Cheap Monday – Jeans Geniuses

I think we would all agree that a key item in any man’s wardrobe is a good pair of jeans.  Jeans are one of the most versatile items of clothing; they can be partnered with anything to create both formal and casual looks.

With jeans being such a staple in men’s fashion it is surprising how many brands do not get it right. I pose this question to you, how many of you have purchased a pair of jeans that felt and looked OK in the store, only for them to look ill-fitting and cheap in the not too distant future?

Cheap Monday – Quality Denim

A problem I have encountered myself, I had started to become frustrated and generally accepted that I would constantly be purchasing new pairs of jeans every couple of months. That was until I discovered Cheap Monday. The Scandinavian brand is still a relatively new brand, launched as a brand in 2005, Cheap Monday has gone from being stocked in the owners Weekday store, to being stocked in Flagship stores around the globe, including London, Paris, Beijing and Copenhagen.

I came across the brand on a trip to Copenhagen in the first store Cheap Monday ever opened. Browsing the array of fits and colours I found the jeans I was looking for, these were then altered slightly on the leg (free of charge) to create the perfect fit. The staff were clearly knowledgeable about their products, how to care for them and what sizes and fits each person should opt for.

An affordable and long lasting, Cheap Monday is definitely a brand I will opt for again in the future when purchasing jeans amongst other fashion staples.

Specs

They do some great eye-wear as well. Everyone loves the ones Gracie Opulanza wears.

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Now let me preface this article by saying that I am not against faux furs and faux leather. However, what I have noticed is that most high street stores are now opting to use only synthetic materials yet still charging a premium price.

Synthetic hides and leather are a great way to make these styles of clothing more affordable. However, if high street stores are charging a premium price for these synthetics it may be a better option to go for the real thing. In terms of value for money and longevity, a good leather product should last you for quite some time and many leather products only get better with age.

Kent and Curwen

With autumn on our doorstep now is a perfect time to invest in leather products such as leather jackets as they provide a stylish and durable alternative to the winter coat.  Kent and Curwen showed a great range of leathers earlier this year at their LCM A/W 14 show, look out for their release onto the market.

So the choice is down to you, do you go for the cheaper but less durable option or the more expensive but long-lasting option? Let us know what you prefer.

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Murdock’s Barbers – Facials For Men

When presented with a gift certificate for an “express facial” for Murdock’s I was apprehensive to say the least, but I thought may as well give it a go. Registering and booking online is straight forward so you can book anytime. I had briefly visited Murdock at Liberty’s just passing through so I knew it was a traditional Barbers, however, Murdock’s Covent Garden is its own barbers outright with a great feel to it.

Introduced to my Barber Chris I was even more apprehensive, Chris is a big beardy, tattooed guy, so the idea of this guy exfoliating my face was a little bizarre. However I was soon offered a beer and put at ease, Chris explained the steps of Murdock’s express facial to me and then commenced the process.

Why Pay the Professionals?

Checking the temperature and comfort throughout Chris ensured that I was enjoying my experience, ensuring that towels were the right temp, everything felt OK, even checking my headphones wouldn’t get damaged under the hot towel.

When I finished Chris questioned what scents I normally wear e.g. sweet, woody, tobacco, etc. spraying me with my chosen selection. Overall the treatment was amazing, I left feeling revitalised and relaxed. Meeting up with friends who I had been within the day I was told I looked noticeably better and smelt amazing.

Would I recommend this treatment to a friend? You bet I would, meeting up with friends after I was immediately questioned about my treatment, including girls asking would Murdock’s see Women customers. I look forward to trying out Murdock’s other services as well as purchasing the products used on this visit.

Ricki Hall Uses Murdock London

One of the most famous customers of Murdock London is up and coming tattoo and bearded model Ricki Hall. MenStyleFashion has done an extensive interview with Ricki Hall that I have included in this article.

