Bluebirds are so natural...

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and are gearing up for your new year celebrations (be that expensive or cheap, hangover guranteed or a quiet night in). I am now back in London where I belong after having a quiet Christmas with the family by the seaside and eating far, far too much. This festive season is all about excess but the January belt tightening is on it's way (oh dear) but fortunately we have the sales and the fashion weeks not too far away.

After my recent blog post you might have concluded that I would be out savouring the sales all day every day fighting over the rails and piles of so called bargains but that just hasn't been the case. I hate shopping in crowded shops, during the sale madness the clothes are scattered across the rails and floors and fellow consumers take on a more panic stricken animal attitude, either fearful eyes and a look of terror or they come out fighting, elbowing their way to the reductions. Sales can be a scene of desperation, style at times is forgotten. Some people enjoy shopping in this madness, sifting through all of the rubbish just to find that nugget of a bargain but not this consumer.

My first full day in London was spent wandering around Selfridges with EJ and the girlfriend, where last year I was fortunate enough to find some great things but this time I just wasn't in the mood. I'm sure there were some great bargains among the racks and rack of clothes but from my half hearted glances I didn't see anything, only the very fortunate or those who put in the most work succeed in arenas like the Selfridges sale. My mind was made up to vist b Store and the Shop at Blue Bird the following morning. In the interim I did venture into Liberty's and was seduced by some of the reductions, for example a Maison Martin Margiela navy suit jacket which despite the substantial price cut was still a little out of my grasp. A couple of APC items were tempting but my will power was strong enough to dissuade me buying things that I didn't really want or need.

Now onto more happier and successful tales and the wonders that were to be found within the Shop at Bluebird. Adam Green once chirped 'Bluebirds are so natural' in his song 'Bluebird' and it the shop felt very natural to me. It felt so far away from my previous shopping experience at Selfridges which left me questioning the whole sale thing. I walked out of the shop at Bluebird with a huge smile on my face, I had a bagged myself a white Givenchy shirt for £55 and a pair of wrap trousers from Unconditional for £125 but had also enjoyed myself within the shop, which is well presented and has attentive and extremely pleasant staff! There was so much to choose from, ranging from Raf Simons tapered trousers and that metallic shirt, Omar Kashoura cardigans and shirts (check out the scary myspace music) alongside rails of countless items that were great!

The sale purchases teamed up with a pair of old but quite rare converse (black with red trim).

The Unconditional trousers are unlike anything I have in my wardrobe. Wrap fly, tapered bottom, they are a play on proportions and so damn comfortable.

If you like me are dissuaded from most sales I would recommend visiting the Shop at Bluebird which was fruitful for me alongside ventures inside b Store and Concrete.

Let us know about your own success stories or nightmares with the recent sales.

Sale, Sale, Sale

Long before the presents have been unwrapped (or in my case wrapped), some days before the turkey has been reduced to a carcass and I've eaten my own body weight in roast potatoes and even some time before the family are sick of the sight of each shops up and down the high street and beyond are going into/or have gone into sale mode. The time to splurge on myself is fast approaching. I've been ever so good this December during my Christmas shopping. On previous years I buy a present for someone and then get something for myself but not this year. This could be down to maturity or maybe it was that visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past that made me see the error of my ways...anyway, whatever, I've been well behaved and the time has come for me to spend money on myself as it is sales time!

Here are a few of my picks for the sales

Selfridges
For me this is the best place to go to find bargains in the New Year. I am chomping at the bit to rummage through the rails. Last year I picked up a Preen jumper which is nothing short of a talking piece and two Unconditional items that have bolstered my wardrobe significantly (a very successful trip by all accounts). Be warned though over 3,000 people are expected to queue starting at 5am, so get there early if you are insane/desperate enough. I will wait until I return from my family Christmas and explore the treasures within this great institution on the 28th.

b Store

The b Store sale is already on...what am I doing writing this, I should be running towards Savile Row!

