Displaying items by tag: Hot List

This is so ChicGeek. I saw this shirt at Pitti Uomo in January. While it was a little bit nippy for silk in Florence, it didn’t get above zero, this dreamy Ossie Clark style shirt stood out on the Pretty Green stand. Women have for so long enjoyed Celia Birtwell’s - Ossie’s former wife - prints on his vintage dresses and this printed shirt is pure 70s Ossie Clark, especially in silk.

This is romantic menswear. The menswear of front men, rock stars and part of the new decorated trend in menswear. Crafted from smooth silk, it’s not going to be cheap, and patterned with hand painted florals, it is cut in a slim fit and detailed with lustrous mother-of-pearl buttons. This is definitely an open-neck-letting-it-all-hang-out-type shirt.

It’s yet to hit Pretty Green online and in-store. I’m waiting with bated breath.

News just in, it's a bargain £130.

Maybe somewhat lost in translation, ‘Relax Baby Be Cool’ is a fashion label from and made in Estonia. 

This shirt, from them, is covered in Sidomukti batik motifs, characteristically bamboo, usually in a combination of black and blue. The design symbolises the inner and outer tranquility of the wearer and was mostly used in traditional ceremonies or official events in the area of Magetan in Indonesia. 

The orange piping to highlight the placket is a nice touch, while the black adds a dressy formality which would look good with a pair of black trousers. Roll the sleeves to make it feel more relaxed as this is more than a holiday shirt.

Left & Below - Relax Baby Be Cool - Men’s Long Sleeve Button Up - £110

So many brands are simply remaking their archive, and why not, when it looks this good. We all know how I feel about Fila Vintage, but I first noticed this Fred Perry number at Pitti Uomo in January and then Berlin after. At first, I thought it was a display of vintage, but it's even better when you realise you can buy it. It’s part of their ‘Reissues’ collection and is designed to look like two layered knitwear pieces. The pageboy haircut is optional!

Left & Below - Fred Perry - Reissues Layered Turtle Neck Jumper - £145

The label of the season, Calvin Klein Collection, has been renamed CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC. I’ve tried Googling it, but I don't know what it means either.

Anyway, these new red trousers struck a cord. Continuing the Wes Anderson take on fashion, the bold red and contrasting purple Tuxedo stripe continues the trend in these types of sports-influenced trousers. They continue to look fresh and cool especially with this unusual purple contrast.

Left & Below - CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC - Grosgrain-Trimmed Wool-Twill Trousers -£620 from MRPORTER.COM

There’s Nobis-ness like snow business! Well, actually there is. Known for its technical winter parkas and a relative newcomer to the world of luxury outdoors, this Canadian brand was founded just over a decade ago. Nobis - meaning latin for ‘us’ - was founded by Robin Yates, a keen huntsman and personally involved in testing all new jackets, material and details, regularly sleeping out on frozen lakes and riding skidoos across the tundra in Nobis jackets. 

But, while its signature maybe its fur-trimmed winter coats, Nobis also do more lightweight and waterproof options for this time of year.

The standout, for this season, and what I'm most excited about is the handsome ‘Porter’. ‘Embrace’ membrane fabrics ensure waterproofing, windproofing and breathability, while zipped underarm vents, super-strength magnetic fastenings and seam-sealed construction ensure you stay warm and dry. 

The adjustable hood has a moulded in-peak wire to stop it flapping about and is perfect for when those British days become downpours and you want something reliable, understated and stylish.

Left & Below - Nobis - The Porter - £450

http://www.nobis.com

The current obsession with the eighties shows no signs of abating and the Italian Memphis group of designers, from that period, have come to represent and define an era which was a riot of bold primary colours and clashing patterns. This is the age of MTV and Beetlejuice, a time when post-modernism was new and Timmy Mallett was a style icon. Okay, well, maybe not the last bit!

Fashion is taking inspiration from that time and the furniture has become increasingly collectible and expensive. The café, at the recent LFWM, had a few pieces to really cement its status. 

This top from ASOS is pure Memphis, with its strong clashing colours and asymmetric design, and at £16 is far from those escalating 'modern classic' prices. 

Left & Below - ASOS - £16

Above - Collection of 1980s Italian Memphis furniture

It seems we need an occasion to wear a tie, today. So, what better an occasion then, than watching tall posh boys grunt and strain while pushing along the River Thames?

Hackett has teamed up with Henley Regatta for their first clothing tie-up in their long history. Featuring striped rowing blazers - which I’m all about ATM - here - and branded tops, it’s this tie which really caught my eye. The design is fun yet still firmly in the club mould and is a great price for a Made in England tie.

Left & Below - Hackett - Henley Royal Regatta Man Row Stripe Tie - £65

The sun comes out and it’s time to get excited about wafting around. These are perfect in a Jaipur temple kinda way. It's the ochre-brown colour and faded print that makes these wearable and more relaxed than the more formal type of patterned men's trousers we've seen over the last few years.

You could easily pull these over a pair of swim shorts after a day at the beach or pool. Just make sure your surroundings look as good.

Left & Below - Etro - Gazebo Tree-Print Linen Trousers - £305 from Matchesfashion.com

Most of the time we’re happy with what we are given and today, for guys, it feels like there is plenty of choice. But, every so often you fantasise a lottery win and think what you would have made for you.

Mine has always been a towelling blazer. I’ve always thought that this spongey, soft and stretchy material would make the ideal summer blazer. I, initially, thought in blue and maybe double-breasted to really go all-out dressy with the towelling. Anyway, that hasn’t happened, yet, but this from one from Orlebar Brown has.

In dark asphalt grey, this single breasted towelling blazer is perfect for the British summer climate. You could wear with shorts and T-shirts and I would keep the colour palette to black, white or grey.

Left & Below - Orlebar Brown - Edgar Cotton Terry-Towelling Blazer - £495 from MatchesFashion.com

I’m not over it yet. It’s going to take time to accept that George Michael is gone. He was a very relatable superstar, the kind you could have grown up next door to. He seemed the type of man you could have stopped in the street and had a bit of banter with.

His style, over the years, has ranged from bouncy blonde to leather jacket and ripped jeans to close and cropped in minimal 90s black. From teenage boyband pin-up to respected songwriter and sampler, George Michael had the talent, ear and voice to aways create something fresh and contemporary.

One of his most famous looks was in this Katherine Hamnett slogan T-shirt proclaiming to ‘Choose Life’. From the video of his Wham hit ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, he shimmied around the stage camping it up to the max while clicking his fingers.

Now, you can pay homage, this summer, with this T-shirt from Boohoo. Team with a pair of short shorts or swim shorts and a colourful cocktail. 

You need this in your life!

Boohoo Man - Oversized Choose Life T-Shirt - £8