CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Relationships can also be affected by the current cost-of-living crisis, trying to find an activity to do with your special someone on a budget can prove difficult.

It can also be a struggle to think outside of the box of things to do, especially after having to maintain relationships in recent unprecedented times, where we feel we are lacking creativity.  

Valon Asani from relationship app Dua.com has shared some fun and quirky date ideas that you most likely have not done before and are easy on your wallet.  

1. At home Paint and Sip

 ‘Paint and Sips’ are an excellent way to see how you and your partner can get creative, however, they can be pricey. Paint and Sips are in-formal art classes where you paint the same image and drink cocktails, mocktails, or wine.  

You can recreate a similar experience at home that is not limited to painting and can include fancy homemade cocktails/mocktails. You can purchase affordable arts and crafts sets from your local craft store or even create something using air-drying clay.  

2. Game Night

Game nights are a fun and competitive way to put your partner’s skills to the test. Most video games do have a co-op mode where you can team up together. Story-based games are great as you through challenges together. Board games can also provide hours of entertainment on a low budget. You can find rare board games at charity shops. Most new board games are fairly inexpensive and can be a great option for date night.  

3. Visit an Art Gallery or Museum

Most museums and galleries have free entry or discounted tickets available, which means you can get cultured on a low budget. This is a great way to see what art styles your partner likes and can even help you decide what to create for your ‘At home Paint and Sip’ 

4. The viral £5/$5 meal challenge

This challenge has taken over social media and is a fun way to put your cooking, budgeting and creative abilities to the test. Taking turns, you and your partner must come up with a three-course meal that stays within a set budget – typically the budget is set low to make this more challenging – the lower it is, the more difficult. The challenge is in the budget, and the lower it is, the more challenging it can be. 

5. Book Club

If your partner is an introvert or book lover, they will love this idea. An ‘at home book club’ where you and your partner can read the same book, with a cosy drink and candles. Not only can this improve your communication skills with your partner as you discuss your thoughts on the book, but this can also provoke interesting and thoughtful conversations. This can be a great and intimate way to reignite the spark in your relationship. 

6. Gardening

Some garden centres offer free volunteer gardening days, especially in the Spring. This can be a fun activity with your partner, and you can give back to your community at the same time!  

You can also garden at home, growing seasonal fruits or vegetables that you can harvest and cook with.  Over time this can be very cost-effective, as you can re-grow your own produce.  

7. Come Dine with Me

Cooking and baking is a fun activity to do with your partner. You can try recipes from various parts of the world and learn about different cultures. To make this more fun and competitive, you can host a couples Come Dine With Me and judge your partner’s dishes! 

8. Hobby Swap

 This is for the partner that find themselves doing what their partner likes most of the time. Take turns explaining and participating in your partner’s hobbies. This can also help you get to know your partner even more. You can teach your partner a skill that you have, such as playing the piano.  

9. Play Tourist

You can become a tourist in your own city with your partner because the chances are you’ve not been to any historical places that are on your doorstep. A spokesperson from Dua.com says that “exploring your city can be refreshing and give you a new perspective on where you live”. 

10. IKEA Challenge

 IKEA is a great date spot, since there is a lot of walking and talking involved, plus there is no entry fee. You and your partner can walk through the showrooms or even grab something to eat at their food hall. You can even find something that is within your budget to build together. 

Acqua di Parma presents Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross — a reimagining of its signature fragrance bottle by SR_A, Ross’ London-based, industrial design studio.

SR_A was debuted by Samuel Ross at the Hublot Design Prize exhibition in the Serpentine Gallery in 2019, SR_A (Samuel Ross and Associates) is a design-led studio operating within the fields of luxury industrial design, interior installation, architecture, furniture and sound design and visual communication

As the first iteration of a three-year partnership between Acqua di Parma and SR_A, the iconic Colonia — presented at Design Miami — is an artistic play on duality. A project of both conservation and renovation, Colonia Limited Edition by Samuel Ross reshuffles the design codes of each Maison to create an entirely new blueprint. It will drop globally in March 2023.

