Ramblings of a bearded fool

Archive for February, 2012

“It’s all about the money,money,money”


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Jessie J…no shrinking violet

Hey there fashion and style followers!

Jessie J exploded onto the music scene quite recently,and to be fair has conquered the music industry both sides of the Atlantic already.

With punchy songs and an image to match,it’s no wonder that the 24 year old London girl has already made big waves in the pop world.

Quite often she wears colourful outrageous outfits (great if you’re a pop star on stage,not so great to do the weekly shop in Tesco’s!!),then other times she can look feminine in pretty dresses.

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Miss Cornish looking elegant,not sporting her trademark sharp bob

Jessie is a real ‘style chameleon’ equally at home in the glitz and glam,or just rockin’ the leathers and leggings!
Today I’m going to attempt to show you 3 cool Jessie J looks available on the high street…if you’ve got the ‘balls’ to steal her style!

    Look no.1

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Jessie looking hot in bright leggings and leather!

    My version…

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All items available from Topshop…

scarf print leggings £20
shoes by ‘unique’ £110
leather jacket £180
bralet £16
necklace £16.50

    Look no.2

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Jessie looking fierce in black and red

    My version…

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long cardigan £95 by fullcircle
chiffon shirt £36 by Topshop
red skinny jeans £38 by Topshop
boots £70 by Topshop
bra £16 by Topshop
necklace and earrings £15 & £12.50 both by Topshop

    Look no.3

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    My version…

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ok so that was too easy! Jessie’s outfit is actually from River Island!!
Jacket £45 and trousers £30
boots £65 from Topshop
…and necklace £10 from Topshop

Hey so ‘do it like a dude!’ and get stylin’!!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


Lazin’ on a sunny afternoon’


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The Kinks

Again I open with a lyric from a great song,and actually it’s not true,it’s been sunny,but I certainly haven’t been lazin’!
Instead I’ve been hard at work,looking forward to my day off tomorrow so I can break off the shackles of my awful corporate uniform and wear normal clothing that isn’t highly flammable!

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SERIOUSLY!!
How could a company make their employees wear this?!

Ok so mine isn’t that bad!
but I still hate wearing it!!

With my wonderful new app ‘stylebook’
I have created over 20 outfits containing my original capsule wardrobe.
This amazing app allows you to pull together looks easily,and displays them giving you an idea how they would look,without even trying them on!!

Here follows a few examples of my outfits,and the inspiration behind them!

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‘Snatch’

    “what do you mean,you’ve lost gorgeous George?”

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‘Lockstock & Two smoking Barrels’

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Eddie: They’re armed.
Soap: What was that? Armed? What do you mean armed? Armed with what?
Eddie: Err, bad breath, colorful language, feather duster… what do you think they’re gonna be armed with? Guns, you tit!

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‘Alfie’

Sir Michael Caine

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Thanx for looking!!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


Best of British to you!


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Our wonderful monarch celebrates her diamond jubilee this year,it got me thinking…

    I’m proud to be British!!

British fashion and British style have always been at the forefront of the fashion industry.
With our ‘stiff upper lip’ or our eccentricity,we have a style that is pretty much instantly recognised as ‘Britishness’,(is that a word?) and some of our most cherished designers are classed as Fashion Royalty.

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“hoorah!” we don’t all wear bowler hats and suits you know!

Whilst the look in the above picture is a bit cliche,unless you’re in London most chaps don’t look like this!

I do love the classic cut of a beautifully crafted bespoke suit,and where better to get one than on Savile Row.

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ooohh…how nice is this?!

    It’s probably fair to say that you wouldn’t get much change from £2000!

“a good suit isn’t expensive,it’s priceless!”

What have the Brits done for fashion?

We gave the world this…

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…and this

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…and this

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…and this

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The mere mention of ‘Carnaby Street’,’Kings Road, ‘Covent Garden’ and many more,conjure up images of the swinging 60’s and <;em'twiggy'
Mods,Punks,Skins,Dandy’s,have all had their time in the fashion limelight,Royalty,and the dignitaries have been shopping ‘Savile Row’ for centuries.

Britain is steeped in fashion history,but we’ve also made a few mistakes…

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…sorry about this

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…and this

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…but mainly,sorry for this!

thanks also for these guys…

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Dame Vivienne Westwood

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Sir Paul Smith

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the late Alexander McQueen

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Matthew Williamson

there are many more fantastic icons and designers I could mention,but my thumbs are about to fall off!!

