CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

anthonymcgrath405 / 30/01/2014

Brace your mainframe – get that Nautical look, without trying ! By Peter Brooker

In a bid to try and impress a cute girl in my local news-agent, I once bought an edition of ‘Yachting’. An editorial dedicated to the latest ground breaking news in the Yachting universe. Of course it didn’t work, and what was I expecting? For her to assume I have a yacht and become over whelmed in a fit of capricious passion that would result in her ripping off my clothes and ravaging me on the counter? So these days instead of buying a syndicated Yachting magazine, I simply kit myself in the kind of clobber that makes me look that I might actually know the difference between starboard and port. (Ps – Port is left. If you need help remembering that imagine the expression ‘there is no port left in the bottle‘, especially after I’ve had an hour in its company.

There are a couple of numbers you can chance to pull off this look. If you’re feeling flush then this sweet little number from Folk is in the sale right now for 250 nicker. This is so up market you get a free yacht with it. I am of course joking. But if you want to stand at the helm and look like a pro, then this is my choice. However if your budget won’t allow for the pricey high echelons of nautical attire, then UCLA provide a more than adequate substitute. This UCLA Spears Puffa Jacket comes with a button fasten hood and zip fastening to the front as well as the two front pockets. The waist has a toggle drawstring fastening and tonal seam stitching. The Puffa forges close links with the equestrian and nautical sports. Clearly an item best seen worn when guzzling on the finest wines available to humanity, debating the beauties of an in-out driveway with your rich father-in-law on the quarterdeck aboard his brand new yacht.

Now its always important to remember to wear shoes with rubber soles to protect you from slipping on the wet deck. Either running shoes or deck shoes are the best choice. I can’t tell you the countless times I’ve stubbed a toe on a deck cleat for attempting not to wear shoes while aboard. Not too mention when I’ve been hit by lightning and cursed my laziness for not bothering to wear any rubber on my feet to neutralize the one billion volts going through my body. Check out these Keen’s Newport H2 sandals, very popular on the dock and on deck.

Folks while your at it take a look at Peter’s website – www.trafficclothing.co.uk

anthonymcgrath405 / 29/01/2014

Out of Space – Dress like an Astronaut with Betabrand

A week doesn’t go by without some fantabulous media story about space travel becoming Sooooooooo accessible in the very near future and how we’ll all be holidaying in Orbit and on the Moon rather then San Antonio or Bodrum. But it isn’t happening, is it ? Although Sir Richard of Branston keeps on banging on about his Virgin Galactic project and saps with far too much money like Lance Bass are already sign up for its inaugural mission, when will that actually be, supposedly next year, but yeah, yeah, yeah we’ll see.

In the mean while you mightn’t be able to blast off, just yet, but designer Steven B.Wheeler has been busy beavering away on a prototype Astronaut jacket which isn’t just restricted to a space walk. The self confessed Space Geek, explained his inspiration,

“I designed this jacket as a tribute to the continuing legacy of American spaceflight. I wanted it to embody everything I loved about the space program, and to eventually serve as an actual flight jacket for present-day astronauts on missions to the ISS (International Space Station). There are other “replica” flight jackets made for space enthusiasts, but I decided to come up with something boldly different, yet also completely wearable and well-suited for space.”

Space fans have flocked to the jacket, crowd-funding it in 24 hours. Betabrandunveils imaginative prototypes each week and allows its customers to shape the future of its fashions.

The white, non-woven Tyvek shell of the jacket calls to mind the EVA (extra-vehicular activity) suits worn by astronauts during spacewalks. The inside lining is a silvered nylon taffeta, chosen not only because it visually references the “foil” MLI (multi-layer insulation) used on the exterior of satellites, but also because it helps retain radiant body heat, I almost sound as though I know what the hell I’m talking about !

anthonymcgrath405 / 28/01/2014

So much more than Underwear – Calvin Klein Platinum

Yes the weather is still rubbish and the shops are full of swimwear, YEAH Spring 2014 is here. Even though we are still in our winter warmers of hats, gloves, scarfs and in some cases full on finished with a coat or two, it’s reassuring to know our friendly neighbourhood apparel stores are chucked full of t-shirts, shorts and the all important sandal just in case we get a glimmer of sunshine and an upturn in temperature.

