CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

The Great British Heritage and Lifestyle Fashion Brand, Barbour celebrates it’s 125th anniversary in 2019, a significant milestone in the company’s history. A fifth generation family owned brand the 125th anniversary celebrates the Barbour family who have nurtured guided And lead the company from small beginnings in 1894 when John Barbour set up his first store in South Shields in the North-East of England supplying Mariners with oilskins to the global lifestyle brand it is today.

To mark the start of this milestone and great achievement year, the brand has launched the Icons Re-engineered collection, a limited edition range of iconic jackets for both men and women that have featured large in the history of Barbour. The collection was displayed for the first time at Barbour’s presentation during London Fashion Week Mens in the incredible setting of Lancaster House. Each Icons Re-engineered piece is inspired by a legendary jacket from the archive that reflects a significant period in the company’s history, updated into a contemporary style steeped in Barbour heritage, relevant for today. All of the jackets take the distinctive Dress Gordon lining popular in Barbour jackets in the 1980s and each comes with a collectable 125th anniversary pin. 

In support of Barbour’s 125th anniversary, a five minute brand film has been created by the Ridley-Scott creative group and previewed at this seasonal presentation. To coincide with the brand film and the 125th anniversary, Barbour has also collaborated with South Shields born legendary film director and producer on a directors jacket for both men and women.

Featuring detailed finishes requested by Sir Ridley,  himself, together with input from his son, Luke Scott, CEO of the Ridley-Scott creative group the Director’s jacket has a military style collar and roll away hood. In true Barbour style this jacket has hand warmer pockets with additional features such as offside pockets to hold keys and a signature script lower pocket to accommodate an A4 script. Key details on the jacket include, anti-glare zips and studs designed to avoid attracting attention on film sets. An inner detachable quilt for extra warmth gives the option for the jacket to be worn across all seasons. The back label on all of the jackets features a bird illustration drawn personally by by Sir Ridley himself and two of the studs on the jacket features this unique design. 

Paul Wilkinson, Global Marketing and Commercial Director,  Barber said, “2019 is a very important year for us, as we celebrate our 125th and five generations of the Barbour family. We are proud to launch the Icons Re-engineered collection at LFWM- it offers an authentic contemporary take on design classics from the archives. We are thrilled to be working with Sir Ridley-Scott on this exciting brand film and the directors jackets to mark our anniversary. Barbour and Sir Ridley are probably two of the most well-known names to come out of South Shields and in our 125th year, we are delighted that we have been able to collaborate together and celebrate our shared birthplace “.

To be a successful in business, you need to be able to separate your work life from your personal life. While this is easier said than done, bringing personal issues into the office can have a major impact on how you handle your business and can be detrimental to your company.

Known as ‘The Man Whisperer’, Kenny Mammarella-D’Cruz is a personal development consultant who employs a wide variety of unique techniques, which aims to get to the heart of any man’s issues, whether it be with wealth embarrassment or the inevitable mid-life crisis. Kenny employs unique tools to empower men, allowing them to transform their lives. With that in mind, Kenny offers us his top 5 tips to stop your personal issues impacting your business.

1. Get aware – if you suspect that your personal issues may be impacting your business acumen, it’s important that you pinpoint the issues in order to address them. Ask for trusted feedback and gain clarity on how to shift such issues. They say a business is an extension of its owner’s issues, so dig in and turn both around.

2. Look for repetitive scripts – are there relationships within your business that are mirroring the issues you have at home? Are you used to being walked all over and taken advantage of? Does the blame always land at your door? Does everyone hand their power over to you and avoid responsibility? Get to know the bigger picture, repetitive patterns and distracting dramas and break the spell.

3. Look for the source – once you have identified what your issues are, you’d be wise to trace them back and find the root of the problem. Were you betrayed in the past feel you still can’t trust anyone? Do you fear abandonment? Follow current feelings back to their source and tackle issues at their root.

4. Get present – leave the past in the past and respond to situations in hand with current calm, rather than past trauma, pressure and panic. List the sources of these scripts and burn them on a fire, making space for new communications, collaboration and more favorable outcomes.

5. Give yourself space – as you treat yourself differently, your core beliefs will change, and life will bring new opportunities. Give yourself space for growth in both your personal and professional life and don’t suppress your feelings and beliefs. Don’t sell out on yourself. As always, never be afraid of seeking professional help that will empower you to sustainably walk your own path.

Today, a new survey conducted by barber-grade grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge has found that 73% of men are planning to make grooming resolutions in 2019. But what’s the underlying purpose for all this grooming? According to 67% of the 2,018 surveyed men, it’s about improving their chances of finding a new partner, or impressing a current one.

The survey also revealed that 48% are fixed on finding a fresh new hairstyle, with celebrity influencers such as David Beckham being the driving force. Meanwhile, 33% want to grow designer stubble or a beard.

