Banging On

Banging away

The Drums

January is a time for all things new...resolutions, debt, diets, jobs, horoscopes and the rest. This is all superfluous to us, what we do like during January is the chatter that revolves around new bands for the year and one of our current favorites is New York band The Drums. There's a distinct hint of the West Coast fifties surf-rock about them from the very word go..the track 'Let's go Surfing' being a clear hint obviously but then it goes a little post-punk eighties. On the surface it's pop-friendly Indie but chip away a little and there's plenty more fun to be had...look out for their renowned live sets on the NMW Shockwaves tour next month. Check it out on our handy player above...

Duffle Trouble

We mentioned the resurgence of interest in the Duffle coat a while back and have since seen it become more and more widespread on both the catwalks and on the street. For such a logical piece of outerwear it seems a mystery as to why it was really restricted to Indie bands and boys on vintage vespas for such a while. This very traditional of coats might herald in it's name from a town in Belgium called Duffel where the course, thick woollen material was produced but it was the English who decided it might be a bright idea to turn it into a fine winter coat. Like many a British icon..Burberry Mac anyone...it has a bit of the military history to it and one can see why. They must be one of the most functional pieces of clothing we own here at The Established Man towers, with their secure toggle fastenings in horn or wood, along with a hefty hood and a length traditionally long enough to protect your thighs when atop a horse or scooter, its no wonder they are back on fine form.

For the quintessential Duffle coat look no further than Gloverall. These are the Rolls Royce's of the Duffle coat ticking order and are certainly enjoying a heightened interest in their designs that have been worn for sixty years. Whilst the offerings might be limited the Original Monty is the coat to go for. With its unvarnished wooden toggles, chunky cuffs and large pockets its every bit the original. Rather a shame there's not more offerings in terms of toggles, pockets and colours. Perhaps another collaboration with Dover Street Market might woo them again. We're not entirely sure if we'd squeeze into a children's version but if we did then we would be snapping up a kids version in dark green quicker than you can say 'do your homework'

Away from the English traditions of the Duffle there's some fair competition blowing in from the mainland. Spring Summer is not normal duffle territory but on a quick jaunt to the new A.P.C store on Dover Street the other day we spied a navy fine weather version. Perfectly set-off with some nice tan leather and rope ties along with light wood toggles. The epitome of French chic. But don't just think it's A.P.C from across the channel who's playing the Duffle game. On a recent trip to Paris to stock up on everything stuffed and the odd box of butterflies at Deyrolle we went into a branch of Monoprix for some brioche and came out with several nice items of clothing. Hardly what one expects when the quality of supermarket clothing here is so pitiful. It was a near keeling over experience we had when we spied a tip top Duffle coat for sixty Euros that has done us proud all winter. In a deep indigo navy and cashmere mix with horn toggles it even got the sign of approval from the world's finest Duffle coat wearer; the honorable Paddington Bear.

Red sock brigade

Since our little jaunt to Florence and Milan several trends are emerging and we're seeing them appear more and more on the streets around The Established Man Towers. One of these is the hiking boot, the stablemate of the Ramblers Association no doubt, and something they see less as a fashion object and more for functionality when walking Hadrians wall or drinking tea out of a thermos. But for us we're interested in them as a trend and with a fair few shows in Milan devoted to the great outdoors...D&G, Moncler anyone? Its clear how they complement this slant on men's style for the winter months.

For the fashion-informed those clever gentlemen over at Oki-ni have already cottoned onto the trend and are selling the Norwegian made Avoriaz Mountaineering boots on their site. These are the creme de la creme of the hiking boot world meaning the slightest puddle in Soho and your feet will be dry as a bone.

We're sure a trip to your local Millets might be worth a trip..just avoid all that nylon pac-a-mac rubbish.

Got Baggage

Following our mini-rant-come-ponder about luggage for the 'weekend away' invitation we were quickly reminded by our Japanese bureau that we must include the brand Porter which we're pretty sure is available in Selfridges. A fan base of Japan's finest fashionistas is surely a gold star seal of approval.

Save our Skin

The weather in London town has gone bitterly cold again. Boy did we have a shock when we came downstairs this morning to see the remnants of snow on the pavement. Surely not again? Our poor overworked hands are suffering and resemble sandpaper. Thank the Lord that Kiehl's have just the answer. We buy their Ultimate Strength Hand Salve in bulk during this time of year. Slap it on and soften up.

