Style

How to style a Men’s Gilet

Posted on by dansinnott

Man wearing gilet and wellies walking through a field on a grey day in the countryside.

The gilet remains one of the most divisive items in men’s fashion today. But after years of bad publicity and poor styling, we’re here to champion this vital item of clothing. A gilet can prove to be one of the best items of clothing you own.

After years of being left out in the cold, the gilet has recently been brought back to life. Whilst it may remain one of the polarizing items of clothing in the men’s fashion world, its recent resurgence suggests that it’s here to stay.

Whilst being highly fashionable in several European countries such as Italy, in Britain it has often been associated with the smell of cow manure and the sound of tractors. But thanks to a sudden surge in popularity, it’s fast become one of the most sort after fashion pieces around today.

The big question surrounding it though is just how do you pull one off? Get it wrong, and you’re likely to look like you are heading down to the boxing day hunt with some chums. Get it right though, and it’ll turn out to be one of the most stylish additions to your wardrobe.

How Should a Gilet Fit?

Whilst famed for their puffy aesthetic, the gilet in recent years has undergone something of a transformation and lighter padded, slimmer fitted gilets are available in most high street stores. To get the right style, a gilet should fit like a waistcoat– cutting slim around the body with high arm holes. This will help it fit perfectly underneath a nice coat or blazer,
alternatively opt for a more padded option if you are using it as your top layer, adding plenty of insulation in the colder months.

A gilet is no longer just viewed as a casual item of clothing. However due to its adaptability, it’s often seen on the high street being worn with a suit, or smart work clothes. A lighter gilet doubles up perfectly as a waistcoat, though if you have a tailored suit it will likely go better over the top. Make sure that the gilet is shorter than the layer underneath in order to style it perfectly.

Layer up

Done right, the gilet can perfectly compliment any well layered outfit. Whilst famed for being puffy, a well fitted gilet will fit nicely with an overcoat or casual blazer. By removing the stuffiness of the gilet, it can work perfectly as a replacement for a waistcoat, or even a coat, adding a practical layer to your style without ruining your whole look.

If this is the option you go for, then opt for a colour that blends with the rest of your attire- don’t try and be garish about it because it most likely won’t work. Neutral colours tend to work better with gilets, though when used as a top layer, there is more room for extravagance.

Whatever the Weather

In Winter, the gilet can be the perfect item of clothing- proving the difference between being horribly numb and being nice and cosy. In this scenario you should try and opt for a well-fitting quilted gilet, one that goes perfectly with a good piece of knitwear, or underneath a winter’s coat. Once again, try not to be too eye-catching, use it to layer your style, not as the focal point.

On a lukewarm day in Autumn or Spring, the gilet will also work as the perfect replacement for a normal coat. When it is too cold for just a T-shirt or shirt and a coat proves far too stuffy, the gilet perfectly fills the gap; padding around the shoulders can also prove the perfect alternative to a scarf.

One of the best advantages of using a gilet instead of a coat, is that it tends to prove more portable- lighter ones are easily scrunched into a ball that will fit into a travel bag, taking up much less room than a traditional coat. There is a bit more room for experimenting with colours here, however if you are likely to be wearing it with a variety of different outfits, a more conservative, neutral approach may be better suited.

Final Word

The gilet is an item of clothing undergoing a much-needed renaissance at the moment. Having suffered from bad styling for the best part of the last decade, the gilet is back with a bang and is quickly becoming an essential part of any winter wardrobe. It’s practical, adaptable and increasingly stylish- in short, if you don’t own one, what are you waiting for?

Here we’re wearing the Walker & Hawkes tweed gilet, fantastic insulation and a nice tailored finish. You can shop more of Walker & Hawkes range at Equestrian Co.

7 Leather Shoes That Every Man Must Own

Posted on by dansinnott

The average guy owns upward of a dozen different types of shoes, but do you have the essentials covered? No matter what type of work you’re in, or what you find yourself doing on a daily basis, having a wide range of different types of shoes to wear will go a long way toward ensuring that you’re dressed properly for any situation that you find yourself in.
Far too many men stock their closet with a half dozen pairs of the same type of shoe, and that’s a serious problem. You need a little diversity in your life! Below you’ll find seven shoes that should be sitting in your closet today. How many of them do you have already?

