As we near the end of winter and get ready to welcome the warm sun rays, we need to make a few tweaks to our sartorial wardrobe. Some items we need to retire, others can be re-styled, and others still need to be replaced.

Transitional dressing refers to the months between pronounced seasons when we and our wardrobes are adjusting to the change of temperature. But there is a way you can make this less about dramatic changes and more about smart styling techniques.

Here are our top tips for building a transitional wardrobe that sees you through late winter and early spring.

Customise your colour palette

The key to mastering your transitional colour palette is focusing on both timeless hues and seasonal colours.

Blacks, greys, and whites form the basis of your colour palette. But, while these are staple colours for any wardrobe, you can modernise your attire by investing in the core colours that will be trending this year. So, instead of a classic navy suit, go for Blueberry – a key colour from Pantone’s winter 2023 trends book. Swap the grey with a dreamy lilac-infused grey for a softer look, and add warmth and comfort with creamy Tapioca incorporated into your cashmere sweaters.

Core colours work great with statement seasonal ones. Pair the winter 2023 favourite Abundant Green with the upcoming spring/summer Empire Yellow for a dramatic yet joyful and luminous transition to the new season. Other seasonal colours to consider incorporating into your wardrobe include Blue Perrenial, tangy orange, and nature-inspired Lichen Blue.

The sweater: a key transitional item

One key item that must make your transitional wardrobe is sweaters. They can be worn as a stand-alone piece or layered upon a smart shirt or a casual T-shirt depending on the occasion.

Have an array of sweaters, from wool cable knit ones for when the weather is not so benevolent to lightweight knitwear for warmer days and cashmere sweaters for a more elevated look.

In terms of the design, a crew neck style can be featured in a more casual style with jeans or cotton trousers and men’s loafers, or in a dressier look matched with flannel trousers or underneath a suit.

A shawl-neck cardigan is a classic mid-winter silhouette, but it can be worn as outer layer for those transitional months. Optfor a lightweight fabric such as cashmere, and pair it with white or cream chinos and a shirt for a smarter look.

The jacket

Luckily, the fashion industry has experimented with a variety of jacket designs, and we now have the perfect fits to be featured in our transitional wardrobes.

A light tailored coat or a peacoat in one of the seasonal creams or navies can add style to any chinos and a shirt or a cashmere sweater look, but it can also be toned down with jeans and a lightweight sweater.

A denim or burgundy parka is also a transitional wardrobe statement, providing both warmth and protection from the rain while also styled in an elevated look.

Leather and denim jackets are also not to be missed for an edgier look, but if you want to elevate your style, a trench coat or a blazer are a must. They can be paired with men’s smart shoes and a shirt or toned down with jeans and loafers.

The subtle art of layering

Mastering transitional dressing is all about layering. With just a few items of clothing, you can be ready for any type of weather.

Stacking several items of clothing on top of each other in a fashionable way means your wardrobe can be much more adaptable to the weather. This means that you can easily layer a basic shirt and chinos with a cable-knit sweater and a trendy trench coat. Accessorise with sunglasses and a watch.

In order to be able to layer your clothes, invest in a few basic items, such as t-shirts, shirts, chinos, and jeans.

Quality over quantity

For sustainability purposes, it’s better to have a few quality materials instead of many cheap ones. They last longer and often involve sustainable production practices, meaning you’re reducing your carbon footprint.

Quality also ensures that your outfits look put together and exude class and style. Invest in materials such as cashmere, cotton, and linen. Tailoring is also important to ensure that your garments fit you well. Define your style and buy high-quality items to complement your transitional wardrobe withitems you will be able to wear for seasons on end.

Transitional dressing is a great way to evaluate the items that you own and find new ways to style them to match the changing weather. Dressing intentionally is a smart and sustainable way to looking great!

Marking it in your diary, Saturday 27^th May is set to be the most popular wedding date of 2023. Nicola Barker, Head Of Buying at Suit Direct, has shared insight into the biggest groomswear trends of 2023. Style experts at Suit Direct have also provided insight on matching your tailoring to your wedding theme.

Spring has set wedding bells chiming as it marks the start of the early wedding season, with many couples set to get married over the next couple of months. Despite the unpredictable weather, Spring is a perfect time to tie the knot, so for those prepping for a S/S 2023 wedding what are the tailoring trends we can expect to see?

Look no further, as Nicola Barker, Head Of Buying at Suit Direct, has revealed the biggest men’s suiting trends we can expect to see in the S/S 2023 wedding season.

