Remember, Remember the month of Movember !

Surely one of the greatest Mo Bros that ever lived ?

Surely one of the greatest Mo Bros that ever lived ?

I don’t think anyone could deny the AMAZING job Movember do and have been doing since their launch in 2004. Through their great work in encouraging men across the globe including countries such as Ireland, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and the United States to grow all sorts of Facial hair variations. They’ve highlighted the incredibly serious issue of Men living with prostate or testicular cancer and raising awareness and understanding of the health risks men face. In doing so, in an innovative, fun and engaging manner, raising much needed funds for men’s health programme investment.

This year, people are not just investing money in the project but equally important, their time. Brands from all sorts of differing spheres have produced creative and worthwhile concepts all in the name of Movember and brining attention to this BRILLIANT cause. So Clothes Make the Man thought we would inform our good readers of some of the innovative ways they can get involved and make a difference.

In support of Movember,  International Tire Company, Bridgestone is sending its dynamic duo, also known as the Bridgestone Bros, on an epic road trip in search of the biggest, bushiest and most brilliant moustaches in Europe. Their hair-raising journey will all be captured as a documentary to be shown on Bridgestone’s www.beeneverywhere.eu website during Movember.

The Bridgestone Bros will travel in their vintage VW campervan – complete with giant moustache – from the Handlebar Club in London to the World Beard & Moustache Championships in Stuttgart, stopping off at moustache clubs in Antwerp, Strasbourg and Berlin along the way. Bridgestone is calling for men around the UK to get involved and join the Bridgestone Movember page to help raise money for this notable global men’s health charity.

Now then, you’d have thought a company famous for their closer then close shaves, wouldn’t be so keen on discouraging you to ditch the blade for the month, but as part of their ongoing support for Movember, thats exactly what Gillette are condoning (kinda). The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler, is Gillette’s first 3-in-1 precision grooming tool, perfect for Mo Bros wanting to style their facial hair. Combining Braun engineering and Gillette Fusion ProGlide technology, it trims your Mo evenly, shaves closely and edges accurately with a Precision Edging Blade. Plus, Gillette is on a mission to turn sportsmen into gentlemen through the power of the MO!

Movember is all about bringing real men together to raise awareness for real issues and what better way to bring men together than through sporting spirit and through sporting a Mo? Gillette is encouraging menfolk to sign up to its team, Mo Gents United, for fundraising fixtures and shenanigans. And if that wasn’t enough to tickle the top lip, there will also be a barbershop in central London where MO Bros and gents alike can come together to discuss facial hair, sport and a whole manner of manly things!

Mo_Gents_United_065

This year we see a new partnership with leading luxury watch specialist Maurice Lacroix supporting the Mo-vement with a campaign on a global scale. To Mark this exciting partnership Maurice Lacroix have created 11 Limited edition versions of the Pontos S watch, engraved with the 2013 Movember Moustache – one of which will be given as a prize to Movember’s international Man of Movember 2013, the ultimate accolade for any Mo bro.

Each year one Man, chosen from the combined List of winners all over the world, is crowned international Man of Movember becoming the face of the campaign. Each national Man of Movember winner is voted for at that particular country’s main gala parté, held at the end of november, by the world-renowned handlebar Moustache club.

Maurice Lacroix Movember Pontos S

Next up we have the fine English fragrance house Penhaligon, founded in 1870 by William Penhaligon.  Their passion is to continue his incredible legacy of creative and innovative perfumery, challenging the traditions of the art and seeking new ways to interpret this art form. Their scents are still made in England 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). So whether you are looking to add shape or body to your Mo, a tin of wax is the must-have accessory for any respectable Mo Bro wanting to keep it neat this Movember. And with Penhaligon’s moustache wax, created exclusively for Movember! Available online or in Penhaligon’s stores this lightly scented wax will keep your Mo in fine fettle. And, as the wax is lightly scented with Sartorial(Sartorial is a contemporary interpretation of a classic Fougère; the traditional notes of oakmoss, tonka bean and lavender have been exquisitely stitched together with woods, ozonic and metallic effects, leather, violet leaf, honey and spices to create the perfect illusion of a tailor’s workroom, didn’t you know ?), it provides the added bonus of keeping your Mo smelling as good as it looks.

