The most affordable supermarket clothing for men, revealed ?????

The UK’s Affordable Supermarket Fashion Index, conducted by Wethrift, aims to determine which UK supermarkets offer the most cost-effective clothing line.

To do this, the team began by compiling a seedlist of supermarkets with clothing ranges and categorising them into men’s, women’s, and children’s sections. 

They then compared prices across various clothing items and accessories, assigning each a score out of 10 using a normalised ranking function to contribute to an overall affordability score.

The analysis focused on the top five most popular items within each category (based on best sellers or highest ratings), calculating the average cost for each supermarket. 

The report revealed the most affordable supermarket fashion brand, drumroll please, as being George at ASDA is the most budget-friendly for men.

Largely driven by the ongoing cost of living crisis, supermarket own clothing brands have soared in popularity in recent years as consumers rethink their spending habits.

In light of this, the report by the retail experts at Wethrift has found the most affordable supermarkets for men’s clothing and accessories.

George at ASDA leads the way, with a full outfit averaging £72.80, whereas Sainsbury’s TU Clothingis the most affordable for accessories at an average of £55.

To determine the average cost of a full outfit, the research examined the top five most popular items across jumpers, T-shirts, jeans, and coats.

The analysis also compared the average price of the top five most popular accessory items across various categories, including belts, hats, scarves, bags, ties and shoes, to calculate an overall average.

Following in second place for most affordable men’s fashion is Morrisons Nutmeg, with a full outfit averaging £73.40. Tesco’s F&F appeared to be the second most affordable for accessories, averaging £57.

Sainsbury’s TU Clothing ranked as the third most affordable across clothing, averaging £78.50. The third most affordable for accessories is George at ASDA at an average price of £92.00.

The research highlights Tesco’s F&F Clothing and Marks & Spencer’s M&S Collection rank as the most expensive options for men’s clothing, averaging £90.80 and £163.40, respectively, for a full outfit.  

The most haunted roads in the UK where drivers report spooky sightings

With Halloween tomorrow, you might be gearing up for a horror-movie marathon, a night of trick-or-treating, or even a visit to a local scare attraction.

One thing you might not be prepared for is catching a glimpse of a ghostly figure when navigating one of the UK’s spookiest roads.

Below, the team at Select Car Leasing have listed the most haunted roads in the UK where spectral beings have supposedly been sighted:

1. A616: Stocksbridge Bypass, near Sheffield, South Yorks

 

Opened in May 1988, the bypass links the M1 motorway to the east with the Woodhead Pass to the west. It’s a notorious accident black spot, and many claim it’s a spooky hot-spot, too.

 

During the road’s construction, two security guards claim to have spotted a group of ethereal children dancing around an electricity pylon. When they got out of their vehicle, they found the ‘children’ had vanished and there were no footprints.

 

2. A149 Kings Lynn, Norfolk

 

There’s a ghostly black dog that is said to roam the coastline and countryside of East Anglia. Locals call it ‘Black Shuck’, ‘Old Shock’, or simply ‘Shuck’, and sightings are still prevalent to this day. The dog is said to have black shaggy fur, with fiery eyes and of immense size, who visits churchyards at midnight.

 

In 2000, college lecturer Simon Corbin caught a sighting of the creature. When living in King’s Lynn and working in Hunstanton, Simon was driving on the A149 on a bright summer’s day when he saw a large black dog race across the carriageway. In true ghostly fashion, the creature appeared from (and vanished into) thin air.

3. A15 near Ruskington, Lincolnshire

 

Dubbed the ‘Ruskington Horror’, the turn-off for Ruskington on the A15 in Lincolnshire has had its fair share of ghostly sightings.

 

Dr Rob Gandy, a health statistician and avid chronicler of road ghost stories, says there are a number of well documented and chilling events witnessed in the area. One person described a face suddenly appearing from around the front driver’s side pillar of his car’s windscreen with its left hand up. The figure had a pitted face and dark hair.

