The Staple: Well jell of Gazelles

Anyone that knows me knows I am a creature of habit. From my Sunday evening Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow routine to my pretty much unshakeable current wardrobe of crewneck sweatshirts and jeans, I'm not often knocked out of my comfort zone - part of the reason that the Shirt challenge was a bit, ahem, challenging. (That said, I have actually done a few days of shirt-wearing; I'm saving them up for a proper post, promise).

Anyway, I have been rooted in my Vans, Vortex and Converse for, well, pretty much the last decade now. But I've always had dalliances with other footwear. Part of settling into the 30something vibe for me this year was about getting a bit smarter...and I still have to deal with that on the footwear front, despite owning some lovely smart shoes. But for some reason, and this is what I'd like to examine today, for the last six months I've lusted over '90s trainer classics the Adidas Gazelle.

These desires are odd, but when they happen, I'm more than happy to investigate. It's the kind of thing I've probably subconsciously seen in magazines, on shoots, in the street (in fact I think Lou Dalton sent her models down the LCM catwalk in them for SS15); the kind of trigger that you don't realise is building up in your brain until you're in a shoe shop on a day off in December, trying on a pair of trainers because you've decided you definitely need them in your life.

As you will have gathered from reading the blog for any length of time, my approach to a lot of fashion - particularly the stuff I buy - is very driven by my gut reactions. I don't often set out to buy something specific - especially during the sales - and I guess the last few years of working at a magazine has meant that freebies poured through the door and that's always a nice position to be in.

However, with these Gazelles I'm not quite sure what set off the desire. It might be in part a real masculine, Northern thing - Gazelles are of course a key part of the football terrace uniform (along with Stone Island jackets). Maybe I'm trying to cling to some Northernesque roots as I've been down here in LDN for over twelve years. TWELVE YEARS. Christ.

Anyway, maybe it's partly that. Maybe it's a 90s thing - that whole acid house, rave generation, leading into Britpop...they would all have worn Gazelles. If the music's good - the clothes must be right? Look at disco! I remember slopping round Camden in Puma Romas back in my uni days, and Gazelles are just a better Roma, really.

I think it might also be a bit of a reaction to the universal fashion acceptance of Stan Smiths too. I had a pair briefly, but they were so flat and uncomfortable (not to mention now ubiquitous at fashion week), that I got rid of them. There's something very pleasing about Stans' minimal appearance, but a trainer that isn't comfy might as well not be a trainer.

So I picked up a pair of Gazelles from Mr Porter - plumping for the black classics, and they've become my go-to winter shoes, despite being not that grippy, and not that waterproof. They're super-comfy and give a nice, dressed-down feel to my outfits. Which is good for those days when I wear a shirt...maybe I am getting out of my routine? Who knows. Only 2015 will provide the answers.

In the meantime, Gazelles. They're fab.

The Staple: Mastering the Dark Arts* (of eBay)

Over the summer, I became a bit of an eBay addict. Nothing too serious, but like most people in fashion, I try and seek out something different to what everyone else is wearing. And like most people in fashion, eBay is my chosen arena for this search.

Now that vintage shops, and even charity shops, are basically the same price as Topman, and the high street's enormous turnover of cheaply-made garments aren't becoming less appealing for anyone looking for interesting clothes, it seems like the forum for buying good quality second-hand clothing at a reasonable price is rather necessary. In the same way that I wouldn't advise anyone buying nice second-hand furniture to buy it at a fancy boutique in any London area with 'Village' in its name, buying top quality vintage fashion in the capital is riddled with issues, namely price and quality.

On the other side, there's a delicious ease to eBay, and a simple naivete to it. Like Twitter, the listings process is a great leveller, equating Balenciaga couture with a pair of old H&M socks, and leaving it to anyone with a bit of nous to truffle out the prizes. And usually it'll be Mr Fury, um furiously, bidding on the couture, so watch out - he's a formidable buyer.

