For a strong finish every time.

FOR A STRONG FINISH EVERY TIME

• WORDS: A. FOZZARD

DERBY

TOE CAP OXFORD

BROGUE

LOAFER

MONK AND DOUBLE MONK

PATENT DRESS

Being brave enough to show your colours means standing tall and letting your individual style shine through.

No matter the occasion, we think there’s always room for a little personality in your look and adding some colour will instantly set you apart from the safely-dressed crowd. With that in mind, we asked blogger Toni Tran to show us how he’d use colour to suit up for four different occasions. From a wedding to a formal evening out, to everyday work and play, his looks are proof of the power of colour to show some character.

Take a look at his four looks below and see the full story over on his blog.

WEDDING SUIT

Big days require a bigger effort on the style front and a bold blue suit is eye-catching but still suitably elegant for a special occasion. As the groom, the best man or even a guest, if there’s ever a time to crack out the 3-piece, it’s a wedding – just make sure you keep your last button undone on your waistcoat to show you know what you’re doing. Make like Toni and add a little romance with accessories in soft shades and floral patterns, but stick to similar hues for a sharp finish.

DAPPER GENTLEMAN

As Toni says, “real men wear pink”. We agree and would like to add that any colour is yours for the picking – the key is to wear it with confidence. Burgundy and pink together are a bold move, but by keeping the accessories to a minimum and adding casual styling like an open collar, rolled-up sleeves and bare ankles with loafers, the overall effect is totally at ease.

BUSINESS SUIT

Blue suits mean business in more ways than one, but how do you stand out in a sea of similarly-hued suits? Toni’s take is to play with pattern and texture. Rather than sticking to the staple white shirt that most of your office will be wearing, he’s clashed a striped shirt with paisley accessories for extra texture and interest. Notice how they’re all blue? By sticking to similar shades he keeps things professional.

DINNER DATE

When you’re looking to impress you need to step up to the plate, but even if you’re going somewhere formal there’s still room to have fun with your look. Adding a bow tie takes Toni’s burgundy 3-piece into more sophisticated territory, while matching its shade to his suit and shoes makes a bold head-to-toe statement that’ll stand well apart from those who safely stick with black.

Think colour is only for the bold?

Sure – colour might be your surest route to stand out in a crowd, but it’s also surprisingly versatile. In fact, embracing colour might be the most sensible thing you can do this season, considering the mileage it’ll give your wardrobe.

For AW17, traditional tailoring gets propelled into today with fresh new hues and a flexible take on styling. From your working week, to kicking about on the weekend, to fixing up for a special occasion, the key is to make colour your own.

Rich colours look contemporary worn either head-to-toe or by splitting up the separates with a knitted layer or contrasting textures and accessories. Buy a colourful 3-piece and you’ll find you can easily break it into separates to wear with your other tailoring. Trust us: it’ll be the smoothest breakup you’ll ever have.

Here’s how you can do it:

BUILDING BLOCKS

Taking last season’s burgundy shade up a notch, this Moss suit comes in bold, brick red with subtle copper undertones. Cut from a durable wool-blend in our skinny fit, it’s tough enough to take on the daily grind, but equally special enough to wear to a wedding or out at night.

Dial it up for formal occasions with suitably polished accessories, or try breaking it up for more casual looks. The fabric’s matte texture means the trousers will look great worn solo with a knitted jumper and sneakers for more dressed-down work environments, while the waistcoat will work brilliantly to add a shot of colour layered under a trusted navy 2-piece suit.

ALL IN THE MIX

A lighter take on traditional tweed, this wool-rich Donegal suit is a more subtle way to weave a little colour into your wardrobe. Donegal fabric is characterised by its different coloured warps and wefts – in other words, during the weaving process, yarn in a variety of colours is used at random so, although it seems a solid shade from a distance, the result is actually a richly coloured cloth.

Though not as heavy as traditional tweeds, this Moss version is from made a thick yarn – weighing in at 420g – so it’s still a really warm option for when wintry weather kicks in. Sold as separates, it’s designed to be mixed into your existing wardrobe – try wearing the full 3-piece to the office and then breaking it up with a brightly patterned shirt or warm-toned knitwear for weekend-wear.

THE NEW BASIC

Striking the balance between on-trend and easy-to-wear, this camel Moss suit is cut in a skinny fit with added stretch, meaning more comfort and a better fit. If the thought of a skinny fit feeling restrictive has put you off wearing one before, this suit gives you the same streamlined look but with more flexibility.

Although it might look daunting to anyone who usually sticks to safer colours, this camel shade is actually just as wearable as a more typical grey. Offering a clean, modern look, camel pairs really well with black or navy, but is equally as great as a solid base to bolder colours and patterns.

