My APC obsession began some years ago. As this blog has progressed, I've been through a period of much APC-purchasing, which has only become worse now that the brand is so easily available in London. It used to be just a small concession in Liberty and a stand at Selfridges, but now there's racks of it in both stores, and in Urban Outfitters, as well as a dedicated standalone store on Dover Street, opposite the famed Market. Anyway, after a lovely Xmas gift of a Liberty-print shirt from my fantastically generous parents (not quite right, sadly, and very similar to a Prada one I have), I decided to trade up for something a little more substantial. APC's coats are a particular weakness of mine (I already have a chambray/cotton striped peacoat), and spotting this gem in the Liberty sale sealed the deal for me. The detailing is superior, from the waistbelt to the front shoulder flap (originally designed to correctly shoulder a rifle, apparently), and the colour a slightly unusual navy, it was perfect for my birthday trip to Paris (which involved a trip to the APC sale shop in Montmartre, 20 rue Andre del Sarte; a must-visit if you're there). I've worn it practically every day since, and I particularly like it for its extra-long sleeves (to fit my silly ape arms) and French Resistance charm. It's one of those pieces (like so much of APC) that is made great by simplicity of cut and good quality detailing, but which doesn't scream 'designer'. Like an Audi RS2, or a Ferrari-engined Lancia Thema 8.32, this trenchcoat punches well above its weight (and price) and I'm hoping that it will make a great first impression at some interviews. It certainly did when I was in Paris, and met up with the fantastic Editors of BuckStyle, Celia and Steve. Whatever happens, this coat has certainly started my year off well, and been surprisingly warm in the recent cold snap, and I reckon it's going to be a brilliant Spring transition coat - hopefully smartening up my wardrobe and weaning me off the oh-so comfy canvas plimsolls...Watch this space! Other Staples this week:
The fantastic Renee Ashby
Pawel's album on Kompakt
Washing my APC wool bag (which was disturbingly filthy)
Champagne breakfasts
Shouting out the answers to University Challenge
Dalston Jazz Club
David Byrne's book 'Bicycle Diaries'
Monday, 8 February 2010
Stapler's Note
It's been three months since my last post; the time has slipped by all too fast and unfortunately, The Staple has been sorely neglected from my usual weekly updates. Reason being a combination of a massive internet clampdown at work, and a bit of a Twitter addiction. However, I'll be leaving my current work in 3 weeks time to start some somewhat more interesting projects (fingers crossed), so I should have time at least for two addictions! Am looking forward to getting back into it - have a couple of posts planned already - and connecting with any readers that might still check back here...note over; on to a post!
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Christmas Comes But Once A Year
So last weekend, after a fantastic Saturday night out at Last Days of Decadence, I decided to cycle into town to get my brother's birthday present; he'd asked for a lovely blue v-neck jumper, and I had an idea that Selfridges would be a good start. After looking at the Uniqlo cashmere (soft, but not that good quality, and terrible cut), and French Connection (OK, but no better than Topman), I found him one with bliss simple detailing, no massive logos (just a small tag to the waist) and in a lovely cobalt azure in Paul Smith - it's a joint birthday/Xmas present. I bought it, and the nice man wrapped it in the bag above; instantly, I felt the Xmas cheer. I cycled along the back roads of Mayfair towards Liberty with the bag high over my back, wishing glad tidings to many and feeling rather jolly. Then, as I came into Liberty, what should come on the tannoy but 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire', the old-school, Bing Crosby version. I melted. It was so Christmassy that I almost cried. I wandered around in a state of total bliss, getting a birthday card and some Aveda shampoo, and then being very seriously tempted by the Dries, APC and Margiela in the menswear section. Luckily, I wasn't too tempted, but on the way back, I stopped off at Habitat and bought some lovely sequinned Xmas decorations, and wrapping paper! It may not even be December yet, but the Christmas spirit is here. I'm determined to get everything ASAP; not that there's much to get, but I want to have it sorted while I'm still in a jolly mood. This time of year can induce simultaneous rapture and bile in me, so best to strike while the chestnuts are hot.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Cardigans Of Suspicious-perfection
It's been awhile, but I'm back to the blog. And with a double whammy, it's back with a bang. Amongst other things, I've been thinking what constitutes a Staple; it's always been very much about personal recommendations on places to go, things to see, clothes to buy, but from a clothes point of view (which has always been this blog's main focus) a wardrobe Staple is something a little more simple. For men, we're talking a suit (or 2), white shirts, smart dark trousers, smart black shoes, a good pair of selvedge denim, classic white (and black) tshirts, a quality bag and white Converse Chuck Taylors. I'd add a cashmere jumper, a Mackintosh, a Harrington and some killer ties to that, but anything extra is a matter of taste or necessity.