Browns

I've never ventured to Browns but I am told this store can be home to many bargains. If I have time and more importantly any money left I will pop in. Sale starts 26th December.

Liberty
Great discounts of up to 50 per cent on a huge range of products across the store. Expect a large selection of men’s clothes from Paul Smith, Maison Martin Margiela and co. There will also be money off beautiful homeware pieces from brands including Lladro, Kenzo and Missoni.

Topman
After years in the shadows, Topman has finally reached the dizzy heights, formally confined to sister brand Topshop. The sale could be well worth a look.


H&M
Whilst we are on the subject of the High Street why not mention this store which is a staple for many men (I personally have never had too much good fortune at any H&M but often here how great it can be). With a huge range of items all reduced by up to 50 per cent, prepare yourself for the stampede of bargain hunters over the festive break...The sale started on the 18th but I've not been brave enough to go within 50 yards of any H&M store.


Start
Stocking some of fashion’s most-wanted labels for men and women, this great Shoreditch store will be making reductions of up to 50 per cent. The sale has already started so if you are around the area at the weekend (I like going East on a Sunday) I would recommend looking at the reduced pieces like this Commes des Garcons single breasted jacket.

Concrete
This store just off Carnaby street is home to some beautiful things. On previous visits I've been known to cling on to garments that I just can't afford but hopefully this sale should rectify this problem. Sale already on

Dover Street Market
This is not normally the place to pick up bargains but it is still worth the trip, to have a wander the great space around if nothing less.
Starting December 27

I could go on and on but I won't. For a more extensive list than what I have here visit Urban Junkies who have an excellent guide. I am resigned to the fact that both my bank card and my body will be exhausted come the beginning of January. My month of January will go down in memory as the one where I had to survive off Iceland meals and Baked Beans but all my planned bargainous consumerism will certainly be worth the consequences. Happy shopping everyone.

Topman lens focuses on Australian designers

I am quite late in reporting this bit of news, mainstream magazine wrote about this last Friday but I wanted to say a few more words on the subject. Elliot focused his attention on Material Boy but I am more excited about seeing Mjolk's designs.

Mjolk:

Directional designers Lars Stoten, Danmarks DesignSkole graduate, and ex-Central St Martins College of Art and Design, John Clarke, combine to design and produce Mjolk. Founded in southern Sweden in 2003 and transplanted to Australia, the label dares Australian men and women to take a risk with their dressing.

I love the red shoes against the grey suit. I am not too sure what my office would say if I walked into work wearing shoes that red but then again I don't think I care...

Refreshing and fun, yet still dedicated to attention to quality construction, detailing and fabrics. Mjolk is known for its masterfully crafted men’s suiting, with slim silhouettes and rock and roll edge in bright colours like purple, yellow, apple green and fireengine red. They also produce beautifully finished stovepipe indigo jeans, skinny fit blazers and primary coloured striped shirting and tees.

Material Boy:

Mic Eaton, an ex-pro surfer, launched the label in 2003 in Perth but now divides his time between Melbourne and Indonesia. This label pushes menswear out of its comfort zone and those inside and outside the fashion industry continue to admire the label’s originality. Their breakout season in AW06 - ‘Honey I shrunk the Boy’ was where the now famous exaggerated silhouettes and bold colours first grabbed the attention of the Australian fashion scene. Their next s/s collection is titled 'Celebration of your inner gay'.

I am always excited by new Lens collections (it is such a great idea!) and the next one should not disappoint. I will ensure that I allocate some of my clothes budget to the release of the next batch of Lens.

A.P.C. oh when will you open a store in the UK?

