Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls

Oh I was quite the Blur fan as a youth. Marjan Pejoski is known for pushing gender boundaries in his collections and this collection is no different, however I've not been too drawn to the pieces until now. These looks are inspiring and most importantly wearable. Susie recently posted about this collection but I wanted to talk again about the menswear on offer. Yes the collection is pretty androgynous but I don't want to be sharing any of these pieces with her!

The AW/08 collection is something for guys and girls to swap, interchange and mix up in textures and shapes...

The beauty is (as always with good menswear) all in the cut and the drape. With a simple monochrome palette (although my favourite piece is the pistachio jacket), Pejoski is pushing menswear in ways other than colour. He is not afraid to play with the female silhouette, reforming it for the male, at times with spectacular results, at others interesting. Although it is stifling hot in London at the moment, I have to admit I am thinking about my next winter coat and Pejoski's outerwear is inspiring.

More Hats! Oxford Street

I love how colourful this couple is! and they seem perfectly suited in style. I always think it is so funny when couples dress following a similar style...

Woman in stripes... South Molton St

Hats are on! I love the way she wears the Panama and the stipey dress is vintage. Very cool with the skinny belt. And there is something rebellious about wearing your giant ring on your index finger...

Picture postcard: I think holidays may have made me crazy

Heed these wise words, Steve, heed them well.

This picture actually hurts my brain a little. Part of me thinks that this is utterly amazing- it's a freaking hat made of his own hair after all! Look at how much effort must have gone into it! Another part of me thinks 'good grief, that's a lot of effort to make hat hair'.

Still, like it or not, at least it's a bit different. Doing the best you can with what you've got (going by the writing, rather than the picture now) is always to be commended... surely? So the question is: if you could grow a fro hat, would you?

Now this dude has the right attitude. To think I used to look at Will Smith in the Fresh Prince and be amazed...that was nothing compared to this. We need people like him over the coming weeks as we look to explore the limits of blogging. Pure dedication to the cause...persistent, imaginative and crazy (we all need that important mix of crazy).

The Photographer... South Molton Street

Call to arms

Greetings men's fashion bloggers!

This is not strictly speaking a men's fashion post, merely an idea we've been bandying about. There seem to be so few of us out there that we want to get a bit of unity going- strength in numbers! We want to try an experiment (a mass collaboration if you will), but we need your help. If you are interested in taking part, people drop us a line (our email address can be found on the right hand side) and we'll let you know what we're thinking of. I'm not trying to be deliberately mysterious, I've just not firmed up the details yet.

Many thanks

EJ and Steve

Anna and Sophia @ Stuart Semple's

Anna had blond hair until recently, and we were surprised to see her new look! It's amazing how the colour of your hair can change your image completely. She looks great either way. Her adorable green dress is from Topshop. Sophia, in her 20's inspired outfit/hair, also looking fab.

Wishing for my Summer Holiday...whilst going back to work

Back to School with Head Porter

It is unbearably hot in London (for me anyway) at the moment and to make matters worse the body clock of the child in me is going crazy...I should not be dreading the fact that tomorrow morning I have to get on a cramped, smelly, disgusting tube and commute into work. Tomorrow should be the start of my six week summer holiday, the beginning of many an adventure...in the park, on the beach...to far off distant lands (like Bournemouth)...but no, instead I have to come to terms with being a grown man and off to work I must go. To make my life a little more like how I yearn for it to be I might just have to experiment with the whole 'back to school' drive. The new Head Porter "Lesson" collection has arrived in the Honeyee Store, consisting of bags, backpacks, pouches and all things school related such as pen cases and folders, this would certainly make my work desk more appealing...now all I need to do is find my beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunchbox.

