Displaying items by tag: SplashOrCash

Versace underwear, thanks to its signature use of the ancient Greek key design, has become one of the most recognisable brands across social media and in other images.

A little light history if you will. This decorative border is also called a meander or meandros. It recalls the twisting and turning path of the Maeander River in southwestern Turkey and is the labyrinth in linear form. It is thought to symbolise infinity and unity.

These, let’s call it an ‘homage’, from River Island, could fool even the biggest designer underwear fan. While the Versace Medusa head has been replaced by a bee - clearly these will be popular in Manchester - the rest looks almost identical and nobody on Instagram would ever know!

Left - River Island - Black Printed Waistband Briefs 3 Pack - £15

Right - Versace - Logo Low-Rise Stretch-Cotton Briefs - £45 from matchesfashion.com

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I think Loewe’s Puzzle Bag is the main influence here. The box shape is practical and distinctive, especially worn across the body. It looks like you're carrying a Box Brownie camera, while in fact the box shape is useful for your phone charger and any other bits you want to carry.

For the cash option, I recently discovered Indian brand, Nappa Dori, stumbling across their store in Covent Garden. The Nappa Dori name literally translated means 'leather and thread’ in Urdu. Founded in 2010 in Delhi by Gautam Sinha, a NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi) graduate in Fashion Design, he had an epiphany that compelled him to discard conventional fashion design and explore the world of Indian leather and artisanal craftsmanship.

Left & Right - Nappa Dori - Nordic Brick Bag - £181.10

Nappa Dori supports Harmony House, a day shelter for destitute children in India that provides free food, shelter, clothing, education and medical care to the under privileged. As well as the flagship store in London, they are seven stores in India spread across Delhi, Gurgaon & Bombay.

While for the cash option, designer, Eudon Choi, has this square bag with a similar handle to the Puzzle in this handsome green colour.

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Below - Eudon Choi - Cardena Dark Green Leather Box Bag - £385 from Harvey Nichols 

Trust Korea to give us this OTT type of toggle trouser. Drawstrings for days in hot pink thanks to 99%IS- and its designer Bajowoo’s experience of designing merchandise and outfits for underground punk and rock bands in Tokyo, Seoul and Europe.

For cash, Jaded London, has a similar pair at a fraction of the price with strings attached - pun intended. Soz.

Left -  99%IS- - Gobchang Stretch-Shell Drawstring Trousers - £855

Below - Jaded London - Black Nylon Ruched Toggle Detail Jogger - £73

Finding well cut, good fitting and quality trousers is the Holy Grail of menswear. If a brand can give good trouse then they can pretty much do anything, in my geeky opinion. Trousers need to be flattering and reliable and good trousers are usually taken for granted. You soon appreciate them when you try on a bad pair.

This season, corduroy continues its march and here are two of the best at different price points.

Left - Incotex - Slim-Fit Stretch-Cotton Corduroy Trousers - £265 from MRPORTER.COM

Right - Spoke - Corduroy Fives - £99

For the Splash, and not the sexiest and most memorable of names, is Incotex. The finest in understated Italian manufacturing, Incotex is part of the Slowear family, and as such is the best in Venetian style and make.

For the Cash, Spoke is a British brand, making in Portugal, with lots of choices of fits, and has quickly become the go-to for a quality pair of well made and great fitting trousers at an honest price.

Trousers are pretty boring but we need them to work and makes our arses look good. Hopefully this will save you time and frustration in your search.

This minimal western or cowboy shirt has become Raf Simons' signature style since taking over at Calvin Klein. A slow burner, and despite it being seen on the Kardashians, it feels modern yet retro at the same time. It's almost like a space uniform with its flat pockets and details. There are lots of colour combinations and I'm surprised more high-street retailers haven't copied it.

ASOS DESIGN had this homage with contrast pockets and matching yoke for that Calvin feel without the out of this world price tag.

Left - Calvin Klein 205W39nyc - Western Two Pocket Shirt - £485 from Brownsfashion.com

Below - ASOS DESIGN regular fit colour block western shirt in black - £25

Fendi taste, River Island budget?! Worry no more, as the logo trend needn’t pass you buy just because your pockets aren’t deep enough. Fendi is probably the strongest of the logo brands, right now, and River Island has a clever rift on their own RI initials that look strikingly like those of the famous Rome fur house. Get involved.

Far Left & Left - River Island - Brown Slim Fit RI Monogram T-Shirt - £20

Below - Fendi - Logo-Print Raincoat - £1550 from matchesfashion.com

You probably saw my obsession with Space Odyssey 2001 after the Undercover AW18 show at Pitti Uomo in January. See more here Well, I haven’t been able to get Z Zegna’s interpretation of those Kubrick space suits out of my head and this bright yellow one from Topman just jogged my memory.

So, this winter make like a bold Michelin Man in vibrant primary colours. Yellow is the colour of choice and the matching hat, trousers, gloves, boots, are all purely optional!

Left - Topman - Yellow Puffer Jacket - £70

Right - Z Zegna - £1090

Forget being a lounge lizard, this season, it’s all about falling for the temptation of snakeskin. Much like Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, that slippy serpent is seductive and looks right for Autumn/Winter 2018. This is your new going out shirt. Take inspiration from Tom Ford's catwalk and team it with typical menswear fabrics such as pinstripes and Prince of Wales check and a neck tie.

Left - Tom Ford - Black Snake Printed Slim Fit Shirt - $980

Below - River Island - Pink Snake Print Short Sleeve Revere Shirt £28

Need more inspiration? See Best Dressed Chic Geek Jeff Goldblum rocking party season

Fashion always surprises and reinterprets. We all have our preconceptions about things and it’s that willingness to change that separates the leaders from the followers. I love it when something you think couldn’t be less cool is presented in a new way that makes it desirable. This is what good designers do.

Far Left - Balenciaga SS17, Left - Striped Cotton-Poplin Cropped Shirt - £285 from Matchesfashion.com

When Georgian designer, Demna Gvasalia, of Vetements fame, started working as Creative Director of Balenciaga, I was a bit sceptical. I thought they - the parent company Kering - were chasing the latest cool wave and it was more about column inches and gimmicks than making great clothes. I’ll put my hands up and say I was wrong and they are making interesting clothes at more realistic prices. It’s also the first time that new designers have brought in some of the DNA of the house into the present.

What he has done is play with proportions and shapes, that at first sight seem comedic, but when they start to sink in become desirable and cool. It feels fresh, which brings me to the easiest way to buy into this collection. 

Fashion has got basic, and that’s basic as in #basicbitch. Items you wouldn’t have given a second thought are now at the forefront of menswear thanks to Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga.

Long the wardrobe of the postman or the office dad, the short sleeve shirt, slightly oversized, is the style you should be going for. You want those nerdy triangular sleeves, this isn’t a gun show, and I would team with a pair of tailored sweat pants to stop it looking too dress-down office.

You can opt for the original or find a standard short sleeved shirt in most men’s shops like this like blue version from Esprit.

Left - Esprit - Poplin Shirt With Short Sleeves - £29 

It's well established, now, that men can wear pink. Kanye loves a bit of pink on men, but that's enough about him.

It's an easy way of saying that you're openminded, up for trying new things and approachable. Who isn't going to like a man in a pink jumper?

Slightly differing shades, but still on the 'baby' spectrum, we have a super-soft cashmere number from Paul Smith or a great value jumper from Topman. Can't decide? Get both!

Left - Paul Smith - Pink Cashmere Sweater - £315

Below - Topman - Dusty Pink Mini Roll Neck Jumper - £25