WOVEN FOOTWEAR

A couple of months ago I posted about the spring/summer footwear trends to look out for on the high st and one of the key fabric options for fringe detailed shoes, featured on the catwalk was woven leather. Burberry used the style heavily in their S/S12 catwalk show.

This look has now become a trend of it's own with numerous retailers adopting the 1970's inspired style and working it onto loafers, espadrilles, sandals and formal footwear options.

To get the1970s inspired look go for a woven shoe in tan. This colour will go with the current Aztec trend and the global traveller look.

CHESS LONDON LAUNCH

By Adam Bennett

So I was lucky enough to get an invite to the launch of Chess London’s first collection at Home House, in London’s Portman Square last week. Glass of Moet – check. Stylish Crowd – Check. Good Venue – check. Cool – ish “miniature” food. Check.

You get the idea.

I took along a friend of mine called David who is a fantastic web designer and works a lot with the Premiership. He always dresses nicely, better than me anyway, so I thought I’d take along someone who would be seen as a Chess London client and get his take on it.

Our first impression of the clothing was good – it’s approachable, wearable, every-day sort of clothing. Classic lines, earthy colour pallete made up of what most of us wear on a daily basis – navy, white, grey and taupe. If I’m completely honest upon first impressions, it didn’t blow me away. Only when I got up close, felt the products and seen the detailing did it strike me what a cool brand this is! Then I was sold.

It looks normal but it’s not, so if you’re one for shouting about labels then it’s probably not for you. If you’re someone who enjoys comfort and quality-feeling fabrics then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t invest in a few pieces. It’s endorsed by numerous athletes and footballers (I'll try not to hang around this point too much as I’m sure that actually detracts from the want to wear it – I'm sure none of us want to dress like the average premiership footballer). Whilst these are handsome men, fashion-wise I'm not so sure.

I had a catch up with the designer of the collection, Ali who blew me away with his striking hair and gentle manner.

Ali explained that there had been a gap in the market for good fitting clothes of great quality and infinite comfort. Ali himself is athletic and so kept this in mind when designing the collection. He wanted to create something with a classic British look that wasn’t a replica of something else. He breaks it down into three aspects – quality, feel and appeal. He likes to think of Chess as sitting between bespoke and high street (every piece has a limited run and the website is going to be introducing new pieces throughout the year). Each piece can be seen as an investment due to the quality and the fact that it’s limited but it’s still affordable. For instamce, the buttons are all hand-stitched showcasing the effort they have put into getting as much quality into the brand as possible, I’ve labelled it semi-bespoke.

Aside from feeling like I’d stepped into a premiership Club Lounge, I really think that we could be seeing Chess London as a real staple-factor of the fashion conscious male’s wardrobe, alongside the likes of Uniqlo, COS, Hilfiger and Ralph. I personally, however wouldn’t mind seeing something a bit more daring in the coming collections.

To shop the full collection visit www.chesslondon.com.

Follow Adam on Twitter @benedict_adam

MYO SWIMWEAR

By Owen Moss-Proctor

Many great things have come from France, many of them revolving around fashion. And here is the latest, MYO, a new luxury brand of men’s resort wear.

This is a swimwear brand with a sole purpose, to be worn and rocked at the hottest beaches and summer hotspots. With a celebrity clientele including Tinie Temper & Jamie Redknapp, this exciting brand is about to make a splash!

Attention to detail is paramount at MYO. Woven in Italy, MYO uses the most exquisite fabrics in the highest quality to ensure a look and finish of bespoke French tailoring. Taking the owner back to a time of elegance and sophistication.

In a time where money is tight, I believe it’s important to shop for quality & practicality and spending a little more to get what you require is necessary. As an affordable luxury with its classic cuts and fun prints, MYO is the staple piece to the stylish guy’s summer wardrobe.

For more information or to shop the brand, check out www.myoswimwear.com

For more on Owen's designer discoveries follow his blog Mossproctor.blogspot.co.uk

MANSNAPS.COM

Earlier in the year I mentioned that Mansnaps was growing and evolving and finally I can share some of what's happening with you!

Next month, April 27th to be exact, Mansnaps is relaunching at our new home Mansnaps.com. The new website is going to be huge leap forward for Mansnaps and is hopefully going to be more user friendly for our growing audience.

With this in mind, I am looking for contributing writers to join the team to cover fashion, grooming and street style posts on a adhoc/regular basis. So if you'd like to join the next phase of Mansnaps journey, please contact me at Mansnaps@live.co.uk.

To keep up to date with all the latest news over the next few weeks, follow us on Facebook by clicking HERE!

CAN WE ALL LOOK AS GOOD AS DON DRAPER?

By Stephen Roberts

So finally, on the 25th March and after 525 days (not that I have been counting) Mad Men returns. I truly love this show and although I do not want to be tagged with title of “Maddict” I am totally in awe of Jon Hamm or as he is more commonly known, Don Draper. It is not his womanising ways or how well he pulls off the tortured creative genius, it is his ability to wear a suit and look amazing doing it and his return is a perfect opportunity for me to write a piece about suits.

