The eagled eyed loyal reader, I’m sure, will remember, if you cast your mind back to a mere few weeks ago, where we discussed “Back to Work” Uniform ideas. In that post we highlighted the work of the Retailer Banana Republic and what masters they are of brightening up the workwear wardrobe, which we all know we can fall into the trap of it being as dull as a Mid Winter Wednesday lunchtime with only a tuna sandwich and a cup-a-soup to keep us company. After this I concluded, I needed to revisit this notion and delve further into BR (Banana Republic) and give a little more thought and highlight what they are doing for this season, as I really didn’t go into enough detail.

Banana Republic are a relative new comer to these shores, but have been dressing our American cousins since the late 1970’s in contemporary, sort after workplace style for the professional man and woman, essentially, ensuring you look your best from the water cooler to board room. Banana Republic’s sartorial crusade is dedicated to helping customers achieve professionally and personally the best they can and offers versatile work wear that can be styled up or down for pretty much any occasion — from work to play and back again.

Don’t worry, I can hear you from here, “Well there isn’t one near me”. Well you might be mistaken, with stores as far North as Manchester and right the way down to Bath, plus they are now shipping to over 90 countries via their website.

What Banana do so well is that whole mix and match thang with your wardrobe, offering pieces with sit great with items you already have, lifting an outfit so it looks completely new. The key thing is the ease of what they offer, it isn’t stuffy, fussy or look as though you’ve over thought your daily attire.

The Clothes Make the Man pick of the best pieces from Banana Republic for Autumn 2013

This a perfect example of not always having to be super dapper to still be smart. Instead of a white shirt and navy knitted tie(nothing wrong with that by the way) go with a checked shirt for a change

This is a perfect example of not always having to be super dapper to still be smart. Instead of a white shirt and navy knitted tie(nothing wrong with that by the way) go with a checked shirt for a change show how versatile you can be.

The classic fine gauge cardigan. IT GOES WITH EVERYTHING 1 It looks equally good with a single breasted suit and it both with jeans and this is a great example at a great price

The classic fine gauge cardigan. IT GOES WITH EVERYTHING ! It looks equally well with a single breasted suit, in most colours as hit does with jeans and this is a great example at a great price

The Aiden Chino, offered in 8 different colours. Sums up the whole Banana Republic ethos of catering for your work to play wardrobe. The Aiden chino will see you through any occasion your work or social calendar can throw at you. Team them with a differing coloured blazer to show, not only your creative side but how you can make colour work best for you.

This cheeky lil number is the height of versatility, will look great with a navy suit and knitted tie as it will at the weekend with jeans, I promise you.

The epitome of Sharp, this 3 pcs Charcoalsuit made of Italian wool from their Monogram range. Wear it with or without the waistcoat or wear the waistcoat with jeans for a more relaxed feel.

Way back in January of this year, as a finale for London Collections:MEN, we were treated to what many viewed as an unusual collaboration, in Nutters of Savile Row & Peter Werth. I mean the late, great Tommy Nutter, was the original maverick tailor. He was London’s sartorial enfant terrible, a tailoring rebel who introduced a rakish silhouettes and jaunty cocktail-‐lounge styles to the bespoke classes and the emerging classless celebrities of the Sixties. He dressed everyone, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to Sir Hardy Amies and Lord and Lady Harlech, from Elton John, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.

Nutter was a one-man revolution, single-handedly responsible for introducing fashion to Savile Row, whilst committing the equally audacious act of inviting the fairer sex to share a world that had previously been the preserve of gentlemen, don’t you know. These deeds were bound by a common thread of peerless, critic defying quality. Throughout his colourful life, he continued to question authority, flout convention, and court controversy; all in the most convivial manner.