“We currently live in a very social-media savvy world,” says Bradley Wicks – Head of Content and Social Media at The Bluebeards Revenge. “As a result, men are finally starting to learn the benefits of self-grooming – whether that’s looking after their skin, the hair on the heads, their beards, or even hair in other, more private, regions! We’re always advertising ourselves in today’s society and we work hard at branding ourselves; creating an image that we want to portray to friends, family and fancies.

With the above in mind, it comes as no great surprise to hear that barbers find themselves inundated with new style requests from their regulars in the early weeks of January. “A new hairstyle is one of the quickest and easiest resolutions to tick off the list,” says Barbershop Manager Callum Marks. “Unlike eight months of hard work in the gym, a haircut can drastically change the look and feel of a man in 45 minutes.

“At Luka’s Barbers in Plymouth, Devon, we definitely see an influx of men more willing to switch up their style in January. It’s funny; because just weeks before they wouldn’t have dared to consider a restyle. But the start of a new year seems to change their mentality. It’s refreshing too as it often gives me a chance to show them what else is out there for their face shape and personality.”
Current trends are seeing men adopt slightly longer hairstyles in 2019. In fact, 60% of the men that answered yes to changing their haircut in The Bluebeards Revenge’s survey suggested that their new look would be of medium to medium-long length.

“Longer hairstyles are now associated with ‘rebellious cool’ and are the results of celebrity influences,” says Wicks. “Great examples include the long locks of Jason Momoa in Aquaman, the disconnected lengths of Chris Hemsworth’s hair and the always-trendy styles of David Beckham.

The improved standards and skills of barbers are also making them the go-to stylists for men. 47% of men say that they will regularly visit a barbershop in 2019 over a hairdressing salon, a mobile appointment, or cutting their hair themselves.

Aside from the hair on their heads, 33% of men are planning to embrace more rugged designer stubbles or fully-fledged beards in 2019. This continues the current trends that have seen the shaving market slashed by millions in recent years.

“Designer stubbles, in particular, are decorating the faces of men, helping to enhance stronger jaw lines and creating a new smart-casual vibe that’s been accepted as office etiquette,” says Marks. These kinds of style require regular maintenance, making electric beard trimmers and beard oils two of the bestselling facial hair accessories in 2019.

Wicks added: “The dawn of a New Year comes with a million self-set challenges. All over the world people are desperately trying to cut down on their bad habits: booze, food, and spending being among the most popular.

“But, ultimately, these aspirations are about improving a person’s physical appearance and mental wellbeing – making grooming and styling resolutions one of the fastest growing trends. This, combined with the incentives advertised to us by influencers and product brands, is creating an exciting landscape for men’s grooming in 2019.

Unless you’re doing something very wrong with your wardrobe, your head and your face is likely to be the part of your body that people first notice when they’re interacting with you.

The good news is, making your hair into a solid fashion statement is one of the most cost-effective and noticeable ways you can make a good impression. That said, if you’re rocking a look that’s decidedly ’10 years ago’ – then that might not be the impression you’re hoping for.

We’ll walk you through 5 of the best cuts that’ll keep on looking good into 2019 – and if you’re keen to keep your spending to a minimum, keep an eye on sites like myvouchercodes for great deals from local barbers and hairdressers.

Long and swept back

It’s not a look you can just walk into a barber’s and ask for – as shoulder length takes some time to grow, but if you’d like a longer style that’s certain to be popular in 2019 then going long and swept back, behind your ears, is a strong look.

Make sure your barber doesn’t cut into your hair, the longer and more-sleek your hair looks, the better it responds when you get a reasonably shiny product on it that’ll hold it into place.

The good news is, this long and swept back style is about as low maintenance as it gets too. Towel dry, work some cream or pomade through slightly damp hair – then comb back. Bingo.

A bleached crop

Admittedly, the bleached look might be one that’s best reserved for readers under 30 – but if you’re ready to commit to stripping the colour from your hair, you can really make it work for you.

The current bleached look carries on the theme of 90s Britpop and grunge style that’s showing no signs of letting up into 2019. The results are better (and safer) if a hairdresser or barber does the bleaching – and you’ll want to make sure you use a good purple toned shampoo to stop any brassy tones coming through.

Whether you go for bleached streaks or a solid all-over colour, a simple tussle-up with a light clay-based styling product will give you the carefree style you should be aiming for.

Classic crew cut

While less structured styles are going to be popular in 2019, the exception to that rule is the classic short-back-and-sides crew cut.

It’s a simple style to ask for; you’ll want to go for something between a grade 0-2 on the back and sides, with the top scissored down to the equivalent of a grade 5-6. The result is a classic shape that looks as good now as it did in the 50s – but be warned, it’s not a style you can forget about – book back into your barbers within a couple of weeks if you want to keep it looking sharp.

A quick soft parting

While sharp partings and fixed styles were the way to go into 2017 and early 2018, there’s an increasing move toward softer edges and looser partings into 2019.

Scissored around the back and sides gives a less sharp look to the overall cut – and 2-3+ inches on top gives your hair enough weight to fall naturally to one side or the other. Don’t try to fight with the parting – there’s no need for it to be a solid line, instead, part with your fingers when you’re out of the shower and let your hair dry with nothing more than this loose shaking into the right direction.

