CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Marcus King‘s story of how he first broke into the world of men’s hair styling isn’t unusually, it’s one of dedication and commitment. Starting out at his local barbers at the young age of 14 sweeping the floors on a Saturday, before moving on to develop his skills doing an apprenticeship. Marcus has grown, developed and established himself over the years and is now the Creative Director of world renowned hairdressing group Hooker & Young based in the North East of England.

Marcus has been a part of the Hooker & Young team for 12 years and his creative skills have been called upon all over the world from Croatia, Oman to Argentina. His creative and innovative mind led him to win North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year in 2012 and more recently, he was crowned Men’s Hairdresser of the Year.

However, today we ask him about what grooming product he can’t live without and what is his Washbag Wishlist.

Tom Ford Conditioning Beard Oil Tobacco Vanille
o The best beard oil on the market! It smells amazing and keeps my beard soft but firm.
Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Session Label Strong Hold Hairspray
o An absolutely must-have for any man! This hairspray has incredible hold and feels light on your hair.
ClarinsMen Super Moisture Balm
o I love the Clarins Men’s range in general but their Moisture Balm is fantastic. I think it’s so important to moisturise, especially your face to keep it hydrated, supple and feeling amazing.
Schwarzkopf Professional [3D]MEN Cleansing Shampoo
o This shampoo cleanses away stubborn product build-up and removes and traces of oil. It leaves the hair feeling squeaky clean, but soft and manageable.
Carita for men
o This range is fantastic, a favourite in our salon! The products and treatments available through this brand are amazing and suitable for every age, skin and type of man!

Words by Charlie Britton

The Idle Man, the menswear e-tailer, til now, have opened up their very first bricks and mortar store in the trendy heart of London. This ‘Guide Store’ is in place to build a bridge between an eCommerce and in-store shopping experience, without the task of shopping feeling like a chore.

The Idle Man, founded by Oliver Tezcan in 2014, with the aim of being the best destination for menswear apparel, shoes and accessories. Their target consumer is the regular 20 to 30 something guy, who’s fashion needs are affordable and on trend, without all the nonsense. They stock a wide range of aspirational brands including Levi’s, The North Face and Hudson and even have their own range of Idle Man branded products, well worth checking out, btw.

On 97 Leather Lane, sits The Idle Man store. It’s grey exterior and clean aesthetic sit in harmony with the brands theme, although you may mistake it for a showroom rather then a store, not that it’s a bad thing. Inside, the store feels very welcoming and warm. The subtle grey flooring and white walls give the interior a stripped back feel, allowing the limelight to shine on to the products.

The store is run by a team of stylists, who aim to offer expert advice on a hand picked collection of products, tailored particularly with their customer in mind. The Idle Man aim to continue their hassle free selling point in their store, ensuing each customer finds exactly what they’re looking for, without the stress of searching through rails of built up clothing.

The store will function as a mid-way point to shopping online. The customers can browse the products in-store, try different sizes on and get a feel for the products, before making a purchase, where the products will then be sent to your home or office address or in to the store for collection. The Guide Store will also include a selection of lifestyle and grooming products from Filmore Skincare to Alessi and Laboratory Perfumes, just in case only clothing doesn’t quite satisfy your needs.

From our point of view here at Clothes Make The Man, we like the idea of a crossover store, building that bridge between the online and in-store experience. It allows customers to try on clothing and sizes before making a purchase, hopefully minimising the chance of receiving something that doesn’t quite hit the spot. It also gives you the opportunity to receive some useful advice from the stylists who know a thing or two about fashion, just in case you’re unsure about something working for you.

If this is something you’d like to try out for yourself, you can find The Idle Man Guide Store at 97 Leather Lane, Clerkenwell, a short walk from Chancery Lane Underground station.

You don’t have to be a shoe Aficionado to know Northampton has long been the home of the world’s top shoemakers. In fact even today, their football team is called “The Cobblers”.

Whilst we’ve been witness to the sad demise of UK manufacturing and the likes of Crockett & Jones, John Lobb have turned into truly international brands and Church’s having been acquired by Prada, one could say this is a sign of the times.

However, there are still pockets of resistance, one such being Bodileys. Located in the heart of this region, it was founded in 1919 and gained its reputation in the 1970s as one of the most reliable representatives of the best handmade English shoes worldwide.

Bodileys is, still, now hand making shoes in Northamptonshire using traditional craftsmanship and centuries old techniques.

Sarah Dudley, fourth generation of the Bodiley’s business, is spear leading the development of export sales worldwide and marketing the Bodileys brand and established as a direct to consumer luxury e-commerce brand from www.bodileys.com.

Over the last four generations, Bodileys’ distinguishing trade mark has been its unfaltering commitment to provide great customer service. Today, Bodileys is expanding its commitment to its clients by going back to its roots and recreating a range of the highest quality shoes.

