Month: April 2017

Stylish commuting. On ya bike!

Posted on by dansinnott

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London brand Vel-Oh has been on the British bike scene since early 2014, but is only now getting the full recognition it deserves for the high quality products it produces.

The three in one Worker Bag from lifestyle brand Vel-Oh was originally created for those commuting by bicycle and incorporated four key elements, waterproof, lightweight, stylish and versatile. Those elements have helped make it popular as an everyday bag, perfect for the office and just great as a weekend or flight bag.

The Worker has adjustable cotton webbing straps allowing it to be used as a back pack, tote bag or regular carry bag. A capacity of 30 litres gives plenty of space and side poppers keep the bag looking neat. There are two side bottle pockets and a padded 15 inch laptop pouch.

Made from high quality heavyweight 100% waxed cotton from British Millerain, to keep the contents dry while super strong magnets on the top and front pouch ensure that those contents are safe and sound. There is a leather front pouch pocket with an easy access pocket carrying an embossed Vel-oh logo as well as a large embossed leather back panel.

The bags are the ingenious idea of husband and wife team Zulfi and Greta, two urban cyclists. As commuters they noticed that cycling bags were either aesthetically challenged and practical or vice versa. They started discussing why this was and how they could create the best of both worlds. They spent the next nine months working on a symbiotic approach to this problem and creating a product that the cyclist would find both practical and desirable.

Zulfi and Greta’s goal is to bring form, function and style to the cycle to work commuter, with the emphasis on all of their products now being handmade by the two wherever they are.

Vel-Oh (my god…) they’re good

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The Vel-Oh three-in-one Worker Bag does a great job of combining function and style and exceed themselves in achieving a chic urban vibe.

The symbiotic approach that the company has taken to create a product that can keep up with the needs of a city cyclist, makes you feel like you’re buying a product from a company that truly understands your needs.

Vel-Oh‘s new collection comes from the team going back to the drawing board and taking inspiration from the two key fundamentals of Vel-Oh. Form & Function. A range of bags that Vel-Oh feel is right for the cycle inspired market. These new styles have a sleek look that wouldn’t feel out of place in the office,but have the practicality of being able to cycle to work with. Revisiting how you carry locks, lights and your personal belongings and have incorporated these into our new range, the brand is definitely worth a look if you’re on your bike every morning.

If you want a bag that is made for cycling, but don’t want to lose any of the stylishness of a cool day bag, this is the look for you.

Shop here.

Why you need a shirt subscription & how to start

Posted on by dansinnott

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You can get subscriptions for just about everything these days. Razors, pet toys, beauty products, wine accessories, bow ties, snacks, and more. So with so many options, why would someone look at Christian Benedict, a men’s shirt subscription service as something they want, or need? Well, the benefits of getting some simple, stylish, fresh clean shirts posted through your door are vast, and hopefully we can convince you to take the plunge into a world that’s more convenient, more reliable, more stylish, and where you’ll have more money in your pocket to spend on other cool stuff.

#1 MEN NEED NEW SHIRTS MORE THAN THEY’D LIKE TO ADMIT

Face it guys, you probably need new shirts more than you think. Whether you wear your shirt on their own, layered with a blazer or sweater, or even as an undershirt — they simply don’t last forever. Your shirts eventually get pit stains, or maybe food on ’em, or in some cases they simply lose their shape over time. And guys simply don’t know how to say goodbye, well that and we’re also a tad lazy, which leads to wearing shirts we shouldn’t any more. By getting a shipment of shirts every 30, 60 or 90 days you eliminate awkward shirt moments forever. Crisp, new shirts will leave you walking out the door with confidence. Confidence breeds success, and face it — the ladies love confident successful men.

So first things first, head over to Christian Benedict.

When you arrive you’ll see a clean cut website that’s easy to use, with prompts to take you through the process of your signing up to your spanking new subscription service. Once you’ve decided how often you’d like to receive a new shirt under the “ ” tab, you’ll then get to pick your first shirt!

There you will find…

Three shirts are available that are 100% cotton; Light Blue Button Cuff Shirt, White Button Cuff Shirt, Pink Button Cuff Shirt. (it’s not too confusing or tricky).

Once you’ve chosen your first one, you don’t have to stick to it for the duration of your subscription! Around two weeks before you’re due another shirt, Christian Benedict will send an e-mail showing you the entire range. Within that e-mail you’ll be able to pick another shirt by clicking on the appropriate image.

Smashing.

#2 A SHIRT THAT FITS RIGHT IS HARD TO FIND CONSISTENTLY

Finding a shirt that fits great is just not easy. For instance, you may find some nice regular fit shirts one month at Topman, or H&M that you think have saved your world. You love them. You wear ’em to work, or out with your girlfriend on a Friday night. One day you start to realize that the sleeves are shorter, it’s a little tighter (and you haven’t even eaten bad this month), and for all intents and purposes it’s a completely different shirt. It is basically an alien shirt. So, here is the beauty of custom fit. At Christian Benedict it’s easy.

In this step of the subscription process, take your measurements and know what you need – it’ll take the hassle out of everything.

Using the drop down menus to enter your measurements is fairly simple – it also acts as a guide to know if you’re along the right lines if it’s your first time measuring. You can change the measurements anytime once your signed in and if you’re not happy, let Christian Benedict know, they want to get this right for you. (There’s a friendly no questions asked returns policy – you can return it for free).