Write it, get it, paste it, save it,

I love the Internet. There I said it. It's out there. I have to admit though that this wasn't always the case, there used to be a time where it could get in the way of what I called the 'real world' (EJ can vouch for this) but now I've come to accept that there is no 'real' world or 'virtual' world, everything is in one big pot. The downside of all this is that I have (like you no doubt as you are reading this after all) become an addict of stimulation in both written and visual form. There was a time when monthly, quarterly and even bi annual magazines used to be enough. Of course I would go into the best newsagent in town and have to ask the owner about when an issue was coming out, annoyingly the hell out of them but I like to think that they probably miss me now (NB - I still do this but there are just so many great magazine stores in London that I no longer have a local store to befriend). The Internet has preyed on my slight magazine weakness to make me a fully fledged addict. I regularly walk into stores now preying that for some reason the new issue of Fantastic Man would have been published months early, 10 Man, HE, Squint Homme and Monocle woud all be there waiting for me and who knows maybe even Vogue Hommes might have found there way...alas normally I walk out empty handed and frustrated. Now however, m frustration doesn't last that long because I can go home and access so much online, which leads me to my point (I did actually have one)...I stumble across so many great blogs everyday...I read somewhere that every second two blogs are created which is awesome (Just to balance the scales I would add my own stat about how every second at least one blog writer gets bored and stops). Yesterday, I came across thenonplace.

I love the simplicity of it all. A font and layout similar to that of Fantastic Man, images are accompanied by a brief paragraph of text. For example the entry above is accompanied with the following text: Another summer sale buy, I have gone a little over board of late! Visvim Nez shirt from last spring summer lovely quality exactly as expected and a great fit.

It is something I can look at work to relieve my eyes from spreadsheets and delivery reports. According to the archive the blog has been going since June 2007 which is the same month that myself and EJ decided to write our own after talking about it for months. The blogger is Stephen Mann, a stylist based in London. who regularly contributes to Arena and Qvest as well as working with designer Aitor Throup. Thankyou internet.

Plaid Skirt Punk...

When I grow up...

Image taken from i-D (the Artisan issue - which is an extremely good issue for menswear)

I've discussed my recently developed love for architecture (I would love to be an architect when I grow up), this fascination with me being me naturally includes how the architect styles himself. Ole Scheeren is the German architect blowing people's minds with his gravity defying design for China's Central Television Headquarters and is featured in the latest issue of i-D (the Artisan issue - which has a great deal of interesting menswear). Ole's interviewer for the piece gives him the following introduction..."Handsome, talented and well dressed, Ole is as much a hit amongst the ladies as his buildings are revered on streets across the world"...this might be a tad shoddy but it covers the main points and the grainy image shows that the man can dress - I'm not a fan of unbuttoned shirts but this artisan pulls it off with ease.

His CCTV Building has been described as two drunken, upside-down Ls leaning against each other for support and has been compared to a man adjusting a pair of ill fitting trousers, it is certainly one the world’s most ambitious architectural challenges which looks to have worked..

We look on as man adjusts his ill fitting trousers

On the CCTV Tower Scheeren remarks "At bus stops, in bars and on the street, people had started to speculate what this building was going to be and to recognise that architecture could possibly do something completely different to what they thought it was. It had started to capture the public mind, and in that sense made a contribution to the life of the city before its completion." One day I will capture the public mind. In the meantime I will dress the part.

The layered cardigan

Image courtesy of Diane Pernet

I came across this image EK Thongprasert (winner of ITS 6) on ashadedviewonfashion and I love the top half of his outfit. I have discussed my desire to layer two cardigans as soon as the weather begins to cool (I'm currently fast forwarding summer in my mind) and this cardigan would be absolutely perfect to realise the vision I have...however the sun is still shining (ish) and the type of layering I have in mind is out of the question so why not wear it as Thongprasert has. I want that tie.

Nicky, pop artist... Clerkenwell

The story of a tailor

Martin the Tailor from Ed David on Vimeo.

Here is the perfect video for a Sunday evening. This is the story of Martin Greenfield, a man who went from working in a workroom in a concentration camp in Germany to the owner of a garment factory and a tailor to the stars. Greenfield talks about how he crafts a suit for a person, how everyone is a “perfect person” belly or no belly...because we’re all different and unique. A nice thought before bed. Good night.

