© Ralph Lauren

A Ralph Lauren shirt has been on my list of recommendations for my Personal Shopping clients for as long as I can remember. The familiar polo player motif has been one of the most respected signs in designer shirts since the brand was launched in New York nearly 40 years ago, and in that time has matured rather than aged.

Ralph Lauren is perhaps more famous for leisure shirts and clothing, but it’s his traditional more formal designer shirts that I prefer and I can spot a Ralph Lauren shirt a mile off just by the cut – even if the polo player is covered up.
As designer shirts go, Ralph Lauren shirts aren’t the cheapest, but their sheer quality and stylish cut won’t ever let you down. Ralph Lauren use only the finest fabric and the shirts are sensitively cut to flatter your shape, whatever your figure.

Boned collars will make sure your 100% cotton shirt stays crisp and sharp however long your day and cufflink holes are provided so you can make the most of your collection of fashion cufflinks.

And if you don’t have a collection of fashion cufflinks to go with your designer shirts, then where were you on the 10th of October when you should have been reading His fashion eye?

xxxx
Sarah

Rated: from 4084 votes

© Lambretta

Lambretta has a big following around the world as the home of retro mod clothing. The fashion brand started in 1997 and in that time it has traded strongly on mod fashion from the 60s - from sharp jackets to parkas to retro t shirts.

You’d think that that a label so intertwined with the cool fashions of the 60s would make truly retro t shirts. But unfortunately I don’t think they do.

Lambretta have made a few lines that are directly reproduced from those worn by The Who in the 60s, and some of these were great, including retro t shirts worn by Keith Moon, but these were only released to a few high profile fashion stockists. It really frustrates me when men’s fashion companies do this. Why design some tip top fashion, get people wanting them and not roll them out across all your stores?

So what we’re left with is standard blokewear, with a logo that implies retro but doesn’t actually deliver. It’s a shame, but in reality I don’t think Lambretta makes retro clothes at all, but is just a retro brand.

If you’re after a retro t shirt, you’ll be far better to get yourself a retro t shirt that’s actually designed and cut as a real retro item, rather than a modern item with an old fashioned picture or logo on.

Rant over.

Peter

Rated: from 3519 votes

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, SS 2010, Source: wikipedia, felipe

Last weekend the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week took place in Berlin. Celebrating the 5th anniversairy the show provided an excited crowd with the latest fashion trends for spring/summer 2010. As every year there were many celebs among the guests, such as Justin Timberlake, Sienna Miller, newly-weds Boris Becker and wife Lilly and Adrian brody. The VIPs attracted the visitors attention both at the catwalk as well as at the famous after show parties.

Men’s fashion designers attending the show included Wolfgang Joop with Wunderkind, BOSS Orange as well as ,for the first time, the American fashion label Gant .

In case you would like to have a look at the latest fashion trends of all designer collections check out the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week’s official website.

BizRate

Rated: from 2570 votes

© Goi Goi

I’m getting more negative as I get older but there are still some labels I like.

Such as Penguin that I talked about recently. Well another label I’m keen on at the moment is Gio-Goi (pronounced “jeeoh goy” for the uninitiated)

You’ve probably seen the t shirts -they’re everywhere at the moment with the bold logo, and I like the label because they have stayed true to their Manchester roots. In fact these logo t shirts annoy me a bit because they bring the label to the level of cheap, shouty logos. Most of the menswear from Gio-Goi doesn’t have the big logos on, but they do make fashion that’s a little bit Manchester-blokey - sweatshirts, t shirts jeans and so on.

It is what it is though, and doesn’t claim to be anything else. I like some specific pieces from Gio-Goi too, especially the stripy Chev jacket in black and some of the trackie tops that are just the right side of trendy

But I suppose the reason I really like Gio-Goi is they are selling like really hot hotcakes this Christmas, and as a shop owner this makes me ignore the negative points. Buy Gio-Goi for good, hones menswear, just keep away from the loud logo t shirts.

Peter

Rated: from 3096 votes

© Penguin

I was looking through my posts recently and was amazed to see I hadn’t mentioned Penguin!

Penguin Clothing started in 1955 and back then it was based around golfing and sport leisurewear. Since then they’ve managed to avoid being pigeonholed as casual sportswear designers like Lacoste, and become a fashionable brand.

The Penguin logo is an iconic symbol in the US, but still quite rarely seen in the UK, and I’d like to see that change - along with Superdry I think Penguin are going to explode across UK men’s style in the next few years.

Unusually for an American fashion company its collections include stylish t-shirts, hoodies and tops that don’t look too American fratboy. Maybe it’s because they concentrate on using top quality materials like 100% lambswool or cotton, or maybe they just have designers who are aware of how fashions can lag behind in the US

I especially like the t shirts from Penguin, mainly the ones with the penguin logo - other companies would plaster their t shirts with a slogan or the brand name, but Penguin are happy with a fun colourful penguin. As a basis for men’s style, it’s subtle, it’s colourful and it’s a penguin - what more could you ask for?

My favourite at the moment though is a black Penguin hoody with a white penguin motif across the chest. Perfect men’s fashion for snuggling away from the cold wind. Brrrr

Peter

Rated: from 3416 votes

I saw the most amazing men’s sweater this week on a walk through Harvey Nichols.

It’s made by Prada and it’s so soft and cosy, it’s like it’s made out of fuzzy fur. I tried the purple sweater on and I looked like one of the muppets or an extra from Fraggle Rock. I might seem like a bit of an uncompromising fashion fan, so it might surprise you to hear that I loved it - as far as I’m concerned, looking like a muppet has no bad points.

