CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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5 Carlos Place: A New Retail Experience by MatchesFashion

by Keanu Adorable

Ever since Matchesfashion.com launched and all physical stores were rebranded and resources poured into creating an online empire, it now has reached to some 170 countries and stocks over 400 brands. Over the course 2018, the site has already had over 100 million traffic towards the site. Last year, Matchesfashion.com revealed that it’s on the move, with plans of opening a retail space at 5 Carlos Place near Mount Street in Mayfair. Fast forward to this year, and the 5,000-square-foot building that spans six floors is now near it’s planned September grand opening.

The destination at 5 Carlos Place promises to be a mixture of a shop, an events space and a broadcasting hub; with all the designers it stocks contributing to the experience. And we can’t forget to mention that there will be a courtyard and a chef’s table, too. “We want to bring a sense of enjoyment back to physical retail and create a sense of community,” says Jess Christie, chief brand officer. “We understand our customer’s lifestyle and interests — whether it’s art, photography, wellness, floristry or food. Creating an event programme that reflects the cultural calendar feels relevant and personal.” She’s taken note of research that shows consumers, in particular, millennials, engage and seek more experiences rather than just access to the product. “Retail needs to be surprising, inclusive and personal — it’s about how it makes you feel. If customers take the time to come into your space, they’re looking to connect and discover something, and here nothing will be fixed — it will constantly evolve to reflect each event and designer’s installation.”

Matchesfashion.com will be focusing on integrating various technology and physical aspects. “In a world where a narrative is fast becoming the most popular way to consume content, broadcasting live feels like the freshest way to deliver a brand experience,” says Christie. “We’re launching a podcast series because audio is an exciting medium right now — partly because of the popularity of new voice-activated devices as we move to a heads-up, hands-free world, but also because it’s the best way to deliver quality, long-form content to audiences oversaturated with visual distractions.”

Jess Christie is adamant that this is the way for stores to survive amongst the retail apocalypse that has been prominent in recent times. “I think now more than ever our customers want everything in their lives to feel considered. They want to be educated about new designers, about the provenance of clothes and to understand the story behind the brand. We want 5 Carlos Place to feel as though you are being invited to the ultimate collector’s house where we can host you and create memorable experiences.” A stylish home away from home, where you’ll always find pieces to try on and purchase. But don’t forget, you do have to leave at some point — opening hours do still apply.

The video and September event schedule are now live at www.matchesfashion.com/5carlosplace

5 Carlos Place opens 3rd September 2018.

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Football Frenzy – World Cup Goodies Roundup

It’s another edition of the world’s greatest tournament and we cannot wait to binge watch football for a whole month without guilt (come on England, let’s not go out of the group stage this time… please). Whether you’re a semi-professional or simply a Sunday sports fan, an amateur or an “I only watch football during World Cup” type of person, it is always hard to ignore the World Cup fever that blazes every four years. We here at Clothes-Make-The-Man have rounded up some goodies that can get you further into the World Cup mood, so don’t spend too much on bets just yet!

Escuyer

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To celebrate this next event in style, the Belgian brand Escuyer has designed a capsule T-shirt collection highlighted in the colours of the eight countries that support the label. Escuyer has created a sober T-shirt, perfectly cut and with a subtle twist: embroidered on the heart, an iconic player embodies the colours of his country and expresses all the fervor of its fans. Eight countries are represented by their legendary players, for instance, Bobby Moore for England, Zinedine Zidane for France, Pelé for Brazil and, of course, Eden Hazard for Belgium. To portray them in the heat of the action and in all their active glory, Escuyer enlisted Matthieu Regout, Belgian graphic designer (Club Sandwich). Just like the rest of the Escuyer collection, each t-shirt is made of a superior quality cotton and is produced in Portugal.

Shop the limited collection now online at Escuyer

London Denim

For this World Cup London Denim has made a tee-shirt for every single teams participating – yep that’s for all 32 countries, each t-shirt is made of a superior quality cotton and is produced in Portugal. They’re made in partnership with the UK’s No1 Eco Fashion factory so totally sustainable, and at £24 they’re 80% cheaper than our mainline collections. They’ve also added these fantastic women’s boyfriend Tees to our eco Graphic T World Cup collection.

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Saturday Night Fever Pitch by Simon Doonan

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Author Simon Doonan has two passions in life: Fashion and Football. At one time these two obsessions would have made very strange bedfellows. But times have changed: the unapologetic and unbridled style choices of today’s soccer stars offer a fascinating window into the heart of the game. Football and fashion have fallen in love.

Looking at the beautiful game through the lens of style, writer, columnist and football obsessive Simon Doonan celebrates the magic and madness of this unique culture with his distinctive laser wit and humour. Charting football style from its very beginnings, he pays homage to the great style icons of the game, from George Best to David Beckham, before turning his gaze to the hair, the tattoos and the cars, not to mention those other style icons of the game: fans, managers and of course, the WAGs.