Modular Anatomy - My past and present collide

I grew up in a small seaside town on the South East coast of England and for many years it was my home. As a youth I would fit in quite seamlessly with my surroundings but there were moments when my sartorial choices caused a few disagreements with my peers - I must say looking back, I have no idea why some of the guys took offence to what I wore...the smallest of details could spark them off, a stripey jumper is an example which had a few colours in it would occassionally cause a remark on my 'sexuality'. Strange times indeed but they were never less than interesting. So what were my peers wearing if it wasn't stripey jumpers I hear you ask? The majority liked there labels. The uniform of choice included Lacoste polo shirts, Levis, Reebok classics and Stone Island jumpers and jackets, which were all worn with beaming pride and exuding masculinity. Time hasn't changed this uniform too much over the years but how I dress certainly has - if they thought I was a little strange back then, they certainly would now. Anyway, I've rambled on for too long about my childhood but hopefully I've set a scene of slot machines, ice creams, garage music and pearly white trainers.

When I read about Aitor Throup's collaboration with Stone Island I couldn't help but think that my two worlds have collided in some way. The project involves the construction of an ostensibly traditional down jacket pieced together in small parts using separate, individually filled cushion segments. Traditionally this is exactly the type of jacket which was worn by my friends and aggressors, now reinterpreted by one of my favourite young fashion designers. Throup's design philosophy starts with the human form and allows the garment to evolve organically, taking a building-block approach as opposed to a more conventional construction using sleeves, armholes and body panels.

Despite Throup's involvement I will not be buying this collection as it's just not my style (unless I am forced to battle the elements..which is unlikely)...I wonder if I'll be seeing any of it on the backs of my old friends.

A hat with a feather... Brick Lane

Dream brothers

Way back in September last year we were singing Topman's praises, so when Topman sent us through the information about their latest Lens collection, we got a bit excited. When we saw the photos the excitement was justified.

Here's their schpeil:
"Young Dane Kasper Harup-Hansen has been chosen to design an AW08 collection for Topman's Lens area this September. Kasper will join past successes Carolyn Massey, Dexter Wong, Mjolk, and Another Boy, all of who have been hand selected by Gordon Richardson (Design Director, Topman) and Matthew Murphy (B Store, Founder). All five designers will be available from the Lens area in Topman Oxford Circus, La Foret (Japan) and online as well as making their debut in New York."

Still not quite as widely available as I'd like (online doesn't count, you have to be able to try things on!) but when it looks this good I can forgive them. A little. It looks like the rest of the high street and the likes H&M have a fair bit of catching up to do...


Here are our favourites:


Mjolk:

Layered tartans and that shade of blue? Yes please! Anyone who's at all familiar with Steve's wardrobe probably knows that he has a much-worn cardigan that's a very similar colour to this. I love the details on the shoulder of the blue suit (though I'm slightly concerned with the draw-string...). Put me down for the jacket on the left though please!

Kasper Harup-Hansen :

I remember seeing longer length tops somewhere on the catwalk, but I'm slightly surprised that Topman decided to take them on. I think it could look amazing styled just right... plus I just adore the bib bit of this shirt where the pattern is turned slightly.

Dexter Wong:

Mmm, layered grey done so well. I think I like the guy on the left best- that zip-up jacket is brilliant and I love the buttons on his... is that a waist coat? It's the trousers that interest me most of all. I've been loving the baggier trousers that have been all over the catwalks and these look like they could be amazing.

Carolyn Massey:

Ok, confession time. After looking at these pictures late last night I went to bed and actually DREAMT about this cape (hence the title of this post). I kid you not. I promise this is the first time that I have dreamt about a specific item of clothing and I am fully aware of how insane this makes me... however this does not take away from the fact that this is one cool bit of clothing. I've seen a couple of chaps wearing capes on Face Hunter recently and it looks surprisingly good.

I love all of these looks. Topman is leading the way on the High Street and it is some way ahead. My favourite look is the layered grey with the loose trousers. This is perfect autumn dressing. I posted about H&M launching a more fashion forward line but Topman have raised the bar yet again and left all competitors trailing. It is a;ways refreshing to see some style being offered on the High Street, I just hope that other retailers wake up to the fact that there is a market for these clothes.

Update: The Collection is available from 14th September. I'm sick of the lack of Summer let's just fast forward to autumn winter. I prefer autumnal dressing anyway, I can't wait to experiment with layers and textures again.

The Stuart Semple Mashups!!

The lovely Stuart Semple, artist and curator of the Mashups Exhibition (amongst many others!)

