CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Based in Brooklyn, the artist KAWS is world renowned for pushing the limits of traditional concept of paintings, sculptures, and design, both physically and virtually. He is known for seamlessly crossing all boundaries to connect creative disciplines, while imbuing everything he touches with an unmistakable and unparalleled aesthetic, underlying wit, and both irreverence and affection for culture.

Hot off a game changing Kick ass collaboration with, none other than the House of Gucci. The North Face XX KAWS collection plays with the theme of perception and visibility. The North Face Freeride collection, high-performance layers and outerwear designed for epic days on snow, gets reimagined with KAWS prints and reflectivity for peak performance and style on the mountain. The collaboration also takes The North Face Icons of Exploration collection to new levels, infusing new energy into the brand’s most beloved and timeless pieces, including the 1996 Retro Nuptse Jacket. Featuring the art of KAWS, his signature eye-catching, abstract patterns, and a bright, extensive colour palette.

“I’ve always admired The North Face iconic silhouettes – I have had them in my winter rotation for years. The blocking, stitching, and details on their coats really lent themselves to the way I structure a painting, so I treated the garments in our collaborative collection like a blank canvas. And I enjoyed exploring their extensive colour and material archive as I would a new paint set.” – KAWS

Words by Daisy Moss 

80’s fashion has come back into style in a major way over the last few years, with the bold fits, bright colours and bold combinations really resonating with our generation. If you are wanting to add some vintage 80’s pieces to your wardrobe, we are here to introduce the absolute staples that you will keep reaching for!

Loose Fitting Blue Denim Jeans

The first staple on our list of 80’s mens fashion staples is a pair of loose fitting blue denim jeans. This is an absolute classic that will be a base for any vintage 80’s outfit that you put together. Loose fitting jeans are a staple of the 80’s, with cropped styles also being popular. Any shade of blue jeans can work well!

For a summer look, tuck an oversized t-shirt into the blue jeans with a belt and white trainers for a simply effortless style. Layer over an oversized short sleeve shirt for an extra detail, or tuck in an oversized sweatshirt for a casual look perfect for off-duty days.

Overall, with a pair of loose fitting blue denim jeans, it will be easy to put together any 80’s vintage outfit.

Bright Colours

In terms of colour, anything bright colours fit in well with the 80’s theme. Bright colours convey youth, innocence and optimism, all ideas that were highly desired by society in the 80’s. Pop culture was also a significant part of 80’s culture, where bright colours were plastered. The extreme fashions seen throughout the 1980’s were heavily dominated by colour, helping people to show off their identity and find their sense of style.

A great way to incorporate bright colours into your 80’s vintage wardrobe is with oversized coloured tees. Pick a few bold and bright tees for your wardrobe and you will always have a simple 80’s look ready to pull out! For something a bit bolder, North Face’s retro range is ideal!

Bomber Jacket

For the cooler months, having a bomber jacket on hand is essential. For casual looks especially, this is an 80’s staple. Bomber jackets were made with a variety of different materials, including denim, leather, vinyl and suede. Worn by men and women of all ages, this easy-to-throw-on jacket is another diverse piece that can go with almost everything.

This is a great opportunity to find your own personal style in terms of the fit, material and colour.

Vintage Jewellery

The next essential in your 80’s mens fashion staples are vintage jewellery and rings. Gold chains, pendants and rings were especially popular in the 80’s and were often layered with multiple pieces to create a bold look. Much like the clothing, 80’s jewellery was designed to make a big statement. For authentic pieces, go with vintage jewellery, or choose pieces with a modern touch for something a bit different.

The main thing to remember here is go for gold and don’t be afraid to layer, especially when the rest of your outfit is more simple!

Double Denim

Saving one of the best until last, double denim was an absolute staple in the 80’s. Double denim was an everyday look for men and women, often with white trainers. We’re already halfway there with our loose fitting blue jeans, so get yourself an oversized blue denim shirt that you can tuck into the jeans or style your jeans with a white t-shirt and denim jacket.

