The Staple - Rebuttoning a Coat

Before/During:


After:

Button for Punishment

So I had the flu and a couple of rather hectic weeks - where did the time go; a minute ago it was November. I actually got around to rebuttoning a coat after constant reminders from the blogs of Sunday Best and Style Salvage. Of course in my haste to rebutton, I forgot to take a 'before' pic, but you can see on the first one, the old buttons are the darker ones. I found the new ones eventually in good old John Lewis; going for a classic military look. I saw some gorgeous gold-fronted wit a star-imprint butons on Liberty, but they hadn't enough. I also added the top row of buttons to lengthen the coat's appearance, and sewed in the cuff-buttons a little tighter, so that the sleeves would be slightly more nipped-in. All in all a successful evening's work, and the new coat gets lots of compliments. Especially when I wore it with a brown leather belt which cinched in the waist too. Though one tip; perhaps this should be avoided with a moustache; a little too much military can deliver unwelcome 'Hitler' comments - thanks Janine, Ross, Ben, etc for that. Aaanyway, I guess this rebuttoning has brought this coat back from the dead and this conforms to the whole credit-crunch-chic thing of redoing rather than repurchasing. The less said then, about my cashmere jumper and 12th cardigan from Uniqlo purchases, the better (except they are both lovely). Other Staples this December:
Rebuttoning an old coat
Watching an entire DVD boxset before breakfast (thanks flu)
Managing to bag some cheap first-class train tickets home
The Champion pub in Fitzrovia
Uniqlo knitwear
Covent Garden soups
Jean Genet's 'Querelle de Brest'

The Staple - Woolly Scarves

Scarf Ace

So the cold is most definitely here. And, as with previous winters, I have been combatting the freezing mornings by wrapping myself in scarves. I’ve got many, but the ones I go back to in this sort of weather are, unsurprisingly, weighty, woolly and warm. This one is a current favourite. The electric blue stripes inject a little colour into what is otherwise a monochromatic piece. Also, it's very long and very thick, which means you can really bury your chin into it on a cold day and it wraps around the neck twice. I'm wearing my scarves more loosely this year, just wrapped once and billowing in the bitter wind, rather than tied into a half-knot. While it does get a little warm on the tube, the resulting fug keeps you warm owhen you get out. The lambswool itself has also gone quite bobbly now, but I've since decided that this is a nice antidote to a smart coat, and makes the texture more noticeable and a little worn. The weight of this scarf also means I can wear lighter coats, or as with today, a velvet blazer and still get feel toasty. Despite the Guardian's rejection of scarves in last week's Measure, they're still an absolute Staple for me; a reminder of Paris and the best way to keep warm this - and every - Winter. Other Staples this week:
Woolly scarves
The King's Head pub on Upper Street and it's brilliant funk night on Wednesday
M&S Extremely chocolatey Mini Rings
Matter at the O2
Shane Meadows' film This Is England
Vans slip-ons
The Cribs album 'Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever'

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Yesterday, on arriving at work, I found this article, by the lovely Gareth McLean, on my keyboard. The juxtaposition of my workmate leaving this on my desk, and the sane reasonings of McLean illustrate the power of the 'tache. It perfectly sums up my approach as well. Read it and nod sagely, fellow moustache-growers...

EXTRA! EXTRA!

A Monocle Shop? Has someone been reading my mind? A couple of people have drawn my attention to it already; I intend to get down there as soon as possible, though I imagine with such a tiny floorspace, there'll be queues around the block. Nonetheless, I'm sure it will be a great success.

The Staple - Tiger of Sweden

Manchester, So Much to Answer For...

Well, a lack of postings last week, at least. I was up North again this weekend, visiting my parents’ new house in the Lake District. It was a much-needed break, and lovely to sort through childhood possessions and finally get somewhere decent to store my old copies of the Face, L’Uomo Vogue and Arena Homme. No massive surprises, though my old school yearbook provoked some brilliant memories…Needless to say, a long weekend spent in front of a roaring fire with a cup of tea in hand was absolute bliss. I met up with my parents in Leeds before heading up to Cumbria, found my Dad a coat in French Connection and dropped into one of my favourite Leeds shops, d_store. Every time I’ve been back, I’ve popped in here (and usually made a purchase), and the buying is superb; mostly Tiger of Sweden, but some other similarly minimal designers feature, the focus being on sharp, narrow silhouettes and mod-inspired tailoring. Coupled with some Northern hospitality, an open, airy layout and a particularly brilliant soundtrack, this shop is one of Leeds' best - and the sale section is a goldmine. I bought this shirt for the bargainous price of £23 and it got me thinking about skate style. I've been wearing (more out of comfort perhaps) some black velvet Vans slip-ons which I've had for ages, but paired with this and some dark Diesel denim, there was a certain skater tendance to my outfit; especially with the top button done up. I might cultivate this in coming months; like couriers, skaters forge a style that is based in both practicality and style; thus a casual shoe like the classic slip-on can look urbane and slick with a button-down like this. Also, this style blend is perfect for early, cold mornings; simple to throw on, warm and comfy, making it a Staple indeed. along with the rest of this week's Staples:
d_store in Leeds
Tiger of Sweden menswear
Weekend in the Lake District
SebastiAn remixes album
A fixed iPod
Shelved magazines
A good bottle of Brown Brothers Chenin Blanc

The Staple - Buck Magazine

PS: Hope you enjoy the new leitmotif; new house means a new perspective. Wooden hangers are always a Staple...

Bucky Strike

On my hungover way to Manchester last weekend for the Chibuku Warehouse Project, I decided to pick up a copy of Buck. It’s been mentioned by a few of my fellow bloggers, but until now, I’d been put off by the overly preppy, fussy cover. Foolish, I know, but first impressions count. Once I actually opened it however, it was a delight. Bite-sized articles complimented pages of street style photographs, review of some of my favourite watering holes sitting next to practical tips (who actually already knew how best to put up a shelf? Not me) and informed, relaxed articles. All this wrapped in a well-designed, unshowy and simple layout. I particularly liked the Sartorialist-esque North-East-South-West split of London fashion. Very on-the-button. It certainly made for an easy train-read anyway; shorter articles perfectly compliment the mix of fashion snippets and made the whole magazine more of a wide-ranging printed blog than a serious fashion tome. A neat and modern twist on print publishing. The trip back North also reminded me how much more friendly and inviting the people can be there; from the Travelodge to a 5am taxi home, everyone was chatty and helpful, even to a man dressed in a sequinned cape...Anyway, the weeks' Staples:
Buck Magazine
Meeting Justice and chatting to them in French
Folk knitwear you can curl up inside of
G2 crossword
The Warehouse Project in Manchester
Wetherspoons’ selection of Kopparberg ciders
Cafe Bin Tang in Kentish Town