CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Words by Jimi Williams

With summer finally here (apparently), lockdown restrictions coming to an end (supposedly) and football coming home (definitely) there’s no better time to re-stock your wardrobe with the ultimate essential. T-shirts. Coming in all shapes, sizes and colours, with printed graphics, embroidery, logos or just completely plain, tees are perfect for every weather. So if you’re after an eye catching neon green t-shirt or something a bit more subtle, we’ve got you covered with a round up of the best t-shirts out there right now.

Instagram: @colorfulstandard

First up is Sunray Sportswear. Designed in Newquay, Cornwall and made in Japan, these t-shirts bring a combintion of old school workwear design and retro colours. All their garments are made on antique loopwheel machines in Japan, and each item takes 1.5 hours to manufacture. Making use of recylced cotton and sustainable materials, Sunray’s attention to detail goes further than how they make their product, but where it comes from as well. With short sleeved tees retailing for £60 and long sleeve versions at £80, you dont even have to break the bank to take a piece of Anglo-Japanese cratfmanship home with you.

Next is Uniqlo. The Japanese clothing retailer was founded in 1949 as a textiles company and now has over 1000 stores worldwide. The fast fashion retailer offers mens, womens and childrens clothing and can boast collaborations with the likes of

Jil Sander, JW Anderson and Kaws, as well as offering a Lifewear range and Uniqlo U which is perfect for basics. The Uniqlo U Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-shirt retails for £9.90 and is available in a wide range of colours from black, white and navy all the way to coral, dark green and light purple. Their Airism Oversized T-shirt is sold for £12.90 and is made of their own brand lightweight, breathable fabric; perfect for the summer months.

  A slightly older brand now, Sunspel were founded in England in 1860. With 160 years of British Heritage under their belts, they’ve been making high end products from the finest materials for a century and a half. They use organic, natural and recyclable fabrics where possible and make clothes that are built to last. They say “We have a strong sense of tradition, history and craft, but we do not rely on the past. We use it to shape the future.” Their Cotton Riviera T-shirt is made from two-fold long staple cotton and creates a smooth, durable fabric. Originally designed for Daniel Craig in his role as James Bond in Casino Royale, this T-shirt lets you live out your 007 fantasy without forking out for a DB5. Retailing at £75 it’s a whole lot cheaper than an Aston Martin as well! The T-shirt is available in black, white and navy

Story MFG are a husband and wife team based in India. The brand was born out of a desire for a more kind and authentic approach to fashion, one that doesn’t put consciousness to the back in the name of aesthetic. They use a wide range of natural dyes, recycled fabrics and renewable energies to create their products. These range from fruits, bark and plants all the way to bacteria and even the sun! Processes such as knitting, crocheting and weaving are all done by hand. The Spiral Trip Grateful Tee comes in both short and long sleeved iterations as well being available in natural ecru or dyed with bark. It’s oversized fit and mixture of embroidered and printed motifs make it the perfect statement tee for those who want something a bit different. Short sleeved is £90, whilst the long sleeve version is £105

Colorful Standard is a brand for all those after non-seasonal, sustainable and colourful basics. With a product offering including knitwear, underwear, beanies, shorts, sweatshirts and hoodies as well as t-shirts, the Danish brand is a one stop shop for all your essentials. All the cotton they use is 100% organic, and their extra fine merino wool comes with the Oeko-tex Standard 100 label, guaranteeing a higher level of ethics than required by European law. All products are produced in Portugal in their parent company’s own factories. Their supply chain is so transparent they even include the factory’s address on their website for willing customers to take a look themselves! The Classic Organic Tee is available in 45 different colours. It’s pre-washed, so it wont lose its shape or shrink no matter how many times it’s washed. Retailing for £27, this tee is a bargain for any eco-conscious shopper

CDG Play is a sub brand of Japanese fashion house Comme Des Garcons founded by Rei Kawakubo in Paris in 1973, although the label began in 1969. With a multitude of labels including Homme, Parfums, Wallet, Shirt, Junya Watanabe Comme Des Garcons and the well known collaboration with Converse, CDG has something for everyone. However the Play line is what we’re looking at today. The more streetwear label feautures the infamous heart logo and offers a wide range of tees including breton stripes, polka dots, small and large embroidered and printed logos. Prices range from £50 up to £100. So if you’re feeling a bit more playful with your selection of tees, this is the place for you.