This look works best when the shades of blue are different, as long as you wear it with confidence! Break the outfit up with a belt and keep the rest of your outfit simple to really master this look.

Final Thoughts
80’s fashion is back and here to stay, so now is the perfect time to upgrade your wardrobe with a few of these staples!

Earlier this year a watch report found that the value of ‘forgotten’ watches had exceeded $55 billion across the globe. It would be more than a shame for someone to have a dusty, old watch sat on the mantlepiece and not realise they are holding onto a hidden fortune.

Luxe Watches, expert pre-owned watch retailer, have put together a concise list of how to spot if your timepiece has any hidden value.

There are hundreds of thousands of discarded and neglected watches across the world. These outdated watches may have a considerable amount of value attached, meaning all those watches become hidden goldmines.

You may not be a watch connoisseur or know a Casio from a Patek Philippe, but you could still earn a wad of cash for that old timepiece in the attic.

A report in 2021 estimated that over $56 billion dollars in value was lost through ‘forgotten’ luxury watches where the owner had no clue about it’s true value. Luxe Watches, one of Britain’s leading independent pre-owned watch retailers, have put together a list of seven things and find out if time could be money for you.

Is my watch antique or vintage? Vintage are typically around 30 years old or more, have a collectible or novelty value and some sort of cultural significance.

Antique points to things over 100 years old, and for watches will generally indicate the pocket variety.

1. Can it tell the time?

Collectors want old watches for the prestige opposed to the functionality, but the working condition can alter the value massively. Check to see if you can hear the ticking. If it has a smooth metallic ring it means it is still in working order. If you hear a grinding noise, it could, unfortunately, mean it’s close to its end.

2. Can you find the serial number?

The serial number says a lot about a watch, and can be found on the caseback, inside mechanism or between the lugs if it is a Rolex.

3. Who’s the maker?

Even if your watch looks ancient, it can still be made by a huge brand name. Whether you recognize it or not isn’t important but you still might – Omega have been making watches for almost 200 years! Here are a few names to look for: Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Blancpain, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Breitling, Vacheron Constantin.

4. What type is it?

The type of watch can say a lot about it’s value, whether it’s an antique pocket watch to stem-wind or jeweled. If it is stainless steel or solid gold then you could be onto a winner. Typically an elaborate design on vintage pocket watches is a big pointer to value. 

5. What is it made of?

If it is stainless steel or solid gold then you could be onto a winner. Typically an elaborate design on vintage pocket watches is a big pointer to value.

6. Does it have extra weight?

Heavier watches could mean there’s gold or other features of value.

7. Do you have the paperwork to hand?

Also known as provenance, an ownership record of the origin, history of owners and authenticity can put extra 0’s to the value. Having the basic proof of manufacturer alone is massive, but if your timepiece happened to be owned by someone famous it could lead to a huge windfall.

A huge part is to not go down the route of selling alone – Ebay is full of gambles and lacks the expert touch. A lot of people attach astronomical prices to things not worth a fraction of it, while others misvalue family heirlooms and lose a huge amount of money.

WORDS BY EMILY HENRY

Contrary to popular belief, men are just as interested in fashion as women are. You’d think that putting together a stylish outfit as a man would be somewhat easier, but there are some pitfalls to avoid. Here are some common men’s clothing mistakes, and how you can avoid them.

You’ve spent a lot of money on that watch, and you take great pride in it. One day though it’s going to stop running, and it will need to be handled. Many men will keep wearing it until they can get it fixed, as it was an expensive time piece. However, that’s something you should avoid. Wearing a broken watch can make it look a lot cheaper than it is. You don’t want anyone thinking you bought a knock off, rather than the real thing.

When you don’t need your sunglasses right this moment, what do you do? Many men place them on their head, but that’s actually considered a style faux pas. ‘Wearing your sunglasses on your head will ruin your hairstyle, and emphasize the shape of your head if it’s too oval’ says fashion editor Whitney Thomas, from Academized and UK Writings. ‘Instead, try wearing them on your shirt, or put them in your breast pocket.