Now don’t get me wrong Peter Werth, hash’t lead a sheltered life I mean being “asked to leave”, Walthamstow School of Art he took up working for a relative at the infamous Astor Club in London’s Berkley Square. Where the club attracted an eclectic mix of aristocrats, showbiz personalities and gangsters in equal measures. It exposed young Peter to the glitz, glamour and bright lights and soon he was dressed to the nines to meet the high standards set by the club’s clientele. Werth’s love of clothing took him away from the nightlife of Mayfair to the boutiques of Carnaby Street, the hotbed of British Fashion at that time. Through a succession of jobs in the rag-trade he developed an acute understand of what people might actually want to wear.

So this collaborative collection of contemporary tailoring is designed to be sharp enough to enter Mayfair’s private nightspots and sufficiently relaxed for the dancefloors of the hottest soul clubs, with a spirit and attitude reflecting the heady heights of life after dark in the 1970’s. Delivered with Nutter’s signature oversized lapels, roped shoulders and wide-leg trousers the collection features unstructured tailored sportswear in jersey knit fabrics for blazers and shirts. The knitwear pays homage to Savile Row by incorporating overscaled Prince of Wales, houndstooth and windowpane check designs. Outerwear and accessories complete a look that seamlessly blends the old and new, in a contemporary, modern and relevant way.

Ahhhhh the summer is starting to draw to an end and its not just parents that have to think about shopping for School Uniforms in one way or another. At this time of year we all take a look at the old workwear wardrobe and think, Errr yeah it could do with a little update. It’s not just a matter of impressing the boss in the workplace, although that helps, being taken seriously is all important and what you wear and how you wear it makes a big impression. We’re not talking a major overhaul, well for most of us, more a little helping hand, you know what I’m talking about, those white shirts with the stained collar and cuffs, the suit that gone rather shiny and the shoes that have simply seen better days.

On the whole we are spoilt for choice when it comes to catering for suitable workwear, whatever the budget, but I do have to say, remember the golden rules, buy cheap buy twice and you get what you pay for. so we thought we would give you a couple of suggestions to update your workwear wardrobe and bring it bang up to date.

First port of call, has to be Marks & Spencer, sorry I know its predictable, but for a balance of price and quality, they are hard to beat ! I personally love the Savile Row Inspired range. But on their website you find such valuable gems as a suit guide and what to wear for an interview. So if you don’t get that job you know who to blame.

Now, the devil’s in the detail and don’t fall at the final hurdle by the accessories you carry. I know what you’re gonna say, “What, d’ya think I’m made of money”. See this beautifully crafted man bag by Mulberry as an investment piece that, if treated with respect will be with you til the day you retire. Plus have everyone from the CEO to the new work experience fawn all over it !

Remember, workwear doesn't have to match the dull weather of an deep Winter day. Show your creative side by mixing it up. The American Retailer Banana Republic are masters of this, so don't worry if you don't have a store near you as their website is genius.

Remember, workwear doesn’t have to match the dull weather of a deep Winter’s day. Show your creative side by mixing it up, use the blazer of a suit and add some colour with some chinos in seasonal tones and replace that drab shirt with a checked one with a knitted tie. The American Retailer Banana Republic are masters of this, so don’t worry if you don’t have a store near you as their website is genius.

These brilliant Verdy Brogues from KG Kurt Geiger are spot on plus are available in Tan as well as Black and won’t break the bank so buy both colour ways and they’ll see you though any suiting combination, Simple.

All of us nowadays have less time, whether it be because of offspring, work commitments or plain and simple just undertaking too much, which therefore means we have less and less time for other activities. Of course a huge proportion of us would confess to buying new clothes as dropping down the list of our priorities due to time restrictions. Well, what if I were to say I could take this weight off your shoulders and offer a stress free and easy solution where you discuss your clothing likes and dislikes with an expert over the phone who could become almost like a personal stylist to answer your sartorial needs ? The Chapar, offers this, literal, life saving service.