 

Other drivers have reported seeing a white shape that turns into a man who has his arm raised as if to warn drivers about something. After noticing the figure, it fades away into a mist.

 

4. B3212, Dartmoor

 

The legend of the ‘Hairy Hands’ is set near Postbridge, Dartmoor, on the B3212. According to the legend, the ‘Hairy Hands’ are a pair of disembodied hands that appear suddenly, grabbing at the steering wheel of a moving car or the handlebars of a motorcycle, which then force the vehicles off the road.

 

Author Michael Williams describes in his book Supernatural Dartmoor how one witness, a journalist called Rufus Endle, explained how ‘a pair of hands gripped the driving wheel and I had to fight for control’. The hands disappeared as quickly as they’d materialised, and a crash was narrowly avoided.

5. A229, Kent

 

The A229 at Blue Bell Hill has reportedly seen a whopping 50 reported supernatural sightings over the last few decades.

 

Most of the sightings revolve around an apparent spectral bride seen waiting, mournfully, by the side of the road. Many believe the ghost is the spirit of 22-year-old Suzanne Browne, who was tragically killed at the spot along with two friends in an accident in 1965 on the eve of her wedding.

 

Some motorists claim to have ‘hit’ this bride with their car, only to find zero evidence that anyone had even been there.

 

6. B1249, East Riding of Yorkshire

 

Werewolves aren’t just the stuff of horror movies, they’re real to those who’ve spotted them in Yorkshire since the 1960s.

 

One recent case came in August 2016 when motorist Jemma Waller, 24, described seeing a monster that looked ‘like a big dog, ­probably bigger than my car, but it had a human face’ near the village of Halsham.

7. A666, the Devil’s Highway, Greater Manchester

 

With its unique numbering structure and high accident rate, it’s no surprise that the A666 that runs from the outskirts of Manchester north to Blackburn, Lancashire, is known as the ‘Devil’s Highway’.

 

Numerous supernatural sightings there also add to the road’s reputation. One report from 2015 describes the moment a motorist travelling on a deserted road witnesses a mysterious, white-clad creature pursing their vehicle.

 

8. Scotter Road, Lincolnshire

 

The ‘Scotter Road Spectre’ is a 12-foot monk who is reported to have roamed the stretch between the viaduct and the junction with West Common Lane in Scunthorpe.

 

The ghost is said to have appeared walking alongside the road, before suddenly disappearing. Clearly visible in the street light, it was assumed that whoever or whatever it was must have been on stilts because it was so tall.

9​. M6 between Crewe and Knutsford, Cheshire

 

Many believe that the busy M6 is haunted by spectral lorries and vanishing hitch-hikers, with an area between Crewe and Knutsford in Cheshire being particularly sinister.

 

In 2017, one eyewitness described almost ‘hitting’ a figure standing in the road – before it disappeared into thin air. They said: “To me, it looked like the figure had run across the lanes and was now waiting for me to see them, but as I got closer, the figure… looked almost translucent, and then the figure just vanished.”

 

10. A3, Surrey

 

In the evening of 11th December 2002, Surrey Police received reports of a car swerving off the road and down a verge on the A3 near Burpham, to the east of Guildford. Officers arrived and, the next day, located a Vauxhall Astra as well as a decomposing body.

 

However, the body had been there for weeks, even months, not a matter of hours. The victim had also been a wanted man, a suspect in a robbery, who had vanished without trace in June of that year. So who, or what, had the eyewitnesses really seen?

Imagery by

Blake Lisk

Chmyphotography

Eugene Triguba

Pat Whelan

Annie Spratt

Don’t let Halloween phobias spook you – here’s what to do about them

Words By Christopher Paul Jones, Harley Street phobia expert and author of ‘Face your Fears – 7 steps to conquering phobias and anxiety

There are lots of great things about Halloween: pumpkin carving, trick or treating and apple dunkingto name a few. But, for some people, it can set off their fears and phobias, including Samhainophobiathe phobia of Halloween itself.

