The British king of vintage workwear, Nigel Cabourn, has teamed up with Umbro to produce some classic looking sports kit. Signalling Umbro's recent step into rugby as Official Technical Kit Partner to England Rugby, this capsule collection gives a contemporary update to rugby styles from the late 1940s and early 1950s.
This Sky Blue horizontal and vertical striped rugby shirt features an oversized ‘C’ back patch, and, like all rugby styles, looks good on any body shape. Add some wide leg trousers and classic plimsolls and you have a timeless Hockney look.
Left & Below - Umbro X Nigel Cabourn Regiment Rugby Top - £90
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Tie-dye is a trend that's always bubbling under, quite literally. At every price point, there's a bleed of colour for every fashion wanker. It's guaranteed to make you smile, and we could do with anything that does that right now. Darker tie-dye is more evening and formal, while full blown rainbow is more holiday and festival. Why don't you buy a kit online and have a go on some old white T-shirts? It's the perfect lockdown fashion activity.
For those who aren't sure - just yet! - go for a pair of tie-dye sports socks and rock with a pair of summer shorts and trainers.
See MORE - Tie Dye - Special TheChicGeek Meets Stain Shade - Read more HERE
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Left - Amiri - Tie-Dye Print Silk Shirt - £1000 from Matchesfashion.com
Left - Urban Outfitters - Typography Blue and Purple Tie-Dye Socks 1-Pack - £6
Left - Levi's - Tie Dye Trucker Jacket - £88 from Topman
Left- mnml - Spiral Wash Tee - £21
Left - By Walid - Marek Tie-Dye Raw Silk Trousers - £560, Ally Tie Dye-Effect Silk Shirt - £555 from Matchesfashion.com
Left - Issey Miyake - Tie-Dyed Cotton T-Shirt - £350 from FarFetch
Left - FabLab FL004 Toy £9.99 from Amazon
Left - Stussy - Tie Dye Socks - £18
Left - Crocs - £27.99
Left - Maison Scotch - £104.95
Left - Umbro - Calidoscope Sweat - £55
Below - iets frans - Yellow Tie-Dye Sweatshirt - £46 Urban Outfitters
I’m always fascinated with those World Cups during the 1960s and 1970s where the players sat around drinking and smoking like they were spending two weeks on the Costa Brava. Sunning themselves and taking the missus with them, this was World Cup as lad’s holiday. Today, it’s much more serious, and if all the bungs, corruption and violence hasn’t put you off, it’s still a spectacle bringing the world together.
Left - Bobby Moore with locals on the beach 1971 NPG
As well as a sporting contest it’s also a cultural and style moment, celebrated every four years. Recently, photographs of the footballer Bobby Moore were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery and have gone on display to mark this year’s World Cup and the 25th anniversary of his death. The photographs were acquired from the collection of Roberta Moore, his daughter, and show Bobby, the golden boy of British football, throughout his career both on and off the pitch.
Right - Nike Football - England Home Vapor Match Shirt In White - £90 from ASOS
Umbro has released the 'Unforgotten' collection. Back in 1966, Umbro did a deal with all 16 competing teams in the World Cup finals to wear Umbro kit. Everyone agreed, but, when the tournament started, one team didn't wear the kit: the Russians. The Unforgotten collection is inspired by what that missing kit could've looked like and the colours and iconography of the Soviet era. Part of the collection is inspired by Lev Yashin, Russia's goalkeeper in 1966 and arguably the greatest goalkeeper ever - still the only goalkeeper to ever win the Ballon d'Or. He was also famed for always wearing head-to-toe black when playing, hence the Lev pieces in the collection are predominately black.
Left - Umbro 'Unforgotten' Collection - Prices range from £35-80
Left - 'Saturday Night Fever Pitch' by Simon Doonan, read TheChicGeek's review here
Below - Bobby Moore & Family 1975 NPG
Louis Vuitton has released a FIFA World Cup official licensed product collection - they also make the travel case for the World Cup trophy. Available in 3 colour combinations - red, black and blue, and made with the Maison’s textured Epi leather, the pattern is inspired by the official ball of the 1970 FIFA World Cup. There will also be a range of 35 country name tags - 32 qualified teams of the FIFA World Cup competition + Italy, USA, and China. It is available from the Louis Vuitton boutiques in Harrods and Manchester.
Far Left - Louis Vuitton - Keepall 50 – Epi leather - £2970
Left - Wallet - Slender Epi Leather Wallet - £460
Vilebrequin’s signature turtle shares the spotlight, this time, with an especially clever cephalopod: the octopus. With eight tentacles to dribble, he represents the famous ‘Paul’ who captivated the football fans crowds with his predictions in the 2010 World Cup.
Left - Vilebrequin - Soccer Turtles - £175
The design is based around the footballs that made, well some of us, into Ronaldo or Messi in the playground. All for the price of £19.66 to celebrate the last time England did anything!
Left - OIBOY - Super Stars Made in Playgrounds White T-Shirt - £19.66
Below - New Balance + Paul Smith Signature Stripe Leather Football - £195
See what to wear while watching - TheChicGeek's OOTD World Cup Casual
Our love of the 80s continues. From the music to the films to the fashion, it’s the decade that keeps on giving.
The big trend, fashion wise, is 80s sportswear and this is the look you should be following.
Go for larger fits, especially in coats and jackets - I’m wearing a large here - with strong, contrasting primary colours.
This jacket by Tommy Hilfiger is from House of Fraser and perfectly illustrates the new look while heavily referencing its vintage archive.
Team with dad jeans, branded socks and retro trainers. Don’t forget the gold chain or necklace for that final, confident flourish. Read more why here
Are you ready, Player One?!