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LCM: Grenson Shoes ‘Shoe Heaven’

For any person who appreciates fine craftsmanship, Grenson is the shoe brand for you. A heritage brand launched over 100 years ago, Grenson has gone through a great change in the last 10 years. Its current CEO was recruited back in 2005 and went on to not only revamp the brand but also purchase it in 2010. Since then Grenson has gone from strength to strength with their products now being retailed on sites such as Mr Porter and in stores such as Selfridges, House of Fraser and Liberty’s. This is along with their now 4 stores across London and Liverpool.

Grenson CEO and Owner Tim Little highlighted that Grenson is all about quality, whilst the actual assembling of the shoe is offshored all components are manufactured in the UK. This gives Grenson the ability to ensure that all their products are to the highest standard and giving the consumer value for their money. When discussing why Grenson offshores part of its production Tim commented that it was a way of making the brand affordable to a larger audience. G:2 range which is assembled off shore but all our other ranges (G:One, G:Zero and G:LAB) are handmade in our Factory in Northampton.

Men Leading the Way

Whilst at the Grenson showcase I had the chance to speak with their head of PR Alison Hargreaves. Alison, who was an absolute blast to talk with, told me how men were leading the way when it came to understanding and appreciating quality craftsmanship. Alison discussed how many men bring their girlfriends with them when they visit Grenson.  These women subsequently start to appreciate that quality made products are far better than the disposable fashion the female market has become accustom to.

Grenson X Edwin X Blitz

Grenson were not only showcasing their SS15 line but also celebrating the launch of a new collaboration with Edwin Denim Co and Blitz Custom Motorcycles. Grenson were approached by Blitz and Edwin to develop a line of biker boots. Exquisitely made, these boots are not only for guys who ride motorcycles, but anyone who appreciates a well-designed, expertly crafted piece of footwear. Available in September 2014 I would recommend if you are thinking about purchasing a new pair of boots or any shoes for that matter head to Grenson.

Contact Grenson

Grenson shoes with Blitz motor cycles

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Corporate Fashion – Peacocking in the Workplace

For those of you who don’t know “Peacocking” is the act of adapting ones behaviour or clothing in order to stand out. The term comes from the act of a Peacock showing his plumage in order to attract the attention of a female.

This term is not only applicable in terms of attracting someone you’ve got your eye on; the art of peacocking can in fact be a successful tactic within the workplace. Now I am not suggesting you go into your office with a bright multi-colours shirt on, but making minor fashion changes can actually have a significant impact.

Cufflinks

Cufflinks are an accessory many men will use on a daily basis and probably won’t give much thought to. However cufflinks are an excellent accessory to utilise in order to stand out in your office, by wearing a design that is out of the norm there is a greater possibility of being noticed. I would suggest avoiding novelty cufflinks or over the top ‘loud’ pieces, but wear cufflinks that are unusual. Chances are someone will comment on them and spark a conversation you may not of had, had you selected your standard plain cufflinks.

Look to tateossian.com for high end alternative designs, with great craftsmanship. A favourite of mine is the blue round gear frame, partner this with a plain white shirt in order to make the cufflink really stand out.

For those on a limited budget check out notonthehighstreet.com . Not On The Highstreet do some great cufflinks at very reasonable prices, however I stress again, avoid the novelty items. You don’t want to be “that guy”.

Photo credit tateossian.com

Give it Some Thought

Other items to consider are items that you may not give any thought to such as your tie.  If it is a style that suits you a bow tie is an excellent way to draw attention, jane carr have started to carry some amazing printed bow ties. Avoid the “louder” prints to keep a formal look to your work attire.

A second item to give a bit more thought to is your watch, whether you opt for the techy stuff such as the Nike+ FuelBand or a classic Tag Heuer, your watch should make a statement about you. As always go with whatever suits you best, you should know your style limits and what will not suit you, so adapt the advice given to suit your own personal style.

What is the Point?