There are a number of causes of a fear of Halloween:

Religious beliefs: Fearing Halloween due to its connotations with evil. Like my Mother, who really didn’t like Halloween for this reason.

Social phobias: Guising, knocking on doors and talking to strangers can create fear in some children. Especially if they have had bad experiences, like being told to get off the doorstep.

The main causes of a Halloween phobia however, are the number of fear inducing activities associated with 31st October. Here are some top Halloween phobias:

Arachnophobia – fear of spiders

Spiders is one of the biggest phobias with 55% of women and 18% of men having this fear.

If somebody has a fear of spiders it tends to stimulate feelings of disgust and repulsion which trigger a fearresponse in them. It is believed that this is formed around us having an aversion to creatures that look alien and have fewer similarities to humans. Or even a fear of being harmed by a spider.

A spider phobia can also be triggered from your parents. For example, if you watched your mom jump up and scream when she saw a spider, it’s then likely to create a phobia in you.

Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes

It’s said 1 in 3 people have this fear, and as with spiders it’s often linked to the fear of being harmed or the rather alien way they look and move. It’s thought it could be linked to our evolution where we are hardwired to avoid these types of creatures.

Necrophobia – fear of anything to do with death

For example, coffins, graveyards, bones, and corpses etc. Unfortunately, if your phobia is triggered by representations of death then Halloween is definitely a difficult time for you.

This phobia can also be triggered by a traumatic experience i.e. attending the funeral of your grandparents or the pain of bereavement.

Lachanophobia – fear of vegetables

Having a carved-out pumpkin is a Halloween essential. But it’s not the carved-out face that creates the fear for some people it’s the vegetables themselves.

The cause of this fear normally stems from childhood experiences of being forced to eat vegetables and being repulsed by them or even feeling sick from them.  

Maskaphobia – fear of masks or costumes

Like many other fears, this can be created by a past negative event i.e. been scared as a child by someone in a costume.

It can also come from a fear of the unknown, i.e. not being able to see a person’s real face. Seeing somebody with a fixed unchanging expression can also create a phobia of masks. Halloween costumes are often made to be scary, so it’s no surprise that people can be frightened by them and that this fear can stay with them in later life.

Nyctophobia – fear of the dark

While this one is more common amongst children (most children grow out of it as they get older), there are still many adults affected by a fear of the dark.

This fear can be created from not being able to see what’s in the shadows or not knowing how to find your way out if you get scared or trapped. It can also come from our primitive brain that tells us that we need to avoid predators in the night.

Horror movies also like to use the darkness to create fear, and this just reinforces the fear.

Hemophobia – fear of blood

Having a fear of blood is quite common; it’s linked to our fear of pain, injury or death.  This phobia can be strong if you had an injury in the past or watched somebody else go through the pain. It can also be created from watching horror or crime movies as a child.

HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR FEARS
The good news is that most phobias can be addressed; in the majority of cases they can be removed completely. Detailed processes for dealing with numerous phobias are in my new book, “Face Your Fears”, but here is a brief look at a seven-stage process I call the Integrated Change System.

1. Recognise what you’re really afraid of

Identifying not just the surface-level fear but also the deeper fears it represents is crucial. Is it a fear of harm, a loss of control, a past traumatic event or something else?

2. Relax the conscious mind

Achieving a state of relaxation allows us to work with fears more effectively. The “4-7-8 Breathing Technique” involves inhaling quietly through the nose for four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds, and exhaling forcefully through the mouth for eight seconds. Repeated three to four times, this acts as a natural tranquiliser for the nervous system. 

3. Reward for your fear

Phobias can serve hidden purposes – a secondary gain. One way to find this is to ask:

“Does this fear keep me safe from situations I perceive as dangerous?”

“Do I receive comfort or attention because of this fear?”