Paris label APC has dedicated fans the world over..I am becoming one of them (it wouldn't be accurate of me to describe myself as a dedicated fan yet because I've only flirted with buying a number of items) but it seems to have found its natural home in Japan, where shoppers lap up the brand's sharply functional style. Along with Katayama (the Tokyo store designer) APC have revamped their store in Daikanyama (which has been open since 1992) creating a much fresher homme store. Reading this news has made me question whether or not APC are ever going to open up such a store in London...they even have a store in the Philippines but not in the UK! Oh well at least they are stocked here and Paris is even closer with the new Kings Cross link! I do find the prices a little steep (the reason that I've not bought anything as yet) but I am getting over this the more I see the clothes up close. Before I was fooled by the seemingly similarity between the offerings of H&M which is always extremely reasonable (cheap) in the price stakes and those of APC which cost so much more but (on the whole) deservedly so.

This post also gives me the excuse to show images from the recent Winter catalogue featuring the effortless chic of stylists Camille Bidault Waddington and Christopher Niquet.

I adore this shot of Bidault and Niquet!

I really like the autumnal colour tones here.

Current APC favourite are the Plaid bag (as shown on The Staple), cotton checked shirts, their denim of course and the blazer shown in last Sunday's observer magazine (which I lost so cannot show you, please accept my sincerest apologies!) I will leave you with images of their famous jeans and that bag.

A flirtatious glimspe at Spring

I have to admit that during this lazy weekend I have been thinking about next seasons aesthetic, which will completely confuse me (I'll end up wearing a light blue jacket over a white t shirt, paired with thin grey trousers and polar blue shoes tomorrow and freeze to death walking up to the tube station!) but I just wanted to re-examine some of the s/s 08 shows and to seek inspiration for the future. As discussed on Male Mode, winter is upon us and I (as he does) need to buy a winter coat, or atleast supplement my current wardrobe with clothes that can offer me more warmth but I've gone one foot in s/s/ 08 already. The early bird catches..and all that. One of my favourite shows was Jil Sander. It was Simons' fourth presentation for the label. Simons himself referred to it as “phosphor,” where color was pared away until all that remained was a hint of eau de nil or gray or blue to shade his spare three-button suits.

The collections underlying theme was light. It gave both a sense of weightless-ness and a glow akin to that of the arctic. Simons achieved it by layering translucent nylon jackets over shirts, or using leather so fine it might have been paper for T-shirts, shorts, and suits.

A high street store with a similarly clean and light look is COS, who I have to blog about soon so won't go into too much detail. Of course the tailoring and detail will not be up to Simons standards but I have been impressed by this store. It offers a real challenge to the other high street stores out there and that can only be a good thing in my opinion.

I've also been thinking about Christmas presents, for myself, no one else (HA!) and have stumbled across Raf Simons Redux. Santa if you are reading this I would like this book please because I know an actual piece of Raf Simons' work would be too much to ask from you. Thank you.

Weekend Therapy Part 1

It has been a lazy weekend for me but a fulfilling one. After cooking EJ steak and chips (oven baked as opposed to deep fried, which is a first but they were lovely) on Friday night I went to Dover Street Market on Saturday. I was meant to be going to the V&A to see The Golden Age of Couture Exhibition but it is still too popular and the tickets were sold out. In a way this was a good thing because it allowed me more time to peruse and marvel at the various floors inside arguably the best retail experience in the UK. Dover Street market won the ‘best shop’ award appointed by the British Fashion Council in 2006, Next time you are in London it is definitely worth a visit. In the meantime you can get a taster on their online site.

“I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos; the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision”
Rei Kawakubo

Aside from having the greatest selection of Comme Des Garçons and of Kawakubo’s protégé Junya Watanabe, the store also features designer collections from Lanvin, Margiella, Raf Simons...the list goes on. All in all this multilevel store houses most of the designers that i love. It allows me to examine the exquisite pieces, for example the Raf Simons tailoring and use of unusual fabrics in hit suits and the perfectly stitched leather of Pierre Hardy shoes.

The biggest hit for me was the third floor which contains the Alber Elbaz designed Lanvin space and some quite beautiful Pierre Hardy shoes. I've already mentioned about my love for Pierre hardy footwear so I won't go into too much details again but I did some quite breathtaking black zip up boots. I just wish i had my camera to show you my favourite pieces. Oh well, you are just going to have to go for yourself. Now it is time for me to resume my lazy weekend. The Sunday Times is calling me which I will read whilst munching on a cinnamon and raisin bagel topped with peanut butter and gulping down some lady grey tea. Oh the good life.