I could now make reference to many different designer websites, for example Tom Ford and make it easy for anyone to find that perfect suit. But where is the fun in that? It can be done using the high street!

I will explore the options of suits out there and how to achieve that classic look, whether you desire it for work, a wedding, or even to just look good when you step out of the house.

One thing everyone should remember when buying a suit is that it is an investment piece. Go to different shops and scout out the best style and fit for you. You need it to fit you well and every shop is different. This goes for the shirts as well. But most of all, make sure everything matches. Buy the suit and the shirt, then match the shoes, belt and accessories to complete your perfect look.

Suits

When it comes to suits, there are only two rules I can think of: The first, keep it dark, bright suits may look trendy but they aint 'classic'. The second is a bit of a personal opinion, which is to avoid pin stripes. They belong in gangster movies and on overweight businessmen only.

I have always loved Topman suits and when I look online I could pick easily 10 suits I would love to own, but I have managed to narrow it down to two choices. The first is a dark sand ‘Taylor’ single breasted suit jacket with black contrast peak lapels, which I think contrast perfectly to make the complete fashion suit for almost any occasion. The second is a brown heritage wool suit which looks so elegant and embraces this seasons love of heritage and tweed.

Of course, you don’t have to go to Topman, there are many
other shops out there. Here is a selection of some of the best out there.

Burton is much underrated and this Lambretta slim fit grey
suit is a perfect example of why we should all be shopping there more often. I love the suit from Zara because it is a bit different. Yes, it is plain black but the double breasted styling will make you stand out instantly from all other black suits. Finally, this 3 piece suit from ASOS is an absolute bargain. Three piece suits look brilliant when worn properly and this shows how it can be done well with a reasonable price tag.

Shirts

When it comes to shirts, they should be kept simple. In my opinion either a white or very pale colour work best. No one wants to see a bright, garish coloured shirt under a suit. It is no coincidence that all the models above are wearing light colours, it is simply the best way to do it.

You also don’t need to break the bank to get a good shirt, just make sure it fits. For you skinny guys out there, yes a fitted shirt looks good but if you can’t do the top button up without cutting off your air supply it is the wrong size. Take your time to try them on and look at different brands to find the best fit for your body shape.

A good tip to make a simple shirt more stylish is to make the most of one of this season’s biggest looks, the oxford shirt. I have chosen a few from many different choices including a brilliant white oxford shirt from ASOS. The different coloured buttons means you could easily wear this shirt without a jacket and still look smart. The light blue shirt from H&M is an absolute bargain and they have this shirt in a range of colours. It isn’t a bad thing to look for a bargain shirt for every day wear and this one is perfect. The white shirt from Topman with black buttons bring a touch of class to what could be just a plain white shirt, I actually own this shirt and it looks great worn with any suit. And finally, a subtle grey tinted oxford shirt from New Look, which is another bargain!

The Final Touch

So you have a suit and you have a shirt but you need to complete your look. You can't wear a suit without the necessary accessories to go along with it. This means shoes (not usually deemed an accessory, I know), belt, tie and possibly that most brilliant of fashion statements, the pocket square.

Shoes

When it comes to shoes, it has to be either black or a dark brown. Keep it simple and again, make sure it matches your suit. Please do not wear brown shoes with a black suit, this is one of the ultimate fashion faux pas and should be avoided. Your shoes should be formal, but this does not mean they can’t be fashionable. I have suggested two shoes, one brown and one black that cover two big shoe trends, the brogue and the chukka boot.

When it comes to shoes, socks have to be mentioned too. These can divide opinion. Although, I don’t personally do it, I do not see a problem with a single coloured sock. It adds a bit of risk to your style. Note, I said single colour not multi coloured. Make sure if you do it, you don’t wear white socks. Stick to an autumnal pallet and never wear “comedic” socks. Socks should not have writing or cartoon characters on them. That said, if you want to complete your Mad Men look, then you have to keep the socks black. And make sure they are long enough, no one wants to see a flash of leg when you sit down next to them.

Belts

The belt should again match your suit in style, although in certain situations, a clash of colour can work in your favour. Brown belts do look good against some dark charcoal colours but generally I would mindful of this. There are some people who believe your belt should match your shoes, I don’t agree. If it looks good and you feel confident then wear it. But keep it plain. No one wants to see superman staring back at them from your crotch.

The two belts I have suggested cover the two colour options for me; brown and black. They are also both a complete bargain for what you get. One thing to remember when buying your belt is, you get what you pay for. It is definitely worth spending a decent amount on a belt that lasts.

Ties and Pocket Squares

Finally, this is your moment to have a bit of fun. I know most of my suggestions have been quite plain and I would've loved to suggest a pink suit with neon yellow shoes but it just does not look good. However, your tie and if you choose to have one, a pocket square is definitely a chance to inject a small amount of colour into your suit. That is not to say you have to. There is nothing wrong with keeping your outfit classic. It never fails to looks good, however if you want to add some colour here are a few suggestions.

