...You Know My Fresh Code

In the now immortal words of Jay-Z, 'All Black Everything' has radically morphed, of late, from a Gothic prerequisite dress code into a sports-luxe hipster adopted staple.

For a man the slim silhouette cast by an ensemble devoid of colour is the equivalent to a little black dress. There is little that can go wrong with an all black aesthetic.

The basis is simple but here's a few pointers so you don't end up looking like a Hells Angel:

Street Style: Danko, Portobello Market

Black Tie Alternative

Tis' the season to be jolly, but in these tough times and with a hefty Christmas spend on extended family looming, saving the pennies is top of my agenda.

Depending on how busy your social calendar is this December you'll no doubt have at least one black tie do to attend forgoing the usual New Year hootenanny. 

The strain on bank accounts this time of year is palpable, so enlisting the help of Mr .Tee once again we set out to find an alternative for those festive parties, here's our tip for looking dashing without splashing.

Get that charcoal suit out again because those trousers could be your new best friend.

Save yourself the hassle of renting a poor fitting dinner suit and make a smart investment in a velvet jacket. You'll find them in abundance at markets like Spitalfields & Portobello Road and shouldn't have to part with more than £40.

Iron your best white shirt and there you have it!

Street Style: Ian's Tartan Trousers

Hackett @ Spitalfields

Last night myself and Mr. Tee managed to get down to the opening of the new Hackett shop at Spitalfields, hosted by Individualism.

During the live music and merriment we managed to get a few shots of the store and what appears to be a new concept for the brand, adopting a country aesthetic to the already existent gentrified persona. Kudos on the mustachioed mannequins chaps.

The theme is pretty well established and the lodge-esque vibe is something most of us consumers have experienced in some form however, with a pool table on the lower ground floor you could easily be distracted from the Christmas shopping.

There's different direction on the clothing front from Hackett here too. The juxtaposition of established formal dress you would expect such as a midnight blue dinner jacket and grey flannel suits, with tattersall shirts, tweeds, corduroys and a wonderful selection of tartan strides. (What did I say about tartan!)

Meanwhile on the shop floor you can treat yourself to a new haircut to accompany the suitably smart attire. We had the pleasure of meeting Alex from Murdock London who was kind enough to impart a few tips for the best keep face fuzz this winter.

Below is what myself and Mr. Tee wore on the night, and the Hackett boys fully decked out and looking suitably spiffing!

We've kindly been invited back so look out for a more in-depth peak at the brand and concept in the new year!

Hackett @ Spitalfields

75-77 Brushfield Street

London E1 6AA

spitalfields@hackett.co.uk

Somer Solstice

Winter is here and the dropping temperatures in London do mean excitement about one thing at least, ICE SKATING!

Are you going ice skating in London this year? (Yes!) Are you going to Somerset House? (Yes!)

Make sure you check out the incredible array of pop-ups in the Christmas Arcade. In-fact if you're not inclined to venture out on to the ice and risk the possibility of injuring small children while you skate round backwards at break neck speed, go out of your way and get down to Somerset House anyway, take a look at the Valentino exhibition whilst you're at it.

After stumbling across Common People as per my recent post, in my excitement I picked up a leaflet.

These guys are in the West Wing of Somerset House at The Christmas Arcade until the 6th January 2013.

They're up an running 7 days a weak and are constantly getting refreshment of stock. Check out the Twitter and Tumblr too for a nice bit of background about the company and how they're hoping to garner exposure for young designers and new companies.

Good luck to YSC and thank you for bringing Common People to my attention.

I Wanna Live Like Common People

Last month I went for my annual trip out on the ice and stumbled (literally) across a great brand at the YSC Best of British pop-up, 'Common People'. Of course it would be rude not to pinch a quote from their website 'Common People is designed for people with a common interest in premium clothing and footwear.'

What took me completely by surprise was the footwear, a really impressive range, refined and not over complicated!

How difficult is it to find a decent smart shoe on the high street that feels like it could sustain a frequent use i.e. for work. Most high street brands afford no affordable footwear that feels as though it would stand up to consistent wear. To me it has always felt that you have to spend a fair chunk of money to get a pair of shoes that will serve you well. Maybe that's about to change?

The shoe's at the pop-up you can see in the photo (black and burgundy grained leather derbys and green brogues with leather soles) were just over £100 and the boots (tan and navy suede EVA sole deserts and black and tan brogue boots) just under £120. I'm loving the grained leather burgundy derbys but the green brogues are also very cool indeed.

Any chance they could secure Jarvis Cocker as a brand ambassador? 

A Suit 3 Ways

For this post I set off into the countryside for some tips on how to innovate more looks from a new suit I've invested in. To be honest spending such a large proportion of money on something only to wear now and then seems like spunk up the wall.

So I've enlisted the help of an old friend, who will become a more regular feature on the blog, to share the wealth.

For now we'll call him Mr. Tee.

"There's a big difference between wearing and 'owning' a suit, and by owning I mean sporting your suit with confidence, panache, charisma and putting your own stamp onto the most established staple of menswear that is all too commonly referred to as formal.

Remember that a suit doesn't necessarily have to be formal and a way of power dressing.

Be experimental with colours now and again, without thinking too much about matching all the eccentricities, a complementing palette will show much more savvy.

You can lessen the formality of your suit with a casual element or vice versa, colourful but understated, bold but unashamed, brash without being flash.

3 golden rules to abide by:

• FIT! Make sure you have a good tailor and that you know your size.

• SHOES! The best tailored Savile Row suit would look dreadful with the wrong shoes.

• ENJOY IT! You'll look more comfortable/confident if you make the look your own.

Small touches and twists on conventional ideas can add your own mark.

What you can do while dressing up a suit casual or formal suit is almost endless so below I have given 3 examples:"

 

 

What I wore for my country excursion: