CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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REPRESENTING REPRESENT

Words by Isaac Perry

Although the UK is a country stacked with Heritage and known for having some of the highest expectations in terms of quality for our clothing in the world a lot of up and coming brands seem to let us down relying on Gildan tee’s and the cheapest printing methods to WOW us. However, Represent over the last couple of years have taken this into their own hands and have adopted a cut-and-sew aesthetic which founders George and Mike had a helping hand from their Grandmother, who is probably the coolest Nan ever yeah?!

Represent started from humble beginnings in 2012 up North in Manchester originally making graphic design t-shirts for friends, however, the brothers soon realised that there was an actual market for this which they could make money from so they went with it and now seven years later owners Mike and George probably haven’t looked back.

Now in 2019 they are one of the most sort after brands and the once small northern brand has now excelled into a UK phenomenon showcasing in Milan, London and New York fashion weeks as well as being worn by some of the most relevant names in the streetwear scene today such as Leo Mandella, Lukka Sabbat as well as global superstars including Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, the Migos and many more!

Represent have recently released their FW19 collection and this is said to have taken inspiration from Britpop culture and the ’90s and pays homage to Manchester-born music and a style decade that will forever remain in the memories of all fashion lovers. The collection consists of; Jackets, Hoodies, T-Shirts, Jeans, Trainers, Boots and Sunglasses. Within this collection, there is simply something for everyone with floral, tartan as well as more minimalistic pieces which go back to the brand’s original routes in screen printing with hoodies and tee’s available.

The campaign shoot for this was truly wonderful with them using model Sonny Hall as the face for this collection. Sonny is currently one of the largest models in the industry having worked alongside some of the largest brands within the fashion world. Sonny’s Instagram perfectly showcases him as a person and the journey which he has been through in his life and he often shares his poetry surrounding mental health and struggles. Definitely, an account which you should check out!

A couple of our favourites include the Logo sweater in Red Marble due to the depth of colour and it is a perfect piece for this upcoming fall/winter. Represent have always been one of the brands showcasing a military vibe and their most recent Cargo pants in black have no disappointed and are a piece which should be worn every day! Last but by no means least we have a pair of their Western Boots in Black with a steel toe cap. These are hand made in Italy and are made from 100% leather meaning only one thing. These will get better and better with time so are definitely a piece which you should be investing in.

 

Check Represent out!

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Wake up and smell far more than the Coffee – Rens New Coffee created trainers

The Finnish based company RENs  is proud to announce the launch of the world’s first ‘coffee sneaker’. Every pair of Rens is innovatively crafted from an upper made from a mixture of coffee yarn (from used coffee grounds) and recycled polyester (made with post-consumer plastic). Each shoe also includes a coffee-infused inner lining designed with a breathable, ultra-lightweight material. 100% waterproof, the shoes adapt to your movements to provide all-day comfort.

Their aim is to design the perfect sustainable sneaker for everyone – from the commuter to the thrill seeker. Stylish and versatile, Rens sneakers can be worn on the metro or on the mountain. What’s more, coffee’s natural antibacterial properties make Rens odor-resistant for their entire lifecycle

2 billion cups of coffeeare consumed every day and 3 million plastic bottlesare bought every minute. Spent coffee grounds produce methane  – a major contributor to climate change – and the world is drowning in plastic waste. Frustrated by the unsustainability of the fashion industry, Rens decided to harness the power of waste – putting 21 cups of coffee and 6 plastic bottles into every pair of Rens.

Coming from Vietnam, both Rens founders have first-hand experience of the footwear industry’s environmental impact:

“It’s unbelievable how giant companies churn out millions of unsustainable products, using unsustainable materials and doing very little to mitigate their impact,” says CEO Jesse Tran.

Conversely, when looking for sustainable footwear, the founders found the options to be lacking.

Co-founder Son Chu explains, “Jesse and I are both young sneakerheads who are also concerned about the origin and impact of the shoes we wear. It felt like no one was making an eco-friendly option for us – for our generation. So, we decided to make one ourselves.”

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Summer isn’t Summer without T-shirts – T-lab

Independent clothing retailer T-lab’s new Summer collection features a range of original and distinctive menswear designs that raise a pint glass to everything we love about summertime –cooking on the BBQ, chilling with mates, getting away and exploring the great outdoors.

T- lab’s story begins way before the brand’s inception in 2010, with the history of the now legendary T-shirt standing as the influence that carries across all its collections to date. T-shirts were created as a way for us to express ourselves – a silent protest against the norm, to stand apart from the crowd and tell the world who you are. This same idea is the inspiration behind T-lab’s collections.

What started with T-shirts has now grown to include a full wardrobe of apparel, including shorts, jeans and sweatshirts, all independently designed right here in the UK.

T-lab is attracting a loyal and growing following. The T-lab design team create high quality and well-crafted pieces for men whowant to feel proud of what they’re wearing and feel good in it too. Inspired by the heritage of the T-shirt as an original symbol of self-expression, T-lab’s designs are a way of subtly showing the world who you are, and what you’re into. What started with T-shirts has now grown to include a full wardrobe of apparel, including shorts, jeans and sweatshirts.

Kings of the grill will love the collection’s new BBQStar T-Shirt — a tribute to all those charcoal-smudged, hot-handed artisans making it happen over a hot grill and a cold beer. Travel plays a big part in the range, with the Roadtrip Berlin T-Shirt, inspired by European getaways and the classic cars that take us there. For those who prefer a more laid-back approach, the Freedom Polo Shirt captures the free and breezy attitude that comes with a day spent in the sun. All T-lab T-shirts are screen printed in the UK onto soft 100% cotton.

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Whiter than White – 10 Common Myths About Dentistry

Now we are all, you could say, painfully aware of the importance of oral and dental hygiene. Particularly if we have recently paid a trip to our friendly neighbourhood dentist. Furthermore, recent research has uncovered, Nearly half the population are unhappy with their teeth (48%) with discoloured teeth (64 per cent) the main reason for being unhappy. 50% of people surveyed say that a person’s smile is the first physical trait they notice and • One in four adults admit they don’t brush twice a day, including a third of men !!!!! So we caught up with leading Harley Street dentist Dr Richard Marques, who has provided his top ten misconceptions about dentistry below.

10 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT DENTISTRY:

1) Dentistry is expensive – prevention is always better than a cure. Look after your teeth and regularly visit your dentist for check-ups, and you’re far less likely to require costly procedures to fix bigger problems.

2)Kids don’t need to see a dentist until their permanent teeth come in – baby teeth are actually just as vulnerable to issues such as cavities which can become infected. Primary teeth also help with the alignment of permanent teeth, so book them in every six months.

3) Whiter teeth are healthier – dentists gauge oral health on the absence of plaque and decay, along with gum and jaw health. Teeth which are slightly discoloured aren’t necessarily unhealthy, but often just stained from things like coffee and dark foods.

4) I don’t need to floss – by neglecting to clean in-between teeth, you’re missing out around 35% of the teeth’s surfaces. Interdental cleaning removes debris trapped in these spaces and prevents the bacteria from multiplying and creating plaque.

5) Braces are just for children – whilst adolescence is the optimum time to correct teeth alignment, braces are possible at any age. A number of factors can cause teeth to move position throughout your life, and modern dentistry means there are more discreet, timely options available.

6) Babies steal calcium from teeth during pregnancy – if a baby isn’t getting enough calcium in the womb, it will be naturally derived from the bones as opposed to the teeth, which replenishes after the baby is born.

7) You shouldn’t brush bleeding gums – bleeding, inflamed gums are a strong indicator of gum disease and need urgent attention. You should still brush gently over the gums to avoid a build-up of plaque that will worsen the condition.

8) My teeth don’t hurt so I don’t need to see the dentist – don’t skip your six monthly check-ups! Your dentist will be able to detect issues before they become painful or expensive problems.

9) Wisdom teeth have to be removed – many people’s wisdom teeth will come through with no complications. Most dentists will only recommend removal when discomfort and pain is persistent.

10) Teeth whitening is painful – most professional whitening treatments actually cause only minor sensitivity and discomfort, just be sure to consult a professional and avoid at-home kits that can be harsh and damaging to tooth enamel.

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Wasted Paris – A Brand Born Out of Parisian Passion.

It’s the young, independent brands offering community that are capturing the imagination of millennial and gen z consumers today – in an era where the 90’s zeitgeist is still alive and kicking.

Wasted Paris, a young independent streetwear brand founded in 2012 by Johann and Fang, was born out of their own passion for fashion, photography and 90’s musical movements, such as shoegazing, britpop and indie rock.

The label is doing a great job of putting Parisian skate culture on the map, with a fascination with urbanism, globalization and a strong desire to help young skaters fit in to the scene whilst keeping their individuality.

The brand very much embodies today’s movement through mixed references and interdisciplinary creativity- a theme that has subverted luxury, where high prices and avant-garde designs are no longer the sole drivers of desirability.

Which is why the present era of contemporary fashion and sports-luxury continues to take over. A running theme throughout Wasted Paris’s collections.

Besides just apparel, Wasted have their own skate team which fuels the authenticity behind their brand purpose. The founders met in 2008, with one coming from a fashion background and the other skate. And it was after witnessing the evolution of the skate culture around them that they knew they could create something special.

For Wasted, it was the community that brought that special factor. Friends and skaters who hanged round their shop formed their first ever skate team, which was curated to contribute back to the culture and document it’s evolution.

This purpose has been key ever since, with it fuelling both their content and product strategy, using both mixed references and interdisciplinary creativity to create end results that fit their community’s needs through both mediums.

I recently had the chance to visit Wasted Paris’s store back in January and you can really feel the strong community that they have created. Achieving cultural credibility is like winning an Oscar for streetwear brands and that is exactly what Wasted have done. They know exactly when, where, and how to speak to their audience and have defined their distinctive voice which allows them to stay close to the core consumer that led to the brands existence.

You can check out Wasted Paris 2019 “Future Is Now” Spring Summer Collection here, a collection that draws inspiration from a period full of demands, particularly around global warming and the utopia of a free world here

Thanks for reading!