CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Words by Dan Ramsdale-Harris

Since its launch back in 2012, Virgil Abloh’s ‘Off-White’ has quickly made a name for its self as one of the most popular fashion brands in the world, especially amongst today’s younger, forward thinking consumer.

Often labelled as the driving force for blurring the lines between streetwear and high fashion, ‘Off-White’ has brought a street aesthetic to the avant-garde game, changing the norm for how high fashion is now perceived.

The street aesthetic brought to the party however doesn’t replicate ‘street’ prices. So,with nearly every HypeBeast asking their parents to spend £300 pounds on a hoodie, we have documented some affordable streetalternatives to the in demand brand. For all you readers with that son craving Off-White, show him this first and who knows, he might change his mind. Probably not.

The rise of tech/utilitarian fashion has been meteoric over the last year, with it becoming the norm in many people’s wardrobe and a staple piece to finish off an outfit. Off-White’s Denim Caban Vest comes equipped with 4 pockets, a V-neck collar and zip-closure at the front, offering an ideal layering piece for both sweats and tees.

Its alternative comes from ASOS owned brand Collusion, offering an almost an identical aesthetic for just £30, £400 pound less than OFF-White.

We introduce another staple piece, except the classic pair of blue denim jeans has been around for many years. The silhouette continues to be modernised to create a more street aesthetic, with a slim, baggier, more straight leg on trend at the minute. Off-White’s silhouette comes in a bleached blue cotton, five pocket design, drawcord belt and printed logos on both the upper, footer and back leg. The affordable alternative comes from US brand Taka Original, who are recently growing in stature through their innovative blend of street and techwear designs. Their silhouette comes in a more relaxed, wide leg fit, and features a vertical logo print on the left leg.

You can buy the Off-White jeans for £650 or go with Taka’s option for £70.

Our last alternative focuses on your trainer game. Nike features in both options, but one costs over £1,900 pounds more than the other. Nike teamed up with the founder of Off-White, Virgil Abloh, to create ‘The 10’ collection, where the designer put his touch on 10 iconic Nike shoes.

The silhouette imaged left was Abloh’s remake of the classic Chicago Air Jordan 1, first released back in 1985. The 2018, Off-White re-release kept the iconic red and white colourway but offered a more reconstructed aesthetic and included classic Off-White Motifs in “Air” and the orange tags. The sneaker retailed for £160 pounds but now has a re-sale market price of £2000.

The alternative that comes in at £1900 pounds cheaper, is the Nike Air Jordan 1 low black toe’s. The low top version of Jordan’s classic black toe high silhouette was released this year and retails for just £75. This slick, clean looking shoe offers a difference to Jordan’s classic high and mid top versions and most definitely provides a substantial saving.

Working lunches are inevitable and sometimes unavoidable; perhaps your boss wants to catch up during the only free time he has – his lunch – or you simply need to get something important done as quickly as possible. Nobody likes to forfeit their down-time during a working day, but there are ways you can make the situation a little more productive.

The team at WorkSpott are revolutionising the way people work, by creating co-working spaces around London perfect for business-minded people needing to work freelance or remotely. Here are some ideas of how to make your lunch break more productive.

1. Go outside – if you’re spending the majority of the day stuck in an office and now you face the prospect of working through your lunch too, try spending the midday meal outside while you continue to work. This can give you a break, some fresh air and a change of scenery which will help to make you feel more productive – weather permitting, of course. If it’s raining, try a different room or just a different spot.

2. Socialise – if you have some important work to continue through your lunch hour, chances are, you’re not alone. Co-working spaces can be great for being around business professionals in the same situation, and this will make you feel more motivated to get the work done, rather than hiding away alone with a salad.

3. Switch off – you may feel like you are being more productive by working non-stop through your lunch break, but it’s sadly not the case. Allowing yourself to switch off even for just five minutes during your lunch and continuing with the work afterwards can help you re-energise and your brain to return to the task at hand in a more motivated fashion.

