It’s officially british summertime! Time for ice cream!!
would a flake be too much?…
So at 1:00am on Sunday the 25th March came British springtime!!(or was it summertime?!)
If it was summertime,where was spring?
If it was springtime why do people say the start of summertime?
I’m confused…?!?
Anyway today I was out in the beautiful sunshine,we had temperatures of 22 degrees today!!
it was warmer than Spain?!
Now you know me,I love a nice coffee whilst I blog,but today was different,today I’m going to the best ice cream shop in Warwickshire.
It’s a great little place called ‘Scoopz”
So as I tucked in to my double scoop with chocolate and rhubarb crumble,I looked at the lovely ice cream colours,and the decor in the quaint little shop and it got me thinking…
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Why not create outfits based on ice cream flavours!!
Now you can see how my goofball mind works!!
So here goes…one scoop or two!!
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Mint choc chip…
for us dudes…
for the girlies!
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Tutti frutti
for the boys
…and for the girls
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Strawberries and cream
for the guys
…and the dolls
Next are further examples of my ice cream outfits…
See if you can guess the flavours!!
mystery flavour 1
mystery flavour 2
mystery flavour 3
mystery flavour 4
Have fun guessing! Let me know your answers and I’ll tell you if you’re right!!
Until next time…
Peace out.
Oops!! Nearly forgot to mention all items available from Topshop and River Island!
Beware the ‘beige’ brigade!
Beige…not just for old people!
So there is a myth…
You shouldn’t wear just one colour.
TRUE/FALSE ?
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FALSE
But there are rules!
1: DO NOT wear beige if you are over 50!
(The picture above should justify that statement!)
2: if you do wear one colour,wear different shades of the chosen colour
3: choose good accessories!
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Like this…
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And this…
mmmmm the delectable Miss Perry!
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And this…
Kat Von D rocking all grey!
Buy definitely NOT this…
seriously?!…
think they were bad!,then check this guy out!
(see what I mean!!)
WOW!!
Even beige can look good all in one go,but for god’s sake remember skin tone,hair colour,accessories!!
Kate Hudson looking good in beige…
Pippa Middleton also looking good in…beige!
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Brad Pitt…blah,blah,blah!
I was out today with my good lady,it was a beautiful day,sunshine,temperatures in the 20’s (that’s positively tropical for the UK at this time of year!!),we went for a coffee (no shock there!)
There was a table of ‘older folk’ and every one of them was wearing beige!!
(does this just happen in the UK?)
At what age do we stop wearing colour?
When do we give up on style?
Why do older people wear a colour that blends in with their skin!!
Oh,
and why,when we get to the twilight of our lives do we go for the safe colours of Navy blue,Burgundy,and of course…BEIGE!!
Answers on a postcard to the usual address.
the ‘one colour’ outfit from my wardrobe…
Another example…
“I’m blue,dabba dee”…clothing available from Topman and River Island
Until next time…
Peace out.
Ahoy there sailor!
“hello sailor” now if all naval personnel looked like this,I’d definitely join up!
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It’s just a shame this happened…
what!!…just remember “you are beautiful no matter what they say…”
Ok,so I might have been a bit harsh there but Xtina has let herself go a bit,don’t you think?
Anywhoo, enough about Ms Aguilera,today as promised I am bringing you a Nautical extravaganza for you girlies!
The following outfits are all available from River Island and Topshop.(I got so involved in outfit building that I totally forgot where half the clothes were from!)…my bad 😖
Anyway,let me know what you think of my choices…
Outfit 1: “ahoy there”
Outfit 2: “pieces of eight!”
Outfit 3: “hoist the main sail!”
Outfit 4: “Land ahoy!”
Outfit 5: “Klingons on the starboard bow!”…wait that’s not right?!
So drop me anchor,I mean a line and give me feedback on what you think!
Until next time…
Peace out “you savvy?”
“I am sailing,I am sailing,home again”
Mr Stewart sporting his trademark leopard prints…proof that it isn’t always cool!
Don’t worry I’m not going to start singing Rod Stewart hits!
I am merely going to use his song title as inspiration for my nautically themed blog!
Popeye always rocks the nautical look!
Here are a few looks I’ve created with some of the high streets finest!
ahoy there!!
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Blazer by Ralph Lauren
Shorts,belt,shoes and vest all available at Topman
land ahoy!!
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Knitwear and chinos from H&M
Belt and shoes from Topman
my personal favourite…
the Kooples blazer (models own!)
All other items available at Topman.com!!
Just a few ideas to save you trawling (excuse the pun!) through the shops to find nautical goodies.
I’ll post some girly bits next time!
hang on that came out wrong!!…
I’ll be posting nautically inspired looks for you chicks next time !!