Credits - Jacket - Tommy Hilfiger from House of Fraser, Jeans - Topman, T-Shirt - Umbro, Necklace - Topshop, Socks - Fila, Trainers - Diadora, Cap - J Crew
I recently went to Berlin, for their fashion week, which is dominated by two trade shows, Seek and Premium. I know Berlin is the city of the young hipster wanker and far from the bourgeois idea of fashion. Always has been. But, watching a young guy in adidas trackie bottoms, an old tour T-shirt tucked in and a fake looking GG monogrammed Gucci hat, it’s pretty clear that fashion, ATM, is looking like ‘cool crap’.
Pioneered here, but spreading: it’s about found, second-hand, vintage, charity and everything that is the opposite about looking expensive and ‘designery’.
Left 'Pensive Crap' at Seek in Berlin - Cap - J Crew, Sunglasses - Vintage Gucci, Top - Umbro
It’s been coming a while, and it’s something the fashion industry struggles with, because making something shiny and new is what they are used to. Plus, why buy something brand new when you want it to look old?
It’s about mass produced old items looking old. This isn’t the Gucci idea of decadent vintage. That’s over.
I know Italian brands have been doing ‘pre-distressed’ for donkey’s, and it’s always looked a bit crap. Ripped jeans, anybody? But, it was interesting to see brands, such as Pony and Valsport, doing options of trainers looking like you’ve been wearing them for months.
Right - Pony distressed for SS18
Even if you buy something new, you style it in a way which looks old and not cared about. Maybe that’s why we’re seeing collaborations such as Louis Vuitton and Supreme in order for these brands to look less expensive, even though the prices say something else.
Some brands only know how to do new and this is leading to people raiding wardrobes and rediscovering things they used to wear or asking parents for their old sportswear. Hoping they've hoarded it.
Menswear is really experimenting in this area and the worry of looking bad is over, as that’s really the point. It’s about looking like an America tourist from 1985 or a post-Soviet Russian, aping western brands, circa 1994.
Could be a hard sell, or no sell at all, and this certainly won’t help the struggling fashion industry.
Below - Valsport SS18 worn look, Never too old for Vetements SS18
So, today is Football Shirt Friday, raising money for bowel cancer research, but if you’re a follower of fashion, then everyday, this summer, can be football shirt friday. The football shirt is the new holiday hawaiian shirt. So, bin the hibiscus and hula-hula dancers and take to the terrace.
You can pick these up from vintage stores, charity shops and on the high-street and it doesn’t really matter which team you support as long as it’s ‘Team Style’. They need to feel as synthetic, shiny and as ‘drip dry’ as possible. These are a loose fit, so not fitted, clingy or ‘muscle fit’.
Team with a tracksuit and sandals or dad jeans and the best thing about these tops are they are usually fairly cheap and low maintenance. You can even wear these tops with a suit, (I recently rocked one with my Tom Ford suit and it worked on Instagram - see picture below), or on a lads holiday.
If anybody starts to talk to you about about football, just nod and back away!
Here’s 10 of the best:
Left - Gosha Rubchinskiy X Kappa - £50
Left - House of Holland X Umbro - Striped Jersey - £61
Left - Umbro - Witton SS Jersey - £14
Below - Devote - Navy Curved Hem Faded T-Shirt - £25 from Topman
Left - Diadora - Maseru Jersey Men’s - £24.99
Left - Puma - Speed S/S Short - £13.50
Below - Le Coq Sportif - Manufrance Jersey - £60
Left - Hummel - Core LS Poly Jersey - £14
Left - New Balance - Tech Training Elite SS Jersey - £28
Below - BoohooMan - Raglan Side Print T-Shirt - £10
As Team GB continues to bring home the gold medals, TheChicGeek's third Olympic Ring OOTD goes bright in bold yellow and orange. In a loose fitting running top, retro-length sports shorts and leggings, TheChicGeek just needs the arms and legs to go with it. Maybe lifting all those winning medals will help!
Go bright, or go home. Come on #TeamGB
Credits - Yellow Trainers - Nike from JD Sports, Skin Cream - Egyptian Magic, Sunglasses - Oakley, Watch - AVI-8, Mr Mint Daily Face Wash - Soveral, Black Leggings - Bjorn Borg, Yellow Shorts - adidas, Orange Top - Soar, Tracksuit Top - Umbro
Shot by Robin Forster on Olympus PEN
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Forget the summerhouse in the Hamptons, a true geek has a shabby-chic beach hut on the south coast.
Who needs to be beach body ready when you have a rubber ring to disguise your spare tyre?! Just make sure you match it with your T-shirt.
TheChicGeekTip - If you're going bright, at the beach, match colour with more colour.
#BeachGEEK
Credits - Jacket - G-Lab, Shorts - Vilebrequin, T-Shirt - Make Your Odyssey, Hat - Umbro, Socks - Topman, Sandals - Dr Martens, Sunglasses - River Island, Suncare - Clarins
Shot by Robin Forster on #OlympusPEN
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Despite being of the ginger persuasion TheChicGeek loves the beach. Armed with his factor 40 and bucket hat, TheChicGeek's beach style is a clash of seaside prints in bold reds and blues.
Spotting a beached dolphin, TheChicGeek does his bit and puts him back into the surf and as a true GEEK, sandals always come with socks.
#BeachGEEK
Credits - Jacket - Casely-Hayford, Shirt - Vilebrequin, Shorts - Vilebrequin, Sunglasses - Retrosuperfuture, Socks - Topman, Jelly Sandals - Hunter Gather, Hat - Umbro, Sun Protection - Clinique, Sea Salt Styling Spray - Murdock
Shot by Robin Forster on #OlympusPEN
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