Dark Brown Oxford

The dark brown oxford is a staple of the office, and one item that every man should have at least one pair of. Not only do they go great with a suit, but they can just as easily dress down as well. When the temperature drops, you can also pick up a dark brown boot version of the oxford, which retains the classic cap-toe look, but gives you added warmth in the winter months.

Slim Black Oxford

The slim black oxford is another staple of the business world, but the great part about either the shoe or boot version of this classic piece of footwear is that you can also use it as a substitute for the patent leather shoes that you traditionally wear with a tuxedo. Not only will they be just as good looking with a tux, but you’ll get more use out of them than just the few times in your life where you need to wear a tuxedo. Just make sure to get them polished regularly.

Casual Work Boot

The casual work boot is an extremely important boot that is often overlooked by guys who are trying to up their style. After all, why would the average office worker need a casual work boot? The easy answer to this is for all the times where you’re going to get a little dirty or you need something that will keep your feet protected in inclement weather. Not only will a good casual work boot look better in those situations, but having a good pair of work boots will help you save your other shoes and boots from unnecessary damage during a rainy day or a weekend of work that necessitates wearing boots.

Chelsea Boot

The Chelsea boot is a great one to wear when the temperature drops, but when you still need something to wear that looks good in the office. These boots are laceless, so they are much better at keeping your feet and ankles warm, and you can find many great looking Chelsea boots that integrate modern soles, so they’re also extremely comfortable as well. Chelsea boots pair well with business casual clothing like jeans and cords.

Chukka’s

The Chukka, or Desert Boot, is a staple of hipster culture across the country, but it also finds its way into the closets of many men because of its classic looks and casual attitude. The latest trend is to get Chukkas in a softer material like suede, but having a leather Chukkas is a far better long-term decision. The leather Chukka is a classic, and one that can stand up to a surprising amount of punishment. You should pair these boots with a nice pair of jeans for a night out on the town.

Dress Boots

Dress boots can mean a lot of different things to a lot of people, but the general idea here is to have something that is very distinctive, but which you only wear for special occasions. In the South, this might be a nice pair of cowboy boots, and in the northern part of the country you might opt for a pair of wingtip boots. The key is to make them distinctive and a truly special part of your wardrobe.

Rugged Work Boot

Unlike the casual boot mentioned above, there are some situations that call for a serious piece of footwear that you can put into almost any situation that you find yourself in. Having a rugged work boot is less about style than it is about keeping yourself safe, but that doesn’t mean that they have to look bad. You can find plenty of work boots that look great, but that fit the rugged boot criteria. What exactly is that criteria you ask? You should be looking for a rugged boot that is waterproof, has a steel toe, and that has safety ratings for electrical shock and other hazards. The reason that we separate casual work boots from ruggedized ones is that the safety additions to many rugged boots give them less freedom of movement than more casual boots, and make them less comfortable. That being said, there are some situations which call for a greater emphasis on safety than on comfort.

Which boots described above are in your closet already? Which do you need to invest in sooner than later? Let us know in the comments.

7 Leather Shoes Every Man Should Own - High Street Gent

7 Leather Shoes Every Man Should Own – High Street Gent

Regal wrist-wear and timely apparel

Posted on by dansinnott

High Street Gent - Crownarch Watches

CROWNARCH

In 2016, Crownarch the International watch brand set out its vision based on one key principle; to fuse quality and luxury with affordability. Above all, Crownarch believe it is their duty to make their customers feel a sense of pride as they wear their timepiece.

OBSESSED, OVER THE DETAILS

Driven by detail and obsessed with image, Crownarch capture the  audience with their visual story-telling. Throughout the journey, the customer is taken through an experience, where  you see the watches in the surroundings of supercars, yachts and everything opulent. Subtly, Crownarch has aligned its brand with a certain lifestyle that its core customers aspire too; whilst still focusing on providing quality and value.

Crownarch introduces Chrono series as the first in its collection. These eye- catching pieces are presented in five colours, each possessing their own personality and style. They are charismatically individual, suited to both the sharply dressed city man as well as the hip and trendy college student.

High Street Gent - Crownarch Watches

s2 5

The watches feature, detailed sunray dials, coupled with handsome sleek and slender hands. The dials, available in ocean blue, silver, dark steel and black gracefully reflect light, a true feature finish, that makes for pleasurable viewing.