Dover Street Market is located at 17-18 Dover Street London W1S 4LT, for further information and to purchase selected products, visit www.doverstreetmarket.com.

Pick 'n' mix

Bonjour! Back on the same island at last!

Don't know if this has caught your eye yet, but I'd wager it'll be on your wish list soon. For the indecisive... the Diesel Puzzle trainer:

Not three different pairs of shoes, but one pair three ways. The first is a pretty regular, but delightfully shiny trainer. Next, something a little more substantial, something that might lend a work suit a nice little edge. Last, a high top, again with the delightfully shiny. I LOVE patent shoes right about now (more about that at a later date), so these are tempting. Sadly, they didn't have them in anywhere I looked so I can't give you a first hand impression. I'm not entirely convinced, though i like the idea of maybe taking the bits to work and changing your look slightly. I remain an Adi-whore though. (seriously, that last pair doesn't look like much in that pic, but me want)

Bon soir! It is great to have you back in ol' Blighty!

I am so tired but couldn't resist replying to this post! Seriously, it was BAD idea getting the Eurostar straight to work this morning, not only did it mean an early start but it also meant I had to go to work resembling a drowned rat...and I wanted to be the personification of Paris Chic! I have come across these before and they are on my wish list. Patent shoes and accessories in general though are so damn appealing. Just like a magpie to silver I am drawn to black patent trainers wanting to take each pair I see away with me back to my nest. These are better value for money than any others I've seen in recent shopping outings. The Hi tops are currently the best way to wear these though but it is nice having that option to transform the shoe. I'm interested in seeing these up close so I can examine the mechanism/fastening. I definitely have to see them in the leather. The images make the first two options look really clumpy and I like sleek trainers. The Lanvin Hi Tops are higher up on my wish list. Speaking of which, I drooled over the Lanvin window yesterday. I will post within the next day or so about the cool style facets I saw during my time in Paris.

(Top)Man reborn

After approximately three years of wandering past the windows of Topshop/Topman, peering in and either being put off by the hideous display of clothes (seriously, I'm not sure who has been dressing their windows but they have been awful, the nu-rave scene is embedded in my mind and it hurts me!) or walking muttering about how unfair it is that the girls get the better deal. There has been some kind of cosmic shift and oh how the tides have turned. Girls are always going to get the better deal when it comes to choice and sheer volume - in the flagship store they have three floors, whereas the guys only get one (I'm contemplating campaigning for an even shopping field but alas it will only falls on deaf ears). However, the unveiling of Topman Lens and an improved Topman Design left me in a boy in a sweet shop state. I just wish it was payday now and more stock arrives! I have a wishlist of approximately five items. (Item 1, Item 2, Item 3, Item 4, Item 5)

OK, I admit that I have already bought two items other than the five above; a thin, black patent belt and a pair of fingerless gloves (like the squirrel collects nuts, I am collecting my winter accessories!) which demonstrates my change of heart when it comes to Topman. I have been a little harsh on the store, I just had a few bad experiences within those walls and it put me off..until now.

I have to talk about MAN, which has had a couple of good shows of late and has helped me trust Topman again. For me this show was all about Aitor Throup, who I Love because he is one of the few designers emerging who amazes me, not just within his clothes but everything he does. I will revisit Mr Throup's work in the next week. His contribution to this show was more of a presentation and one I wish I could have seen live!

Throup's designs

British menswear Designer of Year Kim Jones unveiled his KJ by Kim Jones line, which was fine but not really for me. Plus as you can see from below the models put me off!

Seriously? This guy looks like a power walker who needs the walk!

Topman Design as they probably should have revelled in the show lights and I fell in love again.

Aside from the short shorts I really like this! The PVC jacket looks awesome!