Don’t panic if you do not know your measurements, the size guides will help you achieve that perfect fitting shirt and are really easy to follow to discover your measurements. Discovering your fit is the general size of the shirt and will determine how closely the material hugs your torso.

Christian Benedict generous fit is their ‘Regular’, whilst they call their medium ‘Slim Fit’. ‘Extra Slim’ size is their smallest size.

#3 SIMPLE SHIRTS NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE

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A simple shirt is easy to dress up or dress down and well worth having in your wardrobe.

After punching in your measurements, you’ll need to hit your details into the system. Your name and surname, whilst providing an email address and a password to set up a profile on the Christian Benedict website. Once you have completed all the stages you will be ready to receive your brand new shirt, there’s no commitment so you can cancel any time and you only pay around the time that you receive each shirt.

The whole process is really simple and visually easy to follow. Put it this way, it saves you having to visit town and get pissed off with all the shoppers walking slowly!

#4 SUBSCRIBING TO FRESH CLEAN SHIRTS IS FULLY FLEXIBLE!

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Your package arrives with speed and is packaged safely and securely, inside includes:

  1. a 100% cotton formal shirt;
  2. a small gift (these change monthly);
  3. an insert detailing our referral program;
  4. an insert and pre-paid address label relating to the returns process;
  5. and a gift box.

Now that we’ve given you a few of the keys as to why Christian Benedict’s shirt subscription service is so great for guys, we’ll give you the most important reasons to become part of the CB Shirt club.

You know what you’re getting, the size is tailored to you (so the fit will be impeccable), you know when you’re getting your shirt, the service is time saving and fully flexible (i.e. can be cancelled whenever) AND you don’t have to leave the house to know that you’re going to look great at every opportunity.

So there you have it. Sure, you can fire up your monthly subscription to artisan cheese if that’s your thing, or relish in opening up a box filled with carefully curated grill tools or something, but what good will those things be when you’re dressed like a slob in your stained, 3-year old shirt?

A shirt subscription from Christian Benedict is not only a nice to have, for most men it should be a necessity.

For more information regarding Christian Benedict please visit here. Or alternatively drop us a comment or a message and we’ll point you in the right direction!

What do we really want for our Stag Do?

Posted on by Peter Minkoff

stag party

Your best mate has stopped coming out as much, he’s under the thumb. Then he drops the bombshell that he’s getting married and it blows the whole pack apart, how are you all going to continue?

Ahh well “he’d drifted anyway.” But then, he pulls it back from the gutter and pops you the question…”will you be my best man, mate?”

You’re over-the-fucking-moon. Mainly because it’s your one and only chance to stitch him up royally and get away with it.

So, us men want to have an unforgettable time and send their brother off through the gates of marriage and into a life of monogamy and baby farts, right? Well, yes, but in order to actually organize an unforgettable stag do, you as the best man need to plan every single earth-shaking, knee-trembling moment.

So, let’s get you prepared for the night of the groom’s life.

Men want inebriation

You don’t plan on being sober right? Not a single amazing story in history has ever started with “and then I told him I’ll just have a glass of fresh lemonade”, who even drinks that? No, you need to organize and plan the amount and variety of alcohol involved, as well as the management of barfing and post-barfing damage control.

Start the party off light with beer and cocktails, and when the crowd gets warmed up, you can move onto the heavy artillery. A key tip to remember is keeping the groom only slightly above tipsy at all times, so that he can enjoy the entire party and actually have recollection of it in the morning. You don’t want the groom to fall asleep before midnight and as for the rest, well, they’re free to make their own mistakes.

A location that has it all is Bierkeller. Floor to ceiling beers and ‘bants’.

Men want games

Men's stag Do - Zorbing and playing football

A stag do doesn’t start at night, and certainly doesn’t entail only drinking and ruining a hotel room. No, a real stag do starts in the morning and ends with the following day’s walk of shame. If you want to organize a dynamic and memorable stag do, you want to take the crew for some sports and games in the great outdoors.

Start in the morning with some rugby to get the blood flowing and try not to dislocate anything or break a bone before the party starts in the evening. Move onto more extreme sports, like dirt bike riding and zip lining, and then go to the beach for some jet skiing along the coast.

Then, let the crew go home for an hour to get dressed and ready for the night of their life, and pick them all up in a limo that will take you to the first destination of the night. Start the night off with some poker and whisky and lead it into a private club where you will play drunken darts, listen to loud music and shoot some pool. After that, the party can begin.

Men want women

Hooters girls working in Hooters

What’s a stag do without female entertainment? A little eye candy making you do some “hard” time? There are plenty of female entertainment options available, and while you can go the traditional route and take your party to a strip club (or bring the strip club to you), you might want to do something unique and organize a more personal experience the crew will never forget.

There is a new type of female entertainment around, including gorgeous women and personal waitressing. At Sydney Topless Waitresses, you can hire perfect girls to wait on your boys with their sexy charms and professional skills, making sure that every single guest is taken care of and having the time of his life.

If you’re looking for a city break in this country, head no further than Nottingham. Home to the last UK based Hooters, you can drink copious amounts of lager, eat endless chicken wings, thighs, or ‘breasts.’ Cheeky.

When it comes to it, we are simple enough fellows, we don’t ask for diversity but we do know what we want. Planning an unforgettable stag do doesn’t have to be rocket science, you just have to know the basic formula: drink just enough, play hard, and surround yourself with gorgeous women. Simple.

Do him proud, be the best-man, you can.