MY DAILY PICK FROM MR PORTER:

Gentleman, we have arrived! Today from Mr Porter I have selected one of the finest pairs of shoes that you can lay your hands on; the Gucci velvet horsebit slipper. If you haven't already, please read our previous post about the velvet slipper. If you have done so you will know that the velvet slipper is the perfect companion for a tux. Give your evening wear a laid back but chic look with these shoes. A velvet slipper does not have to be restricted to evening wear. You can wear these shoes with any more-formal outfit, However I would not suggest pairing with a day suit. The horsebit motif evolved from early 20th century riding clothes and Gucci has made this detail legendary. If you want a a pair of unrivaled slippers then these are your answer. Go to Mr Porter and choose these. You won't regret it. JB 

THE GILET:

Men, you need to get yourself a gilet for the next winter. A gilet is the perfect item of clothing for incorporating a splash of color into your outfit. I would suggest that you own two gilets at a given time. One made of a synthetic water proof material that has some color, and one that is woolen in a neutral color. The neutral one is to be worn as a layering option for a dressier appearance. The great attribute of a gilet is that it offers a great deal of warmth. On those days when it is a bit chilly use your gilet as building block for creating a layered look. As mentioned above, I would suggest that you buy a primary colored synthetic gilet. There are not many items that a well dressed man will own that contain colors that stand out. A gilet should be one of these items. The gilet pictured is at the limit in the motif department. You don't want a bright colored gilet that ends up looking like a circus. Pair a bright gilet with neutrals, white, and black for great impact. Finally make sure your gilet doesn't have any fur detailing, you aren't a woman. Wear gilets, but more importantly wear color. Don't be boring your whole life. JB 

MY DAILY PICK FROM MR PORTER:

Gentleman, today from Mr Porter I have selected a casual shirt. The shirt is PS by Paul Smith. PS is the British designer's more casual line. This is a nice slim fit cotton shirt with a silk bib detail. The color is a dark grey-blue so will be a welcomed addition to your dark casual shirt collection. The beauty of this shirt is its versatility. The silk bib detailing of the shirt gives it a touch of evening wear and therefore is perfect for dressing up in the evenings. Like most casual shirts this shirt is not too structured. Leave the top two buttons undone, slip on a blazer & loafers, and you will have a perfect relaxed feel to a more formal outfit. Alternatively wear this, like you would with most casual shirts, with a pair of jeans and sneakers on a relaxed weekend. Either way, this will be an excellent addition to your wardrobe and most probably won't be similar to any other casual shirt you own. 

P.S.  Enjoy. JB 

THE BERLUTI BROGUE:

Men. Probably the most important shoe in your wardrobe will be the brogue. The reason I say this is because the brogue can be dressed up (with a suit) or down (jeans+tee) equally successfully. I would say the same about the majority of leather loafers but loafers aren't acceptable for business in certain environments. As a basic rule you want all of your brogues to have a wingtip which is considered a full brogue. Brogues are brown. That is what a brogues is, so know that you may not get as much use out of them for business as you will with a pair of black oxfords. Why Berluti? Because firstly Berluti specializes in brown leather. Secondly they are arguably one of the finest men-only shoe and boot makers in the world today. With brogues, as with any shoe formal shoe, you want to spend well. Spending well more often than not means spending relatively big. When you spend well you can almost be certain that the shoe will hold its shape and last. A good pair of brogues can easily endure a few repairs or re-solings. If you can't afford to buy Berluti brogues just remember that you want to spend as much as you can afford on a handcrafted full brown brogue. Enjoy. JB 

MY DAILY PICK FROM MR PORTER:

Men. Today I have selected a chunky cable knit sweater from Mr Porter. With winter fast approaching in the Northern hemisphere it is a good idea to have a handful of chunky knits to get you through the next few months. This particular sweater is by Sandro. Sandro is a Parisian fashion house that creates chic European-fitting wear. The knit is a fine lambswool and cashmere blend. You won't find a finer cold weather knit around. Thick cable knits are ideal for dressing up or down. I would suggest pairing this with some cotton-twill trousers, chelsea boots, and a blazer for a timeless sophisticated winter weekend look. Lastly, always but chunky knits on the bigger side. They are meant to be tailored but by no means completely fitted. Pop onto Mr Porter now and buy yourself one today. Enjoy. JB 

A Suit Everyman Should Own - The Prince of Wales

Gentleman, it is time to add to your suit collection. A suit collection is like fine wine, it gets better as time passes. In the end you end up with a masterpiece of variety and versatility. A necessity for that collection is a glen plaid (Commonly known as Prince of Wales check) suit. It is great to have a balance of dark and light suits but obviously you will want to have more dark varieties then light. For the PoW suit only choose the classic black/grey/white check. There are a many brown variations of the check, but only add those options after you have the classic. With a look that isn't too common, you want the suit to be a more classic fit. If you have four navy suits then you will naturally want 1 or 2 of them to be tailored slightly different to the others. You will probably only have 1 PoW suit at any given time so opt for a classic fit. With this suit only ever wear black shoes. A crisp white shirt will always look best. Finally, with any suit please spend. You can see the difference between a quality suit and a lesser one a mile off. You will also feel better. Prince away.

 JB 

My Daily Pick From Mr Porter

Gentleman it is time to go onto Mr Porter. With the weather turning in the Northern Hemisphere and temperatures dropping, you should spoil yourself to a new coat for the season. My pick is the Etro Double-Breasted wool and cashmere blend overcoat. Previously I posted that everyman needs to own a camel wool & cashmere blend overcoat. This coat is not camel, but a wonderful brown-green which will give it a military edge. Etro is a typical Italian brand. They use the finest materials, great attention is focused on stitching and fit and there is always a touch of flare. This coat has a wonderful contrast under collar and a superb paisley silk lining. The coat will sit at the perfect length on the thigh and is nicely tapered above the waist. The coat is quite pricey. However remember that you will be wearing this coat not only throughout this winter but for many years to come. Make this your winter essential. Choose Etro. 

JB 

Colourful Socks

If you have been reading my blog over the past few weeks you will remember I previously posted about patterned socks. Today we are taking a look at solid colored socks. The fact is that too many men are afraid of sporting any other sock than black. You probably have been taught since you were an infant that white for the gym & black for everything else. Black socks are perfect, but colorful ones are equally great. Look at colorful socks as an accessory, not necessity. There are few better things than a bright red sock peeping out of the ankle bone when the remainder of you ensemble is a muted classic color. It is preferable to wear colored socks with a darker outfit. Too light and bright and you will look like a Christmas tree. There is no need to try and match the tones of your pocket square/tie with your choice of socks. For the best quality and collections of fine colorful socks look no further than Falke & Pantherella. Get rainbow. 

JB

My Daily Pick From Mr Porter

If there is one item in your wardrobe that you feel you wish you could wear every day of your life it would be a good pair of jeans. Today from Mr Porter I have selected the Acne 'Roc Narita' straight-leg jeans. If you haven't already read my post about how jeans should fit the modern man then do so now. The beauty of these jeans is that they are quite a tapered straight-leg jean so the fit is tailored but not tight. That is how you want your jeans to fit. Acne is a Scandinavian brand that is renowned for crafting fine selvedge denim with a modern cut. The jeans we are looking at today are perfect because they can be equally easily dressed up or down. They are able to be dressed up thanks to the fact that the distressed detailing has been kept to an absolute minimum. Good denim feels as though it lasts a lifetime. This is excellent denim. Make the Acne 'Roc Narita' your next purchase from the king of online men's style; Mr porter. 

JB 

The Burberry Mac

As I previously posted in my blog, there are certain suits, pairs of shoes, and coats that everyman should have in his wardrobe. One of those coats is the Burberry Mackintosh. A mac is the perfect outerwear piece for when it is chilly but not cold. The biggest attribute of a mac is that it is rain proof. That is why the majority of business men throughout the world's cities will sport a mac when the weather turns. The mac is quintessentially British, therefore offering a classic appeal (the majority of British clothing houses & items are inspired by classics & tradition). A mac should be worn over a suit. That's final. Do not be that guy who tries to dress his mac down. It doesn't work. A mac should be worn formally with no exceptions. Dress your other coats down. Traditionally a mac was made from a laminated rubberized material, hence the fact that it is rainproof. Burberry has brought the mac into modern times with updates to the original and fine tailoring. In many ways Burberry is famous because of the Burberry Mac. Not buying Burberry is like wanting a cola drink and not buying coca-cola. Your mac should be Khaki or beige. Leave the navy and black for other coats in your collection. Do yourself a favor and buy a Burberry Mac soon for when you are heading to the office and Heaven's gates decide to open. Stay dry.