You can see from my suggestions that there is colour, but it should be worn in small doses. There is no neon, or bright colours. Any colour used should be subtle. It is a way of showing off your personality without making it glaringly obvious you are a nutcase and again make sure there are no cartoons or singing ties anywhere near your wardrobe.

So, is it possible to look as good as Don Draper using only the high street? Of course it is, you just have to follow a few simple rules.


1. Get a plain dark coloured suit that fits you and your style well.

2. Keep the shirt white or light pastel.

3. Don’t have cartoons or bright colours on any of your accessories.

And most importantly, wear it with confidence. Like Don Draper would.

LONDON FASHION WEEK: MENSWEAR. THE ROUND UP

By Owen Moss-Proctor


Another innovative year for menswear at London Fashion Week.

The beauty of menswear day at London fashion week is the freedom to express without the competition from the more “classic” brands just as Rag and Bone, DKNY MEN & Tommy Hilfiger which we seen the week before in New York and as we’re not in direct contest with Parisian menswear; London continues to seize a great opportunity to release a creativity & style that’s become their greatest strength.

This year we saw London represent the Man in many different ways from weird & wonderful to civilised & classic.

Starting with the most interesting of the collections was the ‘MAN’ collection a collaboration between Topman & Fashion East.
The whole collection is deigned by Agi & Son, Shaun Samson & Astrid Anderson and it's the best place for emerging menswear talent. The collection was largely made up of bold print & patterns.
Agi & Son started the range which was made up of prints, lots of prints, from sweet-esque patterns to large orange check, all placed over formal menswear in a variety of blazers & trousers. The collection boldly ploughed on into Astrid Anderson’s variety of oversized boiler suits, a series of cropped t-shirts & puffa jackets. The final third came from Shaun Samson, an interesting range within itself; Shaun’s compilation has a New Yorker feel about it. An American style of heavy layering, cropped trousers & timberland-style boots it also included a variety of meshed t-shirts equipped with hair extensions.

From the connection to Topman it moves us on nicely to the collections of J.W.Anderson, Christopher Shannon & James Long, three designers who all showed in the MAN show in previous years, and now three well-established designers in their own right. With three very different collections.
Firstly, J.W.Anderson with his ‘blast from the past’ style collection. With heavy vibes of early eras such as the 70’s, Anderson’s models wore clean swept haircuts, bell-bottom trousers & materials of leather & quilt.

Christopher Shannon’s collection to me had an image that reflected a runway of French fashion house, Givenchy. The collection narrowly ventured away from black, white & navy with a lot of checkered shirts & and a few pairs of self titled “Christopher Shannon” joggers. It had a sportswear vibe surrounding it.

Lastly, James Long. James sent out the most ‘commercial’ of the three collections and for me, it was the range that I could most see adapted to the man who’s currently shopping today’s high street market. The 21 look collection was full of life & texture with a variation of jackets, some faux fur, some sheepskin and others sporting denim. I really liked the overall styling to the range and it is probably the one that I’ll be rocking come September!

The most anticipated collection of menswear day at LFW was Topman Design and they weren’t to disappoint. Whilst watching the collection I couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t the most exciting collection Topman have produced BUT Topman have stuck to what they do best. The classic twist tailored chic. Models sported well-gelled yet unstructured hairstyles, their outfits were modern and chic, all with subtle vibes to rock & roll. I was pleased to see key details to the looks such as double breasted coats/blazers, wet looked trousers, single studded belts and thin dog collar necklaces. The thing I enjoyed most though was the printed shirts & jumpers, a great move on for the guys who have been wearing printed shirts throughout spring/summer.

Matthew Miller proved that good things come in small packages, with his short and concise collection, which featured 14 looks. It was a runway for the man who isn’t afraid of print! And each pattern was so different to the previous look. From antique coloured suits through to rocket man chic and then a graffiti suit that Banksy would be proud of, Miller created one of the most exciting and innovative collections shown. He left me very intrigued and I’m looking forward to seeing more of his work!

Oliver Spencer produced the most ‘everyday’ of the designers collections, with his ready-to-wear style. Autumnal colours featured throughout the looks. Khaki, grey, brown and dark coral were featured on Pea coats, waistcoats, blazers and baggy-legged trousers.

And lastly, Lou Dalton. When you look at the collection, straight away it gives you a military vibe which is mainly triggered by the military style caps. Caps and hats will be a key feature going forward into autumn/winter and have featured in runways for Louis Vuitton, Christian Lacroix & Vivienne Westwood. Along with the cadet hats, Lou Dalton featured tailored jackets in military associated colours of khaki and beige. But what I loved the most was the injections of colour with glass blue and burnt orange sitting easily with the rest Lou’s colour palette.

Follow Owen's blog here; MossProctor.Blogspot.Com

MARNI AT H&M LOOKBOOK

The 8th of March can't come quick enough!
H&M continue to build the anticipation for the release of the Marni at H&M collection with these look book images.

The collection looks stunning, classic, contemporary and extremely wearable!