Men's Fashion & Style

Hi guys!

So recently I have teamed up with LG in an exciting new project. We’ve just seen the back of London Fashion Week, and LG has created an eBook which I am glad to say I am part of. The task was to create three outfits for three different occasions, and go into how I usually care for the fashion pieces I’ve picked. The occasions were a sporty style, smart look and a cosy-casual look, which incorporate a wide range of different clothing and fabrics.

Getting the laundry right with your clothing is important, it’s something which I’ve taken more seriously over the years where I’ve bought more expensive items, or just clothing I really love which I want to last.

Smart Look

For my smart look I went for a blazer jacket from Minimum in grey, black selvedge jeans from Nudie Jeans and a black shirt from Eton. The outfit was finished off with black derby shoes by Kurt Geiger. I love this look, it works really well for a night out and the dark blacks of the jeans and shirt are brought out by the slightly lighter grey jacket. The blazer is 100% wool and needs to be dry cleaned, if there are any small marks these can be spot cleaned to keep the jacket looking it’s best. You shouldn’t wash jeans very often, every 6 months should be fine, and can be aired out to keep fresh.

Sporty Look

If you read my blog a lot and follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I go out running a fair bit. I love running in the summer, and last year I went out for a run pretty much every day, I still go out in the winter if the weather isn’t too bad, but not as much. Obviously I have to wrap up more, and you’ll find me in a hooded sweatshirt and pair of tracksuit bottoms. Both of these need to be washed a fair bit, luckily they are made from cotton and polyester, so are perfectly safe to put into the washing machine.

Cosy-Casual

It’s still cold, so cosy casual fashion is still a good thing to keep in your wardrobe. I have gone for one of my favourite jumpers, a 100% cashmere knit from Jaeger in red, along with a pair of soft chinos from Mango in a sandy/beige colour which compliments the jumper well. It’s just for just having a film night or relaxing watching TV or listening to music. The chinos are pretty easy to keep clean, washing them in the machine. The cashmere knit is the tricky one, and needs to be hand-washed and then dried flat to maintain it’s quality and integrity.

LG eBook

Check out the LG eBook with some helpful hints on how to keep your fashion looking it’s best, which features a couple of the UK’s favourite fashion bloggers, including Michael 84 of course 😉

Michael

For one of the most anticipated films of the year, Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice, Police Watches have partnered with Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, and created two limited edition watches in time for the release of the film, which is due in cinemas on 25th March 2016.

The timepieces come in two different variations, with a strictly limited run on production to make these watches extra special. Only 2,400 will be produced worldwide of each model, making these a truly must have pieces of memorabilia for any Superman or Batman fan. These won’t just appeal to the hardcore fans either, the watches are stylish and would feel home on the wrist of anyone. The cases come in either a robust blue or black stainless steal, and feature the official Batman V Superman logo with infamous Police branding throughout.

The Superman variation features distinctive navy and red colour in the design, with the Batman version being black and bronze. Both are nice, but in terms of style I prefer the Batman black version, I love the subtle styling and the way the colours are brought together it keeps the design simple which is something I really like. Features on the face include a date dial, dual time and both are 5ATM.

The watches are beautifully showcased and come in their own presentation box, along with a unique certificate of authenticity, and will be available at Watch Shop, H Samuel, Debenhams and Menkind and selected independent jewellers. The good news is that the watches will be available from 1st March, which means you can grab yourself one (if you’re lucky) in time to wear on the night of the film’s release. If that’s not enough, purchases in March will include a complimentary pair of Odeon tickets to go and see the film!

Police Watches are also giving you the chance to win UK premiere tickets to the red carpet launch of the film, which is a truly unique prize, you can find out more about that on the official Police Watches UK Facebook channel here.

I got all four 2016 Spain shirts at the back end of last year, including the home and away shirts and the home and away goalkeeper shirts when Adidas released them, and then for Christmas I got a few of the training shirts, which are here 🙂

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Evisu have launched their limited edition premium jeans, inspired by the Monkey, which is the 2016 zodiac sign for the Chinese New Year. Every year they release a special edition of their denim, designed with the Chinese zodiac symbol at it’s heart. I have loved Evisu denim for over 10 years, they are known for their premium Japanese denim, and although they are no longer one of my favourite brands, if there’s one thing you know you’re going to get, it’s the high quality and Japanese influences of culture with Evisu.

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Hey!

Most the sales are over now as we move into the Spring fashion season, I’ll be blogging about that lots very soon with what’s currently out there and what I think is going to be the hot trends, or just the things I am loving 😛

I got a few pieces from Jaeger in Autumn which I blogged about here, and I’ve had a few other pieces too, namely a good few shirts, as well as smart jackets. The past few suit jackets I’ve bought I really loved, and this one I saw on Black Friday, but I resisted buying it simply because I have so many jackets now do I really need another?

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Is it just me, or are “the sales” really poor these days?

I can’t tell if it’s because I am not very motivated these days for the sales, since there’s not a lot more I need to buy; I have so many clothes and stuff like that, there’s really not much more I would like to get, other than possibly the odd one-off items. Anyway, I usually go out in Newcastle to places like Fenwick to check out the sales and soak up the atmosphere of shopping in the sales; It can be a bit hectic and busy, but that’s what it’s all about!

In the last few sales I’ve went to, I have been disappointed. Last year’s Boxing Day/Christmas/New Years sales were not good, and the previous summers have been as equally as bad. It seems they roll out stuff you’d not normally want which they’re hoping you’ll buy, or their best discounts are not in regular sizes; The last time I checked some T-shirts out at Gant, Armani and another brand I can’t recall, and I counted around 60 T-shirts, with ZERO in sizes small or medium, but they had some in other sizes, including the quite irregular 3XL.

