Thursday, 28 April 2016

RetroLicious

Many of you will be familiar with my penchant for all things older than I am, which is a list that's getting depressingly short depressingly quickly. Imagine then my joy when I discovered that Manchester is home to a veritable trove of retro furniture... all of it for sale.

For years those seeking to add a bit of vintage glamour to their abode had play the numbers  - trawling every British Heart Foundation, car boot and auction they could in order to find that one piece that brought the room together, all the while having their senses and wallets assailed by a kaleidoscope of mediocrity and slight water damage. Salvation is here however in the form of RetroLicious.

Located near Media City and intu Trafford Centre in fashionable South Manchester, the 2,500sq ft show room boasts a enviable array of British and European mid 20th century furniture for the office, living room, bathroom, dining room, as well as subtle and stylish accessories for those who don't want to go all out 1960's chic.

So if you watch MadMen as much for the ascetics as the plot, if you like your wood bare and your chrome bold, if you agree that James Bond villains had the final say on seating design, then do yourself a favour and have a look. Like all good outlets they've got a strong online presence too, links to their pages below:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pintrest
Flickr
Tumblr

They even let me dress up and play silly buggers pretending to be a model in the show room, so they've got a sense of humour too...

Here I am with an actual model, Martyna Sobol, who runs her own blog here, do give it a look.






















Wednesday, 9 December 2015

The Christmas Work's Do

The weather is grey, the television schedule is beige, and the same 6 songs are being played on a loop across the Western world. It must be Christmas.

But fear not chumrades, there is one shining beacon on the bland chintz horizon - the Christmas Party! Whether you work at the global HQ of a FTSE 100 company or the local chippy, you're almost certainly going to be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour by taking advantage of the free wine and going on a pub crawl with Barry from Accounts Payable.

But what to wear?

I'm normally pretty sympathetic towards Asda and my trust seemed well founded when I saw they had a party wear section on the website. So you can imagine my disappointment when I saw this shirt-jumper hybrid listed as 'party wear'.


Now don't get me wrong, it's eminently practical and very good value at £14.00, but you don't list it among dinner jackets an bow ties...which leads me to my second qualm - the use of the word tuxedo. This should be recognised as swear word in Britain, for it is a ghastly American import and besmears one of the most glorious garments ever conceived by the whit of man.
Asda - I know it's Christmas and we're all a bit giddy, but you need to have a quiet word with yourself.

River Island are usually a safe middle ground when it comes to high street suits, and to be fair they've got a decent range on at the moment.


My eye was drawn to this, not least for the subtle but pleasing patterned lining. The colour is a little festive but you could get away with it well into spring. It would go with a black turtleneck and even a plain long sleeve t-shirt. The full three piece suit will set you back £225 though you can dispense with the waistcoat if so inclined, and to be fair £50 for a waistcoat is a tad steep.
Quick note to River Island - the lowest button on the waistcoat should be left unbuttoned, a tradition dating back to Edward VII, so be a good sport and cease displaying yours with all the buttons done up. Ta.

River Island is so much like Top Shop that I think of them like Australia and New Zealand - I'm sure they're distinct but in my mind they're always going to be a double act. However to be fair to Top Man they've made a bold choice with this offering from their limited edition range.
It's currently on offer for £160, down from £200. It's not an easy colour to wear but it can be pulled off, maybe with a richly coloured turltlneck, or if you're feeling brave a white shirt an cravat. You need a certain amount of confidence or it just won't work, but if you do it's a definite consideration.


My recommendation this time is Hawes & Curtis and their range of high collar shirts
I have two of these myself and the beauty of them is that they go well with jeans, trousers, or the open collar suit. They stand out but without screaming and the large collars and cuffs make you feel like you're wearing something that little bit special.
Curtis Blue & White Wide Stripe Slim Fit Men's Shirt - High Collar
This is a good starter for those of you new to the high collar and is currently going for £39.50

I can also confirm that they're very easy to iron.



So there you have it - four little windows in the world of high street fashion at this most sartorially perilous time of year.