So until then…
“Yarrrr!!”
“been dazed and confused for so long it’s not true…”
the legend that is…Robert Plant
Hey there folks!
The hatman is back on form today after my disaster of a day yesterday.
Left nice and early for work,beat the traffic and dropped my good lady at work too…
as apposed to…leaving late, beating my wife and dropping on all the traffic!
Now,my good lady doesn’t appreciate good music (trust me when I tell you that!),so I put my CD player on for the rest of my journey and listen to Led Zep III and Led Zep IV absolute classics!!
So I’m proper chilled by the time I get to work.
I also reminisce about the time I actually met the great Robert Plant when I was working in a clothing store in the West Midlands.
I was completely star struck,couldn’t talk properly,didn’t know what to say to him,this guy is one of my all time heroes.
The interaction went something like this…
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Me: “oh my god are you Robert Plant?!”
RP: “err yeah,I do go out you know?!”
Me: “wow,you are a legend!”
RP: “oh,Thankyou very much!”
So I stood and talked to Mr Plant for a good 10 minutes,he was a really nice guy to talk to,I got him to sign some photos for me,had my picture taken with him and showed him my bare back!!
(let me clear that up straight away!)
I told him how much I loved Led Zep,and that I had the ‘swan song’ image tattooed on my back!
He said “let’s have a look”
(what Mr Plant wants,Mr Plant gets!)
Lifted up my shirt and showed him my tattoo…
He said “hey that’s pretty good!”
(I couldn’t wait to tell my tattooist!!)
ouch!
Anyway,
I’ve had a pretty good day in work today,not too much stress…left at 6:15pm…Led Zep time again!!
So here’s the funny thing…
I’m driving down the road singing “Black Dog” at the top of my voice,every now and then lift my hands off the steering wheel for a bit of driving air guitar…STOP
(if there are any Police reading this blog ignore that last bit.)
Have you ever looked at people’s faces in their cars when they are singing?
It’s pretty funny!
So any passers by,or drivers coming towards me would’ve probably thought that I had Tourette’s!
ohhhh that’s wrong on so many levels!
What I saw on the way to work was even funnier…
Some dude was walking down a main dual carriageway (highway) and was really,really getting in to whatever music he was listening to!
He was jumping around dancing,throwing his arms around,like he had a hornet down his shirt!
but man he was enjoying his music!!
He made me smile all the way to work…
He did look like a crazy nut job though!
Music is great it can bring back memories,affect your mood,dictates image and style,and gets you moving…
There are songs that make you cry (Celine Dion always makes me cry!)
Songs that make you go crazy on the dance floor,songs that make you smile,songs that make you want to ROCK OUT!! and like I’ve told the police pulling me over for speeding
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“Sorry officer but I was listening to Metallica!”
(it didn’t cut it by the way…)
Songs that make your accelerator pedal foot reall heavy!
devil’s horns!!!
So I’ve got home,oooh there’s an answer machine message…
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Aaaaaahhhh!!!!
It’s that crazy Dutch competition line lady!!
I quickly grab my keys and find myself flashing the bird to my phone shouting
“hah!!”. I’ve got them this time bitch!!
oooohh grandma!
I’m going mad!
Until next time…
“I can see pretty unicorns”
Insane in the membrane,crazy insane you got no brain!
Today I am sporting an angry face!!
As I’ve gotten older,I’ve started to forget things and do stupid things!
Take today for example…I got ready,put my nice red chinos on and a nice black and white polo shirt (it’s sunny outside feels like spring again!)shoes on,all important hat on,pick up my keys,ooh there’s an answer machine message.
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Play: “you have 1 new message…message received at 16:20…
This is the annoying part…it’s some crazy Dutch lady on my phone!
I don’t speak Dutch,why would I be getting calls from a Dutch lady?
From the gist of it,it appears to be some sort of competition line…
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“P’ah!!”
I slam the phone down muttering…
I’m flustered now,I pick up the 2 letters I’m going to mail and open my front door,feels nice outside,cool but sunny.
I shut the door and go to my car and…
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“Aaaaaaahhhh!!”
I’ve left my frickin’ keys on the stairs,shut the door behind me and locked myself out…again!!
Yes you read it right…again!
I’ve done this before,it was the winds fault last time blowing the door shut behind me,this time it was a bloody Dutch competition line!!
So,now I have to send the good lady a text message explaining that I’m a dumbass and that I’ve gone and shut myself out again…
The worst part is (pay attention here girls…) I know that she will keep bringing this up for the next 10 years telling me how irresponsible I am and that she couldn’t trust me with this and that…
the female brain
I really don’t know how you ladies do it,you can remember the tiniest details about all the stupid things us blokes have done,and slip them in to conversations decades later!!