As regular readers will know, Acqua di Parma was founded in Italy in 1916, with Colonia its debut fragrance. Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross celebrates the timelessness of its signature scent, which has endured, unchanged, for more than 100 years. Samuel Ross’ dynamic interpretation of Colonia is an ode to the past, funnelled through his contemporary lens to create a vision of the future.

Exuberant and industrialist, multi-disciplinary artist and designer Samuel Ross looked to the architecture and attitudes of London and Milan as the foundation point for inspiration. Informed by the structures of Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, Ross imagined the sun — an eternal source of inspiration for Acqua di Parma — glazing across a European cityscape. The vantage points of light informed the vision.

London’s urban brutalism is represented in a hyper-flat, uber-pigmented yellow that absorbs the light: a reimagining of Acqua di Parma’s signature colour, which formed the starting point for this collaboration. It is a jolt to the senses: this optimistic hue synonymous with Acqua di Parma is imprinted with SR_A’s visual handwriting. Sun_Rise_Yellow will be juxtaposed with primary shades of Grass_Blade_Green and Ultra_Orange, an industrial nod to Samuel Ross’ own practice. This evolution of palette forms a new design language that pays homage to the heritage of Italian and British modernism.

The iconic Art Deco bottle remains: the juice itself, consistent as an Italian golden citrus- blend since its first unveiling in 1916, is a timeless masterpiece, and the bottle a scaffold for display. Prismic points of interest are discovered as light refracts off its angles: Colonia Limited Edition designed by Samuel Ross is a tangible sculpture created with a digital-first audience in mind. Hold the bottle up to the light and watch it transform. The object becomes interactive, creating thoughtful images to cherish throughout the day as one might recall a moment of sunlight — think midday sunlight refracting off The Centre Pompidou, or The Shard. Such beauty is in the eye of each beholder.

Crafted in Italy, Acqua di Parma Colonia Limited Edition, designed by Samuel Ross will be released globally on March 15. 300 numbered, special-edition collectors bottles, spanning the three colours in ascending order, will be released on March 1. Each will come with an exclusive art publication featuring behind-the-scenes stories and visuals.

Converse are the footwear brand of the moment. Leading British footwear retailer schuh revealed recently that the Converse All Star Hi was the number one bestseller of 2022 with the brand’s sister shoe, the Converse Lift Hi supporting domination in second.

Now, the popularity of Converse is undoubtedly fuelled by the fact it has the potential to work with any kind of outfit.

When it comes to men’s Converse, you’re spoilt for choice as they’re available in a host of colours and a variety of materials, so it would be kind of hard to not find a style you like. But, in case you need some inspiration, we’ve got 4 different ways to wear Converse that might give you some ideas.

Street-ready

There’s no denying that streetwear has been going from strength to strength over the last few seasons and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. A pair of black Converse All Star Hi’s goes down well with a pair of slim or straight cut chinos rolled up to the ankle, showing off a patterned or coloured sock, and an oversized t-shirt or sweatshirt and jacket combo is enough to nail down a credible style.

Perfect in punk

Let’s face it there are just so many different ways to wear Converse, but if you’re into your all black clobber then a pair of Converse All Star Lo in black is what you’re looking for. What better way to nail the ‘all black everything’ look than with a pair of black jeans, a black graphic tee, and a cool pair of Converse.

Formal and fashionable

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Converse go with anything. If you thought Converse were just for casual styles, then think again. On the hunt for sneakers that deliver comfort when paired with a suit but don’t compromise on class? Canvas Converse All Star Lo in white can be utilised with a colourful suit choice, be it baby blue or pink, to deliver a chic style worthy of the red carpet.

The everyday

On the hunt for something a bit more simple? You don’t get much more of a casual everyday trainer than a pair of Chucks. The Converse All Star Hi in black with a pair of skinny, light blue jeans coupled with a puffa jacket for those days you just roll right out of bed and straight into uni or work. Sorted.

Low top Converse in white are the perfect, casual sneaker. Bright in colour, contemporary, and classically designed, they are the ultimate stylish shoe. Accompany them with light trousers like white or light-wash jeans. If you’re going to opt for a dark coloured pair of jeans, consider the contracts in tones.

David Beckham, Timothée Chalamet, and Zac Efron are just some of the celebs who’ve been spotted strolling in Converse so opt for the beloved All Stars and you’ll be joining some pretty esteemed company.

