The British Designers Collective

This week summer finally kicked in here in the UK so I decided to take a day trip to Bicester Village in Oxfordshire. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, it’s a lovely designer outlet home to various high-end designer labels like Burberry, Versace, Calvin Klein etc. My major reason for going though, was to have a look at the British Designers Collective. Like the upcoming London Collections: Men event it’s another way British Design is being showcased this summer.

TOPMAN x NEWGEN: Menswear Rules Britannia

TOPMAN and NEWGEN come together for another brilliant collaboration to celebrate the upcoming showcase, London Collections: Men. The collection is launched on the 7th of June and features designs from top NEWGEN menswear designers Lou Dalton, Katie Eary, SIBLING, Christopher Shannon and James Long. £5 from every purchase will go towards The British Fashion Council's Princess of Wales Charitable Trust which supports young designers.

I’ve got my eyes on the Katie Eary and SIBLING t-shirts, what would you pick? 

London Collections: Men

I’ve been following fashion weeks for a while now, especially London Fashion Week. One thing I noticed about LFW is the way the week is split with Womenswear taking up the first 5 days and Menswear on the last day. To be honest I was quite amazed at how they manage to fit all the menswear shows into one day. The interest and enthusiasm in quality British men’s fashion has grown impressively in the last few years, meaning that that one day at London Fashion week just isn’t enough to showcase the amazing talents we have in the UK. London Collections: Men is the result, rather than one crowded day, all the shows and events will be spread over 3 days, starting on the 15th June and ending on the 17th. With all the buzz around London what with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, it’s a great time  for British menswear to be showcased on such a grand scale. I’m beyond excited and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. 



For more info check out the website: London Collections: Men

What Makes A Good White Shirt? - Part 2

I don’t think anyone else could have said it better than Tom. In my first post about white shirts I wanted to show you just how much you can do with a white shirt. In the follow-up I’m going to give you some pointers on what to consider when choosing a shirt as well as some handy tips on how to take care of them. 

Always ways have more than one.

Choose carefully, simple doesn’t mean boring. The style of the cuffs, collar and the fabric really make a difference.

Always consider the fit, too big and you might end up looking like the Michelin man, too small and you’ll end up looking like you’re wearing your little brother’s school uniform!

Sweaty collars and armpits are never a good look with white shirts. Stain-removers like Oxi-clean or Vanish do wonders. 

Wash white shirts at 40º and air dry until slightly damp, then iron.

Contrary to popular belief, don’t bleach white shirts. Bleach tends to eat away at the fabric over time.

What Makes A Good White Shirt? - Part 1

If there is one piece of clothing a guy should never go without, it has to be a white shirt. To us guys, it’s what the Little Black Dress is to women. It’s both timeless and versatile and a good white shirt is well worth the investment. I’ve had a couple of white shirts in the past that haven’t really lasted too long and I’m on the look-out for a new one. I found myself asking, “What makes a good white shirt?.” With that in mind, here are some of the shirts I’m loving and some useful tips I came across. I’ve grouped the tips based on Collars, Cuffs, Fabric and Care.


Collars
Yves Saint Laurent Contrast Grandad-Collar Shirt - Mr Porter
Oliver Spencer Slim Fit Cotton Trousers - Mr Porter
Burberry Prorsum Cork Sole Raffia Lace-ups - MatchesFashion
Folk Joplin Golden Belt - Coggles

Monsieur Kitsuné Button-Down Oxford Shirt - Mr Porter
Monsieur Kitsuné Merino Wool Cardigan - Mr Porter
Grenson William Grey Suede Brogues - Urban Outfitters
A.P.C. Petit Standard Fit Jeans - MatchesFashion

Jil Sander Slim Fit Cotton Shirt - Mr Porter

Lanvin New Bow Tie - MatchesFashion

Alexander McQueen Panelled-Lapel Tuxedo Jacket - Mr Porter

Alexander McQueen Striped Waistband Suit Trousers - Mr Porter

Mr Hare Miller Oxford Shoes - Oki-Ni

J. Crew Mason Spread Collar Shirt - Mr Porter

Acne Jethou Pullover Sweater - Acne

J. Brand Saturated Dye Jeans - MatchesFashion

Zara Combined Deck Shoe - Zara

William Fox & Sons Backpack - ASOS

Sh*t Guys Should Know About Fashion - #7

From my personal experience, fashion can be pretty hard to follow if you don’t know what people are talking about. So I thought that starting the Sh*t Guys Should Know About Fashion segment would be a great way to unravel most of the jargon you hear or read about fashion. 

If you’ve got any confusing terms to add to the list, just drop them in the comments section and I’ll be happy to help!

Today’s fashion term is:

The Hitlist #3 - Shore Leave Tan Red Sole Shoes

Over the Easter holiday I did quite a bit of shopping but these shoes from Shore Leave are probably the best things I purchased. One major thing I agonise over when I buy shoes is the quality, it’s probably something I got from my mum. I was attracted to this pair mainly because of the red soles, it reminded me of a certain high end label we all know about. The fact that they’re 100% pure leather was a great bonus too. It might sound odd but I’m so in love with them.

Check Out Shore Leave at ASOS and Urban Outfitters

Song Of The Day #1 - Taste The Rain

It’s Monday and summer seems sooo far away right now. It’s been raining constantly for the past few weeks and I’m just about ready to pack up my spring/summer wardrobe. While we’re on the topic of weather, my song of the day is 'Taste The Rain’ by British Blues/Grunge band, Kill It Kid from their self-titled debut album. I first came across this song during the Burberry Prorsum SS12 Womenswear show last year. I just love the gritty texture in Chris Turpin’s voice and the lyrics are beautifully figurative. The production on this track is pretty epic in my opinion. If you haven’t heard about them you should definitely check them out!

Kill It Kid’s official website
Kill It Kid on iTunes

Kill It Kid (L-R: Chris Turpin, Stephanie Ward, Marc Jones and Dom Kozubik)