CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

As the summer holidays roll on and on (and on) the same thought crosses every parent’s mind – “Just how will I keep the kids entertained for six whole weeks”

Fashion Retailer Monsoon wanted to find out, so they set about analysing the UK’s 20 top city destinations for tourists against a range of criteria. They then combined these factors to give us an overall “child-friendly” score for each destination. Due to its sheer size, they didn’t include London in the final rank but have included their findings below.

• Things to Do – Whether your kids are the outdoorsy jump in every puddle type, or just love learning new things at the local museum or library, they’ve looked into a wide range of child-friendly activities in each city to keep everyone entertained.
• Where to Eat – They looked at the number of child-friendly restaurants listed in each city to make sure that even the fussiest of eaters are accommodated for.
• Accessibility – They appreciate that taking the full family for a day out can often feel like a logistically planned operation, so we also scored cities by factors like public toilets, available parking spaces and the cost of a day travel pass.
• Weather –  80 years of Met Office weather data allows them to look at rain-free days and the average temp.

According to their score, the following three cities came out on top:

It’s good news for families in the North and Scotland, who won’t have to travel far for a top city getaway; eight out of our top ten cities are located north of Birmingham, with Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool all placing highly. Leeds was actually found to be the cheapest to travel around, with a family day pass costing just £5.50. If you’re going to be driving in, however, Manchester is still your best bet, with over 20,000 car parking spaces. Interestingly, Glasgow was found to be the third best city for fussy eaters, with over 800 child-friendly restaurants to choose from. As you’d expect, cities in the South scored very highly in the weather categories, with Brighton, Reading and Oxford taking the top three spots for average dry days across the summer holidays.

So where did London stock up as per their score? As you’d expect, the capital was absolutely jam-packed with different things to do, with over 500 activities for children to choose from. It also offered the widest range of places to eat (over 6,000) and nearly three times as many parking spaces as Manchester. Unsurprisingly, the cost of a day pass to get around the city was the highest on our list – almost 5 times as much as Leeds.

Rest of the country

(Click on the image below to see the top 20!)

Welcome to the latest iteration of Something for the weekend! In this week’s edition we’ve found a couple of absolute bargains which are still lingering around after the initial summer sale. But lingering certainly doesn’t mean unwanted.

1. Champion Reverse Weave Sweatshirt (Black) – £45.00/£79.00

The first item on our list today comes from Champion. Subjectively speaking, my favourite sweats brand. Champion provides a mostly simple range of sweats that vary in colour and fit. For and average built 6 foot male such as me they nail the shape of their joggers sweatshirts and T-shirts. Super comfy.

Instantly recognisable by their red and blue ‘C’ Champion has seen a huge resurgence in popularity in the last six or seven years — more notably in the UK and Europe above its home across the pond in the U.S.

The foundations for the brand were laid in 1919, when the Feinbloom Brothers started producing sportswear. Then came the boom of American inter-university sports. The brothers first partnered with Michigan. Soon enough word spread about the quality of the clothing across the U.S. through Michigans coaches conversations with other universities.  

The most notable milestones of the American heritage brand’s journey include it’s exclusive rights to dress the NBA (National Basketball Association) and all of its 27 team’s during the 90’s & its hailing as the OG creator of the hooded sweatshirt in the 70’s —created to keep players warm on the sidelines.  Champions new wave of success, like with many retro brand’s has come as a result of its easily adaptable logo. Recent Collaborations include high end house Off-White and London based DIY designer ClothSuregon — with annual link-ups including Beams and Supreme.

To shop the sweatshirt below click the link which is also available in sale, in other colours, definitely a steal for the quality! Available sizes range from XS – XXL.

2. Topman Corduroy Joggers (Burgundy) – £10.00/£35.00  

Cheap as Chips! These super clean corduroy joggers could easily pass as some

semi-smart trousers or be worn as their name states. Joggers.

Topman and many of its sister companies which include; TOPSHOP, Evans, Wallis and Burton Mens have collectively seen a sharp decline in profits. Predominantly due to the issues which face many once more successful retailers today. The main cost’s such as rent and import’s have grown year upon with revenues not remaining parallel. However Arcadia’s new CVA (company voluntary agreement) which includes closures and widespread pre-agreed rent decreases give the brand a chance to re-set and attempt to rise back to it’s former glory.

The history of Topman dates back to 1964. Peter Robinson, a department store based in London and Sheffield formed “Top shop” as an extension to its current product offering

— with spaces being allocated in both Sheffield and Robinson’s prime spot upon Oxford Circus. “Top shop” originally sold clothing from up and coming designers such as Mary Quant. Later in 78’ Topman was formed to add to Burtons menswear range and support the womenswear retail operation. During the 80’s “Top shop” was then commonly known as what is is today. TOPSHOP.