I struggle to remember what I did last week!!
You girls can remember what you were wearing,what music was playing and what the weather was like in outer Mongolia on your first dates!!
Blokes can’t remember what we ate for breakfast that morning!
Now that I am feeling utterly embarrassed and angry at the door,the Dutch competition lady,the bird in the tree watching me sat like a fool in my car,the neighbour who keeps looking out her window at me wondering why I’m sat in my car not going anywhere, I have a moment of clarity…I’m a DUMBASS!!
What a complete waste of my time…still it enabled me to write this blog and show the world that I have early senile dementia,or I am just a dumbass!!
My good lady is gonna dine out on this for weeks…
this explains everything…
Until next time…
“WILMA!!”
Today’s blog was brought to you by the words ‘dumb’ and ‘ass’
Insane in the membrane,crazy insane you got no brain!
Today I am sporting an angry face!!
As I’ve gotten older,I’ve started to forget things and do stupid things!
Take today for example…I got ready,put my nice red chinos on and a nice black and white polo shirt (it’s sunny outside feels like spring again!)shoes on,all important hat on,pick up my keys,ooh there’s an answer machine message.
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Play: “you have 1 new message…message received at 16:20…
This is the annoying part…it’s some crazy Dutch lady on my phone!
I don’t speak Dutch,why would I be getting calls from a Dutch lady?
From the gist of it,it appears to be some sort of competition line…
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“P’ah!!”
I slam the phone down muttering…
I’m flustered now,I pick up the 2 letters I’m going to mail and open my front door,feels nice outside,cool but sunny.
I shut the door and go to my car and…
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“Aaaaaaahhhh!!”
I’ve left my frickin’ keys on the stairs,shut the door behind me and locked myself out…again!!
Yes you read it right…again!
I’ve done this before,it was the winds fault last time blowing the door shut behind me,this time it was a bloody Dutch competition line!!
So,now I have to send the good lady a text message explaining that I’m a dumbass and that I’ve gone and shut myself out again…
The worst part is (pay attention here girls…) I know that she will keep bringing this up for the next 10 years telling me how irresponsible I am and that she couldn’t trust me with this and that…
the female brain
I really don’t know how you ladies do it,you can remember the tiniest details about all the stupid things us blokes have done,and slip them in to conversations decades later!!
I struggle to remember what I did last week!!
You girls can remember what you were wearing,what music was playing and what the weather was like in outer Mongolia on your first dates!!
Blokes can’t remember what we ate for breakfast that morning!
Now that I am feeling utterly embarrassed and angry at the door,the Dutch competition lady,the bird in the tree watching me sat like a fool in my car,the neighbour who keeps looking out her window at me wondering why I’m sat in my car not going anywhere, I have a moment of clarity…I’m a DUMBASS!!
What a complete waste of my time…still it enabled me to write this blog and show the world that I have early senile dementia,or I am just a dumbass!!
My good lady is gonna dine out on this for weeks…
this explains everything…
Until next time…
“WILMA!!”
Today’s blog was brought to you by the words ‘dumb’ and ‘ass’
When I get older losin’ my hair,many years from now…”
the hatman in 30 years!
So the guy above goes into a high street store to buy a shirt,he goes in and picks a nice shirt and takes it to the cash register.
The cashier says “hello sir that’s a lovely shirt,are you buying it for your grandson?”
The old man looks at the cashier and says”no actually its for me”
“oh,but you are way too old to shop here,you don’t fit in to our target market we don’t want your money,you are brand damaging!”
Ok so maybe they wouldn’t exactly say that last bit,but they may be thinking it.
Maybe I’m being a bit sceptical,and I know from personal experience that you are surprised when someone of the older generation comes in to your store,with it’s brightly lit feature walls and loud music (that’s the type of places I worked in!).
They may already feel uncomfortable,and a bit overwhelmed,so it really makes them feel a lot worse when the assistants pay them no attention.
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Is it right that we have target markets in our high street stores?
Stan was horrified when he was told his skinny jeans did nothing for his street cred!
I’m a little worried and confused (could be my age!),in the current financial climate is it not suicide that certain stores still seem to target limited customer profiles?
Every pound/euro/dollar should be welcomed no matter who’s spending or how old they are…
ever felt like this?!
Hey that happens!…
It’s happened to me recently!
I was in a well known store a couple of months ago,my good lady was looking at ladieswear,I was looking everywhere for her and one of the assistants said”have you lost your daughter?!”
(I must of looked pretty tired that day!)
My wife is 6 years my younger,but daughter! come on!?
I was horrified!
