CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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A Coat for all Seasons – COMPETITION TIME !!!

In past Autumn/Winter seasons there nearly always is A specific style of coat which will have been picked up on by the Designer Houses of Paris, Milan, London & New York and given an individual interoperation whether that be by Burberry, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford or Gucci which is turn is then translated by the High Street retailers, whether that be a Parka, Pea, Duffle, Car, Military, Over or Trench, but not so for this season, surprisingly, we are spoilt for choice in Winter 2012 as there are many different great styles of coat on all ends of the style spectrum.

The Donkey Jacket – More Stylish man than Bin man in this enduring favourite of the Englishman’s wardrobe, reworked through modern styling, fit and fabrication by Ben Sherman, but Paul Smith has also got on that Donkey tip.

 

This great example of an Overcoat is perfect for dressing up with a suit for work or is equally at home teamed with jeans or chinos and a knit for the weekend. There are many great overcoats on the market at the moment from the creator of the garment itself, Crombie, to a more designer option from Raf Simons to this choice from Moss Bros’s Ventuno 21 range.

 

Channel your inner spy this Winter and pretend to be on a mission behind the iron curtain. This example of a great Trench coat won me over for the pure and simple reason that it’s the coolest pac-a-mac around, by Burberry Brit @ my wardrobe.com. However, for some old school heritage luxury maybe look to Mackintosh or Hancock for a cool collars up Trench.

 

Not strictly a coat, but will sure as hell keep you warm throughout the Winter. This brilliant padded jacket from Self has a built in Ruck Sack in the back, just in case you run out of hands carrying all those Christmas presents and the price won’t break the bank either. Other highly commended options around come from Moncler, APC and Dolce & Gabbana.

 

The Pea Coat was cool long before Jack Nicholson made it an icon in One flew over the Cuckoos Nest. Gucci have done a number of interpretations of this classic for this season, but keep it simple as its a classic and if you treat it well it will do you proud. However, everyone from Gap, McQ, Marks & Spencer and once again Dolce & Gabbana have all done great translations of this menswear classic.

 

 

The whole Military trend has been around for a considerable length of time now in menswear and looks like its going nowhere soon. This coat is from Robbie Williams’ Farrell Range, showing singing isn’t the only thing he can score a top place at. Brands Unconditional, Wolsley and Marc by Marc Jacobs have all produced great coats using the Military look for inspiration.

 

If your thinking about investing in a Duffle Coat this Winter, keep it traditional. In 1954 the Gloverall family started to produce their own Duffle Coats in a factory behind St Pauls Cathedral London. Now Gloverall aren’t on their own in making great examples of a Duffle coats, Marks & Spencer, APC, Carven and Burton have all done so.

 

Now if you feel the cold, you certainly won’t in this amazing Byrd Parka from Woolrich, currently celebrating its 40th Birthday, doesn’t look to down does it ? Originally designed to protect workers from the frigid glacial temperatures, and since then, after slight modernizations in fit and style, continues to be a must-have for clientele both for its technical qualities (it maintains body heat to a temperature of -40°) and for the comfort that makes it perfect for city life. Woolrich aren’t the only provider of sterling Parkas NapaPijri, Barbour and Penfield are all in on the Parka act.

Now to celebrate the fortieth birthday of the Woolrich parka, one of you lucky readers will be all toastie warm this Winter, yes we are giving you the chance to win an incredible Byrd Parka, a 100% natural cotton fabric, naturally water repellent, breathable, and wind resistant thanks to the special spin and weave. It is padded with the highest quality goose feather down guaranteeing maximum warmth while keeping it light in weight.

All you need to do is follow us here at Clothes-make-the-man.com by –

1) Returning to our home page and in the subscribe to Clothes-make-the-man.com box on the left of your screen

2) Input your email address

3) An email from the blog will be sent to you and you MUST open and confirm that email.

OR follow us at Twitter @ Clothesmakethem OR Facebook @facebook.com/ClothesMakeTheMan

Do this by Sunday 2nd December and hey presto a few days later you will receive a gift from us to you. It’s that simple ! Good luck.

 

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Watch yourself ! – 5 watches for your wish list this Christmas by Leo Parker

As you are no doubt well aware, Christmas is now only a matter of weeks away and if you’re as bad at buying presents as I, then your attention will inevitably already have turned to what to buy for friends and family this festive period.

Well, fear not, there isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t love to be on the receiving end of a luxury Swiss timepiece and if you a] have deep pockets and b] feel incredibly generous this Christmas, then why not consider one of the fantastic luxury watches that will be wowing  your eyes in a matter of seconds…

….there are some truly epic luxury watchmakers out there (I’m looking at you Rolex, Baume et Mercier and Cartier) so narrowing your choice of watch purchase down to 5 this Christmas is no mean feat – unless, of course, your budget is more paltry (it’s spelt C…A…S…I…O when you Google it).

Luxury watches are the ultimate statement symbol and undoubtedly a question of personal taste so it might be a good idea to indulge in a spot of Christmas fishing before shelling out thousands of pounds on a luxury watch that will traumatise the recipient (and you’ll discover on eBay by Boxing Day).

