You're mad if you're not a hatter!

Newsflash! Hats are back! Hurrah!

Autumn is well underway chaps.
Hats for men are enjoying a much needed renaissance. With retro styles and Mad Men inspired looks there has never been a better time for jumping headfirst into headwear.
I’m not talking about baseball caps and beanies; I mean a proper man’s hats.
A gentleman is merely a man without a good hat.

With this in mind it’s time to straighten up and fly right with the perfect headwear.
Hats are wonderfully versatile when worn with confidence and panache.
A flat cap is a great option for casual days. You can go for a classic country gent style and wear it with knitwear and a quilted or waxed jacket or modernise it with a t-shirt, casual tailored jacket and jeans for urban cool.
The trilby hat is one of the most popular styles and this is perfect for wearing with your workwear such as a suit and trench coat for a traditional city man-about-town flair or you can easily take it down the indie route by wearing it with jeans and a leather jacket.
This season the pork pie hat is the style of choice for the foppish, painfully hippest of cats. A favourite with jazz aficionados and 'Ol’ Blue Eyes' himself, Mr Frank Sinatra, the pork pie hat is perfect for those who want to get ahead of the pack.
I recently got my very first brown felt pork pie hat from a wonderful online store called Village Hats . With high quality, reasonable prices and a wealth of styles to choose from I found it to be one of the best sites for hats. The hat arrived in less than 5 days and was professionally packaged. And the hat itself fits like a dream and looks the business quite frankly.
Whatever style you go for there is a hat to suit you and your personality.

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Fall for autumn style…

The possibilities of summer are gone, and the chill of winter is on the horizon. The skies are turning grey and the wind and rain are a weekly occurrence.
It’s certainly getting colder but the warmth of summer still hangs in the air like the smell of beer long after the party is over.
With winter quite not with us and summer fast becoming a distant memory it can be pretty difficult to decide what to wear each day. Not quite chilly enough for your new duffle coat yet not warm enough to strut about town in your polo shirt.
As a self-proclaimed fan of this season over all I feel I have autumn style down to a fine art.

Tops:
Layering is your keyword here. Wear short sleeved tops like polo shirts or t-shirts under jumpers or cardigans. This keeps you warm yet if you’re in a hot bar, stuck on public transport during rush hour or the air conditioning at work is on the blink you can quickly and easily de-layer to cool off.
Plain polo shirts under patterned or colourful knits or checked short sleeve shirts under simple knits are a fool-proof look.

Bottoms:
As always, you can’t go wrong with a decent pair of jeans. To vary your autumn style try the chinos you bought for the summer and wear them with bright or strong coloured jumpers or patterned shirts for a fresh trans-seasonal approach.

Coats and jackets:
There are reasons that certain styles keep appearing on the catwalks and highstreet year after year and it’s because they work. No where is this more true then with the trench coat, the waxed jacket and the Harrington.
They shelter you from the wind and rain, keep chills at bay and give you a classic yet still strangely modern look. Trenches and Harringtons are your best friend for both spring as well as autumn and can easily be dressed up or down to suit your mood and the occasion.

Footwear:
When it comes to your feet you want something that protects from the elements.
A good pair of boots works wonders. Also deck shoes, the casual shoes of choice for men in the know, are perfect for this time of year. They were made for sailing after all! Their specially grooved outsole ensures there are no embarrassing slips on those wet shop floors or pavements. The specially treated leather (if you get a proper pair) will keep your feet perfectly dry during those blustery showers.

Accessories:
To finish off your look reach for a classic flat cap to keep your hair dry and in check during wet and windy days.

Here are some key items to see you comfortably and stylishly through this changeable season:



http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Baracuta+G9+harrington+jacket/142056292,default,pd.html



http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Barbour+Chesterhope+wax+jacket/140634662,default,pd.html

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Paul+Smith+Jeans+Trench+coat/136704895,default,pd.html

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Ralph+Lauren+Short-sleeved+polo+shirt/114501726,default,pd.html

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Marlboro+Classics+Short+sleeved+coloured+checked+shirt/133951760,default,pd.html?cgid=20000

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Kurt+Geiger+Jacks+brogue+boots/142718713,default,pd.html?cgid=0007

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Gant+Flat+front+chino+trousers/100593834,default,pd.html?cgid=2090




http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/New+Lingwood+Donegal+hat/138205350,default,pd.html

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Carry on Harrington!

The chill of the autumn is making itself felt slowly but surely.
The time to fold up your shorts and pack away your flip flops is nigh.
With early morning starts you certainly need to cover up more and more.
But it’s not exactly arctic temperatures quite yet so you don’t want a full on wool number just yet.

Enter the Harrington jacket.
This lightweight, waist-length jacket was first made by British clothing company Baracuta since 1937. These easy to wear jackets are the perfect choice for these in-between weathers. Light enough to keep you cool, yet substantial enough to keep those chilly winds at bay.

Since their early days Harrington’s have grown from strength to strength with Elvis Presley and James Dean wearing them in the 1950’s then Steve McQueen and mods sported them during the 1960’s.

Harringtons are wonderfully easy to wear yet cut a cool look that oozes classic masculine confidence.
Often seen with tartan lining and button details to the neck and pockets, these jackets are excellent for wearing both on work days and weekends out and about.

Wear them with jeans, a polo shirt and trainers for a classic Brit lad look or dress them up with tailored trousers, loafers, shirt and trilby hat for a nod to Sinatra.
Whatever your personal take on the Harrington there is a wide choice available for you to truly make this menswear classic your own.