The point of making yourself stand out through what you wear is to stand out in people’s minds. By standing out from the norm you will leave a lasting impression, for example a senior person remembered my name because I showed up to my first day with a skinny tie and a scaffold piercing. This was not the normal attire for a senior meeting but left a lasting impression.

It is widely discussed how the more visible you are the more likely you are to be considered for things such as interesting project work, promotions etc. So why not maximise your visibility through your style.

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Double Denim – A Trend to Avoid

As we know trends come and go and then they make a glorious return. This spring saw the return of a trend that seems to return to us like a bad penny, what trend am I talking about?  Double Denim of course! This is a trend that seems to come round once every couple of years, like florals, double denim seems to be one of those go to spring styles for designers.

Now although I am a fan of a good pair of jeans or a denim shirt one thing I am not a fan of is combining the two. Earlier this year many fashion publications featured double denim and its triumphant return with the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch sporting the look. *Queue hoards of shoppers flocking to various high street outlets to get in on the double denim action.*

Why Not!?

The reason why I don’t like this look is because for me you either look uncoordinated, like you belong on a ranch in Texas or a throwback from the 90’s. Even the superbly stylish Becks doesn’t seem to be able to pull off this look.

Roll on Summer

There is probably a photo somewhere of me sporting this look, but it is a look I won’t repeat and will be happy to see the back of.

As always style is subjective and I am sure some readers of this would whole heartedly disagree with me. That’s what makes style and fashion such an interesting thing to write about.

Anyway roll on summer so we can see the back of this trend, for another few years.

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Social Media Strategy – Why You Need One!

We all know that social media is used for everything now, at a few clicks you can find out everyone who has been in the venue you went to and what they thought of their experience. So what does this mean for the fashion and beauty industry.

At a click of a button I can find out what fashion bloggers, writers and general consumers think of your new line, whether they would recommend it, what they think of the quality, how the brand has interacted with them and so on and so forth. Never have so many people been able to reach such a wide audience with their opinion.

An example of just how wide the impact of social media can be, this year’s London Fashion Week according to Hootsuite reached an audience of 35,822,334 social network users through mentions and shares.

Brands Need To Recognise Social Media

Brands need to recognise that they can help shape this discussion and ensure their new lines are well received by consumers. A great example of a brand that recognises the importance of social media and bloggers is Guess. Guess has partnered itself with a team of 60 bloggers. It develops these bloggers and regularly promote them across its online channels. In partnering with these bloggers, Guess is ensuring that its watches are not only receiving promotion but that these bloggers understand the vision of the brand.

Who Is Immensely Powerful in Terms of Social Media

Another shining example of sheer influence through social networking is Cara Delevingne. Cara has 1,599,096 followers on twitter and 4,948,429 followers on Instagram. By sharing with her self-named ‘Delevingners’, Cara has enabled brands to reach a mass of new consumers. Ed Razek the Senior Creative of Victoria’s Secret comments that Cara is ‘immensely powerful’ in terms of social media. From live tweets backstage to uploading the first ever video selfie from a catwalk, Cara is an example of how brands can reach a huge audience by tapping in to a person’s social media presence.

There is a large amount of talent out there at the moment which is not being utilised. In tapping into talent such as bloggers, brands can create mutually beneficial partnerships. The talent gets some mentoring and exposure whilst the brand shapes the conversation occurring about their brand. From the few examples given in this article it is clear if brands want to thrive in this industry and reach the maximum audience they need to be social media savvy.

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I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Jane Carr’s A/W 14-15 launch earlier this month. For those of you who don’t know Jane Carr is the eponymous label launched by Carr in 2005. Starting out in women’s accessories, Carr then launched into the men’s accessory market in 2011.

For A/W14-15 Carr and her creative team cite their inspiration as the 1984 movie “Paris Texas”, this inspiration is evident in the use of desert themes such as the cow skull print found on a number of the collections scarves and pocket squares.

As well as these more adventurous prints, Carr also carries a number of more reserved, classic prints, perfect for the office.

