CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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The boys from Ipanema – Frescobol Carioca Swimwear

Frescobol Carioca has embodied the spirit and style of Rio de Janeiro since it’s launch in 2009.

Long term friends Harry Brantly and Max Leese, who have spent much time together in Rio de Janeiro, want to bring the best of Rio’s beach lifestyle to the world. Harry’s Brazilian upbringing and Max’s passion for design led to the launch of their lifestyle brand.

imageThe lightning bolt moment for the brand was during a surfing holiday in France, when passers-by fell in love with the wooden, handcrafted Frescobol beach bats they had discovered on their latest trip to Bahía, north of Brazil. This provided the key lifestyle element for the launch of their full clothing and accessories brand. The simple yet beautiful handcrafted beach bat – each one made individually by Brazilian artisans – Frescobol Carioca has grown to include not only beach wear and accessories but also casual wear that reflects the effortless, cool “Carioca” way of life.

The aesthetic takes its cue from their hometown. They have reworked patterns seen on the mosaic coastal boardwalks and sidewalks of Rio and its surrounding areas. Reinventing well known spots such as Ipanema and Copacabana to further afield beach destinations of Angra and Buzios, vibrant colours draw on the energy and atmosphere of Carnival. All made with high-quality fabrics that work as well on the beach as they do in the city, the collections are the embodiment of Brazilian summertime. Working with British techniques, the brand brings together the best elements of British tailoring with Brazilian colours and flair.

For Summer 25 the swim short collection takes a fresh take on Riviera-inspired style, grounded in the vibrant energy of Rio de Janeiro.

Their signature swim shorts seamlessly blend artisanal craftsmanship with sustainable innovation. Designed for feather-light comfort, they’re cut from quick-drying, eco-conscious fabrics – perfect for everything from relaxed beach lounging to a lively game of frescobol. Each piece is informed by the architectural curves and warm spirit of our hometown, making them as visually striking as they are practical.

 

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So you Wanna be a Boxer – British Boxers Underwear

imageWe all think at one time or another, do you know what, that’s it, I’ve had enough, I’m gonna tell him to stick his job and I’m gonna start my own business, then they’ll see, they’ll be sorry. I’ll show them, shaking your heroic fist in the air! Then we have a cuppa o’ tea and a chocolate hob nob and we seem to calm down for a while. But Deborah Price, didn’t, she followed through on her dream and left her highly successful and well paid job, in the middle of one of the worse recessions of modern times and launched British Boxers.

So why Boxer Shorts ? Well there’s a great little twist to the story here, the reason why boxer shorts were chosen as the first product to launch and why the beautiful packaging for the aforementioned boxers actually feature Deborah’s great great great grandfather Jem Mace who was arguably the first world heavyweight boxing champion in 1870, see very clever. The story of Jem’s amazing life is told on the lovely litho-printed boxes, so if you wanna learn more you’ll have to buy a pair and you can read more into Jem’s amazingly fantastically interesting life. But to whet your appetite Jem wed three times and during his colourful and hectic life owned not only a hotel but also a Circus !!!!

Celebrating 10 years in the business British Boxers and Deborah are a real Great British success story, expanding from Boxers and underwear, to all sorts of nightwear and even catering to ladies too. Starting out as a tiny brand making boxer shorts in Britain selling their product on the Sunday markets.
British Boxers has gone on to supply John Lewis, Joules, Harrods, independent department stores, gentlemen’s outfitters, lingerie shops, and they now export worldwide, with a celebrity fan club including Dame Zandra Rhodes, Artist Stanley Chow, Rufus Hound and Adam Hills. Plus their wares appearing in The Crown, Black Doves and prominently in a little film called Saltburn !!!!

Deborah told us, “Bringing back British manufacturing, telling the story on the British Boxers packaging of an ancestor who had his own battles to fight (albeit literal ones), using stunning fabrics and working professionally with so many friends who helped to bring the whole project together has been a brilliant experience.” 

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No Introduction needed – Intro-Clothing

Intro-Clothing are a retailer who are taking full advantage of the advancements in technology within the Internet and are no longer confined to their bricks and mortar store located on Manchester’s premium Shopping district Deansgate. This is a retailer going places and through their bricks and clicks approach, have their eyes set on expanding their customer base way beyond Manchester. Intro is a family run, independent Menswear store which have been established for over 30 years. They specialise in cutting edge fashion and a selection of premium based menswear brands, including Sand Copenhagen to Transit.

They, like the city where they are based, like to do things a little different, they pride themselves not only on offering a truly unique service but that, it doesn’t stop there. Via their website they try and be rather more then an e-tailer to their customers. Their site is much more lifestyle then many of their competitors with a number of sections within their site offering a much more interactive reach out. Here their customers can catch up on opinion, tastes and interests offered by Intro and more interestingly, offers how to wear key trends, advice, which we all sometimes need, all without making you look like you’ve stepped out of a boy and reunion documentary.

 

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Wasted Paris – A Brand Born Out of Parisian Passion.

It’s the young, independent brands offering community that are capturing the imagination of millennial and gen z consumers today – in an era where the 90’s zeitgeist is still alive and kicking.

Wasted Paris, a young independent streetwear brand founded in 2012 by Johann and Fang, was born out of their own passion for fashion, photography and 90’s musical movements, such as shoegazing, britpop and indie rock.

The label is doing a great job of putting Parisian skate culture on the map, with a fascination with urbanism, globalization and a strong desire to help young skaters fit in to the scene whilst keeping their individuality.