Doonan’s hilarious observations are complemented by more than 230 photographs, making this a laugh-out-loud read for football fans and fashionistas alike.

You can purchase the book here

Louis Vuitton

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After South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014, Louis Vuitton is proud to announce its ongoing relationship with FIFA for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. The House is marking its third participation in the world’s biggest sporting event with brand-new projects.

The collection has a distinctive and playful look, created by using an innovative and highly technical embossing process on Louis Vuitton’s classic Epi leather. The collection includes new versions of Keepall and Apollo bags, two wallets, a pocket organizer, a coin purse, and luggage tags. The collection also sports a specially designed Louis Vuitton FIFA World Cup logo, while the initials “L.V”, in lettering first used on the personal trunks of Gaston-Louis Vuitton (1883-1970), are placed like a team badge. Continuing the House’s long tradition of personalization, an ingenious customization tool will give clients the chance to create original and unique flag-inspired coloured versions of the collection’s Keepall bags during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Customers can choose from one of 35 national flags, representing the 32 nations taking part in the World Cup and 3 others that have marked the competition’s history.

 

Hublot

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Limited to 2018 pieces, Hublot presents the Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Smart Watch, the ultimate accessory that all football and Hublot fans have been waiting for. Instantly connecting you to every decisive second of the matches being played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a much-anticipated innovation sees the watchmaker and the footballing universe collide to create a silhouette rendered in gleaming titanium that catches the light to frame a circular digital screen, connecting to your Android or smartphone for on-the-go style and instant match updates.

UMBRO

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Back in 1966, Umbro was all set to kit out all 16 teams in that summer’s world cup. John Humphreys, son of Umbro founder Harold, had travelled the world to arrange deals with all the competing nations.

However, when the tournament started, only 15 of the teams wore Umbro. The USSR arrived with their own kits rather than the agreed Umbro designs, which were then lost to history. This story is the inspiration behind a new lifestyle collection unveiled today – Unforgotten. Ahead of this year’s tournament in Russia, the new collection uses 1960s design, sportswear style and striking graphics to create a smart capsule.

The Lev range is inspired by possibly Russia’s greatest ever player, Lev Yashin, who was always played head-to-toe in black. Known as the Black Spider, Lev is still the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or, and was known for his dynamic, athletic style of play.

Shop the collection here

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The Rarest Supreme Archive Collection Yet – Ross Wilson x The Idle Man

WORDS BY ISAAC PERRY 

Supreme, as I’m sure many of you know, has dominated the streetwear fashion scene for a while, with the cult following increasing dramatically in the last couple of years. However one of the originals in the Supreme game Ross Wilson has opened his vault to the public boasting 1,000 plus garments and accessories, with 841 pieces available for the public to buy at Online retailer The Idle Man.

Ross was first introduced to the brand in 1994 on a trip to New York, where he was cruising around looking for a skate store when he happened to stumble upon Supreme, this was where the unintentional collection began, becoming one of the greatest Supreme wardrobes ever. The collection spans back to 1994 and contains everything from; Box Logo’s, Skateboards through to The North face Collaborations and friends and family items, showcasing a timeline since the birth of Supreme in clothing.

 

The Idle Man retail store in Leather Lane, London will open to the public on the 2nd and 3rd of February, presenting the exhibition to the public containing some of Ross’s favourite items from previous years and will allow newcomers to the streetwear world to experience the heritage of the brand. We were lucky enough to get a preview and one on one interview with Ross and here what he had today!

Who’s your inspiration in fashion?

‘I don’t necessarily have a celebrity influencer, I get inspired by the places I go to and the things I do. I’ve skated since I was a kid and it always been about freedom of expression in dressing and skating.

I’ve been a club DJ for a long time and I feel if you’re open-minded when it comes to music then your open-minded in fashion.’

Describe your personal style in three words?

‘Understated, Open minded’

Thoughts on the youth culture of Supreme?

Good on them, I say. If they’re passionate and believe in it goes for it. One of the reasons Supreme resonated with me was because everyone wearing it was in to what I was. If Supreme puts an older celeb on t-shirts, these kids are that enthusiastic about the brand they will research into them and this opens there eyes and they’ll begin to listen to their music, which is really cool in my opinion.

Your favourite Supreme item ever?

‘I’m actually wearing it now, funnily enough, The Hanes tee as its something which can be thrown on every day and the cut for me is just perfect’

Do you collect anything other than Supreme or Plan on?

‘I never actually planned on collecting Supreme it was just something I liked and stuck with and over time got a lot of it. I like other things such as skateboards, trainers and records, however, the aim of a collection is to get everything and that isn’t my aim.

What are your thoughts on the term Hypebeast?

I mean good for the brand hype beast, but I feel it’s now a derogatory term, it’s thrown around far too easily, yes some people do give into hype, but I saw someone comment on one of my posts saying ‘look at this hypebeast’ and they clearly just don’t understand the meaning.