 JB 

My Daily Pick From Mr Porter

Gents, after following my blog for a while you will no doubt be on your way to being one of the best dressed and accessorized men on the streets. Today I am introducing a new feature to our daily post; my daily pick from Mr Porter. There is an ocean of options for purchasing the recommendations on this site. For a quick online option, Mr Porter is the answer. For those who are not familiar with the site, Mr Porter offers a carefully selected range of fine items in every category encompassing the finest designers and brands in the world. Today the pick is a Bespoken wool-felt tie. Before reading on if you haven't read my post about wool ties do so now. This Bespoken tie is hand crafted in England using the finest wool/felt in the land. This is the perfect tie to pair with thicker wool suits and coats. Combine with a crisp white shirt, flannel sport coat, some fitted cream chinos, and loafers and you will be the epitome of a dapper man. The tie is a wonderful brown-green color, perfect for combing with browns, creams, and black. Make this your next tie. 

JB

The Suede Jacket

The truly great attribute of any piece of outerwear is that if you buy well you will have the item for many years to come. As you have probably come to know, I am a great advocate of spending relatively big when purchasing investment items. Every single piece of outerwear is an investment piece so spend big. In the jacket department, you need a well fitted brown suede jacket. Keep the length no longer than the waist on your trousers. You do not want any form of ribbing on the collar or cuff (this is not a bomber). Keep zips to a minimum, and NEVER have any form of motif on the jacket. Because a suede jacket is not too warm, this is the perfect item to layer under. You can dress a suede jacket up with trousers, a shirt, and brogues, or down with jeans and a tee. I personally would choose one with a collar like the one pictured above. This gives you  bit of warmth around the neck if necessary but more importantly it allows the jacket to be dressed up. I suggest that you own a leather as well as a suede jacket in your collection at all times. This will be only item in your wardrobe that is entirely suede thus offering great contrast to whatever other materials you may be wearing. Choose big Italian labels, because the Italians are the masters of leather & suede outerwear. Finally, never choose this jacket with any form of fur or wool lining. Leave that for aviator style jackets. Simple linen or silk linings are the only options. Gentlemen, you will really enjoy this.

JB 

The Zip Neck Sweater

There are days when you are bored of wearing your V neck sweaters but still feel a fine knit sweater is necessary. On those days you will wear a zip neck sweater. A zip neck sweater simply offers variety to your wardrobe. A zip neck works best with a shirt underneath, so leave the tees for your other sweaters. The truth is that a zip neck offers a fair amount of sophistication to your appearance. We aren't entirely sure why but it's a fact. The most probable reason in that the zip neck is often worn by slightly older men who favor it over other necks because it is slightly more comfortable. The real secret to being a finely dressed gentleman is always having variety in your appearance while retaining an overall classic image. The zip neck should be a feature in your knitwear collection and utilized often. You probably will own fewer zip necks than other variations in your closet so make sure the ones you own are fairly neutral in color so can be worn with most outfits. As I previously posted, John Smedley is the king of fine knitwear so look to them first. If you are looking to really spoil yourself Loro Piana makes a literally perfect zip neck. Pair your zip neck with an oxford shirt, blazer, chinos, and loafers. You will be well layered, but more importantly damn well dressed. Own zip necks. Be a cut above. 

JB

The Duffle Coat

Here in the Northern Hemisphere temperatures are dropping and winter is rolling in. When the cold hits you need to make sure you own 2-3 coats and the same amount of jackets. No more. Given that this outerwear collection is relatively small you need to ensure that it offers versatility and variety. Here is one coat that checks both boxes; the duffle coat. The classic duffle offers versatility because it can be dressed up or down equally well, and variety because it will bear no resemblance to any other item of outerwear you own. A classic duffle coat is called a duffle because it is made from duffle. What a revelation! Two great qualities of duffle wool are; A- it will keep you incredibly warm, and B- it is relatively water proof. A good quality DC will last an eternity, and even when well worn a duffle will keep its shape and will look great. Your first choice for a duffle should always be camel. The British Navy, the pioneers of the duffle, first issued this coat in camel. Pay some tribute. Your only other two options should be navy or black. As with any 'investment' (an item used for many years) item of clothing you must spend a lot once, then you can rest assured that you will have a quality item for many years to come. If you want to go buy yourself a duffle coat today head straight for Burberry. Burberry has perfected the modern duffle with superb shape and details. In the cold make sure you rotate your outerwear quite regularly. Firstly so that items wear equally. Secondly because you will keep your appearance looking varied. Regardless of your existing outerwear collection, make sure the duffle coat is in there somewhere at all times. Men... duffle up. 

JB