4. Make healthy food choices – it’s easy to want to grab something ready-made and quick so you can get back to work. But it’s much more beneficial to prepare your meal in advance, or at least make a more healthy choice if it’s last minute, to ensure you feel more refreshed rather than sluggish from a heavy, unhealthy meal.

5. Try and exercise – even with non-stop work to complete, it’s important to get away from your desk and walk around a little. Try and tailor your lunch break tasks so you’re not chained to a desk – perhaps you have a few phone calls you can make during your working lunch on speakerphone so you can walk around the room whilst speaking and stretch your legs. Every little helps.

Founded in 1965, by Baxter Finley amidst an era of freedom and self-expression, Baxter of California continues to operate with the same individualistic mindset today. The brand is a leading lifestyle brand to solve all your hair, skin, body and shaving needs. The brand represents far more than the Californian state and where it is in terms of geography of palm trees, sunshine and Hollywood Hills; it’s much more like a state of mind. A living, breathing example of a thriving culture where people are free to pursue their own dreams, on their own terms and the brand tries to encapsulate that way of thinking.

The brand continues to offer a collection of superior hair, skin and shave essentials, designed to fuel your best self and unleash what makes you, you. All products are tried and tested by Master Barbers at the award-winning Baxter Finley Barber & Shop in Los Angeles, for quality and versatility, to provide consumers with everything they need to confidently be who they are and live life true.

One of their hero products is the THICKENING STYLE GEL that provides high hold and high shine a look. The non-traditional formula contains:

Birch Juice – which helps to smooth and soften hair, while calming scalp (“birch juice” is a growing search term for hair care and styling)

Ginger – helps to strengthen hair, and defend against flakiness in scalp and adds natural shine to hair

Vitamin B5 – known to plays important role in the healthiness and growth of your hair (“vitamin B5” is a growing search term for hair care)

This product fills a styling gap for those seeking a high shine look that will stay in place all day long. Be confident with no flakes, no residue and no crunch. The Thickening Syle Gel can be used to create a variety of hair styles. From the slick back and pompadours to hard parts, it can even be used to create a natural look with just a little bit of shine.

In fact, Mason Case, Baxter of California Educator, says of the product,

“A good gel is hard to come by but this one is a keeper. All the hold and shine you’d expect from a gel, but it doesn’t flake or brake. The beautiful color and smell are just added bonuses.”

Another offers a great skin care routine which honestly leaves your skin looking and feeling amazing. So what is this great routine to get your skin looking sooooooo amazing? Double-cleansing! After cleansing with our Daily Face Wash, apply the Clay Mask AHA(Alpha Hydroxy Acid). Rinse off in 10 minutes and tone with the Herbal Mint Toner, apply 1-2 pumps of Skin Concentrate BHA to the face and neck, finishing off with the Oil Free Moisturizer, Under Eye Complex & Hydro Salve Lip Balm.

Words by Cameron Mclauchlan

Summer is here and doesn’t make all the difference ?  In this week’s edition of something for the weekend we’ve created a full black out-fit in mourning of Federer’s loss at Wimbledon last weekend….

All distasteful jokes aside, black — I feel is  a very underused colour during the summer months and with flares of colour coming in the form of patterns and embroidery you can build a super-clean standout fit.

Other than the obvious unbearable sun-absorbing connotations the word black brings in summer, the thickness, design and drape of the clothing item regardless of colour plays are heavy part in its wearability in the heat.

So without further ado lets get into this weeks fit:

1. FLAGSTUFF Dragon Print Shirt – £485.00

This shirt in collaboration Japanese artist Kaneko Tomiyuki is perfect for summer both in its colourful construct and material composition coming in the way of 100% Rayon. For those who don’t know Rayon is a slim-like material made from cellulose found in trees such as Bamboo, Pine and beech trees.

F-LAGSTUF-F or  FLAGSTUFF as their commonly known is a relatively new brand. Inception 2014. But has seen a meteoric rise in popularity. Nobuyuki Murayama started the brand largely as a result of his exposure to American culture and skateboarding dating back to the the 90’s.