With that said, I did not bother going to the sales on the high street this year, and bought a couple of things online from a few different places online.

In my seeming mission to buy everything from Happy Socks (it’s actually not, LOL) I got yet more socks from them. I needed some new socks and wanted to refresh my sock drawer, so I’ve thrown out almost all my old socks and they’re now replaced with all the Happy Socks I have either bought or got for Christmas. I think I have a total of 17 pairs now 🙂 Along with the socks, I got the boxers too. I got one of the spots pair of socks for £3 which was a steal, another for £5 and then the pack of 4 which was £15, down from £25, and the boxers were around £12.

Along with the socks and underwear I got myself a new shirt, from Thomas Pink. I saw this navy shirt with tonal stripes and really loved it. It was £49 down from £89, and I think that this shirt is worth that. The shirt feels nice, quality is good and I really like the fit.

Have you found any great bargains out there in this year’s sales?

I have had my quilted Barbour jacket for a number of years now, and while I do like it, it has got me thinking, is it the best jacket for Winter?

If you’re thinking about a jacket or coat for this Winter, I have answered some of the questions which you may have on the Barbour quilted jacket, and my thoughts on where it should fit in with your wardrobe this year.

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What do you think of the good old fashioned ugly Christmas jumpers then!?

Christmas jumpers have gained enormous popularity over the past 3 or 4 years, and there’s even an official Christmas Jumper Day, to raise money for charity (it’s 18th December this year). If you’re going out or going to a party over the festive period, you have to do at least one night in a Christmas knit, and at least 1 work day if you’re allowed that too, and if you’re not, ask your boss, if he says no, convince him to say yes 😉

This year I have so many jumpers! A couple from last year and the year before, and I have some new additions from Fat Face, Tokyo Laundry and the amazing Funky Christmas Jumpers once again. When choosing your festive jumper there’s a few options you can go for; From a fair isle knit to the ultimate in a novelty design and even light up tops! It’s up to you to pick which style suits you, and you can of course get yourself more than one 😉

UPDATE: 2016 Christmas Jumpers

Check out the updated 2016 Christmas Jumper Guide Here.

Funky Christmas Jumpers

Funky Christmas Jumpers have some amazing designs, they’re so funny and if you have a look on their site you’ll probably end up getting more than one. This year they’ve got some brand new hilarious jumpers, including a Kim Kardashian inspired jumper from the Paper magazine cover.

Happy Birthday Jesus – £40

Kim Kardashian Reindeer Christmas Jumper – £40

Hipster Santa Christmas Jumper – £40

Baby Jesus Selfie Jumper – £40

I Know What You Did Last Christmas – £40

Fatface

If you want something a little bit Christmassy but more formal and toned down from an all out novelty design, Fatface have got a few jumpers to get you in the spirit without going overboard. With a few fair isle style knits, and some featuring reindeer, you can wear these with some festive cheer in a more toned down manner.

Stag’s Running – £45

Stag Head – £45

Fairisle Knit – £45

Red Fairisle Knit – £45

Tokyo Laundry

Tokyo Laundry have some brilliant festive designs at a great price. Classics include the elf costume, and other Christmas knits, including some with a 3D vibe to them with 3D pompom detailing.

Merry Christmas Elffie Jumper – £20

Happy Holidays Knit – £20

Penguin Blue Knit – £17

It’s Christmas Time Jumper – £20

Burton

Burton have a nice little selection of Christmas jumpers, including this one which I love, a Santa outfit. This design comes with a few funny extras which I haven’t seen anywhere else which are the naughty list, a hip flask and some faux buttons.

Merry Christmas Peeing Santa – £25

Reindeer Jumper – £25

Overworked And Underpaid Christmas Jumper – £25

Bad Santa Christmas Jumper – £25

My Other Christmas Jumpers

A few favourites of mine are these two; I got a light up Christmas jumper a couple of years ago which is always makes people stare which is pretty funny, it gets some attention in dark bars on a night out 😉 Another is my Santa Claws jumper which I got last year for my 2014 Christmas Jumper Guide which I really love 🙂

Check out the best men’s Christmas jumpers this year for some novelty festive knitwear this season.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that for the past few months I have been talking about adding small details to a look, in particular pocket squares.

A simple pocket square can add a little bit of colour to an otherwise plain looking jacket, it adds a touch of class and will not go unnoticed. I really do like these fine details, and it doesn’t have to stop there, with other additions such as bracelets, lapel pins, ties and even tie bars can add small touches to finish off any outfit.

When the guys over at Me My Suit And Tie got in touch about their style boxes, I had to find out more. Check out their kickstarter here, and read more about them below.

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Hey guys! I hope you are well. How Autumnal are these pictures?! I really do love the Autumn, and we’re having the most odd one in years, It was 15C the other day…In November! That is quite insane.

I have been talking with Finaest, an Italian boutique set up by Luca Gianmaria Catalano, which offer luxury fashion with history and the best craftsmanship. I discovered this light blue shirt, from the label Santillo. Santillo was founded in 1970 and is a family run business, with a high emphasis on quality craftsmanship. All their shirts are hand made from high end Italian cloth, and offer both bespoke and ready to wear products.

The shirt feels amazing and I love the fit. I have tried to do a close-up shot so you can see the quality of the cotton which is remarkable. It has no front placket, often called a French front placket, and Australian mother of pearl buttons. You can get this shirt in light blue, or other colours at Finaest here.

I wore the shirt with some navy blue chinos, my Jaeger grey jacket along with Kurt Geiger derby shoes. The outfit is finished off with a D&G watch and classic white pocket square. Remember to check out more of my fashion tips, including what to wear this Autumn.