CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Manchester based menswear label Äkta Norr unveiled its forthcoming Made in England Collection , an imprint of the brands aesthetic comprises of boxy silhouettes and detailed characteristics and proudly reminiscent of the 1990’s utilitarian look and feel.

At Äkta Norr they pride themselves on being a contemporary menswear company with true Northern resilience at the heart of their DNA.

Combining creative pattern development, skilful garment design and conscious practices, they produce finely crafted, versatile garments. Intended to be worn with visible layering alongside other garments from their collection to create the Äkta Norr Look. Each garment from their Made in England collection has been masterfully hand sewn in their Manchester lab to the highest degrees of quality.

They are fiercely proud to be an independent business working closely with selected companies throughout their entire manufacturing and development processes. This ensures a superior level of production standards, whilst sourcing only the highest quality raw materials from which they proudly produce their goods.

Basic form, intricate detailing and handmade production work cohesively to achieve the debut Äkta Norr collection. Designed by London based fashion designer Mark Rigby the collection works as a complete layering system, each item is made to be worn alongside the other for a visible layered aesthetic.

Midnight Blue, Natural Cotton and Black complete the colourway using a medium weight cotton twill, the collection features signature smocks, shirts, utility vests and two styles of trouser all elegantly constructed by hand to precision by their small team based in Manchester. Also featured in the collection as an ode to English heritage is the Äkta Norr Utility Vest constructed from a premium English Huddersfield Wool which takes centre stage as a stand out piece.

Sophie Bertrand and Bari Stricoff are the co-authors of the myth-busting, knowledge boosting nutritional book – Forking Wellness. With deep knowledge in their fields, these nutrition and diet experts unpack what nutrition actually is, while providing tools so readers can discover what wellness means to them.

With their desire to overhaul diet culture and breakdown the facts, Sophie and Bari have provided their top 10 things people usually don’t know about nutrition:

1. Fat doesn’t make you fat. –                            It’s estimated one third of our energy intake should come from fat, more so from unsaturated fat sources, like nuts, seeds and avocados, but saturated too. Saturated fats are usually found in animal products and are good to include as part of a well-balanced diet. Many people don’t include enough fats in their diet, particularly fatty acids which are often referred to as omega-3s.

2. You don’t have to count calories to be healthy.
Overall, your intake should consist of highquality protein, healthy fats, and whole-grain carbohydrates with plenty of fruit and vegetables. There’s no counting (macros or calories) involved, and there are definitely no restrictions.

3. Gluten is just a protein. You don’t have to eliminate it to improve your health. –                                                            Only 0.5% of the population medically require a gluten free diet. It’s important to know gluten is just a protein found in wheat – it’s not toxic and does not lead to adverse health effects. Basically, gluten-free is not synonymous with healthy.

4. Cheat meals can create an unhealthy relationship with food.                                   If you feel the need to cheat on your eating style, it’s not sustainable.  Incorporating flexibility into your meals will allow you to skip out on the guilt when you eat something considered as a ‘cheat’ snack or meal

5. Your kidneys & liver will kindly detox your body for you –                                         no need for lemon water and celery juice. Ensuring fruit and vegetables are being consumed regularly is imperative because they provide essential vitamins and minerals linked to improved health. No food or food substance actually has the ability to detox or cleanse the body. Hurrah for livers and kidneys! 

6. Smoothies are more nutritious than juices –                                                                 don’t strip your fruit and vegetables of fibre!                  Removing the pulp removes the fibre! And if juices or smoothies aren’t enjoyed, consuming the whole fruit provides more nutritional impact.

7. Carbs don’t cause weight gain.               In fact, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products break down into carbohydrates as well.                        It is thought the brain uses 20% of all energy needed by the body and the glucose from carbohydrate-containing foods provides adequate fuel for the brain to function properly. Good sources for carbs include breads, whole grains, starchy vegetables (potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips and peas, for example.) and fruits.

8. Hunger signals are a good thing –  don’t ignore them. When your body needs fuel, it will let you know.   Diets encourage us to ignore hunger when in fact these instincts are really positive and important to embrace. If you override those hunger pangs and restrict food, your body is likely to react with the urgency to binge. We need to be able to tune in to our hunger signals so we can respond.

9. Digestion isn’t dictated by the time of day.                                                                      Your body will not digest nor store food differently at 6:01.  Our digestive systems work just as hard in the morning as they do throughout the day!

10. Increasing your intake of plant-based foods is not just beneficial for the environment.                                                       It also enhances your overall health.                According to Public Health England (2018), only 31% of adults, 32% of people aged 65074 years old and a mere 8% of teenagers meet the 5 A Day recommendation for fruit and veg consumption. Eating more fruit and veg has been shown to lower blood pressure, maintain a healthy heart, help prevent Type-2 Diabetes, decrease the rick of cancer and so much more.

To celebrate the anniversary of the legendary Steve McQueen’s birthday today. Barbour International Steve McQueen Collection blends American style with Barbour International’s iconic motorcycling heritage.

McQueen was known for his impeccable style and general coolness, long before your likes of David Beckham, Idris Elba, Daniel Craig or David Gandy, McQueen inspired men’s style through his cinematic offerings in such classics as, The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt, The Great Escape or even, often held up as being the most stylish film ever, The Thomas Crown Affair. Oozing style, grace and aspiration, men wanted to be him and women wanted to be with him.

Inspired by his personal off camera style, this collection offers summer waxes combined with soft lightweight clothing designed for the warmer months, fingers crossed. Desert colourways add a rustic aesthetic, with authentic sport inspired t-shirts and sweats highlighting the collection’s motorcycling heritage through new archive Steve McQueen graphic prints. Washed American checked and flannel shirts offer a relaxed look perfect for casual occasions, as robust cotton shirts and overshirts emphasise a military influence in a vintage inspired range.

It may have been a few weeks, or even months since your last proper wet shave. However, it is only a matter of time before we start to socially engage outdoors once more and of course, you’ll need to look your best! We caught up with Paul Thompson, founder of, Luxury British shaving brand Wilde & Harte to give us his top tips:

In preparation for your next shave, we recommend investing a few pounds in a good pre-shave oil. Such products are designed to hydrate your skin and soften the beard, thus reducing ‘tug and pull’ which irritates your skin when shaving again after a period of time.

Ensure you have brand new razor blades (either cartridge blades, or double edge blades depending on your razor preference), a tube of quality shaving cream (avoiding shaving foams and gels) and a pot of post-shave balm or lotion as your skin will be in need of some attention after your shave.

Once equipped with the above, let’s get you looking handsome again:

1. Apply pre-shave oil and lather up your shaving cream (preferably with a shaving brush), then apply lather to your face

3. Rinse your razor head under warm water to get warmth into the razor blade(s)

4. Gently perform your shave in short straight strokes and wash off remaining lather

5. Reapply more shaving lather and repeat step 4 again 

6. Splash your face with cool water to refresh

7. Dry your face with a warm, clean towel

8. Massage your post-shave balm or lotion in circular motions into your face and neck to hydrate your skin

Finally, add a splash of your favourite aftershave and you’re good to go!

Art of Football (AOF) believe football is a community not a commodity. We believe the strength of a community is defined by the originality of its individuals and their commitment towards common goals.

• To inspire creative-expression.
• To celebrate originality.
• To support the community.
• To create common goals.

Their hand crafted designs try to emulate the beauty of those split second moments, those moments you never forget, they look to capture the energy, passion and euphoria, that erupts from that one magical kick of a football. AOF only produce a limited number of each design, ensuring that your t-shirt, like any good piece of art is exclusive.