Last night was a beautiful summer's evening in London and especially pleasant since we attended a very cool opening event for the Mashups curate by Stuart Semple (who you may recall we interviewed for six questions) for DACS at the Kawalsky Gallery in the Clarkenwell.

As well as making some new friends we also saw some old friends including Fay and (we are holding their photos later in the week when we will be on the road in Switzerland and thought we should keep something in reserve just in case…)


The Alana Lake

Picture Postcard - Inspired by EJ's find

Outfit: APC jacket, margiela white t shirt, unconditional trousers, b store silver hi tops.

Dear EJ

I have to admit that there has been times when you have influenced my style. The most frequent cases are when you offer a gentle nudge whilst shopping; for example picking out an item that you know I wouldn't normally choose and making me at least think about it. I think we all need to be challenged from time to time and you have certainly done that over the years. other times, you can just pick out an idea/image which makes me want to try it. This from garance dore was one of those examples. I challenge you to do this more.

Much Love

Steve

Plaid Skirt with wholey tights... Brick Lane

She workd for Let Them Eat Cake magazine. I love the whole look, from hair to toe.

Little stripey dress...

Joy from Beauty Guerrilla.

Acne on the rise

Whenever I have a spare few minutes in Central London (which is frequently, normally because Susie is late) I love wandering into Borders to finger the latest magazines and even discover new magazines. As a student I would pore over the magazines for quite some time, take them up to Starbucks and read page after page over an Americano (in a ridiculously large bucket which should not be described as a cup) getting my aesthetic, glossy fix before leaving a pile of them used and abused on the pine of a starbucks chair. These days I actually buy them (most of the time). Recently, the London weather took a turn for the worse and as the rain lashed down I ran into seek shelter within the aisles of books and magazines and I discovered HE magazine - I've since been told that it positions itself in a unique market niche...fashion for heterosexual men - I care very little of this but did enjoy the no nonsense and down to earth format of the pages. Although published from Copenhagen the magazine has a distinctly US meets Stockholm feel, the likes of Opening Ceremony, Adam Kimmel and Acne represented extensively. It is the latter which I want to concentrate on here.

The recent S/S 09 collection saw Johannsen take a modern interpretation of America’s bad boy culture of the 1950s and I loved it.

Acne's been all the rage what with their collaboration with Lanvin, their general status as everyone’s favorite jean company and their awesome Spring/Summer 09 show getting good reviews. Over the past week alone I have been confronted with various forms of Acne (not the pizza faced teens kind..anyway, we rarely call it acne, they are just spots to us Brits) countless times and rather than be turned off them (which is normally the case with) I'm intrigued and in awe it all. Within the interview Johansson tells us that at first the name was acronym, standing for Ambition to Create Novel Expression but ultimately it evolved from a desire to have a creative collective, out of an idea of mixing different disciplines and most importantly making products for themselves.

The interview with Jonny Johannson illustrates the creative dynamic of the brand extremely well.

There is much more to the Acne brand than just red stitched jeans (for which the brand became known), it is in reality a diverse creative collective (I so, want my own...Thom Wong come join us...everyone please let me know if you want to join my collective) which has given rise to Acne Paper.

The plan for the Acne Paper was to bring out a publication that weaved together people, imagery, history, newness, and the pleasures of inter-generational exchange and learning. For an interesting insight into the mind of the editor-in-chief - Thomas Perrson read his blog entry for The Moment. The element of the paper that interests me the most is an idea of research, showing the brands inspiration to the outside world and this has ordinarily been kept very private. All in all there is a great deal of inspiration to be taken from the brand, Acne have certainly come a long way from 'just jeans' and offer so much more.

Two friends... Brick Lane

I love the way the girl on the left used the ribbon as a belt, and the girl on the right has such a lovely face. Her polkadot dress, I think is Primark. So cute with the white plimsoles and cardi.

Unlikely style icons - Michael Stipe

I've never been able to make my mind up about Michael Stipe. There can be no denying that he does get around a bit though, mixing in a number of circles and experimenting with a number of different mediums. This is not a discussion about his music, his films or anything other than a brief exploration of his style. I'm keen to get you involved, help me out...is he a style icon? He certainly has always been distinctively dressed, at times he gets it very right and at others...well less so. The man himself said in a recent interview with HE magazine that "I don't think I'm particularly stylish. I do have access to and am aware of people who are doing really cool stuff." It certainly helps having access to an amazing array of designers but Stipe's eye for detailing proves to me that he is a stylish chap.