Showing at London Collections Men in June

Jane Carr has also stated that for the first time since launching they will be showing at London Collections Men in June. This is the first time since launching into the men’s fashion market that they will be appearing at LC:M. Speaking to Jane herself, she acknowledges that menswear in the UK is gaining more and more interest meaning that it is the perfect time to exhibit its new collections at LC:M.

Jane Carr is an example of the excellent talent we have in the UK and is perfect for any occasion. I was impressed with what I saw of their A/W 14 collection and I am excited to see what else this impeccably designed label has in store for the future.

Photo Credit: Samantha Ria

Photo Credit: Darrian ZJ

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Jacamo – The Everyman Brand

“Jacamo, isn’t that the fat guy brand?” was the response I got when I told a friend about my plans to attend a bloggers event to view Jacamo’s HS14 line. This is not the first time I have heard this in reference to Jacamo, possibly due to their choice of spokesman when they first launched (Johnny Vegas, not the most stylish or svelte of men). However this is a perception I am happy to report as false.

Summer Offerings

Jacamo’s summer line is quite impressive, having just started to retail FCUK on their sites and in their stores Jacamo are building quite a variety of brands whilst also developing their own in house brands such as Flintoff and Label J.

For summer Jacamo are carrying a lot of printed t-shirts (no floral thank god) and embroidered shorts, alongside some very stylish blazers. Neutral tones and lightweight fabrics Jacamo have hit the summer nail on the head whilst still being creative. My personal pics are:

Label J – Baseball T-Shirt

A simple printed T-shirt, perfect for summer, lightweight and easy to partner with shorts or chinos and a jacket for a smarter evening look.

Label J – Oxford Shorts

Nice and simple, the Oxford Shorts offered by Label J are ideal as they can be partnered with pretty much anything. By keeping it simple these shorts give a smart summertime look.

Partner the above picks with some plain slip on shoes such as a good pair of vans for a casual, fresh look. If you are heading out for evening drinks partner them with a lightweight blazer in order to keep the smart casual look.

What’s next for Jacamo

In a time where brands are moving away from having physical retail space and focusing their attention on online retailing Jacamo are doing the complete opposite. With 8 stores already under their belt Jacamo have plans to open a further 8 this year, including one on Oxford Street!

As the title says Jacamo is a brand for the man on the street. No matter what shape or size from Small to 5 XL Jacamo have you covered with a great selection and affordable prices.

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This weekend saw Britain get its first taste of the illusive summer weather. Alongside this break in the gloomy grey skies came a slew of men with their beer guts out, tatty old shorts and flip flops left over from their summer holiday.

As the British population rarely sees the sun they seem to neglect their summer wardrobe, hence summer involves recycling old holiday clothes and workout gear. This should not be the case, if you usually dress well then transfer this over to your summer attire.

Hide The Gut

We have all seen it and some readers may even be guilty of it, as soon as there suns got his hat on men take their shirts off. Unless you are on a beach this is never a good look, even if you have a chiselled physique there is a time and a place for you to stroll around shirtless and your local shopping mall is not it. Stay cool by opting for light cotton blends and light colours; it is scientifically proven dark colours absorb more heat! So ditch the dark colours, not only do they attract more heat but will also show any sweat marks a lot easier (never a good look).

Know Your Face

A weird title but men should know the shape of the face; this is in order to know what sunglasses suit them. For example if you have an Oval face a larger frame will show off your cheek bones, where as a smaller frame on this face shape will elongate the face. A good retailer (or a good friend) in this case Ricki Hall  tells you what suits your face.

Shorts

Many high street retailers are starting to recognise the need for stylish summer wear and have expanded what they offer. TOPMAN & Mr Hare & Mr Start carry a great line of tailored shorts, find a style that suits you. Remember closer fitting items will give you a more tailored look but too tight and your “boys” will be overheating. Avoid loose fits if you have thinner legs as this will only make them appear even thinner, no one wants chicken legs.

