Disgruntled Yoof – Ben Sherman X Matthew Miller – Dissaffected Generation Forever

imageMatthew Miller is on somewhat on a run of great Collaborations at the moment, this Stoke-on-Trent lad cut his teeth working on projects for Sportwear brand Umbro, Suiting Supremo Brioni, Oliver Sweeney and Timberland amongst others, either before or in the early stages of setting up on his own. More recently he and a whole host of bright young things, including Katie Eary and Christopher Raeburn worked exclusively with MRPORTER.com and Grenson on a brilliant footwear project. Vogue have labelled him, “One to Watch” and Selfridges picked up on him after only his second collection. For his latest partnership its the turn of Ben Sherman.

This time, Miller explores the notion of a ‘disafffected generation’ that forms an identity through rebellion and the pressure to conform. The collection focuses on  Matthew’s trademark of investigating traditional structures and subverting them with new fabrications. Classic elements, such as the Ben Sherman ‘House Check’  has been enlarged and applied as a new print for t-shirts, shirts and a jacket. The shirts and t-shirts have been dissected with a cross-fading ‘House Check’, whilst the others hold a ‘DGF’ chest badge, which sits like an emblem for the  ‘disaffected generation forever’. The enlarged print continues on to the light-weight jacket, which carries signature Ben Sherman details like the back locker-loop.

No Mistletoe required – Getting Office Party Attire Spot on

250x250_CMTM_BannerThis Friday night is, that night of the year, some see it as the most dreaded night on the calendar, whilst others count the days down from last years one. Yes, if you work in an Office environment the likelihood is you’ll  be heading off to your annual office party. Making an impact at this event is all too important, be too gregarious and your seen as not being professional. Staying quite and keeping yourself to yourself, your seen as being standoffish and not a leader of people. Plus not attending is not an option as then your seen as. not a committed member of staff, who sees himself as better then the rest and you can kiss goodbye to that promotion or pay rise.

If you feel you need a little more advise to avoid the minefield that is the Office Christmas Party take a look at this link from last year when we covered the do’s & don’ts etiquette of this nightmarish event.

Now to ensure you look your best for the big bash, we’ve selected  an outfit to cover each scenario that could possibly cover the Partay, we really are too good to you guys.

The casual Office event

So it might be a meal, drinks down the pub but essential quite an informal setting, where you don’t wanna rock up looking like you’ve made a real effort and overdressed for the occasion.

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This is a winning choice from Barbour, as it shows your entering into the spirit of the Yuletide without going all out Christmas Jumper extravaganza.
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I know I’ve said this before but its an absolute staple, the Black Shirt, this one from Marks & Spencer, is a great all rounder. If the Christmas do takes a turn and you wanna take it onto a club or somewhere a little more upmarket you can whip the jumper off and it gives a completely different look to your outfit without having to go home and change. Plus if  you pair this with.
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A pair of chinos, my advise is keep the look simple you don’t wanna look like one of Santa’s lil helpers in your fair isle knit and red or green chinos so stay traditional. These are a great example from Ben Sherman and the reason for Chinos over jeans is simple, it gives you more options. Alot of establishments, particularly at this time of year aren’t welcoming of lads wearing jeans so do yourself a favour and make sure your night doesn’t come to and abrupt and early end.
Screen Shot 2013-12-10 at 20.43.26Finish this look off with the highly versatile Finton from Grenson,  these lil lovelies can pretty much be worn with anything, they will see you through so many different occasions over the years. Not only timeless, they can be dressed up or down and still look great.

The Semi-casual event

Now this is when your boss is flashing the cash and has hired a venue for the Annual shindig, whether it be hotel, hall or even if its not been such a great year, pushed all the desks and chairs to the walls to make a dance floor and some room for Sharon from accounts Boyfriend Mark to show what he’s worth on the decks.

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This is a great look that sends out all the right messages, from yeah, I’ve made just the right amount of a effort, to Ohh yes I know how to put an outfit together effortlessly. This herringbone jacket and waistcoat combo can be bought as separates but also include a pair of trousers all from NEXT.

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These are a great pair of jeans from Oliver Spencer, Comfortable fit on the waist, front and back rise and a regular fit on the leg Dark Indigo Denim plus great value for money and will look great with this jacket and waistcoat.

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I’ve gone for a Chambray Oxford style shirt from Joules, rather then a white shirt as this can sometimes look too formal and you can easily smarten this look up with a navy tie and a pocket square. Plus it goes really well with the grey herringbone.

