CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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Smarten yourself up this party season – The Velvet Jacket

The Christmas party season is nearly upon us and its cranking itself up to be a big one this Yuletide, whether you want to impressive your boss or another work colleague at the annual office party or if you want to cut a dash and look the part on Christmas Day while watching Downton Abbey. One piece of clothing that guarantees to transform any outfit into a sophisticated, suave look, worthy of any event, whether that be held at the Dorchester to the Dog & Duck, is the Velvet blazer. The Menswear sector of the Fashion industry are in complete agreement, from the catwalks of Milan and New York to the high Streets of Carlisle and Coventry, they all adore this piece for Winter 2012.

If it isn’t broken don’t try to fix it, Channel your inner milk tray man in this Black Velvet blazer by Ted Baker

 

Always one to perfect Traditional with a twist Paul Smith’s Brown Velvet blazer can be found @ MRPorter.com

 

Look Super cool in this Wine coloured double breasted Velvet jacket by ACNE exclusively for MRPORTER.com

 

A Contemporary Classic this Navy Velvet jacket by Austin Reed Cut

 

Any a purple haze to the Yuletide thanks to Marks & Spencer

 

Be a little different and stand out from the crowd in a good way in this Emerald Green piece by Tiger of Sweden @ Selfridges

 

A beautiful timeless Navy piece which will make you feel $1,000,000 by Reiss

 

 

 

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Shoes for a long-ish hot-ish Summer – AskAnt

Good day fellas, it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve done an AskAnt and the requests and pleas had started to mount up so I though I better pull me sleeves up, and help the good men folk out there. This week’s enquiry came via our twitter account, Clothesmakethem, for those of you interested. Young Donkey has asked ;

OK then, so let’s get this straight Donkey, you don’t want trainers, you don’t want boat shoes, nor toms or sandals nee flip-flops, I really don’t think you’re a work boot and shorts kinda guy. So, this might leave some lesser bloggers stumped, but no sir not me. Right then, off we go, the weather’s kinda starting to warm up, well some days anyway and with that comes that whole pandora’s box of problems of, what to wear with shorts, are shorts appropriate to wear to work, milk bottle legs, I could go on and on.

Anyway, first off, always a classic, or maybe an original is Clarks Originals Desert boots. They come in countless colours, suede, leather, striped, checker board and even Union jack. The Desert Boot is pretty much seasonless and is versatile enough that you can wear it with a suit, jeans or even shorts. Plus, obviously you can pay a pretty penny for them but overall Desert Boots, particularly Clarks Originals are really good value for money and super comfy.

Option 2, I’d advise you to look at the good old, Plimsoll and automatically when you think of Plimsolls you think of Converse. Now like the Desert Boot, the Plimsoll is unbelievably versatile and nowadays can be dressed up with a suit or dressed down with a pair of shorts. The overriding great thing with Converse is you can be conservative and go with simple white, in the Jack Purcell’s, who were launched by the badminton player in 1935 and you’d ask why not who wouldn’t, they’re a design classic that should be in every man’s wardrobe as a staple. Now, the other choice is you can be as adventurous as you want as they offer you the chance to design your own at their website http://www.converse.co.uk/. But I have to say, my personal preference has to be with their designer collaborations. Now their Missoni Chuck Taylor’s (or high tops as their more widely known) might not be everyone’s cup of tea but take a look at their John Varvatos tie up, available at, amongst others, www.MrPorter.com

Your final option is, a little leftfield and certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but what I’m going to present to you is the Mock or Mocks.  They come in an array of hues and are inspired by moccasins (if you hadn’t guessed), these lightweight Driving shoe hybrid feature a lemon scented, odour resistant Coolmax insole, which I thought would be ideal, particularly with your urban cycling. The super lightweight Mock is available from branches of Schuh.

So YoungDonkey, all that is left for me to do is to tell you, the choice is yours ??? Do let us know what your decision was and  join us again soon for another style clinic.

A.M.

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Be the apple of your Father’s eye – Father’s day gift guide

Which images best captures your Father/Son relationship ?

I’m sorry, I forgot there’s no need to sulk, jeez, it’s not the end of the world !

Some day dad I’m gonna be just like you !

Ahhhh someone to look up to

June 17th, yes that date’s marked in your diary but why, why ? %$£& It’s Father’s Day ! So to save you the hassle of running round like a demented lun in and out of every store from here to Timbuktu, Clothes-make-the-man.com has come to your rescue, yet again. Ohh and please don’t leave it til the last minute and have to settle for whatever they’ve got left at the service station, no one wants a day glo travel neck pillow, particularly not your dad !

So here’s all you need to know to keep your ole Pa happy and keep in his good books for a couple of more months.

1) Whether young or young at heart, any Dad is gonna be over the moon with this lil blinder of a gift and if my daughter is reading this, your Daddy would be very happy with a personalised Polo Shirt from Ralph Lauren. Take advantage of the Design Your Own service at Selfridges Manchester, Trafford and London, Oxford St from where you can have up to three initials embroidered onto the classic sleeved custom fit polo. With endless combinations, choose the colour of your shirt and monogram to create a truly bespoke gift, presented in a luxury box.

