6 Fashion Fundamentals You Should Never Forget

Words by Becky Gillard

 

Dressing well can be overwhelming. You only have to step into a high-street store to see a huge variety of fits, styles, patterns, collars, cuffs… and, well, you get the idea.

 

If you’ve ever stood in a shop or browsed clothing online with a slight envy for those guys who just always seem to get it right – don’t worry, we’re here to help. What follows won’t necessarily automatically have you featured on the front of Esquire – but it’ll give you some strong foundations that you can build your wardrobe on.

 

Behold; 6 fashion fundamentals that’ll help you create the basis of a solid fashion sense:

 

Buy clothes that fit

 

Buying clothes that fit sounds like such a simple rule – but a quick glance up and down the average city street will illustrate quickly that a GREAT number of people just do not know what this means.

 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a big guy, a super-slim guy or somewhere in between – you can look awesome – but you’re going to look bad and feel uncomfortable if you’re in clothes that just don’t fit.

 

The first step involves getting some professional help. Most department stores or dedicated men’s fashion stores will happily measure you – whether it’s your inside leg, waist, collar size or anything else that’ll help you get a good fit. When you’ve got some sizes, make a note of them and reference back every time you’re looking for an item.

 

Here’s the thing – a stone-cold classic pair of Levis will look awful if they’re meant for someone much bigger than you, just the same as a classic white Oxford shirt will look terrible if the buttons are heaving open. Don’t get hung up on worrying about your physique and trying to compensate with bigger or small garments – clothes that fit WILL make you look good.

 

Button your blazer properly

 

Most of us will wear a suit at some stage – and, assuming you’ve followed the first rule and you’ve got one that fits, you’ve then got the issue of buttons to address.

 

What I’m about to tell you can be carved into stone and never reassessed – no matter what the other guys in the office/at the wedding are doing. Here goes:

 

A one-button suit jacket: Have the button done up when standing – and undone when sitting.
A two-button suit jacket: Only ever fasten the top button. Never fasten both – and always undo your button when you sit.
A three-button jacket: When standing, your middle button should always be fastened. Your top button is optional – but the bottom button should never be fastened.

 

That’s cleared that up! If you see someone doing something different, they’re doing it wrong.

 

Wear good shoes

 

You’ve probably heard that thing about people noticing your shoes – even if shoes aren’t the first thing you notice. Perhaps it’s true – perhaps it’s not, but one thing is certain, you don’t want to risk someone judging you on a poor quality or lacking style of footwear.

 

Please understand – I’m not saying you have to go and spend four-figures on footwear, I’m simply saying that you should go for the best quality you can afford. This will get you a shoe that last longer than cheaper alternatives and is likely to be more timelessly stylish.

 

Consider a pair of brogues, Derbies or Chelsea boots if you want a style that’ll always look good with jeans or a suit – and always, I repeat; ALWAYS keep them clean and polished. A small tin of quality polish costs next to nothing and can transform your look.

 

Buy timeless staple pieces

 

There are some items a men’s wardrobe should never be without. Similar to shoes, the more money you can afford to spend on some staple items, the better quality you’ll get – and quality tends to last well.

 

Here’s the list:

 

A white button-down collar Oxford shirt
A quality white t-shirt
A quality navy t-shirt
Slim fitting straight-leg indigo jeans
Navy blue crew neck jumper
A textured pair of mid-grey wool trousers
Denim jacket
A pale blue cotton fine twill shirt
Chambray grandad collar shirt
Navy blue two-button suit
Brown Chelsea boots
Tan/brown Derby shoes
An unstructured, unlined blazer in charcoal

 

Any sensible combination of those things will look great – and form an exceptional basis for building a different look.You don’t have to build this wardrobe quickly – if you want to keep an eye on your funds, buy slowly, concentrating on quality. Consider each purchase – and check for sites that offer money off with voucher codes if you want to make sure you get most for your money.

 

Avoid novelty items!!!

 

This is a tricky one for some people to hear, but ‘novelty’ and ‘comedy’ don’t tend to do well in men’s wardrobes. If your Mum or your kids have bought you a novelty tie as a present, wear it out of the house and slip someone more grown-up on when you’re out of sight.

 

As for socks, novelty is fine around the house – but you stand a very real chance of being considered seriously misinformed, even in relatively smart-casual workplaces.

 

In terms of comedy – a slogan t-shirt really takes the biscuit. Again, if it’s a present, say thank you and wear it on a lazy day around the house – it’s going to give off a completely uncomedic impression in public.

 

Avoid suit jackets and jeans

 

This one might, on the surface, seem like it’s going against the grain of what you’ll read elsewhere – but stick with me, there’s an important lesson here.

 

A suit jacket and a blazer are different beasts. A suit jacket is a structured item with a lining – it’ll often have slightly padded, formed shoulders that give it a distinct shape. A suit jacket is to be worn with suit trousers.

 

On the other hand, an unstructured blazer is something entirely different. With no predefined form and no lining, it’s a far more casual item that goes just as well over a plain -t-shirt as it does a twill cotton long-sleeve shirt. Assuming you’re pairing an unstructured blazer with a nicely fitting pair of jeans, you’re safe.

Focused and Functional – Nike Launches New Tech Pack Collection

For the Fall 2018 season, Nike is releasing its latest futuristic Tech Pack collection. With new styles and materials, the pieces use innovative knit and woven fabrics that are engineered to provide a full range of motion. This new collection allows for more expressive connections to the sport; through breathability, stretch and texture.