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Once again I’ve kept the outfit simple and finished it off with a classic pair of shoes, this time with Brogues from Oliver Sweeney. You want to keep things simple so there’s less for you to worry about and if you know you look good this will help with your confidence on the night. This look strikes a real balance and shows that you know what you’re doing.

 

The Formal event

So here you have it the final in the options for the Christmas Party looks to impress. The formal event, this is often when you have to attend a ball style function. Now once again you need to strike a balance of looking good, looking confident and standing out form the crowd for all the right reasons.

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Now this is a tuxedo that ticks all of those boxes from Banana Republic, you’re making a statement by going Navy rather then traditional black but at the same time looking totally dapper.

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You’ve made your statement with the Navy tux so you need to keep the rest of the look classic and sober. This is a brilliant dress shirt from the French brand Ami, which does does that, understated yet chic.

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Its all in the detail and this classic with a twist Black bow tie from TOPMAN finishes of this look perfectly, its just a little smaller then the traditional bow ties.

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These are a great dress shoes from Ted Baker and aren’t too traditional so you can easily wear these on other occasions with jeans.

So whatever your Christmas party follow these tips and it should hold you in fine fettle so you can hold your head high come Monday Morning.

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An Iconic Shirt designed by Icons – Ben Sherman X The Icons

Continuing the collaboration with Teenage Cancer Trust, Ben Sherman is pleased to announce The Icons – a shirt project that involves icons from the world of music and art from the last 5 decades. 5 different icons from the 1960’s to 2000 have designed a print to go on the iconic Ben Sherman button down shirt. Launching in September at Ben Sherman stores, the shirts are limited to 250 per design, hand numbered and priced at £125 with all net proceeds will go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Roger Daltrey_FFR_21960’s – Who else but legendary front man from The Who and Patron of Teenage Cancer Trust, Roger Daltry. His shirt design was inspired by the Union Jack, which is an iconic emblem featured on The Who’s most memorable album – The kids are Alright.

Peter Blake1970’s – Sir Peter Blake became one of the best known British pop artists of his time. His creation for the shirt uses the signature star symbol used throughout his work appliqued onto the chest pocket. His actual signature has also been embroidered onto the shirt, making it a collector’s item for any avid fans.

Bernard Sumner1980’s – Bernard Sumner is a legend, a musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, producer, and former Nightclub owner (The Hacienda) his body of work has been seminal for decades. He is a founding member, lead vocalist and guitarist of New Order and he is also known for being a founding member of the bands Joy division and Bad Lieutenant. His design uses a black cotton button-down shirt with a ‘Veritas’ emblem on the front pocket, which means ‘Truth’ in Latin.

Jarvis Cocker1990’s – An excellent choice to represent a decade of such unforgettable music, Mr Jarvis Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. His shirt design is based on a classic pale-blue Oxford shirt and showcases his signature thick-rimmed spectacles embroidered on to the font pocket.

Jake & Dinos2000’s –  Few British Artists’ work has gained such note as a Jake & Dinos Chapman,  who work together as a collaborative sibling duo. They were nominated for the annual Turner Prize in 2003 and their work continues to maintain huge global interest. The shirt they have created is a white oxford with red smiley faces.

 

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Something to shout about – Ben Sherman & Teenage Cancer Trust

JANETTE_BECKMA001BThere is no disputing the fact that Teenage Cancer Trust not only do an amazing job but also is such a worthwhile cause to get behind and support. Which is just what the subject brand of today’s post have just gone and blinking done !!! Ben Sherman in conjunction with the amazing celebrated music photographer, Janette Beckman, have produced 5 different t-shirts to celebrate their 50th anniversary and 5 decade of music and style.

Janette started out photographing the emerging Punk scene of the 1970s, and later moved from her native London to New York to continue her documentation of the various music led movements of the times. In the years since, she has shot album covers for some of the biggest names in music, photographed film stars and captured iconic images, contributing to some of the most influential magazines across music and fashion.

JANETTE_BECKMA005This unique collaboration introduces a collection of five limited edition t-shirts featuring a selection of archival images, some instantly recognisable whilst others are lesser-known works. Continuing our association with the Teenage Cancer Trust, Janette Beckman and Ben Sherman are happy to be donating 25% from the sale of every t-shirt to this noble cause.

Now this isn’t the only project Ben Sherman and Teenage Cancer trust are working on at the minute, this very week, there are a series of concerts being held at none other then the Royal Albert Hall and curated by none other then Mr Noel Gallagher !!!!! (deserved winner of NME’s God Like Genius Award). Noel recently said of his association with TCT;

“Teenage Cancer Trust do a brilliant job, and I’ve always been more than pleased to lend my support over the years. It’s an honour to have the task of putting together the bills for next year’s series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.” 