The most distinctive feature of the watch is its Milanese mesh strap. Available in a black, silver and rose gold finish, it has been designed with purpose and intent of solving two key areas of concern amongst wearers; that of comfort and durability.

The cross-hatch design is a pleasant alternative to the conventional leather and metal styles, making the experience of adjustment just as pleasurable as wearing the timepiece itself. The clever design of this strap allows for effortless application and removal, with just one simple adjustment. Wrist markings and the catching of arm hairs are also a thing of the past.

High Street Gent - Crownarch Watch

s2 1

Crownarch offer Free worldwide delivery / Free returns / a glossy wooden box with every purchase and all for £145.00.

Crownarch Mens Watches offer 5 Unique designs for the Modern Gent – Each watch has it’s own story. Find out more at crownarch.com.

The Rise of Men’s Jewellery

Posted on by dansinnott

Man in smart suit wearing a bracelet drinking coffee

When it comes to men’s jewellery, the first things that come to mind are watches and cufflinks. The options for men’s jewellery are extremely limited and in fact most men are averse to wearing jewellery, simply because most of the options out there look cheap and tacky.

Ephori (pronounced Eh-four-rye) London, a luxury men’s jewellery brand, is set on changing this fashion scene by re-defining men’s bracelets with a classy upgrade. By combining traditional hand-making and the latest cutting edge technology in 3d printing, Ephori London is bringing luxury beaded bracelets to you which are made just for you.

Ephori London’s bespoke bracelets are comprised of semi-precious natural stone beads and personalised bracelet plates. These bracelet plates are designed with your name initials which creates a special connection to the bracelet. You can even choose the material for your bracelet plate e.g. you can choose from metals such as steel, 925 sterling silver and gold. The vision is to create bracelets that are unique to you and look classy when worn with your watch.

With over 25 natural stone combination bracelets for you to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Natural stone beads have been associated with positive attributes such as strength, confidence, inner peace, among others.

Ephori London has a strong brand vision of positivity and self-development. Ephori London’s founder, Ruchi Haria, tells us that her inspiration for selecting natural stone beads was the fact that we live in such a fast paced world that sometimes we forget to really live in the moment. Using natural stones, which have been associated with positive elements such as mindfulness, will hopefully remind us to focus on self-development and living in the now.

She tells us that as well as creating bespoke jewellery for men that is fashion tech savvy, her vision is to use Ephori London as an avenue to help impoverished children in need. Hence, 10% of all sales are kept aside for charity.

Where to buy these:

Ephori London’s new collection for men’s beaded bracelets will be launching on 03 February 2017 and you can shop the designs here: https://ephorilondon.com/product-category/bracelets-coming-soon/

To follow their journey in the run-up to the launch, follow them on their social media channels:

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

For those who follow, share and tag @ephorilondon the most, there will be special surprises in store!

 

4 tips to help you care for your beard

Posted on by dansinnott

Man in the bathroom caring for his beard with a razor and shaving foam

For men, who already have full beards, another thing that you should remember is to groom it. You have to keep your beard well-maintained if you want to look good with one. If you do not groom your beard, you will end up looking dirty and unkempt. So, if you already have a beard on your face, then you should follow these tips to ensure that it is groomed properly.

1. You can use a comb with scissors to trim your beard hair. Using the comb, you can run its teeth through your beard’s hair. This will detangle your beard, and also let you see which strands need cutting. You can use the comb to separate those long strands, to be able to cut it easier using a pair of scissors.

2. A beard trimmer is an absolute necessity if you plan to groom your beard by yourself. You should buy a good pair of beard trimmers to keep your beard nice and well-maintained. Using a beard trimmer is much easier than using a pair of scissors to cut your beard hair.

3. Wash your beard regularly. Oil and other body secretions can build up in your beard’s hair, and it is important to get rid of these. You should use specialized beard shampoo if you want to properly wash your beard. Using a beard growth cream is also great for your beard and work superb for revitalizing the connections and nutrients. If you do not regularly wash your beard using special shampoo, then your beard will look terrible and smell atrocious.

4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle if you want a good beard. This means eating right and getting enough sleep. Your body’s health can affect how your beard looks.

It is extremely important that you follow these beard care tips. If you do not maintain your beard, it will have the opposite effect. Instead of making you look mature and attractive, an unkempt beard will put many people off.

 

This article is a guest post by Dylan Lobo at Wild West Beards.