Movie style…take two!
Sir Michael Caine…”not a lot of people know that”
So for my second ‘Movie style’ installment I have chosen one of Great Britain’s national treasures.
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Sir Michael Caine
Again I’ve have picked two of Sir Michael’s iconic characters from two of his most popular films…
Charle Croker from 1969’s ‘The Italian job’ and Jack Carter from 1971’s ‘Get Carter’
Two fantastic roles in two of the eras best films!
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‘The Charlie Croker’
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“You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”
blazer £70 from River Island
Tweed trousers £50 Topman
shirt £62 the Kooples
tie and pocket square £12 & £6 both River Island
‘Frank’ Brogues £80 Topman
clear glasses £14 River Island
and…
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‘The Jack Carter’
“you’re a big man but you’re in bad shape,with me it’s a full time job.Now behave yourself!”
3 piece navy suit £195 Topman
High collar shirt £30 River Island
navy blue paisley tie £12 River Island
“Alpino” smart shoes £80 Topman
(shotgun is optional!!)
www.riverisland.com
www.topman.com
www.thekooples.com
So there you have it,another movie great,style stolen…
Until next time…
Stay safe…
Movie style,iconic looks from the silver screen
Greetings followers!
Over the next few days (and because the Oscars are imminent!) I have decided to bring you ‘style from the movies!’
So pretty much straight forward then,I’m picking some of the most iconic stars and characters from some classic movies,I’ve pulled together the outfits and given them a modern twist!
my first movie star and all round ‘king of cool’,is no other than Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen wasn’t just hailed as an anti hero (yes he was arrested on several occasions!),he was a great actor and for the purpose of this blog,a very cool and stylish man.
I’ve chosen two outfits from two of his most memorable roles.
Firstly Captain Virgil Hilts from 1963’s ‘The Great Escape’
“Hilts!! Cooler!!”
Suede jacket £65 River Island
Short sleeved knit £26 and Chinos £34 both Topman
Boots £65 and sunglasses £14 both by River Island
Holdall £38 by Topman
My next movie choice is the 1968 movie “Bullitt”,perhaps more famous for the car chases and the awesome Ford Mustang than its style influence,but as the leading man was the aforementioned Steve McQueen you know that the main character would be considered uber stylish!
I wasn’t able to source the shoulder holster anywhere!
The rest of the outfit is as follows…
grey Donegal blazer £80 and Brushed skinny trousers £34 both by Topman
black roll neck £52 by the Kooples
Holdall by Peter Werth £95available from Topman online
No sixties cool look could be complete without a pair of Chelsea boots,these ones are Topman £50
All of the above items are available now from www.thekooples.com
www.riverisland.com
www.topman.com
So that concludes my first post on ‘Movie Style’,but before I go I’d like to just share these fantastic feature wall murals I found in the GQ directory.
As I’ve been bleating on about Steve McQueen I’ve decided to feature one with him on!
There are hundreds of designs,for all rooms in your house!
Check them out at www.jwwalls.com
aaahhh! I want this in my lounge!!
Until next time…
stay safe.
2013 a year of change
So here’s the thing,for years I’ve been ambling around,I’ve been that piece of driftwood bobbing around on the ocean,I’ve been that leaf carried on the wind.
I’ve always lived for today,never really had the capacity to look too far to the future,2012 had been challenging.
The good lady and I had been unlucky several times with miscarriages and a failed IVF attempt,we more or less had given up hope of ever having a baby.
We’ve always had a strong relationship,one that has helped us get through a few scrapes ( god knows I can be difficult to live with!)
I always try to make light of even the darkest situation,I suppose it’s my way of dealing with difficulties.
2012 August we decide that we’re going to go for adoption.
After the initial interviews,we are invited to the next stage,which would consist of 3 workshops…the first of which coincided with our holiday to Cuba.
Bad timing?
(Not a whole lot we could do about it!)
After 2 fantastic weeks in Cuba (there’s a separate blog right there!),we returned to a dark and cold Manchester,and to top everything off,my car battery was dead!
(All this and we had to be back home in less than 2 hours,bearing in mind we were at least 3 hours away from home!)
Battery fitted,we raced (admittedly breaking a few speed limits) back to ‘sleepy town’.
We arrived and went straight in to an all day adoption meeting!
Both of us were like zombies,I’m surprised I took in as much as I did!
Long story short here,we had been to every meeting,and were waiting for the next stages and my good lady said the immortal words…
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“I’m pregnant”
Long pause…brain engaging,thought processing…
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“Eh?”
