The Great Winter Boot Debacle

Now without sounding like the male equivalents of The Devil Wears Prada or Sex in the City we at The Established Man do take pride in our appearance. So with wet weather in London and a chilling wind whipping off the Atlantic in NYC it's clear that our bedraggled collection of tatty Converse and even tattier Plimsolls that cost a fiver in Brick Lane were not going to cut it in terms of both cutting a stylish dash but also avoiding trench-foot. It was time for those winter boots to emerge from our closets, yet this one staple item appears rather underrepresented in The Established Man shoe cupboard. 

We thought it would be a simple task but after schlepping around every department store, boutique and online store it appeared that a good pair of boots for a relatively affordable price was out of the question. How we lusted after those Maison Martin Margiela distressed boots that would have a required one's own personal army to get them off, or the fisherman's boots that we're sure people use to muck out stables or gut fish whilst wearing them but they were non-starters either on price or comfort.

Our office relocation to New York for two weeks meant that we arrived here with a pair of B-store brown Oxfords which did not survived the journey well, worse than a piece of rare porcelain shipped off to Aunt Sally in Florida, they have bummed as the locals here would say. But after a lengthy walk around Central Park on Monday to escape the madness of Manhattan that shining beacon of male retail therapy should come into eye shot, yes, we had chanced upon Barney's, Ta da! Boy did Barney's do us proud, a pair of Fiorentini+Baker boots later, reduced as well, we are now suitably soled for the coming cold season. Their boots are wonderfully comfortable and come looking a little pre-distressed, meaning we won't have to spend hours rubbing them against abrasive surfaces to look like they've spent one too many nights in Camden.

www.fiorentini+baker.com

The perfect fit

Finding the perfect fitting tee-shirt has become something of an obsession here at The Established Man towers, from the very expensive to the ridiculously affordable we've pounded the pavements, or in this instance, sidewalks, over and over again in hunt of simple tee's, the colour usually black, white or grey, hey it's a basic item after all but the way it fits is of paramount importance. 

An afternoon of gallery overload checking out the shows in Chelsea yesterday meant that we happened to chance upon an American Apparel on the way home, not difficult in this city as they have become as commonplace as a Duane Reade. But it seemed the ideal opportunity to just check what basics were in and if we might chance upon some sterling buys. What with it about to get cold soon here the rails were jam-packed with jersey and fleece and heavier fabric for those chilly times ahead but we just stocked up on a very basic grey and white v-neck tee, simple and fits like a glove. The ombre 'sunset' t-shirt might be added to our luggage too for the return to London town.

What American Apparel do right is to offer such amazing choice in its range of colours and fit, if we'd wanted to we could have gone for a deep v-neck tee shirt in a vibrant purple or a hooded top with spots on....actually we've got that already. Oooops.

www.americanapparel.net

Nothing like a collaboration

There's 9 days to go until the latest collaboration between those savvy Swedes at H&M and Comme des Garcons hit the rails and we're wondering if there will be quite the madness that ensues the moment one of these collections hits the stores, it's become an annual event for hundreds of wailing consumers, predominantly female one must hasten to add, to barricade the doors of their nearest H&M and max out their credit cards but this is not their usual style. Its a more intelligent and less brazen sense of dressing.

It seems a very clever move to collaborate with Comme Des Garcons during these times of a supposed recession. Here is a designer label that is not flashy and unbuttoned to the waist like Mr. Cavalli and Mr's Dolce & Gabbana. It has a loyal following of creatives who certainly do not bare all and just go about their business, albeit in a highly sophisticated means. The Established Man was overflowing with joy when we heard the news that  Rei Kawakubo will design a collection for women and men to debut on November 13th. Accessories too will grace many and H&M and even a unisex fragrance. Its the full Comme des Garcons experience and is sure to be a winner.

We've had a sneak preview of the collection already and have a our list carefully placed in our lapel pocket. Looking at the suits and shirts is appears the cut if very much on the bias. The shirts, always a star seller, feature the iconic patchwork technique used by the label as well as polka dots. A classic belted trench and little black jacket are sure to be whipped off the rails in no time at all. Those dots appear to have run a riot and are splashed on tee shirts which we certainly want a few of.

Start writing your list now

H&M & Comme des Garcons in stores on 13th November

www.hm.com

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Burrrrrrrrrr, its freezing. We're rather chilly and have been all weekend; not helped by a bout of manflu in The Established Man offices. So as well as being plied with copious amounts of Vitamin C, Zinc, Echinacea and consuming enough lemon & ginger tea to make a new age follower start seeing citrus trees in their sleep we need to wear the right clothes. No segment of bare flesh must be touched by the bitterness that appears to have swept the British Isles. So it was time to binge out of cashmere this morning, gloves, hats, scarves, socks....you name it, we're wearing it today. Our icon is the humble Yettie

So it was off to Marc Jacobs for a some of the most reasonably priced designer cashmere seen, we loaded up on socks, hats and gloves there in a range of suitably wintery colours..think navy, burgundy, dark green. There was a splurge on a Navy cashmere zip-up hooded top but this is true cashmere heaven.