We believe that caring about the details makes the difference between just turning up and being well turned-out. Case in point: a perfectly knotted tie.
In part two of this guest series, knot-tying experts Sophisticated Knots are on-hand to help you master the Prince Albert knot.

Now that you’ve got the Four in Hand knot all tied up, we’re back with a slightly more intricate version to take your tie-knotting game up a level. Although similar to the Four in Hand, the Prince Albert knot repeats the crossover step to give you an additional layer of texture. Here’s our guide to getting it right:

The Prince Albert knot pairs well with a solid coloured tie to draw focus to your knot, but it can also be paired with a patterned tie as a nice touch for special occasions. Patterned ties and the Prince Albert knot work great together for weddings or other occasions where you wish to add something different without outshining the host, groom or groomsmen. The second layer of your knot partnered with the patterned tie will add a stylish, subtle alteration visible to those close enough to notice the additional detail.

And remember – a ‘dimple’ in your tie will add a sophisticated final flourish. It’s easy: create the dimple by pinching your tie at the top and holding it in place while you tighten the knot.

We’d love to see your sophisticated knots – tag us on our social channels at the links below.

Sophisticated Knots was founded by Nathaniel Holder with a vision to provide a service of tying knots with a difference. He and his team offer tutorials and styling services to help individuals, groups and wedding parties tie unique knots that add a touch of flair to everyday wear, corporate events and special occasions. Find more tips and ideas for styling knots at sophisticatedknots.com or follow them on their social channels:

Instagram: @_S_Knots
Twitter: @_S_Knots
Facebook: Sophisticated Knots

The Absolute Suit Up

If the Suit Up revolution stands for anything, it’s for dressing sharply and making things happen.

So when we heard James Bond fan, Tom Wynn, call into Absolute Radio’s Bucket List series with a dream to suit up and drive a tank like his fictional hero, we knew we had to step up.

As Tom explained, “I’ve always wanted to drive a tank since watching Golden Eye, where James Bond smashes through the streets of St. Petersburg.” Except, where Pierce Brosnan’s Bond tanks around in a chase-scene of quite destructive proportions, Tom’s re-enactment sensibly smashes up a garden shed rather than any historical monuments.

And the suit that was up to the job? Our Performance suit, of course. With water resistance, crease recovery, a breathable lining and a touch of stretch, it’s the tech-packed suit to rival anything Q might come up with and just the thing for action-packed days.

SUIT UP LIKE BOND

Pack away your t-shirts. Shake the sand from, well, everywhere. The holidays are over and it’s time to get back to work. But don’t let the thought bring you down; take your chance to beat the back-to-work blues at their own game.

There’s no point trying to ease yourself back into the 9-5. You need to face it head on – suited up in fresh new tailoring, of course. It’s like that back-to-school feeling you had as a kid – only fewer pencil cases and more slick suiting to successfully transition from holiday-mode to back-in-business.

We all know a blue suit has its merits in the workplace; smart, adaptable and gets on with everyone, it’s like that colleague you can always depend on to have your back. But in the Suit Up revolution, the blue suit has stepped up its game. No longer a one-trick pony, blue tailoring in AW17 comes in every shade from sky-inspired to deep, dark navy, and in a range of textures and patterns.

Here are our picks to suit up and return to work in fighting form:

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Leading the new-blue brigade, this sky-blue suit takes on the all-important surface-texture trend. Light blue from a distance, its yarn is actually made up of different shades of blue which, combined with an up-sized weave, gives a visual and textural interest that takes it way beyond your regular blue suit’s reach.

CHANGE YOUR STRIPES

No longer reserved solely for City boys, the pinstripe suit is back and it means business. Twisting the traditional, this version earns its place in the Suit Up revolution with its reworked blue-on-blue stripes (rather than the classic white-on-navy). Matched with a structured full lining and an on-trend ticket pocket, it makes a commanding break from the norm.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Getting ahead at work often means doing things a little differently, and the check suit above takes its versatile blue hue to new depths by layering a modern black and camel grid over the top. A little daring and bound to get you noticed, but still absolutely wearable and surprisingly adaptable. Consider it your ultimate armour to fend off the back-to-work blues.

SHOP BACK-TO-WORK SUITS

How to look as sharp as your suit

When it comes to looking and feeling your best, what you wear is only part of the story.

Good news though, we’re not about to tell you that you need to start spending hours in the bathroom, or an arm and a leg on hundreds of different products. We’ve been chatting to the guys over at new male grooming brand grüum, who like to keep things simple. They believe that when it comes to looking after your face, it’s often the small things that make the biggest difference.

