CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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Premium in EVERY sense of the word – anCnoc Whisky and Patrick Grant

imageTo say Patrick Grant is a busy man is very much an understatement, his life must be one of spinning plates and juggling responsibilities, with his E.Tautz and Norton & Sons sartorial brands, not to mention his high Street difusion range for retailer Debenhams. Then there’s his media undertakings,  as a judge on the Great British Sewing bee. In amongst all of this packed diary of commitments, the Edinburgh born gentleman has managed to find the time to collaborate on a limited edition ‘blas’ with anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Blas, translated as ‘taste’ in Gaelic, is presented in a specially designed bottle. Grant was able to draw on his Scottish hertitage when he spent over a year designing the bespoke print, which is inspired by the brand, flavour notes of the limited edition liquid, and the time-honoured production methods used at the Knockdhu distillery.

anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is part of the Inver House Distillers portfolio, and is produced at Knockdhu Distillery – established in 1894 and one of the smallest and most enchanting in the Scottish Highlands. It is renowned the world over by malt enthusiasts for bringing a contemporary twist to the traditions of fine malt whisky, producing a single malt that is accessible and versatile for all occasions.

Blas is golden and honeyed n appearance. To the nose it’s densely sweet and fruity with notes of citrus fruit, including lemon and candied orange peel. But tones of bitter chocolate and vanilla add complexity and weight. To taste, Blas is full bodied and oily, leaving a lasting impression. This limited edition has been matured in American oak barrels and Spanish oak butts.

Patrick said of his experience on working with this unique distillery: “I spent a lot of time at Knockdhu not only taking in the landscape and surrounding areas, but getting to know the people that work there and the methods that they use. Everything in the print is from the hill, the village of Knock or within the distillery itself and tells the story of the making of Blas. I’ve tried to interpret anCnoc’s history and tradition in a modern way, and hope this is translated through the aesthetic of the bottle.”

imageThe Patrick Grant Limited edition, Blas, retails at £50 for 70cl and is available from Independents and Specialist Retailers throughout the UK.

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Dog Gone Great Trainers – Commonwealth x CLAE

imageRegarded as one of the coolest stores in America, men’s lifestyle boutique Commonwealth has teamed up with visionary footwear brand CLAE to release a limited edition Hoffman by Commonwealth. Blending classic athletic styling and exceptional comfort, the Hoffman is built on an innovative ultra-lightweight blown EVA outsole with a TPU cup for maximum comfort and stability.

The Commonwealth x CLAE Hoffman features a beautiful long-hair suede, neoprene inner collar and a full grain vegetable tanned leather heel with reflective detail. The unique grey and blue tone hues is a playful nod to the adorable, Lola, Commonwealth’s unofficial mascot and pet French Bulldog to Commonwealth’s lucky co-founder Omar Quiambao. The collaboration was born out of a decades-long strong working relationship between Omar Quiambao and CLAE Founder and Creative Director, Sung Choi, with both brands continuing to maintain an appreciation and understanding for understated essentials. The Commonwealth x CLAE Hoffman fuses an east coast aesthetic with CLAE‘s laid back west coast roots, providing both modern comfort and styling versatility.

The Commonwealth x CLAE Hoffman is limited to ONLY 350 pairs worldwide and are priced at £85, available at Hanon shop, so get your skates or board on.image

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St Valentine’s Day Gift Guide bought to you by Rotary Watches

Rotary_1500x500Whether it’s a case of, I’m not in Love, Your all out of Love, You can’t buy me love or it might be simply Peace, Love and Understanding, Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe and the Greatest Love. You need to always ask, Where is the Love and remember to lay all your Love on me, because yes it’s THAT time of year where you just can’t escape, Is this LOVE, to the the point of it making you Crazy in Love ?

Enough of all that, let’s get on with what has proved to be one of our continuously most popular posts every year, our annual St Valentine’s Day Gift Guide this year kindly brought to us with the help of the splendid Rotary Watches.

We all need a little help with making that all important purchase at this time of year so we’ve taking the stress out of it for you no matter what your budget is, remember the key word is ‘THOUGHT‘ and you need to show and more importantly, show off how much thought you’ve put into your gift buying this year.

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Wear your heart quite literally on your sleeve, OK, your body with this ‘San Valentino’ Lace dress by Dolce & Gabbana

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Dont fall into a cliche trap at Valentine’s Day, a dozen red roses is, how can I put this, cringy. Put a modicum of thought into your gift buying and find out what your partner’s favourite flower is. You can still very easily go with the RED theme whether it’s Tulips, like the above from Marks & Spencer, Gerbers or either carnations.

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Show her how much you love her with the gift of time both metaphorically and physically by giving this beautiful Petite watch by Rotary and spending some quality time together.

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Love certainly will be in the air when you offer the lady in your life this great Clutch bag from Whistles

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What could be more romantic than sharing nightwear, you go for the bottoms and leave the top for her.

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If your a man of few words, get your message across without saying a thing with this ALEX MONROE
Rose Gold Vermeil ‘I Love You’ Spinner necklace.

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Set the mood for Amore with this Murano glass Tonka Candle by Acqua di Parma. Giving off an aroma of Whiskey, Cloves, Ginger and Vanilla.

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Give your heart away this Valentine and tell them that they have won you over with this great Vivienne Westwood keyring.