Update your modelling portfolio with Maria Scard

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An excellent thing about London is that you can walk down any street and see an array of styles. However one thing I have also seen in London as well as a number of other cities are people who think that dressing head to toe in the latest trend makes them stylish. However usually it means the opposite, these people have all the money but none of the style.

How To Avoid This

Don’t fall victim to this pitfall, yes it is great if you can afford the latest trends, however the best advice I can give is don’t force it. That new Katie Eary suit may look good on the model, but will you look that good wearing it? Take your most critical friend when making purchase such as this, your pride may be hurt but not as much as people sniggering when you walk down the street.

My Style VS The Latest Style

Your individual style should always win this battle. Your individual style will change with time and may often be in line with some trends but remember real men don’t follow trends, they set them. So bear that in mind next time you’re in Harrods, credit card at the ready.

Photos by Krish Nagari

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The word affordable gets misused a lot within the fashion industry. Many people seem to confuse affordable, with cheap. However this does not have to be the case, price does not always have to dictate quality. This article will illustrate how to be business smart when shopping for your new wardrobe.

Shop Thrifty

Macklemore’s 2012 smash brought to light some of the benefits of shopping at your local charity shop. Charity shops can be a great resource when looking for new clothes. Shopping at a charity shop is no different than buying clothes from eBay, other than you are supporting worthwhile causes. One of the best finds I have had in a charity shop was a D&G suit for under £40! If you are particularly creative, charity shops are great for picking up pieces you can alter and customise yourself.

Sale Savvy Shopping

Sales are a great time to pick up new clothes, however be cautious when purchasing and be careful not to buy things you do not need. Sales are a chance for stores to purge themselves of last season’s designs, be careful not to buy something that 2 months down the line will be stuffed in the back of your wardrobe. Use sales as a chance to pick up wardrobe staples such as plain shirts, trousers, blazers, shoes e.t.c.

Investment Items

There are certain items that price and quality do tend to go hand in hand. One such item is shoes, a mistake many men make is thinking that going for the cheaper version of these will save them money. This is not the case, that cheap pair of shoes will cost you more than investing in a decent pair to start with. The reason for this is a good pair of shoes should last a long time, however the cheaper version you may opt for will likely need replacing every 2 months (and that’s being generous) tally up the cost of these and you will see your smart purchase wasn’t so smart at all.

Another investment item is a well fitted suit. Every man should own three suits one blue, one black and one grey. Even if you don’t wear suits to work having these three will cover you for weddings, special events, date night, court hearings, the works. If you do not have a Savile row budget follow the above tips and pick up one that fits reasonably well and go to a good tailor who can alter this for you. Also many high street brands such as Topman retail good quality suits at a reasonable price.

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LFW – Street Style 21

LFW – Street Style 4

LFW – Street Style 3

LFW – Street Style 30

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Smart Casual

The pit fall that I see many professionals fall in to when it comes to dress down days in the office, is dressing poorly.  Dress down days usually go one of two ways:

The “comfy” look – This usually involves the person arriving in baggy jeans/jogging bottoms and an oversized T-Shirt. Although this might be comfortable, there is a reason you don’t wear these clothes out of your house usually.

How not to dress down on a friday

The “look at me” look – This look is usually the result of somebody trying to flaunt their latest purchases, whether they are appropriate or not.

What To Aim For

Dress down days are the same now as they were in high school, everybody will be eyeing up what you wear. You can create the best impression by keeping it simple and professional. My recommendation would be:

T-Shirt

T-Shirt – go for a plain coloured tee, avoiding loud prints and t-shirts you would normally wear to bed.

 Jeans

Avoid baggy jeans and extremely skinny jeans (e.g. spray on fit); I usually opt for slim fit jeans. Also opt for darker coloured jeans, light and stone washed jeans appear too casual for the office.

Cardigan

Again go for plain colours when picking a cardigan. Avoid bright over the top colours selecting neutral tones.