Nike Sportswear’s latest Tech Pack collection spins body-informed and environmental data into focused and functional forms. The collection uses knit and woven materials as well as base, mid- and outer layers engineered to provide athletes with a full range of motion. “The product is engineered to the body through innovative and expressive materials that allow for stretch and breathability,” says Senior Design Director Ricky Hendry. “We wanted to redefine Tech Pack as more of a head-to-toe collection, introducing new styles and materials, allowing for a new and more expressive connection to sport,” says Hendry.

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Nike Tech Pack will be available in North America and Greater China August 1 and globally August 16.

Burberry Reveals New Logo and Monogram

British designer Peter Saville was commissioned by Burberry’s new chief creative officer and Italian designer Riccardo Tisci in March this year, who initially asked if he could complete the project in four weeks.

Riccardo Tisci has revamped Burberry’s graphic identity, updating its iconic and world-renowned classic logo, which has been left untouched for almost two decades, and monogram. The designer revealed the updated looks on Instagram, where Tisci talked of “new beginnings.” 

Burberry also posted a series of images which showed email discussions between Tisci and Saville that delivered insight as to where the inspiration for the new look came from and the pace at which designs were turned around.

What’s been revealed was that Tisci came across “a logo from 1908 and a Thomas Burberry monogram.” whilst looking through the Burberry archives. The finds were then sent over to Saville with a four-week turnaround deadline.

Per Business of Fashion‘s report, the last change to the Burberry logo happened back in 1999 when the brand dropped “’s” from “Burberry’s.” A new advertising campaign featuring the new logo and monogram is expected to proceed soon. 

What do you think of Burberry’s new look? Let us know your thoughts in the comments here or via our Instagram page: @clothesmaketheman

5 Carlos Place: A New Retail Experience by MatchesFashion

by Keanu Adorable

Ever since Matchesfashion.com launched and all physical stores were rebranded and resources poured into creating an online empire, it now has reached to some 170 countries and stocks over 400 brands. Over the course 2018, the site has already had over 100 million traffic towards the site. Last year, Matchesfashion.com revealed that it’s on the move, with plans of opening a retail space at 5 Carlos Place near Mount Street in Mayfair. Fast forward to this year, and the 5,000-square-foot building that spans six floors is now near it’s planned September grand opening.

The destination at 5 Carlos Place promises to be a mixture of a shop, an events space and a broadcasting hub; with all the designers it stocks contributing to the experience. And we can’t forget to mention that there will be a courtyard and a chef’s table, too. “We want to bring a sense of enjoyment back to physical retail and create a sense of community,” says Jess Christie, chief brand officer. “We understand our customer’s lifestyle and interests — whether it’s art, photography, wellness, floristry or food. Creating an event programme that reflects the cultural calendar feels relevant and personal.” She’s taken note of research that shows consumers, in particular, millennials, engage and seek more experiences rather than just access to the product. “Retail needs to be surprising, inclusive and personal — it’s about how it makes you feel. If customers take the time to come into your space, they’re looking to connect and discover something, and here nothing will be fixed — it will constantly evolve to reflect each event and designer’s installation.”

Matchesfashion.com will be focusing on integrating various technology and physical aspects. “In a world where a narrative is fast becoming the most popular way to consume content, broadcasting live feels like the freshest way to deliver a brand experience,” says Christie. “We’re launching a podcast series because audio is an exciting medium right now — partly because of the popularity of new voice-activated devices as we move to a heads-up, hands-free world, but also because it’s the best way to deliver quality, long-form content to audiences oversaturated with visual distractions.”

Jess Christie is adamant that this is the way for stores to survive amongst the retail apocalypse that has been prominent in recent times. “I think now more than ever our customers want everything in their lives to feel considered. They want to be educated about new designers, about the provenance of clothes and to understand the story behind the brand. We want 5 Carlos Place to feel as though you are being invited to the ultimate collector’s house where we can host you and create memorable experiences.” A stylish home away from home, where you’ll always find pieces to try on and purchase. But don’t forget, you do have to leave at some point — opening hours do still apply.

The video and September event schedule are now live at www.matchesfashion.com/5carlosplace

5 Carlos Place opens 3rd September 2018.

Contemporary, Present, Current, Modernist – capture the Zeitgeist of The Modernist

In this line of business, you are all too often asked to meet the brains behind a new product, service, commodity. Now, contrary to popular belief this isn’t something I particularly enjoy or fine easy, but it does help a great deal if that person is incredibly interesting and you are asked by a close friend.

So when a Friend asks you to meet the creator and founder of a new British Fragrance house, certain preconceptions run through your mind they’ll be posh, arrogant, super intelligent, unapproachable, highly cultured you know. What I didn’t expect was for the person in question to have such a good sense of humour and know so much about modern, contemporary, popular culture.

This person in question is John Evans, a man who left behind a successful career in corporate finance to pursue his lifelong passion for creating new fragrance.

The modernist fragrance, is a new fine fragrance house of twisted classics. Designed and handmade in small batches in Britain, guaranteeing a unique scent that adapts to the warmth of your skin. The house was established as an antidote to the over-marketed, under-powered scents that saturate the market.

The house launches with the modernist, a striking combination of oral, fruit and frankincense. Bergamot opens the parfum and leads to a heart of Freesia, with its sharp sweetness so ening cleanly on the skin. A dominant, distinguished base of Frankincense is enriched with Labdanum, timber and even fruit to create an autograph for the wearer

When I asked Evans, “What is the modernist? ” His response was;
“With the modernist, I wanted to design a fragrance that has the self-assured simplicity needed to be a signature. I’m not a big fan of scents that arrive before you do and linger in the room after you’ve left. For sure, be powerful and be bold, but let them remember how you smell – not just the smell.
The modernist gets you noticed when you choose – and maintains a discreet presence any time you want to.”