My Millican bag - an update

A few weeks ago I introduced you to my new Millican bag, Harry the Gladstone (see my post here). As promised then, I'm going to tell you more about it, having used it several times.

Harry and I have been to Paris, Manchester and made a couple of visits to my beloved Cumbria (coincidentally where Millican has its spiritual home). How have we got on?

Harry the Gladstone at Gare du Nord Station, Paris - Image Grey Fox

The bag is very well-designed and packed with features. Everything is where you need it - pockets, straps, buttons, a bag for shoes or dirty clothes and a well-balanced shoulder strap that enables it to be carried comfortably even when crammed full. You get the impression that it's been used and abused hard in the development stage, producing a product that is supremely fit for purpose.

The bag fitted everything I needed for a few days in Paris, but was easily portable and its stylish shape meant it never looked out of place in such a stylish destination.

All the materials have been sustainably produced and the organic cotton canvas will last a lifetime. The bag is a skilful mix of the traditional, in terms of appearance and manufacturing values, and the modern, in terms of design and practicality.

I'd recommend this bag to anyone. Indeed, I'm looking for a shoulder bag for my camera and blogger's notebook and and would buy another Millican product without hesitation. All that's stopping me is that I can't decide between Keith the Writer's Bag here or Mark the Field Bag here.

Visit Millican's website here.

This product was sent to me for review in accordance with my review policy here

A look that inspires 1 - from Oliver Spencer

This is the first of a new occasional series in which I will post something that inspires me in the search for style. It might be a look, a painting, a battered old camera - whatever, it has influenced the way I select the clothes and other objects around me.

I've always been quite open that my search for style as an older man started by looking on the internet for ideas. With increasing confidence comes the ability to add one's own twists to these ideas - we don't want to be simply copying others. However, we all have to start somewhere.

This image is from Oliver Spencer's Spring/Summer '13 collection. I like the combination of stone-coloured cotton/linen waistcoat and jacket with the cobalt blue trousers and scarlet shirt. This look would look good on a man of any age. See more on Oliver Spencer's website here.

See my Pinterest page for more inspiration.

Image Oliver Spencer

How to choose your underwear - Mr Porter video

A nicely humorous video for those of us needing advice on choosing our underwear.

From Mr Porter.

John Lewis to preview SS14 at London Collections:Men next month

Johnny Harrington wears Alfred Moon blazer and Made in England roll neck, John Lewis & Co AW13.

John Lewis has announced that it will preview its John Lewis and Co Spring/Summer '14 collection at London Collections:Men next  month, joining M&S as another major chain showing its wares at this increasingly important London event. The company also becomes an official menswear supplier for the event.

The SS14 collection has been styled by Stephen Mann and male supermodel Johnny Harrington (‘the bearded man’ pictured above who recently created such media interest) will take part in a presentation on 15th June.

The collection supports British manufacturing by working with the best British mills, including Abraham Moon, Harris Tweed, Mallalieu's of Delph and Ventile, while also using modern day technology and performance fabrics and finishes. Once again, it's good to see the move towards greater adoption of British manufacturing by menswear retailers.

For my recent preview of John Lewis's wonderful AW13 collection see here.

Marks and Spencer - With 'Best of British', M&S is rediscovering its roots

Marks and Spencer rediscovers its roots with its 'Best of British' collection for AW13

Yesterday I had the immense pleasure of walking into a room full of menswear made in the UK. The pleasure was made all the greater by the fact that these clothes are from Marks and Spencer.

All images M&S

M&S is in the enviable, yet unenviable, position of being a British institution. As soon as things go a bit awry, we all have something to say about it (as have I in the past). Once M&S made many of its clothes in the UK. The harsh realities of the marketplace and stiff competition on the high street changed all that - and there were fears that quality was sacrificed too. No doubt this was financially justifiable, but many didn't like it and harked back to the glorious old days when M&S was British and quality to the core.