Paris je t'aime: Dark Dior Days

Sitting round the circular runway, lit by a harsh steel framework of strip lights we wondered whether the Parisian equivalent of Gladiators was about to begin whilst we Blackberried away until the Dior Homme show began. Any signs of a steroid-popping Lycra-clad muscleman were quickly dismissed as a dark moody soundtrack alluded as to what was about to step out. Black, black and more black were definitely the plat du jour on this menu and the waitress wasn't going to let you order anything else. Although that's not to say that there weren't plentiful options of the type of wear to be had.

For example if you need a parka jacket that is so outwardly billowing in its fit then here you had it. As per usual there were some fine suits some with two-layer panels and interesting trousers to complement. Plenty of drop-crotching as seen at Dries but this time cropped intensely above the heel and worn with boots, lace-ups and black socks. Thom Browne's reach still resonates perhaps? Skinny ties slimmed this looser fit down in addition to the slim collars on shirting but overall things were a lot looser than seen in previous Dior days..what would Hedi Slimane think about all this we pondered? There was certainly a feel of a schoolboy who'd outgrown his uniform but had decided to pinch his Dad's coat and told everyone to just sod off in elements of this collection.

Out of the darkness emerged a grey period that appeared even looser with easy cashmere outerwear and slouchy, yet slick suiting.

Those devout Dior Homme fans will be pondering whether they can let loose themselves after seeing this. Ben & Jerry's anyone?

Paris je t'aime: Cut & Shut

Our Man in Milan has morphed into Paris je t'aime and after a few days of worrying he might well be in the Seine or still shopping at Collette in comes a barrage of runway low downs from a few days front row in Paris. So here you have it...

There's nothing more tantalising in the fashion week schedule than a Dries Van Noten show, here's a label that has kept core to its roots since its inception, always with a distinct twist of Belgian brilliance. It's no wonder a fair share of The Established Man staff here have a hefty collection of Dries from season's past and present. One thing we could never do is take the kitchen scissors to our beloved Dries cardigans, military jackets and fine suiting but for Monsieur Van Noten that's exactly what he did. Was the location in a garage with cars et al for last season's show a hint towards the cut & shut style that was so vividly seen this time around? Van Noten took the contrasting collars and textures we'd already been seeing in Milan and Paris and took them to another level in his inimitable way.

The traditional men's mac seemed like the perfect starting block for some prime scissor-sharpening action to open the show. The resulting effect completely changed the visual representation of the outerwear in question. It's a brave man who will wear such a piece we imagine, but its totally do-able and very elegant. We're in Paris after all. With camel-coloured arms and belting paired with a main body of black the main corpus seems to become more slender and the arms elongated. It's a grand trick of the eye and a clever piece of engineering on the part of the designer.

From here on in it became one great big textile mash-up. There were plenty of simple options...striped shirts with plain sleeves, subtle navy mac's with black arms, white jersey's with navy sleeves, a charcoal and white strip blazer with navy sleeves. And then there were the more bold, complex pick'n'mixes like the school blazers in rich Yves Klein blue's with bold white stripes or a red & white ticking yet with their arms hacked-off to make way for a thinner lighter white and grey striped pairing. The bold stripes carried on down to trousers too.

For this was not to be one great big cut and paste showdown though. Amongst these juxtapositions there was some classic Dries to be had. Our winter coat list for later this year is already filling up just from this show. A dark grey single-breasted, knee length number caught our eye as the hand-held lighting homed in and aimed at it on the runway, given a slight cut and shut by the addition of a belt more commonly seen on a mac. Duffle coats, puffa's, a french mustard pea-coat and tweed overcoat all piled on in frantic note-taking. Then there's the suiting and smarter wear, often in a deep navy in this instance. Blazers were often worn with jersey bottoms, low in the waist and tight on the calves, high and low in one. A hint of the military came in olive green's, knee-patches and external pocketing.

The concept of vivid textures next to one another and colours alternating isn't a new one by any means this season but Dries Van Noten created a language of his own via one that has already been expressed on a fair few occasions over the past week.

Paris je t'aime: YSL

It seems than no quicker than a flash and already the men's show have uttered their au revoirs. The ladies have arrived for couture..and already fashion editors are getting frustrated with 13 year-old bloggers blocking their view due to home-made headwear. Thankfully us gents don't have to compete with mini-power fashion blogger Tavi front row, and her huge bow hair clip to match, at a Dior couture show...no things are far more civilised in our fashion weeks.

