Picture Postcard: What a rocket scientist should look like

It is a magnificent moustache, bristling with mischief, sweeping from cheek-bone to cheekbone like a second smile

Daniel Jubb, 24, the owner of the moustache, looks like a Victorian scientist transposed to the 21st century

EJ brought this image into my life last week as it was part of her daily batch of links she sent my way and I just had to share it with you. Daniel Jubb is a rocket scientist and this is exactly how a rocket scientist should look. I just can't believe that this chap is a mere twenty four years old...I am the same age and am neither a rocket scientist or more importantly could never grow a moustache like this!

The combat boots - Argyll Sreet

I have been flirting with the girl's version of these boots for a long time. They are by All Saints and are just a little too pricey. I do love them though!

Monocle Shop - A small haven from the hustle and bustle of Central London shopping

You might have noticed on previous posts that I am an avid reader of Monocle. It is the only monthly (well it can almost be classed as a monthly) that I read from cover to cover and take great delight in keeping because they are such a good resource! At the helm of the magazine is a man both myself and TheSundayBest hate to love who is constantly pushing the publication forward and in new directions. The latest direction is the Monocle Shop (located just off London’s Marylebone High Street) and I just had to brave the wet, grey London afternoon today to take a peek inside (unfortunately I took my camera but left my memory card in the laptop, so the images are provided from Monocle). The shop showcases the full Monocle range of products that have been created in partnership with leading design brands such as Comme des Garçons, Porter, Valextra, Artek and Drakes London.

At just just nine sq metres in size (it is only a touch larger than my childhood bedroom which only allowed my bed, a small television set and my sega mega drive) but it is so welcoming and feels so homely. The shop feels like a well thought out living room., summed up by prints of Alexis Armanet's Sumo Shots adorning the wall above the fireplace ..I just wish it was my living room! I was instantly greeted by a chirpy assistant who was happy to chat and show me the range of products. Upon showing me the Porter Baby Boston Bag I was so very close to sacrificing all self control and handing over my debit card to the lovely lady and asking to take one of everything! Fortunately, just before I could reach into my card wallet and begin mass purchasing everything from the array of goods, in walked Yoshitsugu Tagaki who is Production Editor of KitaKoga which pushed my excitement levels over the edge and I couldn't take any more...I paid for the latest issue and departed with a smile on my face.

Before I left, the helpful assistant informed me that the space will constantly evolve, the stock will change on a regular basis right up until the shop closes in March. This store is a safe haven away from the crowds and madness of Oxford Street...I know where I will be shopping for Christmas Gifts (for others...but mostly for myself!) and if you have a chance you should definitely pop in.

Here comes the man boy

I have been a fan of Omar Kashoura ever since I stumbled across his designs on the racks inside The Shop at Bluebird and walked away with a black cardigan which is always admired and is frequently a conversation starter. Since graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2004 Kashoura has won many more plaudits than just little old me, including the top prize at New York's Gen Art Style International Menswear Award in 2005 and working for Preen and Unconditional. Despite a great deal of attention in his brand, Kashoura decided to go back to school and complete a masters and Spring/Summer 09 sees the release of Omar Kashoura's first collection since graduating from his masters at Central Saint Martins.

This collection, as with each season, evolved from a poem written by Kashoura. The latest collection explores the ideas of the 'ManBoy' and the encapsulating poem can be read below.

CLOTHES………….introduced to conceal modesty.

… Necessary to hide defects and used to reduce everyone to a decent insignificance of physique, to improve the imaginings of the male body.

Dazzled by the confusion of knowing how to look,

Extreme

EXTREME

From the 70/80’s super extreme to the recent heroin chic,

‘ ..Here comes the man boy.. ‘

The new man of narcissism, glowing, sweating and grinning, an exploding signifier of the so called post modern condition

He is a reaction,

a narcissist yet modest, a man, but still a boy.

A body that is perfectly formed, whilst exhibiting manliness in its strongest form.

Modern………yet historical………and futuristic all at the same time.

We are a visual and stylistic culture.

Men are visual commodities

Hair cuts,

The cut of jeans

Ways of walking and being.

Points of comparison between men, not just as aggressive competitors but as stylists in the same club.

Encourage more

Men and others, visually and as objects of consumer desire.