    And finally my ‘British’ style look for today…

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Until next time…

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Peace out ma’am.


Spring is here!!


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…a fine figure of a man!!

Got up this morning to beautiful sunshine…

Looked at the date on my watch it definitely says 23rd Feb…
Shake watch to make sure it’s not stopped,check date on my phone…23rd Feb…

This is weird,then it suddenly dawns on me,I’ve been kidnapped by Somalian pirates and taken to somewhere exotic…
Can’t be that either,I’ve just seen the bloke from next door walking his dog (well actually picking up his dog’s crap!),love the expression on a dogs face when their owners have to do this,they’re like… “wait,what…what are you doin’ with that?”

Anyway so back to my story…

We are definitely still in good old England,the sky is blue and there’s a big yellow thing in the sky,called ‘the sun’.

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oooohhh…

Apparently it’s 16 degrees today!!
(that’s positively tropical over here!!)

Yippeee!! Time to crack out the shorts!!

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“do my moobs look big in this?”

    Ewwww!…

So,it’s nice outside,but it’s not that warm!
It’s the first time this year that I’ve gone out without a jacket.
It’s also got me thinking about my spring colours again.

The high street is full of fantastic spring fashion,everywhere you look there is colour,it’s nice to see after the drab winter we’ve had!

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River Islands ad campaign is a wash with bright colours and prints

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Topshop and Topman doesn’t disappoint either on the colour front!

    …and as for Zara…

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prints are big for boys and girls this spring!

    So what are you waiting for!!

Today’s outfit is sponsored by Hawaiian Tropic.

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“yayyy colour!!”

Until next time…

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Peace out.


“pissin’ down with rain on a borin’ wednesday”


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Ok so ignore the expletive in the title,but it happens to be…

1. A lyric from one of my favourite Jam songs (‘that’s entertainment’)

2.today is wednesday its pissing down and I’m bored!

So,what’s happening then?…

My good lady took the leap of faith and had all her hair cut off! (not completely,just gone from a classic bob to a pixie cut,which really suits her!)

Her hair has been the same since I met her more of less so it’s a dramatic change for us both to deal with!

    For the record here,I have no hair,it is shaved to a grade ‘0’ all over,I’ve noticed that as I’ve got older I’m using more face wash and less shampoo!

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WRONG!!

That willnever happen to me!!

Funny thing though haircuts and stylists.
I recently read a great blog by ‘Hollis & Prince’
where she talks about ‘cheating’ on her stylist and how through doing so she ended up being ‘butchered’ (her words!) and then had to crawl back to her stylist begging for the botch job to be rectified!

It’s always funny though that at the crucial moment when you see hair falling on the floor,you say nothing…
It’s even funnier that when the ‘butcher’ shows you your haircut in the mirror you say “yeah it’s great,thanks”

    “hahahaha”

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“yeah it’s great!”

So on the style stakes I’m still wearing my outfits made up of my capsule wardrobe.
The ‘crazy haired’ barista informs me she’s also got a capsule wardrobe now,and like me has found things in the back of the closet she’s not worn for ages!

Today’s style…

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the ever versatile denim jacket,teamed with chinos,polo shirt,desert boots,accessorised with a trilby and scarf

Very ‘This is England”

I’ve got a new bit of kit on my iPhone which absolutely rocks!!
it’s an app called ‘stylebook’ which allows you to create a virtual wardrobe.
You simply photograph your clothes and import them into you virtual closet!
It’s fantastic!
You can then create outfits and looks using your own clothes without making a mess!

Check this outfit out!

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Going now, I’ve got to photograph another 30 pairs of shoes,40 tee shirts,
12 pairs of jeans,16 hats…. you get the point!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


What is style?…


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Dangerous things are thoughts…

Here I was enjoying another caffeine fix(I really do drink too much coffee!)
When, into my Jack Daniels hazed cranium pops another thought…

What is style?
Style is what you wear,how you wear it,and it’s all done with conviction.

Here’s a story for you…

My older brother( whom I love dearly )
is one of the ‘style blind!’
(Hope he won’t mind me saying that!)

Actually when I say blind what I really mean is partially sighted!

When he broke free of the shackles that was a loveless marriage (trust me he’s better off!) he found himself single again after 18 years…now that can be pretty daunting!

Harder still if the woman you were married to dressed you in ‘old man’ clothes and crushed your confidence.