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OK not everyone’s idea of romantic, but as I said think outside of that cliche box. This brilliant Crystal Head Vodka is a pure unadulterated spirit and bought to us by non other than Dan Ackroyd and salivated artist John Alexander.

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Remember this isn’t a one way street, it’s not all about guys buying gifts for girls. The boys need to get a look in. This is a great gift idea the Eterna Royal Konitiki chronograph watch.

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Oliver Cheshire – Textual Conversation

imageThe subject of today’s textual conversation, Oliver Cheshire, is proving his smart, savvy, street style to be a big hit with not only the young men but women alike and has given him a social media following of over 100k; resulting in international designers clambering over each other to dress him in their latest collections.

Having started his career in the fashion industry aged just 17 when he was scouted by Select Models. Cheshire’s first campaign was with, a small little brand you may have heard of called, Calvin Klein fronting their iconic advertising. Since then he has gone on to the face of some of the biggest names in the fashion world, including Dolce and Gabbana, Versace, Missoni, Vivienne Westwood and Marks & Spencer.

imageHis versatility and appeal have led him to work with some of the world’s most coveted and renowned photographers, including Mario Testino, Mert and Marcus, Bruce Weber and Steven Klein. Proving he’s not JUST a pretty face, Oliver’s style and in depth knowledge of men’s fashion made him the natural choice to become contributor for the Telegraph Men back in 2013.

This season his status continues to grow from strength to strength; confirming his place among the elite of the front row at London Fashion Week and London Collections Men.

Oliver is regularly heralded in GQ.com’s Best-Dressed poll from the US to the UK, aswell as winning places in similar features in publications such as Grazia, The Daily Telegraph and Tatler. He has also been labelled in the press as the “Model with the Midas Touch”; as brands like Orlebar Brown, Superdry and M&S have seen a direct increase in sales when Chiselled cheekbones has been featured as “Their Face”.

imageIf you had one day to live what would be your biggest regret?

I think my biggest regret would definitely be not eating that piece of chocolate cake! Never turn down cake!

What’s your favourite piece of clothing?

Right now, I think it has to be my M&S pebble dash Derby shoes. They’re so easy to wear and go with everything.

Who is your style icon? Why?

I grew up as a 90’s kid seeing David Beckham everywhere. He took risks with his fashion, and set trends at the same time. He wasn’t scared to try new things. Now he’s a man who knows what looks great and sticks to it.

What piece of style advice do you live by?

Make sure you’re always properly dressed for the occasion and always follow the dress code on the invite.

Can you tie a bow tie? If yes, who taught you?

Embarrassingly, no! I had to look it up on YouTube.

Have you ever bought a piece of clothing and regretted it?

I’m usually quite good and really think about what I want before I buy it. I guess there are trends I wish I hadn’t tried; I’ve worn some pretty OTT printed shirts over the years.

What do you have to do after this conversation?

I’m going to a lovely dinner at the Rosewood hotel, their food is the best.

What would you like to be doing after this conversation?

Having a beer at the Rosewood with dinner and then eating lots of Percy Pigs!

imageWhat track would always get you on the dance floor?

‘Town Called Malice’ by The Jam, definitely my favourite song of all time.

How did you get into the industry, what was your big break?

I was scouted by Select Model Management at 16, they sent my Polaroid’s over to New York and I ended up being booked by Calvin Klein. I was really lucky and my career really took off from there, and I ended up walking (on a catwalk) for some really huge names.

If you could live anywhere where would it be & Why?

Probably New York. The atmosphere is just so cool out there and always buzzing. I have loads of friends out there too so I know I wouldn’t ever get lonely. Other than that I think I’d choose London.

imageFavourite hotel in the world?

It’s between the W in Barcelona (above) or the Maritime in Manhattan, they are two of the most amazing hotels I’ve ever stayed in.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Stormzy, he won two MOBO awards, I would seriously suggest checking him out.

Best present you’ve ever received?

Pixie (Lott) took me on holiday to Florence once for a Christmas present; that was pretty awesome.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given and by whom?

Nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

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Oliver Cheshire is the Face of Autograph at Marks & Spencer

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Intensity – Intense new Fragrance by CARVEN

imageThe renewal of the CARVEN menswear collection started at the beginning of 2015 with the arrival of creative director Barnabé Hardy. For his début collection, Hardy reinvented the classics,  including a complete and functional wardrobe that can be worn from dawn till dusk. The soft lines and rounded shapes are his homage to the C in the CARVEN logo. The collection is completed with an evening wardrobe through a reinterpretation of the tuxedo and a pleat-fronted shirt. The CARVEN male has undoubtedly grown into a man.

CARVEN PARFUMS is now introducing a new perfume into its men’s fragrance range with a scent as intriguing as its name, L’Eau Instense. It is characterised by fresh notes of mint, Italian lemon and grapefruit, followed by a gradual build-up with hints of birch leaves and lavender, before drawing its real power and intensity from a bouquet of ginger, cardamom, cedarwood and ambery woods.

The unmistakably masculine, sturdy, pure and perfectly defined shape of the bottles is universally popular, one of which is all dressed in lacquered finish. The front side of the bottle is optical white with the pattern of an imaginary shirt and transparent sides. In addition, its matte grey case is threaded with shiny metallic silver.

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