CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

anthonymcgrath405 / 26/02/2015

These Boots are most certainly made for walking – Redwing’s Foreman Chukka boots

Long gone is the perception of boots as being just the preserve of casual wear and strictly to be worn with denim as a workwear kinda look. A good solid pair of boots are far more of a better friend to you than you might just think, they are far more versatile then to be kept as strictly part of your winter wardrobe and cast to the back of your closet as the days get longer, brighter and warmer. There’s something rather comforting, masculine and really quite rule breaking when you team a great pair of boots with a formal suit, whether with or without a tie.

The perfect footwear and big enough to fill the boots required for any occasion are the Foreman Chukkas, which combine a simple leather boot upper with Red Wing’s durable neoprene cushion sole. The Foreman Chukka is a lightweight shoe that takes its timeless chukka design and attaches it to the iconic Redwing comfortable neoprene outsole. The neoprene outsole was designed to provide traction and long-wearing support for workers who spend hours on their feet and move between various terrain. This versatile sole is an ideal partner for the stylish and enduring chukka boot. All along the blue-collar backbone of America one contingency of workers who took a strong liking to Red Wing’s Chukka style were factory floor managers, also known as Foremen. The Foreman Chukka is availabe in two leathers; Briar Oil Slick and Black Harness.

anthonymcgrath405 / 25/02/2015

Take it easy on yourself – ABOUT Loungewear

An underwear and Loungewear brand isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Lithuania, in fact thermal underwear under lots of layers of clothes is probably more accurate. But ABOUT has been producing top grade underwear for over 45 years. ABOUT pride themselves on their Baltic heritage and being an innovative underwear brand that, creates for everyone who sees beauty in function and comfort in cuts & materials. This wellness-motivated product range is designed to smart customers and combines the latest technological possibilities and the sense of zeitgeist in design trends.

Their latest innovative range all share healing and sensitive properties including;
· Natural properties of AloeVera
· Moisturizing and soothing properties typical of aloe plant
· Which helps remove and absorb body moisture
· Suitable for sensitive skin
· Hygienic

This fabric for this range was specially made for the ABOUT Trend collection and enriched with /AloeVera/, which is known for its anti-irritation and antibacterial qualities. Garments enriched with this finishing are noted for their moisturizing and soothing properties typical of the aloe plant.

This range is perfect in keeping with ABOUT’s brand ethos which excel in ensuring everyday use and specific needs in wearing underwear – their products are designed with a function in mind. All the time with the modern combination of comfortable to move, functional style and innovative qualities of their products.

anthonymcgrath405 / 24/02/2015

Ask the Experts – Top Spring Buys

It’s that time of the year again, we can, hopefully, pack away the parkas, heavy duty knitwear and start to think about more light weight clothing. OK shorts and a tee might seem a long way off just yet, but we can definitely lighten up on those layers and start to get into a Spring frame of mind. With this very much at the forefront of our thinking at the moment we thought we’d ask some of the leading creative minds from of our leading Style retailer names, just what they saw as Musthave purchases over the coming weeks and months.

John Mooney , Menswear Design Director, of Asos. “I’ve picked the smart-tux track pant from look 16, we’re seeing far more versatility in our styles these days…. Sports styles mixed with tailored pieces and vice versa…. The whole jogger/ sweatpants phenomenon continues to gain pace, most of our guys have left the basics behind now and are trading up for more formal and synthetic versions… for us when a trend is ‘hot’ it’s key to chase the hell out of it and provide as many permutations as possible…. It works both ways, we provide choice and the customer comes to us because he [and sometime ‘she’ too] knows we’ll have a fantastic selection. These joggers are great though…. The fact they’re woven, that they work well with smarter shirts and tailoring but can also be dressed down with cool longline tees and classic sneakers.”

Frances Walker, JIGSAW Menswear’s Design Director “Jigsaw’s proofed Prince of Wales Check Mac is the perfect wardrobe addition. Timeless, classic and totally on trend, it looks great over a suit; you look immediately ready for business, but it’s also perfect with jeans or casuals. The small grey check on this piece makes it perfect for town or country, and being lightweight it is a travel must-have.”

Next up we have Michael Anderson, Vice President, Men’s Product and Design, Banana Republic,“My favorite piece from Spring is our indigo garment dyed leather Moto jacket in slim fit. It’s a great new take on the iconic American leather jacket. The leather has an amazing character to it because of the washing. It is super soft and looks great worn with joggers and a simple white Banana Republic tee.”