On the scarf front Burberry have a discount store way out East so we schlepped over there and bought an over sized plaid scarf...very on trend and as cosy as a country cottage. For sweaters our Lady underneath the Westway on Portabello Road every Friday supplies us with jumpers in all manner of states and colours for a tenner and the holes just add a rather dishevelled touch.

The item of lust has to be A.P.C's Union Suit.....a winning winter warmer.

www.apc.fr

www.marcjacobs.com

Country Gent

Image courtesy of Barbour A/W08

Image courtesy of D&G (A/W 08 Ad Campaign)

It seemed rather apt that during our lunch break today the BBC's iplayer should provide the entertainment; meanwhile Jonathan Ross was being suspended and Russell Brand was enjoying his sudden free-time no doubt. But away from Radio 2 and those now infamous telephone messages the BBC still produces some very good quality TV and what with many a supper both attended and hosted this week The Established Man missed "British Style Genius" earlier this week and needed a necessary catch up.

The subject was perfectly timed what with our trip to the country looming tomorrow afternoon, the theme this week was By Royal Appointment - The Country Look; and what a look it is, classic British fashion at its best and some of the most important British fashion and attire makers were all featured, Aquascutum, Burberry, Luella and Barbour to name but a few. What started with the Royal Family gradually transcended the fashion chain and from Sloane Ranger to Hoxton Hipster British country style can often be seen in both obvious and subtle dress statements, you only have to look at the D&G A/W08 collection and ad campaign to see the influence of dressing in the shires.

Barbour is a brand that we here at The Established Man towers love and always have done. Its an item of clothing that one seems to grow up with, many a school in this country make it clear that a Barbour is part of the uniform and from trips to the Scottish Highlands to scooting around Paris they are the best kit of the job. A recent addition in our wardrobes earlier this year was a Barbour International A7, we had to ring around the entire country to source one as every hipster worth their weight seemed to have snapped one up as seen at music festivals all summer. Thankfully our friends at Harrods were able to track one down. It really has been the perfect jacket, a more fitted Barbour with a subtle biker edge seen in the snugger fit, belted waist and angled pocket on the left breast, it harks of the outerwear Barbour designed specifically for the off road biking fraternity. It certainly gets many a comment too out an about too. A worthwhile investment.

www.bbc.co.uk/britishstylegenius/

www.barbour.com

 

Check it

From top to bottom

Red Check £6 Cancer Research, Chichester

Blue&White £120 APC Madras

Turqoise Check £19 Uniqlo

Red&White £9 H&M Kids

Green  $14 Beacon's Closet, NY

Blue Check $3 Salvation Army, NY

Red&White £15 H&M

Everywhere one goes at the moment there appears to be a veritable barrage of plaid, we all knew it was going to be a huge trend when it was paraded down the catwalks of NY, Paris and Milan during Men's fashion weeks a while ago resulting in what one might mistake as a Lumberjack convention. Go to any gig, party, hell...everywhere and it's there in a host of multicoloured checks, rather a cheering sight in these soon to be austere times.

The simplicity of a plaid shirt or jacket must be one of the reasons why it has exploded and it really is a very cheap trend to encapsulate, go to any charity shop, thrift store, vintage store and there always seems to be a bit of check peeping out from amongst the rails. The closets here appear to be spitting plaid shirts out of every orifice, the majority of them second-hand finds that have not cost more then a few pounds. On a recent scout of the high street the best we found were Uniqlo and H&M Children's section...we picked up a couple of shirts there for £9.00, a steal.

The Right Gear

Its always a treat to have a trip out of town and this weekend an invitation to the Cotswolds is not to be turned down. The thoughts of long walks amongst the autumn leaves and fresh air is enough to make anyone clamber from their desk to the nearest train destined for greener pastures. 

However one needs to be suitably clad for such jaunts away and it appears that wellington boot supplies here at The Established Man HQ have diminished significantly since the wash out that was Bestival in September; the smell in the car the other day would lead us to think they are still in the boot...or still in a field in the Isle of Wight. Either way not an option for the weekend coming!

So with a wellington boot crisis in full swing this morning there appeared to be numerous options online and in the stores. Marc Jacobs on Mount Street always have a good selection and they are ridiculously good value but they are 'fashion' wellies I am always assured when I pop in so think of them as a sort of soft-roader car as opposed to the wellington boot of choice, The Hunter, which is very much the Range Rover of the rubber boot world.

The place to purchase such highly esteemed wellies is Mole Valley Farmers, a chain of stores catering to every need one might have in the country beyond sheep dipping, I've still not quite got my head round this pastime, and hedgerow cutting, the girl on the telephone was a joy to deal with and there's a pair of hunters; cheaper than everywhere else it must be added, in the post just in time for a swift exit out of London on Friday afternoon..that's what I call service.

www.molevalleyfarmers.com