Cycling through Bloomsbury last night, I was struck by the sheer number of other cyclists on the roads. Seriously, it’s like the bicycle M1 there in rush hour. When budgets tighten and the weather brightens (sorry), cyclists come out to play, so it looks like summer is definitely set to be based around 2 wheels. And for that, you need the right outfit.
While it’s a little too warm for full-length jeans, rolling up an old pair can work pretty well. Technical cycling trousers can be fairly awful (dayglo lycra with reflective patches is not a Brandish-endorsed look), but this pair from US brand Outlier fill a gap for neatly tailored, slim trousers that are also fast-wicking and breathable. If you can’t stretch to the required $220 (plus international shipping), ASOS’s £25 slimfit chinos come in a pretty array of colours (we rate the teal ones most). Somewhere between the two sit Acne’s lovely peppermint chinos for £135. If you really want to impress the traffic, try matching your trouser colour to your bike frame.
Topman is great for its designer collaborations and its ‘Priceless’ range, designed by celebrated fashion designer and tailor Antony Price, delivers every season. The range has just gone up on Topman.com and with its wonderful waistcoats, brilliant blazers and perfectly pleated pants (in the American sense of the word,) I can’t wait to get a piece of the action! The look on the left is almost exactly what I outlined in my ‘Will’s Summer Wants’ piece only last month and the peach colour is perfect for summer.
Other standout pieces include the taffeta suits in purple and green as well as the ‘ice grey chintz’ suit. Most jackets are around £140 with trousers at £60. Why not enlighten us as to what you plan to invest in by chatting to us on Facebook?
For the British, summer is a time of seaside, (dubious) sun and 99p ice creams. It can be hard to find the perfect sun ‘n’ sea outfit and I won’t bore you with details of the economy but, basically, we should all be investing in classic investment fashion pieces. Could there be anything more perfect than these cropped trousers in a brilliant azure blue. At $798 (£542,) they might be rather over-priced (okay, very over-priced) but they can be worn in the heat with a basic white tee and Raf Simons gladiator sandals or in the winter with black brogues, a black tee and a grey cardie.
The one problem? They are only stocked up to a size 4 so, as if the beach wasn’t enough in itself, you now have even more reason to drag yourself to the gym after work!
With a month long holiday in India coming up, I knew I had to get some stand-out holiday wear. I thought about the different eras of recreational wear and began racking the (fashion) history books for inspiration- jumpsuits, capri pants, high-waisted slacks, kaftans, tunics, dungarees…the list goes on. But then, as with all moments of fashion genius, America’s Next Top Model came on the telly and I was reminded of the genius that is Jeremy Scott.
As a result I was led to a picture of a friend wearing a pair of Jeremy’s cropped print trousers and I fell in love. In order to recreate the look, I bought a pair of Topman’s cartoon-print pyjama bottoms (£15) and tied bits of string around my lower legs. I then folded the pyjama fabric under the string to achieve a cropped effect.
Because the print is so loud, you should stick to basic items in muted colours. And even if you don’t get the look that you wanted, I assure you that making the trousers is almost as much fun as wearing the finished edition anyway.
I feel like a traitor to men worldwide (and that’s saying something seeing as my trouser of choice is the skinny jean and I am constantly borrowing things from friends and family without a second thought as to which sex the item was originally intended for.) I have just dissed Clint Eastwood on a pretty public scale and I can already hear the heckles and smalls rocks as they soar through the air.
But let’s be honest- he looks a complete mess. I am all for ageing gracefully and not heading in the direction of mutton dressed as lamb but this is just pure laziness. I don’t care if his luggage went missing or he was attacked on the way to the ceremony; there is simply no excuse.
How to update? I would suggest a simple white shirt to replace the sick-green polo and a pair of classic blue jeans instead of those hideous high-waisted slacks. Replace the trainers with brown boat shoes and you have a great laid-back cool for any age!
Nitrolicious has revealed that Alexander Wang, the most recent fashion darling and It-designer, is to launch a menswear collection for Spring/Summer 2010. Adamant that he isn’t simply jumping on the bandwagon, Wang explains that “for us it’s a component that’s always been there..the idea has always been there, I’m just expanding it” in reference to his famously androgynous looks.
What do you think- would you be up for Wang’s signature baggy vests, scruffy trainers and cropped trousers? I’m already excited! Write on our Facebook Wall and let us know what you think.
