Wool School 2013 - woollen jumper design competition - video

I'm a great lover of woolly jumpers, so here's some good news.

The Campaign for Wool, of which His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is a patron, has announced the return of WOOL SCHOOL for 2013. Margaret Howell, Topman, Christopher Raeburn, Folk, Barbour, Brora and Albam will work with fashion, textiles and design students across the country competing to design wool sweaters to be sold in stores nationwide in the Autumn to celebrate Wool Week 2013.

Designs for the Wool School competition 2013

The campaign received over 100 entries from each of the 12 collaborating universities with the retail outlets joining forces to select their winner. For the second year running the project sees students introduced to a retail partner and given the opportunity to design a wool jumper for their company keeping this year’s theme ‘knitwear traditions of the British Isles’ front of mind along with the retailer's brand identity. One student per retailer has been selected and their jumper design will be developed, manufactured and will be available in stores to coincide with UK Wool Week: 14th-20th October. 

The companies involved are largely menswear retailers, so we can expect some exciting designs to go on sale later this year.

Two pairs of Two Socks socks

Now we tend to think that a sock is a sock is a sock. But think for a short while. Some socks are never comfortable - they rumple up and are harsh-textured. Some stretch out of shape at the least encouragement. Some are just vile colours or designs (cartoon character socks especially). Some wear through after being worn a handful of times. Some, however, are soft, just the right thickness, fit well, durable and are tastefully-coloured and designed.

The latter description fits the two pairs of socks I've just received from Two Socks, a new sock-making outfit in which socks are designed in London and made by a family-owned business in Turkey of the best combed cotton they could find.

You'll see from Two Socks' website that there is something for everyone in terms of sock thickness, colour, design and pattern. Prices are £7.50 to £8.00 a pair - excellent value given the range of choice and the quality.

I've been wearing mine for a couple of weeks now (they have been washed, don't worry) and they have remained soft, comfortable and well-shaped. What more could a fellow ask of his socks?

Highly recommended!

Grey Fox Models 7: grey hair fashion advertising - well done Viyella

Viyella is another company that aims its advertising at all ages of man without stooping to the horribly un-stylish.

Well done Viyella! For more on their products see my post here. See Viyella's website to buy online or in-store and at Austin Reed.

This is the eighth of my series celebrating companies who recognise that all ages of man can enjoy stylish and well-designed menswear products and advertise accordingly. For the others in the series click here.

Duchamp cufflinks - British craftsmanship at its best - video

Over the weekend I heard from photographer & style blogger, Jonathan Daniel Pryce, who had just returned from Kent, where he had gone to meet Duchamp London's cufflink craftsman. 

Although I know that they use British products where they can, I was surprised and delighted to hear that Duchamp's cufflinks are made in the UK. We tend to assume that such pieces are imported for all but the very exclusive end of the market.

Jonathan kindly sent me photos of his visit, during which he watched Duchamp's jeweller create each piece by hand in his small studio. He photographed the process from beginning to end and spoke to the craftsman, capturing the interview on video (below). 

The Cufflink Artisan from Duchamp London on Vimeo.

Here are some of Jonathan's images and the finished products. See Duchamp's website here for more information about these lovely British-made pieces.

I've talked about Duchamp before here on the blog. Their classic, with a colourful twist, designs are ideal for the man looking for something different. The quality of the cut and fabrics is very high.

All photos Jonathan Daniel Pryce/Duchamp

 

I'm taking a couple of days off from the blog

This morning I lost Cocoa, my chocolate labrador companion of nearly 15 years. I didn't realise I would miss a dog so much - he had grown up with my children and was part of the family - so I'm going to take a few days off the blog.

The photo below was the last I took of Cocoa. He's setting off on his last walk, among the wild garlic and bluebells.

Within 30 minutes he had died in our arms on the hillside above, with the beauties of the valley set out below us. He's been buried in the garden and I'm building a small cairn among the quarry workings to mark where he died.

Cocoa has appeared a few times before on the blog. Here he takes a swim. While I'm away, please have a look around; I'll be back soon.

Shaving tips from Shane O'Shaughnessy of The Dandy Gent

Grey Fox tries a shaving brush - and hasn't stopped since - image Grey Fox

I’ve recently gone back, after many years, to using a shaving brush with proper shave cream, but I don’t really spend too much time or effort on the process of shaving, skincare etc. - so I felt I needed some advice.