The body in the gaze becomes an public object, it is a surface, a shape, a volume. With the ever powering campaigns and advertising the moving body must be on display and available for inspection. Whether in visual representation or personal form.

…..He is educated

aware of his identity and thus able to move beyond the sphere of unreflecting immediacy,

to raise the question of the purpose and function he serves in human existence as a whole.

Truest manliness will be achieved by freedom rather than a slavish subservience to convention.

A raw material sculpted through clothes.

3D

Designs used to heighten anatomical maleness + Experience pleasures around the body .

...A reassertion of masculinity over femininity

Within this collection structured tailoring sits alongside figure hugging jersey and bias cut silhouettes producing a collection strong in shape, pattern, fit whilst being soft of fabric. The intricate detailed finishes and fastening put the typical Kashoura seal of approval and design into each garment, including lopped shirt collars and petersham back buttons through to some of my favourite shirt bib accessories. For me this is a collection which demonstrates that the boy Omar Kashoura is becoming a Man.

Messing around in the mirror

I know we posted images of this chap from garance doré only yesterday but the more we looked at the spread of images, the more we fell in love with this chap's style (EJ went as far as calling him her new BFF on the images alone!) and he certainly deserves additional attention. -we have been starved of interesting men's street style for sometime so lets celebrate our first piece of nourishment in weeks! The post yesterday concentrated on his glorious round tortoise shell spectacles but we just had to talk about his hair, here is a man who is not afraid to play around every morning in front of the mirror and style his hair in a way which suits his outfit that partticular day. EJ is constantly requesting that I change my hairstyle because I've been wearing it in more of less the same way for the last few years. Gio has inspired me to mix it up a little. Armed with an assortment of Bumble&Bumble styling products and a comb I decided to have a play around with an element of my style which has remained motionless as my sartorial choices have evolved. I present to you an animated gif (who needs fancy videos when you can say it all in a gif? teehee) of my hair adventures...hopefully it will inspire you to think a little more about how you will wear your hair tomorrow.

This might not look much but EJ will testify that messing with my hair (however small) takes me out of my comfort zone. I like talking about hair and hair styles, as long as it is other people's.

Are you adventurous when it comes to styling your locks? How often do you change your style?

Update: Lick of paint and upcoming posts

It must be the combination of pre-Christmas dread and excitement because the world of men's style has been relatively quiet recently...although we were both excited by the chap recently featured on garance doré (yes we posted about his glasses yesterday but his hair alone deserves a post which will be with you soon!). No matter on the quiet times on the men's style front, as part of the Men Represent DIY Challenge (talking of which we are both gathering materials, how are you getting on?) we have decided to use this time and rather than twiddle our thumbs give the blog a lick or two of paint - we might have been inspired by TheSundayBest's recent redesign. As the blog has grown older it has become somewhat cluttered (like most old homes - just think of your Grandparent's home filled with an amazing amount of antiques and tat) and we want to make the experience of reading it as easy and as aesthetically pleasing as possible so have been working on ensuring just that. First up has been to redesign the right column of the blog and to tackle the clutter we have been working on creating our very own Style Salvage Buttons (above is one example of what we have been working on). We are however interested in your opinion, so it would be great if you could let us know what you think about the aesthetics of the blog, how can we improve it (please bear in mind that blogger only allows a limited degree of creativity)?

As well as messing around in photoshop we have been plotting a number of post ideas. This is what we have coming up (in no particular order):

1) Men Represent DIY - The first round of the the 'how to' posts along with the results will be posted after the weekend. We will give you a hint about our projects...Steve's involves feathers whilst EJ's involves facial hair...intrigued and worried? well you should be!
2) Style Salvage Gift Ideas - as the festive season is fast approaching we will walk the streets and surf the web to find the best gift ideas (also, it will give you an idea if you want to send us something)
3) Advent Calender - rather than a piece of dubious chocolate we will give you a picture postcard each day
4) Best of British - inspired by acontinouslean's The American List we will unveil the very best products and brands originating and producing in this Island.
5) Magazine Review Videos - Like the true junkie that he is Steve is waiting for the next batch of men's style journalism to hit the shops, as soon as they do we will digest and review them for your viewing pleasure.

So, we are sure that you'll agree that there is lots to look forward to! It doesn't matter if you love the Christmas season or scream bah humbug at every given opportunity because we are going to ensure that December is going to be a good month.