Plus, Suit Direct have investigated the trends pulling in the biggest interest on TikTok over the past 120 days², as well as advice on what to wear according to your wedding theme.

1. Linen suits are in for warmer weather

As warmer weather starts to creep in, grooms are looking for fabrics which are stylish yet practical. Suiting up in linen can be perfect for keeping your cool for a destination wedding, as the fibre’s natural breathability is great in warmer climates.

Mix in other 2023 trends and go for a double breasted or three-piece moment in lighter colours such as beige or cream. Pair with brown penny loafers for a relaxed yet elegant approach.

2. Green is the new black

Green is symbolic of the new beginnings that come with married life. The green suit is formal without being boring and is even more wearable a few shades darker – respectable and regal, but daring. From sage green to darker tones there’s a whole spectrum of greens to try out. Pair with loafers or tan brogues for an attention-grabbing style.

Don’t want to commit to the full green ‘fit? Accessorise with a green tie or pocket handkerchief, or you could even go for a standalone green waistcoat.

3. Double-breasted suits

Seen on celebrities such as Harry Styles and prompting a rise in interest following the release of The Crown season five, ³double-breasted suits have serious staying power. The ‘fit is set to be a favourite for 2023 grooms, whether a classic tailored style, or taking inspiration from the 80s with oversized lapels and strong shoulders.

Choose a double-breasted suit in a trending navy colourway for a look that’ll see you through spring and beyond, or turn heads in a pure wool double-breasted suit in a checked design. You can keep it pared back with little or no accessories, or elevate things with a formal tie, pocket square and a waistcoat.

4. Three’s not a crowd – try a three-piece suit

More and more men are opting for classic silhouettes and waistcoats to complement their suiting. A staple on icons from King Charles to cultural influences such as Peaky Blinders, there is so much versatility within the three-piece suit.

For weddings, a three-piece suit keeps things smart and well-fitted, even when you ditch the suit jacket for the dancefloor. Unlike the trend for oversized tailoring elsewhere in suiting right now, three-piece suits work best in a slim, tailored fit.

5. Cream and beige suits remain classic

If you’re not feeling the green trend, sticking with the classic spring palette of cream and beige suiting is a safer yet stylish option. Other lighter colour palettes to make an impression this wedding season are light greys and pale blues. Pair with a white dress shirt, or jump on the preppy trend with a knitted polo.

If you’re not feeling a full beige suit, try adding a cream waistcoat to the mix, or mix and match a pale blue jacket with cream suit trousers.

What to wear according to your wedding theme

Boho wedding? Keep it light and airy

Rather than overthinking the theme, just opt for a casual lounge suit; think tweeds in a trending colour such as beige or green. As a side note, don’t feel restricted by this season’s colours as with a boho wedding, anything goes! From fun braces to funky socks, paired with brogues or jodhpur boots.

Art Deco? Three is the magic number

With the recent release of movies like Babylon and Amsterdam, ‘old Hollywood’ glam is all the rage, think: roaring 2020’s! Keep it traditional with a three-piece suit and accessories in bold patterns like herringbone and tweed, with a 3 or 4 button closure, wide lapels, and flat front trousers. Grey, brown, and blue suits are ideal colours, and keep the focus on the accessories, from bow ties to trains.

Gothic theme? Keep it dark and romantic

Dark romanticism is all the rage when it comes to wedding trends this year, with gothic subculture having a big influence on high fashion runways and pop culture. A black suit goes without saying, with black tuxedos living up to the drama and elegance of the theme. Three-piece suits in an all-black colourway will keep your outfit moody but stylish.

Commenting on the 2023 trends, Nicola Barker, head of buying at Suit Direct, said: “As many grooms and wedding guests look to plan their tailoring for the Spring and Summer wedding seasons, we wanted to share our predictions for the biggest wedding trends of 2023. This season sees pop-cultural trends from 80s silhouettes to 20s opulence, with subtle modern influences to bring these trends bang up to date.”

Patrick Grant Studio, a new tailoring brand from award-winning fashion designer Patrick Grant, launches in Frasers stores this Spring across the UK. The new brand combines a forward-thinking contemporary aesthetic with an inherent nostalgia for classic British tailoring, as well as a strong commitment to sustainable practices, including sourcing cloths from some of the oldest mills in England, with all of the production centred in Europe.

Licensed by prominent industry player Threadology, Frasers Group’s exclusive tailoring partner, the inaugural Spring/Summer 23 collection is inspired by the flora and fauna of ‘the English Garden’, played out in a collection replete with soft tailored shapes and deconstructed silhouettes. The colour palette is rich with core tones of cream, silt brown, palm green, sky blue and navy, brought to life with vibrant accents of burnt orange, yellow, and pink, while delicate floral motifs are woven throughout the collection in the form of embroidered details and prints.

