CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

anthonymcgrath405 / 04/09/2015

Many strings to his bow ? Hammond & Co launch Grooming & Watch ranges

Is there no end to Patrick Grant’s main talents, ? He’s already enthralled us with his tailoring skills through his Norton & Son and E.Tautz Ranges, entertained us with his presenting skills on the Great British Sewing Bee and then blown the competition out of the water with his Hammond & Co range for High Street Retailer Debenhams. So what next then ?

Well he’s only gone and showed off a little more by extending the product categories of Hammond & Co to include a Grooming range and a Timepieces collection, and do you know what, their actually really rather blooming good.

Originally launched in Autumn 2013 Hammond & Co offers sartorial styling, sharp separates and luxury accessories for men with an inherent sense of style. Now the Hammond &Co watch collection takes inspiration from the opulent vintage and heritage military watches of the mid-20th century. Presented in a classic palette of navy, tan and black with well-worn finishes, dials are off-white. Smokey hues and printed markings soften designs giving a warm vintage feel.

The 25 piece collection builds on the popularity of the Hammond &Co brand with a luxurious yet affordable range from £100 to £140. Designer Patrick Grant says of his new brand extention, “In the words of William Shakespeare, ‘better three hours too soon than a minute too late’. At Hammond &Co we believe punctuality should be part of every gentlemans being. I also believe that he should turn up looking the part, so my first watch collection spans the formal to the sporting, practical and stylish whatever the occasion.”

Now then, Mr Grant is particularly well known for his dapper and well turned out appearance in every facet of his satorial being. So it comes as no surprise that he’s launching a grooming range for this forthcoming season. The fragrance is clean and crisp with a heart of cedarwood, citrus and botanicals. In Grant’s own words, “The Hammond & Co fragrance is fresh and crisp with woody, spice and citrus notes making it a perfect year round gentleman’s staple.”

The grooming collection includes; Eau De Toilette; Face & Body Scrub set £15; Wash Bag with Body Wash, Shave Gel and Face & Body Lotion £18; and a Travel Bag with Face & Body Lotion and Shave Gel. The Hammond & Co by Patrick Grant Fragrance collection is available in 50 Debenhams stores nationwide and online from 19th October 2015. Whereas the watch collection is available from September. All in times for those all important Present lists, notice I didn’t say the ‘C’ word, yet.

anthonymcgrath405 / 03/09/2015

Rad-ical thinking – Rad Website

With the world of e-commerce and on-line shopping becoming more overcrowded than Oxford Street on Christmas Eve, it’s increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd and get your message across to the poor, old, oversaturated consumer.

One website that has achieved this holy grail in its native France is Rad. Rad company was established in July 2012 in Paris by the quartet of David Smadja, Anthony Serero, Simon Amzalag and Julia Serero, as an international online product discovery platform that hosts the latest trends in urban fashion.

Defining their point of difference to the congested, populous of other websites. They work with different artists from around the globe who create exclusive designs that they host and sell on their website. Their focus is on hipster clothes and accessories and likens itself to the online equivalent of Urban Outfitters. With a great sense of humour, some might say a little unusual for a French website, but certain not Clothes-Make-the-Man, Rad definitely have their tongue firmly placed in their cheek when it comes to the themes for their product selection. Hipster Churchill, Baron Von C3P0 and out of character glimpses of the Hulk, Wonder Woman and Batman & Robin, this is website, not only worth checking out but for bearing in mind for more thoughtful and slightly off the wall gift ideas for the season to be jolly.

Having recently expanded into the UK and Germany and the aim is to hit the U.S. within two years, Rad have some really rather Rad-ical plans ahead for themselves.

anthonymcgrath405 / 02/09/2015

Building on perfection – Whistles Menswear Essential T-shirt

There are few more iconic pieces of clothing than the classic crew neck T-shirt. I mean how many countless unforgettable and stylish images do they play a roll in? James Dean in Rebel without a cause, Marlon Brando in A Streetcar named Desire, Chuck Norris in Delta Force, Joan Jett, the Ramones, the list goes on and on. I mean how many times has the t-shirt been use to get a message across ? Whether it be depicting eponymous figures like Cha Guevara to Morrissey or a slogan with a little more Political slant. Plus there are few people the world over that does possess a T-shirt in some way, shape or form.