Until recently, if you were after perfect, classic versions of any of these, it entailed trips to practically all strata of retailers; however, the opening of Cos has created a place where all these Staples can be found - affordably - under one roof. When you go in, it can be difficult to get excited about rails of colour-coordinated knits and tees, seemingly fairly plain clothes with the odd splash of colour, but the little details and unusual but never showy cuts are what sets them apart as an excellent purveyor - and the first in my series of recommendations - of Staple Shops. I dropped in a week ago, after hearing through Twitter about a 20% off evening. I'd had my eye on a grey three-button wool jacket with narrow lapels and patch pockets, in a boxy but sleek cut, which seemed like the perfect Autumnal transition piece for some weeks, and decided that 20% off was a bargain too good to miss. However, on trying it on for the eighth time, I realised, rather unchacteristically, that I didn't actually NEED a jacket (damn you, credit crunch) and reluctantly left it on the hanger.
What I did need was a simple, grey, thin-knit cardigan (despite already owning 2 other grey cardis). As is so often the case, the simple the request, the more difficult the search. Even Uniqlo didn't seem to have the right combo of material/buttons and cut, and Reiss was outlandishly expensive. Cos, on the other hand, provided. The cardigan I picked up is 100% wool, slim-fitting and understated, but the unusual asymmetric detail on the hem marks it out as something a little different. As I explained to Mat from Buckets & Spades, Cos seems to have that Acne-esque Swedish simplicity down to a T, but at half the price. As a result, I've worn this cardigan more or less constantly since the purchase, proving inescapably its Staple-worthiness. And judging by the crowd at the 20% off evening, I'm not the only man with a vague interest in clothes who's discovered this. Anyway, a mini-selection of Staples that have been rocking my world since the last post:
Cos knitwear
DreamSequins postcard swap
Bestival & In the Woods festival
Johan Agebjörn's mix for FACT magazine
Countryside walking in Surrey
My gorgeous new red MBK racing bike
Lewis Crofts' 'The Pornographer of Vienna'
Until recently, if you were after perfect, classic versions of any of these, it entailed trips to practically all strata of retailers; however, the opening of Cos has created a place where all these Staples can be found - affordably - under one roof. When you go in, it can be difficult to get excited about rails of colour-coordinated knits and tees, seemingly fairly plain clothes with the odd splash of colour, but the little details and unusual but never showy cuts are what sets them apart as an excellent purveyor - and the first in my series of recommendations - of Staple Shops. I dropped in a week ago, after hearing through Twitter about a 20% off evening. I'd had my eye on a grey three-button wool jacket with narrow lapels and patch pockets, in a boxy but sleek cut, which seemed like the perfect Autumnal transition piece for some weeks, and decided that 20% off was a bargain too good to miss. However, on trying it on for the eighth time, I realised, rather unchacteristically, that I didn't actually NEED a jacket (damn you, credit crunch) and reluctantly left it on the hanger.