Would you still buy Supreme in the future?

Yes, I love the brand, for me its up there with one of the greatest men’s wear brands ever with Ralph Lauren, A.P.C, I don’t care who wears it if they make interesting and creative products I’ll wear it.

Shop the collection at http://www.theidleman.com/supreme

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Celebratting Classic English Style – Jaeger Menswear AW17

British fashion brand Jaeger is back for AW17 with a range that effortlessly celebrates classic English style. the brand’s Autumn Winter collection encompasses sharp and clean structures and natural forms to reflect the London landscape.

The menswear range launches in August with ‘Earthed’ – autumnal hues and organic shapes give a relaxed and easy to wear feel to the transitional collection. Soft knits in ochre and merlot create warmth, while the forest green flannel shirt injects a heritage feel. Inspiration is drawn from aerial photography as shown in the textured stripes, which add depth and contrast to the earthy collection.

Here are some of our favourite pieces from the collection that would make a fine addition to anyone’s wardrobe for the upcoming season. From basic and casual to more higher-end, this collection has it covered.

Jaeger Bonded Geometric Mac

Jaeger Bonded Geometric Mac

 

Jaeger Merino Roll Neck

Jaeger Merino Roll Neck

Jaeger Check Flannel Shirt

Jaeger Check Flannel Shirt

‘Distortion’ launches for September, focusing on Italian inspired tailoring. Sharp cuts and architectural qualities translate into menswear as clean lines and distorted grid checks explore new approaches to tailoring. Coats are key as light camel shades are worn with the structured suits to make a statement.

Pieces are available in-store and at www.jaeger.co.uk

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Menswear to Serve – Sports Inspired Collections

WORDS BY CHARLIE BRITTON

The fashion industry has seen quite the rise in sportswear inspired garments in recent years with mega-trends such as ‘sports luxe’ and ‘Ath-leisure’ saturating the market. This sartorial mash-up of class and comfort expels the ‘fashion rule book’ as there simply are no boundaries. This summer really is no exception as brands release sportswear inspired collections, fit for occasion on and off the pitch and what a better time then just-in-time for good old Wimbledon.

Kent and Curwen

Creative director Daniel Kearns has clearly been quite busy in recent months. Working closely along side business partner and brand ambassador and the man himself, David Beckham, Kent and Curwen has produced a well liked and received SS18 collection, increased their brand awareness across the menswear fashion and retail scene and grown the brand’s strength from ageing and uncreative to well designed, expertly crafted and sought after.

Kent and Curwen

Creative Director Daniel Kearns and David Beckham

As seen from the interesting presentation that received a well deserved mention in our top LFWM collections which you can see here, Kent and Curwen has focused on a ‘teams’ inspired collection. Bringing in design and detail from different sporting events such as tennis and cricket, the collection has created a nostalgic and very British aura, something rather refreshing and good to see on the menswear scene.

Kent and Curwen

 

Although this is next Spring/Summers collection, Kent and Curwen’s current SS17 collection is still the perfect choice for today’s modern sportsman. From knitted striped tees to cotton cricket jumpers, the collection is bursting with British heritage and sportsmanship. What’s more, the collection is currently on sale, so make sure you check it out before its gone!

kent and curwen

Australian L’Alpina

A name often associated with sports, Australian L’Alpina was founded in 1946 and quickly became a recognisable player on the tennis scene.  The unique kangaroo motif may well be one of the more recognisable of heritage brand logos too and has continued to grow in popularity, both on and off the court.

This year, L’Alpina has teamed up with former British David Cup winner, James Ward, as the brand ambassador for this spring summer season. As James Ward steps back into the tennis scene, he has lead the latest collection of contemporary and timeless tennis garments perfect for a game on the grass or a drink at the pub.

Logo embroidered polo shirts with contrasting sleeves and heritage inspired track tops make up most of the collection, with L’Alpina sticking to their traditional style of design as they always have done best. Wearable for sporting occasions and causal occasions alike, this Summer17 collection defines Italian sportswear without the ridiculous price tag. The full Italian contemporary collection is available now on Australian L’Alpina.

Australian L'Alpina

Australian L'Alpina

Ellesse

Now a household name for the younger and older generation, Ellesse was started in 1959 and took pride in it’s Italian sportswear roots as it still very much does to this day. Initially starting with ski-wear, Ellesse quickly became an important name in the sporting world as it went on to sponsor the likes of Ferrari F1 and the New York marathon in the 1980’s.

Taking inspiration from Wimbledon itself, Ellesse has launched a tennis collection for men, with each garment appropriately named after a famous tennis sporting figure. The colourways of navy, blue and white keep the collection contemporary and up to date, whilst the Ellesse red and yellow logo stands out to create a nice finishing detail. At an extremely affordable price too, this is the perfect range to keep you on top of your game this summer, available now on Ellesse.

ellesse tennis collection