CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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Introducing ARKET – H&M’s Latest Creation

Words by Charlie Britton

When it comes to clothes shopping, a favourite and must-visit store on the majority of peoples lists is H&M. The Swedish clothing giant operates in 62 countries, with 6 other brands operating under the H&M group umbrella. These are COS, Monki, Cheap Monday, & Other Stories, Weekday and its newest member, ARKET.

As the second largest clothing retail company worldwide just behind Spain-based Inditex, who are responsible for the likes of Zara, H&M group has well established its name in the industry and is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. The introduction of ARKET proves that the fashion brand still has more to give and we’re excited to see what the future holds for the Swedish clothing company.

Introducing ARKET

arket regent street store

ARKET, meaning ‘sheet of paper’ in Swedish, has launched it’s first store at 224 Regent Street in London, next door to H&M group’s first British based Weekday store which also opened its doors just weeks ago. ARKET’s offerings include menswear, womenswear, kids and home products, tailored towards the modern-day individual. It’s mission is to ‘democratise quality through widely accessible, well-made, durable products, designed to be used and loved for a long time.’

To fully understand the brand, we went down to the ARKET store in London to view the store concept and products offerings. The store looks great and strongly represents a Nordic style of living. The minimal colour palettes used throughout the interior work well by giving the products the limelight and the shelving and furnishings are well fitted, contemporary and functional.

arket interior regent street
The new Regent Street store occupies 2 stories of an old department store corner building, incorporating womenswear and kids on the upper floor and menswear, homeware and even an ARKET cafe on the ground floor. The character of the building only complements the brand, reinforcing a Scandinavian style of living. This is again exaggerated in-store with the use of lifestyle elements, design details and products that fit with the brands unique selling point.

The Product

With offerings from other brands such as COS, H&M and Weekday, we were keen to see what ARKET could bring to the table in terms of originality and design. Weekday tailors towards the younger generation, with a focus on modern and mindful fashion. COS heads upmarket slightly, offering modern, functional and considered design. Both brands are heavily influenced by Scandinavian design, so we expected to see a similar approach with ARKET.

The product is very much similar, but different, in respect to COS. Its almost as if COS have taken its more formal collections and products and expanded this into its own brand. The price point is again very similar to COS, however ARKET stocks several other brands and produces slightly more expensive garments, especially in regards to outerwear.

Arket menswear

The majority of the mens, womens and kids collections are very simplistic, minimal and contemporary in design. The clothes work well as essential pieces, however it would also be very easy to build a wardrobe from the brand. Block colours, tailored fits and on-trend details run throughout the menswear collections, making it easy to build stylish and flattering outfits that’ll work well through the seasons.

arket menswear

The homeware products are what we would expect from a Scandinavian brand. Functional, aesthetically pleasing and well designed are words that come to mind, with colours, materials and silhouettes strongly representing a Nordic style of design used throughout. There are definitely some homeware products we would love on our shelves at home and in the office, so it’s worth checking them out if you’re planning on redecorating anytime soon.

arket lifestyle

ARKET plans to expand its store offerings across Europe, with another UK based store opening in Covent Garden in the coming months. Here at Clothes Make The Man, we’re excited to see how this brand moves forward and encourage you to check out a store soon. Alternatively, the brand is of course available to purchase online at ARKET, so pay it a visit to check out the collections for yourself.

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Essential Accessories every man needs in his Wardrobe

Words by Keanu Adorable

What is a man without his tools? since the beginning of humanity, we have always relied on man-made utensils to perform tasks daily, and throughout time and evolution, mankind has designed tools not just for functionality but also aesthetically. In this post, we celebrate these achievements by revealing our favourite accessories from leather goods to eyewear, it’s a must for any man’s wardrobe.

The Card Holder

This card wallet is made from Italian Vachetta leather, the traditional style leather is characterized by its smooth surface and natural finish. every Carl Friedrik product is handmade by a small team of artisans Just outside of Naples, the Swanfield card wallet features an additional compartment behind the left and right card slots to store bills and notes.

