CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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Ideal gifts for Kids

X-boxes, i-Pads, Playstations and Nintendos are all good and well and don’t get me wrong they have their place in gifting. But you won’t find them in this Gift guide, NO, we’ve decided to take it back and look at gifts that Santa himself would relish taking down the chimney. So if your stuck for something to buy for the lil tikes in your life, then here you go, plus we’ve selected gifts that, you know, you might even have some fun and enjoy yourself with.

 

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom we’re going to the moon in this Cardboard Rocket by Cardboardtoys.com. OK maybe don’t leave it outside over night, not in this weather.

 

The Force will be strong in you if you go for some of the great clothes for kids of a younger age group from sotinylondon.com With images as diverse and iconic as Stone Roses, Star Wars, The Rolling Stones and Batman amongst others, have your offspring looking the coolest in the playground.

 

You can’t beat a board game after a spot of Roast dinner and before a turkey and stuffing sandwich and what better board game the the daddy of them all Monopoly. But this is no ordinary Monopoly, ohhh no, this is Monopoly Millionaire. Your playing with the big boys now.

 

Go all Retro on them and go for some Swedish Hasbeen shoes.

 

What kid wouldn’t want to wake up on Christmas Morn and have the Millennium Falcon in LEGO to play with and if you wanted to “help” build it, I’m sure it would be appreciated and maybe even play with it on your own at some point, even.

 

What boy or girl, no matter their age, could resist this Multi play Table from Tesco.com games from table football to pool and ping pong !!!!

 

Anyone for Quidditch ? Of course in the Gryffindor stripe ! This was one of the recommendations from Harrods themselves !

 

The hot toy for this Yuletide is a bit of a retro throw back in Furby, it was annoying in the 1990’s and if anything they are even more so now, but with more technological advances !!!

 

They’ll be rockin around the Christmas Tree when they see this great Rocking Horse pendant by Ted Baker

 

Yee-ha Cowboy jump on the back of Jnr Bobbin from Joules

 

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Short, back and sides please – The return of the barber shop in a shop

The Murdock London Barber Shop at the Shop at the Bluebird in London

The Art-Deco inspired Tommy Guns barber shop at the Superdry flagship store

Regular readers of Clothes-make-the-man.com may have noticed of late a trend developing at menswear retailers with the addition of a traditional barber shop, but with the all important, contemporary twist, in their flagship store. However, this isn’t a new phenomenon, for years bastions of traditional department stores such as Selfridges, Harrods and some of the more old school House of Fraser stores such as the former Kendals in Manchester, have all boasted grooming emporiums to answer any possible requirement the dapper gent may request.

Nevertheless, the style pendulum has well and truly swung back in favour of the traditional barber shop experience. In the last few months alone we have seen the brilliant Murdock London open at the uber trendy Shop at the Bluebird on the Kings Road in London and then only last week we had Ted Baker inviting us to experience his Turkish inspired Ottoman Lounge, as you fans of Clothes-make-the-man.com will know only too well.

Mr Natty himself, Matt Raines at Albam

Nonetheless, these retailers are far from being on their own on this particular grooming tip. TopMan have enlisted the service of top barbers Sharps, as too have Ben Sherman who are soon to open this service in their Islington, London store . Superdry have opted for the grooming skills of Tommy Guns for their retailing flagship stores. Tommy Guns are particularly known for creating a striking environment that blends heritage Barbershop influences, faux narratives and modern day craftsmanship to their hair cutting prowess. And those guardian of No 1 Savile Row themselves, Gieves & Hawkes are a dedicated contemporary oasis within their traditional male haven, maned by Gentlemen’s Tonic.

Also, we have seen the likes of Albam, yes trendsetters extraordinaire Albam, who have been offering the unique services of Matt Raines and his Mr Natty brand within their stores.

And for our Irish readers, or if planning a trip to the Emerald Isle, the wonderfully stylish Brown Thomas have recently opening their own grooming enclave in Brown’s offering packages from the ‘10 minute Quick Fix’ and the ‘40 Minute Rejuvenation’

Although, the first time I saw this new modern day trend, of a return to the barber’s chair within a men’s shopping experience was with the Mancuian style gurus Oi Polloi. Who for years in their original store, had queues out their door waiting to take advantage of their single barber’s chair.