Whether you’re clean shaven, bearded or sporting stubble, here are grüum’s fuss-free grooming tips, so you can look as sharp as your suit.

CLEAN SHAVEN

When it comes to perfecting that smooth, clean-shaven look, the trick that a lot of guys miss is proper preparation. Steam is your friend when it comes to shaving (it opens your pores and softens the hair) so we’d always recommend a hot shower to kick things off.  Before you apply your shave gel, give your face a good scrub with a gentle exfoliating wash. This will help to bring any ingrown hairs out of hiding and diminish any friction so you’re less likely to cut yourself (tissue-paper-face is never a good look).

We can’t stress enough the importance of using a fresh sharp blade. No matter how well you do everything else, an old blunt blade just won’t cut it. If you’re a regular shaver, we’d recommend a fresh blade weekly, or if you don’t shave so often, fortnightly should be fine.

Don’t press down too hard when you shave; it won’t give you any closer a result, it’ll just upset your skin. Shave with the grain (the direction that your hair naturally grows) using short, light strokes.

Seal the deal with some decent post-shave care. One of our favourite (but little-known) products is post-shave tonic. Also known as toner, it’s used to close your pores and kill any bacteria left lingering on the skin after shaving. Finally, you’ll need to re-hydrate with a light moisturiser. Apply a thin layer all over your face and you’ll be good to go.

BOSS OF THE BEARD

There was a time when ‘suit’ and ‘beard’ would have been a very unlikely combo, but thankfully it’s 2017, and the world has pretty much come to terms with the fact that having a beard doesn’t mean you have to look like a hobo.

When it comes to beards, maintenance is key, so tidy things up with a beard trimmer once a week. Keep an eye on your neckline; you’ll want it low enough to avoid the dreaded ‘chinstrap’ (never a good look) but high enough that you don’t look like a werewolf. As a rule of thumb, place 2 fingers just above your Adam’s apple, and draw an imaginary line up to your ears. If you’re struggling, go and see your barber. Even if you don’t go regularly, at least you’ll know you’ve got a decent shape to follow.

Keep things clean and fresh by washing your beard with a gentle beard wash. Although you might be tempted to use your regular shampoo (hair is hair, right?), please don’t. The skin on your face is much more sensitive than your scalp, so a regular shampoo is likely to leave you feeling dry and irritated. Not ideal!

To give your beard some extra oomph (ideal for a special occasion) dry it with a hairdryer on a cool setting. Once you’re dry, give it a gentle run through with a beard brush or comb. This will help to tame any stubborn hairs, training them to sit in a downward direction.

It’s easy to go fall into an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach when it comes to the skin underneath your beard, but just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not important. Dry skin is one of the most common causes of beard itch, so keep things moisturised by massaging a few drops of beard oil right down onto the skin.

Give your beard some holding power by finishing off with a beard wax. Rub a small amount into your fingertips and style as desired.

SPORTING STUBBLE

Although the stubble look may appear effortless, unfortunately it’s not just a case of letting it grow and hoping for the best. When stubble is done right, you’ve got a perfect combination of rugged yet put-together, but get it wrong and you’re running the risk of looking like you’re in need of a decent night’s sleep.

When it comes to keeping your stubble in check, your trimmer will be your new best friend. Use something with different grading options, keeping it slightly longer on your cheeks and chin, but going shorter as you get below your jawline, gradually blending the hair down past your Adam’s apple.

To maintain the shape, apply a shave gel that isn’t too foamy so you can see what you’re doing (our clear danne shave gel is ideal for this), and carefully shave around the edges with a sharp razor. You want this to be neat, but try not to go too harsh with the line – ‘stencil stubble’ is never a good look!

Bright, healthy looking skin is the perfect accompaniment for pulling off stubble. We recommend using a daily gentle exfoliating wash to ditch dead skin cells. It’s also brilliant for getting rid of that annoying and all-too-common stubble itch. Next, give your face a quick spritz of facial tonic (toner) and give it a wipe with a cotton pad, focusing on your forehead and nose. Not only is this super refreshing (trust us), it also works to kill spot-causing bacteria, and prevents annoying shine cropping up throughout the day. Finish things off with a light moisturiser, and if your stubble is on the longer side, give it a quick run through with some beard oil.

Skincare a new ball game for you? Not a seasoned wet-shaver? Desperately trying to tame your whiskers to no avail? The guys at grüum have got loads more tips and advice available on their blog. Or give them a shout on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Their tailored grooming kits contain everything you need to take care of your face and if you take their 3-step survey, they’ll let you know which products are best for you and give you 50% off your first order.