There's a definite nip in the air today and I'm now thinking about transitioning through to winter when I do wardrobe edits and personal shopping trips with clients.
There are many different styles of casual jackets to choose from at the moment - the bomber jacket is still going strong, there's lots of cord around and denim with shearling collars. But for a change I like these chore jackets, also known as a workwear jacket or a variation is a shacket (a hybrid of a shirt and jacket style).
Here are some of the ones I've spotted around that I think would fit easily into your wardrobe.
Last week I was on a personal shopping trip with a client. He really liked these grey flannel trousers from Jacob Cohen, but was unsure whether or not he'd wear them, as he'd had something similar before that didn't get worn. He asked me what he could wear them with and as I went through the selection of things we'd already decided to get, it appeared they went with nearly everything! He was sold!
Most of the outfits he needed were very casual, occasionally moving up a notch to smart casual, so here's how I styled them for him with the other pieces he bought, in an effort to show you just how versatile they can be.
This time of year is the perfect time for a wardrobe edit. It's very satisfying to clear out your wardrobe and have a seasonal change over or just refresh your memory as to what you actually have in your wardrobe.
But if you've ended up with a huge pile of things that need some attention or need to go but you've haven't got the faintest idea who's going to give it some attention or where exactly it's going to go, don't let it sit there for months baffling you, read on for the solutions:
The majority of clients that come to me, don't dress badly, but would just like some fresh ideas as to how they could expand their wardrobes. It's not so much of a transformation they're after but some tweaks here and there, and a few side steps from their normal default style. I've deliberately kept the advice as simple and easy steps that you could incorporate into your wardrobe, rather than super bright colours or extreme styles. The things I'm recommending are the sort of things I frequently shop for with clients when I take them on a personal shopping trip.
So, let's have a trawl through your wardrobe shall we?
I recently received an email from a friend who was delighted that she'd finally modernised her husband and got him into some slim fitting trousers.
Ironically, the very day that she sent me that message, I'd been at a menswear event (Permanent Style pop up at Fortnum & Mason) where a large majority of the men, admittedly mostly worked in the fashion industry, were wearing pleat front, wider legged ones.
Also, my friend the blogger Grey Fox has been looking for some slightly wider, higher waist ones with turn ups which he eventually had made by Susannah Hall as he couldn't find any he liked.
So what on earth should you be wearing? Wide? Skinny? In between? Which will look modern and which is dated or too fashion led?
What to wear on holiday? It’s traditionally thought that British men are terrible at dressing on holiday – think white legs with a blue tinge, knotted hankies and socks with sandals. Thankfully, the majority of men have moved way beyond this, what with travel becoming so much easier and global warming hotting up the UK summers.
But it can still be a little tricky to dress for holidays as you get older – I don’t know but you but I prefer to show a little less flesh and find things that are closer fitting but not tight are the most flattering.
I’ve put together a little holiday guide with some suggested items for holiday looks:
If you've already found a style you're happy with......congratulations! This is exactly what I try to do with my clients - I help them to find their own style and learn how to identify the details so they can say yes that feels very "me" and they can then repeat the process.
I believe true style is when you have a consistent look from the most casual ie: wearing swimshorts on the beach to the most formal ie: a dinner jacket at an event and all the scenarios in between. As well as discovering what your own true style is and wearing things that reflect that, in order to be truly stylish you also need to ensure your clothes fit well, suit your colouring and body shape and are appropriate to the occasion.
If you haven't already bought yourself a new pair of shorts this summer, then now's the time to do so - it looks like this unseasonally warm weather might be here to stay - hooray!
But don't just get the first pair you see on the rack, give it a little bit of thought. Or if you can't be bothered, then no problem - I've done it for you. Here's a guide to choosing your summer shorts - what to look for and where to get it according to your body shape.
The Tusting brand was introduced to me by David Evans from Grey Fox blog. They're a family run brand who produce beautiful, leather bags for both men and women, made in their factory in Buckinghamshire.
I've previously had the pleasure of working with Gillian Tusting alongside David on a couple of occasions, so I was super happy to be asked to work on a new and exciting project that Gillian had dreamed up - "Styling the Tustings" which was a ruse for David and I to get her husband and son's wardrobes in order. Clever girl!
It's tricky to stay looking smart in the heat & I must say I feel sorry for guys having to wear trousers & jackets when us ladies can swan around in cool dresses. Linen is okay for some but can look a little crumpled, so not ideal for all situations. Here I've chosen 5 items that will be ideal for keeping you cool in the heat but still look smart enough for business casual.
An important part of looking good is your accessories, and stylish sunglasses can really update your look. However I know it can be traumatic shopping for them on your own, and that's probably why I often get asked to include looking for sunglasses or glasses as part of a shopping trip! In order to look good they must suit your face shape so if you're about to update your sunglasses for this summer, then here are some guidelines as to what to look for:
Wedding season is in full swing and I've had a couple of clients asking me to help them put outfits together for the occasions they have coming up. We all saw the Royal Wedding and it seems I was influenced somewhat by the yellow that a certain Mr George Clooney was wearing, but in fact, one of the outfits I created was actually bought before that! And although I thought he looked very dapper, I'm still struggling with the matching tie and pocket square....I prefer it to tone not match exactly.
