Quick fashion fix#1: smart jeans?

Because my life at the moment is ridiculously busy I have fewer chances to actually sit down and write. However i have decided to take advantage of my morning commute to offer these little morning thoughts on the world of fashion. 
Today’s topic, can jeans ever be smart?  Short answer? Kind of.  Look jeans are made from denim, denim as a fabric is rightly associated with work wear and specifically with the working class. Jeans were originally designed to be worn by men doing manual work, like so many style staples they were never meant to be fashionable. It wasn’t until the 50’s and the rise of the teenager with actors like James Dean and Marlon Brando that the Jean became a symbol of stylish working class rebellion. 

So if we look at it from a cultural point of view a pair of jeans will never be as smart as a pair of tailored trousers. That being said, times change and there are always exceptions to rules. While jeans are not going to be as smart as trousers there are jeans that you can wear with a smarter look to dress the whole thing down. 

So what makes some jeans smarter than others? The rule for smart jeans is a simple one: the darker the Jean, the smarter it is. So, keeping this in mind I would say that if you’re unsure about whether or not your jeans are smart then you have two options.

 The smartest and most preferable option is black. Black jeans are super versatile in that they go with absolutely anything and their dark colour means that from afar you can’t even tell that they are jeans. Be careful of things like faded washes and distressing though if you want to nail that smarter look. 

The second option you have is indigo. Indigo jeans, unlike black are more obviously jeans however they are dark enough to be considered smart. An indigo pair of selvedge jeans can look really good when paired with a complementary blazer and shirt. 

So jeans can be smart, but not really. Whether or not you can wear them in the office depends on the kind of office that you work in but if your boss is flexible or if you want to dress down a smarter weekend look then a pair of dark jeans are a fantastic option. 

Thanks for reading, I’ll be back soon. 

Timex X Red Wing

Affordable watch brand Timex has timed up with classic American Boot makers Redwing to create a unique collection of time pieces. The Collaboration that was previously only available in Japan and the US features three pieces including the 42mm Chronograph, the 40mm watch and the slightly smaller 38mm watch, all fitted out with Red Wing’s Rich, Rust coloured leather.

Very nice indeed. I’m in the market for a new watch and I am seriously impressed by this collection. Rugged yet sleek at the same time and best of all, very affordable with prices ranging from £79-£99.

Check out the collection below and let me know what you think!

 

New (old) From Adidas

Listen up kids, big sports companies like Nike and Adidas are always innovating with new technology and designs when it comes to their trainers, giving us the trainers that will become the classics of the futures. That though doesn’t matter because all we care about in the fashion world is the old classics because let’s face it. we’re all old romantics at heart.

Luckily for us Adidas have cottoned on this fact and have re released two classic Adidas silhouettes for us to enjoy all over again. Let’s take a closer look.

Rod Laver

The king is dead, long live the king. In terms of tennis shoes the Adidas Stan Smith has been the darling of the menswear world for a few years now; first popping up a few years ago they have sadly, become slightly played out.

Don’t worry though because there’s a new tennis shoe from Adidas out there named after a famous player; no these aren’t the “Tim Henmans” these are named for legendary Australian player and 11 time Grand Slam winner Rod Laver.

Originally designed for use on U.S hardcourt circuit the Rod Lavers are a little bit chunkier than the Stan Smiths featuring a thicker outsole. Chunky shoes are set to be a big trend this Autumn as well so the Rod Laver is already ticking boxes.

Elsewhere you can find a dirt repellent mesh upper with leather overlays as well as dirt repellent laces, which is good news if you like me struggle to keep your box fresh white trainers looking well, box fresh.

Overall I like the Rod Lavers, they look very similar to the Stan Smiths but with the mesh construction and the chunky sole they offer something a little different. Different is good.

 

Gazelle 

From 70’s Tennis to a 90’s classic. Sometimes a classic trainer doesn’t have to be created for use in a certain sport or in honour of a great player; sometimes they’re made simply because they look good.

This is the case for the Adidas Gazelle. The Gazelle for me is what I like to call a “lounge trainer”, which by that I mean a trainer so sleek and toned down that they look as if they are designed to be worn on a lazy Sunday rather than in the gym.

Featuring a pig skin  leather upper with synthetic overlays and a rubber outsole the Gazelle’s look and feel almost luxurious with the pig skin giving them the feel of a rich suede.