The Leather Belt

Equus leather, a British based brand have spent years developing the techniques, skills, and sourcing of leather to create their belts. The brand makes them using the beautiful Baranil calf sourced exclusively from one tannery in the Alsace region of France. The belt is 100% hand stitched and will have in the region of 750 stitches, each individually sewn by a time served craftsman over several hours.

The Spectacles

We have featured countless of eyewear brands here over the years, but Movitra is quite a unique brand. Made in Italy, Movitra invented and patented spectacle frames which protect the lenses from potential shocks and scratches to which lenses are exposed on a daily basis. Glasses that can really become a part of your life without compromising the beauty and design of an essential accessory. Even the internal mechanism that allows the rotation of the frame, which has been designed in-house, is entirely produced in Italy by a company at the forefront of micro mechanical components production. But you better be quick, there is a waiting list for these frames!

The Socks

These super-light knitted socks, embellished with in graphic tweed twill, were designed to ensure optimum comfort at no aesthetic expense. Replete with an Oeko-tex certification of excellence these socks will stand up to any punishment while also catching the eye. Available in three stylish colours.

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6 of The Best – Transitional Jackets

Words by Charlie Britton

As the Summer slowly drifts into yesterdays past and we look towards the Autumn Winter season, it’s time we start to think about outerwear. As this time of the year can be a tricky one, here at Clothes Make The Man we’ve picked out 6 of the best transitional jackets to get you through this awfully unpredictable weather.

One thing we can all agree on is that this time of year is humid, wet and rather uncomfortable. Trying to pick out the right outerwear piece can be quite the challenge, with overcoats and overshirts battling out for the win. Rest assured, we’ve chosen out favourite lightweight pieces that’ll keep you cosy and stylish, rain or shine.

The Burberry Sandringham

A British icon and fashion essential, the Burberry trench coat in the honey colourway is the perfect transitional outerwear piece that’ll never go out of date. Heritage, style and flare all come to mind when thinking about the famous trench coat and this mid-length style is the perfect option for the Summer Autumn showdown. Sandringham Trench Coat

burberry trench coat

Cos Twill Shirt Jacket

One of the strongest highstreet brands in our opinion is Cos and this year, they’ve once again proven why. This Twill Shirt Jacket in navy is a perfect transitional piece due to its lightweight construction and stylish appeal. Perfect for layering over sweatshirts and easy to throw over your shoulder, it’s perfect for both humid and cooler temperatures and will carry you through to the Winter season. Cos Twill Shirt Jacket 

cos shirt jacket

Hammond & Co by Patrick Grant Harrington

Fashion Designer and Director of Norton & Sons of Saville Row, Patrick Grant, has made his irresistible design style available on the high street with his Hammond & Co collection at Debenhams. This Harrington jacket is another perfect transitional season piece, constructed using a rich cotton blend. Worn over a shirt for work or a tee on the weekends, this is a great choice for Britains turbulent weather and can be carried through to Winter as a layering piece. Hammond & Co Harrington Jacket 

patrick grant jacket

Engineered Garments Overshirt

American-made is the game, Engineered Garments is the name. A perfect outwearwear piece that’ll fall on trend every Autumn, this Military style Overshirt is great for the coming colder months as it can be worn over a plain tee or used as a layering piece. Thick cotton-twill and utilitarian details make this piece a must have as it really will work with almost every colour and style. What’s more, the beautiful military green colourway will always be on-trend and works effortlessly with with Autumnal shades. Engineered Garments Overshirt

green overshirt men

Oliver Spencer Artist Jacket

This is a piece we spotted on the catwalk at London Fashion Week Mens and instantly fell in love with. Oliver Spencer never fails to disappoint and this indigo Artist Jacket certainly speaks for itself. Made of 100% cotton, this lightweight garment can be incorporated into anyones style and once again, will work well into the colder months as a layering piece. Oliver Spencer Artist Jacket