What I did need was a simple, grey, thin-knit cardigan (despite already owning 2 other grey cardis). As is so often the case, the simple the request, the more difficult the search. Even Uniqlo didn't seem to have the right combo of material/buttons and cut, and Reiss was outlandishly expensive. Cos, on the other hand, provided. The cardigan I picked up is 100% wool, slim-fitting and understated, but the unusual asymmetric detail on the hem marks it out as something a little different. As I explained to Mat from Buckets & Spades, Cos seems to have that Acne-esque Swedish simplicity down to a T, but at half the price. As a result, I've worn this cardigan more or less constantly since the purchase, proving inescapably its Staple-worthiness. And judging by the crowd at the 20% off evening, I'm not the only man with a vague interest in clothes who's discovered this. Anyway, a mini-selection of Staples that have been rocking my world since the last post:
Cos knitwear
DreamSequins postcard swap
Bestival & In the Woods festival
Johan Agebjörn's mix for FACT magazine
Countryside walking in Surrey
My gorgeous new red MBK racing bike
Lewis Crofts' 'The Pornographer of Vienna'
Thailicious
Thai food in pubs; not exactly revolutionary is it? It seemed like the most exotic gastronomy when the concept first appeared a few years ago. Now, it seems that most pubs will serve you up simple, slightly greasy set menus of noodles and some form of meat. The Churchill Arms, however, is different. For a start, the pub and restaurant are separate entities in the same building. The pub being packed to the ceiling with Churchill- and WWII-related memorabilia, and serving a lovely selection of ales; the restaurant at the back is full of plantlife and tropical fauna. This separation, and the dedicated, attentive staff starts things off well. Having to wait for an hour for a table is a good indication of the popularity of this place; it's always packed. And when the food arrives, it's worth the wait - succulent prawns with a massive plate of noodles and crisp veg; extra-spicy meat dishes and prawn crackers from heaven, the Churchill's one place where simple food is kept simple, but still tastes delicious. And for a flat charge of £6.50 per dish, it's a steal at twice the price. A couple of weeks ago, during another visit to this very pub, an interesting question was posed: "Churchill or Icco?" Once I realised that the Churchill had attained that status of being as much of a London essential as Icco's, I knew it was time to make it one of my Staples.
Friday, 21 August 2009
In the Shades
It's been a good few weeks since I last blogged; I've been pretty busy, but also hampered by a lack of internet access, and diverted by Twitter. Anyway, #shoesday rolls on, and I realised just a few days ago that I've never posted about that Summer Staple, sunglasses. A few years ago, the idea of wearing sunglasses wasn't so much for style, rather for practicality. But as the unstoppable rise in accessories continued, it was only a matter of time before Aviators became a trend (swiftly followed by another all-American classic, the now utterly ubiquitous Ray-Ban Wayfarer). I bought these silver Dior aviator-style frames in the Leeds Harvey Nichols sale, it must have been at least 4 years ago. I wore them for awhile over my glasses which freaked some people out a little, but eventually, I took the plunge and got them with some proper prescription lenses. This isn't a possibility with all sunglasses models; frames have to be strong enough to support a proper lens, and also actually allow the optician to fit the new lenses (making single mould plastic-framed ones an impossibility). And I've been wearing them ever since. The best thing was that I've never seen anyone else in them; until a few weeks ago, when I stumbled across a picture of none other than Mr. Karl Lagerfeld rocking them. Aside from that, they're pretty handy, especially when cycling to work as they keep general road stuff out of my eyes. I'm not sure how I would cope in summer now if I didn't have these, and that is the true definition of a Staple. Other Staples this (and the last 2 weeks):
A daytrip to Whitstable; oysters, charity shops, icecream and fish and chips
The new Whitney track, Million Dollar Bill
Field Day (despite the rain)
Spending a disporportionate amount of time in Icco's on Charlotte Street
Cycling along the Regent's Canal
Topman purple canvas shoes
Perrier water
A daytrip to Whitstable; oysters, charity shops, icecream and fish and chips
The new Whitney track, Million Dollar Bill
Field Day (despite the rain)
Spending a disporportionate amount of time in Icco's on Charlotte Street
Cycling along the Regent's Canal
Topman purple canvas shoes
Perrier water
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