely through style decisions on everything from blazers and brogues to skiing and sandals. No man can afford to be without this classic style bible. To demonstrate this point one only has to read a few of the many highlights within these pages:

On bowler hats Amies remarks "The only truly smart headgear." I think it is a shame that this hat is only worn by actors portraying bankers in TV series or in jest.

On tailoring - ”There’s no such thing as a designer of menswear-—it’s only history. The suit around the world is based on the English suit, which began in about 1670. Any man, whether he’s American, Japanese, French or whatever, who wants to be seriously well dressed, looks to the Englishman’s suit for how to achieve it.”— I think times have moved on somewhat from this stance but you have to admire his national pride in English Sartorialism but thank goodness we can proclaim today that there are a number of great designers of menswear!

Sir Hardy Amies died in 2003, but his legacy and style continues under his protégé Ian Garlant at Hardy Amies Plc. He opened his fashion house in 1945 and became Dressmaker by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen. Famous for menswear and his keen eye for classic style, Amies had a regular fashion column in Esquire magazine. I will leave you with some wise words penned by Sir Hardy Amies. Seemingly effortless style is the most favoured form of style:

“A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them.”

Result of 'you can't buy style but you can make it'

OK I admit it...I didn't create the above (Sandra Backlund did) but after visiting EJ in her beautiful new flat I have learned a new skill not nearly as accomplished or as beatiful as this piece but I had to start somewhere. The whole experience of knitting began for me in one of Manchester's haberdasheries where I acquired some extremely cheap thick wool (about £10 for 10 balls of wool, enough to knit one of the longest scarves imaginable!). The needles chosen were 15mm. Nice and big so that any knitting performed would look much more impresive than it actually was. After casting on for me and running through the basic knit stitch, the garter stitch (knit stitch all the way). After a few mistakes, most of these were me creating extra stitches or dropping stitches (sometimes both at the same time). All in all I was most impressed with myself and got the hang of it much sooner than I thought I would and I knitted stitch after stitch wherever I could. However, any knitting ego was eventually deflated on the long train back into London after I lost my knitting way and made an unrepairable mistake and the scarf in the making that was being knit by my newly trained hands became a scarf no more. I lost my concentration after a number of stitches because the person in front of me was watching anime and I became cocky thinking I could both watch and knit at the same time (well my nan can watch Coronation Street whilst knitting the most intricate and detailed of woolen garments!). However, I am not going to let this mistake put me off knitting. The weekends experience has only spurred me on to create something spectacular (along the lines of Sandra Backlund)...or at least complete.

Please see the pics below of my effort:

The thick wool makes it appear my more work than it actually was!

A nice close up, I have no idea what went wrong. I just lost my way. Oh well.

It is time to pick up those knitting needles and resume the learning curve.

EJ - It's looking good, Steve. A lot less... holey. Keep it up!

You can't buy style but you can make it

This was the title of a recent entry on the sartorialist and upon reading this it made me feel guilty that I do not make/personalise enough of my clothes or accessories. I have a long list of accessory and garment ideas that i have penned into my trusty notebook but these ideas have never been realised and that is a little shameful. I thought about trying to hide behind the excuse that maybe it is because of my gender (it is true in the sense that I know countless girls who are thrifty and make their own clothes and no guys) but I had sewing classes back at primary school. I am just lazy. But I want to change! Is there anyone out there who regularly makes items of clothing? Are there any keen male knitters out there? I am going to see EJ this weekend and part of that weekend will be spent in her teaching me the difference between the knit and the purl. Photos will follow....

A flirtatious glimspe at Spring

I have to admit that during this lazy weekend I have been thinking about next seasons aesthetic, which will completely confuse me (I'll end up wearing a light blue jacket over a white t shirt, paired with thin grey trousers and polar blue shoes tomorrow and freeze to death walking up to the tube station!) but I just wanted to re-examine some of the s/s 08 shows and to seek inspiration for the future. As discussed on Male Mode, winter is upon us and I (as he does) need to buy a winter coat, or atleast supplement my current wardrobe with clothes that can offer me more warmth but I've gone one foot in s/s/ 08 already. The early bird catches..and all that. One of my favourite shows was Jil Sander. It was Simons' fourth presentation for the label. Simons himself referred to it as “phosphor,” where color was pared away until all that remained was a hint of eau de nil or gray or blue to shade his spare three-button suits.

The collections underlying theme was light. It gave both a sense of weightless-ness and a glow akin to that of the arctic. Simons achieved it by layering translucent nylon jackets over shirts, or using leather so fine it might have been paper for T-shirts, shorts, and suits.

A high street store with a similarly clean and light look is COS, who I have to blog about soon so won't go into too much detail. Of course the tailoring and detail will not be up to Simons standards but I have been impressed by this store. It offers a real challenge to the other high street stores out there and that can only be a good thing in my opinion.

I've also been thinking about Christmas presents, for myself, no one else (HA!) and have stumbled across Raf Simons Redux. Santa if you are reading this I would like this book please because I know an actual piece of Raf Simons' work would be too much to ask from you. Thank you.

Weekend Therapy Part 2

Today has been the lazy day that I desired it to be and in all honesty it is how i desire all Sundays to be, but especially when it is windy and cold outside. The furthest I've strayed from the girlfriends flat today is the three minutes walk to the local Spar to buy Sanguinello Tropicana and the Sunday Times. All of this has meant that I've had time to explore my staple blogs to both amuse and inspire me. I've not been able to look into the Facehunter's world for some time and it seems that absence has made the heart grow fonder. I concede that I have been a little bored/disillusioned with it previously (saturated by people sporting similarly outlandish ensembles) but after about two weeks of not looking it and him being back in Paris the deisre for that aestheitic has returned.

Here are some of my favourites

I love the simplicity of this outfit, it leaves everything to the illustration which I like very much.

Can this chap be any more of a chic Parisian? Again it is an example of simple dressing but dressing well. The fur detailing on the collar is very nice indeed.

This chap looks a little like Jason Schwartzman and his use of colour is great. I'm a big fan of strong coloured deep v neck sweaters. Ok, i admit it I like this mostly because he reminds me of Jason Schwartzman and that man makes me chuckle!

I had to end it with Jarvis. I was slightly taken aback when I saw his face on facehunter.