Does it take a bit of time? Well yes. But then so does going to the shops. Also, I can't go to the shops under my duvet, or at 2am. Is there a possibility that you might buy a fake? Well, yes, but like buying a stolen bike on Gumtree, it's pretty obvious once you've looked for more then ten minutes. If you know which labels to look out for then you'll be OK (top tip #1: cult boutiques and smaller labels; if they a massive catwalk show/perfume line/enormous shop on Bond St then you'll be wading through piles of crap). Is it a bit annoying sometimes? Well yes, but that just makes the wins all the sweeter.

But what to buy? It's the same as when that flashing cursor of Google blinks and all of human knowledge is at your fingertips: start with something you know and love. My latest bargain is right there at the top of this post: a pair of Strawberry Thief Liberty print Vans in exactly my size, purchased just the other week, at half the retail price. I tried on the ones they had in Liberty a few weeks ago, but the sizing wasn't quite right, and sixty quid for canvas daps is a bit steep. Cue eBay - these ones are from a few seasons ago, but in this much jollier print, and crucially for me, a UK 10.5. Apparently that's my size, I've been getting it wrong for years.

Anyway, a drunken bid (top tip #2: booze helps all purchases - eBay or not, as we saw from my recent Neil Barrett purchase) secured them for a perfectly reasonable price, and they arrived a few days later. Admittedly the box was knackered, but tbh they've barely been off my feet. Florals for winter - groundbreaking apparently. Just spray them with some sort of protector like the woefully-names but very effective Crep Protect and you'll be AOK.

A warning: like Tinder, eBay is a dangerously addictive way of spending time and money. With an app on your phone, a bit of booze and a few quid in your Paypal account, you can rapidly become obsessed with it. I'm gutted to have missed out on a few items recently (an Aquascutum camel cashmere parka and an Antipodium T back from the days when they did menswear), but this is only fuelling the fire of more purchasing.

There are of course pitfalls to avoid, and ways of scoring that bargain last-minute, but this isn't a blow-by-blow how-to guide. Dive in, make some mistakes and buy something inappropriate, it's *such fun*, I promise.

* why a 'Dark Art', you might ask? Well, eBay is very much the fashion insider's secret, like the Chiswick car boot sale (apparently). Everyone's at it, but no-one talks about it. If someone in fashion tells you they've never used it, eye them suspiciously and quiz them on the names of the staff on the second floor of DSM where that Limited Edition Alaia utility came from, and watch them crumble.

In Training

< insert obligatory apology for not blogging for six months >

So. I'm not quite sure why, but I'm now more or less living in these trainers. I didn't even own any Nikes before Christmas, and I'm starting to wonder what I spent the last twenty-asdghfhg years with on my feet. Don't get me wrong, I've always had a few pairs of trainers knocking about, but for some reason these have become my 'I'm wearing those today and tomorrow, in fact every day' shoe. As usual, I picked them up in a sale, this time at Office in Topman, on the day before LCM, in a moment of 'I've got nothing new to wear so I'd better buy SOMETHING' panic. These Nike Air Vortex Vintage spoke to me and I saw, tried them on and bought them in about 3 minutes flat. They're both exceptionally comfy - kinda essential as I'm getting as old as the hills - but also still cool; the mix of colours means that they stand out, and the metallic sheen give them an extra dimension. I've got a few other pairs on the go (some New Balance 420s, Ellesse Italia Heritages and another pair of Nikes), but these are what it's all about for me. Perhaps I'm blinded, but is there anything that they wouldn't go with? I've got a worrying feeling that I'm probably going to become one of those sneaker obsessives who seeks out rare colourways and stores piles of never-worn kicks in a cupboard under the stairs. It's a worrying thought, but I could totally go that way. The whole retro trainer thing has been a big story in fashion for a while now, but it's only just filtering onto the catwalks - see the recent lust that those camo Valentino kicks created? Or how everyone from Raf Simons to Lanvin is showing trainers on the runway? The thing that makes the look is to pair trainers not with jeans and a sweater (though obvs I am guilty of that) but with tailored jackets or smart coats for a real mixed-up approach. It's what I'll be doing at LFW in a fortnight's time...
Other Staples of the week:
Nike Air Vortex Vintage
Alicia Drake's 'The Beautiful Fall'
Rhye's album, 'Woman'
Still baking cheese scones
Africa on the BBC
The latest issue of Man About Town magazine
Finally making it to Paris men's fashion week