Since 1985 Calvin Klein has kept us Obsessed with has fragrances, bar maybe Chanel, no other fragrance house has managed to produced so many iconic and era defining scents, Obsession, Eternity, Escape, One.

With his latest men’s fragrance Klein invites us to DEFY! The fragrance and campaign embrace a journey of defiance, while exploring authentic truths and the contrasts within us men.

The campaign stars actor of the moment and soon to be a Marvel Eternal, Richard Madden in a series of vulnerable, self-reflecting and defying moments that culminate into a courageous leap of faith, a symbolic metaphor for personal defiance and daring to take risks. The accompanying still visual translates the powerful essence of the campaign featuring Madden seated on a rooftop with a restless stare in Calvin Klein’s iconic jeans and a timeless white t-shirt.

With a daring contrast of invigorating freshness and powerful woods, the fragrance defies expectations and evokes the ethos of the campaign, opening with an addictive blend of citrus highlighted by crisp Bergamot and fresh Lavender Absolute. The heartbeat of the fragrance and star ingredient, Vetiver Oil, is responsibly sourced from Haiti and provides a vibrant earthiness and irresistible rugged texture that compliments a rich and alluring base of Amber notes.

The masculine and woody fresh scent is captured in a modern and minimalist glass bottle carved with curved rounded edges and sharp linear lines, representing the duality of vulnerability and courage on the path to defiance. The cap and carton pay homage to Calvin Klein jeans with a matte textured blue denim inspired embossed finish and striking silver branding.

Rounding off the footwear offering is an homage to Spezial curator Gary Aspden’s upbringing as the brand brings back the Blackburn SPZL silhouette in the new ‘Ewood’ edition. The colourway takes its lead from the unreleased first round sample of the original Blackburn SPZL that generated a lot of excitement when it was revealed online. The colourway draws on the signature aesthetics of the Lancashire rose, revising the shoe with an inverted colorway based on its predecessor. The shoes feature a red suede upper, collegiate green in the tongue, and navy outsole. The foil print of the Rose below the collar of the shoe is a modern take on the graphic foil prints used by adidas on training shoes in the mid 70s.

Moving from footwear to apparel the Summer 2021 Spezial collection consists of a number of spring-ready pieces lead by the Aldrington Anorak with its signature neon pink panelling. Based on an outdoor jacket that was popularised in Japan almost three decades ago the coat comes in a generous 90s fit with details like the half waisted draw cord and Spezial zip pullers. The other jacket this season is the new rain-protective deep red Todmorden smock – another Spezial classic in the making with its oversized chest branding and array of draw cord pockets. This season’s tracksuit sits somewhere between the world of Freizeit leisure wear and vintage training suits of the late 70s – the utilitarian looking ‘Ewood’ track top and track pants come with a distinctive collar and minimalist detailing. Lastly we have the Birchall Tee along with the elegant bluebird coloured Durrington Shorts.

Words by Emma Collins

A common myth is that we only need SPF when we’re sunbathing, but skin damage is a problem even outside the beach. We are exposed to UV light all year, even on gloomy days and inside our homes because of our windows.

We may not notice this at the beginning, but the harm caused by frequent UV exposure adds up over time, increasing our chance of developing skin cancer.

Protection from UV Rays

UVA rays are more penetrating than UVB rays. They are a component in premature skin, resulting in dark spots and wrinkles since they can infiltrate the skin even deeper. Any skin cancers are often triggered by UVA rays.