The red vintage coat

I love the colour combo. The coat is vintage, and it is red enough to brighten up a cloudy day like yesterdy...

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Through the looking glass

The stylish Giovanni as captured on garance doré - which for me is now the best street style site because the shots are just beautiful!

Gone are the days where we would be embarrassed to be seen in public wearing glasses, opting for contact lenses, squinting and/or blindness (depending upon the degree of sight). There has certainly been a great deal of attention afforded to spectacles in recent months (culminating in a spread on Spectacle in the latest issue of Fantastic Man) and rightly so. The circular frames as worn by Giovanni above are something very special indeed. My list to Santa includes a pair of tortoise shell frames and I know that EJ has expressed a matching desire to own a pair as well. These are the finest pair that I've seen for some time.

The function of frames is just not merely to suspend a pair of corrective lenses before the eyes of a myopic or the hyperopic but also to serve as a statement of style. These days, glasses are not just for seeing things that little bit clearer, but for adding clarity to a chaps style. Mankind has come along way from playgrounds filled with mobs chanting 'Four Eyes' just before beating up the latest victim of bespectacled bullying. We are now beginning to see glasses as more than just a handy aid for the visually impaired, they are an object which can make the wearer more interesting, beautiful and desirable. I leave you with the wise words of Philip Crangi as featured in Fantastic Man:

"I never discriminate against the bespectacled. I think people in glasses are really sexy. Unless they're not of course."

Designer of the Year - Honey I shrunk the suit

Unsurprisingly GQ have name Thom Browne 'Designer of the Year' in their December issue and there cannot be too many complaints out there...are there? I'm hard pushed to come up with a single other menswear designer who has created such a stir after his shows, not to mention the fact that his indicative style has been replicated throughout the world. Never before have I seen men sporting cuffed trousers complimented by no socks on the scale I have seen on the streets of London this year and this is down to the influence of one man.

Men's style is such an interesting and constantly evolving entity. Who would've thought just a few years ago that someone who advocated high trousers and the shrunken suit would become the toast of the sartorial town? Browne started selling the suits we have grown to love in 2001 and his collections have always been focused around the suit, building on its links to menswear from the past and how the oddity of its proportions threw its reference points into postmodern relief. Since 2001 Browne has of course received many plaudits but he has also received a great deal of negative reviews - there is a constant criticism that the designer is making clothes that look weird on anyone who isn't Thom Browne...I have however seen many Thom Browne's walking the streets this year. His designs have slowly eroded many of our beliefs on what a good suit should be, he has made us question many things about something so simple (or so we thought) as the practical, 'safe' option, the suit. He has done this to such an extent that the same people who initially laughed at the proportions of his creations are now desperate for his next line, whilst feeling self conscious if their ankles are covered. In my opinion he deserves the designer of the year accolade for this alone. Are you happy with GQ's choice?

The Artist... Brick Lane

The paint splatters on his trousers are almost as hip as the plaid shirt, so on trend!

Dress as a thinker regardless of the merit of your ideas

Although University seems like a lifetime ago (and from what I remember of it, not a great deal of time was spent attending lectures or seminars) there are a few nuggets of information and strains of thought that I keep with me. The class which is most vivid in my mind today formed part of my Sociology teachings in my third year (I studied Law and Sociology art Warwick) and was titled Sociology of Knowledge, Science and Intellectuals. The role of the intellectual in the English speaking world is something of a chequered category (as opposed to continental Europe where the intellectual is treated with a great deal more respect) where there has always been a suggestion or implication than the intellectual is an ambient troublemaker and should mind his own business. Despite all this, an intellectual is surely something to aspire to and in the twenty first century it is something of an endangered species. As the ideas of intellectuals and academics might be few and far between in the modern age (are we really in a state of dumbing down?) we can atleast express a particular form of thought expression by dressing the part of someone who is a thinker. I recently wrote a letter to Hiroki of Visvim expressing my admiration for the craft of his brand and that I wanted to become a consumer. Another fantastic piece out of the Visvim Fall/Winter 2008 collection has been released for us all to salivate over.

The Academia Jacket 2L comes with a John Hanley tweed upper and a 2L Gore-Tex lining. Classic looks with up to date functionality - perfect.

The moral of my babbling above is that we can all dress as intellectuals and academics regardless of the the merit of thought and the extent of our knowlegde, all we need is the brain functioning enough to choose Visvim.

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