The Dapper Look: French Connection and Ted Baker.

This season it’s all about looking sharp and looking dapper. Gone are the days where you can get away with throwing on a pair of jeans and a hoodie to stroll down the high street, this Spring / Summer it’s all about taking pride in your appearance. This look is definitely combing itself with the “military” style with collections using more neutral / earthly tones to create outfits that scream “care taken to dress this morning”. Two of the biggest high street brands that have always fused the clean cut style are French Connection (FCUK) and Ted Baker, for years they’ve always infused their collections with a dapper style giving off oozes of confidence.

As previously mentioned in an earlier blog post, the trench coat is a staple for any wardrobe. This season is the perfect opportunity to invest in a good quality trench coat as they appear dapper and combine the look of World War I military. For the skinnier man I advise in purchasing a trench coat with a belt to draw the figure in and add feature around the waist. French Connection has the classic black trench coat available for £150. I cannot advise how important this is for any stylish man's wardrobe!

(http://www.frenchconnection.com/product/Man+Collections/50AB3/Storm+Terry+Mac.htm)

For the (cough)larger(cough) male, it’s important not to have a coat that goes lower than the hips unless you definitely know how to wear it. (Otherwise that beer belly will just make you look pregnant). French Connection seems to be catering for all shapes and sizes and the larger male can look just as fashionable in their “Corporal Jacket”. Even though it does have a belt, the many pockets will allow the eye to be drawn away from the larger figure. Again, priced at £150 it definitely is a staple item for your wardrobe.

(http://www.frenchconnection.com/product/Man+Collections+Bestsellers/55AN3/Corporal+Jacket.htm)

A major mistake for the older man (anyone over the age of 25) is the “white trainers and jeans” look. There is nothing worse than see a perfectly dressed gent and them looking down to see a pair of shiny white trainers. No, no and no! Unless you’re a teenager or a student it’s should not be happening. It’s all about boots and shoes this season. French Connection have the perfect example of neutral boots. The “Arid Dessert Boot” can be worn with jeans (or for an edgier look, try them with flesh / cream tone shorts). For just £75 these suede lace ups can transform you from trainer teen to booty bloke.

(http://www.frenchconnection.com/product/Man+Collections+Shoes/TFAE3/Arid+Desert+Boot.htm)

One of my favourite ideas this Summer is to mix and match style with practicality. Therefore, it’s a good idea to mix a slim fit shirt with a pair of shorts and plimsolls or casual shoes. For an even more preppy look, add a tie and polo knit jumper to it, throw in a pair of sunglasses and you’re set to have heads turning.


Ted Baker’s neutral shirt is perfect for this look...


Mix it with these denim turn up shorts...


And throw on this tank top to give that preppy edge to your Summer outfit.

Ted Baker definately is the place to shop for shirts this season (and pretty much any other season). With their famous floral designs they are perfect for the working day and the nightlife partying. With prices starting from around £65, it's definately worth taking a trip to your nearest boutique.

And on that note, I leave you with one tip. Mix style with practicality for an infusion of fashion and individuality.

Bags for all Occasions

We've all been there, we're going out and we have a lot to carry; so much in fact that there's not enough pockets in the world to cater for your three wallet, Blackerberry, iPod, notepad, stationary, train tickets, tissues, chewing gum and every other piece of junk you own. There's always a slightly scary sight of anyone over the age of 12 with a turtle back rucksack and (in my opinion) they should be banned except for mountain climbers and little kids. Women have a million options for handbags yet us men aren't too aware of all the options we have. For one, there's the drawstring (perfect for the gym), the messenger bag (perfect for a casual day out), the pouch (ok, slightly chavvy but we can dress it up), the holdall, the newsboy's bag and (dare I say it?) the bumbag!

Now, bags don't tend to go out of fashion very quickly, I mean, look at the messanger bag, it's been around for what seems like centuries: therefore I highly reccomend investing in the more expensive bags that will last centuries in your wardrobe.

My favourite style of bag is the messenger bag, it is worn with one strap over the shoulder and then drapped around the lower back. It is very contemporary and can be dressed up or down to make for a laptop carrier at work or a day out bag with the family. Ok, what type of journalist would I be for running an article on bags and not mentioning the renowned Louis Vuitton? One of my favourite messanger bags this Spring is in the LV collection. Entitled "Roman GM", this bag is heavenly, made from leather and detailing the Louis Vuitton label across the strap this bag is perfect for the more sophisticated man wanting to ooze confidence, at a wallet deepening price of £1,190 not everyone's gooing to want to buy it, but after many hours searching the net and shopping in a million stores I genuinly can't find another similar bag that offers such quality. If you've found one, please do let me know! (Leave a comment, Twitter me, email me etc and I'll feature it and you!)

(Can be brought from: http://www.louisvuitton.com/web/flash/index.jsp;jsessionid=3QLBG3CQRTQ1KCRBXUDVAFYKEG4RAUPU?direct1=ebou&langue=en_GB&buy=1)

The next type of bag is appropriate for travelling, it's called "the holdall" and is pretty self explanatory. My favourite is available from Ted Baker for the small(er) sum of £55.


(http://www.tedbaker.com/gifts/men%27s/80238-micro_check_document_bag/detail.aspx)

This bag is definately for anyone of any style, the light grey tones really add a sense of Spring to any outfit and differ fro mthe usual blacks. Another bonus is that it definately doesn't appear to be a tacky holdall brought from a camping store. Top marks for Ted Baker for this bag!

Now, a bag for the students wanting to inject some colour into learning!


