CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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This will make you HAPPY ! – The new unisex Fragrance from Comme des Garçon & Pharrell

imageNow before we start I have to address a little matter regarding my household and a certain, undeniably talented Mr Williams. Recently the McG family returned from their Summer jaunt, where we were, what can only be described as tortured, by a certain track that the aforementioned Mr Williams, wrote, sung and produced. The track in question, of course, ‘HAPPY’, my son is obsessed with this song, whenever we got into the car, first thing in the morning, before he went to bed, ‘APPY, APPY, APPY’ incessantly. Upon our return, we soon discovered, it wasn’t just ‘APPY’ that was our son’s track du jour, but he had developed a liking for all things Pharrell, (just to note social services, we haven’t introduced, any of the mature material from Williams’ NERD period) , his collaborations with French robotic house duo Daft Punk, being particular favourites. The only solace I can take from this is from the wise beyond her years and patience of a Saint, Mrs Mc, who pointed out, “It could be so much worse, it have have been something like Barbie Girl.”

Anyway, enough of my rant and back to target to today’s subject matter. Pharrell Williams has been rather busy of late, recently picked up his 7th Grammy Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for his #1 hit single “appy”, sorry “Happy” from the animated film Despicable Me 2. Plus this year has seen him collaboration with both Adidas and Uniqlo on Clothing ranges. But for Autumn 2014 we see him diversify into another market, that being, Fragrances. This time round, he has chosen to work with cutting edge Fashion, fragrance and lifestyle house, Comme des Garçon.

G I R L by Pharrell Williams offers a woody scent of high-quality and complex construction, inspired by his Album of the same name, he manages to translate into liquid form his heady and infectious mix of music into scent format. Ingredients include, Neroli, Lavender, Iris, Styrax Cedarwood and Vetiver to offer to truly unisex fragrance equally appealing to men’s as women, a but like his music, you could say.

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@JimmyChooLtd add to their Kit with a new Fragrance for Men !

imageJimmy Choo is a brand renowned for its luxurious Footwear, whether that be their iconic womens collections or their Directional Mens offering. But over the last few season this brand has been spreading its wings and diversifying to other other product categories, whether that be breaking into the lucrative handbag market or the equally desirable fragrance sector.

The latest of these expansions into lifestyle is as The brand unveils its inaugural fragrance, Jimmy Choo MAN, capturing the spirit of the Jimmy Choo Man in an effervescent fragrance. Since the first men’s collection was launched in 2011, it has evolved as a diverse and versatile offering of shoes, bags, small leather goods and belts. The collection is an evolution of gentleman’s classics with a contemporary and sometimes surprising twist for the man about town. Attention to detail is pivotal with signature design details that include oversized tassels decorating a play on the traditional smoking slipper, camouflage prints with hidden burlesque silhouettes, playing card motifs on interpretations of the classic brogue and trainers feature decadent finishes in python and printed croc.

Jimmy Choo MAN has a powerful freshness set amongst a woody, aromatic fougère. The fragrance opens with crisp vivacity complemented with calming lavender notes. Mandarin essence tempers the citrus notes and blends with the subtle sweetness of fruity notes from honeydew melon.

Crisp notes of geranium accompany pineapple leaf resulting in a vibrant scent that blends harmoniously on the skin.

Finally, the heady ardour of rare patchouli dispenses its quintessentially moody and seductive temperament, transporting the senses to another world in which an orchestra of base notes and harmonies of warm, amber-based wood are blended to form a signature fragrance that is distinctive and alluring.

To make an impact into this intensely competitive market, you have to make your mark, having a great scent is no longer good enough. To make their impression felt the brand has cast the award winning British actor, Kit Harrington, as the face of its Autumn campaign. Best known for his brilliant role of Jon Snow in the Amazing HBO series, Game of Thrones and the upcoming Movie adaptation of the BBC Spy drama “Spooks”.

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A Grooming range fit for a King – Bayolea @PenhaligonLtd new men’s Grooming Range


imagePenhaligon’s is an English Boutique fine Fragrance house founded in 1870 by William Penhaligon. Their scents are still made in England today using the finest rare ingredients. Penhaligon’s holds two long-standing Royal Warrants; from HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (granted 1956) and from HRH The Prince of Wales (granted 1988).

The house’s passion is to continue their founders incredible legacy of creative and innovative perfumery, challenging the traditions of the art and seeking new ways to interpret elegance via their unique scents.