The ozone layer’s degradation has raised our chance of sunburn from toxic UV rays. Sunscreen absorbs these rays, making sunburn even less likely. Men tend to overlook areas like the head, eyelids, cheeks, back of the neck, tops of the feet, and scalp. Wearing a hat is not enough. So keep these in mind to protect your skin from getting damaged.

Protection from skin cancer

It has been found that men are more likely to develop skin cancer than women, including melanoma. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer which becomes more difficult to treat in its advanced stages. This means that it could be fatal for men who do not practice any form of skin protection.

The use of sunscreen on a regular basis will minimize the risk of skin cancer by up to 50%. Men are more likely than women to develop skin cancer on their scalps and ears.

Anti-aging

It also assists in the prevention of wrinkles, age marks, and leathery, weathered skin.

The sun is responsible for 60-90 percent of aging, depending on which dermatologist you consult.

Since we are subject to the sun throughout our lives, collagen and elastin are harmed over time. Have you ever seen an older person with sagging, flat skin? This is mostly due to sun exposure. Choose an SPF sunscreen (with SPF 30 or higher) that is sustainable for you so you can use it regularly for a long time.

Fighting acne

The explanation for this is that UV light encourages bacteria to thrive on your skin. Bacteria that are normally present on your skin are trapped by your body’s oil (sebum). This mixture causes a mild infection, which results in plenty of acne.

Sunscreen will assist in this situation. It can prevent UV light from penetrating the bacteria on your skin, and certain sunscreens contain niacinamide, which helps to reduce inflammation.

Keeping an even skin tone

The dark patches on the skin from sun exposure is called hyperpigmentation. When light strikes the skin, melanocytes, or skin cells, produce and release melanin. Your body’s natural sunscreen is melanin.

Photodamage from both continuous and transient pulses of ultraviolet (UV) radiation stimulates pigment-producing cells, resulting in spots that are darker than the surrounding skin. There is no way to absolutely eradicate them until the damage has occurred. The best way to avoid hyperpigmentation and hasten its resolution is to use SPF on a daily basis.

A skincare kit is not just for women, but men as well. Men are less aware of the damaging effects of prolonged exposure to the sun, making them laxer with skincare and protection. But no one is spared from the sun’s harmful effects, so choose a sunscreen that works for you and build a sustainable skincare routine!

British Menswear Design Genius, Oliver Spencer and Italian Heritage Sportswear brand, FILA have collaborated on a sustainably produced collection inspired by over 100 years of FILA’s rich sportswear heritage taking its inspiration from Wes Anderson’s iconic 2001 classic, The Royal Tenenbaums. The collection will be exclusively available at Oliver Spencer, FILA and at MR PORTER. 

Olie will be contributing 10% of sales towards the MR PORTER Health In Mind Fund which since 2019 has provided content and fundraising initiative in partnership with Movember, developed to raise awareness around men’s mental and physical health, and is fundraising dedicated to helping men lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives

This versatile collection consists of FILA classics seen in the Hayward Jersey Jacket, Benedict Polo, and matching Ari Jersey Shorts. Harking back to the timeless style of iconic FILA tennis players from the 1980s, the collection brings an updated twist on heritage styles. Oliver uses the influence of Dapper Dan to FILA’s iconic sportswear style with his own contemporary take on lifestyle; giving the collection a fluid easy-to-wear feeling.

Sustainability has been at the forefront of Oliver Spencer’s brand for many years, this collaboration continues their efforts to produce ethically sourced, sustainable goods. Alongside this, all packaging is made from sustainable, recycled materials.

For this collection Oliver has specifically developed a terry-towel corduroy that is super-soft and exudes richness of colour. Hero pieces made in Oliver Spencer’s Auckland Navy, Auckland Red and Auckland Cream pay tribute to the classic FILA colourways seen on and off the court for generations.

“I am very excited to be working with such an authentic, heritage sportswear brand. Working together to fuse lifestyle and sportswear we have produced an exciting collection that is selling through our long-standing partner – MR PORTER. The collection feels very nostalgic, yet modern while using all of our sustainable credentials” Oliver Spencer, Founder & Owner.