We were sat watching ‘The 40 year old virgin'(great film),it went to an ad break and we all sat in silence and big bro said”that’s me isn’t it?”
Awkward pause…

“errmm…yeah”

“but don’t worry bruv,we’re gonna go shopping tomorrow and we’ll get you back on your feet!”

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So we go shopping…big bro hates shopping! with a passion!!

I thought we’d start off simple and took him into H&M.

    “What do you think?”


His face is expressionless…

    “Bro is there anything that catches your eye?”(apart from the pretty assistant !)

Still no expression…

This was gonna be a challenge!

Off I go like a whirling dervish!
In the time it took him to blink I’d pulled together several outfits…now I just needed to get him to try things on!

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So,this is where the real challenge starts…

Big bro comes out the fitting room in the first ensemble…

    “What do you think?”

He’s emerged in a v-neck sweater,a pair of destroyed wash jeans(pulled up way too high!) and his god awful trainers!

    “These jeans look like someone else
    has been wearing them!”

sigh

After what seemed like an eternity(actually 10 mins!) of showing him how to wear things and how to mix and match I noticed a big change…

Suddenly his shoulders were back,his posture had improved and he actually looked pretty cool…

it was quite funny really,he’d spent over £200 in a short time,probably more than he’d spent on himself before…and funnier still he couldn’t wait to wear them so put an outfit on straight away!

He purchased a lovely coat and pair of shoes from River Island(a shop he’d never been in before!).
He returned to his home,to his friends a new man,he had loads of great compliments about his new look and his style.

Funny thing is though,I still get the odd phone call that goes like this…

    Hey! So I’m in River Island and it’s all just a load of colour to me,I need you to talk me through it!

Bless him!

You can have the clothes,the labels,the outfit,but style is what you make it,it’s all about the swagger…like Mick Jagger!!

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Mr Jagger still rockin at 96!!

The definition of style…

Until next time…

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Peace out.


Which decade rocked the fashion world most…


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Greetings pop pickers!

I’ve been thinking again…(that’s quite dangerous!)
If you could travel back in your own little style time machine (bear with me I’ve had a few Jack Daniels!!)…
Which decade would you travel back to?,which was a fashion failure?,and which has given us the most fabulous style?
gulp…gulp…”bar man fill ‘er up!!”

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“make sure y’all drink responsibly ya here!”

…thanks Jack

So we’re going to start our journey in the 40’s….

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Cary Grant the Brad Pitt of the 40’s and 50’s

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“hey buddy got any smokes?”

It was all about looking smart,great tailoring,hats(yaayy!!),even casual was smart,there was no slobbing around in a pair of jogging bottoms and a hoody!

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Charles was feared down at the local dance hall!

see what I mean?

For the ladies,style after the war was very important,just think you girls struggled to get hold of nylons and underwear,(now we throw nylons out,and some girls don’t even wear underwear!!)

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commando anyone!!

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beautiful tea dresses in fabulous fabrics were a key look

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controversial now…but fur was big in the 40’s it was also a show of wealth

if you look very carefully in the above picture there is an animal rights campaigner lurking in the background…

just kidding!

The 40’s were glamourous,the clothing was luxurious(if you could afford it!),wools and silks were big…women looked effortlessly stylish and feminine again…

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bet the ‘land girls couldn’t wait to ditch the dungarees and wellies!

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wait a minute!…I’ve seen this outfit in Topshop!!

No reference to style icons of the 40’s could be complete without showing the ultra glam Rita Hayworth…

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“strike a pose there’s nothing to it…”

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Tune in next time when we go back to the 50’s!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


Hey na na na…steal her style…RiRi


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The hatman in a coffee shop again!

I’ve given my thumbs a rest!
Blogging on an iPhone plays havoc with your digits.

Thankyou for your feedback,it helps,I’m pretty new to this blogging thing,but I’m enjoying it and writing about something I have a real passion for.

My last 3 blogs have been about style stealing from celebs,today I’m going to attempt to steal Gaga’s style…

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Gaga in the ‘meat’ dress

My take on it…

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that was too easy…

Until next time…

wait…wait,hahaha I was just kidding!!