Bayolea is their first ever comprehensive Grooming Range to fulfill the everyday needs of a modern gentleman. The extensive range has been created to ensure every aspect of the grooming routine has been catered for. Nourishing skincare will be available alongside classic shaving and grooming products. This is the brand’s first ever launch in the world of skincare; products including a facial wash, soothing gel and cleansing mask will compliment traditional shaving soaps, creams and balms to ensure the skin is soothed and replenished and smelling incredible.

Bayolea’s scent opens with refreshing mandarin, tangerine and lemongrass, an invigorating and warming heart of cardamom, black pepper, neroli and lavender, resting on a resolutely masculine base of cedar, sandalwood, musk, moss, patchouli and amber.

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Bon Anniversaire Caron’s Pour un Homme


French perfumery House Caron ‘s signiture fragrance Pour Homme may not be a scent widely known, but it is a favourite of those in the know. Everyone from Tom Ford, James Dean and even the current Creative Director of that quintessential French Fashion Yves Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane, all cite Pour Homme as a personal favourite.

Another achievement this brand can boast is until it’s launch in 1934, gentlemen wore nothing but fresh and simple lavender water. This scent became the first of it kind, it was the first fragrance created for men that was made with lavender.

The finest quality lavender oils from the heights of the Alps and the valleys of Provence are blended to create this burst of blue and green freshness, slightly warmed with a discrete hint of vanilla and amber. The result being an intoxicating cocktail of Sophistication and natural simplicity.

The ingredients and general look of this classic of men’s fragrances has remained unchanged throughout its 80 years, never pandering to modern whims or feeling the need to alter it’s unique scent. The original clear glass bottle reflects the name and the contents. The contrast and shadows of the triptych design enhances the the intense green of the liquid inside.

To commemorate this milestone anniversary Caron have paid homage to its scent with a very special limited edition, each bottle is set in deeply engraved silver and topped with a stopper encased in pearl grey shagreen.

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The Cornerstone of your Grooming Routine – Cornerstone grooming range

imageYou know that feeling, why didn’t I think of that ?  Well with Cornerstone this is a perfect case in hand. The concept of it is simple yet brilliant. Basically, entrepreneur Oliver Bridge launched Cornerstone in June this year, having raised £175,000 from a group of angel investors and teamed up with leading packaging designers, dermatologists and web developers to bring the idea to life. Cornerstone was born out of Oliver’s personal frustrations with the discomfort and expensive nature of wet shaving – he felt that combining quality products with modern technology would be a powerful way to disrupt the men’s shaving market.

The range offers a flexible, regular delivery of its razors and shaving products right to your home. It’s a simple, more convenient way for men to shave. The journey begins at cornerstone.co.uk where customers are asked two questions:

(i) How often do you shave?

(ii) Which products from the Cornerstone range would you like in your box?

imageCornerstone uses these answers to suggest a regular delivery schedule tailored to the customer’s personal shaving routine. Before each scheduled delivery, the customer receives an email to alert them of their upcoming delivery, giving them the chance to change their product selection or the delivery schedule of their Cornerstone box, as well as allowing them to cancel or pause their plan at any time if they’re not ready for their next set of products. This way, customers avoid build-ups of the products that they use less often, and are never committed – they can cancel or change their plan whenever they need to – giving control and flexibility.

The range consists of Pre-Shave Face Scrub – blended with volcanic sand and cedarwood to help release ingrowing hairs, reduce shaving spots, unblock pores and lift dead skin cells. Shave Gel – blended with ginger and eucalyptus, protecting and rehydrating skin to help reduce shaving irritation. Razor Blades + Aluminium Razor Handle – sharp, durable razors mounted on a lightweight alloy aluminium razor handle. Each razor has five blades, an aloe vera moisturising strip and a flexbile head for precision and control. Post-Shave Balm – blended with mint and honey to cool, refresh and moisturise skin after shaving. The Cornerstone range was developed in partnership with expert dermatologists and manufactured in the UK. The razor handle was designed in London and produced in the UK, and the razor blades are manufactured in Germany.

imageOne of the great attentions to detail I love about this range is if you refer a friend to Cornerstone they’ll send you a razor handle personalised with your initials as a thank you !!!

Talking of which Cornerstone have are offering an engraved shave set to one of our amazing readers and each entrant a runner-up prize of a £10 Cornerstone gift coupon (once the winner has been announced!). Is this something you’d be up for? I bloody well think so !!!! All you have to do is sign up to our Instagram account @ClothesMakeMan between now and midnight (GMT) on Sunday 27th July. Its that simple !