Sam Middleton, the man behind the idea is a truly global citizen having spent different stints of his life in Auckland, Stockholm, Brussels, London and started his life in San Francisco. Graduating with a degree in Economics from the University of Warwick, Middleton entered the corporate world with IMG, the multinational Sports and Entertainment giant. After two years in the corporate world Sam saw an opportunity in the menswear fashion market that he felt was a sure fire success. He moved on and set about creating The Chapar – the personal shopping service for working men. He quickly developed a dynamic team of creatives with a disruptive business model that has grown at a staggering rate.

The premiss is simple, all the best ones tend to be, all I need to do is dream up the one that’ll make me a million, tut. You register online at their website, answering the obvious questions, name, telephone number, address etc then after a short period and at a mutually convenient time, you receive the call ! A highly skilled stylist contacts you and basically gets a feel for you, brands you like, fave colours, your vital statistics. Then comes the interesting bit, from your conversation they then go off and put together a personal edit specific to you and you alone. Now the stylist does have a great deal of brands to choose from, The Chapar currently stocks brands including Albam, Baracuta, John Smedley, Scotch & Soda, Sunspel and Woorich, to name a few. The trunk, as they like to call it, then arrives at a pre-organised destination of your choosing and then the fun begins, without the need of stomping up and down your local overcrowded mall, no smelly changing rooms, no attitude shop assistants, in fact, all rather stress free a complete package of apparel covering all product categories and selected all according to your taste arrives.

You then follow these 5 simple steps –

1) Try your selection on.

2) Decide what items you want.

3) The pieces you don’t want you place back in the trunk.

4) Stick the enclosed pre-paid return label onto the box.

5) Call or email your stylist to arrange a day to pick up the trunk from an address, where so you please.

Yes it is that easy I promise !

Filippa K is yet another, can you believe it, of those ultra cool and chic Scandinavian brands, what is it with those fashion savvy Swede folk, which focuses on high quality with a timeless and pure design. The company was established in Stockholm in 1993 by Filippa Knutsson and Patrik Kihlborg and 1998 saw the launch of the company’s first menswear collection.

Although 20 years have passed since Filippa K was established, the company remains true to its ambition of creating garments with a simple and sophisticated design that stands the test of time. Garments for style- conscious men and women who live contemporary lives and who place high demands on quality and fit. Their ethos can be summed up in the words style, simplicity and quality.

For Autumn 13 the collection continues to explore the needs of the modern man, promoting functionalism and minimalism. The collections focus is on a smart; stripped down interpretation of classic army pieces, clean of details and with a distinctly urban look. The signature look of the season is epitomised in their signature coat with welded seams, this season made out of recycled heavy nylon with a detachable wool lining. Worn with a tonal shirt and sharp cut trousers, it offers a professional look for the office or simply relaxed feel for the weekend. It is essentially an intelligent way of dressing that supersedes seasons and trends.

For the first time the collection both explores classic sportswear such as fleece lined, raw edged hooded sweatshirts and then also applies the new material to more constructed pieces; such as in the lining of a bonded wool jacket with sharp cut edges.

Filippa K is present on some 20 markets around the world. The products are sold via 50 Filippa K stores and more than 700 retailers. For this season’s campaign the brand sort the talents of the amazing and highly sort after photographer Lachlan Bailey, whose portfolio of work includes numerous International editions of Vogue, Marc Jacobs, Burberry and DKNY campaigns. For this shoot he was teamed with the equally creative and fellow Swede, stylist Mattias Karlsson, whose body of work includes The New York Times T Magazine, Interview, Dazed & Confused, plus working with brands including Kenzo, Lanvin and ACNE. They manage to capture the true brand message of Filippa K, style, simplicity and quality all in striking Black and White.

This aint no Banana Republic – Banana Republic Suiting

The Clothes Make the Man pick of the best pieces from Banana Republic for Autumn 2013

You Nutter ! – Tommy Nutter X Peter Werth

Back to Reality – Work “Uniform” ideas

All the wardrobe you need to be a dapper Chapar -The Chapar, The internet shopping service

Nordic Appeal – Filippa K Autumn 13 preview

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