Through the good offices of Twitter I approached Shane O'Shaughnessy of The Dandy Gent for advice. He kindly agreed to answer questions about the manly art of shaving.

Q. What are the relative advantages/disadvantages of the different types of razor and shaving products as there now seems to be a bewildering choice?

Cut throat razor
Well, if I start with razors: there is the straight or cut throat razor whose first advantage is cost - buy a good quality one and it will almost certainly last you a lifetime and no new blades to buy. They give a very close shave and a big boost of manliness at the same time. There is an almost primeval satisfaction to be gained by shaving with a straight razor.

The disadvantages are getting used to using it and keeping it sharp. You will need to buy a strop to keep the razor sharp (there are some good videos on YouTube to show you how it's done). Using the razor takes some time to develop a good technique, but persevere and you will have the ultimate shaving experience.

Safety razor
Then comes the safety. or double edged razor. These are the ones that are ‘T’ shaped and take disposable blades. The advantage again is low cost, with just a pack of razor blades to buy every few months. No sharpening is needed and they are easier to use than a straight razor. The double edge allows you to turn the razor after the first stroke and use the other side, meaning you get to do two strokes before rinsing your razor (with a straight razor it would be rinsed after every stroke).

Probably the main advantage over a straight razor is that it won't nick your skin as easily as a straight razor can, allowing you to be a bit more carefree in the speed and angles you use while shaving. Ideal for the busy gentleman, who only seems to get five minutes to shave. The only disadvantage I can think of really is that you have to buy blades.

The modern razor
And lastly, the modern head razor, like the ‘Mach 3’ type. The advantage of these razors is ease of use, ideal for beginners as you can whip around the face pretty quickly and safely. Some have very flexible blades allowing the razor to follow the contours of the face. There are usually more than one blade on the heads, giving a cleaner shave with the first stroke.

One disadvantage is expense; replacement blades can cost in excess of fifteen pounds a time. Having more than one blade can be a disadvantage in two ways, firstly the head will get clogged more, meaning you have to rinse the razor often whilst shaving. Secondly the facial hair can be cut too close, resulting in in-growing hairs. Another disadvantage is you usually have to buy a certain type of head to fit your handle and many are not interchangeable between models.

Products

Onto the products, this can be a minefield and basically comes down to what works best for you. The basic principle of a shaving soap/cream or gel is to help soften the facial hair, hold the hair proud of the skin and to provide a cushion for the razor to glide on. Various things can be added to the shaving product, like essential oils, clays and various chemicals that claim to do different things.

The main thing to remember is everybody has a different need out of a shaving product, and it is just about researching and trying different brands until you get a good match for your skin type.

Q. How should a man prepare for a shave?

The shaving brush
Presuming you have now got a good razor and settled on what products you are using my advice would be to invest in a good brush. There are generally three types synthetic, bristle and badger. These can range from a few pounds to hundreds for a top quality badger brush. I recommend using brushes as this helps to exfoliate around the base of the hair and helps lift the hair for the lather to hold.

Preparing
The first thing I would recommend would be to use a facial scrub, this will help remove dirt and dead skin cells from the face, this will leave the hair shaft more exposed for cutting. I would then recommend applying some heat to the facial hair to help soften it, this can be done by soaking a small towel or flannel in hot water and then holding onto the beard area until the towel starts to cool, this can be repeated if needed.

Next I like to apply a small amount of shave oil, this help to eliminate nicks and blood spots and gives the skin a little bit of protection from the razor.

This would be followed by a healthy amount of thick creamy lather, preferably applied with a brush. You are now ready for the shave.

Q. Do you have any tips for the shaving process itself?

Your facial hair pattern
My first tip would be to get to know your facial hair growth pattern. Most of us men were not taught how to shave by our fathers, at best we might have been thrown a Bic disposable razor and told to “go and shave that bum fluff off your face”. The golden rule is follow the hair growth and shave with it, not against it! If you need a real close shave you can shave against the growth on a second pass.

Shaving
Leave the chin and moustache area until last as this is usually the toughest hair and will benefit by being left until last to give the shave products more time to soften the hair.

Skin tension is important, try to keep the skin as taught as possible by stretching it with your free hand. This will help reduce the risk of nicks. Always make sure your razor is sharp, using dull blades will cause razor rash. Use the razor in long flowing movements; try not to use little hacking motions. Keep the skin lubricated with lather, never shave over the skin if it has no lather on it.