Shoes

Use your best judgement here, your beaten up running shoes aren’t the best choice. Keeping it professional doesn’t mean you have to ditch your trainers completely, but again keep it simple.

Remember

Some people forget although it may be casual Friday, you are still at work. This article is particularly important for young professionals trying to get ahead in the workplace. Your colleagues probably won’t take you seriously if you go in every Friday looking like you’re ready for bed or a night out.

Great Smart Casual Look

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A good friend of mine once said to me ‘I will never take anyone with tattoos and piercings seriously in business’. Following this statement they received an earful from yours truly, nevertheless it got me thinking, this is the opinion of the majority not the minority. However I believe that this is an opinion that is changing.

James Edward Quaintance

David Beckham & Ricki Hall: Tattooed crusaders

One of the main reasons attitudes are changing towards tattoos in particular is because they are receiving a lot more media attention. A key person who has helped shift the perception of people with tattoos is England’s golden boy David Beckham. Over the past few years David Beckham has adorned his body with a variety of artwork, not only has this brought tattoos into the spotlight for the right reasons but has also shown that those with tattoos aren’t all thugs and ex-criminals.

Another man who is helping change attitudes to tattoos amongst many other things is the style powerhouse that is Ricki Hall. Working with major brands Ricki Hall has shown that not only can tattoos look stylish but down right gentlemanly. Hall is just one example of a new breed of model that are invading catwalks and ad campaigns.

A Long Way To Go…

Although attitudes are changing, they have not fully changed, which is something worth considering when going for your next tattoo. I would suggest getting your ink in a place that can be concealed by your work attire, as many companies do still have reservations about hiring someone with visible tattoos or piercings.

If you are considering a tattoo that may be visible when you’re wearing your work attire it may be worth asking your employer their feelings on this. I have worked in environments where visible tattoos were acceptable and environments where people have lost their jobs over their new ink, so it is definitely worth checking.

Another thing to consider is how appropriate your tattoos are, you will have heard for the saying ‘dress for the job you want’ well I propose a new saying ‘ink for the job you want’, if you know that you want a job in a corporate environment, it is likely that they will not appreciate expletives tattooed across your knuckles.

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Stand Out From the Crowd – Shop Independent

Walk around any busy city centre and you are almost guaranteed to see hordes of men sporting the same garments.  There are several problems that this poses:

• It makes your look seem generic.
• You lose the personal touch to your style.
• Lastly and possibly the worst realisation, it suits the other person better than it suits you.

If you identify with any of these, then this article is for you. To avoid looking like another generic guy in the crowd then my advice to you is to start ordering from independent brands. With so many new labels popping up there has never been such a wide variety of choice for men’s clothes.

Here are three brands for you to check out.

Why Not Clothing

Why Not Clothing or WNC are a Manchester based brand established in 2012, their tag line is ‘Not just a brand but a statement’. Why Not Clothing specialise in urban street wear, reviving looks such as acid wash, dip dye and most recently featuring tartan in their A/W 14 collection. Why Not are definitely a brand to check out for affordable pieces that will set you apart from your friends.

Photo Credit – Robert Walker

Jilted Royalty

Jilted Royalty is a street wear brand offering everything from shirts to bandanas. The brands founder Jay Read gives the sense that the brand is very personal, referring to Jilted Royalty as a family.

The brand states ‘It’s not about money, it’s about quality’. Expect quality garments, with hard hitting loud prints and an undeniable inner city style.

Photo by: Jilted Royalty

All Round Clothing

All Round Clothing are a fun, light hearted brand offering a range of quirky prints and accessories, they even sell plush versions of their squirrel logo.

Launched in 2011 All Round Clothing are focused on developing as a brand, with aspirations to not be just ‘another t-shirt company’. All Round Clothing are definitely a brand to check out as we move into the spring/summer season.

Photo By: All Round Clothing

These are just three examples of the large amount of independent brands that are out there. Find one that suits your style and give them a try, not only will you be able to stand out from the crowd but you’ll also be supporting independently owned businesses.

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