“What might I lose if this fear were to disappear now?”

4. Recipe

Everything we do, including phobias, operates according to a subconscious ‘recipe’ – a combination of thoughts, behaviours, and feelings that reinforce, in this case, the fear. Clarity about our recipe for fear makes it easier to change it. A highly effective technique involves changing the internal representation of the fear.

Imagine, say, the spider that triggers your phobia. In your mind’s eye, shrink that image, make it lose its colour, and let it play backward like a film reel running in reverse. This process helps in diminishing the image’s emotional impact. If the bark is a trigger, imagine that sound becoming like a cartoon character.

5. Release the past

Finding the first event and changing the mind’s link to fear can have an effect on how somebody will feel about that fear in the future.

One way to release the past is through tapping. Begin by clearly identifying the fear or specific event related to your phobia and hold this memory in your mind.

Start by tapping on the karate chop point (the outer edge of your hand) with the fingertips of the other hand. As you tap, verbalise your fear and your acceptance of yourself despite this fear.

Proceed to tap lightly but firmly on a sequence of points: eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, the chin, the collarbone, under the arm, and top of the head. Tapping each point about seven times, briefly state your fear to maintain focus on the issue.

After a few rounds of tapping, begin to introduce a positive reframing of your fear. For instance, “I am open to feeling safe around snakes, for example.

6. Recondition your emotions

Our responses to any fear-inducing stimuli are learned behaviours. These can be unlearned or modified with an exercise known as Emotional Anchoring. Decide on the positive feeling you want instead of fear, and select a memory where you felt this positive emotion strongly. While immersed in this memory, do a simple physical gesture, like pressing your thumb and forefinger together. Repeat with other positive memories. Your chosen physical gesture becomes your anchor – the anchor takes you straight to a positive feeling.

It’s a physical action tied to your positive emotion, creating a new pathway in the brain. Every time you use your anchor and feel that positive emotion, you weaken the old fear response and strengthen the new, positive one.

7. Realise a powerful future

Part of your fear will be “what ifs”. For example, what if it gets dark and I canlt see anything?

We tackle “what ifs” by Script Flipping. Write down as many “what ifs” as you can, then replace each of them with a positive statement or question. For example, what if I can still see OK because of streetlights and the moon?

Take your new statements and questions and visualise them, pairing them with affirmations that reinforce your new narrative – perhaps “I am capable of feeling calm and in control when it’s dark.”

www.christopherpauljones.com

The Shaving is only part of the ritual – 6 of the best Post Shave Moisturisers

For pretty much most men, Shaving involves rituals, that sometimes we are not even aware of. Think about it, our first experience of shaving will have been watching our Dad, older brother, Uncle or Grandad Shaving in the mirror, asking questions including, “what are you doing?” “why are you doing that?” And “why doesn’t mummy have to shave?”

A relatively new element to the Shaving ritual is the use of some sort of a Post Shave product. For many years our Fathers and Grandfathers would use an After Shave, universally, resulting in that sharp intake of breathe (think Kevin in Home Alone), which undoubtedly was effective at doing its job, but due to the high levels of alcohol in these products, didn’t do your skin any favours. Even now, whenever I catch the unmistakable  aroma of Old Spice I’m transported back to to my parent’s house and their bathroom and watching my dad Shave carefully putting a rectangular blade into his metal shaver and then splashing that clean, crisp scent of Old Spice over his face.

In more recent years we’ve moved away from After Shaves to Moisturisers, less harsh and much more kinder to our skin. Today we round up 6 of the best Post Shave Moisturisers around today.

Relatively, the new kid on the Shaving block is Harry’s Post-Shave Mist. A great product for guys who prefer a light and soft application, your skin will thank you after your shave. The formula is alcohol-free, which means no stinging sensation, just a calming and soothing experience.