Cool spring/summer dress wearing. I think I've found my casual summer suit. I'm not normally a fan of creased clothes but it looks great on the catwalk and I'm interest to see how well it would translate in the real world. The bag looks great aswell!

I really like the shape of the cardigan. I accept though that it makes the legs appear really short. Black patent shoes are really growing on me...

My faith in Topman has been restored.

News - Topman Launches the White Shirt

August 24th - this is a date for your diary. Topman have invited a select few designers to interpret their vision of 'The White Shirt' signifying the start of an ongoing project, titled very inspiringly - 'Man'. I look forward to the rest of the collection but right now let's focus on the up and coming release. First things first I don't believe in The White Shirt, as this collection shows there can be a tremendous amount of variation on this item of clothing and one can own and indeed wear a number of white shirts (on rotation of course) for different occasions. To support this notion I want two of the five shirts on offer. My wish list (it does extend much further than just this one collection but for the benefit of this post) includes Deryck Walker's effort which is short sleeve (which I normally tend to avoid), and elasticated complete with panelling.

My favourite however is Ute Ploier's design. Seeing this design has made me explore this designer further and I love what I have discovered. The shirt to spark this all off is based on the traditional biker jacket and features rib detailing on the cuff and hem a short stand up collar and quilted shoulder. To be honest though I have seen a very similar shirt on an online store and if i give up on waiting for the release date of the Topman range or if the racks are bare by the time I get to them I will buy this, just to ease any possible feeling of loss. I am sure that at £50 each the shirts on offer will soon be snapped up so I will do my best to be as quick as possible to avoid losing out.

When the shirts are as different as the ones chosen here the search for THE white shirt isn't important, we should just be on the hunt for the BEST white shirts out there and buy according to our needs. Currently when shopping I am constantly drawn to white shirts and at times have to tear myself away from the racks! As they are seen as such a staple in any wardrobe (male or female) I am intrigued to see how the designer has approached it; the cut, the material (too many white shirts are far too see through and cheap looking, I do not want to see nipples on display and neither do most people!). Sartorial features can and indeed do make a vast difference to the look of a white shirt and personally (just to be a little outrageous maybe) I feel these sartorial features can have more of a visual impact on this wardrobe institution than on any other garment. White shirts are certainly worth celebrating and deserve much more than their, at times, dull image.

I'm not sure about this one, Stevie. While I like the second shirt, I'm not sure how well it would work as a shirt. All of them seem to look a bit... cheap, but that may just be the lighting- although the fact that they're from Topman doesn't fill me with hope for high quality garments. I think the first one suffers from that a fair bit. I think a lot of them look quite incomplete somehow, like they were a nice idea for a design competition, but didn't really work out. Still, I shall keep an eye out. I do love white shirts though, albeit it not on myself- my uncanny talent for spilling food and drinks down my front and white coloured clothing does not mix. They are classic for a reason- you don't see enough boys walking around in a nice pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt these days, such a shame.

It's not (just) for girls

The lovely Tricia of bitsandbobbins (and of course founder of wardrobe_remix) sent us an interesting article featured in the Independent which discusses the rise of men choosing to shop online. A survey by management consultants Accenture suggests that most men (56 per cent) today prefer shopping online to the high street, and now premium fashion sites are responding. Men are coming round to the idea that there are more uses to the Internet than watching porn and Family Guy (these are still fundamental uses though).

Are male shoppers in stores like Selfridges an endangered species?

This quote from Alastair Rae, founder of online store albamclothing sums up the reasons why succinctly so I'm just going to use it and expand on it (I've added the italics): "a significant number of men are inherently lazy when it comes to shopping for clothes. They (the lazy ones) annoyingly won't devote what little free time they have to shopping (like you can be too busy to shop!), as women may do, so being able to pick something online at 5pm and get it by lunchtime next day has an obvious appeal. And when men find something they really like, they tend to buy it over and over, so the Internet is the perfect way to do so. You know your size, you see the colour, job done." I personally loved a certain type shopping but I've always known that I was in the minority of men. Most men have a strong idea of what they want (a better word is probably need), they go into a shop that they know and feel vaguely comfortable in, pick the right size and take it to the cashier. No messing around.

