Winter warmers…the knitwear focus
Hello again friends…
I hope you enjoyed my last post about one of my favourite brands Fatface.
Autumn and winter are my best seasons (nothing to do with me being a Norseman!)
I love the colours, textures and fabrics around this time of the year.
Buzz words like warm, cozy, luxurious and softness , all describe the product ‘handle’ well.
It’s this time of year that I feel some brands really come in to their own, almost like they’re made to be the destination for layering pieces and warmer feel garments. (That’s not to say that they don’t do Spring and summer well, because they do!)
Of course, they’re bound to do Autumn and winter well, the brand was born on a ski resort!
I must admit, I’m a real sucker for Nordic inspired knits (hey, I am a Viking why wouldn’t I like them!), retro ski wear and classic pullovers…
watch clip
☝🏻️i will never tire of watching that movie!
Mr Carrey and friends are also sporting rather cool retro pieces during his dream sequence…
I’m pretty sure that if you were to speak to the knitwear designers at Fatface they wouldn’t count ‘Dumb and Dumber’ as one of their influences!
They would however, definitely tell you that they have taken some inspiration from vintage knitwear found at flea markets and visits to ‘Wandering Oaken’s outpost and sauna’ from ‘Frozen’
“Big summer blow out!”
I may have made that last part up…
My only issue with this time of year and knitwear in particular, is that it’s either super itchy (wool and my skin don’t mix well) or, having bought cheap, I ended up with a sweater made of acrylic that makes me too hot and gives off enough static electricity to reanimate Frankenstein’s monster!
Frankenstein’s monster…not a fan of the roll neck
How excited was I then to find out that the buyers and designers at Fatface had listened to customer feedback (they’re very good at that) about their product being scratchy, and acted on it.
This seasons product is going to be a lot softer (buzz word), more luxurious (buzz word) with the introduction of cashmere for the ladies and merino wool for men and warmer (buzz word) with the brand new addition of thermal layers!
Excited yet?
Here’s my pick of the bunch…
For us guys…
Top: ‘Winterton Stag’ crew neck
Bottom: ‘Kirby Christmas’ crew neck both £45 buy here
Top: ‘Carlton’twisted half neck £55
Bottom: ‘Oakworth’ crew neck £45
Even though there is wool present in these sweaters, the fact that they have been ‘washed in happiness‘ (see what I did there?) makes them less itchy, so I can have all four!
For the ladies…
Only joking…he’s a little bit scratchy
Top and bottom: ‘Islay fairisle’ £45
Click here to buy!
I love this ☝🏻️ sweater in both colours, I wish there was a dudes version of it!
Top: is a coat? Is it a cardigan?…nope! It’s the fantastic ‘Hutton Coatigan’ £65
Bottom: (and proving that not just Clint Eastwood can look cool in a poncho) the ‘Blythe Poncho’ at £48 will still leave you with…‘A fistful of dollars’ or…‘A few dollars more’ (sorry not sorry😂) to spend!
“I don’t get it?!”
At the time of going to press (so to speak), both the cashmere and merino products are not in store…watch this space though because trust a Viking when I tell you they’re worth the wait!
Tune in next time for the Loungewear/nightwear edition…
Peace and Love.
Washed in happiness…
The title for this edition, comes straight from the strap line of one of the UK’s most trusted and established brands.
I am talking about FatFace of course (if you didn’t already know it!)
Established in the late 80’s by 2 young entrepreneurs wanting to extend their ski holiday in ‘La Face’ (we’ll come on to that in a minute), they had the fantastic idea to knock up some slogan tees to sell out of the back of their camper van to make a quick buck (or Francs as it were then!)
With one eye on also funding future holidays to the same region, being avid skiers and with their penchant for hitting black or ‘fat’ runs (you can see where this is going…) the brand was born.
History lesson over.
La Face…not that fat
Jump forward almost 30 years and the brand is going from strength to strength, coming through 2 recessions, and Brexit, (many companies went into liquidation) and its still managed continual growth has over 200 stores in the UK and Ireland and even has 3 stores in the US!
It’s not all been easy.
How have they managed to survive?
Several reasons…
Firstly, they aren’t stupid, they have grown and expanded sensibly.
In their chief Anthony Thompson they have one of the most inspirational leaders/orators out there. He is a remarkable character who is almost single handily trying to rescue the high street from almost certain death through constant discounting and Sales.
He’s taking on the big boys too…
Anthony will not discount the FatFace Product, it devalues it and says to the customer “We don’t believe in our products enough to sell them to you full price” (powerful words indeed)
In fact, as I write this blog, Fatface have just released an audacious ‘Price promise’, one that will start its competitors twitching!
When the rest of the world went ‘Black Friday’ crazy, Fatface didn’t take part in the ‘fad’, instead they donated money to local charities, to the tune of over £200k!!
Fighting fellow shoppers to save 50% off a TV you don’t need…
The most important reason that they have such a rich heritage is simply that their product is excellent and the brand is trusted and they actually ‘care‘.
Product
Ethically sourced, superb quality and classically styled (always in fashion), customers seem to love it!
They call their garments ‘wardrobe heroes’
The wonderful ‘Washed in Happiness’ really does sum up the brand, they have a great attitude towards work/life, they are fun and they are about to embark on some exciting new challenges…watch this space!
As for the product itself…take a look!www.fatface.com
I visited stores in Birmingham and Rugby for the above images
My faves at the minute…
The ‘new’ classic, ‘Broadsands’ poacher jacket.
Love the detailing and fabric, this piece is reminiscent of classic hunting coats, waxed water resistant fabric, large ‘poacher’ pockets, removable borg collar, corduroy trim and it comes in a new modern shorter length.
This jacket (like so many other Fatface products) will age really well too!
Internal detail with the soft brushed check lining and the smartphone pocket are just two of the many cool features. (Pic below)
Buy it here
Wear it with these bad boys…
This is a really timeless but cool ‘Utility’ look, the khaki cotton shirt is a beautiful ‘peach’ finish, it can be worn buttoned up or as an overshirt, worn open with a t-shirt for layering.
The chinos (another classic must have!) are in a heavy weight cotton, modern slimmer silhouette which can be worn smart in the office or more casual with trainers/boots.
I’m loving the zip thru reverse loop sweat top, it has a real ‘washed’ worn in feel, is really soft and fits well too.
As for the desert boot (yes, it’s still here!) they’ve put a different twist on the usual suede option (which they also have by the way!) and have instead opted for a nice ‘oiled’ leather, great feel and finish…oh and a bit more resilient too.
You’ll be happy to know fellas, that Fatface don’t go for super skinny fits, that pretty much style most of us out of their market (like a lot of the high street!), instead they opt for true ‘heritage’ fits in classic shapes and colours.
That’s not to say that their products aren’t cool, they are ‘classics’, timeless pieces that will have far more longevity than most of the men’s fashion stores out there!
Tune in next time for more exciting news and further product reviews from Fatface, trust me when I say…I’ve seen the future…and its bright!
Until next time…
Peace and love.
The style Viking 