Denim has been revolutionised in recent times and the last few years have seen denim be used by menswear designers to make a true statement. Whether skinny, twisted, acid bright faded, torn, studded, boot-leg: some might say that ‘jeans maketh man.’ And they wouldn’t be far wrong.
So, what would these jeans say about a male? They lace up (with white leather might I add) the side and turn up at the bottom. The have a diamond pattern detail on the back pockets and come from one of the coolest labels of the moment.
Yay or Nay my friends? Vote after the jump.
Twenty-two year old Josh Hartnett lookalike Tommi has put together a cracking outfit using some quite simple pieces. I like the tie tucked into the shirt to show off the new buttons he added.
The colour of the khakis is quite crucial to the look, in a more beige tone the outfit wouldn’t be as effective but the greenish hue of the trousers add interest. Note the rolled-up trouser legs, a quick and easy way to update your look. A word of warning though, don’t go too high or you’ll resemble London gig promoter Josh Weller (nice hair, shame about the trews).
A little while ago our young fashionable upstart Will test drove a pre-production sample of a pair of drop crotch jeans by Trousers London and now the equally young denim brand has opened their online store so you can buy the finished article, fancy that!
Their first line comes as four styles of jean each limited to 150 pairs and individually numbered, costing £180 per pair. The brand focuses on the quality and the sustainability of their materials and looks to be a big player in the cutthroat world of denim. I seriously like these jeans; they are potentially a superior alternative to Levi’s Vintage, Evisu and Edwin. In fact, I think they are far superior to all these brands, which is hard for me to say being a Levi’s die-hard.
If you’re looking to splash out on a new pair of jeans then look no further than the Trousers London website and jump through for more images of all the styles – G-Star wearers need not apply.
With most brands turning into lifestyle brands, you’ll have to provide a little extra to stand out from the crowd. Cold Method are doing just that with their ’9 aesthetics’ capsule collection. The Dutch label state that you need 9 essentials for every season, starting with a t-shirt, denim, shirt, trousers, knitwear, suit, coat and an accessory. Check out the collection at their website.
I was recently watching Bruce Almighty and during the infamous Monkey-Butt scene (I try to be a serious journalist,) I was struck with the cold slap of sartorial envy.
Okay, maybe not envy but definite recognition. The Gangsta friend was wearing a torn denim waistcoat and high-waisted trousers similar to not only Christopher Kane’s show of last season but to the Gisele editorial of V54.
Check the image and appreciate how unbelievably on trend this man is!
For those of you wondering where I have disappeared off to recently- the answer is a strange place called Abernethy in Northern Scotland where innocent people are made to compete in equally strange outdoor activities. And not the X-rated kind.
While some have been living it up at Fashion Week, I have been condemned to a lack of ghost models and Matches sales. Therefore, I was delighted to return to Isabelle’s latest fashion accessory- the ‘Medge.’ I have come up with a new fashion word of my own.
I have decided upon the ‘Crarem Trouser’ as my new term. As seen at John Galliano and Etro, this trouser mixes the Harem-style ankle with the new ‘Drop-Crotch’ trend to form the trouser of the season.
You might be forgiven for thinking that my reasons for putting this video up are slightly self-indulgent, but you’d be wrong. Of course it’s an amazing video -featuring Prabhudeva who is apparently one of the best dancers, but if you pay attention to the main male characters’ lower half you’ll notice they are wearing some rather fetching double pleat trousers.
I’ve seen quite a few people carry off voluminous pleated trousers, but honestly, if you want a guide on how to look good in your neo-baggies then take a tip from these guys.
For some weird reason, Grey jeans are still hard to come by. That’s what makes these Dolce & Gabbana light jeans a god/allah/thereisnogod-send. While I love trousers, they can be slightly too flimsy for my tastes.
Navy jeans are better than black jeans in spring, but they also bleed onto the trainer. The bleeding is incredibly annoying when you’ve just bought a brand new pair of white hi-tops and don’t want a stain on them – only to find there’s a blue outline around the heel of the trainer that you can’t seem to scrub off, so you spend ages cleaning them with an old toothbrush and some Cillit Bang. Not that I did any of this.
But I digress. At £270 these are pretty steep, but its best you look at it as an investment that can be worn during all seasons for all occasions. Or just treat yourself and feel slightly guilty afterwards.
Topman has perfected the art of online retailing. Constantly changing and adding to their list of online sub-stores, there is now a separate store for accessories, t-shirts and even summerwear. The latest addition to the website is the Dynamic Denim feature. An essential to every man’s wardrobe, see after the jump for my pick of the label’s latest denim lovelies.
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