Wife shows me pregnancy test…
Brain engaging…
“Oh…wow,that’s great!”
Thoughts now racing …
We’d been through this before you understand,on a few occasions,so we weren’t getting too carried away…
How things can change,one minute you’re told that your chances of having a baby are very low,the next you’re expecting!
We are both pretty grounded,so we weren’t getting too excited.
The whole process now begins to take momentum,my good lady had a scan at 8 weeks,we see an embryo with a heartbeat!
Next we have to wait another 4 weeks for the next scan…
Nerves are jangling a bit…
Then we see this…
freak out time!!
The baby actually moved around a lot…we were both shocked,this is pretty real now!
2013 is going to be pretty special,I can’t wait to be a dad!
It’s by far the best thing that has ever happened in my life.
My good lady looks great,she is ‘blooming’,she might not feel great (certainly can’t squeeze in to her size 8 skinny jeans!),but she looks fantastic.
We find out the sex of our baby in the next few weeks…
Either way,you guys know he/she will be pretty bloody stylish!
Our lives will definitely change for good,but one thing will remain…I will still be writing about style and fashion,if may just include tips on how to remove baby sick from your designer threads!
Until next time…
(an over the moon,slightly worried/nervous/excited ‘hatman’)
stay safe.
And now for something completely different…
I’ve always been a big fan of the ‘Python’s’
I’m not about to write a blog about the madcap humour of ‘Monty Python’ (although that would be pretty cool!),but there is a link in the title!
I am writing a fashion/style blog,so there does have to be an element of consistency here!
I am writing of course about standing out a bit from the crowd,taking a style risk every now and then,and wearing what I call a ‘conversation piece’.
This isn’t without it’s pitfalls though.
If,for example,you live in a sleepy little town like me,or work in a city where the track suit is considered ‘high fashion’,you will be subjected to the ‘two heads double take’ or actual verbal abuse from said track suit wearing *numpties!
*assholes,uneducated,unclean,chav,trailer trash…
So you may remember an earlier blog about being an individual…(if not,go back and read it!) in which I was talking about individual style and not becoming a style sheep.
This post is taking it one bit further…
I’ve pulled together my outfit for today,and being a bit more adventurous than most here in sleepy town,will probably attract some interesting comments.
I don’t do it to get a reaction,I don’t do it to attract attention, I do it because I like to feel like an individual.
In a recent e-mail conversation to the editor of Skindeep magazine www.skindeep.co.uk,we were talking about individualism,and he said that he would draw the line at yellow trousers,but then went on to tell me that he was a fan of printed spandex trousers?! (That’s pretty adventurous!)
I’m also a believer that style and fashion are most definitely demographic.
I could walk around London dressed like I always do and people wouldn’t bat an eyelid…( in fact there are far more individual stylish folk walking round the streets there to divert the attention!)
On a recent trip to Leicester though,and sporting a fetching bowler hat,I encountered verbal abuse from a bunch of sportswear clad,acne ridden teen muppets,it didn’t bother me,in fact I just pointed at them and laughed!
Please can someone out there let me know why the aforementioned little oiks,always stand with their hands down the front of their track suit bottoms,since when has public ball juggling become acceptable?!
So…my outfit for today consists of…
1: Camo jacket from Newlook
2: Destroyed washed denim jacket from Topman
3: grey printed ‘voodoo garage’ t shirt from Newlook
4: Grey super skinny jeans from Topman
5: (the conversation piece) green suede boots (model’s own!)
6: knitted hat and aviators to accessorise!
I think I look pretty cool!
The good lady’s not so sure!!
and my beautiful shoes (bright green socks are optional!)
Rule of thumb here then is that there are no rules!
Be brave and challenge the mundane,throw some colour in there every now and then!
You will probably have to develop a thick skin or like me an acid tongue and sharp wit!
Until next time…
Stay safe.
Monochrome…it’s all black and white to me!
Hey there people!
I’m back with another piece of fashion/style advice for you…whether you want it or not!
As I’m British,I can’t help to mention that the weather is still shocking!
(Try it,just try having a conversation with another Brit without mentioning the weather!)
The high street is awash with monochrome at the minute (that’s black and white for the layman out there!)
The trick is,is how to wear it and how to make what effectively aren’t colours (artists call black and white shades,not colour?!) look cool.
Again as I’ve nothing better to do in my life (that sounds totally pathetic!) I have been trawling through the best on the high street to showcase for you viewing pleasure!
Before I show you the fashion goodies let me first explain something to you all.
Some of you may be wondering why a 40+,tattooed,skinhead is so interested in style and fashion…
I’ll tell you.