(http://www.tedbaker.com/accessories_+_shoes/men%27s/bags/80242-flight_bag/detail.aspx)

Drawing on the style from aircraft pilots this bag really screams "SUMMER!" to me. With the use of white and blue this bag really brightens up an outfit and can also draw the eye away from any disasters going on with a garment. Once again priced £55 it seems Ted Baker is the place to be for bag buying this season.

Similar styles (and prices) can be seen in FCUK and TopMan's collections:
http://www.frenchconnection.com/product/Man+Collections+Accessories+Bags/TBAA3/Airline+Pu+Shoulder+Bag.htm

http://www.topman.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=17551&storeId=12555&categoryId=172032&parent_category_rn=39002&productId=1480823&langId=-1

For any man going to the gym or doing any sort of sport, they're going to need a bag to carry equipment in. If a holdall is too big, we go to the "drawstring". Republic has some classic drawstring bags available for a small price. My favourite being this "gym sack bag" by Soul Cal for £5.99.


(http://www.republic.co.uk/Bags+Wallets/Soul-Cal-Gym-Sack-Bag/invt/78845)
What more can I say? Simple, practical, affordable. Get your credit card out and order it immediately!

Bizarrely it appears that male tote bags are becoming more and more popular, I'm not too keen on this idea (yet) but I suppose as more a more fashion houses bring them into their collections the idea might take off and be the next fashion must have (or an epic fail like male poncho's!)

(Check out TopMan's tote bag and let me know what you think:
http://www.topman.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=17551&storeId=12555&categoryId=172032&parent_category_rn=39002&productId=1619805&langId=-1)

I've had my fair share of disasters with bags in the past. Everything from snapping off my back and breaking, leather being scratched off within a week, buying overpriced bags then finding them in a half price sale the next week and overloading my bag to the point it looses it's shape. I don't want anyone to become a victim of any of these natural disasters, therefore I've included a list of rules.


Rule number one of bags: Bumbags need to be destroyed, they are not acceptable even if you are a tourist.

Rule numer two of bags: Never overload you bag, it'll loose it's shap and look bulky.

Rule number three of bags: Invest in a top of the range bag for long lasting and quality.

Rule number four of bags: Supermarket carrier bags are not acceptable. Sometimes designer shopping bags are. (Except JD Sports bags, come on, you're not a 13 year old chav plus they break easily.)

Rule number five: The colour of your bag should match the colour of your t shirt (if a jacket is worn) or the colour of your other accessories if not coat / jacket is worn.

Finally, rule number six: Think before buying. Is it a good price? Will it last? Can I fit everything I need to in it? Is it stylish? etc.

I hope you've enjoying my little "bags" artcile. Let me know what you think and share some of your bag disasters.

The Trench Coat

We see them in almost every shop, whether it's a high street store like Topman or a more luxury store like Burberry but wherever we look, we can't escape them... It's the single must have of every male (and female) wardrobe: The Trench Coat.

Time for a history lesson: originally made for practical reasons during the First World War, the trench coat was designed by Burberry for the use of Officers in World War I, over the time it was adapted to suit the needs of World War II and was soon seen in other countries. Since 1901 (when the design was first submitted) it has evolved into one of Burberry's iconic designs and has been developed by pretty much every other fashion designer in the world (atleast in the UK and New York).

After browsing trench coats from Daks to Jaeger, Topman to Burberry and Asda to H&M my personal favourites are in the lighter colours, however, they work just as good in the blacks and navy's. As we move into Spring it's advisable for a more of a "jacket" than a "coat", a perfect example of a navy jacket trench coat can be grabbed from Topman for £60 and is sure to keep you going for the next three or more seasons. (http://www.topman.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=17551&storeId=12555&categoryId=56915&parent_category_rn=38994&productId=1668004&langId=-1) Perfect for anyone looking for style but an affordable price tag and any male of any size. Definately for the casual look, dress it up with a pair of dark (but not black) jeans and smart black shoes you're ready to hit the swankiest bar in the city (plus it's perfect to wear to work over the usual office attire.)

Now, for those wanting to splash the cash you simply MUST have an iconic Burberry trench coat in their lighter colours, the creams work well to inject a bright atmosphere into those Autumn 2010 styles. For a price of £1659 you can grab yourself this magnificent number: http://uk.burberry.com/fcp/product/clothing-accessories/coats/single-breasted-ruched-leather-trench-coat/10000009835?colour=trench&lastcategoryurl=true . With minimal buttons, large pockets and cream leather this coat really gives off the "relaxed yet perky, stylish yet classy" look. However, not for the larger male as the belt will make that beer gut more revealing. Dress it with some Italian styled leather shoes and darker (try to stay away from black, keep to rich tones of brown) trousers this look will definately have heads turning as you grab your morning coffee for work.

These are just two of the coats that are out there, quickly walking Armani Exchange last weekend I noticed they were appearing in those windows. Topman always have an array of the jacket styles and Selfridges is always a good place to look (they have an affordable hight street section and an upper market design section).

Now, if you haven't got one already I suggest you hurry quickly to the nearest high street. You can easily nab one from GAP for £70 or for £60 from H&M. Not only is the "military" style becoming hot this season, your trench coat is sure to remain in your wardrobe for a long time as it provides a classic smart - yet modern look for any respectable gent living and/or working in the city. After testing and trying many trench coats I'd suggest going for one of the upper high street price ranged ones from designs such as Firetrap and Ted Baker, not only will you have it for the rest of your life (a good investment), the performance quality is much better than one grabbed off the rails at Asda, and the style / cut / material / overall look tends to be better when you splash the cash.