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FULL LIST OF TEENAGE CANCER TRUST CONCERTS BELOW: MARCH 2013

TUESDAY 19 Ryan Adams – plus special guest Beth Orton

WEDNESDAY 20 An evening of comedy with Russell Brand, Noel Fielding and very special guests

THURSDAY 21 Primal Scream

FRIDAY 22 Kasabian

SATURDAY 23 Noel Gallagher | Damon Albarn & Graham Coxon plus special guests

SUNDAY 24 Rizzle Kicks | Labrinth

Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased from the following outlets:

 

A Coat for all Seasons – COMPETITION TIME !!!

In past Autumn/Winter seasons there nearly always is A specific style of coat which will have been picked up on by the Designer Houses of Paris, Milan, London & New York and given an individual interoperation whether that be by Burberry, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford or Gucci which is turn is then translated by the High Street retailers, whether that be a Parka, Pea, Duffle, Car, Military, Over or Trench, but not so for this season, surprisingly, we are spoilt for choice in Winter 2012 as there are many different great styles of coat on all ends of the style spectrum.

The Donkey Jacket – More Stylish man than Bin man in this enduring favourite of the Englishman’s wardrobe, reworked through modern styling, fit and fabrication by Ben Sherman, but Paul Smith has also got on that Donkey tip.

 

This great example of an Overcoat is perfect for dressing up with a suit for work or is equally at home teamed with jeans or chinos and a knit for the weekend. There are many great overcoats on the market at the moment from the creator of the garment itself, Crombie, to a more designer option from Raf Simons to this choice from Moss Bros’s Ventuno 21 range.

 

Channel your inner spy this Winter and pretend to be on a mission behind the iron curtain. This example of a great Trench coat won me over for the pure and simple reason that it’s the coolest pac-a-mac around, by Burberry Brit @ my wardrobe.com. However, for some old school heritage luxury maybe look to Mackintosh or Hancock for a cool collars up Trench.

 

Not strictly a coat, but will sure as hell keep you warm throughout the Winter. This brilliant padded jacket from Self has a built in Ruck Sack in the back, just in case you run out of hands carrying all those Christmas presents and the price won’t break the bank either. Other highly commended options around come from Moncler, APC and Dolce & Gabbana.

 

The Pea Coat was cool long before Jack Nicholson made it an icon in One flew over the Cuckoos Nest. Gucci have done a number of interpretations of this classic for this season, but keep it simple as its a classic and if you treat it well it will do you proud. However, everyone from Gap, McQ, Marks & Spencer and once again Dolce & Gabbana have all done great translations of this menswear classic.

 

 

The whole Military trend has been around for a considerable length of time now in menswear and looks like its going nowhere soon. This coat is from Robbie Williams’ Farrell Range, showing singing isn’t the only thing he can score a top place at. Brands Unconditional, Wolsley and Marc by Marc Jacobs have all produced great coats using the Military look for inspiration.

 

If your thinking about investing in a Duffle Coat this Winter, keep it traditional. In 1954 the Gloverall family started to produce their own Duffle Coats in a factory behind St Pauls Cathedral London. Now Gloverall aren’t on their own in making great examples of a Duffle coats, Marks & Spencer, APC, Carven and Burton have all done so.

 

Now if you feel the cold, you certainly won’t in this amazing Byrd Parka from Woolrich, currently celebrating its 40th Birthday, doesn’t look to down does it ? Originally designed to protect workers from the frigid glacial temperatures, and since then, after slight modernizations in fit and style, continues to be a must-have for clientele both for its technical qualities (it maintains body heat to a temperature of -40°) and for the comfort that makes it perfect for city life. Woolrich aren’t the only provider of sterling Parkas NapaPijri, Barbour and Penfield are all in on the Parka act.

Now to celebrate the fortieth birthday of the Woolrich parka, one of you lucky readers will be all toastie warm this Winter, yes we are giving you the chance to win an incredible Byrd Parka, a 100% natural cotton fabric, naturally water repellent, breathable, and wind resistant thanks to the special spin and weave. It is padded with the highest quality goose feather down guaranteeing maximum warmth while keeping it light in weight.

All you need to do is follow us here at Clothes-make-the-man.com by –

1) Returning to our home page and in the subscribe to Clothes-make-the-man.com box on the left of your screen

2) Input your email address

3) An email from the blog will be sent to you and you MUST open and confirm that email.

OR follow us at Twitter @ Clothesmakethem OR Facebook @facebook.com/ClothesMakeTheMan

Do this by Sunday 2nd December and hey presto a few days later you will receive a gift from us to you. It’s that simple ! Good luck.