A sleek, classic silhouette that will serve you well on your more dressed down days.

Thanks for reading guys and I’ll see you next time.

 

A change in schedule

Just a quick update for everyone who reads this blog regularly, I really appreciate the both of you who take your time out of the busy day to read my rambling about the world of men’s fashion.

You may have noticed that there has been no content this week so far and I’ve been pretty hit and miss in general over the last few weeks or so. Some of you may have read the post I made about having some personal issues that were effecting my writing, while this has been true the reality is that I am busier and busier every day and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to commit to the schedule that I impose on myself.

In light of this I have decided that rather than giving you guys three sub par articles a week I will instead commit to give you two quality ones instead. These will be on Monday and Thursday every week and will hopefully allow me to keep doing the blog at the high level that I impose on myself.

Thanks for all your patience guys and I hope that we can build on this to create something truly special.

News! Brioni goes Metal

Some of the most prestigious fashion brands out there have been with us for almost a hundred years. That level of history brings with it a certain identity, something that is intangible but makes the brand instantly recognisable . History is all well and good, but it’s just that; history. Everything ends and everything changes from the Roman Empire all the way through to Saint Laurent. Every once in a while a brand hires a new creative director to shake things up. People like Tom Ford and Alessandro Michele at Gucci or Heidi Slimane at Saint Laurent.

Following on from this storied Italian suit makers Brioni shocked the industry when it announced that they had appointed street style star and Ladies-wear buyer extraordinaire  Justin O’Shea as it’s new creative director. A man who had no experience in a creative director role but had a big presence in the menswear world. We have been waiting with baited breath to see exactly what changes Mr. O’Shea is going to bring to Brioni.

The fist advertising campaign under his reign dropped yesterday on Business of Fashion and well, this may be one of the biggest re-brands since Slimane took over at Saint Laurent. The campaign for A/W 17 featured the clothes being modeled by none other than heavy metal legends themselves Metallica. So from sharp Italian tailoring to Gods of Rock n Roll. This re-brand is actually quite reminiscent of what Slimane did at Saint Laurent, where he took the brand and gave it a Rock n Roll edge, to much success.

Shot in black and white the campaign has a rock n roll influence but the Italian tailoring is still front and centre with the band being featured in evening suits in both off white and black. There will also be new shots coming of all the band members individually wearing a new style of suit being pioneered by Brioni called the ‘The Continental’ which according to the press release is an “amped up Italian style with Wider Shoulders, a narrower waist and a longer body”. A silhouette that gym rats around the world will welcome i’m sure.

The brand logo has also changed, or at least the font has. O’Shea has switched to a Gothic script which is very Heavy Metal and infuses the campaign with the feel that Brioni are obviously trying to put across.

What this all going to mean I don’t know. Let’s be honest it’s either going to work out or it isn’t but based on recent history of brand shake ups, specifically brand shake ups with a Rock n Roll edge we might be able to predict that the new Brioni is going to be an unqualified success. At the very least it’s going to make the Autumn Winter shows very exciting. I for one can’t wait to find out what happens next.

If you want more fashion content every week then sign up for Email updates with the button to your right.

Thanks for reading and I will see you on Saturday!

 

 

Ami Paris S/S 16 Lookbook

Wishlist #22- Cashmere Hoodie from Massimo Alba

What is it with girlfriends and stealing hoodies? Many a man has lost his prized hooded top to his girlfriend’s wardrobe. They never try to steal your shorts or something do they? My girlfriend is not happy with me though because I currently have no hoodies for her to steal; what a bad boyfriend I am.

The reason for my conspicuous hoodie-lessness is frankly I don’t like the majority of them and I have a bad taste in my mouth from seeing a parade of university hoodies on people in their mid 20’s at the gym.

It’s a bit of a no thrills piece of clothing but there is a place for the hoodie in your casual wardrobe and if I’m going to buy one that is both stylish and worth stealing I could do worse than this Cashmere hoodie from Massimo Alba.

Knitted in Italy from Melange Cashmere (a mixture of different kinds of cashmere) the hoodie comes in a simple navy colour and a regular fit. Simple. It’s the simplicity that I like, too many hoodies fall down because they have too much going on, and they try to do too much. Either that or they fall into the sporty category like Adidas or Nike which is fine but they limit what you can wear with it, you couldn’t for example wear a Nike Hoodie with a pair of tailored trousers without looking severely under-dressed.