It’ll be Christmas if we waste any more time, so let’s get started! Take a look at the 5 luxury Swiss watches below and you’re sure to find something that ticks all of the right boxes:

88 Rue Du Rhone 42mm Chrono Watch – Price £500 Approx. One of the newest luxury watchmakers on the market. Given the luxurious nature of this Swiss timepiece, its price-tag is nothing short of miraculous. This newcomer has an interesting backstory regarding the origins of their name – 88 is the only number missing from the Rue du Rhone street in Geneva and it was left clear to reveal a view of the Rhone River meeting Lake Geneva.

 

Chopard Classis Racing Watch – Price £4,300 Approx.  Chopard are one of Switzerland’s finest watchmakers and they are particularly famed for the quality of their sport timepieces. This Classic Racing watch is a limited edition piece which has been inspired by the dashboard instruments of classic racing cars and boasts a GMT function that allows the wearer to view the time in a separate destination without altering their current set time – making it a perfect choice for the frequent traveller.

 

Breitling Transocean Watch – Price £8,500 Approx. From their Transocean series of watches, this exemplary timepiece has many an impressive feature to make it including a 70 hour power reserve, glare-proof, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass case and a chronograph display which shows each of the world’s 24 timezones simultaneously.

 

Limited Edition TAG Heuer Carrera 1887 Space X – Price £4,500 Approx. The TAG Heuer Carrera 1887 Space X watch is a limited edition piece which has been released to celebrate the achievement of having the first Swiss watch in space when one of their stop-watches was strapped to the wrist of astronaut John Glenn during the 1962 mission into space on the rocket, “Friendship 7”

 

Longines Master Watch – Price £1,900 Approx. This immensely stylish and understated timepiece is perfect for any Don Draper wannabe as it’s right out of a bygone era of luxury watch design and wouldn’t look out of place strapped to the wrist of a 1960’s Manhattan ad executive. Longines are one of the oldest Swiss watchmakers on the market and their reputation is built upon high quality timepieces such as the Master watch, which has a silver ‘barleycorn’ pattern dial, self-winding chronograph automatic movement and luxurious brown alligator leather strap.

 

 

So, there you have it, if it’s a luxury watch which you intent on purchasing this Christmas (and if you’re like me, you’ll probably wrestle with the idea of keeping the watch for yourself (do it) because nobody really wants to part with such awesomeness) then one of the stunning watches above is likely to be as good a place as any to start.

All images have been used with permission of The Watch Gallery, where you can find a superb selection of Rolex, Breitling, TAG Heuer and Cartier watches for men and women.

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Where in the World – Napapijri (Competition Time !)

I first discovered the delights of Napapijri back in the latter few years of the 20th Century while I was working with the fashion team of one of the industry’s best loved, well it was then, mens magazines. The Fashion Editor at the time was PASSIONATE about the brand and we were encouraged, sorry sent off to do an appointment to view the range and from then on, I was sold on the brand.

However, please don’t think this brand’s history only dates back to then, Napapijri, whose name means “arctic circle” in Finnish, started out in 1987, in Aosta, as Green Sport Monte Bianco, more like an Ice cream brand to be honest, which made innovative backpacks and technical bags under the Napapijri label for the more demanding sort of traveller, i.e. not for the likes of us. This family company’s vocation for experimenting soon found a natural development in apparel too. Thanks to its discreet colours and wearability verging on city attire, the brand’s offering gradually abandoned the bright and vibrant colours up to then in fashion on the pistes in favour of a completely different look that was to create a new tendency in the sector.

Napapijri was a roaring success, with it’s striking signature Norwegian flag also appearing in more “urban” segments of the market. For the very first time an exclusively technical and sports brand cut a figure on city streets and with a strategy that was the reverse of many others who had merely borrowed the “active” clothing style to redesign their existing casual wear.

Napapijri supports travel, research and exploration initiatives to raise its customers’ awareness of the environment and eco-sustainability issues, listen to me. it doesn’t presume to be considered perfectly eco-compatible or ecological itself, the brand has always worked hard to disseminate general and scientific information on the situation at both the North and South Poles and other environmental issues and collaborates with research bodies such as Le Cercle Polaire and no-profit environmental organisations like Global Green.

For Winter 2012 Travel is once again the protagonist and source of inspiration for the brand. It departs on its imaginary journey that starts with the Napapijri Geographic Collection, which gives a modern twist to the brand’s archive icon piece, with revisited forms, advances in technology and new fabrics. It focuses on the Parka, coming in three lengths and seven colours, it’s padded with goose down and graced with fur on the collar, so suitable for cold (but not polar) temperatures, and heads up into the glaciers with the Napapijri Authentic Collection, providing technical and functional gear designed for more punishing temperatures, so think the move from Autumn into Winter.