Heed my words,if you work in a hip and trendy fashion store or boutique,you can’t turn away any potential customer just because they don’t fit the profile…that’s money in your cash register that pays you!
I am 40 (hence the name hatman 40)
Compared to a lot of chaps my age I wear ‘on trend’ clothing,pretty much look after myself,and like to shop in cool stores that sell products I like to wear,I don’t mind loud music,I love bright colours and perhaps dress young for my age…it upsets me to think that now I’ve reached a certain age I should be expected to dress in sensible older guy stuff?!
it really isn’t me…
don’t let society dictate how you should look or where you should shop!
Herbert was shocked that he got the call from Abercrombie to be the face of their new ad campaign !
So, all the grannies and grandpas out there,if you want to look cool and wear the latest styles…do it,if it makes you happy!
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Rant over!!
Until next time…
Peace out.
I’m lookin’ at the man in the mirror…’
Hey there folks!
Back again with yet another fashion/style blog.
My work has kind of got in the way recently,it pays the bills so I shouldn’t complain!
Do you find it easy dressing stylishly?
Is it a chore to pull together something cool to wear?
Have you got your comfort piece you turn to in moments of crisis?
Do you have that one item you can wear with almost anything?
Do you have ‘ugly days’ when you can’t face your public?
(I’m not on my own then!)
So if you type ‘super stylish’ on google images (there’s no pictures of me…hahaha) then the Beckhams appear!
You may love or hate them,but there’s no denying it,they rarely look scruffy or unstylish…as I said in an earlier blog Mr Beckham can look cool in a t-shirt and jog pants!
It’s how you wear them!
So,it really doesn’t take too much effort to dress well,we’ve all got a ‘look’ we like,or people we admire,and comfort clothes we go to when we don’t feel great.(it’s not just a girl thing,we blokes have fat days too you know!)
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My comfort clothes…
You can’t beat a nice pair of versatile chinos,a polo shirt,the super flexible denim jacket,my Kooples scarf,and of course I wouldn’t be known as ‘the hatman‘ without a hat!
I love my denim jacket! It only cost me £29.99 and it goes with almost everything,it really is my most versatile piece in my capsule wardrobe.
Here are some examples…
so just a few examples of the looks you can achieve…
yes you did see double denim!!
except…
this double denim isn’t a disaster,using 2 different washes actually works,adding layers and colour also helps.
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Just don’t do this!!
early signs of Britney’s craziness…poor JT!
So there you have it,style should be easy,almost second nature,people with real style do it effortlessly,or at least they appear to!
Until next time.
Peace out.
Fabulously British darling!
“what ho chaps!
Greetings,sorry I’ve not posted for a few days but unfortunately one’s real job somewhat got in the way.
As the amazing Robert Smith sang “Friday I’m in love” (the cure)… it is Friday and I’m in love!
1: with my wife (obviously)
2: the beautiful spring weather
3: the British ‘quirkiness’ style
4: blazers,preppy clothes and the whole British heritage thing goin’ on right now on the high street
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“What is British quirkiness I here you ask?”
…I’ll give you some examples
Jonny Lydon aka ‘Jonny Rotten ‘ aka ‘the face of English Butter’!
(you can’t get more quirky than Mr Lydon!!)
…and then there is
Katy Perry hasn’t aged well!…ok so it’s really Zandra Rhodes
…and the ‘Grandmother of Punk
Dame Vivienne Westwood
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Got it?
Now,you don’t have to be an extrovert or have few screws loose (sorry Jonny!)
to get the British look, it’s everywhere at the moment and you don’t need floppy hair or an adorable awkward stutter…
yeah just like this guy!
(To my overseas blog followers,us Brits don’t drink tea all day and speak like the bloke above!) instead,some of us prefer coffee or beer,and have unusual regional accents!
I do love that some of us have a sense of style that can only be described as quintessentially ‘British’.
hey we invented ‘preppy’ and ‘dandy’!
not sure what that is?..then check this lot out!
If its ‘Preppy’ you want,look no further than www.jackwills.com
I love this place!!
Jack Wills has only been around since 1999,but has British heritage running throughout it’s wonderful collection,with collaborations with the likes of Fox Brothers (cloth manufacturers since 1772),Cordings Est 1839
and also beautifully crafted footwear made by NPS Northampton all British made with hundreds of years of manufacturing between them!
some of my favourite pieces…
cool preppy looks and feminine florals
…and for the fellas
again preppy,traditional ‘British cut’ blazers and suits and bright slim fit jeans and cords
…my personal favourites
Of course there are plenty of other pieces similar on the high street at more competitive prices,but none that boast the same fit and fabric you’ll get at Jack Wills,truly a British ‘hero’ brand!
Until next time…
“Toodle pip!”
The style Viking 