The link for the joggers are below, email sign-up can give you a further 10% off and they are also available in blue!

3. Reebok Club C 85’ (White) – £65.00

Reebok Club C 85 or “Reebok Club Champion 1985” as its full expansion means is a trainer which feel’s lost in time. Unable to ride the wave of many of its competitive brothers of the time such as the Adidas Superstar or Nike Air Force one. The shoe post release was soon stripped off the shelves until more recently in 2017 with its re-introduction into the sneaker market — Most likely as a resulting from the resurgence of vulcanised sneakers such as  Nike SB’s and Stan Smiths.

Reebok as a brand overall has remained true to its roots —investing more in activewear than more commercial sportswear. Its stores, speaking from a UK perspective all have a heavy gym aesthetic — mirrored by its sponsorship deals with UFC athletes worldwide.

English brothers Joe & Jeff Foster founded the brand in 1958. A continuation of their grandfathers craft of creating spikes for track runners. Almost a UK version of Nikes later founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman who also started by making running shoes. The name Reebok derives from the words ‘Grey Rhebok’ —a type of African Antelope. Reebok continued to to produce spikes for the next couple of decades in the 60’s & 70’s  before expanding into the U.S through Paul Fireman. A man who the brothers met a trade show in Chicago and gained the subsequent rights to be the North American distributor for the brand. And later the Owner.

Nike and Adidas’ battle to become mens sportswear king during the 80’s allowed Reebok to place of focus on the nigh on undervalued womenswear market. Adidas years later would go on to purchase Reebok in 2005. A deal estimated to be worth around $3.8 Billion dollars.

To shop the Club C 85 hit the link below, plenty of other colour ways are available and with some in sale:

Thanks for reading another of our Something for the Weekend. Let us know what you think @clothesmaketheman on instagram.

Yes I kid you not this coming Friday(16th August) is National Grooming Day, I promise this is neither a wind up nor simply a Hallmark created occasion.

From smelling great, looking after your hair or taming your beard this day is designed to encourages men to care about their appearance. So, as always to save you the trouble we’ve rounded up some of our favourite grooming essentials to take the pain out of searching.

Candles aren’t just for the ladies and other than smelling amazing yourself it is key that your house smells as good. Forget about Fabreze and go for that higher-end option with the Tom Ford Cigar and Vanilla candle. This will send a beautiful aroma around your home welcoming guests or whilst you are relaxing in a warm bath, whatever you fancy really!

On the go ? Every traveller has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it even more from his wandering. The Murdock London A Gentleman of two cities travel Kit
Contains:

Texture Paste with travel sized Sea Salt Spray, Black Tea Body Wash, Quince & Oakmoss Shampoo, Black Tea Cologne.
Take a little piece of home with you with our grooming fundamentals in carry-on friendly sizes. Shampoo and Body Wash to keep fresh, Sea Salt Spray and Texture Paste to look sharp, Black Tea Cologne to add intrigue

Experts in men’s skincare, Bulldog’s new line of environmentally conscious and vegan-friendly shower gels care about their impact on the world. They pride themselves on only using gentle, naturally derived cleansers, natural fragrances and bottles made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic.  What’s more, these shower gels come in an oversize 500ml and 1L bottles to cut down on the amount of packaging per wash

So what exactly is Clinque’s Post Shave Soother and what does it do. Well, it relieves shaving irritation, leaving behind nothing more than a soothing, cool, tingly feeling and improved skin texture. Aloe is an active ingredient in it to soothe razor burn, relieve dryness, the appearance of redness and helps skin repair minor nicks and cuts. It’s nothing short of a breakthrough post-shave formula containing a combination of licorice and plant extracts that leave facial hair looking finer and softer. With continued use, shaving will be quicker and more comfortable as razor burn caused by daily friction is reduced. Additional ingredients provide exfoliation and anti-irritating benefits virtually eliminating bumps and ingrown hairs, as well as helping to encourage the healing of minor nicks and cuts. Plus it’s appropriate for all skin types.

By using a charcoal toothpaste you can combat both oral hygiene and keeping those pearly whites super shiny bright. Beverly Hills Formula is one of the longest and most trusted whitening brands on the market, having been formulated in California and then in 1992. Today, Beverly Hills Formula leads the way with their innovative Professional White and Perfect White range of whitening toothpastes and mouthwash.

Black Pearl, and the original black toothpaste Perfect White Black, are non-abrasive and contain Activated Charcoal, an effective and safe way to clean and whiten teeth which also helps combat plaque, gum disease and bad breath.

Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo, share the unmistakable spirit of the Mediterranean. Igniting your senses in nature, which creates the special allure of this magical Italian region.

Chinotto di Liguria’s top notes are like a breeze: a charge of pure energy enhanced by the bittersweet notes of the chinotto fruit and the sparkling crispness of mandarin. At its heart, jasmine and geranium bloom with the dynamic and refreshing notes of cardamom and rosemary. It is rounded off with the peace and tranquillity afforded by the base notes of musk and patchouli. A fragrance reminiscent of an early morning stroll along the rocky coastlines of western Liguria.

Harrys, likes to think of itself as making the chore of shaving that little bit easier, generally. Harry’s Shave Plans offer a seamless way for their customers to order their shave supplies based on their individual grooming needs. The brand tailor delivery frequency based on how often you shave and deliver the products direct to their customers home, allowing the plans to be changed or cancelled at anytime

Kiehl’s age defender Moisturizer offers a  powerful treatment providing a first line of defense against the effects of aging skin. Formulated with Cypress Extract, this ultra-lightweight “age defender” easily absorbs and helps to visibly firm sagging skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles for a more youthful, resilient appearance.

Sure for Men, as the Strapline for the band in the 1980’s used to say “it won’t let you down”.

Finally, we have Aveda Men Pure-formance pomade helps mold and style short to medium length hair into any maintainable shape. It has a built-in style-control agent that provides strong hold with lasting shine. As you’d expect from Aveda, a company which strives to create products that are botanically based and manufactured through environmentally friendly processes.It smells good enough to eat, offering an aroma that is rich, but never over powering, spicy and refreshing with kunzea, citrus and certified organic essential oils of spearmint, vetiver, and lavender.

For Micro Love, JUSBOX offers up an intoxicating fragrance that plays with a musk, ozonic accord that washes over you. The fragrance is electric, abstract, aerial. Notes include, Crisp Apple, Neroli, Cinnamon, Violet, White Cedarwood, Suede and Grey Amber.

With Summer here, but the thought of Autumn well and truly on the horizon it beckons a new season with it and so no doubt you have a occasion you need to dress the part for looming on the calendar, whether that be a Wedding, Anniversary, Job Interview etc. I don’t think there is one of us out there that doesn’t have a date in our diary that is preying on our minds like a impending sartorial spectre. One brand that can cater for your needs no matter what the occasion or how formal it may be is the Italian heritage House Canali.

The Family run business, now in the hands of the third generation of Canalis, has been at the forefront of Italian Tailoring since its launch back in 1934, which coincided with the rise of the contemporary lounge suit and the emergence of the clean, sharp aesthetic of modernist design. Since then, Canali have created a range of men’s suits and outerwear, following the strictest manufacturing standards to create garments of the finest quality. The brand is now available, literally across the world, from Moscow to Mumbai, to keep up with the huge demand for top-quality tailoring from discerning, style-conscious male customers who want to make investment purchases knowing they won’t be subject to passing trends and will look as good tomorrow as they do today.

This is why for near 90 years Canali has been synonymous with quality and excellence with a longstanding tradition that interweaves culture and history, style and taste. Catering for your needs in the style stakes is no problem for for this Italian Tailoring Family

Occasion or Interview

Whether the Groom, Wedding guest or interviewee for your dream Job, this classic Capri Suit will have you feeling a million dollars. It comes in a bright and statement sapphire blue. The luxurious 150s wool and silk blend with herringbone effect helps regulate your temperature plus it doesn’t wrinkle easily and features elegant details silk buttonholes and horn buttons.

Formal

From a Graduation Ball to a cocktail party the ever-classic tuxedo is a must for your more formal occasions. This refined style in a wool and silk blend features a unique two-tone black and blue texture that adds a touch of style and luxury to your evening ensemble

Casual

Whatever the weather, it sometimes calls for cooler tones – part of the more contemporary Black edition capsule collection from Canali. This Black leaftec water and wind resistant jacket, black merino wool crew neck sweater, 5-pockets pants; black and gray sneakers takes you effortlessly from work to play.

https://www.canali.com/en_gb/black-edition.html

In the 80th anniversary year since the start of the Second World War, Men Fashion Retailer Woodhouse Clothing explores how clothing evolved in the era and how the fashion ration affected the trends and colours at the time.

The dark days of the Second World War were so austere that the Government even dictated fashion trends in a desperate bid to save as much cloth as possible. Garments manufactured during the era that met frugality regulations were known as utility clothing – the huge trend we know and love today.

Revealing the fashion truths behind the eras, Woodhouse Clothing drilled down the top trends for every decade since the 1910’s.