CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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All done in the best possible taste – BAARTMANS AND SIEGEL

Baartmans & Siegel SS15

Baartmans & Siegel SS15

Wouter Baartmans and Amber Siegel, the London based Dutch British combo, are certainly  making their presence known in the men’s fashion universe. Their names aren’t household ones at the moment, but no doubt over the coming few years that will most definitely change.

The duo met while at avant-garde fashion house, Viktor & Rolf, and were united in their belief of beautiful craftsmanship and imaginative design.  Their style has quickly evolved and matured and tge duo describe their look as, “Classic elegance with modern masculinity.”

imageimageimageimageAlready they have brought their unique take on menswear to successful collaborations with the likes of Penfield and Grenson. But moving into Autumn and 2015 get ready for the onslaught, with projects planned with the likes of River Island, Kickers and the subject of today’s post. Nixon, the contemporary watch brand have teamed up with this dynamic duo for their first folly into London Fashion. Since their humble beginnings in southern California, Nixon is now distributed in over 90 countries, boasts a team of some of the leading talents in Skate, Surf and Snow and a product range grown to include clothing, accessories and custom audio products.

Proud to focus on the items that aren’t noticed first, Nixon’s collections are filled with innovative and contemporary designs. Working to make the small things as good as can be, “so when you wear it, you feel like you’ve got a leg up on the rest of the world.” A statement the brand has abided by for the past fifteen years.

Baartmans & Siegel SS15

Baartmans & Siegel SS15

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Stitched up – Triplstitched shirting brand

imageTriplstitched is a new mens brand that is designed and manufactured in its own factory in London, very topical at the moment,  creating contemporary casual shirts using vintage machinery. Driven by the desire to bring back premium shirt production to the UK, over the last 10 years they have sourced, shipped and restored shirt-making machines from around the world.

These machines are not as quick as there modern cousins but the brand believe the finished garments that they create have a character and finish that sets them apart from their peers.

The finest quality construction combined with prints developed with some of Britain’s best creative talents and fabrics sourced from the finest Italian and Japanese mills create premium shirting that has the cachet of not only made in England, but made in London, what what.

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Here comes the sun -Leo Joseph

imageLeo combines his British heritage with his love and past adventures in Africa, blending British design credentials with the vibrancy and spirit of a summer’s day in Cape Town. Leo’s journey began with a vision to create unique pieces with character, detail and fit. Beginning with a distinctive collection of swim shorts.

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His designs are printed onto the premium quality fabrics in Macclesfield, Manchester; the home of world- class print manufacturing. Following years of work to perfect his tailored fit and define his style, the pattern is then cut to Leo’s brief, before each short is expertly crafted by a seamstress. The process from design to finish takes creativity, skill and meticulous care to achieve the desired result. The care and attention to detail is the key USP for this product – a zipped back pockets with the considered finish, hidden print lining in the side pocket, leg slits for flexibility and ergonomic qualities. Plus as a little surprise a placement animal print which denotes the brands relationship with the WWF, no not the Wrestling one, and the good work they do for animal welfare.

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The Great Haxby – Haxby Collective

Michael Dow and Timothy White, both, by their own admission, are design freaks by nature, emerge from different backgrounds, one blue collar, one White collar,  to form a new luxury menswear brand, Haxby. They both traveled the world to source and recruit the most acclaimed craftsmen and material suppliers, from Los Angeles, London, Switzerland, Italy, and Japan – uniting them under one roof in the pursuit of true luxury.

Now unlike, most brand who start off with the top half of the apparel categories, Haxby have concerned themselves with the other sections of this spectrum. With its inspiration deeply rooted in fine Savile Row tailoring, Haxby’s vision bridges the gap between contemporary sportswear and bespoke sartorial techniques and traditions. What results are the following products created in limited edition batches ensuring that details and materials are of the highest caliber:

imageDenim – Japanese or Italian selvedge denim is sourced from the world’s leading denim mills and shipped to Los Angeles where the Haxby design team oversees the cutting and sewing of each pair. The finished product is then outfitted with 24k gold-plated zippers, buttons and rivets.

imageEyewear – each pair of Haxby sunglasses is handcrafted at the 100+ year old Masunaga factory in Fukui, Japan. Haxby sought out this iconic manufacturer to create its line of hand-sculpted glasses, with 24K yellow or white gold inlay, because of their unparalleled level of attention detail and strict adherence to traditional Japanese craftsmanship.

imageSneakers – while sneakers have transcended the athletic arena and have become acceptable in the business casual world, Haxby takes the notion a step further by introducing a new cordovan leather sneaker. The same leather used in the world’s most coveted footwear is treated, buffed by hand and appropriated in Haxby’s timeless design.

imageBelts – the combination of Swiss watch-making precision and impeccably woven fabric and leathers culminate in Haxby’s unique belt collection. Swiss craftsmen create buckles in stainless steel and sapphire glass while fabrics, woven with precious gold and silver thread, are sourced from Savile Row’s legendary Scabal.

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One hell of a notch for the Bedpost – Notch London

imageA key philosophy behind the Notch brand ethos is belief in simplicity, class and understatement. Conceived by a passion for clean modernist design and menswear sat comfortably alongside a penchant for meticulous detail sums up the overall aesthetic of its debut collection that offers a considered range.

Founded by three ex colleagues of World Design & Trade (Sonetti, Firetrap, Full Circle) with an ambition to produce ready to wear, quality product which reflects their full on, urban lives. Notch London launches for Summer 14, a collection encapsulating modern Britain’s minimal, smart and functional aesthetic.

imageWith a desire to create product that will remain in wardrobes and over time become loved go to items, Notch London focused on detail, silhouette and fabric choices oppose to fast fashion trends.

The collection is made up of essential wardrobe pieces for style savvy men from clean cut button down shirting, ageless knitwear, functional outerwear and seasonal jackets. An area Notch have excelled, is in its shirting. A classic menswear garment, Notch wanted to do it justice and created a quality selection of styles. Completed with reduced collar sizes for a sharper and more contemporary shape. This range is complimented with the Notch denim range, jeans coming in slim, skinny, tapered or standard fit. All the denim washes draw inspiration from vintage samples for authenticity. All pieces are designed to fit and flatter utilising form and function in equal measure.

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