This is such a common mistake, but luckily it’s very easily rectified. You know your tie shouldn’t be worn too short, but you’re worried about over-correcting and going too long instead. There’s a simple rule you should follow when wearing a tie: the tip of your tie should just cover your belt buckle. Follow this rule, and you can’t go wrong.

Keeping your cash in your pocket isn’t a style problem as such, but you can make carrying your cash much more stylish. If you don’t already have one, invest in a good quality leather wallet. It’s not only more stylish, but practical too. You’ll be able to keep cards and your driver’s license in there too, keeping everything together.

Here’s another tip to look out for when you’re shopping for shirts or jackets. You want the sleeves to be just the right length. That shows that the garment fits you properly, and looks a lot more polished. The best sleeves will end right above your wrist. Anything longer or shorter won’t give the best impression when you wear it.

Of course, there are some times when wearing a backpack is totally fine. If you’re hiking, of course you need a backpack. If you’re wearing a classic jacket though, a backpack is a no no. ‘It just doesn’t look right together, and so you need to find a bag that works better for your needs’ says journalist Julian Andrews from State Of Writing and OX Essays. ‘Instead, try a laptop bag to get a better combined look.’

Suspenders are having a real moment right now, and so you’ve probably invested in some for yourself. However, you need to make sure you’re wearing them the right way. For example, you shouldn’t be wearing suspenders and a belt at the same time. They both do the same job, so you shouldn’t need both. Choose one or the other with a button up shirt, and you’ll look stylish.

This is not only an issue of style, but of etiquette too. When using any kind of thermal pants for training, you need to have an outer layer on them. Thermal wear should be considered a base layer that you put other clothes on top of, rather than outer clothing themselves. Shorts or sweatpants work best over thermal pants.

As you can see, there are lots of mistakes here that you didn’t even know you were making. Now you do though, you can make some simple changes to look as stylish and as put together as possible. Make these small tweaks to your look, and you’ll look the best you possibly can, every day.

As you can see, there are lots of mistakes here that you didn’t even know you were making. Now you do though, you can make some simple changes to look as stylish and as put together as possible. Make these small tweaks to your look, and you’ll look the best you possibly can, every day.

British Designer Neil Barrett has been at the forefront in redefining the contemporary male wardrobe, mastering a forward-thinking approach and an unprecedented point of view, since it’s foundation. Debuting at Pitti Uomo, Florence in 1999, the brand continues to deliver innovative and distinctive collections, combining precisely-cut tailoring, accurate detailing and athletic elements. Season upon season, the brand has expanded its distribution network and currently counts 550 retailers worldwide, alongside 30 mono-brand stores, whose concept has been developed with Zaha Hadid Architects and with fans including Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor, Colin Firth, Lenny Kravitz, Mark Ruffalo, Orlando Bloom, Jake Gyllenhaal.

For this season, he brings his signature minimalist aesthetic to a brand to an all American outdoor brand, founded in 1979, that made its name by making performance outdoor product that could withstand the unpredictably harsh weather of the North-Eastern USA, none other than Penfield. Today, Penfield is as much a symbol of progressive streetwear as it is of the traditional New England outdoor style. From innovative fabrics to its exceptional use of colour and theme, Penfield is continually evolving its product lines to reflect the wandering spirit of its wearers. As the brand continues to evolve, Penfield remains true to its purpose: TO MAKE PRODUCT FOR A LIFE IN THE OPEN.

These two very different fashion brands have come together to create a beautifully crafted collection of functional puffer jackets that utilise technical nylon qualities and fabric mixes, to infuse design with functionality. Lightweight, waterproof, technical jackets mix exaggerated silhouettes, bi-colour, luxury eco-shearing and high gloss trims all finished with Neil Barrett’s signature Thunderbolt Enamel Badge.

There are three styles; a Padded Nylon Bomber with Detachable Hood in Black, a Padded Nylon and Shearling Puffer Jacket in Black Military, and a Padded Nylon Bomber Jacket in Black.