Simple, quick and stylish. Ideal.

Grunge punk

If you’re keen on a heavily textured look that’s got non-conformity written all-over it, an 80s style punk mixed with early-90s grunge feel is going to fit the bill in 2019.

If you’ve got 3+ inches of growth, you’ll want to get your barber to really cut into your hair, bringing a lot of texture – and don’t worry about a sharp neckline or cut around your ears, the more consistent the apparent length, the better, as it really adds to the carefree look this haircut suggests.

The beauty of this cut is that the length allows for a swept back feel if you’ve got to consider how you look at work – but when the weekend comes, you can hit the product and hairspray to make a bold statement.

Healthy hair

No matter which of these haircuts you choose as being right for you in 2019, there are some hair essentials you should be mindful of. Hydration is absolutely vital for healthy hair – so aiming to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day will keep your locks shiny and full of life.

Consider taking a multi-vitamin too – this guide will help you choose one that’s right for you. While vitamins in pill form are good, make sure you get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet, including spinach, carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes – all rich in hair enhancing Vitamin A.

Words by Daniel Ramsdale-Harris

Let’s roll back beyond the 2000’s, where in 1999, only half of all UK adults held a credit card. Also, let’s not forget this was a time where the ‘internet’ was only starting to evolve, and going into stores was known as the only and best way to shop your favourite garments. Back then, we would have never imagined seeing ‘click and collect’ shopping, ‘contactless shopping’ and ‘order in store technologies’. However, emerging technologies today blow these inventions out of the water!

As time has progressed over the years to the 21st century today, new and emerging technologies have taken the world by storm. In 2018, online retail sales were estimated to hit $2,489 trillion dollars. Mind blowing!

This stat is one of the key factors in retailers trying to nail their omnichannel approach, taking emerging tech such as Artificial Intelligence, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Facial Recognition and contactless shopping, that requires no checkout. Yep, you heard it you now don’t even have to pay in store! Whilst these technologies have seen great success online in recent years for major fashion players, they have only started to come in to play in the last couple for physical stores.

We are now seeing more and more global brands bringing their ‘stores of the future’ to life, as they aim to bridge the gap between online and physcial, by creating experiences that you truly can’t get online, whilst providing a seamless and integrated shop for the consumer.

So, let’s breakdown Nike’s new House of Innovation store with the top 5 features that I, you and everyone will find truly mind-blowing.

1. The “Nike Arena”- Customisation, Customisation & More Customisation

The first floor of Nike’s flagship doesn’t have any product on it whatsoever. Instead, it’s a large customization area where consumers can make changes to their famous silhouettes and clothes. Customers can change the colours of laces, the swoosh and even the whole shoe. What’s more impressive is that these customizations usually only take 5-10 minutes, while longer projects mean that consumers get to have a one-one-one meeting with a Nike employee to create their dream sneaker or trainer, or shoe- whatever you want to call them!

This is what you call allowing customers to take their shopping experience into their own hands.

2. Behind The Scenes Content- Inside Nike’s Creations

Within the store, Nike are focused on showing their customers where the brand has been. There is a display on their sneakers floor which holds over 300 different pairs of in-season shoes, and shows foot scans, design sketches and prototypes.

The retailer also plans to host footwear designers to talk about their creations, with the aim being for their customers to feel inversed in joining the sneaker community.

No one can argue that this is a great touch in attempting to tell their customers the whole story behind the effort and time in which it takes to bring products to life.3. QR Codes & Digital Fitting Rooms

Nike have placed QR codes across all mannequins in the store to let shoppers find out exactly what they’re wearing there and then, without having to wonder around the store to find the look.

Shoppers also have the ability to access a ‘request to try on’ feature, where they can add products they want to a digital fitting room. At this point, a store employee will find their size and colour specified, set up a fitting room and then send a push notification to the shopper when it’s ready for them to try everything on.

They say male shoppers are lazy, but now they have a reason to be!

4. Instant Check Out Kiosks

It’s not quite Amazon Go, but it’s ever so close. Nike have set up instant checkout kiosks on every floor of the store, complete with bags and a slot for hangers, where customers can check themselves out using the Nike App if they don’t feel like waiting in line.

Again, it’s as if the average lazy shopper male is their perfect target customer!

5. Reserve Items In Your Own Nike In-Store Locker

Nike also don’t forget about their online consumers in their aim in providing a seamless shopping experience across both platforms. Using the app, Nike Plus shoppers, who have browsed products online but want to check them out in store before they buy can pick up reserved items in a set of lockers by simply scanning their member pass.

The retailer has said that this feature is available for those who are known as ‘speedshoppers’, with convenience sitting at the upmost importance for them.

Convenience, a word that all men want hear right?

All in all, Nike’s Six Floor New York House Of Innovation store showcases where the technology side of the retail industry is today. For Nike, using these emerging technologies is all about leveraging more enhanced data through their app, so they can continue to offer ground-breaking in store features like we’ve discussed today.

More importantly, us males have no excuses now when complaining about just how long shopping takes!