So Paris rolled on swiftly after our stint in Milan and with a slightly differing take on what to expect next season. Over at YSL Stefano Pilati kind of did his own thing when you place it amongst the show we'd seen already. Ok, so its not as crazy and put on a limb as a Vivienne Westwood or Dsquared show but it held it's own, yet subtlety keeping a very alternative view on men's dressing. This was a looser collection than a lot of the skinny skinny stuff we've seen in general so far. Here things were altogether looser, more billowing as opposed to drainpipe and stick thin. There was an soft hint of the industrialist about it with bib-fronted overalls. Yes there was a slenderness to the fit and we're not talking walking marquees but with the large overcoats, hareem pants..a nod to Yves Saint-Laurent's time in Morocco perhaps...and less constricting fastenings along with a colour palette of blacks and greys gave it a French nonchalance that was certainly appealing.

Bag Check

Its a Friday so that means for some of The Established Man office a weekend away. The country looms for some, others a trip to the sea and then there's those flash swines who fly off on a 'mini-break'. How Bridget Jones of them! It's all very well this moving around and jetting about but a whole different kettle of fish erupts as soon as you consider how to pack and more importantly what will cocoon your trusted items for casual nirvana?

Tumi is a favorite but we find it rather dowdy for weekend bag territory and a little bit corporate...fine for roll-on's and Long haul but for a couple of days we'd rather go down the Ally Capelino, Paul Smith and for that classic twist perhaps a bit of Longchamp maybe? There's always Raf Simons for Eastpak, or Rick Owens...or you could be uber-uber and flash a bit of Goyard about.

Easter Promise

New reaches us that Muji are soon to launch their skincare range here on these very shores. We thought it was a myth, this very simple yet effective range from our favorite Japanese lifestyle store was only available in two of its stores in Japan. However come March it will be here. Expect a suitably unisex take on looking after your pores. Bearing in mind the current climes it can't come soon enough as we slap another bottle of Khiels on our sun-starved faces.

Your country needs you

The Established Man support Nick Hornby's entry for the Spitalfields Sculpture Prize. He get's our vote all the way.

Vote here www.spitalfields.co.uk/vote

Introducing Mr. T

Whilst Vogue might have Miss. V, Style.com the likes of Derek Blasberg (YUCK!), Tatler its Bystander pages and the Daily Telegraph the ever glamourous Celia Walden, party coverage is a serious profession for those who take a pile of invitations to be an afternoon of hardcore diary management and flurries of phone calls. So we are pleased to announce 'Mr. T' to The Established Man team. Think of him as a male Miss. V only he's not interested in your daughter's birthday party or any sort of supposed women's charity lunches for those who live in SW1, SW3 etc..we know your game ladies.

No Mr. T gets all over the shop and refuses to even contemplate writing copy. Garbled messages down the telephone will only do on whatever handset he's been given by whichever mobile phone company want him on side. We very rarely meet him properly..for he works a room like Nicky Haslam's mini-me and is thus off in a flash.

Alas its January some expect to find him on a beach in the Bahama's topping up his perma tan before returning for awards season and fashion weeks galore. When in Paris he's found at Le Baron were the door staff all know Monsieur T and over in New York...a regular jaunt but 'such a pain without Concord'... his favorite haunt is the Boom Boom Room atop the new Standard hotel, just ask for Mister Tee and they'll know if he's there. But rest assured if there's a party to be had he'll be there and loves a good lowdown the day after. Checking in with his numerous PA's (the turnover is on a par with Kelly Cutrone's interns) this week it seems Mr. T is away for the forseeable future but he'll be...or we will be...reporting on his behalf.

Let the parties commence.

We're tweeting...finally.

Yes, we've done it..'everyone else is at it, so why bloody not!' was there general view here at Established Man Towers.

We've got enough ornithologically themed creatures dotted around here to sink a ship..stuffed barn owl anyone? Cased seabirds? Egret? So it seems wrong to not be sounding off every five seconds like a C-List celebrity on speed. Here we go.