Screen Shot 2013-11-04 at 16.03.09

If that wasn’t giving you enough ways to do your bit, Links of London are thrilled to extend their collaboration and team up with Movember for a third year, to create a range of limited edition accessories for Mo Bros and Sistas to wear as a talisman of support and provide a memento of their Mo Growing journey.  The ever popular cufflinks and charms return again this year to complete the collection, each featuring a sterling silver moustache in honour of the men of Movember and raising funds for Men’s Health issues. For 2012 the collection expanded to include a black leather cord and silver Moustache bracelet to extend the collection and made it available exclusively on www.linksoflondon.com and in a selection of standalone stores. 2013 sees this iconic item reworked and range of Mo coloured cord bracelets in black, brown, grey, blonde and ginger and finished with our sterling silver Mo motif!

MovemberPR group shot

TOMS is known as the One for One brand, in that donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair they sell. But once again as part of their ongoing partnership between these two likeminded brands, have teamed up to produced a limited edition collection of footwear. This year we see the signature moustache appear embossed onto grey Suede Classics for ladies and Gents and the Paseo’s. So its a double whammy of do something good !

sides_009

Lastly, but by no means least, we have the Movember App. It’s not meant to replace growing a real moustache. Instead it is another angle for those of you who want to get involved and raise awareness for the cause but maybe can’t physically grow a tache, or want a quick way to send a picture on Facebook that will make people think “What is this Movember ting all about?”. It uses facial recognition to quickly and easily add a moustache to anyone’s face. You can also place moustaches, beards, glasses and other items manually before sharing the photo through your favourite social media channel, or email, or just save to your device.

Screen Shot 2013-11-04 at 17.15.18

 

 

Made in Belfast a sign of quality – Harland & Wolff Apparel

IMG_0483If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting Belfast, you will of course, be aware of the fact that it one of the most beautiful cities on the globe, yes honestly and you will be very aware of the cranes that dominant the skyline of this mistaken city from the shipyard of Harland & Wolff.

Think you’ve heard of these names before, well, when the legendary Titanic sailed out of Belfast in April 1912, the city where she was designed and built, in the aforementioned shipyards and the city of Belfast led the world in shipbuilding, linen, rope, tobacco, and of course, whiskey. Its engineering foundries were renowned around the globe, while its inventors had given us liquid gas, the rubber tyre and much else. This was a city that punched way above its weight.

As the years passed, craft, knowledge, heritage and skill, once in abundance was being eroded and generations later, these skills were at risk of being lost forever.

photoWith this in mind, two young Belfast entrepreneurs, Dennis Bree & Tim McAllister have created a surge in local industrial pride through the creation of the Harland & Wolff Official Apparel Brand.

Currently offering men’s t-shirts, polo shirts, and ties, Harland & Wolff Apparel have a range of shirts and “The Yard Boot” in the pipeline, as well as limited edition antique brass cufflinks.

The pair’s biggest ambition is to ensure everything is designed and fabricated in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain, “there’s nothing more easily and immediately identifiable as “Made in Belfast” than Harland and Wolff,” says Bree.

2012-06-29 13.04.22

Great British Shoes – Grenson’s pop up in Liberty Menswear

8_webI love it when two great brands, no matter what the industries, come together to produce something a little different, but overall great. In today’s instance, it’s the genuine National treasure Department Store Liberty and the Brilliant British footwear brand Grenson.