Q. What about after-shave care?

Traditionally a man would have used an aftershave, basically alcohol with essential oils in it - the alcohol would have acted as a disinfection and sterilising agent. Nowadays things are a bit more advanced, there are various different aftershave products that can be used.

In general, alcohol-based products have fallen out of favour as they can dry out the skin. A good gel or lotion should be applied after the shave; these will help cool and soothe the skin and usually contain an oil that will benefit the skin and might contain a natural antiseptic like aloa vera or witch hazel. Don’t totally rule out the aftershave though, this can still be added after the lotion to make you smell nice.

Q. What sorts of products do you recommend?

I would have to be a little biased and say The Dandy Gent range of products will give you exceptional quality. The rule of thumb is buy the best you can afford and what suits your skin, hair type and shaving style.

Get yourself a good exfoliating facial scrub, shave oil, shaving soap/cream and an aftershave gel or lotion.
A shaving soap will usually last a little longer than a cream, but it can take a little while to get used to producing a good lather. Most people will usually stick to a soap once they have got the hang of it.

Q. Anything else to add?

The main thing is to start enjoying your shave regime, stop seeing it as a chore. See it as a bit of time-out in your day to relax and focus on nothing but the shave. It will soon become a time you look forward too, developing your shaving technique, perfecting the lather, choosing the right products and capping it all off with your favourite cologne.

Be warned, you will become a shave addict. You will find yourself telling friends and work colleagues about your shaving habits, informing them how they are not shaving properly, how they should be shaving with the grain to avoid those razor rashes under the chin and how they should stop using aftershave as it dries out the skin.

Happy Shaving!

With thanks to Shane O'Shaughnessy of The Dandy Gent.

A reader asks - how do I dress now that I'm past forty years of age? (Part 1)

Image The Sartorialist

A reader commented recently as follows, raising some interesting points about style and fashions for the middle aged and older man:

How should I dress once I've reached 40?

I'm well past 40 and it's still a question I ask myself at the age I am. Trouble is, I still think I'm 21 but I know I can't and shouldn't dress like a much younger man. To be truthful I'm envious of the clothes that are available to the young man of today.

I really don't like the terms classical and traditional it makes me think of frumpy* old men and I don't want to be frumpy. T'other week I was socialising with a group of friends dressed in a tweed jacket, jeans, brogues a scarf and with a pocket hanky. The females admired the look - gosh, I was wearing a scarf just for the look, Mediterranean style - but the men thought I looked academic. Oh no! I looked frumpy. I had been considering a tweed suit but maybe not now.

* My wife's terminology

I'm finding the blog useful keep it up. 

Regards

David

My first thought was, 'who's this guy, who dresses well well enough to excite female comment, yet isn't satisfied with his sartorial choices?'

Older men see style in binary terms

But then I saw the deeper seriousness of your comment. You have defined the schizophrenic approach men take to style as they get past 40 years of age. We want to stay and look young, but suspect that this is unacceptable. After all, an older man is expected to behave as such and fears ridicule if he doesn't.

Image The Sartorialist

In the face of these concerns most men give up and adopt a sartorial grunge, wearing ill-fitting clothes without a vestige of style. That's the slippery slope that I found myself on 18 months ago when I started this blog to explore style and fashion on middle age. I don't pretend to have found a stylistic Shangri La, far from it, but have a few thoughts which I offer for you to reject or accept as you like.

Older men think about style in binary terms. We see a choice between either young men's fashions, Top Shop etc, or the sort of shapeless tweedy neutrality available from too many Sunday supplements, high street chains and catalogues. We see nothing in between.

Style with a twist 

In reality, the older man, choosing carefully, can buy into the younger/fashionable/stylish (whatever term you want to use) end of the market without looking like mutton dressed as lamb.

Classic with a twist - Image Stockholm Streetstyle.com

The term I've used for this style is classic with a twist. It gives the older man the comfort of wearing a classic outfit that doesn't delve into the wilder reaches of the menswear fashion catwalk, while showing, at the same time, a sense of personal style.

Finding this look takes work as we have to trawl through the racks of poor quality or too young-looking clothes to find what we want. I would like high street retailers to market 'classic with a twist' more widely. After all, middle-aged men are a relatively large and affluent market, so retailers are unlikely to lose out here.

I've talked enough, so I'm going to split this post and, in the sequel, say more about what I mean by 'classic style with a twist', giving examples and sources where you can go to explore the style further for yourself. Meanwhile, some on the images here will give you an idea of what I mean.