Follow us on twitter...

https://twitter.com/establishedman

Our Man in Milan: Ciao Milano & Bonjour Paris

Gucci

Moncler Gamme Bleu
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfZKdXDLHxEaxq6072jAYgDoc9gf6vTGU2InHDLnpZAg9uEkAMJJZgfjiAohOvcg3Mh3RwnpRRGJXUuYnYUMs-gAVHoOpeFNMd012tnFrx2GpREy8s-Uf7BA3kbSlLNiKE23N5JOhpJ4U/s1600-h/McQueen.jpg">
Alexander McQueen

Bottega Veneta


Just as soon as men's fashion week here in Milan appears to have begun we're already dashing to Linate airport to make the flight to Paris for yet more menswear shows. So Milan is over and what a crazy few days. Whilst we got our blog on about a few shows there's a fair few Our Man in Milan has not yet mentioned. So here's the comprehensive lowdown on what we saw for Autumn/Winter 2010.

Over at Gucci we were expecting a highly sexy, sassy, glamorous Gucci of seasons past so we were surprised to see it toned down slightly this time around by Frida Giannini. Not the first impression one got in the mirrored runway. Yes the cut was as sharp as ever and the loafers certainly crept in, teamed with skinny turned up trousers; something the Sloanes of South West London will not be incorporating with their Gucci loafers that's for sure! As Nirvana soothed us all out paraded yet more camel-like tones on calve length outerwear, slick suiting and plenty more. Darker than seen at other shows but equally as sophisticated. These were paired with navy knits and trousers, Giannini is a dab hand with the colour charts clearly. Outerwear came in a variety of guises from suede, fur, and ostrich skin to a bold leopard print jacket...OK so it was true Gucci at heart. The knits got bolder in a kind of native Indian-American way and the polo neck appeared under sports jackets hinting to a bygone era when a Gucci double G was a symbol of wealth and class as opposed to unashamed brashness. With some fine man bag action...some of it clearly not destined for the real man about town...and a finale of jewel-like velvets in rich purples and burgundies there's certainly a box of delights to be had at your nearest Gucci store next season.

Puffer jackets are usually not our thing here at The Established Man. Put it down to memories of Pony Club for the posher members of the team here and a night out in Croydon for the rest of us mere mortals. Either way they don't feature heavily in our wardrobes. They seem to consistently appear on the sale rail at Uniqlo who seem to be obsessed with the things. But when the puffer jacket in mentioned in the same sentence as American designer Thom Browne, as well as the recently relaunched house of Moncler its hard to be disinterested. So off we trundled to the Moncler Gamme Bleu show for what must have been one of our Milan menswear highlights. A Thom Browne show in New York has always been a spectacle and Browne didn't fail this time around. To the noise of trumpets the models awoke from their camp beds in long John's sporting some fine red, white and blue liveries and assembled their outfits in front of us all. After being checked over by their Sergeant that all was tip-top we were treated to a show where the pen never seemed to leave our notepad. It was Moncler all the way but Browne's design touch was ever-present. By playing with the ideas of a goose-filled padded jacket and tweaking it and turning it on its head Browne created a conceptual but wearable collection once you broke it down. Ok, the striped trousers and coat in dark grey and black might appear like a prisoner on the run but separately they of course work. Moon boots took the boot trend to another stratosphere for those winter months meaning you might need another cable car just for your footwear when on the slopes in Gstaad.

This outdoorsy theme carried over into D&G land too it would appear. Had there been a lack of lighting at their show one would've thought the Milan sumo wrestling association were on a day out from the silhouette cast from some serious layering. God how those boys must have been sweating. There were knits akimbo in a plethora of fair-isle, one on top of the other...then there were boiler suits in goose-down, bobble hats, scarves..you name it, it was in there. We pity the soul who happens to share a chairlift with anyone who decides to embody the full D&G look next season..its going to be a squeeze and that is an understatement.

Pringle of Scotland is a label that we tend to overlook; golfing jumpers don't do it for us. Yet things seemed to have taken another turn at Pringle and under the creative guidance of Claire Wright-Keller its certainly not looking bad. Opening the show with a comical animation by artist David Shrigley was refreshing to see a fashion house not taking themselves so deadly seriously. It was British tongue-in-cheek at its best and made us proud to be from the British Isles. But then it got down to the business of clothes and the joviality of the cartoon quickly gave way to a darker, harder-edged collection. With an entree of moody black on black looks there was the potential for this to resemble a Costume National show but this darkness grew ever so slightly lighter, and by incorporating avantgarde knits things softened, but ever so slightly mind you. There were jumpers that could only be compared to a sort of black, furry bath mat one might buy in John Lewis, yet they really worked when teamed with suiting, leather and smoother textures. We loved the ombre, lighter knits that had subtle wafts of green or grey in them. Layering..always crucial for a winter collection was played with by outerwear being worn under suits and jackets. The odd snood and knitted long gilets carried on a weavers dream.