The style and fabric of this hoodie from Massimo Alba means that it has more of a refined feel that will work with smarter clothes as well as more casual. The quality of the fabric also makes it sumptuously comfortable, perfect for lounging about the house in, or you know, sitting in your girlfriend’s wardrobe.

What to wear it with

You can style this in two different ways depending on whether or not you are going out or staying in. If I’m going out then I would start with a white collarless shirt (bang on trend) and pair it with a pair of navy tailored trousers. A pair of box fresh white tennis shoes finishes the look off.

If you’re staying in then I would recommend going for an entirely monochromatic look by teaming the hoodie with a navy t-shirt and a pair of a navy slim fit joggers. A pair off white 1970’s converse All Stars will finish the look off in case you need to pop to the shops.

The hoodie isn’t so bad after all is it? If you want to purchase this yourself you can do so here.

If you want more original fashion content every week then please give the blog a follow and check back on Monday.

 

 

 

A Lions and Wardrobes EU Referendum special

Today the people of the UK are going to vote to decide whether or not the nation should leave the European Union in what will be, perhaps, the biggest political decision of our lifetimes.

All sounds very serious doesn’t it? Don’t worry though because the following article will not effect your decision in any way.

What will happen though is that you will be amazed as I tenuously link one of the hottest political issues of the moment to the world of fashion in a shameless attempt to cash in on the future of an entire continent. This is what freedom is all about people.

So with the twin eagles of democracy and capitalism soaring in our collective hearts let’s take a whistle stop sartorial tour around the fashion capitals of Europe to see what Britain could be missing, or indeed what it will be glad to see the back of.

France

We start our tour with close neighbours and perennial rivals of Great Britain, France. Now as you can imagine there is a fair bit of friendly animosity between Britain and France, I mean after all we were at war for a hundred years at one point in our history which in case you were wondering, is a really really long time.

Recently though things have been much more amiable and France has given us some of the worlds most famous fashion houses like Saint Laurent, Chanel, Balmain and Berlutti. As well as the so called big boys the city of Paris is also home to up and coming brands like Acne Studios, Ami, A.P.C, Brooklyn we go Hard, The Kooples, Sandro, Maison Kitsune, Hartford prove that Paris is bubbling with creative energy

The French way of dressing, specifically the Parisian way of dressing has had a big influence over the world of fashion, it’s quite hard to decode; but the main tenants are a limited wardrobe, creatively putting together items, re-purposing of utilitarian garments and wearing it all with a sense of Gaelic Nonchalance.So, if Britain leaves the EU will we lose access to our beloved Saint Laurent skinny jeans? Possibly although the harder they are to get the more people will want to cop them. Could Brexit actually make you cooler?

Italy

Ahhhhh Italy, the home of Gucci, Brioni, Canali, Incotex, Loro Piana, Tod’s, the concept of Sprezzatura, Pitti Oumo and of course the elusive Pitti peacock.

Italy is the Godfather of the menswear world. In my opinion they dress better than anyone else in mainland Europe, they tread the line between the buttoned up style of the British and the trendy effervescence of the French to create something that is both well put together and at the same time artfully disheveled.

In menswear the goal is to try very hard on what you wear while looking like you haven’t tried at all, the art of being so cool that you just threw together a perfect look first thing in the morning with absolutely no prior thought at all. This is the essence of Sprezzatura. This is what the Italians bring to the table, they may not be as eclectic as the British or as cool as the French but they are the easiest to emulate.

Also Italy has pizza, so frankly I don’t see a downside to staying friends with them.

Germany

Yes. That Germany. Not traditionally one of the Fashion capitals of Europe. The food is also terrible. Germany does have one thing going for it in the style stakes though, Berlin. Berlin is a cool creative city full of cool creative people who spend their time doing cool and creative things. The city has a very distinctive style of grungy utilitarian pieces. Think Denim, boots and clean, efficient lines.

There’s no tailoring here which to be honest makes the city very exciting, it offers something different to the rest of Europe and it has none of the politics or history of Paris or Milan weighing it down. It is a melting pot of creativity and maintains a cool outsider status which makes it a bit of a cult favourite.

Britain

Now, on to the country of my birth, the cat among the pigeons, the turd in the punch bowl. The people who are going to potentially ruin this grand European party that everyone is having.