However, the last thing I want to do is give you rules for dressing. The advantage we have in middle age and beyond is that we have the confidence to create our own styles that owe nothing to an unhelpful and youth-obsessed high street - let's do it!

Meanwhile, see my article in Menswear Insight [link broken, magazine closed down] in which I explored this question in more detail. See part 2 of this post here and part 3 here.

Photograph Niall McDiarmid

The Grey Fox cocktail - bespoke from Toasted Glass

It's not everyday that a chap has a cocktail named after him, so I was delighted when the ever-talented Monique Low of  Toasted Glass, glass painter and cocktail experimenter, agreed to design (is that the right word?) a bespoke cocktail to carry the Grey Fox name.

Monique offers a bespoke service to anyone who would like a cocktail named after them. Your tastes, colour and ingredients preferences are taken into account to ensure that the recipe matches your dreams and personality. It can be provided with specially-designed and painted glasses (see below).

The Grey Fox cocktail by Toasted Glass - Image Toasted Glass

I can report that the Grey Fox cocktail is delicious. It's grey, warming, dry and rather too drinkable. Pure genius from Monique. For more of her cocktail recipes see the Toasted Glass blog here.

For more about her beautiful painted glass, see the post I wrote here.

Image Grey Fox

Image Grey Fox

Image Toasted Glass

Changes afoot for Grey Fox - The Guardian Fashion Bloggers Network

Last year, The Guardian newspaper invited applications for a new Fashion Bloggers Network. The paper was keen to attract under-represented views, which may explain why Grey Fox, representing the largely-ignored older man in the world of fashion, was selected from hundreds of applicants to join seven other talented style bloggers. The Network is launched next month (June) after introductory posts from the bloggers over the next few days.

This will mean that I will be writing for two blogs, which doesn't daunt me. There will be some duplication between them to start with, so forgive me if you recognise any reconstituted posts. This is to launch the Guardian blogs with as much material as possible.

Grey Fox proofreads his latest post on The Guardian Fashion Bloggers' Network. (Image - The Guardian)

Why have I done this?

1. Blogging on a national newspaper will, hopefully, bring more readers to Grey Fox.

2. I'd like this increased readership to throw open more opportunities for the blog. A higher profile would enable me to work with brands who would like to see their products used by the 40 year-old-plus man. I am brimming with ideas and would love to work with such forward-thinking businesses. 

3. This may sound self-important - and I apologise if it does, but I'd love to be in a better position to persuade older men to experiment with dressing with more style and originality. Being on The Guardian may allow the blog to be more influential. Older men represent a large and affluent demographic and, if we thumped the table more, could ensure that a youth-obsessed fashion industry would take more notice.

4. The newspaper will be selling advertising space on the blogs and we will have a share in this. As much as I enjoy blogging, it's an inevitable fact of life that most companies and PR businesses expect bloggers to provide publicity without (usually) offering anything in exchange. [edit: I should also mention that, on the other hand, there are many young businesses which offer  really exciting, often British-made products, who can't afford publicity anyway - and I'd like to be able to offer them a platform without expecting anything in return].

Running a blog like this costs me in terms of travel and other expenses. I'd also like to be able to keep my wardrobe reasonably stocked. I hope that The Guardian blog will help allay these outgoings. I will not be making a living from this - it is an enjoyable hobby.

4. I'm determined to keep my blogs independent so that I can review and comment without being in anyone's pocket. Recovering my costs will give me freedom from advertisers and sponsors.

5. Talking of independence, The Guardian is giving us editorial freedom - these are our blogs and they are not edited by the paper.

6. The comments section of The Guardian is well-developed and I would like to be able to have a better dialogue with readers.

For more on The Guardian website, see here.

If you like Grey Fox, please follow me on other social media:
Twitter - @GreyFoxBlog
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/greyfoxblog
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/greyfoxblog/

You can do anything, but lay off of my... blue suede brogues from Mr Porter

I get the feeling that pushing the boundaries irritates some of my more staid readers, but I feel the older man has to keep experimenting.

Here's a good place to start - these Ami blue suede brogues from Mr Porter are just the thing to cut a dash in with shorts or that white linen suit - if the weather ever warms up.

Go on, give it a try! At Mr Porter here (but I wish Mr Porter would use British terms on its British site - please drop 'wingtips', 'tuxedo' etc).

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 Abraham 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.