Today’s subject is no other than the Barbados beauty that is Rihanna,or RiRi to her friends(of which I’m not one,unfortunately!😞)

Now,RiRi likes to dress quite different,but there are occasions when she looks very stylish…so here are the looks I’m going to steal…

Look no.1

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a bit of 80’s style ‘power dressing’

This is a great evening look,gorgeous tux with a nice leopard print blouse to set it off…
My take on it…

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Boyfriend tux jacket £65 from Topshop

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tailored trousers £30 from Topshop

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animal print blouse £35 from Topshop

Wear with…

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sunglasses £16 from Topshop

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contrast clutch bag £35 from Topshop/em>

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Metallic toecap points £62 from Topshop

and to complete the look…

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long line gold necklace £35 also from Topshop

Look no.2…

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rockin it on stage in a LBD!!

my version…

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‘Vicky’ dress by Jones & Jones available from Topshop £65

Wear with…

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Red patent ankle strap shoes £19.99 from New Look

…and

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lace fingerless gloves £4.45 from www.partykiosk.co.uk

I also spotted this Rihanna styled number at www.topshop.com for £65

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Remember though the ‘Good girl gone bad’ doesn’t always go OTT…/em>

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Until next time…

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Peace out.


Steal her style Katy Perry


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Greetings from good old blighty!

Today I turn my hand to style stealing for you chickies!

Today’s subject is a real head turner (especially for us hot blooded males!),whether she’s on stage performing or just wandering around the streets of Paris shopping,you can’t help but notice her.

Katy Perry

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as comic book guy would say”Best episode ever!”

You really cannot get that dress anywhere!

Look no.1

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Ms Perry rockin the tartan pencil skirt and blouse

Here’s my take on the same look…

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blouse £27.99 from New Look

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tartan pencil skirt £45 from www.vivienofholloway.com

…wear with these

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patent waist belt £4.99 from New Look

Look no.2

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Ms Perry in a bit of ‘broderie anglais

…and my version

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lace dress £48 from Topshop

…wear with these

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vintage tan cross body bag £17.99

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tan plaited belt £4.99 from New Look

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leather quilted ballet pumps £19.99 from New Look

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rope necklace £4.99 from New Look

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lace trim floral headband £4.99 from New Look

I also found these Katy Perry inspired dresses…

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Prom dress £214.99 available at Newlook.com

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spot flippy dress £36 from Topshop

…and if you really are a true fan

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blue wig £7.99 from www.wildnights.com

and for the record I always thought Ms.Perry was too good for that c&@k Russell Brand!!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


Steal their style mk2!


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Hi there chaps!

I’m back with another round of…steal their style!
Our target today is none other than David Beckham

Now being a fan of the blue half of Manchester (Football talk)
it hurts me badly to compliment an ex player of the red half of Manchester (more football talk)

Bear with me on this!…

Mr Beckham is probably one of the UK’s best exports (let’s face it,he’s probably our only export,we won’t get into that!)

He’s been an ambassador for Soccer to the US,and a style icon almost the world over…

I’m gonna show you how to steal his style without his pay packet!

Look no.1

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ok you can’t see his legs,but let’s concentrate on his top half for once ‘eh ladies!?

stunning tweed jacket sir!

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Eastling Blazer £298 by Jack Wills

(ok so it’s not cheap but it is awesome…every geezer should own a good tweed blazer!)

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scarf £17.99 from Zara

Wear with…


medium destroy slim fit denim £39.99 from Zara

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white shirt £20 from Topman

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‘Duke’ loafers £50 from Topman

Look no.2

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(wife not included!)

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Baker boy hat by Ben Sherman £35 from Topman

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light blue Oxford shirt £26 from Topman

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jeans as before from Zara

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waistcoat £36 from Topman

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boots £75 from Topman

…and my luxury item

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black gym bag by Mulberry £375 from Selfridges

oh come on we all need a luxury item!…

Mr Beckham rocks the smart and the casual looks equally well,he looks cool in just a tee shirt and jeans for gods sake!!

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in my opinion,his ‘ink’ is his best accessory here …

Join me next time when I steal Katy Perry’s/em> style!

Until then…

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Peace out.


Steal their style!


Hey there all you fashion followers!

You may recall in my last blog where I talked about tattooed celebs and their style…

Well,it kind of got me thinking…wouldn’t it be great if you could steal their style!

a word of warning here this blog in no way condones stealing from stores or A-list celebs…Thankyou.