Lets just drop the stereotyping here,
1: I’m not gay (trust me,my good lady can vouch for that!)
2: I once read that we have ‘male’ and ‘female’ sides of the brain,to break it down for you,my ‘male’ brain likes beer,UFC,tattoos and football,whilst my ‘female’ brain likes to match shoes and bags,colour co-ordination,shoe shopping,but also makes reverse parking almost impossible!! (only joking ladies)
It’s actually your spacial awareness under development that causes you to struggle with any type of parking…
it’s basically because 25 long years ago I fell in to a fashion retail job,and was totally hooked!
all items available at www.topman.com
all items available at www.newlook.com
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And for the ladies…
all items available at www.topshop.com
all items available at www.newlook.com
So that’s your lot for this blog!
My male brain is ready for a nice cold beer,ready to watch the cage fighting and plan my next tattoo…
My female brain is too excited to do any of the above because I’ve got to colour block my wardrobe!
( that’s probably more my OCD kicking in!)
Until next time…
Stay safe.
Spring fashion,blizzards!!
that’s why they call me the Hatman!
Greetings from a cold,snowy,and miserable (unless you’re 5 years old and don’t have to worry about anything other than going sledging!) Old Blighty!
Firstly I would just like to clear up a few points…
Why can’t this little island of ours take a leaf out of the Norwegian’s/Icelandic book and deal with the bloody snow properly!
I mean seriously?!
This whole country grinds to a halt when the first snowflake lands!!
Trains stop running,buses go missing,traffic gets ridiculous,and schools were shutting before the snow even started?!
It’s not like we haven’t got a crack team of meteorologists working round the clock to look out for weather patterns or anything!
It’s not just some ‘old wives’ licking their fingers and holding them out the window…
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“Looks like it could snow Beryl”
we’ve come a long way since this picture was taken
So why then do we all freak out when snow hits!
“SNOWWWW!!!”
There’s panic buying in the supermarkets,(seriously,try and buy a loaf of bread or bottled water when the first flake hits!)car accidents galore,and to top it all off you can’t buy a pair of gloves ,a scarf or nice warm coat because the clothes shops are all selling bikinis and vests?!
(I’d just like to add that it’s not the retailers fault here,we just supply,the consumer demands.)
As a retailer (and fellow retailers will recognise this) you don’t really see seasons,or know what the date is,instead you go by what product you’re putting on display!
I used to laugh at the jokers who’d come into the supermarket on Christmas Eve kicking off ‘cos he forgot to buy his Christmas crackers and we’d subsequently sold out!
“what do you mean you’ve sold out?!”
Me: “yeah totally gone absolutely cleaned out”
“so you’ve got none out the back?”
Me:”nothing at all,really sorry”
“that’s it! You’ve ruined my Christmas!! That’s just ridiculous!”
actually mate,what’s ridiculous is you trying to buy said product the day before you need it,when in fact we’ve had Christmas stock on sale since September!
It’s exactly the same in the fashion industry,we’ve moved on ( even if the weather hasn’t!),we are displaying all the lovely colours and styles for spring,and it’s minus three outside!
So to beat away those winter blues I’d like to share a few of the nice pieces out there on the high street at the mo.
As ever all stores seem to follow suit with products and colours so I’ve picked some outfits for you from the top stores,hope you like them.
Great gear for boys and girls,I’ve layered them up for the current climate,you can remove some of the layers as it warms up a bit!
all items available at www.topman.com
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Not forgetting the girls…
All items available at www.topshop.com
New Look has some fantastic spring goodies in for both men and women,here are some examples!
New Look’s menswear range has improved massively and is very competitively priced
all items available at www.newlook.com
River Island rarely disappoint,here are my spring selections from,well,their spring collection!
River Island ladies…
all items available at www.riverisland.com
So whatever you’re doing,trudging through the snow/sludge,making snow angels,having snow ball fights,just remember…it’ll soon be spring and you’ll be able to enjoy the lovely…
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Rain 😦
Until next time…
Stay safe.
It’s official,I no longer fit the bill!
What?!
3 months ago I made a decision that changed my life forever…
Did I become a devout Buddhist
not exactly…
Did I choose to give up my worldly possessions and go travelling?
clearly not…
What did I do that would have such a profound effect on my life…
I got public ink!
Yes you did read it right!