There you have it – 4 quick ways for guys to style Converse successfully in 2023.

Researchers from The Gym Group have taken a deep dive into the ways in which money savvy Brits are cutting back on their spending this year, with cutting out the weekend pizza, Chinese or curry, topping a list of 35 ways Brits are saving the pennies.

One in four (22 percent) have started batch cooking, while a fifth (19 percent) have unsubscribed from apps that they don’t use.

18 percent have cancelled streaming services, while 12 percent are opting for DIY haircuts, growing their own veg (10 percent) and DIY beauty treatments (nine percent), while seven percent have reverted to taking books out of the library and making bread from scratch (six percent).

One in twenty said switching to a less expensive gym membership was on their list of cost-saving swaps. The average monthly amount currently spent by gym-goers surveyed comes to a whopping £65.30.

Cycling to work (five percent) and car sharing (four percent) were also in the list of Brit’s savvy cost saving exercises.

Ann-marie Murphy, Chief Operating Officer at The Gym Group said: “It is clear that finding ways to budget that allow us to maintain our lifestyle is so important. This research shows the spending decisions many are facing during increased cost of living, including choosing lower cost subscriptions and memberships. In fact 16 percent of new members joined us because their previous gym fees were too expensive.”

Eight in ten (80 percent) Brits say they have reviewed their finances this year, saving an average of £118 in the process.

Increased pressures on their finances (49 percent), increasing bills (47 percent), being prepared for whatever may happen in the future (37 percent) and wanting to start putting money away (31 percent) are the main reasons for analysing costs.

A third (29 percent) think they could be better at managing their money, while one in four (26 percent) want to future proof their current standard of living.

Despite wanting to save money, a third (27 percent) admit that they will miss the items that they are swapping or ditching, with three quarters (74 percent) saying it is important for them to maintain the same lifestyle.

Good for my mental health (49 percent), not wanting to change their day-to-day lifestyle (45 percent), ruining their social life (36 percent) and wanting to have new things (15 percent) are the main reasons for maintaining their standard of living.

Four in ten (40 percent) said that the detox made them feel more in control of their finances, while 39 percent felt better at managing their money and pleased with themselves (38 percent).

A third (35 percent) felt more motivated to get more value out of their spending, with one in three (34 percent) admitting they were more conscious of what comes out of their bank account.

Price (79 percent) is top priority when considering signing up to a new provider, followed by quality of service (47 percent), convenience (34 percent) and availability (25 percent).

Two thirds (63 percent) don’t do a financial detox every year because they’ve not needed one before (44 percent). A sixth (21 percent) want to build better financial habits, while one in ten (12 percent) want to save for a large purchase like a holiday, car or a house deposit.

One in four (25 percent) will continue to do one every six months, while a third (30 percent) will undertake a review once a year.

TOP 35 WAYS BRITS ARE SAVING CASH 

1. Ditching takeaways      43%
2. Shopping around for discounts     38%
3. Reducing meals out/pub trips     37%
4. Turning the thermostat down     37%
5. Turning off appliances at the plug    34%
6. Sticking to a meal plan and shopping list    29%
7. Swapping premium brands for supermarket own  28%
8. Ditching shop bought coffees     25%
9. Cutting down alcohol      22%
10. Batch cooking        22%
11. Using loyalty cards      22%
12. Buying food in bulk      19%
13. Eating less meat      19%
14. Unsubscribing from apps     19%
15. Thrift shopping       18%
16. Cancelling streaming subscriptions    18%
17. Avoiding top up shops      18%
18. Buying from second hand websites    17%
19. Ditching ready meals      17%
20. Swapping lunch out for a packed lunch    16%
21. Negotiating prices with providers    15%
22. DIY haircuts        12%
23. Installing a smart meter      11%
24. Growing my own veg      10%
25. DIY beauty treatments      9%
26. DIY home projects      9%
27. Swapping car journeys for public transport   8%
28. Travelling at off-peak times     7%
29. Taking books out of the library     7%
30. Making bread       6%
31. Walking the children to school     6%
32. Cycling to work       5%
33. Switching to a lower cost gym membership   5%
34. Going into the office to save hearing at home   5%
35. Car sharing       4%