Stealing in this case obviously means to copy/imitate,or be inspired,by their style…

Celeb style No.1

Pharrell Williams

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Pharrell is one cool bloke!
He is equally at home dressed ‘suited and booted’ like above or…

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looking cool in casual in his denims,a cardigan and of course a BBC tee

Get Pharrell’s look with the following gear…

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if you are a label freak…£92.50 will get you this BBC sweatshirt from www.circlemenswear.com
If you’re not a label freak,then try these goodies…

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cardigan £19.99 H&M

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hat £14.99 Topman

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jeans £39.99 from Zara

For Pharrell’s smarter look…

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pink Oxford shirt £29.99 from Zara

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Donegal tweed waistcoat £36

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vintage midwash slim fit jeans £36 from Topman

20120219-011846.jpgpocket square £6 from Topman

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plain silk tie £19.99 from Zara

Wear with a nice pair of smart brogues to complete this tailored look!

www.zara.com
www.topman.com
www.hm.com

Tune in next time when we look at the style of David Beckham…

Until next time…

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Peace out.


“I’ve got you,under my skin…”


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You may or may not be aware that I have gone under the needle on several occasions…(no,not Botox!,but the tattooist’s needle!) although, I do have some crows feet I’d like to have smoothed out… just kidding!!

I really love tattoos. (understatement!)

Love them or hate them,they are very much part of society today.
It used to be that only sailors and prisoners had tattoos.
Now even the little old lady next door has a full back piece!!

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too much?!

Tattooing has been around for thousands of years,some say it is the oldest profession (many think it is prostitution,but records show that the first prostitutes were actually tattooed!)
Make your own mind up on that one!

So,where am I going with this?…

When I was younger,I would wear my ink like a badge,I have always been proud of my choices,they reflect key moments in my life and I don’t regret any of them.
Now I’m older I feel less of a need to have them on show as much.
In fact,I get them for me,my body is a canvas that I want to fill with colour and lucky for me my good lady likes them on me!

Reality tv shows like ‘Miami Ink’,’LA Ink’,’NY Ink’ and ‘Inked’ have all helped promote tattoos and tattooists alike.

Celebrity ink has also increased the popularity of the image of tattoos in the public eye…we have all seen pictures of Mr Beckham’s famous torso complete with his equally famous artwork (he makes me sick!…I’m just jealous! not of his torso! jealous of his brilliant ink!!)

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the famous ‘guardian angel’ by Louis Malloy

The tattooists are fast becoming celebrities themselves.
They are the new ‘anti-celebs’,most people know who Kat Von D is,most too will have seen the irrepressible Ami James,or have seen the name Ed Hardy emblazoned on the front of all sorts of products (few know him as the ‘Godfather of modern tattooing’) and Sailor Jerry is just a nice bottle of rum!!

Funny now that a good piece of ink is fast becoming the new fashion accessory!

I’m not just writing about tattoos here though,I wanted to show how tattoos and celebrity has influenced our style.

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Ami James style guru?

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Kat Von D,one of the most photographed women and first tattooed woman to grace the front cover of a mainstream fashion mag

Most celebrity tattooists also have their own clothing lines…kinda goes with the territory!

Tattoos and fashion run hand in hand,’tattoo style’ has transcended onto the catwalk with heavily tattooed models and also in advertising for some serious fashion brands…are we accepting body decoration as fashionable?!

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Rick Genest aka ‘Zombie boy’ has been seen on the runway for Thierry Mugler and in Lady Gaga’s ‘born this way’ video
(Ok, he really is quite scary!
but you always remember what he’s advertising…
)

At the age of 40 I show no signs of growing old gracefully.
Infact, if I were working in a high fashion store,where image and individuality are encouraged,I would have more ink done and probably get some ‘public ink’*

* tattoos on exposed areas such as neck,and hands

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…love this

We tattooed folk can still be stylish…check out these following pictures of cool inked people!!

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Adam Levine

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Pharrell Williams

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Dan Gold (London Ink)

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Yoji Harada (Miami Ink)

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and a certain Mr Beckham…

Hey, until next time…

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Mr Lucky says “Peace out.”


Music and passion are always in fashion…


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“at the Copa…”
(you’ve got that song in your head now haven’t you?! Hehehe)

So what’s it all about Alfie?…(whoops I did it again…oooh and again!)

ok stop it now!

“So,if you don’t know me by now”…

no really…stop!!

The song titles are a clue…

How does music influence your style.

Here’s my take on it…

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the Inspiral Carpets…great band,shocking haircuts!!