As stated in one of my earlier blogs,public ink is a tattoo that is constantly on show,placed on the hand,neck or face.
a fine example of ‘public ink’
It was a decision that wasn’t taken lightly,firstly I considered my work (I work in a fashion store),secondly I considered my age (I’m 41,not that it makes too much of a difference,it just means that it would be more of an issue if I were younger and just trying to start a career…) as some companies/employers are none to keen on any type of tattoos.
So here’s the thing,a lot of reputable tattooists,will not entertain public ink,they are quite often trying to put people off taking said plunge.
( I did go to a reputable tattooist,they also made sure I was sure that I wanted public ink!)
Now,as I have now reached the ripe old age of 41 (believe it of not!),I figured that I would really like a hand tattoo,something that represents me as a person,something that looked timeless,and part of me just thought “what the heck?!”
not the most pleasant place I’ve had a tattoo!
What a stir it caused!
My employers are pretty good to be fair,they recognise that my tattoos are part of my style and image.
My ink also represents my life in pictures.
What has basically happened is that I have unintentionally opened myself up to a whole new level of prejudice.
Mad as it seems,but it really is the truth!
As a tattooed shaven headed man I’ve always had a bit of a stigma attached to my image,I’m clearly either a thug,or ex-con,or worse still a Neo Nazi!
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I can state clearly that I am none of the above!
I’m not talking about the old lady in the street crossing to the other side of the road because of me (that has happened!),but instead I’m talking about the obvious prejudice that is fitting in with ‘the brand image’.
There are many companies out there,who have very blinkered ideas around image and how their employees should portray this.
For example…a certain large American clothing retailer who caters for men and women (you know, the one that has sculpted models on all their advertising hoardings!) got themselves in serious hot water when during a recruitment drive requested that all applicants must be of ‘model’ looks!?
I’ve also been told that because of my tattoos that ‘Disney’ wouldn’t touch me with a barge pole! ( not a big fan of those bloody ears anyway!)
I was also once told by a recruitment agent that a certain ‘fabulously British’ company wouldn’t want a 40 year old man working in one of their stores,as it doesn’t reflect their target customer?!
You see,before the hand tattoo,you couldn’t even tell that I had tattoos,I generally keep them covered.
Unless I wear one glove on my hand at all times (and that would be totally whacko…see what I did there?),my new tattoo is always visible.
Don’t get me wrong,public perception is changing,I’ve also had some really positive feedback about my ink,admiration even!
(I still find it a bit awkward when people think they can touch my skin like they’re touching a canvas or a print!)
I love the fact that my tattoos make me who I am,they bring me comfort,pleasure and make me feel like an individual,surely no-one has the right to deny me that?
Here’s to growing old disgracefully!!
Until next time…
Stay safe.
Inked for fashion
Hey happy new year to you all!!
Would just like to start by saying a big thanks to everyone and anyone who read my blogs in 2012.
Today’s blog (as you may have guessed by the title!) is about tattoo influenced clothing.
A subject very close to my heart as you may have seen from some of my earlier blogs.
There has never been a better time to be one of the ‘inked’ masses than right now.
It seems that everyone and anyone is either getting inked (let’s face it,it’s not an exclusive club!) or are displaying tattoo designs in a different way through their style.
Having been tattooed now for some years I find it quite refreshing to see more people going under the needle,in fact I would go as far to say that it is harder to spot people without tattoos than it is with!
Which kind of brings me to the whole point of this blog!
don’t worry,I’m getting there!
I will state though,that for those of you that think Ed Hardy is just a brand of clothing,that sadly no longer has the exclusivity that it once had (you can thank the chav’s for murdering yet another brand!) need to read up on the great man himself Don Ed Hardy, as he is considered as the godfather of modern tattooing.
Most ‘celebrity’ tattooists (a term that most of them hate!) have clothing lines at the minute, Kat Von D even has her own make up range!
Those ranges do come at a price though!
I’ve been researching/scouring the online shops and have put together what I think are some of the best pieces out there at the mo’.
You don’t have to go under the needle to look cool…but just do it! What are you scared or somethin’!
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so here goes…
all items from Newlook available at www.newlook.com
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Now for Topman…
available at www.topman.com
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River Island’s turn…
available at www.riverisland.com
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and now for the pro’s…
all designs available at www.lowbrowartcompany.com
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And my personal favourites…
fantastic designs by a tattoo artist and a member of bonafide rock band (Bullet for my Valentine)and based in the UK, I found them in www.skindeep.co.uk
they are INKBRED and are available at www.inkbred.com
They cater for boys and girls and have more designs available…so what are you waiting for?!
So wear your ink with style or your style with ink!
just don’t go too far…
Until next time…
Stay safe.
The style Viking 