Rest assured a McQueen show will be a visual feast and Lee didn't fail one bit this time around. Complementing the quizzical womenswear show from September print was high on the agenda here. The backdrop said it all really...a sort of butterfly come paisley affair plastered everywhere. There were moments when models appeared to merge into the room such was the intensity of this print bombardment. With skulls, bones, snakeskin and the rest these were suits and other such wares not for the faint-hearted by any means. But again..break it down and it becomes reality for the everyday....when paired with a very simple yet well cut trouser say; it could and will work. However in this instance it appeared like a second skin on what appeared like mythical creatures from another realm.

Oh and we have to mention Bottega Veneta for their nod to Teddy-boys and everything Brighton Rock inspired. With hair to match the skinny-string bows and drainpipe bottoms this was a modern update on an era of vintage menswear at its best. Who would have thought a Bottega boy had such a bad side. Team with a vintage Vespa.

Ciao Milano!

Pringle of Scotland tell it the Scottish way when it comes to wooly jumpers

Our Man in Milan: Day 2 - Less of the Jack & more of the Jil

Don't get us wrong we're still devout fans of the Jil Sander from back in the day but it can't be denied that Raf Simons is doing a damn fine job at this house. For the Autumn Winter 2010 show it was suitably minimal both in colour and cut but with an applique touch about it. Suits, shirts and trousers were changed from their traditional guise by forms that resembled the shapes of a Calder sculpture Incorporated within the design. A soundtrack that was more Berlin nightclub than slick-cut suits and a day in Milan had us intrigued in the puffa jackets and thinking it was time to lose a few pounds.

Thermals at the ready!

News reaches us that another cold spell is on the way....oh what joy! Cue frantic bumbling around for yet further Uniqlo Thermals..the only way to stay warm this winter. We can't guarantee that you'll suddenly be thrown into a similar scene to that of the Uniqlo Heatech ad campaign but get some and you will be warm!

Culture Vulture: To the North Jeeves....

Our resident Culture Vulture has just returned from a whistle stop tour of the North..not somewhere one would normally run to on a jaunt in January...'he needs his head testing' was muttered by some of our colleagues...but it seems to have been a worthwhile tour. Nottingham is not a city one associates with the height of contemporary art and culture. It certainly doesn't roll off the tongue with MoMa, Tate Modern, The Guggenheim etc but last year Nottingham Contemporary opened to much praise and with two highly acclaimed shows.

The first is a major exhibition of David Hockney's early works from the 60's, 70's and 80's. During the times at which he was at the Royal College of Art and then discovered the promise of America and the glamorous New York on the East Coast and Los Angeles on the West Coast. Many an important work is included in this show and its a rarity to see them together in such fantastic surroundings.

Another show, by the LA-based artist Frances Stark is equally as brilliant. A very different exhibition, it complements the Hockney show perfectly. With her kooky collages and text works we fell in love with the pieces. The word play and objects and creatures used within her practice had us swooning over the limited edition to accompany the show.

Both shows end on the 24th January so make a last minute dash to the North!

www.nottinghamcontemporary.org

Our man in Milan: Day 2 - Mrs. P

A little bit of a delay with Milan menswear updates...put it down to too many shows and not enough time to blog on...cue desperate calls from The Established Man office in London wondering where the next installment will be. Pah...do they not know the stress 'Our Man in Milan' goes through?!

It's not long until we swiftly head North to Paris so here's a few snippets from the Milan shows that caught our eye. Obviously a trip to Milan for some fabulous menswear is not complete without a trip to Mrs. Prada's show and this time in the large vaulted hall that she likes to call home for fashion shows it was as if we'd walked into some bizarre class or exam. With facts and figures scrolled across the floor along with some downright weird stuff..the yellow bar, the airline style check in desks and green 'thing' par example...and then a soundtrack bustling with Northern English Indie tracks all mashed up. We wondered what the hell was about to appear from backstage.