2) Old reliable and always a winner, Alcohol in its many different formats, OK I’m not suggesting a six pack of Kestrel Super Strength, but something a little more on the classy side. How about a descent bottle of whiskey, personally I’m a fan of a touch of the Irish variety, OK that was another personal hint again, sorry. But how about a wee dram of Macallan. The famed luxury single malt whisky from Elgin, has worked with photographic legend Annie Leibovitz and the Elgin native and star of Trainspotting & Grey’s Anatomy, Kevin McKidd on a unique project which will be available in Septemeber, more to follow on that at a later date.

Now if whisky isn’t your Dad’s poison of choice how about a case of Real ale ? God bless them over at Marks & Spencer, because there’s no better way telling your Dad how great he is than a Great British Ale selection. They are offering a mixed case of 20 bottles featuring the very best from across the UK with five bottles of each… Sussex Golden Ale, Cambridgeshire Summer Ale, Norfolk Bitter and Cornish Ale.

3) Now if you’re looking for something a little different from norm how about this Poker set from Thomas Lyte, now I’m not condoning gamble or for your Dad to squander your inheritance but, this set is packaged in a beautiful way and could start a new form of Father son bonding over a traditional Poker nite.

4) Now if sophistication is what your after for Father’s day, look no further then Derek Rose, the Rose family have been designing and making luxury men’s pyjamas since the 1920’s and we remain as passionate about these wonderful pieces today as they were all those years ago. The cut and style used in the pattern to make their pyjamas is a question of balancing form and function – Rose wants the pyjamas to look good but also understands they need them to be as comfortable as possible. Naturally the cut is a generous fit so that when one sleeps in a pair of Derek Rose pyjamas they are not restrictive.

5) Like Alcohol, you really can’t go wrong with After Shave, which actually does contain a fair amount of alcohol come to think if it, but seriously don’t try and drink it, it not good and it’s not clever. Now there are two routes you can take here, first, the traditional, retro, cheeky, ironic and slightly tounge in cheeky, but offering a truly masculine scent and available in gift sets literally everywhere, go for Brut. Then the second, is for a Dad who likes to look his best, look no further than the Lab Series Skincare for Men gift set. This set includes a selection of bestselling, essential products. Multi Action Face Wash, Maximum Shave Comfort Cream and Daily Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 15.

6) Now for this option, I always think there’s a golden rule to adhere to, keep it simple and keep it classic and you can’t go wrong, when it comes to cufflinks. Like novelty socks & underwear, the same is with cufflinks, there is NEVER a good time for them or for them to be given as a gift. These chic pair from Hackett are so versatile and would literally go with anything.

7) For the gift that keeps on giving, no not book vouchers, but a wallet, you can’t do much wrong if you go for this great understated number from Burberry available at MRPORTER.com. This piece has a low-key yet luxurious design that is ideal for everyday use. The two note pouches and eight card slots provide ample space for any daily requirements you may need.

8) When it comes to technological gifts for Father’s Day, there’s one gadget that has to be on pretty much every Dad’s wish list and that is of course, the iPad. Now in these tight times, not everyone is as flush as we would like and as much as we’d love to splash out on dear ole Pop, there is a way to wet his appetite and give you some breathing space to save up and to recruit other family members to chip in for a group Christmas iPad. There are some brilliant iPad cases out on the market, in, well, one size but lots of colours. One of my favourite comes from Mulberry, although it ain’t cheap it’s seriously impressive and will make Dad the envy of the office, when he whips it out in a meeting.

9) OK then next up is the matter of wanting to get Dad something that looks like you’ve spent countless hours of thought on a gift without it costing you a small fortune, well I’ve got just what you need. Symthsons of Bond Street has been producing some of the best stationery supply, no not bics & staplers, but beautiful note pads, diaries & address books since 1887. Smythson was granted a Royal Warrant to Her Majesty the Queen in 1964. Other warrants followed: HRH The Prince of Wales in 1980, HM The Queen Mother in 1987, and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 2002. While holding the Queen Mother’s Warrant, Smythson was one of only eight companies in the world to hold all four Royal Warrants at the same time. Their note pads have to be seen to be believed, Wine notes, Little black book and Director’s notes all come in equally vibrant colours. For Father’s day I’ve chosen the rather apt, “Daddy Cool” note book.

10) Finally, every Dad, no matter what his age, quite fancies himself and loves to dress himself up, whether that be for a drink down the pub or a swanky dinner in an impressive eating establishment. Now whatever your budget may dictate you can supply him with something, that he can boast is a gift from his offspring, it can be a tie, a shirt, socks, but I would suggest taking a look at the footwear range from one of the most respected stylish retailers, Ted Baker, which has an added bonus of, it won’t break the bank either. Psst, carry on reading for an added bonus, that’ll be to good to refuse, promise !

So, if that hasn’t given you food for though than nothing will, but we at Clothes-make-the-man.com can only help you if you help yourself, don’t leave it to the last minute. Now, if you ignore our words of wisdom and fancy getting your hands on a rather impressive Father’s day gift we have the above to offer you lucky, lucky, lucky chaps. Yes we have 3 pairs of the Ted Baker Abcak boat shoes, for your delectation. All you need to do is click on the Follow button on your screen, input your email address and confirm the email sent to you or Follow @Clothesmakethem on TWITTER between now and 9am (GMT) on Wednesday 13th and you could be making your Dad a very happy chappie with this gift winging its way to you in time for Father’s Day on Sunday. Good Luck fellas !