As shown on Kempt, here is Stipe wearing a handmade chalk-striped three-piece suit from Freemans Sporting Club, a checked shirt by Thom Browne, a plain black tie from Druthers Appointments, and a scholarly pair of specs.

Unfortunately, aside from the above, there aren't that many easy to find images to support my musings so I've had to take matters into my own hands and steal them from HE, I love the mix of colour and classic tailoring - something I will be trying very soon. Below he is wearing Jacket and Jeans by Junya Watanabe, V neck and shirt by Acne Considered Classics - Apologies for the blurry image....it is the best I could get.

I will leave you with a quote from Stipe where his honesty about clothes is refreshing. "For me dressing is all about confidence. I have body issues like everyone does. If something I wear makes me feel taller, stronger, more handsome, more confident, more able to complete my sentences when I walk out of the house in the morning, then it's done a great job for me that day." I think most of us would agree with that.

Savage style worn with grace

Last night I went to see Savage Grace and although the subject matter of the film is unsettling and the direction cold at times, the film should be seen for it's style alone. Before I explore the style I guess I should give you an overview of the story, so here goes. On Friday, 17th November 1972, a shocking crime rocked London. Wealthy American socialite Barbara Baekeland had been stabbed to death in her Chelsea apartment by her own son, Tony. The film is a tale of money and madness, incest and matricide and tells the saga of Brooks and Barbara Baekeland - heirs to the Bakelite plastics fortune - and their son Tony, unfolding against a glamorous international background. Directed by Tom Kalin (best known for his provocative 1992 drama Swoon) Savage Grace is most effective as a truly subtle study of a mother-son relationship gone terribly wrong.

The trailer for me casts the film in a poor light (accentuating the slightly grating speech of the main characters) but please don't let this put you off the film. The film might be disturbing and quite cold at times and is more likely to be remembered for it's shocking content as opposed to anything else...however I would like to point out and celebrate the style of the film. Comparisons can certainly be drawn with The Talented Mr Ripley but I believe this film has more style substance.

Just look at that setting. This is relaxed, stylish summer dressing, very similar to that seen in The Talented Mr Ripley. There were better oufits but unfortunately the images are not yet available on line. There is one scene where Tony wears rolled up khaki trousers so effortlessly well, that it looks like something which I would like to try.

The father, Brooke was dressed well throughout the film but the above image shows him at his most suave..just look at the moustache!

I have picked this image because I have always wanted a robe just like this, everything about it is perfect..plus I have a thing about baths.

For me the image above is the quintessential image of the film (I prefer to not talk about the pose and what he is waiting for). On the suit Barbara remarks that she likes the suit and claims it to be from Gieves&Hawkes (she likes him in Gieves...eww), Tony quips that is in fact from the more exclusive Anderson & Sheppard "One can walk in to Gieves but one has to be walked into Anderson & Sheppard" (my favourite quote from the film and what great tailoring).

I wish there were more images to show you but these should be enough to wet your aesthetic appetites. Go out and watch it over the weekend and let me know what you think. I am going to return to the syle of one of the stars, Eddie Redmayne in the coming days because he been everywhere in the last few months, including the Spring/Summer Burberry Campaign, Nylon and Dazed&Confused to name just a few places.

Not dead.

Just because I'm on Blog Lite (tm) mode at the moment, doesn't mean it's internet lite. I think I'm actually incapable of doing internet lite... Just to keep you entertained over this no doubt super rainy weekend, here's a taster of what I'm been reading about.

- How great is this guy? I found him on garance dore which is unfortunately in French too complicated for me to understand. I love his trousers, which to my eyes look like modern Charlie Chaplin (and a bit like everyone's trousers in Batman the Animated Series, but I've got that on the brain right now)... and check out the close up: round framed glasses, joy! Really love his hair too.

- This sort of links in with what I was saying about shoe lifts I guess... James Brown's estate is going up for sale. If you don't fancy the platform shoes, you can even get your mitts on his hair care products. For a full listing of lots, click here.