Baracuta Clothing Home of the Original Harrington Jacket

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Men's knitwear: not for the sheepish

The glorious summer is on its way out and the chills of autumn are creeping in closer with each passing day. The drop in temperatures does not forecast a gloomy outlook. Au contraire, the drawing in of the nights means that you can wrap up in wonderfully warm and trendy knits. Free those winter warmers from the back of your wardrobes or use it (like me) as the perfect excuse to go and get some new ones.

Never before have men had such a great choice in jumpers and cardigans. Knitwear has seen several trendy updates such as shawl neck collars that wrap around your neckline give a snugly, cosy feeling on wear through to whilst the toggle fastenings add a subtle rustic edge.
From the ever popular argyle golf inspired jumpers through to the classic Fair Isle pattern, jumpers can say as much or as little about your personality as you wish.

A chunky cable knit cardigan says you like comfort. A modern man with a respect for the past and one eye on the ball of style. An argyle patterned jumper hints at a traditionalist nature who likes to be well turned out and smart yet comfortable in his attire.

The Fair Isle knit gives a wonderfully rustic look and when worn with jeans gives a quirky twist.

The traditional Scandinavian inspired ski knits are the perfect choice for those who love colour and shapes as well as a bit of attention.

Whatever your own look, there is a knit that is perfect for you this season.

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'Bang it baby!' New men's fragrance by Marc Jacobs

OK chaps and chapettes, here is yet another review on a men's fragrance.
Launched on 26th August Marc Jacobs Bang is Marc's newest fragrance invention and his first male scent in almost ten years.
His new design goes against the grain of traditional fragrances with a disconcerting and at first alarming aroma.
In true Marc Jacobs style Bang blends irony and irreverence with a dash of glamour.
Bang on first sniff is almost overpowering in its pepper scent. As it quietens down, its real pleasure and appeal come through and soon enough you are hooked on the delicious smell of masculine woods, explosive peppery woody spices and sensual white moss and patchouli.
Bang is undeniably masculine with a modern elegance and sophistication.
This fragrance is perfect for awakening dulled noses with a burst of energy that tickles and tantalises the senses, injecting a calming and euphoric tranquility with each inhale.
Available in 50ml(a reasonable £39) and 100ml (£49) the range also includes aftershave balm, shower gel and deodorant stick allowing you to keep the Bang scent pure and untarnished with other scented toiletries.

Bang truly is for the gentleman of style and elegance, a scent that improves with every blissful insufflation.

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Bleu de Chanel: The must-have scent for men of sophistication

On 16th August 2010 the giants of the fashion industry Chanel unveiled its new scent for men Bleu de Chanel, it is the first major men’s fragrance launch since 2004’s Allure Homme Sport.

Bringing a touch of sophisticated,suave charm, the classically goodlooking French actor Gaspard Ulliel (star of 2007’s Hannibal Rising) is the new face of Bleu de Chanel. Director extraordinaire Martin Scorsese has also been brought on board to direct a film especially for the launch. The film will make its debut September 2010.


The fragrance itself is concocted by Chanel's in-house master perfumer Jacques Polge. It has top notes of grapefruit, peppermint, pink pepper, nutmeg and ginger; and a heart of dry cedar and jasmine, the dry down is a combination of vetiver, patchouli and frankincense. The overall scent, is clean, fresh and modern, and perfect scent for day or night.

But wait that’s not all…

Bleu de Chanel is in fact an innovative formula that not only makes you smell gorgeous but also refreshes your skin and helps tightens pores; leaving you with sensually scented, soft-to-the-touch skin. So not only do you smell absoluetly sumptuouse, your skin is actually improved. Two birds, one stone. What more could you possibly want?

I'll certainly be adding Bleu de Chanel into my frangrance rotation.
Click here to find your nearest stockist:

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/store+locations/M098_STORE_LOCATIONS,default,pg.html

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How to wear pocket squares

Right now formalwear is having a resurgence of popularity. For far too long ‘smart casual’ has been the order of the day and a lot of men have grown tired of this dull way of dressing. Attention to detail and the finer things in life have become de rigueur of menswear.

Following on from the popular Mad Men style are the pocket squares, a basic essential of any well heeled businessman of the mid 20th century. But wearing them can be a landmine of potential faux pas. Here is a quick brief on how to wear pocket squares following the rules of both etiquette and style.

Formal occasions such as weddings, interviews, and black tie events require you to wear a suit or at least a jacket and tie. Part of this attire is a nicely folded pocket square in the breast pocket of your jacket.
Choosing a suitable pocket square can be a landmine. But it need not be. The tie and pocket square should not match perfectly, this looks cheap. To be a bit safer (and more suave), buy the tie and pocket square separately, but ensure that they complement each other.

The pocket square should echo the colours of your tie or bow tie (unless your tie is a plain colour then match away).
For example, if you have a black tie with purple paisley details a purple pocket square would look very dapper.
Pocket squares and pocket handkerchief are terms used interchangeably, but how do they differ?

A pocket handkerchief is made from linen woven cloth or white cotton cloth. These are perfect for giving a clean and fine finishing effect when placed in a breast pocket.
Pocket squares on the other hand are those made from a wider range of fabrics like silk or cotton. Silk fabrics, silk blends, cashmere or wool are most commonly used for squares as they are softer.

For a final flourish why not learn a smart way to fold your pocket square? There are several websites and youTube videos to choose from with various styles.
Go forth my good man. Straighten up and fly right!

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