This Season Whistles have taken their essential tee and improved every aspect of it to make the definitive t-shirt for everyday us, yes made it quicker, faster, stronger, better. Available in the three classic colours of Black, Navy and of course White, plus made using an advanced, technology-driven process, they truly believe they’ve nailed it.

Crafted from premium, weighty jersey that’s been designed to generate insulation from the outside, keeping you warm. To keep the piece feeling superior they’ve given it a carbon brushed finish – a process that develops a slight fuzziness on the surface of the fabric and leaves it with an extra soft touch on your skin. The cut has been improved, keeping it fitted across the chest, arms and shoulders and straight through the torso – the definitive men’s silhouette.

anthonymcgrath405 / 01/09/2015

Advantage Nadal – Rafael Nadal X Tommy Hilfiger for TH BOLD

The recent U.S. Open in New York on the hottest of hot days saw the launch of new New Tommy Hilfiger fragrance, TH Bold and the announcement of The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, as the face and body of the brand’s underwear and suiting ranges.

The Majorcan tennis ace and winner of 14 Grand Slam singles titles, a record 27 ATP World Tour Masters 1000, and 15 ATP World Tour 500 tournaments, not bad hey, was announced as an ambassador for the brand. Nadal was chosen, not only just due to a long standing friendship with Hilfiger but because of his synergy with the new fragrance being both fresh and masculine, TH Bold is made for the rebel who plays to win.

The fragrance opens with a mix of crisp citrus notes including pomelo, tangerine and bergamot, followed by herbal and spicy notes like lavender and cardamom. As it develops further, extracts of jasmine and mandarin blossom balance with a woody Boronia accord.The drydown pairs orange flower absolute with powerfully masculine notes of cedar, sandalwood and vetiver, for a combination that excites the senses.

During the launch, where tough jock coach, actress, Jane Lynch played umpire, Rafael showed off the suiting range’s versatility by playing a ‘game’ in his own Rafael Nadal for Tommy Hilfiger Tailored suit only proving the point of its polished and refined nature, with a sartorial ease that’s effortlessly cool. Made from Italian navy wool flannel, the single-breasted silhouette features a straight shoulder and slim fit.

anthonymcgrath405 / 27/08/2015

Stand out from the crowd with Mulberry’s new Dazzle collection

Although the traditional holiday season may be coming to an end, urgh, now might be the ideal time to invest in some new luggage or travel accessories and as per usual Clothes-Make-the-Man has just the right thing for the right occasion. This time it being Mulberry Men’s Collection new season Holdalls in Dazzle Camouflage.

Originally designed by artist Norman Wilkinson to confuse enemy ships during the First World War as battleship camouflage, the ‘Dazzle’ design consists of complex geometric shapes in contrasting colours, interrupting and intersecting each other. The purpose of this type of camouflage was not to hide ships, but to confuse the enemy, as the distinctive pattern made it difficult to estimate a ship’s size and speed.

Wilkinson, a Royal Navy volunteer in World War One, had come all too aware of the threat from German U-boats. He was also an artist and illustrator, and had an idea to use his artistic skills to help protect Allied ships. He realised that it was near impossible to paint a ship in camouflage that would hide it from the sights of a submarine commander. Instead, he decided that the opposite approach might be the answer. Mulberry has taken this iconic British military pattern and used it on printed leather and a hardwearing woven jacquard to give a modern twist to classic everyday styles.

The signature Mulberry Clipper and two new ‘Multi-tasker’ styles come in Mulberry Dazzle Camo Print in Grey and Blue colour options. A range of accessories including wallets and phone covers To complete the collection.

The Multi-tasker collection is based on the principles of versatility and functionality. The Backpack was designed with the contemporary urban man in mind, who needs a bag that can switch easily from cycling to meeting and equally back again.

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