Britain, being an island both literally and figuratively has always been different from the rest of Europe; despite the grand Cathedrals and medieval history culturally we have always been more akin to our American cousins that the rest of Europe. We still use the imperial system of measurement, we drive on the opposite side of the road and quite frankly we look down our noses at the mainland Europeans.

That’s one side of Britain, the other, a side which is personified by the style seen in Britain is that of a cultural melting pot where cultures and sub cultures all come together to create something uniquely British.

Traditionally British style has been that of Saville Row, beautifully crafted structured tailoring, buttoned up and immaculate. That is no longer the case, there is honestly such a wide range of British style on offer that it is hard to pin down, it’s so eclectic and varied drawing from mainland Europe, Asia and America. From tailoring all the way down to streetwear, the British it could be argued are currently the best dressed men in the world.

Best dressed because we do what have been doing since the Empire, stealing from the rest of the world.

What is fashion saying

As you can probably tell I am pretty Pro European, I tried to be balanced in the sake of journalistic integrity before I quickly realised that I have none. My opinion though is largely irrelevant, the question is what is the rest of the fashion world saying about the referendum?

In a survey conducted by the British fashion council of designers the polls showed that 90% of British designers supported the remain campaign while just 10% did not. The recent London Collections Men was also highly political with a number of designers announcing their support for remain either through overt shows of support like the ‘In’ t-shirt that E. Tautz director Patrick Grant wore or through their collections like LCM favourite Christopher Raeburn who emblazoned the word ‘in’ on jumpers and outerwear.

Undecided?

I am not going to tell you how to vote; quite frankly I am grossly unqualified to do so. Ultimately though, if we stay it’s going to be easier to buy that Silk Gucci bomber jacket that you’ve had your eye on for so long. Is that really a price worth paying?

Tailoring in different colours

If you read this blog then you know that we here at Lions and Wardrobes like a bit of tailoring, in fact we positively love it. If you read this blog regularly then you probably love it to; with that in mind it’s time to have a conversation about suiting. But not as you know it.

Traditionally the colours in tailoring have been limited to grey, black, navy and at a push blue. If you go to anywhere that sells off the peg tailoring then you’re more than likely going to be greeted with the aforementioned options; sure there may be some suits available in a check or stripe but overwhelmingly you are faced with variations of the same four options.

The reason for this is that they arguably look the best and are the most acceptable options in terms of work and events. We’re here to tell you however that this isn’t the be all and end all of the tailoring world and there in fact some alternative colour options that both look smart and allow you to stamp a bit of personality on your tailoring.

Brown

Brown is perhaps the easiest of the alternate colours to wear and in my opinion looks the best. If you are looking for a brown suit then you have to choose the correct shade of brown, personally we think that dark, richer browns like a chocolate brown or a shade of tobacco work the best.

A brown suit works because the colour is subtle yet different, there is a richness to brown which adds an area of interest without it being too apparent that there you are wearing something out of the ordinary. People may not even notice that your suit is brown until they do a double take.

The colour pairs well with a blue shirt, navy tie and black shoes. We would advise avoiding any shades of lighter brown as you can either end up looking a bit ‘tweedy’ or you cross the line into tan suiting and we all know how much stick Obama got after her wore than tan suit.

Green

When we say Green for suiting we mean very specific shades of green, notably bottle green. The darker the green the better so that at first glance people can’t tell that you’re suit is in fact green. No bright green St Paddy’s day novelty suits here.

A bottle green suit works in the same way that a brown suit does; subtle yet different. If you’re struggling with the concept imagine a midnight blue tuxedo, often worn instead of black because in the right levels of low light it actually looks darker and in the light, it adds some much needed personality.

A green suit works equally well with a number of different colours including light blue and white. You could even try a navy shirt with black shoes and no tie for a fun option

If you would like an example of how well a green suit can work then look no further than Mr. Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Burgundy

A little bit of a change of track here; unlike green or brown there is nothing subtle about a burgundy suit. Traditionally burgundy works really well when worn as evening wear either as a traditional dinner suit or as a velvet jacket with Dark trousers. It’s a very rich colour that isn’t very subtle but it does work for day time suiting as well, you will get comments about the colour of your suit as there is no mistaking a burgundy suit but it can add an air of personality and nonchalance to your tailoring. I would save it for events only though; a burgundy suit is too much for the office.