To their credit M&S saw these concerns and a recent collaboration with the British Fashion Council heralds a shift in direction and has created the Best of British range. This comes at a time when better-informed consumers are increasingly questioning the wisdom of buying cheap foreign garments made in the sort of conditions that sparked the Factories Acts in the UK in the nineteenth century. There is also the beginning of a reaction against foreign-made 'British heritage' collections and a desire to see the real thing once more.

While the Best of British collection is only a small part of the AW13 offering, M&S has to start somewhere and I really hope that we will give them a chance. It would be nice to think that the Made in Britain label will become commoner in their stores. The collaboration with the BFC will last three years - I'll be watching with interest.

The Best of British indeed

What I like about this collection is that M&S has resisted the temptation to play safe with middle-aged grunge. What I saw is a collection of beautifully-made classics, for both men and women, interpreted in a snappy and very contemporary way.

The designers have raided the M&S archives for many of these garments, updated with slightly lighter fabrics and modern design and colours. We have here clothes suitable for young and old alike - the benefit of applying a modern touch and details to classic designs.

M&S has worked with many of the great names in British manufacture, some new, like Private White VC and many much older, like Cheaney and Abraham Moon.

Prices? The suit above, for example, will cost £799. The beautiful Prince of Wales check coat below, £599. Knitwear will be £55 to £149. These prices shouldn't put off buyers - they compare with similar but imported items elsewhere - this is British-made from British fabrics.

The excitement in M&S about this collection was palpable. Tony O'Connor, Head of Menswear Design, kindly spent some time showing me the clothes and his enthusiasm was infectious. There is so much there I would have walked away with given the chance, and I'd loved to have tried some of it on - but that will have to wait for later in the year when it hits the stores. We will also see the collection at London Collections:Men next month.

M&S will be offering some outstanding menswear in their other ranges later this year. That can await another post - for me the highlight is Best of British.

For my interview last month with Tony O'Connor, Head of Menswear Design at M&S, see here.

  

All the above images are from Marks and Spencer

Crombie - a tradition of style

Crombie was a name I knew well in my youth; their overcoats were worn by most businessman of style and also became popular among more sartorial (and no doubt more affluent) skinheads (something I suspect that the great and good at Crombie were less keen about). They were also adopted by mods, a culture which is now seeing quite a renaissance.

The name Crombie became synonymous with British-made overcoats - for example The British Warm. The company has been around since the date of the Battle of Trafalgar, (a date* hopefully familiar to all Brits).

Image Crombie

Now Crombie has updated itself and skilfully combines modern styling with its traditional core values. It has tried to preserve its Britishness as far as it can. The majority of fabrics used in their coats are milled in England and Scotland (otherwise in Italy). Likewise, 80% of their accessories, from five-fold silk ties hand-rolled by English craftsmen, to handmade classic fur felt hats, are "Made in England". It offers a made to measure tailoring service at three stores.

I looked at their range at their flagship store in Conduit Street in London, just around the corner from Savile Row. I liked what I saw - the emphasis is on the classic, with some beautiful fabrics, but there is a modern edge to much of what I saw, which makes their clothes ideal for both young and older men of style.

I'd love to talk about the garment they're best known for, the overcoat, because they are beautiful, but I'll leave that to Autumn, when you'll be thinking about warmer clothes. For now I'll show you some of the items from their Spring and Summer range that caught my eye. For more information see Crombie's website here.

*Battle of Trafalgar - 1805

Style tips: J.F. Kennedy - a plain, simple and self-confident style

JFK is considered a men's style icon. How did he achieve this?

He kept his clothes plain, simple, well-fitting, well-cut and, no doubt, expensive. But that's not enough to acquire style icon status. Kennedy went further - he looked comfortable with what he wore, wearing even formal clothes with casual confidence and elegance.

It can be hard to do this. Try to feel at home in your clothes. Unless you're an extrovert, happy to wear high fashion, bright colours, unusual styles, stick with simple classics - particularly as an older man. Try to carry yourself in a relaxed manner - too stiff and your clothes won't sit well and the effect is ruined.

If you find it hard to relax when wearing a suit, try to imagine you're wearing your favourite jeans and casual top and act accordingly.