Unless your wardrobe has the capacity of the tardis and is much bigger on the inside than outside, the time will rapidly arrive when some harsh decisions on content and style will have to be made. Stylists have to be ruthless in editing their styles with the precision of a surgeon and any fusionist worth their salt should have the courage to follow suit, so lets have a rummage together and see whets charitable donations or what is bin fodder.

To Bin Or Not To Bin

Try and be practical, I know its difficult if a couple of weeks wages had once been blown on the last season’s jacket, but if you are to breathe new life into your collection you must be ruthless in deciding what passes your quality control; if garments are damaged, faded or just plain ugly, don’t hesitate to get rid.

Menswear tends to be more on-trend for longer, if something looks good on you and you feel good wearing it, then it’s sensible to stick with the item and possibly purchase new items with the older style and colour wheel in mind. It’s far easier to bin less durable items such as badly faded logo T-shirts or split and tatty jeans the consolation being you will have more space in your wardrobe.

The Big Store

Anyone who is still convinced the four seasons is anything more than a classical score is fooling himself or herself. The physical seasons these days are as changeable as well, the weather. You’ll find that some key items that definitely have the summer vibe will be better cleaned and stored away in unused suitcases till next year by which time you’ll have done yourself a favour by pre-packing all those favourite Ibiza shirts ready for their next mission.

Tailored items of good quality can be matched and worn year-round so for instance, bomber jackets and casual wear could easily find a home complimenting cargo pants or skinny jeans. Neutrals are always useful in the classic colours of navy, black, white or even Khaki so keep em’close to hand. Wardrobe classics such as sandals and Breton tops are almost immune to fashion changes and stockpiling them for when needed is a cost-saving idea for your mix and match department.

Luke Evans at Audi Polo Charity match

The Claim Game

Layering has always been a cost-effective method of freshening up a look. Spring and summer items such as T-shirts can evolve through both seasons to be successfully worn as base items as you replenish the new seasonal top layers, Chambray shirts are ideal for wearing with lighter jackets and lightweight overcoats or fleeces and can help hide a multitude of sins. Team both with long-sleeved T-shirts and you’re on to a casual style winner. Consider also the humble polo shirt, which can accompany cable knit cardigans, and jeans for the unpredictable devil may care look.

Oliver Cheshire – Uk model

Daddy More Bucks

Now that you have breathing space for that capsule collection after a ruthless sorting, buy wisely. Good quality shoes as previously discussed are a must that is a long term investment but let’s not forget the unpredictability of the seasons here so we need to talk decent hiking boots too and by rotating footwear you’ll give them some longevity when teaming them with jeans and chinos. Let’s face it the more footwear you own, the less chance of sweaty trainer syndrome.

Thinking big is this seasons overkill with oversized items a must for any stylish wardrobe; think large chunky sweaters and muted colour and neutral overcoats the size of the Ritz. Remember: jettison and be damned.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

Now that swimming trunks and shorts are well and truly stowed for this year, it’s the perfect time to contemplate the ideal leather belt. Leather belts were originally as a military accessory, dating at least as far back as the ancient Greeks, and they were used for hanging accessories from, than for holding clothes up.

That all changed in the mid nineteenth century though, when European officers’ dress uniforms began to incorporate decorative leather belts. The trend passed into the civilian sphere after the First World War, when returning soldiers kept their wartime belts, rather than reverting to the braces they had worn before they went away to fight.

Conventions soon materialised, and a gent’s leather belt should match his shoes (and his watch strap) in colour. But which are the top five leather belts available in the UK this winter? We think that the answer lies with small British brands that focus on craftsmanship and quality, rather than big designer names that are forced to mass produce to keep up with massive demand for their name.

1. Equus Mornington Bridle Leather belt £117

Equus is a small British company based in County Durham that specialises in handmade, hand- stitched bridle hide belts and watch straps. The Mornington belt is a simple, classic model made from a single length of English tanned bridle hide that should last a lifetime. Each belt is made to order, allowing you to choose leather colour, thread colour, belt width and length, buckle colour, and how many holes and how much space between them. A truly bespoke experience available online that represents great value considering the quality of the materials and craftsmanship employed.

2. Pickett Suede Belt £79.99

Founded in 1988 by Trevor Pickett, Pickett soon established itself as a bastion of high end English artisan luxury leather goods. They recently moved to larger premises in Mayfair. Pickett’s simply named Suede Belt is available in black or tan and with either a chrome or brass buckle. It features soft pale leather lining, and is an elegant, understated choice for casual trousers.