A burgundy suit, like most things will work with a white shirt however it looks particularly good when matched with a dark blue colour. For the shoes I would always opt for a pair of polished black derbies, they work best with the burgundy colour and they help to ground the suit.

It’s to get caught up in the tradition of tailoring and not realise that there are in fact other ways of doing things. The suits that I’ve described above will not make up the majority of your suiting options but they offer playful yet stylish alternatives that will make you stand out and give your tailoring a much needed injection of personality.

Baseball Caps S/S16

Hats as you well know are the hardest thing to get right in menswear; it’s very easy to look like you’re trying entirely too hard. Take the fedora for example, if you don’t have the confidence or nous to pull it off you can look over dressed at best and comical at worse.

The most accessible of hats to wear is the baseball cap, accessible because it comes with none of the historical connotations of the fedora or flat cap and honestly is much more prevalent in today’s society

If you’re new to hats then I would definitely recommend starting off with the baseball cap; not only is it fairy easy to wear and style but it’s also one of the biggest accessory trends for S/S16 with baseball caps featuring prominently on catwalks for designers like Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Calvin Klein and Balmain.

Despite being the easiest to wear of all the hats there are still some things that you have to consider before choosing the right hat and how to wear it, let’s take a look.

Snapbacks

The snapback hat over the last decade has become arguably the most popular of all the baseball caps not least because of it’s prominence in the world of hip hop. The snapback is called so because of it’s fastening at the back; a line of small studs allow you to adjust the size of the cap by ‘snapping’ it in to place as required.

Other characteristics of the hat include rigid panels on the top and a straight brim (although this can be bent). My personal feelings on the snapback are largely lukewarm, it’s not that I don’t think they can look good it’s just that I feel they don’t suit me or the way I dress.

The hip hop connotation that the hat gives is fairly strong and if you do not fit in to that aesthetic it can be difficult to pull off. A variant of the trucker cap that may be easier to wear is the trucker cap. Similar in construction the trucker cap differs in the fact the back panel is instead made of mesh and the connotations are less hip hop and more well, truckers. Much easier to appropriate.

Dad caps

I call these dad caps because well, dads wear them. Luckily for us though stuff your dad wears has suddenly become cool.

The term dad cap is of course a bit of misnomer, and actually refers to what I would call “traditional baseball caps” which would be characterized by a back fastening which is either fixed or adjustable by tab; the top of the hat features soft paneling and the brim of the hat is curved.

This is my preferred style of baseball cap, I think the almost crumpled and disheveled look of the hat gives it an air of Sprezzatura and unlike the snapback the dad cap is much easier to wear; particularly if you don’t often wear caps. It’s minimal and thus it is versatile.

Fabric

The biggest new trend in baseball caps this season is in the use of different, richer fabrics. Hats crafted from fabrics like leather, suede and wool were seen at the shows last year and throughout this year on street style blogs.

Richer fabrics like this add an extra dimension to the baseball cap and bring it away from the world of the casual and more towards a certain kind of sophistication. Suede caps are a personal favorite of mine; they add some texture to a look without being over the top.

Styling

For me styling a baseball cap is all about minimalism. Whether you choose the snapback or the dad cap I would suggest opting for something with as little branding as possible; a small logo is acceptable but I find that excessive decals can draw too much attention to the hat.

The colour of the hat depends entirely on what you are wearing and whether or not you would like to make a statement with the cap or just have it naturally melt in to the rest of your outfit. You should always try to choose a complementary colour to the rest of your outfit; an easy way to do this is to choose a monochrome as these colours will match with most things.

My idea for an outfit would be to take some black slim or skinny jeans and pair it with a light grey long sleeve top with a granddad collar. I would then finish the look off with a navy bomber jacket and a complementary navy dad cap. A nice leather strap watch would work well with this, as would a pair of off white converse Chuck Taylor’s or something similar.

This outfit works because it consists of an entirely monochrome pallet that contrasts with each other subtly yet complement each other at the same time; the fact that the cap matches the bomber jacket gives the look a grounding point and stops the whole outfit looking mismatched.

The individual pieces are also all style essentials which is why I opted for the dad cap, this is a look that is classic, it needs something toned down in the hat department to make it work.

Baseball caps seem pretty simple but as we’ve just discovered the world of fashion is rarely so easy. If you enjoyed my look at baseball caps then please check by on Monday for more original fashion content.