When I was a younger man,my best friend Nick (RIP) introduced me,no,opened my eyes to a whole new music scene that was taking the UK by storm.
‘Madchester’

Bands such as ‘the Happy Mondays,the’Inspiral Carpets’,’The Stone Roses’,’808 state’,’The La’s(ok so strictly speaking they were scousers,so not officially part of the whole Manchester sound!)
There were many more…

Of course with it came the ‘Madchester’ look,which primarily consisted of bad haircuts(mine was long!),vintage football shirts,flared jeans and lots of beads!

Band tee shirts were all the rage…

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I got told off by a police officer in Manchester for wearing this very tee shirt!?

We would go to Manchester almost every week,buying records (there was no such thing as downloads then!!)from ‘Eastern Bloc’ records,which incidentally was also responsible for the ‘on the 7th day God created Manchester’ tee shirts!!

The coolest place to shop was easily ‘Afflecks Palace’
This place was the coolest place on earth,it was full of little boutiques selling vintage clothing,new customised old stuff?(overdyed vintage 501’s),some really crazy gear you could only wear in Manchester!
hell,I remember buying a pair of pale green wallabies,and a nice pair of pink baggy jeans to wear them with!!…nice

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ignore the exterior,inside was a treasure trove of coolness

When it was all over and the bands split,the look died with it…sad really they were good times,I was lucky enough to see many cool bands and even visited the infamous ‘Hacienda’ night club a few times…

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good times…

Next came a new scene ‘Brit pop’ Which came with a whole new image…it almost reverted back to the the ‘Mod’ look of the early 80’s,the vintage sportswear came back with it…Fred Perry was back!!

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Bands such as ‘Blur’,’Oasis’,Ocean colour scene’,’Cast’ and many more all sported the new casual sports look well.

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the nice boys of ‘britpop’

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and the bad boys of ‘britpop’

Of course Liam Gallagher has always been a bit of a style icon,I’ve always liked his swagger (like Mick Jagger!),even if he was and is a bit of a c&@k!
His ‘Pretty Green’ clothing label has won plaudits and awards,he even has the style guru that is Paul Weller designing for him!!
Check out the fantastic ‘new Mod’ looks at www.prettygreen.com

We all have our music icons and even if we can’t pull off the ‘Gaga’ look,we love her impact on music and fashion.she has given us confidence to stand out from the crowd,maybe we haven’t got the ‘Rihanna’ face or body ,but she has given individuality to us,with her racey don’t care outfits,and her ever changing hair!
For us boys,well Olly Murs still rocks the ‘new Mod’ look very well,Liam and Noel may have gone their separate ways but they still rock in the style stakes…

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not the sort of outfit you can do the grocery shopping in!!

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the lovely RiRi…mmmm

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can’t believe Mr Gallagher is wearing red!!

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the older more stylish?Mr Gallagher

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Mr Murs, love your style…hate your music!!

“for Nick, rest in peace brother…”

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Peace out.


“golden brown texture like sun..”


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Hey there fashion ninjas…(Yasmincruz no.1 ninja…check out her blog!!)

Remember that great song by ‘The Stranglers’?

So,unlike the song this blog has no reference at all to class A drug use!

Instead,it is about my alternate spring wardrobe which consists of different shades of brown!

Glad we’ve cleared that up!
I really don’t want a visit off the Narc squad!!!

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eeeek!!!

In my last post you would’ve seen my Spring wardrobe,which consisted of reds,navy,a splash of yellow and a bit of burgundy for good measure…

Then,I realised that I had a lot of warmer tones in my wardrobe that weren’t being used,so I’ve decided to build a spring capsule wardrobe using these!

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better get that lot away before the good lady gets home!!

I really do love these colours and being a warm tend to suit them better.
(check out one of my earlier blogs ‘choosing your colour palette’)

Here’s the crazy thing!,I could do another capsule wardrobe for my whole ‘blue thing’ I’ve got goin on in my wardrobe!!

Seriously now,I went right to the back of my wardrobe and ended up in Narnia!!

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“Damn it! I’m only wearing my spring wardrobe!”

I really do have too many clothes!!

I place the blame firmly in the hands of our great high street who play on my addiction and keep bringing out lovely new stuff!…WAAAAHHH

A selection of looks you can achieve…

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‘the country gent’/ ‘young farmer’!!

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the ‘warm ‘n’ snuggly I’m prepared for any weather!’
even Narnia!!

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the ‘gamekeeper’
You see you can actually wear the same colour,you just need to mix the shades and add a nice pattered piece,in this case the funky polo shirt!

be careful though, ‘cos this might happen!…
“he’s not the messiah he’s a very naughty boy!!”

Until next time…

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Peace out.