oliver spencer jacket

Topman Workwear Jacket

Topman has managed to secure a place on this list with a perfect affordable option for the transitional season. This Denim Workwear Jacket is a beautiful piece with lots of character and will work perfectly over the next few months due to its lightweight construction. Don’t let this piece put you off either, double denim is still on-trend and isn’t showing signs of giving in anytime soon. Topman Workwear Jacket

workwear jacket men

Come rain or shine, these 6 outerwear pieces will do you justice and keep you comfortable during this awkward British transitional weather season. If overshirts are ticking the right boxes and you want to see more, you can always check out our piece on 6 of the best overshirts here for some more inspiration.

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Upgrade Your Wardrobe For Autumn/Winter – 6 of the best Tennis Sweaters

Words by Keanu Adorable

Even though most of us are basking in the sunlight this summer, the autumn leaves and winter breeze is just around the corner, and it’s time of that year again to start layering up to battle the ruthless weather – which is a perfect excuse to go treat yourself to acquire new garments. Why not upgrade your current wardrobe with a brand new sweater?  but not just any sweater, tennis sweaters.

Here at Clothes Make The Man, we love it when preppy menswear classics get a modern twist with its silhouette. These items lose its blandness, and sometimes outdated roots which give the wearer an updated yet smart look, thanks to their face-framing and shoulder-broadening diagonal collar stripes. These bold V-neck knits look just as good over jeans and a tee as they do when layered with your favourite suit or slim chinos. Even if you don’t play tennis, you can still feel like Roger Federer no matter how bad your backhand is. Here are our top 6 picks for you to check out.

Orley Wide Trim V-Neck

Gucci Webbing-Trimmed Wool Sweater

Wimbledon Ralph Lauren V-Neck Sweatshirt

Wimbledon Ralph Lauren Sweater

Dries Van Noten Contrast-Tipped Merino Wool Sweater

Dries Van Noten Sweater

 

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Barbour x Land Rover – AW17 Collection

Words by Isaac Perry

With Autumn Winter looming in the not so distant future, it’s no surprise that we’re already thinking about it here at Clothes Make The Man. Barbour and Land Rover, two of Britain’s most valued heritage brands, have collaborated to create an AW17 menswear collection that fuses style and comfort for the ultimate driving experience.

land rover x barbour

Both brands respectively dominate their individual industries in their own ways, with this season’s inspiration coming from the Land Rover Defender which alongside Barbour, has been dominating the countryside for countless years.

These two brands have worked tremendously well together and seem to be a match made in heaven, creating an interesting collection using their classic colour palettes of olive greens and blues. This has allowed the brands to use their recognised design and styling techniques, creating a consistent and true-to-brand range of timeless garments ready for all environments. Whether it’s worn within the city or out on the wet and windy countryside, this collection contains a wide variety of product suitable for everyone, from essential tees to signature jackets.

Land Rover x Barbour

The standout pieces for us in this collection are the classic waxed cotton Broome and Gillingham jackets. The Broome jacket is perfect for colder weather, featuring large bellow and hand warming pockets to keep you warm and dry whatever the weather. The Gillingham is the perfect shorter length jacket in a windcheater style and can worn casually with jeans or chinos for comfort. Versatile and timeless, both these jackets are perfect to throw in the back of the car.  The collection also features tees, shirts, sweaters and accessories designed for spending time in the city or country, work or leisure, so there’s definitely something for everyone in this Barbour x Land Rover collaboration. 

land rover x barbour

Lindsay Weaver, Branded Goods & Licensing Director at Jaguar Land Rover said, “The Barbour for Land Rover Defender Collection perfectly complements our much loved icon. With over two million Defenders produced they remain a common sight and are synonymous with the countryside. This collaboration is the perfect fit, two brands with mutual aims; quality, durability with timeless design.”

‘The collection is a shared celebration of heritage and authenticity’. Available exclusively with yet another classic British retailer, Department store John Lewis will be releasing the collaboration from the end of July onwards, both online and in stores nation wide.