CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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WEAREFORE by Sarah Gilfilan

imageAs soon as I arrived at London Collections Men earlier this year, I was excitedly taken to see the Wearfore brand by another menswear blogger who had becomean instant fan. I was pleased to discover that heading it up was Anne Marie (also known as NG) who was a blast from my past, and who’s casualwear brand in the 90’s had made it into many a shoot I’d styled.

Since I last saw her, Anne Marie has designed for two of the largest Savile Row brands – Kilgour – where she was Head Designer of Casualwear, and Gieves & Hawkes where she was Global Head of Design.

imageIntroducing me to a small capsule collection of contemporary and beautifully made shirts called The Blue Hour – in, yes you’ve guessed it – varying shades of blue plus some crisp ice whites, Anne Marie told me how it’s inspired by the time of day known as The Blue Hour and the song Blue Moon.

The fabrics are sourced from the very best mills, and the shirts are designed in London and crafted in Europe by top manufacturers. You really need to get up and close and personal with these shirts to appreciate the quality and detailing -washed Japanese selvedge fabrics, Egyptian cotton denims, indigo pique (my favourite!), brushed checks, 100/2 cottons and Swiss organic Royal Oxford.

imageI challenge you not to find a shirt here that you fall in love with, and put together with a collection of super soft merino crewnecks from Scotland and an accessory or two featuring their exclusive house print, you’ll stand out from the crowd – not by drawing attention to what you’re wearing, just by being the best dressed man in the room.

I can see that this brand will go far with it’s modern, contemporary but subtle designs, and one that I’ll be looking forward to introducing my clients to in the very near future.

Sarah Gilfillan is founder of Sartoria Lab – Personal Styling and Shopping Consultancy for Men.

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Duggers of London – A fine and upstanding Shoe brand if I ever heard one !

Duggers of London was founded over a late night conversation regarding the general lack of reasonably priced, good quality shoes, fuelled over a a decent bottle of Brandy and a Cuban cigar. This conversation in question was held between Father and Son, Mark and Paul Dugdale.  The former having 30 years experience in the shoe business and the latter’s knowledge of digital marketing & Duggers was born! (Duggers is the nickname both family members answered to during their school years!)

Blending classic British style with the best in shoemaking craftsmanship, Duggers of London make great pairs of shoes.  The family team uphold the principle of gauging the quality of a shoe not from a high price tag or a familiar name, but from the product itself – the craftsmanship, the details, the weight and the materials.

imagePaul offers his pearls of wisdom and imparts his wealth of knowledge for summer dressing and purchasing a great pair of shoes for the right occasion. “Looking for something a little more casual for the weekend or dress-down Fridays? Or perhaps you’re dressed down all week long? Then you’re after a Brogue. Named after the stamped leather detailing on the upper, the brogue is the ultimate in smart-casual cool, and we’ve put together a full range of tan brogues for you. William is our entry-level model, a tan brogue with a blake-stitched construction. Dickie, Monty & Paul(above) are the connoisseurs’ shoes, with a rubber midsole, a double-sole and antiqued leather, respectively.”

image“If you’ve got your classics sorted, then it’s time to look for a twist on your footwear. Shoes without laces might sound like something from your school days, but in fact these styles are completely on-trend for a relaxed look that can still cross over into the office. Loafers like our leather Barringer or suede Rupert (above) will always give a breath of fresh air to an outfit, while the James Weejun is our take on an American preppy classic. For the ultimate in sartorial footwear, it can only be a Winston single monkstrap, with the strap left undone for full house in street-style bingo.”

So now you know !

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Manmade to Perfection – Manmade by Sarah Gilfillan

imageMy clients often ask me for recommendations for their haircuts and grooming to complete their look once they’ve been on a Personal Shopping trip with me. So when Dan Gregory contacted me telling me about his new male grooming salon and aesthetics clinic – Manmade – I was interested to hear more, so I popped in to meet him for a chat.

Centrally located in Marylebone and newly opened, the salon is sleek and sophisticated……small enough to feel friendly but big enough to feel spacious. Dan was welcoming and down to earth and clearly passionate about the new business he’s set up with his other family members- Peter Gregory who’s the Clinical director and Sarah Gregory who’s the Commercial director.

Dan is at the forefront of the brand and having built up an impressive list of celebrity clientele through his work as a freelance, session stylist, he now wants to be able to offer traditional barbering services including haircuts, cut throat shaves & colouring to the discerning non-celebrity gentleman too.

Taking the grooming aspect one step further, is Dr Peter Gregory – head of the “Aesthetic Clinic”. Offering a discreet selection of anti-wrinkle injections, skin rejuvenation & perspiration reduction treatments, he’s dedicated to providing an ethical high quality service where the client feels truly valued and respected.

You can really see that these guys aim to go one step beyond, and even a haircut and finish has all the bells and whistles with a neck shave and a hot towel infused with essential oils included. It’s these little touches that make the point of difference to a salon and as Dan said “Men’s grooming really has evolved”. I couldn’t agree more and I can’t wait to introduce my clients to a little part of that evolution, that is Manmade.

Sarah Gilfillan is founder of Sartoria Lab Personal Styling and Shopping Consultancy for Men.

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The Gentleman’s guide to wearing a suit

As you all know I love to share, whether it be a common cold, my last Rolo or great emails I’m sent. The following post falls into the latter of the aforementioned categories. A creative agency, mediaworks.co.uk, sent me through this vintage style infographic guide on how to wear a suit like the perfect gentleman. Focusing upon key aspects such as the ‘sometimes, always, never’ rule in buttoning up a particular style of suit and highlighting male celebrities that are championing current trends.

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It’s Hip to be Square – HipHunters

imageOnce again in our eternal quest for stumbling across great sites were we can stretch our menswear muscle and exercise the might of our great spending power, we came across the rather splendid Hiphunters. Launched in December last year, it’s a global online platform for luxury brands. A shop, a magazine and an online community, Hiphunters helps you discover unique and highly interesting new brands and cutting-edge premium designers from all four corners of the world.

imageThe shop has over 6000, yes 6000, brands including the likes of Burberry Prorsum, Stone Island and APC, but also lesser known gems like  CYCLE, Myo and Patrik Ervell, plus new items added daily. Recently they have opened their own market place, where you can find some great emerging brands which is promised to grow in the coming months. Like a mix between Tumblr and Pinterest the online community is where the users can connect with each other. It offers a space to refine your style and inspire others through sharing and interactive content, while at the same time promote their own blog or products and even become a featured honourary Hiphunter.

Partnering with some of the best e-commerce sites around, including Farfetch, Mytheresa and LN-CC, Hiphunters can keep you connected to all things style related in one convenient destination. Aside its shop, it also publishes a digital magazine with informative insights into what going down style wise, local street style, and an international network of “Style Makers” spies.

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