11/12/2015
For me winter means boots. I know some people feel it appropriate to stride through the cold and dark, over the ice and snow, wearing the same flimsy, slippery and chilly footwear they use the rest of the year. Around here though we see winter as an opportunity to boot up. And boots must be real boots, no zips and…
06/12/2015
I’m always looking for things that have that added ingredient of different, be it a vintage car, a strange back-street caffe, or another jacket for the collection. Realm & Empire have been mentioned here a few times before, as one of a handful of British companies worth keeping an eye on. By some incredibly fortuitous dealings, R&E have managed to…
11/11/2015
Autumn, a time for deep contemplation, catching up on reading and taking photos of colourful, fallen leaves, naked trees and certain men showing their daily outfits? Yes, those Instagram photos keep appearing on a regular basis. If you don’t follow me, I’ve included them below for your viewing convenience. Speaking of reading, I’ve noticed the stack menswear-related titles has been…
31/10/2015
Nothing lasts forever, and especially not a pair of jeans that are worn day in and day out, rarely washed and only given tough macho love. Even more so if you’re the type of person that treats your jeans totally without mercy, all in the name of evolving the fades and getting that personal wear. This makes for a truly…
30/10/2015
It’s Friday, it’s the end of October, and even the most ardent fans of Summer will no doubt be aware that Autumn is in full effect. This is my favourite time of year for talking a walk in the woods. Not just the colours, but the sounds, the smells and the views. Good stuff. And it offers up some great…
10/10/2015
A word of warning: The next lines you read may provoke either a physical or mental reaction in you, or even both in extreme cases. Fear not though, keep reading and all will become clear. I will help you work through the trauma I about to induce in you. How often do you get both the poison and the cure…
26/09/2015
For most people Liverpool means football and the Beatles, and that’s about it. This pretty much rules me out then, as I have no interest at all in either sport or mop-topped musicians. With a long weekend to be spent in Liverpool meant I would have to come up with something more than the obvious stuff. This is my brief notes on…
16/08/2015
Have you ever noticed how similar menswear shops are? Not the ones your father would go to, or the one you would take your young son into, but the sort of proper one the sorts like you and me would visit. The ones that tend to carry less suits and more timeless, quality pieces. You know the sort, right? I…
29/07/2015
I love London. So much so that I entertain fantasies of living there permanently. The vibrancy, the hustle and bustle, the masses of people, the efficiency of the Underground system, the sounds, the streets, the museums, the shopping and more. Exciting and interesting, no doubt about it. Yet, most likely mostly a fantasy. The masses of people, the noise and…
08/07/2015
When it comes to parkas, there are three companies that immediately come to mind (to me, others will argue at length why they have a different list), and all three have certain similarities. Engineered Garments, Battenwear and Monitaly. All have a Japanese designer, produce their goods in the USA, and have at least one parka design that is incrementally changed…