Nobuyuki originally started selling tee’s at a store in Harajuku, Japan, back in 2014 and then opened his products up to buyers towards the end of the year. In an interview with supplystore.com the founder spoke on his original reference points of American culture:

“I started digging more deeply about music, fashion and overall culture in the U.S. Also, because I used to work at vintage clothing stores which mainly carry U.S vintage items, I did lots of research about items from 100 years ago to present. Currently I’m making clothes that is inspired by 1980’s to 90’s, but I actually have been really fascinated by 40’s to 50’s military products, workwear, and even rockabilly style fashion.”

FLAGSTUFF whilst  originally making graphic Tee’s which is still by and large its product array, in addition offers a solid width of accessories and outerwear. You can find the brand on sites such as End,HBX, GoodHood & Mr Porter. To shop the shirt and see more from

FLAGSTUFF hit the link below:

https://goodhoodstore.com/store/flagstuff-longsleeve-hawaiian-shirt-black-42499

2. Carhartt Cargo shorts – £90.00

Carhartt bottoms whether they come in the form of pants or shorts are a staple for anyone man or woman wardrobe. They will last a lifetime.

Carhartt or CarharrtWIP (Work in progress) was started in New York by Mr Hamilton Carhartt. He originally began crafting denim overalls. In 1910, Hamilton expanded his enterprise opening factories in Detroit, San Fransisco and Dallas. A year later in 1911 ‘The Carharrt Automobile Corporation’ was set up producing around 300 cars per year. A venture which has since ceased.

During WW1 Carhartt produced workmans uniforms for U.S. Military with the iconic Carhartt CO1 jacket coming some 9 years later in 1923. Hamilton passed away in a car crash at the age of 82 leaving his company to his two son’s Hamilton Jr & Wylie.

Since these pivotal milestones of Carhartt history the brand has continued to receive large and steep growth both in its production of workwear clothing for the  industrial sector and the brands cultural prominence in streetwear, hip-hop, skateboarding & BMX all areas in which the brand has either teams (Skate), ambassadors or collaborators — mainly through its WIP line. Recent collaborations include Nike on the AirForce1 and 95 silhouettes and Patta the Amsterdam born streetwear brand.

To shop the shorts hit the link below where you can shop more from Carhartt and find out more about the huge U.S. workwear brand:

https://www.carhartt-wip.com/en/men-shorts-cargo/regular-cargo-short-black-380_1

3. Suzanne Kalan 18ct Gold Rainbow ring – £2015.00

Quite possibly one of the coolest rings I have ever seen despite the fact its a womens ring, probably appealing to a 6 1” male me due to the fact I have embarrassingly small hands. Hard to deny it’s chaotic good looks still.

The ring features an 18ct band with 1.74ct sapphire baguettes which surround half of the band. I have also seen a similar looking ring on Tyler The Creator which has further drawn me to this style of ring. Rainbow Rolex Daytona wouldn’t go a miss in this rainbow world either.

Award winning Jewellery designer Suzanne Kalan from a young age had been exposed to the world of jewellery, her father owned a Jewellery store allowing her to grow up learning about the processes of design and the business operations of a jeweller.

As Suzanne grew older she began creating Jewellery for friends until she was approached by a retailer to produce her own-line of Jewellery, with her company subsequently starting in 1988. Suzanne is known for blending fundamental techniques of jewellery making with her own avant-garde vision, a vision  which has given her great success and seen her receive numerous awards including the

‘Couture Design Award’. Her distinct design is such as the one above an 18ct band with juxtaposed jagged stones.

Based now in California Suzanne continues to operate with the help of her Husband and Daughter playing key roles in the business her daughter helping as an additional designer.  

To shop the ring below hit the link below:

https://shop.doverstreetmarket.com/dsm-jewellery/suzanne-kalan-halfway-rainbow-sapphire-band-rose-gold

To see the brands full array of products and find out more :

https://suzannekalan.com

4. Acne Studios Rockaway Runners – £360.00

Completing the fit, we have the relatively new baby of  the high end sneaker world — the Rockaway runner by Acne Studios. Rivalling the likes of Balenciagas Triple S, McQeens Wedged sneaker and the Margeila Replicas. This with its own unique identity. Hence its success.