The man described above is not me though. I however love strolling around Carnaby Street (Kingly Court, 22, Hurwendeki, Concrete to name a few highlights ), venturing inside Liberty and perusing rack after rack of slightly extravagant and expensiveness niceness. I feel so at home inside shops like these. The side of shopping which means consumerism inside the likes of Topman and H&M is less appealing to me. In these environments I revert back to my inner typical man, a blink and you'll miss it hunter gatherer, within seconds (depending on the size of the queue) I'm walking out with what I wanted. I don't feel anywhere near as comfortable in these blindingly bright, busy and rack muddled High Street stores. This is where the Internet goes in. I know my sizes in these places, I have a good idea of what I like and what suits me and this is where that wonderful thing the world wide web comes in. I don't need to hurt my eyes anymore, nor do I have to tidy up the racks...I can get what I want online!

Despite what the statistics suggest I know that there are men out there who love to shop in stores like this!

Of course there is the other side to Internet shopping, the designer side as well as the High Street and this side is certainly growing and becoming more and more popular. I however prefer to shop for these types of items in person, I enjoy the shopping experience that you can only really get (at the moment anyway) inside the physical store itself. That said, of course I window shop and keep and eye on a bargain on a number of sites...Luisaviaroma, Oki Ni, Matches, Browns, bstore and Oi Polloi, to name just a few of the myriad of online shopping opportunities.

How about you lot- are you shunning the High Street and shopping online instead?

Pensioners shopping on the high street - Mutton dressed as ram?

During my weekend by the coast in sunny Westgate-on-sea I came across an interesting feature on Nicky Haslam in the Oberserver Woman magazine...(I had never heard of him before but apparently he is an interior designer to the rich and famous) it explores an interesting question, can a man of 67 shop on the high street and not look ridiculous?

Haslam is now 67 years old. Eleven years ago in the winter of 1997, he underwent a complete physical reinvention. His manifestation changed from a campish aristo seen in the middle ages to one inspired to 'pick the last vestige of youth from the stinking pit of old age.' He dyed his hair oily black and modelled himself on Liam Gallagher, replacing sober suits with battered combat pants, leather biker jackets and anaroks. Over the last decade Haslam has evolved his sartorial transformation, he is a style magpie as he has always 'aspired towards other people's looks.' If he likes what someone is wearing he accosts them in the street to ask them where they bought it. As long as you know what suits you (this is so, so important - something might look great on someone else but chances are they have a very different frame to yours), I think this is a fine way for men to shop - it makes clothes accessible. I rarely ask people where they bought something because I like finding things myself (...or after being gently nudged there by EJ and Susie).

So where is the style chameleon now? He has stopped dying his hair and allowed it to go grey (thank goodness) and he is shopping on the High Street. Haslam thinks men are served very well on the High Street and I certainly agree that things have improved significantly within the time that I've been spending money but there is still along way to go and many advancements to be made. Within the feature Haslam confesses an unforgivable thing...much worse than dying his hair...he has wardrobes crammed with 'Savile Row suits I've never worn...just got them made and then decided that I didn't like them' - this is pure poison to my ears and he should be punished. He prefers the 'disposable' suits of Topman which accommodate his changing fancies and mutated whims. I personally would like to see inside his wardrobe and see the types of bespoke suits he had made!

Haslam is a fan of recognising a great piece (wherever it might be found - currently he finds most of them on the High Street) and wearing it. As long as the piece is complimentary tot he person wanting it then there really isn't a problem. If however, the person is merely a magpie of style that has a nest full of shiny crap then of course there is a style problem. In this instance I can only judge on the editorial within the piece...but I would think it must be a little hit and miss with a chap like Haslam. His mantra that of 'it's rude to not try and look up-to-date' is certainly strange but in certain lights, kind of cool. A man of his age should know what looks good on him and his personal style should be pretty much there but of course he can be inspired by current trends. I recently went shopping with my Nan (who is 86 years old) and she needed a lightweight tote (she's not as strong as she used to be so can't lug her heavy leather bags as far anymore) and we ended walking out of H&M with the perfect one. There shouldn't be an age limit on entry to the high street, there should however be a warning sign that could read 'Think long and hard about your purchases, is it right for YOU?' but this sign should be ready by all ages!