Alex Field, Head of Menswear Design for Reiss, “One of my favourite pieces from our SS15 collection is the luggage collaboration that we have produced in partnership with Steamline. I’m always out of the office visiting factories and researching, so our new range of trunks are the perfect travelling companion for me. Lightweight yet robust enough to carry everything I need, the luggage’s black colourway offers stylish subtlety, while the chrome trims and rivets offer an eye-catching, contemporary finish.”

Finally we have Whistles CEO, Jane Shepherdson, “The standout piece from the SS15 collection has to be the linen mix suit, the fabric composition makes it smart enough to wear for a wedding but pop a t-shirt and some trainers on and it will suddenly takes an a more casual aesthetic.”

anthonymcgrath405 / 20/02/2015

Somewhere only we know – John Lewis Menswear

The Department Store John Lewis is probably better known for their excellent Christmas tear jerking Adverting campaigns rather than as a Menswear Destination. But over recent seasons they’ve been working really rather hard to change this perception, back in February 2013 the retailer launched it’s Family brand KIN, designed to appeal to those thirty plus men who appreciate quality, clean-cut tailoring at a competitive price. The collection was John Lewis’ most contemporary own brand formalwear offering. Since then the brand and its Menswear offering has moved on a great deal.

For Spring 2015, its once again upping it’s menswear fashion credentials, adding to its existing portfolio through expanding its contemporary branded offering and new exclusive additions to its menswear portfolio. This includes, LAUNDRYMAN by Barbour, inspired by Barbour’s heritage in industrial work wear, the Laundryman capsule brings together shirts, chinos, hoodies and tees, all with a heavily laundered finish and an on-trend distressed look. For this season, Barbour Laundryman will be exclusively available from John Lewis stores.

Plus, Bellerose which offers premium clothing for the entire family with authentic brand values. From military parkas to leather brogues and tees, the collection creates a casual and unique allure with strong references to the army and work wear.

Additional, to these two exclusive collections, the department store have invested in some interesting niche Scandinavian Brands like RAINS and Wood Wood. These collections are influenced by street wear and have a strong focus on detail that brings a twist to classic menswear items. Then to complement these brands John Lewis is also supporting fledgling T-shirt brands Dedicated, Supreme Being and Secret Store & Pear Shaped Apparel.

Lastly, having just shown during the recent LC:M, the retailer welcomes Soulland, A brand with real design principles and an aesthetics with its origins in Scandinavian artisanship combined with a contemporary feel that aims to push menswear forward in all the right directions.

anthonymcgrath405 / 18/02/2015

Da and Da and Da at Dappad – Dappad the latest E-Shopping destination

E-Commerce or making purchases via your computer, is a tough, increasingly overcrowded and horribly competitive industry, but if you listen to the smart money it’s not only the way of the future but if done correctly a lot of money is there to be made and lets not even start to discuss M-Commerce and urging us to use our smart phones as our new retail best friend.

The Fashion retail sector of this industry has to be its most competitive element of this game. Why only last week we saw on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den all four dragons fighting over a male e-commerce concept and recently in the US we saw the Trunk Club sold to the retailing giant Nordstrom for $350 million…Plus since Christmas alone we at Clothes-Make-the-Man have covered three different clicks (exclusively internet) retailers or e-tailers as the boffins like to call them. So how do you stand out from the on-line crowd and make your presence felt in the cyber jungle ?

Well, one such platform doing so is Dappad a new online destination launched in January, which aims to change the way men shop for clothes. In the fast-paced world we live in, Dappad aims to solve stressful shopping problems with a far more enjoyable process for men who prefer not to shop, so pretty much all of us who hate overcrowded confined spaces, sweaty environments, bad customer service etc.

It all starts with a a couple of simple questions allowing Dappad to collate as much information about a client’s personality as possible. The stylist will then create a ‘style profile’ complete with likes, dislikes, sizes and measurements, which leads to the creation of a parcel of specifically selected items sent directly to the client’s door. Once the parcel arrives the client is free to try on all the garments in the privacy of his own home and without rude people banging into him, then and only then pay for what is kept, any unwanted items are collected completely free of charge.

By offering men personally selected clothing from desirable, quality labels, Dappad will save you time and money. It provides men with a personal shopping service that builds a stylish and lasting wardrobe to suit individual needs and preferences. Priding itself on the notion that with a carefully and correctly selected wardrobe every man can look good.

The Dappad gentleman can expect a variety of brands to cater for everyday work-wear through to weekend casuals and one-off eveningwear pieces. It’s currently stocking AG Jeans, Orlebar Brown, Cheaney Shoes, Garment Project, Eton Shirts, Gant Rugger, J Lindberg and Tiger of Sweden with more brands being added constantly.

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