As part of Napapijri’s current global marketing campaign they have send a couple, Rob & Jude travelling around different European cities where they take part in various challenges such as bungee jumping from the O2 arena in London or learning the art of Trapeze in Paris !!!!! All the while good folks like your very selves are able to vote for which challenge you want to see them undertake next via a dedicated microsite www.ourjourney2012.com

The second part of this expedition kicks off on, remember, remember the fifth of November, so cause some fireworks for Rob & Jude and click on the link above to act as Fate and steer they destiny to the challenge you prefer, their fate is in your hands. Mwoahahaha !

The Skidoo Jacket

Now to encourage you to take part in this adventure, we have a wonderful Skidoo jacket to offer one lucky winner, well it is getting a bit parky and this jacket will be perfect for those Urban Arctic conditions.

All you need to do is follow us here at Clothes-make-the-man.com by –

1) Returning to our home page and in the subscribe to Clothes-make-the-man.com box on the left of your screen

2) Input your email address

3) An email from the blog will be sent to you and you MUST open and confirm that email.

OR follow us at Twitter @ Clothesmakethem OR Facebook @facebook.com/ClothesMakeTheMan

Do this by Sunday 18th November and presto a few days later you will receive a gift from us to you. It’s that simple ! Good luck.

 

 

 

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Essential Bond kit – The Omega Seamaster

As the 23rd James Bond film, SKYFALL, breaks box office records around the world, certain things spring to mind as being quintessentially Bond, a Vodka Martini, Shaken not Stirred (lets not mention Heineken), The Astin Martin (Ohhh once again let’s not talk about the ford Mondeo, the BMW or Lotus,  great cars but not Bond) and of course the OMEGA Seamaster.

To celebrate its seventh performance in a supporting role in a Bond film, OMEGA is launching the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M”SKYFALL” Limited Edition watch.

Like every Planet Ocean, the new watch is ready for underwater adventure. Equipped with a unidirectional rotating diving bezel and a helium escape valve, the watch is water resistant 60 bar / 600 metres / 2000 feet. The watch has a 42 mm brushed and polished stainless steel case and a matching patented screw-and-pin bracelet whose divers’ clasp is engraved with “007”. The rotating diving bezel is distinguished by its matt black ceramic ring with a chromium nitride diving scale.

The applied indexes on the matt structured black dial are coated with white Super-LumiNova emitting a blue light as are the polished, facetted rhodium-plated hands. The exception is the minute hand which emits a green light, as does the dot on the diving bezel. This feature makes it easy for divers to keep track of their time at a glance.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M SKYFALL wristwatch is being produced in an edition limited to 5,007 pieces and is delivered in a special presentation box.

www.omegawatches.com

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That’s F-ing good – Farah Vintage

If like me you conducted your secondary education in the 80’s you will be only too aware of the brand Farah. Farah along with labels like Sergio Tacchini, Fila, Adidas, Fred Perry and Lacoste were held up on a pedestal of Style, where phrases like, ” Jeez man, have you seen his new Adidas Florida Trainers, they’re top, man !” or “Oh my God, have you seen, that Stephen Phillips’s has got the latest Tacchini tracksuit, the latest one guy, that’s soooo expensive man !”  

Amongst, these holiest of grails within youth Sub-cultures, since the 1970’s the F tab of Farah has been held in high esteem within the hearts and minds of these yoofs. However, the real origins of the brand have very different beginnings, it was born in Texas in the 1920’s by Mansour Farah, a design graduate who studied Shirt design and manufacturing in New York.  In the 1930’s Farah diversified into producing denim work pants and later producing khaki combat pants adding to its shirting collection. From the 50’s onwards the Farah brand continued to grow gaining some of the best stockists across the US, finally reaching the UK in the 1970’s and becoming an instant hit with various movements in fashion, music and sport.

The original Farah slack made from hopsack canvas became an immediate hit with the youth of Britain: slim cut, sharply tailored and featuring stain resistant technology, the trouser was unlike anything available at the time.  Momentum for the brand grew and in the 80’s, as already mentioned,  Farah became a must have label amongst the fashion savvy social sub-cultures, including the Mods, Skins, Sticksmen and Rocker-Billy’s. Seen on the balconies at gigs across the UK music scene, each group interpreted the brand within their own style, building key Farah items into what became their definitive looks. The clothes came to represent a sense of elitism while generating aspiration and respect for those who displayed the “F Tab”.

Bringing things back up to date, Farah are still staying true to their original 1920’s origins and following the success of the 1920 Anniversary collection, FARAH have introduced a permanent range of 1920 inspired pieces to its seasonal collection. This capsule collection takes styling tips from the original heritage of the brand but adds a more mature bend to the slim silhouettes and sharp tailored pieces FARAH VINTAGE is known for. Colours are kept simple with navy, black and classic greens being highlighted with warm browns, hints of mustard and deep burgundy.

To sit along side this vintage heritage range, the brand have  created the Citizens of Farah project, which will bring together and celebrate individual style as it is expressed through the diverse culture of the UK and recognising the part Farah plays as an ingredient in dressing contemporary scenes.

To launch the initiative Farah called out to “citizens” nationwide and invited them to take part in the campaign shoot. Farah then chose the final 6 to be the face of the campaign, all of whom represent the brand’s diversity.

Farah.co.uk