Sarah says of her venture, “This is a true labour of love for me and making shoes has always been a key part of my family’s identity: my grandparents and great-grandparents on both sides were shoe manufacturers. As Northampton’s other oldest brands have embarked on successful corporate expansion drives, I have been heartbroken to see Bodileys become increasingly overlooked. I am making it my life’s work to bring Bodileys firmly into the 21st century as the last remaining traditional Northampton shoe brand that is still truly independent and family run.”

The Luke in question is Luke Roper, who set up the brand in 2001 in the West Midlands in humble beginnings. From an early age Roper had always designed key, statement pieces for his friends. This lead him to the bright lights of London Town to study at the renowned fashion college, Central St Martins. Here he honed his skills and was able to focus his raw talent and develop this into launching his own creative forward thinking menswear brand.

Luke’s inspiration for ‘Luke’ is, he sees it as a, “practical interpretation on contemporary menswear and has all the components of the modern lad, a gentleman, a working class hero and a bit of a rogue. Luke’s ethos is to put a fashionable twist on any men’s garment but without overdesigning to retain a cool masculine look”.
It’s always stayed true to its original vision, in keeping a masculine takes on fashion; teamed with ensuring quality. For this Autumn, Luke have experimented with fibres and textiles and their Trends include British Goodland, which interprets gingham and camo prints in their own unique manner. Engineered in Motion, which explores technical fabrics such as Indigo rich super flex denim with stretch allows for easy movement. Plus, with the recent release of, the Noel Clarke, movie, ‘Brotherhood’ Luke have teamed up with avant-garde sculpture Chris Mytton and the costume designer of the films, to create a limited edition capsule collection for the film, after their involvement with the past two films Kidulthood and Adulthood.

Words by Beth Pembroke

With the summer slowly drawing to a close there are certain changes that need to be made in terms of your accessories and your wardrobe. It’s now time to move away from the thin, dainty pieces and move towards thick, more statement likes accessories and clothing. Similar to clothing, watches can also be seen to have seasons, which will be based on technicality, appearance and of course what type of watch it is. Just to give you little guidance we have come up with 5 men’s watch brands to watch this autumn!

Daniel Wellington

We start our selection with none other than Daniel Wellington. Wellington is known as a fashion timepiece rather than one that provides technical brilliance, but with their simplistic appearance and timeless design, Wellington is perfectly suited to autumn. Whether you are looking to introduce a leather or NATO strap with your timepiece, your able to add a degree of customisation, not available with other watches. In a time whether watches are becoming more and more technical, Wellington is helping watches come back to the age of simplicity with their stunning and timeless aesthetics.

U-Boat Watches

U-Boat are a leading example of statement pieces in the jewellery. They can often be overlooked especially as they provide such a unique and orthodox appearance compared to traditional watches. Timepiece enthusiasts will appreciate the design and technical aspects of U-Boat watches, especially as they provide an Italian design married with Swiss movement. Their use of materials highlight the techniques used in order to create such illustrious timepieces, where they have included materials such as carbon, bronze, titanium and silver. If you’re truly looking for a statement piece, U-Boat watches are exactly what you need.

Bulova

Bulova are one of the leading timepiece manufacturers, providing excellent quality since 1875. The brands remain’s a focal point in the watch world, setting barriers since ‘America ran on Bulova time’. Similar to the brand U-Boat, Bulova use innovation and materials different from other brands in order to keep their designs contemporary compared to the rest.

88 Rue Du Rhone

Many people are unaware that the 88 Rue Du Rhone brand has close connections with the one and only Raymond Weil. Elie et Pierre Bernheim, who are grandchildren of the famous watchmaker Raymond Weil, branched off to create a beautiful, yet sophisticated brand, staying true to Swiss brilliance and innovation. Coincidentally, this is what Raymond Weil also stood for, however 88 Rue Du Rhone arrives at an accessible and obtainable price compared to Weil.

Aviator

Aviator watches are completely based around aviation and the art of flying. Their designs are based on old aviator planes, but have recaptured them within a timepiece. Not only do they provide an exclusive appearance, but they provide one of the most reliable and accurate forms of measuring time. Pilots initially used pocket watches in order to measure their performances, splitting their concentration, however as technology began to become further and further advances, pocket watches moved to wristwatches. This helped establish the Aviator brand, proving to pioneers in the timepiece world and highlighting their reliability. With true class, history, tradition and aesthetically pleasing designs, Aviator maybe perfect for you.

CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

Washbag Wishlist – Marcus King, Mens Hairdresser of the year

Making it easy for you – The Idle Man Guide Store

It’s in the Blood – Bodileys

Who is he ? – Luke 1977

5 Watch Brands To Watch This Autumn

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