Mark Ronson has always been a tiptop fashion star and this year has been awash with his sartorial influence. From the stripes and Mod look of early 2008 to the sharp tailoring in kooky fabrics. From the ’50s rock-star (read: Elvis) to the fur-clad aristo-geek.
Now, Ronson is taking it upon himself to lead the way with the trapper-hat wearer, ‘Lightspeed Champion,’ look as first established by our (soon to depart-) Jason Dike. Mark looked great at Vivienne Westwood’s after-show party last night with his fur-lined coat, oversized glasses and slick boots.
E-mail isabelle [at] shinymedia.com to tell us who your style icons are at the moment!
Condé Nast’s fifth Fashion Rocks event was hardly devoid of well-dressed men: Valentino, Justin Timberlake (who’s fashion-savvy has become a matter of debate…well, for me anyway,) Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford (who’s rumoured to have scored an up-coming VMAN cover.) My point is that, for a menswear designer, Michael Bastian more than held his own in this pantheon of celebs.
I love his vintage-looking blazer as well as his loafers and with an open shirt and a pair of well-tailored grey shorts, he is a vision of relaxed but high-fashion cool.
Notice the subtle pocket-square (an emblem of any well-dressed male) and devour this style inspiration.
(Image: Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene from Style.com)
Just last week, Brandish editor Isabelle asked the general fashion public if the waistcoat could ever be worn well. We were subjected to the torture of Boyzone (whose waistcoat crimes can also be seen here,) and then buttered up with stories of white waffle and petrol blue. Now, I’ve created an outfit out of an All Saints waistcoat and looked to Frank Sinatra for tailoring inspiration.
Tell us what you think by e-mailing isabelle@shinymedia.com!
Bringing coat styles back from the dead seems to be a favourite of designers at the moment. They did it with the trench coat and they’re trying the same with pea coats, with stores from COS to Liberty stocking updated styles of this classic look.
With an item as classic as a pea coats it’s always possible that you could get a better version from a vintage store. Given the preference for slim fit styling right now, the vintage version could be a bit too outdated, so which do you go for?
While Topman do have a perfectly lovely version on their website, Vintage is the way to go with this one. This pea coat from Rokit is a better shade of navy blue and just has more character than the Topman version. It’s available from Rokit’s site and costs £30.
Old-school trainers are the best, I’m personally partial to dad’s favourite the Hi-Tec Squash but these Nike Waffle Racers are pretty close to the real thing.
They’re especially made to look exactly like their thirty year old predecessors even down to the aged laces (which I have on good authority aren’t all that as they look a little yellow and odd). So get yourself a pair of new laces and head down to Size? where they’re £50.
I’m currently down in London, lapping up the (dubious) sunshine and attempting to dress in a way befitting of the cramped, and quite frankly torturous, morning tube journey. Turns out they’re not too pleased about being next to someone wearing a blazer with Margiela-esque shoulderpads. Basically, the heat is ridiculous and so yesterday I wondered into Convent Garden and bought some vintage sunglasses at Rokit.
Ewan McGregor, Brandish fave and actor extraordinaire, has made it as this week’s ‘Love The Look’ style icon. While not actually a look he created himself, McGregor’s get-ups in the film ‘Down With Love’ were unbelievable. Mod suits, a Rat Pack-slick haircut, patent shoes and exotic skins; the look was one of excitement and interesting times. As the love story blossomed, each event was painted with the brilliant sartorial brush of McGregor’s dapper-dandy. Who cares if the actual film was rubbish?
At the Arcadia Christmas press day yesterday I was reminded that flannel/check/plaid is going to be huge this autumn, both Burton and Topman had lumberjack-style shirts in their collections.
As much as we’ve been plugging madras on Brandish maybe it’s time to take a checkbreak for a month or two so you don’t get too bored of the trend.
Printed and patterned shirts look cool in the summer and the vintage Ono Hawaiian shirt from Rusty Zipper will see you into the cooler months teamed with a sharp blazer. the faded print is eyecatching without being too gaudy and will look great teamed with black or grey suit trousers or for a more casual look a pair of bright straight-leg jeans.
I happened through a series of make-believe fashion-related and totally cool occurrences to be watching Britain’s Got Talent the other night and as a result I was witness to the horror of Hoop La La. No, this is not some Christian cult or Paganistic ritual it is the work of Jessie, Craig and Tina; a group of students hoping to make it big with their hula-hoop act.
After watching I was inspired to right a piece on vintage clothing and while unexpectedly drawn from the image of a Scot in hot-pants, there is greater reasoning after the jump.
Chinos are the perfect mix of jean and trouser, but it was excruciatingly difficult to get hold of great fitting chino’s as they’re still a rather American item. This all changed with Uniqlo’s Vintage flat front chinos. Whilst the price point is usually the selling point with Uniqlo – and at £25, it’s a great price – the detailing is what makes this piece stand out.
From the metal button to the deep herringbone pattern inside the pockets, it’s clear that Uniqlo have thought about how to make a great piece rather than how to make a cheap one. You can buy these from Uniqlo’s site for £24.99
Lately, it’s been easier than ever to recreate catwalk looks from vintage stores. Designers from Gareth Pugh to Henry Holland admit to garnering inspiration from the pieces available in vintage so why shouldn’t you? You won’t find a cardigan like this one in any high street store. Which, if you’re tired of disposable clothing, is a great thing.
While cardigans are disturbingly ubiquitous these days -with everyone from indie geeks to lager louts wearing them – this is something that will stand out from the crowd. It wouldn’t look out of place in Etro’s A/W 2008 collection and it’s only £45 (Although that’s still a little steep for something someone died in).
There’s times when you want your footwear
to be the centrepiece of your outfit and there’s times when you just want them
to bring together what you’re wearing. These Adidas
Rod Laver trainers are for those latter occasions. With no branding on the
outside, it’s perfect for those times when you don’t want to feel like a
walking billboard.
These trainers aren’t going to rule the
world (none will, can you imagine a world run by a trainer? It would be
horrible) but at £15, they’re worth a go.
Jarvis has moved on from his charity shop chic uniform of his Britpop years and has settled in nicely to a check shirt, jeans, buckle belt and corduroy jacket. It’s a bit hard to pull off a pervy schoolteacher look when you’re in your forties, and Jarvis’ new look suits his pared down music. Get your hands on a similar western-style shirt from Howies for £75, or from Plaid Pony Vintage for $28 where you can also pick up a vintage belt buckle for $24. Ballyhoo Vintage have got a great velvet jacket for $65 which will definitely give you the Jarvis look. See after the jump for product images.
Jarvis has moved on from his charity shop chic uniform of his Britpop years and has settled in nicely to a check shirt, jeans, buckle belt and corduroy jacket. It’s a bit hard to pull off a pervy schoolteacher look when you’re in your forties, and Jarvis’ new look suits his pared down music. Get your hands on a similar 
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