“I’m pleased to announce the launch of Patrick Grant Studio exclusively at Frasers,” says Patrick Grant.“I’m delighted to have a chance to create a collection of contemporary men’s tailored clothing, away from the structure of Savile Row, and to develop the silhouettes and styling cues from my design work from E. Tautz, working with great English and Italian cloths, but at an accessible price point.”

The Spring/Summer 23 collection, which will be available in Frasers stores from mid-March 2023, with a national windows campaign launching alongside, and forms an eclectic menswear wardrobe, consisting of tailored suits and separates, printed summer shirts, casual jackets and trousers, nostalgic knitwear, jersey, informal shirting, and accessories.

Every year, several books are released exploring the stories and intricacies of football. And perhaps none are more eagerly awaited than titles written by players and managers themselves, both past and present. With Leah Williamson’s You Have the Power: Find Your Strength and Believe You Can set to be released later this year, Seatpick decided to analyse reviews and ratings data to determine – which is the best book written by a football personality in the past 10 years?

To do so, Seatpick collected each book’s ratings data from Amazon and Goodreads, and found an average review score for each out of 5, taking into account how many reviews contributed to both sites’ ratings.

Seatpick can reveal that the best book written by a football personality in the past 10 years is Marcus Rashford’s You Are a Champion: How to Be the Best You Can Be. Written in collaboration with performance psychologist Katie Warriner and journalist Carl Anka, the Manchester United star’s motivational work was published in 2021 to widespread acclaim. Rashford, who is known not only for his footballing abilities but also for his outspoken activism, seeks to inspire the generation of tomorrow to achieve their goals in this feel-good 224-page book aimed at children between the ages of 9 and 12. Currently the second best-selling Children’s Book on Football on Amazon UK, You Are a Champion won Children’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year and the prestigious Book of the Year awards at the 2022 British Book Awards. Based on Amazon and Goodreads ratings, the book finishes with a score of 4.53 out of 5.

In second place is a tie between two books – Thinking Out Loud: Love, Grief and Being Mum and Dad by Rio Ferdinand and Lioness: My Journey to Glory by Beth Mead. Thinking Out Loud, written by Manchester United defensive legend Rio Ferdinand in 2017, is a book that predominantly explores the themes stated in its title: love, grief, and parenting. In 2015, Ferdinand tragically lost his wife Rebecca to cancer – Thinking Out Loud explores this loss, as well as providing advice to any reader who may find themselves in a similar unfortunate position. Lioness, on the other hand, is a more straightforward footballer autobiography, narrating the journey of Arsenal star Beth Mead, from joining a local boys’ team in North Yorkshire to winning the UEFA Women’s Euros for England in 2022. Both books share the same final score of 4.41 out of 5.

In fourth place is The Boy On the Shed: A Remarkable Sporting Memoir by Paul Ferris. Following Ferris’ story from a working-class Northern Irish family during The Troubles to becoming Newcastle United’s youngest-ever first-team player, The Boy On the Shed is described as a moving story of ‘love and fate’, and was named The Telegraph Sports Book Awards’ Autobiography of the Year in 2019. It finishes with a final score of 4.40 out of 5.

The BEST books by football personalities from the past 10 years

*An ‘=’ indicates a joint ranking

New men’s luxury jewellery brand –Noel Fine Jewellery was founded in London by Noel Samra, Noel is inspired by attitude, expression and the unorthodox. In creating unconventional beauty, Noel is able to highlight luxury, modernity and maverick in his jewellery art creations.

Born in a third-generation family of jewellers based in Dubai, Noel’s connection to gemmology was kismet. The mystic world of jewellery inspired him to discover his cosmic purpose- creating fine jewellery for the modern, rebellious man. Noel believes in the healing powers and different energies and elements, such as crystals and stones.

Noel’s collection currently includes two main lines – Revolution and Cosmos.

Revolution is a collection inspired by attitude and the unconventional spirit – discover fine jewellery with uncompromising beauty and start your own personal rebellion! Handcrafted in 18 Karat White and Rose Gold with reversed White and Black Princess Cut Diamonds to signify a wonderfully subversive nature. ​

Go where you feel most alive with Cosmos. An artistic expression of a comet sent down from the universe to present divine light and spread truth. Express your rebellious nature with Cosmos, handcrafted in 18 Karat White and Rose Gold with White and Black Brilliant Cut Diamonds.​