Shoesday Celebrations

I had other things lined up to talk about this week, but my new shoes wouldn't be ignored. We were given House of Fraser vouchers for winning a work competition waaaay back in April. While I was determined to buy something practical (luggage was the idea), I wandered aimlessly into their branch in the City to have a quick look for some sale cases. I did find a gorgeous Ted Baker navy leather holdall, but couldn't bring myself to buy something that was neither practically-sized or checkable. It is gorgeous though, but more of a glorified manbag than practical luggage. I had a quick look at the shoes (luckily the City branch stocks some luxury brands) and my eyes, and indeed feet, rested upon these beauties from Gucci. Utterly gorgeous tan leather, soft and wearable, and best of all, 50% off (from £350 - £175). I've talked a lot about sales recently, but there really are some brilliant bargains to be had if you can find the cash; classics like these will last for years and never really go 'out of style' - you could imagine anyone from Clark Gable to David Beckham wearing such simple, pretty shoes. I tried them on immediately on Friday evening, but again dismissed them for not being practical. I have no idea what was wrong with me. I got home and realised I'd made a terrible mistake, looked up the phone number and got the lovely people to reserve them for me on Monday. And what a start to the week they were. As gorgeous as I remembered, and moulded from one piece of leather with a seam at the heel, (hence being called 'wholecut'). With the rather generous voucher, I bought them for just over £100; cheaper tan a good pair from Jones, and kept them on my desk all day. Despite being told repeatedly that this is blasphemy, they're too pretty to keep in the box. My very first post was about the importance of good, gorgeous shoes, and I feel like I'm living up to that. I'm not going to wear these every day, but they'll be one of those things that whenever you wear them, you know people are going to compliment you on them. Part of the reason why this Tuesday I began a Twitter meme, #shoesday; for posting your shoes and seeing what other people are wearing - join the fun here! Now to find an event (and outfit) worthy of the new shoes...Other Staples this week:
Tan Gucci Maracay Wholecuts in the sale
Almond Magnums eaten in the sun
Jack Penate's new album 'Everything is New' (via Spotify)
Karaoke at Lucky Voice in Soho for Hannah's hen night
Not having to take an extra layer when leaving the house
A hearty asparagus and herb risotto
Perrier sparkling water

Calendar Girls (and Boys)

I can't believe I've not blogged directly about this before, but there's one thing that I think everyone should carry with them everywhere, and that's a paper diary. I've carried one for years now, and this year is no exception. I bought this Korean-made diary as it looked smart, but still interesting and not too business-y (and as for the previous few years, they'd sold out of mini Tate Modern ones). Adding in birthdays, future gigs and festivals now means that I'm more likely to do something about them when the time comes. I'm actually unable to do anything, or remember events without writing them in here. Perhaps I've been with a basic phone and no internet for too long, but even ready access to Facebook is no substitute for a diary - Any organised person should have a place to organise themselves, which is accessible and easily updateable on the go. For me, the idea of keeping a diary also goes hand-in-hand with writing, and particularly handwriting. While a BlackBerry might combine everything digitally, I'd rather have an old-school notebook and black rollerball; it's just the way I'm wired. Anyway, if you've still ot got an '09 diary, it's not too late, most stationery shops will have a few left over; you'll be reaping the rewards in no time. On another note, I am aware it's London fashion week this week, and have been dressing up accordingly; I'm certainly feling in more of a baggy jeans mode than I was a year ago, but it seems to be all about the shoes for me; I've been rediscovering metallics; Gold Converse and Silver Bstore. But I think Fashion156, The Fashionisto and StyleSalvage are doing a rather fantastic job of coverage, and as I've got not tickets, I'll wait until the MAN show pictures appear. Other Staples for this week:
A hardback, paper diary
Whitest Boy Alive's new album, Rules
Expanding the ClubRees empire to Islington's Orwell Bar
Following the Fashion Week coverage
Dalston Jazz Bar's riotous retro soul night
Plotting a summer of festivals, hopefully with a holiday
Uploading more CDs to my iPod (this is taking much longer than expected)

EXTRA! EXTRA!