As to be expected these supposed hints offered no clue whatsoever and the collection, dare we say it, had a nod to Prada collections from a while back. All the classics a gentleman could ever want were given the Mrs. P touch. So cue camel, beige and black top coats and sports jackets with thick, double-collars in alternating textures...knit and sheepskin being one such look. There were plenty of suits and jackets in navies and greys, teamed with light blue shirts and knits...be they chunky or fine...in camels and pinks. We're not sure how wearable the knitwear will be bearing in mind it skirted a good inch or two above the waist; we're not aware of too many men willing to flash the layer underneath or even bare flesh..god forbid! But it plays with ideas of shape and perspective.

Away from all this classic Prada there were, thankfully, some more conceptual, with a twist items that had us cooing from our position atop one of the platforms. So there were more overcoats, both long and short but this time in a crazy psychedelic camouflage, much like that of the skin used on concept cars to disguise their true form from prying lenses. Then there were the shiny, latex-like coats with their white sheepskin collars, yet another juxtaposition of texture but also the natural and artificial.

What might have started off as being slightly preppy and mundane presentation soon became a more interesting and appropriately Prada affair. The show ended with the words 'To be continued' projected on the screen and we don't doubt that there are plenty more ideas swirling around Mrs. P's head to keep this going a long time yet.

A minor spillage

We're sure the boffins at MINI HQ are not seeing this as anything minor, they must be furious that such treats have leaked out of the inner sanctum. Meanwhile here at The Established Man motoring desk we're rather interested in the possibilities of a MINI 4X4. We've known about it for quite sometime and seen psychedelic covered test vehicles in many a grainy image but here's the real deal courtesy of a MINI traitor! Bravo!

Day 1 - Our Man in Milan: Fabulously furry at Burberry

Yes its that time of year, when fashionable gents, and ladies, of course, make their way to Milan and then flit up to Paris for the men's show. As usual Our Man in Milan is on the ground for The Established Man, and whilst we get soaked on the streets of London during this miserable January afternoon Day 1 seems to have started proceedings off rather well if the Burberry Prorsum show was anything to go by. That's enough from us..over to our Man in Milan.

Ah to be back in Milan, we do love a jaunt to the men's shows and whilst the last time The Established Man had us blagging...blogging... ahem.. our way into shows it might have been in the midst of a balmy July but there's certainly a fair waft of warmth on the runways to be had on this cold Milanese day. Today's A-star goes to Christopher Bailey at Burberry Prorsum, does this Yorkshire man ever get it wrong? Clearly not. We were in awe of the A/W 2010 collection and the opening soundtrack 'Stormy Weather', a suitably indie and English entree courtesy of The Kooks, summed it up with its lyrics of 'Love Love Love'. Boy did we LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

With what could have been the stragglers of school army parade or boys playing dress up in Laurence Corner before its sad closure the first looks were evidently military, thus setting the tone for the entire show. Over-sized camel coats, brass buttoned, collars turned up garnered the British confidence that Prorsum oozes these days. Out they came, long, short, double-breasted, single-breasted and occasionally zip-detailed teamed with skinny black jeans and what looked like fur-lined boots, worn as if they were wellington boots, jeans tucked in and unlike the dreaded-Ugg effect these actually worked, playing perfectly with a subtle, yet new set of proportions.

Under this barrage of fine outerwear lay denim, something we've not seen in a Prorsum show ever we think. Shirting was in a variety of blue-hues, with button-down collars and complemented perfectly when the camel gave way to moss greens as seen on a large raincoat and a fawn brown on the first of many trenches to grace the runway.

Texture was core to the collection and consistently changed. It started off with sheepskin, as seen on large collars and quickly enveloped an entire double-breasted coat or two resulting in a menswear equivalent of Mrs. Prada's women's collection from a few season's ago. Yet this didn't resemble a hand-held puppet at all. No, it was more the glamour of a cold night in Moscow that the goofiness of the Muppet brigade. This concept of juxtaposing textures continued in the precision cut trenches which almost resembled the body of a classic car in both their golden colour and surface texture.

The military gave way to simple, monochromatic looks, yet all the time those fantastic boots carried on through. Albeit it in differing guises and a dark brown version appeared too. These simple looks had us swooning over over-sized cardigans and simple round-neck knits, whilst really giving us the chance to admire the fine black jeans which will surely become a staple for many a well-tailored gent's wardrobe. The black and white moment gave into greys, navy's and a hint of suiting yet always with a slight military 'Stand up straight corporal'.