Add a little luxury to your life with this classic, as the old adage tells us, never goes out of style. Like a perfectly tailored suit, Creed’s Green Irish Tweed has been and continues to be worn by confident men at the peak of their field. Evoking the lush greenery of the Emerald Isle: cut grass, spring meadows, summer wild flowers and herbs warmed by a gentle sea breeze and of course a little drop of water like rain is involved.

This has to win Editor’s choice, eagled eyed followers of the blog, will know how high in regard, I hold this product. Clinique for Men’s Post-Shave Soother, really is a breakthrough post-shave formula containing a combination of licorice and plant extracts that leave facial hair looking finer and softer. With continued use, shaving will be quicker and more comfortable as razor burn caused by daily friction is reduced. Additional ingredients provide exfoliation and anti-irritating benefits virtually eliminating bumps and ingrown hairs, as well as helping to encourage the healing of minor nicks and cuts.

Clarins Men Post-Shave Soother offers a calming, comforting, oil-free post-shave balm with skin repairing and moisturising properties and a light, fresh, clean fragrance. A great choice for normal to sensitive skin prone to shaving-related redness and irritation.
Containing Alpine Sea Holly and Centella Asiatica plant extracts intensively soothe and repair. Shea Butter, Marula and Avocado oils moisturise and restore suppleness. A patented complex of Bison Grass, Chinese Ginger and Purslane plant extracts energise and soothe. Clarins e3p protects skin from the irritant effects of environmental pollution.

Ohhhh TOM FORD FOR MEN OIL-FREE DAILY MOISTURIZER is a hydrating and conditioning moisturiser. This fast-absorbing and skin-mattifying moisturiser uses the Tom Ford Skin Calming and Infusing Complexes with a combination of luxurious butters to hydrate skin, reverse dullness and help reduce the look of fine lines and pores. Skin is left feeling toned, polished and bright with vibrant energy, what more would you expect from Tom Ford ?

Last but in no way, shape or form least is Lab Series 3-IN-1 POST SHAVE​​​​​​​. A Breakthrough gel treatment formula works to treat razor bumps, prevent ingrown hairs and refine beard texture. Absorbs quickly to leave skin soothed, refreshed and comfortable.

Happy Himalayan Birthday – The North Face Unveils 30th Anniversary-Edition HMLYN Parka

Founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. The North Face, today,  are the world’s leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. All the while protecting the outdoor playgrounds and minimize their impact on the planet through programs that encourage sustainability.

Recently, the brand unveiled the 30thanniversary edition of the icon, the Himalayan Parka. The HMLYN Parka is an elevated form of what is arguably the brand’s most recognisable piece from both a technical and design lens.

Celebrating its 30-year legacy of grit and innovation. The parka sparks a new spirit of exploration through a modern approach tied together by style and culture.

Originally introduced in 1994, the Himalayan Parka was designed for extreme conditions and for those who fearlessly confronted them. As part of The North Face’s Expedition System, the parka has been reimagined for everyday use, building upon a legacy of grit and innovation, 30 years in the making.

This year, the HMLYN Parka joins the Himalayan Parka family, redesigned and retooled to withstand the coldest days, no matter your destination. The icon has been updated with modern design and features, transforming it from a high alpine piece to an everyday essential.

The parka comes with a waxed ripstop fabrication that gives it depth of texture and a modern construction that offers improved comfort and features commemorative anniversary branding and labels. With cord locks at the hem, the parka can be fine tuned to fit any style.

Two British talent front the campaign, bringing their own voice to We Play Different. Deba stands for many social rights and is a blend of lifestyle content with a love of the outdoors. Artist Corbin Shawuses his upbringing in Sheffield to investigate masculinity and how it was defined to him growing up. He reimagines masculine ‘icons’ and objects and challenges stigmas and stereotypes.  

The jacket takes the original parka design from 30 years ago, refreshing the technology and key design elements. It’s made with a nylon ripstop fabric, wind-blocking technology and packs 550-fill of responsibly-sourced down provides insulating warmth.