So if your planning a little jaunt to the nation’s capital or even better if you have the pleasure of living here, ensure you plan a trip down to Liberty between now and the 3rd of November to experience the Grenson Lab. Situated in the Men’s shoe department, you can choose your own shoe and have it made specifically to your own tastes and requirements and with your own choice of colours and soles. Your shoes will be handmade in the Grenson UK factory and you can even have your own name or a message handwritten on the lining.Prices start from £380 and your shoes will take approximately fourteen weeks to make, so not only an ideal Christmas gift but will lift your spirits from that post Yuletide lull.

G-Lab-4GREN1_webTim Little Owner and Creative Director Grenson had this to say of the project when we recently bumped into him;

“We first ran our Lab back in April on the womens floor at Liberty and it was a huge success.  People were coming in and getting pretty creative with their shoes, in fact the factory floor looked very colourful in May.  Because of the success Liberty asked us to do it again as part of their “Get Creative” promotion, but this time to extend it to a full-up Lab in the Mens shoe department too. Once again we are looking forward to seeing some of the exciting shoes that people will create, and who knows, maybe one or two of them might end up in the collection!”
G-Lab-10GREN1_web

Tales of the Unexpected – Tails, Place of Origin concept

Screen Shot 2013-10-13 at 17.30.58One of the most interesting aspects I’ve found since undertaking this odd concept of starting Clothes Make the Man, is how many interesting brands there are out there. Doing really interesting things that go completely under the radar of some of the bigger publications. One being Tails, Tails Clothing is run from a small premises just outside Cardiff by an entrepreneurial bunch with backgrounds as diverse as international relations, languages, photography and copy writing. What they all have in common is a shared love of sourcing of niche brands from around the world that speak to them because they have great style, but also because of their authenticity. On their website you’ll find pieces that you’ll invest in and wear for a lifetime. They pride themselves on tracking down manufacturers that have been doing what they do in the same place and in the same way for decades, if not hundreds of years.

Screen Shot 2013-10-13 at 17.31.33Heading up Tails is Joshua, whose father Mark started the business in 1979 as Tails and the Unexpected Ltd., a vintage clothing stall in Jacob’s Antiques Market in Cardiff. Mark actually began trading while still at art college, out of the back of his 1961 Riley. This year though, has ushered in an overhaul of the brand identity, including a change of name to simply ‘Tails’. For winter 2013 the brand are developing the Place of Origin concept – that is where their clothing comes from. But also its about the journey to find it. The accompanying photography for the campaign strifes to capture the feeling of exploration and to some extent man’s relationship with landscape.

Screen Shot 2013-10-13 at 17.31.57

Back for Good ? Unfortunately not, only for a short time – The Farrell Pop up Shop

_DSC1573The National treasure, Sir Robbie of Williams, is no longer just a singer, ohhh no siree ! I’ll have you know the multi-platimun award winning crooner has ventured into the clothing industry, as I’m sure you all know as we interviewed his highly talented Design partner Ben Dickens last year. Farrell, as the brand is known, is named after Williams’ grandfather Jack Farrell and based on the principles of British honesty, style and integrity.

For Autumn the brand has taken the decision to showcase its collection within a pop up retail space and in turn creating a brand emporium. Thinking long and hard for the right location the brand opted for Earlham Street in London’s Covent Garden, chosen for its blend of unique village identity and charm, the 500 square feet space will house the entire AW13 FARRELL collection while the store itself reinterprets distinctly English tones through its beautifully curated fixtures and visual merchandising.

Key pieces from this season’s collection such as trenches, reefers and other military inspired designs will be on show, each style meticulously designed and contemporized through fit, while ensuring each item keeps all of the functionality and durability it was known for. In addition, sharp tailoring, crisp cotton shirts, chunky knitwear and a full range of accessories will also be available, catering for the more sartorially minded consumer.

Williams says of the project, “I’m really excited to be able to present the Farrell experience under one roof and have the opportunity to show exactly what we do and what we stand for.  We’re here for a good time, not a long time”

_DSC1586_DSC1632