Are you ready for spring?


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ok it’s not that warm!!

The sun is out! Ooh, it’s gone again!
No!it’s back out! (good old British weather!!)
It got me thinking…time for my spring wardrobe review!!

Now,I will stress in advance that I won’t be wearing my spring wardrobe yet as it has been known to snow in April!!

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brrrrrrr….

I really love the spring…

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Dave the butterfly loves the pretty flowers

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mmmm…mint sauce

If you go into most fashion stores right now there is an explosion of colour!
No more so than at River Island for the chickieswww.riverisland.com and for the adventurous chaps out there look no further than Topmanwww.topman.com

On my recent trip up to sunny Manchester (for the record it’s neversunny!) I was drawn like a moth to light into Topman.
The colours in this store in particular were excellent! (well done the the VM team here!)
Everywhere you looked it was colourful and very well put together.
Chinos in all colours,skinny jeans to match and a fantastic range of tops to wear with them.

be careful that you don’t go too mad with colour though,or you could end up looking like a clown!!

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‘bobo’ was happy with his look…

Remember that you still need to keep to your 24 pieces,so choose carefully and think about what goes with what…

Here are my choices for spring…

out go the heavy coats…
in comes the classic navy Harrington,the denim jacket stays,as does my ‘favourite’ Kooples blazer

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2 new colours added in the trouser dept,in come the red and burgundy chinos…

2 changes in the footwear department,out go the boots,in come the two-tone brogues and tan brogues…

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nice and bright!

2 new pieces of knitwear in,white striped jumper from H&M (2 years ago!) and red & blue cardigan also from H&M (also from 2 years ago!!)

You’ll notice that I’ve kept the polo shirts,just added a navy stripe and a striped tee shirt…

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the shirt collection has also changed,the only survivor from my original selection is my Kooples shirt,in come my tattoo design short sleeved shirt,a smart double collar Bengal stripe (River Island) and my trusty burgundy gingham (River Island)

Again just from the photos you can see loads of different outfit/look options,
I will shortly be posting some outfit build pics!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


“I had a dream…”


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the late great Martin Luther King Jr

No it wasn’t a…

“when all gods children..”

type of dream.
It was no way as powerful or life changing as that,nor was it as symbolic!

But, I did have a dream.

Instead, I had one of those dreams that you’re so convinced is real when you wake up and find it isn’t it ruins your whole day!

Ok what comes next may seem very sad in a loser kind of way,but here goes…

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yeah thanks for that!

I’d won loads of cash,or inherited loads of cash,doesn’t matter how,I’d just got loads of cash!!

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(if you’ve not seen this film,you need to,it’s a classic!)

Anyway,the inevitable happens and I go on an awesome shopping spree,treat the good lady to clothes and jewels and treat myself to one of these…

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whoops!! wrong picture! I meant one of these!…

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So…
I wake up look outside and the Bentley isn’t there!
Bummer!!

That’s the worse type of dream!

But it got me thinking…

If you had a footballers income,won the lottery,or was married to Donald Trump
(seriously girls?!)

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the cat on Mr.Trumps head finally gives up and dies…

(NO amount of cash can be worth waking up to that every morning!!)

What clothes would you buy,think about the shoes and the accessories?!?

Here’s my wish list…

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1: a beautiful Gucci scarf

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2: Vivienne Westwood wallet

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3: this stunning Vivienne Westwood tweed jacket and waistcoat

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4: shirt by Alexander McQueen

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5: denim shirt by Vivienne Westwood

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6: shirt by Alexander McQueen

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7: skull print shirt by Alexander McQueen

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8: Two-tone shoes by Alexander McQueen
(they are so nice they make me cry…)

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9: tartan trousers by Vivienne Westwood

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10: Stemar brown chukka boots

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11: Stemar two-toned brogue

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11: Jeffrey West high shine brogues

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12: Jeffrey West ‘Zlatan’ boots

TOTAL COST

£4,655!!!!!

All of the above items are available atwww.selfridges.com

I’ve not put individual prices on anything ‘cos when you’re wealthy you don’t look at prices!!

I wish…

So, here’s the fun bit,drop me a line,send me an email,show me your wishlists!!!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


‘Foxy’s capsule wardrobe in pics!


‘Foxy’s capsule wardrobe in pics!.


Shopping trip to Manchester Trafford Centre


Shopping trip to Manchester Trafford Centre.


Raindrops on roses…


Raindrops on roses….