Well don’t too much dear consumer, with money burning a hole in your pocket, we at Clothes-Make-the-Man can advise you on great products that can just as well be implemented now as when the Sun does return to our shores and bask us all in it’s lukewarm glow. One such range is Calvin Klein Platinum the new accessories line for both men and women from the King of Amerciana cool. Fitting in with the brand’s ethos of minimalism with an athleticism and urban edge, perfect for taking you from a business meeting, to the gym and seamlessly onto a drink with friends, never looking out of place. The colour palette as you would expect from Calvin Klein is ‘classic’, neutrals including black, white and grey.

anthonymcgrath405 / 24/01/2014

Homme Mode à Paris – Paris Menswear Show Review AW14

Bonjour my petit pois ! We have the last of out previews from the European Style Capitals for this season, well for next season but let’s not confuse matters. This time as though it needed an introduction, of course, the city of lurve, Paris.

First, for our delectation is one of the oldest Fashion Houses and hottest tickets for all Paris Menswear Shows, Louis Vuitton, under the style direction of uber talented Brit Kim Jones. Jones has shown he’s not only come along way since his collaborations as a young Designer with the like of TOPMAN and sports brand Umbro, but has finely tuned his talents to produce some of the most sublime collections in recent years from the house of Vuitton. For Autumn/Winter 14 the trend driven show wasn’t as obviously as past seasons, opting for letting the Clothes do the talking, but was loosely inspired by Kim’s trip to the Atacama Desert of South America.

Louis Vuitton

On to one of the busiest men of the Paris Men’s shows Kris Van Assche, with the first of his two presentations of the week, up first is his own signature collection. Here we shown a totally wearable and rather commercial range from Van Assche, offering us colour, patterns in herringbone and eye catching dizzy dots.

Kris Van Assche

Then with a hop, skip and literal jump over to the second of Monsieur Van Assche’s collections, told you he was busy, in Dior Homme. Where if we were in any doubt as to his Dotty tendencies, they were confirmed here. We were offered them in Suits, shirts, shoes, ties, honestly you name it, it was covered in dots, but please don’t be put off, he managed to pull this off, to quote Mr Kenny Everett, it was all done in the best possible taste !

Dior Homme

Now then, Ami’s, Alexandre Mattiussi continues his assault on being the favourite label of choice among the style press and it isn’t surprising as to why. He’s proving to be a Jedi Master in the art of producing collections that have that simply, unassuming, stylish charm about them, but all the time screaming, your life won’t be complete without me in it !

Ami

Into the final straights, we have a name who over the past couple of seasons has been making a lot of the right noises while showing in Milan, but for this season has made the move to Paris. Turkish born, Umit Benan, each season, selects a character to base his collection around. In the past, we have seen such inspiration as the taxi drivers of his home Capital Istanbul, or Vintage Rockers or even Investment Banker. However, this season we looked to, Jackie Robinson, who? The first African Amercian Baseball Star. So the presentation had a very 1940’s feel to it from the political references to the lack of freedom Robinson had to put up way at this time.

Umit Benan

And so to the final of our designers, we started with a Brit designing for a French Fashion house and we finish with a British Designer showing in Paris. No less then Sir Paul Smith, who relaxed his silhouettes this season and drew inspiration for his collection from one could say, another iconic figure, in Jim Morrison. So no surprises when I tell you there was a distinct ROCK feeling to Smith’s show.

Paul Smith

anthonymcgrath405 / 20/01/2014

A Revolubetion in Shaving – King of Shaves NEW Hyperglide Razor

After four long and hard years of research, long into the night and development. Will King, founder of King of Shaves, is proud to announce the creation of a razor that implements something called superhydrophilic or super water loving to you and me, advanced technology on the cartridge’s entire shaving surface to create its own shaving gel so users can just simply add eater and shave, YES SHAVE AND GO, if you so like.

This truly amazing innovation was originally developed by a UK University for use in the medical industry, to aid in they easy insertion of catheters into arteries with minimal invasive friction.

King says of this revolutionary or Revolubetion as he likes to call it, “Launching Hyperglide is aniPhone moment for us. Competitor razors require shave prep – gel, foam or cream – to deliver a comfortable and close shave whereas with Hyperglide, water does the hard work.We pioneer the new – ‘just add water and shave’. Its taken four years and £5m investment to develop and perfect this technology, which is a genuine shaving first.’

Plus with a premium, luxury, limited edition version n the pipeline, watch this space….

Now without sounding like Ronnie Corbett, perched on the edge of his 1970’s leather armchair, wearing his gerrish Pringle Golf sweater. “A funny thing happened to me on the way to work”, well not quite work but, just before Christmas myself & Mrs Mc attended a wonderful Winter Wedding in deepest, Darkest Cheshire. I know, where is this story going, I know but basically, I forgot to pack any shaving foam but had packed this product, the all new King of Shaves Hyperglide Razor and I can testify, it not only works but works blindingly well, no shaving rash, itching or redness and all without the use of Shaving foam.

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