The brand very much embodies today’s movement through mixed references and interdisciplinary creativity- a theme that has subverted luxury, where high prices and avant-garde designs are no longer the sole drivers of desirability.

Which is why the present era of contemporary fashion and sports-luxury continues to take over. A running theme throughout Wasted Paris’s collections.

Besides just apparel, Wasted have their own skate team which fuels the authenticity behind their brand purpose. The founders met in 2008, with one coming from a fashion background and the other skate. And it was after witnessing the evolution of the skate culture around them that they knew they could create something special.

For Wasted, it was the community that brought that special factor. Friends and skaters who hanged round their shop formed their first ever skate team, which was curated to contribute back to the culture and document it’s evolution.

This purpose has been key ever since, with it fuelling both their content and product strategy, using both mixed references and interdisciplinary creativity to create end results that fit their community’s needs through both mediums.

I recently had the chance to visit Wasted Paris’s store back in January and you can really feel the strong community that they have created. Achieving cultural credibility is like winning an Oscar for streetwear brands and that is exactly what Wasted have done. They know exactly when, where, and how to speak to their audience and have defined their distinctive voice which allows them to stay close to the core consumer that led to the brands existence.

You can check out Wasted Paris 2019 “Future Is Now” Spring Summer Collection here, a collection that draws inspiration from a period full of demands, particularly around global warming and the utopia of a free world here

Thanks for reading!

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Redefining Craftsmanship – Campbell Cole

Words by Charlie Britton

It’s clear that the fashion industry in particular is renowned for being a throw-away one, with fast fashion and high street retailers turning out new ranges of clothing every fortnight or so. This comes from the ever-increasing consumer demand for new product, particularly as clothing and accessories can now cost less than your daily coffee.

To our relief, brands are starting to turn a corner and follow in the footsteps of those who create beautifully manufactured, timeless goods that’ll last a lifetime if you take good care of them. Good craftsmanship should always be at the forefront of product design and it’s here, we’re thrilled to introduce Campbell Cole.

campbell cole leather products

It’s true that we develop a connection with pieces we use each and every day and this is something designers and co-founders, Ian and Felicity understand phenomenally well and represent through their products. Inspired by simple timeless design, Campbell Cole produces a fantastic range of leather goods, which are of course intended to be used every day. From key wraps and card wallets, to pouches, bags and belts, Campbell Cole design and create beautiful everyday essentials for both men and women.

The craftsmanship in these products is immediately evident, with the design, construction and raw material being well considered at every respective stage of development. The result is a strong and beautiful end product and each new collection clearly represents the growth this brand continues to make.

campbell cole leather products

We wanted to know a little more about Campbell Cole, so we spoke with Ian and Felicity and went through a handful of questions we had. It was a great opportunity to get to know the brains behind Campbell Cole a little better and understand the brand from their point of view;

Q : When did Campbell Cole start and what was the foundation for the brand?

Felicity and I started Campbell Cole in 2011.

After a number of years working as designers for other people, we wanted to create something meaningful for ourselves that represented our personal values and beliefs. Neither of us are big consumers of stuff. We like beautiful things that have been made to be used and loved for a long time and believe completely in buying less but better. I know this sounds like a bit of a cliché but it’s super important to us – there’s so much stuff being made with so little care and consideration – it doesn’t seem sustainable to carry on producing rubbish that’s going to wind up in landfill within a matter of weeks. We are by no means perfect in everything we do, but as conscientious designers we feel it’s important to do the best we can.

Q: What inspires you when designing products and why?

We create products that we would like to own and use ourselves. The details, shapes, colours, patterns and so on are inspired by various different things that interest us.

The Simple Coin Pouch with lanyard is probably quite a good example of this – I wanted a small zip pouch for holding a few essentials when out on my bike – couple of cards, coins, folded notes and a house key. Carrying the pouch with a lanyard works really well if you don’t have secure pockets. A couple of years ago, Felicity and I got quite obsessed with watching films about climbing in Yosemite in the 60’s which led to our use of paracord and the knot details. Our colour palette and emboss details are inspired by the paintings of Le Corbusier.

campbell cole leather pouches

Q: What are the biggest challenges you’ve tackled with Campbell Cole?

There’s been too many to mention! But probably starting a business with no experience of running a business. Everything we have learnt, from finding reliable factories and suppliers, through to doing our accounts, we have figured out from scratch. I think that’s also what makes it exciting – learning so much, and beginning to feel in control of it – particularly now as the business is growing. It’s all starting to make sense.

Q: How has Instagram had an impact on the brand?

Instagram has been great for Campbell Cole. We are not really big ones for words so using a platform that allows us to communicate our taste and aesthetic through images is perfect for us. I’m not sure where we’d be without it really – probably still trying to figure out the point of Twitter! Instagram has also been great for meeting people. There are so many like-minded people out there doing amazing things… many of the people we have met and become good friends with over these last few years have come through Instagram. I like how informal it is too – nice and friendly.

Q: What’s next for Campbell Cole?

Next up is our new Simple Zip Corner Wallet, which we are launching at Design Junction in September.

We’re attending Design Junction in September, so we’re excited for the new release and look forward to seeing what else Campbell Cole has to offer. One thing we know for sure is here at Clothes Make The Man, we’re in strong agreement that this is one of the best accessory and leather brands we’ve come across to date. If you’re looking for a new wallet or belt gents, head on over to Campbell Cole and check out their range. We guarantee you wont be disappointed.