One quick thing; on this week's notes of smart/casual, I've notice far too many men in the City pairing their normally pretty suave navy suits with ugly and cheap black shoes; Navy suits should be worn with brown shoes. No exceptions; I know there's a recession on, but go and invest, please. See this man (from the Sartorialist, where else?) for clarification. See George Bush for how not to do it.

Smart vs. Casual

This week in the office, we've been given the 'reward' of wearing casual clothes for the week. Not the bonus we were perhaps expecting (biscuits work best for me), but it has confused me as to the importance of smart clothes at work. On the one hand, it's good to have a pride in your appearance, and feel confident when arriving to work, especially if you have to deal with clients. But most people in the office have come into work in some form of smart/casual; replacing work trousers with jeans, and to some extent shoes with smart trainers, but keeping a smart top half (unlike me; I sit here in my new plaid trainers, a Silver Surfer Marvel t-shirt and a salmon-coloured cardigan). I guess I am to the younger end of the office spectrum, but there has not been the level of casuality I might have expected. And this has got me thinking; perhaps I should smarten up properly for work, and dress up more for the evenings. As much as I love comfy jeans and a slouchy jumper (my vintage Folk one is perfect), it's not really a 'going-out' look. One thing I have noticed as a Northerner living in London is that there's no real division here between day- and evening wear; the time taken to go home, change and have dinner which would be commonplace back home, is spurned here for more time down the pub. Both have their advantages, yes, but from a sartorial point of view, unless you are in the habit of changing at work, the weekend becomes the only time to experiment fully with your wardrobe. I guess that's why I'm sat here in a bright cardigan, and everyone else isn't; and why people on Brick Lane look quite so umpressive/odd on Sundays. So next week I'm going to endeavour to wear smarter clothes at work, and go a little further with my evening outfits. Doubtless this weekend's trip to the Manchester's Warehouse Project will make for an interesting outfit choice...
This week's Staples:
The Chandos pub in Covent Garden
Wearing the right shoes with the right outfit (more later)
Nigella's brilliant Express recipes
Tuesday night's great TV
Grace Jones new album, 'Hurricane'
Topman's sale (plaid boots + check short for £20 total)
'The Conformist' by Alberto Moravia

A Double Helping...

Last week's ruminations on AW08 galvanized themselves when I was informed that I was getting paid before the weekend, and then by chance checking my email just before leaving the house on Saturday to find that one of my favourite stores was having a sale. And not just any sale either, but 80% off. And not just any store, but bstore on Savile Row. Once my mind was made up, I hot-footed it down there, literally running down Conduit Street so I could still make it to a fantastic garden party (cheers Jasper) later that afternoon. What luck. Two pairs of shoes and a jacket, of which the above pair of beauties were the first thing that caught my eye. It's often very frustrating for me in sales, as it's usually only the large sizes of jumper that are left, and they are always enormous. With shoes however, I am blessed (in a double-edged sword way) with size 11 stonkers. What luck, then, that the only pairs of silver Mario's that were left were in my size, and reduced from £165 to an 'I-can't-believe-it's-not-more' price of £40. And they are comfy and not too showy; the silver is a more muted, subtle affair, and despite my enormous feet, these don't look like clown shoes. I am known for picking up sale bargains, but this has to have been the winner. Two pairs of surprisngly practical shoes which I wore all afternoon and evening with trousers and shorts, even when cycling that haven't made a mess of my feet. The key is the soft, raw leather which has already moulded itself to my feet. I can see these becoming firm favourites as Autumn draws in...