Of course the trench is key to Burberry and a show without them would be like a scone without jam & cream. Out they paraded; belted, pocketed in many a differing way but this was overshadowed by some fine finale pieces. The Army dispersed to make way for the Navy. A fine regatta of pea coats with their big collars, and glimmering with brass details. Bailey played with this brass, and like a swam of bee's to a honeypot these brass buttons were multiplied and gathered around cuffs and on the shoulders of a Navy knit jumper like a luxurious armour.

With that moment gone the RAF flew in, models striding down the runway as if they were about to pilot a Spitfire. A nod to both American and British air-force heritage, the classic flight jacket of leather and sheepskin was tweaked and given its Prorsum twist. Double collared, with buckles here, there and everywhere. If that wasn't enough they were then inverted to bare the sheepskin innards and leather trims playing on ideas of the engineering of such pieces and a subtle and unashamed rawness.

The fashion set can be a hard lot to conquer but Bailey and his many armies clearly won the war this time

But Mummy I want Pitti...

January is a kind of dead month round here. The Established Man bureau resides in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and we are pretty certain that over half of those the live nearby are either on a beach in St. Barts or on the slopes of St. Mortiz. One thing is for sure, they are not here. For us this time of year is a rest month before the crazy s**t kicks off, excuse the crass language but its the best way to illustrate what its about.

Yes, from mid-Jan onwards it becomes some sort of great fashion fest, first the men's shows in Milan and Paris and then a bit of New York for men's and women's shows and then back to London town for London Fashion Week. That's a good part of a month on the road doing the great fashion week rounds. But this is also the time of year for Pitti Uomo. A sort of menswear trade-fair, albeit a very chic trade-fair affair. With around 760 exhibitors, 930 brands there's a hell of a lot to see and its always impeccably well done, and low key...despite the Sartorialist snapping away.

Reports from the show so far are vague...'its hardly the trenches' was one response to this statement, whether they meant coats or war is unconfirmed. But all in all for 2010 here are The Established Man's top tips of what might be good in menswear to invest in.

- Duffle Coats ( Think Paddington Bear goes to Dover Street Market, Gloverall are our favorites)
- Hiking-influenced footwear (Seen on the street only this morning, expect to see on the runway in a few weeks)
- Denim
- Colour - (Globe-Trotter luggage in New York taxi yellow ought to be a good starting point, subtle!)

As per usual there's all sorts of collaborations to be had, A Ron Arad sculpture flaunts Notify jeans in the courtyard for example. Glad Ron had time to fit this in amongst a show for MoMA.

Yesterday as things kicked off Lars Nilsson debuted his collection for men. A suitable winter boot option was in view for us boys if this bitterness continues, think ski boot for the city. Shame you'll have to wait until next year to get it. Other than that there were some punchy knits in bright colours and a waft of outerwear to be gawped at.

Haunted House

'Come down to Somerset House this evening, its going to be spooky', was the message that greeted us this morning here at The Established Man office answerphone. Spooky? Surely not? Halloween is long gone and haunted houses are a thing of myth on ITV2, god bless Yvette Fiedling. But Somerset House was in for a very different kind of spooky soiree as details revealed themselves in a clearer sense. That music lot always have to talk in tongues don't they.

No no, there would be no goulish antics or steaming culdrens, Vampire Weekend were going to play a half-hour gig on the balcony overlooking the ice rink and we promptly got ourselves down there pronto. You'd think those Vampire Weekend boys would have been in La La land drinking Horchata and enjoying some sun rather than a cold, wet, grey afternoon in London town. But what sun, or lack of was in the clouds was replaced by their set and the upbeat mood that transcended the cobbled stones of the courtyard at Somerset House.

With a mix of songs from their ledgendary first album and the new one titled Contra the crowd were certainly more than pleased to see them and responded in grand London style to 'Oxford Comma', 'A-Punk' as well as some new ones such as 'Holiday' and obviously 'Horchata'.