3. Estados Mens Suede Lined Leather Belt in Choc Croc £55

Estados is a British brand just 5 years old that manufactures in Argentina using Argentine calf hides, which are some of the best in the world (alongside Argentine beef!). Their products are designed in Britain for the British market by their Anglo-South American sibling founders, and their Choc Croc (chocolate brown croc print) calf leather belt is a stylish, classic belt which is made to a far higher quality than the price implies. It’s lined with butter soft brushed pig suede, and has a chrome plated brass buckle.

4. Pampeano ‘Multi’ Polo Belt £65.00

Having mentioned Argentine leather belts, it would be a crime to omit the style most closely associated with the South American nation, the polo (or gaucho) belt. Pampeano’s polo belts are among the best, with tougher leather, and British designs. The Multi features a classic combination of thread colours, and is often spotted round the waists of both royalty and celebrities alike.

5. Black Black Crocodile Print Leather Belt £60.00

Founded in 2006, Black specialises in luxury leather and cashmere gifts. Their belts are designed in England and made in Italy from full grain Italian leather. Lizard and Crocodile print are very much in vogue, and this black croc belt is an elegant, chic take on the traditional black leather belt, suitable for both casual and formal occasions.

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.

A luxury leather wallet, alongside a man’s watch and shoes, is perhaps his most significant accessory. Forget designer brands – many of them mass-produce in Asia, as it’s the only way to keep up with the huge global demand. For truly top notch luxury leather wallets, instead consider the five companies below.

1) Smythson

Although 125 years old, Smythsons languished for much of its history, including a spell as a subsidiary of John Menzies, the high street newsagent. A management buyout in 1998 was a catalyst for the launch of a truly forward looking heritage-based luxury British brand though. With its stationary lines now secondary to its leather goods, Smythson offers a range of wallets that value simplicity of design and quality of manufacture over gimmicks. They hold three Royal Warrants, and their wallets, which are manufactured in Spain, are made to last a lifetime.

Pick of the pack: Mara 8 card wallet in brown printed calf leather £185

2) Aspinal of London

Aspinal was founded in 2001 by former music business mogul Iain Burton, and despite a rocky first few years it has now become a household name and harbours grand plans for global domination. Aspinal has built its reputation on the quality and eye-catching designs of its handbags in particular, and by conjuring the illusion of being a long-established English heritage brand. To start with it manufactured all of its products in England, and it still does some of them, though the majority are now made in Eastern Europe. The company has a retained a high quality of manufacture at an accessible price though, and offers a sizeable collection of simple but elegant wallets.

Pick of the pack: Leather jeans wallet in smooth black and smooth red £55

3) Ettinger

Holders of the Prince of Wales’ Royal Warrant, Ettinger is a family business founded in the 1930’s. Since purchasing James Homer Ltd, a former saddler business, in 1999, the company has gone from strength to strength. Ettinger wallets are all handmade in England, and they are presented in collections, some of which are collaborations with other luxury brands such as Bentley and Wimbledon. Ettinger also pioneered the trend of traditional wallets having different coloured covers and interiors. Cutting edge concept and design combined with master craftsmanship comes at a price though, if not quite as much as an actual Bentley.

Pick of the pack: Saint Crispin bracken & eggshell 6 card wallet £216.67

4) Estados

A relative newcomer at just five years old, Estados’ British designs are handmade in Argentina from the finest Argentine calf leather, which is some of the best in the world. This is for the same reason that Argentine beef is so good, because Argentine cattle live in a sort of bovine paradise in the clement climate of the Pampas plains around Buenos Aires. Following Ettinger’s lead in combining two leather colours, Estados wallets compare favourably with some of the most expensive on this list but at a price nearer Aspinal’s.

Pick of the pack: 8 card billfold wallet in British racing green and tan £63.99

5) Tusting

Tusting is a fifth generation family business that produces a range of classic leather luggage and accessories. Their wallets are handmade in their English workshop using leather from Scandinavia, America, England, and South Africa. While wallets aren’t the focus of their collection, and so their range is relatively small, the quality is excellent. A safe choice for a fine traditional wallet.

Pick of the pack: Hip wallet in dark navy and tan £150

Written by – Hugo Lesser

Please visit: Men Style Fashion for more articles like this.