Choose Your Own Adventure

So here we are, 1 year and precisely 100 posts on. How much has been learned in that year? How many Staples have been picked out and highlighted? While a retrospective would be nice, I'm not sure that there's much point - for while this blog has served so far as a record of stuff to do, stuff I like and stuff I think I essential - that is an ever-changing subject. However, in the spirit of a centenary party, I'll take the theme of my first blog and expand upon it.
Since the inception of The Staple, what I wrote standing in my kitchen still has echoed in my head, namely the idea that "everything you need to know about a person is in their shoes". I still stand resolutely by this. Having worked in the City for over a year now, I am still surprised by the number of men who wear cheap, nasty shoes. These men earn a fortune, and can well afford a good pair, yet so many end up in clunky slip-ons from Next. I kid you not. While the City may have the reputation and imagery of men in bespoke suits and Berluti hand-made shoes, the reality is much more mundane. On those rare days when a man in this combo does appear, he is the envy of Cannon Street. The correct pairing of a navy suit with just the right shade of tan lace-ups is so subtle, like the amount of collar to show, the size and type of tie-knot, or the interplay between shirt and cufflinks, that when done right, has made me (and others) stop and stare. It's not hard guys, it just requires a little bit of thought of a morning. Though I suspect that most of these guys have had other things on their minds lately - "credit crunch", anyone?
But the same subtlety also applies to streetwear. The recent trend of rolling up sleeves and trouser legs demands a critical eye; the right length, the right width of cuffing, the right number of rolls. While black slim jeans are an easy match with a plaid shirt, this look is inadequate in today's Topman-saturated market. Individuality comes in the styling details, rather than in the clothes themselves. Any fool can log on to Topman.com and have a little read and then recreate at the local branch. It takes someone thinking a little differently to make it stylish, individual, and sexy. It is this subtlety and individuality which I wish to make the focus of next year's worth of Staples; brash bars and frenetic festivals are unbelievable amounts of fun, but in order to become a Staple, they have to be tackled with an element of individuality. This means not just seeing bands at a festival and complaining at the sound levels, but taking matters into your own hands and playing a little Jenga if the mood takes you. Not just wearing a tshirt because you've seen it it in a magazine, but because you want to wear it in a particular way. Not just doing things for the sake of it, but because you genuinely feel it will improve your life. This may have gone a little philosophical, but so what? It's important to think about more than just the little things and take in the bigger picture when you can. So with that in mind, the Staple this week is not an item, a place or a person, but individuality. Essentials are what you make of them, and are personal to everyone - it is individuality which is the true Staple, in fashion in as much as music, or any other means of expression.

Fraudband

So I'm in my kitchen 'jacking' wifi broadband working out whether to sit on a camping chair or stand. I'll stand. It seems appropriate - and I have the Long arms of the Law on my side. So this blog thing is going to be stuff to do, stuff we like, stuff we think is essential, culled only from the finest of sources. And it all starts with shoes.
Good work shoes will get you as far as you can go in life; everything you need to know about a person is in their shoes, particularly the ones they wear for work. My shoes - Jil Sander 'shovel toe' plain black nappa lace-ups, in the most elegant shape i could find, make me uber happy whenever I put them on. I've just buffed them to a gleaming shine, using Kiwi products which I've been using since I was a bairn. When you're in work tomorrow, or on the bus or wherever, take a look at your deskmates' shoes and note how they reflect the person; functional people go for Clarks; young trendy 'metrosexuals' (YES, they still exist, I used to live with one - bootcut stonewash denim?) wear pointy faux-brogues from Topman, or worse, River Island. Your boss probably has some classics from Church's, John Lobb, or if he isn't quite so top spec, Marks'. This does really only apply to work shoes; leisure shoes are an entirely different area - much more colourful and fraught with peril. Shoes people; keep an eye out, and do try and remember that other people are doing the same.
This week's staples are:
Field Day Festival in Victoria Park, East London
A chocolate orange brownie from Leon
An item of animal print
A Razmopolitan cocktail
Camino in King's Cross
Chromeo
Sunglasses with metal frames - no fluoro plastic allowed.