- There's been some serious comfort music going on at casa EJ which involves, among other things, copious amounts of Jeff Buckley. This includes watching the video to So Real and remembering that there's more to ties than just the skinny tie. Shocking, I know. I am more than a little obssessed with Jeff at the moment, so expect more on him in the near future.

- Here's something I never thought I'd write: maybe gladiator sandals on men COULD work. Darn you I Luw Fashion!

- Oh, and remember that Raf Simons/Fred Perry collaboration everyone was talking about? Daniel Jenkins (him again) has the first of it in stock. Don't expect it to stay in stock for long though.

- Fringed trainers: yay or nay?

We have made it to the weekend! Good to have you dip your toe in the blogging waters despite being in blog lite (tm) mode.

Why EJ, you have been addicted to the internet throughout the time I've known you (almost 6 years), in fact I would say that you weaned me on here aswell. I like the close up of the chap so much that I thought we had to include it here:

Ordinarily I'm not a fan of the sunglasses as neck accessory but the round rimmed glasses are awesome and there is so much going on there that you cant not like it. This shot also shows how well his jacket is cut and I'm liking how the proportions of the slim cut jacket are played upon by the loose, relaxed fit trouser. Good find.

I've been waiting for the Raf/Fred collection to become available for some time and demand is certainly going to be high (despite the substantial price as it is worth investing in). Originally I wanted the long sleeve polo but foolishly my impatient nature forced me to buy the on sale Alastair Kimm for Fred Perry long sleeved polo.

I'm not a fan of the fringed trainer and it's not only Gucci who are doing this right now. I just don't see the point in the fringing. Not for me.

PS - You have always been obsessed by Jeff Buckley and I'm amazed that he has featured so little on the blog. It is time for your obsession to be released into the public realm.

Fashion Forward Menswear with H&M

Mensrag informed me that H&M are planning on pushing menswear next season and about time to! The reason for the push? Well because they believe men are finally ready for more fashionable items. For me H&M used to be a great place to find the odd gem but in recent seasons it has really lost its way (as the Divided collection grew and grew - which primarily consists of gaudy t shirts in my opinion). The accessories on offer have always been pretty decent and varied. I often used to see stylish guys shopping in H&M and finding some great pieces...I just couldn't shop there. The best thing I've bought in recent years is a pair of novelty Hulk boxer shorts, which as it happens were a little too tight for my comfort so I was doing my own Bruce Banner impression but I shouldn't go on with this story...

Come September the Swedish retailers plan to update their racks with more fashion forward items for men (that phrase concerns me somewhat) - including jumpsuits, fake fur coats and flamboyant heck suits with wide lapels (this brief insight into the collection unsettles me further, but atleast they are looking to do something different). As men are becoming more fashion conscious the retail chain feel its perfect time to introduce fashion forward men’s garments - “Men have become more into fashion and more daring when it comes to details and silhouettes which is great to see.” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s head of design."

Will Mads Mikkelsen be wearing fake fur come September?

It won't all be fake fur and wide lapels though (phew), apparently checks will be the casual statement come September, alongside big knits and more conceptional creations where H&M designers turn up the volume, transforming cardigans into outerwear and making an oversize scarf the centre piece of an outfit (I like the sound of that). I've not been inside one of their stores for a while now but I will definitely have a look in a couple of months.

The Style Scout in Arles, Thanks Colette!

Here are some of the shots Anais from Colette sent us today from the exhibition we are participating in taking place in Arles, France: "From the Street to the Blog". We are bummed we can't make it there to see it live but hope everyone who are able to go enjoy it...

Blue Hair! Brick Lane

Blue hair to match your tights...

Acne and Lanvin reach a shared Hi

I try not to use the blog as a medium to salivate over set items, especially when they are the result of collaborations (it seems I read of another interesting collaboration daily) but my hand has been forced by the below trainers.

Recently the news spread of the Lanvin and ACNE collaboration and it instantly got me thinking of what could be. I didn't have to wait long until I caught a glimpse of what could actually be - the two worlds combine to create something awesome. I saw these hi tops and fell in love. They are perfection. We have to wait until November until they are available though.