Acne Studios, the Swedish house hailing from Stockholm was founded in 1996 by Jonny Johansson and three others with Jonny remaining the Creative Director as of today.

Ambition to Create Novel Expressions abbreviated to ACNE began by making 100 pairs of jeans with standout red stitching, given to friends and family. In an interview with Vogue Australia Jonny stated “When we started we never wanted to be a fashion streetwear brand or read-to-wear brand, we just said we wanted to do fashion.” ACNE whilst creating its own distinct fashion shows also has its toe heavily dipped into RTW/streetwear scene with their new face Russel Westbrook being a testament to this.

But with that said that kind of sums up what the brand is — if you can do so in such a short statement — its a journey of creating whatever they want at any given moment focussing on the honesty of spontaneity  rather than the pressure of concept after concept. It’s ok to want to make pieces for the runway and everyday pair of jeans and a sweatshirt… A strategy widely employed by nearly all designers of today.

To link is below to shop the runners which are stocked in other colours :

https://tres-bien.com/acne-studios-rockaway-multi-black-fw19

Rather than being the one individual, as the name suggests, Thom Sweeney, comprises of the collective know how of both Thom Whiddett and Luke Sweeney. Whiddett cut his teeth as a cutter and Sweeney headed up the made to measure for British Tailoring supremo Timothy Everest.

Now with an enviable client roaster including Bradley Cooper, Luke Evans, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Gandy, Michael Fassbender to name a few and having created quite the name for themselves in the notoriously tricky tailoring game. The dynamic duo have turned their hand to introducing a luxurious made-to-measure denim jeans programme, to compliment its bespoke tailoring and ready-to-wear collection.

The house is offering a comprehensive made-to- measure service, to allow customers to order their perfect pair of jeans, cut to a unique set of measurements and made in Italy. The service mixes Thom Sweeney’s signature attention to quality with Thom and Luke’s understated, wearable design philosophy.

Each pair of made-to-measure jeans is fully customisable, from a modern tapered fit to a classic bootcut jean, low-rise or high rise, with contrast or plain stitched seams. It’s even possible to request embroidered initials on your jeans’ ticket pocket, in either contrasting or matching thread.

On visiting any of Thom Sweeney’s stores, customers will be asked to try on a pair of fitting jeans, to asses their size and help determine the design of their own pair. Thom Sweeney’s team will then take up to seven measurements to ensure a perfect, fully customised fit. Clients will then be guided carefully through the design process; exploring which denim from the programme’s extensive range of fabrics is best suited to their requirements.

The choice of made-to-measure fabrics is comprehensive. Clients will have access to dozens of the finest denims in the world. Thom and Luke have worked closely with a select group of weavers from across the globe to bring customers everything from luxury mid-weight denim with a soft handle, woven by Candiani in Italy, to superior Japanese selvedge denim from Kukori Mills in Japan, or even rigid raw denim from the historic White Oak mill in the United States.

The collection offers a choice of both rigid and stretch denims, in elegant shades of indigo, mid-blue, black and white. Every cloth is woven on vintage shuttle looms to ensure uncompromising quality and an authentic handle. Rigid raw denims are unwashed, and soften over time with wear – allowing the jeans to develop a unique patina for a worn-in look. Stretch denims are softer, and mould to the wearer’s frame over time for superior comfort and fit.

As well as a range of raw indigo dyed denims, Thom Sweeney is offering a choice of nine different washes for clients to choose from, helping customers to create jeans that range from smart to relaxed, to fill different wardrobe gaps. Each wash is applied to high-quality medium- weight denims from Candiani, perfect for year-round wear. These fabrics are woven in an authentic three-by-one twill for maximum durability and style. Whether a subtle, modern-looking denim, or pale vintage-inspired wash, the made-to-measure denim programme caters to each and every customer.