Fashion on the small screen


Fashion on the small screen.


About


About.


Fashion on the small screen


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hey hey!

Who is the most stylish character on tv?

Which program makes you think…”wow how cool are these guys?”

Are you a ‘90210’ devotee,got to get Naomi’s knickers(let’s face it she likes to show them off a lot!)

Do you never miss an episode of ‘Madmen’ and wish you could have their style?

Or…do you wish you could look as cool as Chalky White in ‘Boardwalk Empire’

Then there’s always the uber stylish Liz Macdonald in ‘Corrie’…

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hahaha…you know I’m joking right?!

I am a huge fan of ‘Boardwalk Empire’
Great story lines,great action,superb acting,but for me the best part has to be the amazing costumes!

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The costume designers actually used patterns from the 1920’s,and most of the suits were made by a tailor from Brooklyn.
There is a real class divide which you can spot a mile off.
Steve Buscemi’s character ‘Nucky Thompson’ is a high ranking mobster as is ‘Arnold Rothstein’,they both wear opulent suits in luxurious fabrics
Their ‘underlings’ look suited and booted,but the fabrics and colours are less refined.

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the hatman does ‘Boardwalk’ with a modern twist…glad my teeth aren’t like Mr.Buscemi’s!!

When ‘This is England’ first hit our screens,it was hard hitting and brutal.
The sequels didn’t disappoint either,they were both shocking and moving in many ways.
Set in 1980’s England,the program and film capture the rawness of youth culture for the times.

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Love this whole look!!!

This one is too easy for me to create,you’ll know that if you’ve seen my capsule wardrobe blog!!

If you like this style check out these 2 links!!
www.mensurbanfashion.com
and www.adaptorclothing.com

I am also liking the sharp suits in ‘Madmen’

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and I’ve always been a huge fan of…

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just kidding!!

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told ya!!

My good lady likes the style in ‘sex and the city’ and ‘The Kardashians’…we all have our crosses to bear!!

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“why the long face Carrie?”

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The Kardashians,more than just bums,boobs and Botox!!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


Dress your age?


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During my recent trip to my favourite coffee shop I had a long conversation with my friend ‘the crazy haired barista'(you know who you are…!)

We talked at length about fashion and looks and all things style related.
So much so,that an hour had passed and I barely stopped for a breath!!

During the conversation with old ‘crazy hair’ I mentioned that people sometimes dress too old or too young for their age…
Then I realised that actually it doesn’t matter how old you are or what you wear as long as you are happy and comfortable.

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granny was not impressed that the grand kids missed her pull off a ‘switch nose grind to ollie!’

Ok so maybe the picture above is not the best example!!

There are 2 people in my life who I would say have influenced my style and outlook on clothes,who are both sadly no longer with us…

RIP Charlie (grandfather)

RIP AJ (no.2 mom and most amazing person ever!)

Charlie

This guy always looked smart,he always wore a hat when he was out (that’s where I get it from!!) and never went out without a shirt and tie,he had some seriously sharp suits!!

AJ

She was an angel!
AJ never liked to dress her age,she loved colour and was never afraid to wear it…she always made me smile.

So,I’m 40 years old (hope I don’t look it!) and,regularly shop in high street stores that have a customer profile which i don’t fit in to?!
Is it wrong to have profiles?

I actually don’t think it is,the profile customer is based on sales and surveys,so products are tailored to those regular spenders.

The fact that older dudes wear younger dudes clothing is good!
It shows that we older fellas are getting more stylish!!

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beyond even my help!!

It is though a crime against fashion when you go too far…

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Mike Jeffries you are under arrest!!

Hmmmm…see what I mean?!

In my mid 30’s I wore lots of skull prints,had a four inch Mohawk (hell yeah!!) and flashed the ink as much as poss!

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WRONG!!

Once I’d finally given up on my youth(my good lady would disagree!!)
I started to wear clothes that fit properly and tried to use influences from my past to wear ‘my style’ well.
My fashion icons are mentioned in one of my earlier blogs!

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Chris Evans was not happy to be left off the hatman’s list

That makes me feel ill…

the moral of this story is this…wear what you like when you like,feel comfortable,experiment every now and then,and remember age is just a number!!

But,and there is always a but,don’t do this!!…

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Barbie turns 100!!

Until next time…

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Peace out.


‘Foxy’s capsule wardrobe in pics!


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Just a few of the many,many possible outfits you can build with the 24 separate garments!!

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Thanx for looking!!