January | 2016 | The style Viking

The hipster is dead, long live…the ‘new’ hipster?!

Beards, I’m told are dead and are no longer fashionable…which is fine if

A: I grew my beard purely for fashion (which I didn’t) and

2: I don’t really give a shit what the media experts think!

Many of the anti-hirsute articles are probably written by men who can’t grow facial hair and are simply jealous (in my opinion) or by women who don’t have the capacity to grow one (all except the wonderful Harnaam Kaur aka ‘the Dame’ pictured) either way neither parties are qualified to comment!

The amazing bearded lady Harnaam Kaur, shattering the stereotypical image of the body beautiful…oh and she’s bloody lovely too!

So fellas, if you’ve grown a beard because it was ‘trendy’ ask yourself, are you just a victim of the media hype that surrounds image and how we should all look?

My bearded ‘brothers’ (of which there are many) have had beards long before the new breed of ‘lumber sexual’ models and hipsters came along, in fact, they would pretty much tell you that they have a beard because they want one, not because they’re en vogue.

Rollo from ‘Vikings’ inventor of the beard?

Whilst my beard was born out of superstition I also consider it my best feature/accessory. That may be a bit on the vain side, but since growing it I feel more confident and actually like the way I look (which itself is a bloody revelation!)

I get loads of positive comments (mostly from women!) and it’s funny when you spot another ‘beardy’ you automatically acknowledge them in the same way that classic car owners flash their lights or honk their horns.

It’s pretty much the one thing blokes are comfortable about comparing sizes with each other!

Behold the beard in all it’s heavenly glory 😂

With great beards come great responsibility

Spider-Man

I may have changed that ever so slightly 👆🏼

My beard has become a labour of love, I spend more time and money on it than any non beardy would spend on their baldy faces. There are a plethora of beard oil companies selling the ‘best’ oil for your face fuzz…literally hundreds from all over the globe!

You can get all sorts of crazy scents too, my faves at the mo Captain Fawcett’s Booze’n’Baccy (with Ricki Hall) http://www.captainfawcett.com/ and Fuzzmuzzle Beard Products Sticky Toffee beard balm http://www.fuzzmuzzle.com

Style

Pretty much the whole reason I started writing my blog was because I had a lot to say about style and in particular looks and trends that I like and that I wear.

It’s no surprise if you know me that I have a shitload of clothes and shoes…probably too many!

I recently gave 4 black refuse sacks full of shoes and clothes to charity and still have a full wardrobe!

Anyway, I have taken the liberty of sharing some style gems with you fellas, so that you can look cool on a budget and also utilise those more versatile products that you either have or need to buy!

As pictures speak louder than words I’ve made it simple (we blokes prefer visual stimulation rather than reading) below are a couple of examples of cool affordable looks that pretty much encompass key trends and classic styling…enjoy!

Edwin neppy denim blazer £30 (Depop) tweed waistcoat £20 (River Island SALE) White shirt £15 (TU Sainsburys) Edwin Japanese Selvedge Denim jeans £18 (Depop) Braces £15 (Topman) and Brogue boots £65 (Next)
Biker Jacket PU £40 (new look) Black cropped skinny jeans £30 (River Island), Short sleeved sweater £35 (Topman), Black Chelsea boots £30 and Black SnapBack £4 (both H&M)