So am I recommending you all go out and buy one of these men’s sweaters from Prada?  Well at £260 I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy what is, after all, just a very fluffy jumper. In fact I’d recommend you don’t buy it, but just go and stroke it.

The reason why I’m talking about an amazing men’s sweater (apart from hoping Prada send me a free one) is it’s a brilliant example of slightly unusual clothing that can make you really stand out. It’s not garish and stripy like a cartoon tie, and it’s not bright and in your face, it’s just a subtle, slightly bizarre sweater with character.  Put a bit of originality and excitement into your wardrobe and buy some menswear clothes with a difference.

Peter

Rated: from 3103 votes

flickr © kiddo

Are you someone who can’t mention Burberry without talking about the familiar place in chav fashion? Well I’ve got news for you - there is still some Burberry that it’s ok to wear.

I’ve got no idea how the beige tartan became the uniform of choice for small-town teenagers and gangs of lads, but there is more to Burberry than that. It’s got some similar drawbacks to Lacoste that I blogged

© Burberry

about earlier, mainly that it’s got quite an old target audience. They do some decent clothes though – a bit country gent but it also great quality. For instance, what about a Burberry polo shirt?

Take this season’s short sleeve polo shirt with bold grey and coloured stripes and 3-button collar. It’s not trying to be trendy, but it’s a quality garment. I wouldn’t choose to wear it and at £75 it’s a bit steep, but I’m not the target market am I?

The Burberry polo shirt proves that there’s life in the company yet, and they’re still an option for posh casualwear that’s smart enough for the country set.

And what’s more, there’s no beige tartan in site, which is a good thing! It was perfect for ladies in the 1950s but I think for people like you and me, it’s out of bounds for the next 10 years at least.

Peter

Rated: from 2943 votes

© Lacoste

I like the way that fashion tends to pigeonhole us. You can tell a lot about someone from their clothes, and if it’s Lacoste polo shirts or t shirts it’s not always good. I think Sarah ‘s customers might be bigger fans than I am. If you like Lacoste clothes, here are 3 things it says about you.

You’re probably over 40
To me, Lacoste has a similar place in men’s fashion to Ralph Lauren and maybe even Burberry – expensive, good quality and bland. If you pay over the odds for this, over coolness, you’re probably over 30 or 40 and you’ve grown out of being cool. Not that that’s a bad thing.

You play golf
I’ve never seen anyone wearing Lacoste in a nightclub. Admittedly it’s a very USA brand, but it’s more at home in the golf club than the night club. You prefer expensive, sporty comfort, and that’s why you like Lacoste. Unfortunately, I think it’s the equivalent of teenagers shopping for fashion in JJB Sports, only a bit older and with more cash.

You know about quality designers but not fashion
Lacoste isn’t cool, not for anyone I know anyway! My dad might wear it and it’s the type of brand that no one would miss if it wasn’t there. Having said all that, If you like Lacoste, good luck to you. It’s not cool for young lads, but I’ve lost count of the times I’ve bought cool but uncomfortable and overpriced tat.

Just don’t think you’re at the cutting edge of fashion.

Peter

Rated: from 2798 votes

School tie flickr © simon shek

I’ve always had a soft spot for a school tie. I guess it dates back to my own schooldays when the glam boys from the posh school up the road used to swagger past with their school ties half undone.

So when one of me personal shopping clients asked me if I’d look at a range of school ties he’d found, I was intrigued and asked him what he meant.

I should have known better! The client produced a catalogue and showed me the most ghastly set of novelty ties I’ve ever seen in my life. Pictures of blackboards, pictures of teachers, chemistry sets, even one featuring the periodic table (but I had to Google that one).
And of course there had to be one showing DNA, probably for the actors in Silent Witness to wear.

The saving grace was that a couple of them were in hand painted silk, though the garish designs ruled them out for anybody with half an eye for men’s fashion.

Anyway, a gentle stroll arm in arm to my store’s selection of pure silk designer ties was all it took for him to realise what he really needed. The offending catalogue quietly found its way to the bin and another satisfied customer left with some great men’s fashion advice and half a dozen designer ties.

xxxx
Sarah

Rated: from 3030 votes

© Goodsouls

I’ve been reading up on a few other men’s fashion blogs and one that caught my eye is smartgeezer. It’s a bit blokey, and ignore the sales spiel on some of the posts, deep down it’s a good blog. And I especially liked to see the posts about coats in the last few weeks.

You probably know that I’ve got issues about coats. You see lads out on the town in Leeds only wearing shirts in December. And I think that’s madness – especially when there are some fantastic coats for you to pick up. For some reason, blokes see coats as being a bit uncool. Maybe being cold is a subconscious sign of weakness or something, but I‘m one for coats in men’s fashion. I love a blog that isn’t afraid to talk up a good coat, and it’s a nice surprise that smartgeezer is on my side.

Take the Bullet Brown Leather Bomber Jacket, that I think is supercool, or the cassette cotton jacket. This is the sort of thing guys should be wearing when it’s below zero outside.

On the other hand though you’ve got the duffel coats (and unfortunately they’re not the Paddington Bear sort). There’s a worrying trend for shapeless duffel coats this season that look like they’re held together with white string and wooden clothes pegs. They’re from big names too like Farah and Paul Smith, but I don’t know what they’re thinking. If I stocked them in my shop I’d get laughed out of business.

There’s only one way I’d ever wear one of these dodgy duffel coats, and that’s if it’s a choice between the coat, and no coat. In that case, give me the coat and give me it now.

Peter

Rated: from 2714 votes