If you are interested in the article and didn't get your hands on the Observer then you can read it online here

Jewellery: Topman

Continuing the idea of men's jewellery, I thought that I'd look to the high street. Topman's pretty hit and miss when it comes to... well, everything I suppose, but jewellery in particular. Still, it's normally a pretty good place to pick up a cheap trinket or two to add interest to an outfit. The jewellery itself may not be an heirloom piece, but the price is normally right. I would normally wait for sales though, as stuff routinely is reduced to £1. The above necklace is currently selling for £8.

Other bits I like right now:

- Black sunglasses necklace, £10 (I'd probably wait for the sales for this one)

- Silver look sunglasses brooch, £6 (clearly sunglasses are in!)

- Wood/Silver look stripe ring, £8 (I suspect this looks nicer in person than in the pic)

I'm going to be looking at some slightly more expensive, but still relatively reasonable, pieces tomorrow.

Hey EJ, I'm so pleased that you have set forth and begun to explore the (slightly dangerous) territory of men's jewellery. I rarely find myself excited by menswear jewellery...I'm very boring when it come down to it, I like simple pieces...very much like the solid silver ring which you bought me for my 21st (I think, I'm terrible when it comes to time) which still adorns the middle finger of my right hand and is the only piece of jewellery I constantly wear. I like the idea of sunglasses and jewellery, I saw a cool necklace made from four Aviator lenses...it looked damn cool and I would happily sport something similar. I'm old fashioned when it comes to men's jewellery but as always I'm interested by what you find and will listen (and ultimately follow, your suggestion). Keep up the good work partner...

It's been a while since we had reason left to smile

In response to EJ's rant the other day high street menswear heavyweights Topman have returned with another cutting edge collaboration for the masses (let's just hope that the stock are plentiful and is available nationwide), this time a sunglasses project with Linda Farrow Vintage. Following on from last Season's White Shirt Project, this will be the second in a series of designer collaborations with Topman. The five designers for this season are Bernhard Willhelm, Kim Jones, Oliver Spencer, 0044 and Linda Farrow along with Topman Design.

My favourites are the Linda Farrow Plastic Aviator's:

Aviator sunglasses with dark grey translucent acetate frame and dark grey graduated lens 3 Views Available. 100% Hard Plastic. Price £50.

My shopping list reads as follows:
SHIB Bag (today I've found out that the prices for this vary depending on the choice of lining), Spring Suit (not yet found) and the above sunglasses. That is it. See how I've managed to control my consumerism!

Now all we need is some sunshine... The BBC weather report informs me that I might have a few more days to wait yet. I am just eager to start singing along to some classic Super Furry Animals...

"In honesty, it's been a while, since we had reason left to smile...hello sunshine...come into my life"

List Update - The sunglasses have been bought, using a £20 gift voucher given to me by EJ (she doesn't deal in money but she uses the old currency, instead of the usual animal though this time she gave me the voucher). Thanks EJ!

Spring time!

Click for bigger! Background found here

So Spring is here, even if it is colder now than it was in February (or at least feels that way). I always find in Spring that I'm suddenly aware of the new year and start really thinking about what to do with my life/year/wardrobe, but in an excited way, rather than the 'ohmygodit's2008whatthehellamIdoing' real new year way.

Of course, this is just my way of leading up to my Spring 'if I was a boy' wishlist/inspiration boards. I realise that I'm doing a lot of inspiration board type things at the moment but... well, it's been raining pretty much constantly for a week and it doesn't look like stopping so these have been a welcome distraction. So here we go:

1. This chap, courtesy of the Sartorialist, I'm sure you must've seen... he's wonderful. If I were you I'd be scouring second hand shops for a similar jacket and swearing off skinny jeans and trousers forever.

