Style on a Budget - An Interesting Discovery

Sometimes you find great style and places you'd least expect it. At the start of my first term at university I noticed that the guy in the room next to me had an amazing plaid shirt. When I asked him where he had got it I was stunned by his response. He bought it in Primark for £6. I noticed something interesting as soon as I knew the shirt was from Primark it certainly seemed less desirable. It's amazing how much influence the brand name can have on the desirability of a product.

However I went into Primark anyway, and I was soon the owner of two very nice plaid shirts. The thing to take from this is that I never would have guessed that the shirt was from Primark and that despite being from a low end store it was still a good shirt. So exercise a little bit of student economics and look around for the bargains that are to be had. Instead going into a big brand store and paying a lot of money for something that really isn't all that different to what you can get from somewhere like Primark. I'm not saying that you should always take the cheaper option and you should definitely splash out on your investment pieces but when we're talking about casual shirt it doesn't seem to make sense to spend a fortune on it when you can get something that is perfectly adequate for half the price. 

The Roll Neck Jumper

The roll neck jumper is a must have for any sartorially inclined male. It keeps you warm and enhances your natural physic. What's not to like about it? In this post I will present three different types of roll neck jumpers. Every man should own at least one of these.

The (McQueen) Classic Black Roll Neck
Made a fashion staple by Steve McQueen’s tight lipped Det. Lt. Frank Bullitt, in the iconic 1968 movie, the black roll neck is a classic minimalist essential for any well-dressed man. It emphasises the jaw line and shows off the physic.

Steve McQueen with his usual effortless cool, as Frank Bullitt.

Wear it as McQueen did or layer it under a shirt as seen here.


The Cashmere Roll Neck
Equally at home under a suit jacket or as a standalone piece this slightly more upmarket version of the classic roll neck adds additional, warmth and luxury to the roll necks other properties. A cashmere roll neck is also thinnest of the available options meaning it can be layered easy. Cashmeres natural properties also make it exceptionally warm, which makes this one of my go to jumpers for early morning lectures when the weather turns cold.



The Submariners Sweater
The roll neck that started them all, the original was actually a cable knit worn by Irish fishermen. Allegedly each family had its own unique knit, meaning that if a fisherman’s body was ever washed up on shore he could be identified. Later with the advent of the submarine service the navies of the world adopted the sweater as standard issue to the men of their submarine services (see below). To save on manufacturing costs the cable knit was abandoned and the submariners sweater was born. Pared with a pea coat this wholly functional ensemble looks amazing.

The crew of a German u-boat put to sea in 1939.

So slip on a role neck, it was designed to keep sailors warm and will help you combat the cold of student houses in style. Whichever style you choose ensure it fits well and feels great.

If you have a few hours spare then embrace the submariners culture and read Peter Maas' amazing book ‘The Terrible Hours’. Or if you are more of a movie love, watch Wolfgang Peterson’s epic thriller ‘Das Boot’ (the uncut German version of course). I guarantee it will give you a chill no matter how warm a jumper you are wearing.

Five additions for the Spring Term

Here we have a list of things to add to your spring wardrobe whilst at university.

1. The rain mac. Perfect for warding of those April showers. The rain mac is an essential addition to any well dressed mans wardrobe. However be wary it is all to easy to buy an oversized mac. You want it to fit snugly over your other clothes, not hag off them. If you can get one a Burberry mac is a timeless classic (and one well out of most of our price ranges, unless you get a vintage one) if not the H&M produce a good mac at a reasonable price.  
2. The khaki shirt. This low cost casual shirt is great for longing round the house or can be dressed up a bit if needed. Buy one from an army and navy store. It will last longer and cost less than its fashionable counterpart. These shirt are also great to travel in, but you may want to consider removing any insignia or national flags from them.
3. Gloves. If you have made it this far through the year without gloves then your hands are probably suffering accordingly. You should invest in a pair of leather gloves now. As they will keep you warm and last for ever. Ideally you would buy a black and a brown pair so you can match them with your shoes and belt, but if you only buy one pair go for black as it is more versatile. 
4. Sunglasses. Coming hot on the heels of gloves this may seem like an odd item to include. However if you have ever had to walk or drive into the low-lying winter sun, you will well know the value of a good pair of sunglasses. Plus getting them now will mean you have them handy for the first day of gloriously sunny day of the year.
5. The long sleeve polo. This version on the classic polo is a must for the changeable summer season light weight enough for the spots of sun between the clouds, but the long sleeves negate the chilly air when the wind picks up.  

The Essentials - The Knit Tie

The knit tie is a truly classic accessory. Over the years it has become the calling card of the casually well dressed man. It calls to mind a certain New England Prep culture inhabited by people like the Kennedys.

The Kennedy Brothers in Hyannis Port, 1960.