Bearing in mind the boys don't tour until a good month or so and its block to block sell out this was a golden opportunity to catch them at their best. Despite a loss of power towards the end, resulting in unanimous 'We can't bloody hear you!' and 'Come down here' chanting from the crowd they pulled it of and in the most special of settings. That's our kind of fright night.


www.vampireweekend.com
www.somersethouse.org.uk

UrggghhhhhUggggg

As The Established Man emerged this morning from our layers of cashmere blankets, 9.5 tog, 4.5 tog duvets and an electric blanket so warm we thought we might have might been back in Bombay it came into our minds that footwear on a day such as this...one filled with snow, sleet and general slush...is not easy for a gentleman around town. Warmth is crucial, as is waterproof-ness and they can't look or resemble anything like the dreaded UGG!!

Men in UGG's is a contentious issue here at the offices of The Esablished Man. Whilst the verdict is unanimous that they offer warmth and comfort there is a healthy disagreement as to whether they should actually be debuted in public by a man. Yes you might look like a garden ornament from a semi in Croydon that has been touched with the gift of life or plainly just an idiot. Then there is the issue that they offer no grip, get soaked like a sponge within seconds and are worn by hideous girls with messy blonde hair from Fulham and Chelmsford alike...hideous in their own special ways... Cause for concern surely?

So it was with much enthusiasm yesterday that the subject of the day was 'other shoe options for a slush-filled day that are not an Australian Slipper'. Long, we know, but to the point in a kind of 'does what it says on the tin' manner. After one and half packs of chocolate hobnobs and 2 cups of coffee the competition was looking non-existent to slim. The only serious options we could contemplate came from our friends at A.P.C. Always ones to fine tune an item, last season was the second time they sold their sheepskin boots and as to be expected, they were a sell out. Oh those French, they always know a good thing when they see it. How we longed for a pair of the chestnut sheepskin boots to look after our sand coloured ones from last year, as well as a nice pair of blue, lace-up derbies. These are real winter boots for people with real style. Good luck finding them though..we've trawled but with no success so far.

www.apc.fr

Down the pictures

Cold January nights haven't been, and never will be, the most alluring times to venture out and last night was no exception; good God no! But how things changed at the drop of a hat. Whilst busily tucking in to Roast chicken and potatoes to boot word went round that Two Door Cinema Club were on at White Heat at Madam Jo Jo's and The Established Man were on the list..oh what a damn fine treat.

So with the speed of a small Ecudurian mountain bird we hopped on the loyal steed that is The Established Man's Vespa and made our way into Soho. Expecting a loyal legion of teenage indie junkies, jeans so tight their blood circulation might be cause for concern there were no such antics. Heavyweight music industry types instead were order of the day, a clear sign that this is a definite band to watch for 2010.

The computers here at The Established Man HQ have been streaming their songs off myspace ever since we heard of them several months ago on a Kitsune record and it would seem word is getting round. Expect a UK tour very soon and a hefty bevvy of festival fun to come for the summer...if we ever get one! With songs like ' I Can Talk' and 'Something Good Can Work' these Northern Irish boys are the real deal.

Check it!

'Get your blog on' must have been the words that spun around the head of that checked shirt, camera touting, overall naughty boy behind the lens Terry Richardson. Always one for a nice flannel shirt, even the dog Mick gets a plaid bed..Terry we're with you on that one...our Terry has launched his own blog. Entitled TerrysDiary expect a nod to that other ladies man firmly fixed front row, the delightful Olivier Zahm and his diary for Purple Magazine.

It would seem Terry has been a very busy boy already....shooting the likes of Freja, Daria and Aggy and then with pals William Eggleston and Orlando Bloom in St. Barts. Such a hard life.

THE ESTABLISHED MAN RETURNS....

A rather belated Happy New Year from The Established Man and a smile to be back. Last year ended in what can only be described as a whirlwind filled with travel, the obligatory swine flu, poisoning from oysters and a waft of other such obstacles, oh and that old chestnut, needing to get out and actually earn a living. Well enough to allow us to continue to shop the Eastern promises of LIDL on a weekly basis, yet also take breakfast at the Wolseley, unsurprisingly not on a weekly basis.

As per usual we've broken every resolution we made here at The Established Man towers. Nail biting... still ongoing. Curb the chocolate and hobnob cravings daily...dream on. Early nights...a work in progress.

Much like our older posts The Established Man will continue to whisper away in its guise as a mondern day notebook for the man about town. Think of us as a little moleskin notebook filled with hand written notes of what we think is worth a nod.

The whole world continues to tweet like a blue tit in the midst of mating season but we're still abstaining for the moment...Stephen Fry has left..that's surely a sign?