2. Umbrella from Fulton Umbrellas. I would've thought this was a pretty obvious one. This is tiny and would probably fit in the pockets of a decent sized overcoat, or in that manbag you should be carrying. I know some men don't like carrying umbrellas (more on that at a later date) but frankly, if it's pouring down with rain it's better to carry an umbrella than to get soaked.

3. Slim wallet from QuietDoing (another Etsy find!). I've never been one to have a 'long term' wallet. You know what I mean: leather, expensive, faaaahbulous stichwork. So Spring is the right time for me to get a new, fun wallet and mix it up a bit with my accessories. Plus you've been carrying that hideous wallet you got for Christmas for 3 months now, you're not obliged to use it any more.

4. Adidas Grey Marl trainers. I know, I know, get over the Adidas already but I really like these. The look really fresh and I think you could dress them up a bit or just wear them with jeans. Plus, I'm blatently going to get them as soon as they're in the sale.

5. Another Sartorialist chap. Aside from the fact that this man is godDAMN gorgeous, I really love this look. His shirt is absolutely fantastic; the little flecks of colour in it look fantastic against the plainness of his coat... and what a coat! Also, if someone could arrange for me to have his hair, that would be great.

6. Mjolk Stone trench coat, for obvious reasons. Trench coats are everywhere at the moment, but I especially like this one which is part of Topman's new season LENS collection.

7. Blue Fairtrade cotton hoody. This is a bit of an odd one out, but I love the colour, it's in the sale and I love the buttons. Plus it's Fairtrade if you're bothered about that sort of thing.

8. Engineered Garments Overnighter bag. I know it's a bit pricey, but it's also beautiful, and handy if you go visiting a lot.

9. Silver Converse. I could say I'm influenced by the Converse worn by 1., I could say I'm influenced by the reflections in the puddles, but really I just like shiny things. I'm a simple soul.

Holding your nerve

I'm not sure if I've said, but I've given up clothes shopping for a couple of months. This is not, however, going to stop me encouraging others. I will share a tip though: now is the time to sale shop. Actually, that's not strictly true. The best time is probably in about another week or so, midweek. Hold your nerve long enough and you can come up with some real gems from the (don't laugh) Topman sale.

Not tops and jeans really, as there will only be bizarro sizes left (unless you're bizarro sized, in which case go crazy!). Saying that, I have noticed that there are some of those Topman Design white shirts left on the Topman website... Richard Nicoll in S,M and L and Deryk Walker in M and L, both reduced from £50 to £15 which is pretty decent. There's also this one by Carolyn Massey in S and L for £20. Not bad.

Deryck Walker white shirt

But anyway, what you really want to focus on is their accessories section. While nothing's really going to set the world on fire, it's a good opportunity to stock up on bright coloured belts for a quid and maybe experiment with some blue braces?

At the princely sum of £1 you can't really go that far wrong. What do we think about this zipper bowler hat though?

Even at £3, this is a bit much for me. Could be good for fancy dress though...

Instead of being up there in Manchester with you I am a patient at Susie's house! Oh well. there is always next week. There are some great finds. The shirts are a particular bargain. They were a bit thin for me, but the this factor aside the quality of them are great and a real bargain at £15! The real find for me are the blue braces. I have been toying with the idea of braces for a while now, ever since I watched This is England really and this desire was heightened further by the Beckham Arena cover. Sales in the high street are an opportunity to experiment with different looks...or as EJ suggests you could always stock up on fancy dress. In answer to your question, yes that hat should only be adorned in instances of dress of the most fancy kind. I too am cutting back on shopping and my bank balance is thanking me profusely but this is only temporary as i intend to buy quite a few things in New York. That said if I am well enough I might pop down to the Jumblist massive sale at 93 Feet East where I could pick up a few interesting accessories on the cheap!