However the knit tie is not only for the sports jacket wearing preppy or the 1960's British Mod. Although it must be said you could do worse than follow their examples if you wanted to wear one. This tie is also a favourite of the style concious Italians. In summer months a knit tie will often replace its more traditional brethren. You see, the Italians know something the rest of us seem to have forgotten. Namely this casual classic can look great with a suit!

Sean Connery wearing a silk knit tie in Goldfinger.

Above Sean Connery demonstrates just how good a knit tie can look, with even the most formal 3-piece suit. The classic knit tie recently received a modern twist when T.M.Lewin started making silk knit ties with a triangular end as opposed to the traditional square end.

So embrace your inner dandy and don a knit tie. Follow Bond's example and go with black or choose another colour, the choice is yours. Just remember the best knit ties are made of silk and will set you back accordingly. However you should also remember that this tie is a true investment, that bridges the casual formal divide and should be treated as such.

Sprezzatura with Lapo Elkann- Style Icon

A definition shameless lifted from Wikipedia:

Sprezzatura (Italian pronunciation: [sprettsaˈtura]) is an Italian word originating from Baldassare Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier, where it is defined by the author as “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it.” It is the ability of the courtier to display “an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions which hides the conscious effort that went into them.” Sprezzatura has also been described “as a form of defensive irony: the ability to disguise what one really desires, feels, thinks, and means or intends behind a mask of apparent reticence and nonchalance.”

The word has entered the English language; the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "studied carelessness."


Sprezzatura. I would describe it as unstudied elegance. Of course this is a myth, it is apparently unstudied elegance that is the hardest to perfect. I think that one man who embodies a sense of sprezzatura is Lapo Elkann. He has perfected a certain nonchalance that makes what he is doing look easy, when in reality a lot of thought has gone into each outfit.

Elkann pulling of one of his more classical looks with his usual flair. Note the 

open shirt cuffs.

Elkman is heir to the Fiat car company and is currently Fiat's Director of Marketing. His look is defiantly that of the rich international heir apparent.

A double breasted suit is usually statement 

enough these days, even without the eye catching colour.

Elkann is not afraid of colour and frequently sports unconventional suits. He also favours the double breasted style which is enjoying a renaissance at the moment.

Get the Elkann look.
The Key Ingredients are:

• The knit tie
• The double breasted suit or blazer
• The overflowing silk pocket square
• The light blue double-cuff shirt.

Introduce a little Sprezzatura into your life with this most Italian of tie knots, from the excellent GQ rules series. To see more of Elkann and my other Style Icons and Influences click here!

University Outfitters - GANT

Having lived in Cambridge for much of my life I am very conscious of how the University has affected the fashion of the town. Many of the oldest stores in Cambridge are linked to the University and the sale of University clothing to locals and tourists alike is a major source of income. I therefore thought in this series of posts I would examine the University outfitters, where you can acquire that particular style that has somehow become part of higher education itself. Be it the classically refined English style on show in Cambridge and Oxford or the laid-back Ivy League look of America's East Coast.



So lets start with a classic outfitter of the east coast preppy GANT.

Anyone who knows me can testify to my love for this brand. It produces classic preppy wear, but alas at a price. Gant clothes do not come cheap, but they do last.

Gant has embodied the preppy ethos since the company launched in 1949, but its history is older than that. Bernard Gant, a Ukrainian immigrant to New York in 1914, established a small family business with his wife that sold shirts to some of the biggest names in American clothing. 

J. Press and Brooks Brothers where just a few of the businesses clients. However by the 1940 the company was adding a small G to mark the shirt as one of theirs and then in 1949 Gant was officially launched when Bernard's two sons began to produce under there own name. 

Since then the brand has gone from strength to strength, although interestingly its first store was not opened until 1989, as until then it had retailed through department stores. It also has a very successful partnership with Michael Bastian. Gant is all about colour and comfort, a true preppy brand. And through its history it has embodied a small part of the American Dream.

Michael Bastian - Style Icon

Michael Bastian has been a recent addition to my ever-growing pantheon of style icons. I first heard of Michael Bastian when his name was mentioned in connection with a new Gant collection. When I saw the collection I became very interested in the man behind it. And in one of life's serendipitous occurrences I happened to open a copy of Esquire and there was an article on the man himself.

Bastian looking effortlessly cool but casual. 

'Bastian has never been shy about where his idea of good style comes from — the way his dad, a sixth-grade history teacher also named Michael ... in Levi's or five-pocket cords, flannel shirts with knit ties, navy blazers, down vests, and work boots.'

So there you have it Bastian style is classically prep and I very much look forward to seeing the fruits of his continued collaboration with GANT. Bastian is classic in his outlook but thoroughly modern in his approach. His collections are full of modern twists on classic styles and inspirations. Just like the man himself.

GANT by Michael Bastian F/W 12

Above is just one such twist on a classic look from Bastian' Fall/Winter collection for Gant.

Get the Bastian look.
The Key Ingredients are:

• The penny loafer
• The neutral coloured  chinos
• Going sock-less

To see more of Bastian and my other Style Icons and Influences click here!