CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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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.

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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 !