Ruffians, Covent Garden

Luke was visiting Ruffians in Covent Garden for a spot of moustache maintenance. Normally however, you might find him at Ruffians in Edinburgh, where he studies social sciences. He wears Grenson brogue boots, scarf and trousers from Gap, and an ASOS jumper. He is reading The Enigma of Capital and the Crises of Capitalism by David Harvey.

'Tis the season for fashion blogging

Happy Christmas, you lovely lot. I'm sorry for not being a magnificent blogger lately (since Paris for that matter); I really haven't had much time for this little corner of the Internet. But fear not, Christmas is here! I know this time of year ought to be about taking a break, but I'm genuinely excited to have two weeks to concentrate on my blog. One of my new year resolutions will be to organise my time more efficiently, so I can fit my street style photography and personal style shoots around full-time work and maintaining a social life!

In the run up to Christmas, I have already had a few festive get-togethers with friends, before they left London for their families. It's sad to not have them around over the holidays, but I know we'll have plenty of fun things planned for the new year. Maddy, being my best friend and all, was exceptionally kind to me on the present front this year, having gifted me with a Noose & Monkey heart print shirt. It's a sign she knows me too well, as little did she know I had been eyeing up the very same shirt in Topman's Oxford Circus store. I'm already brainstorming a very special style feature for 2015, which you're going to love, love, love!

There shall be plenty more festivities today, when my sister and I visit our grandparents, however our main family Christmas isn't until the 28th December, when our stepsister and her fiancé come join us. Thankfully, I'm a patient man, so present opening can wait. Although I cannot deny the temptation of the post-Christmas sales, especially if there are any patterned jumpers on the half-price scene.

Great Marlborough Street, London

Bassem is an architectural assistant. Spotted outside the London Palladium, he wears Dr Martens shoes, H&M trousers, Zara shirt and coat, Topman sweatshirt and backpack, and a beanie from Beyond Retro down the road.

Coffee morning, Carnaby Street

Matt is a Fine Art foundation student at UAL. His hat is Christys', and his scarf and coat are from House of Fraser.

Shinola

My heart may well have skipped a beat when I happened upon the Shinola store on Newburgh Street. There, in the window of this quaint shop, was one of the most beautiful bicycles I had laid eyes on. And surrounding it, a collection of handsome watches and leather accessories in brown, orange and green. I knew I had found a brand I might just fall in love with.

Originating from Detroit, USA, Shinola maintains a distinctively American quality. The premium leathers come in simple yet strong colours, and the products appear meticulously crafted, albeit still with that raw element one often finds with leather goods. More obvious indicators are the leather baseballs and basketballs, leather sleeved varsity jackets, and not to mention the American flag neatly folded atop a shelf.

Although not a colour I normally take a fancying to, I was drawn to the orange leather in Shinola's collection for its bold and warming colour, especially in this wintry December. I took a particular shine to their iPad envelope - handcrafted, a classic design in supple leather, and quite simply a beautiful and practical accessory I am certain will look even better with age. (If only we all did!)

Ultimately however, my favourite colour is green, thus I also find myself leaning towards the Runwell watch with a green leather strap and black face. Recently listed by the Telegraph as one of the top 20 affordable watches to wear this season, it really is a fine timepiece. As are all the Shinola watches, I might add. Would it be too hopeful to expect one in my Christmas stocking? 

 

13 Newburgh Street, London, W1F 7RS (next to Carnaby Street) - or see the collection at: www.shinola.co.uk

Gin up!

Someone was doing their homework properly when I was invited to a gin distillery with Virgin Experience Days. A comprehensive tour complete with tastings - how could I say no to such a tantalising offer? Neither could my friends and self-proclaimed gin fiends, Maddy and Georgia, who I nominated to join me on this special trip into East London. Christmas had most definitely come early.

East London Liquor Company certainly put the "gin" into a Virgin Experience Day (sorry, that was dreadful) by guiding liquor-lovers around their distillery, set in an old glue factory at Bow Wharf. The tour, led by founder and all-round spirit connoisseur Alex Wolport, took us through the distilling process, to bottling and labelling, and finally onto tasting the company's creations in a beautifully rustic bar, which, alongside the distillery's bottle shop, offers a choice of fine spirits from around the world. I thought it charming to meet somebody as greatly passionate as they are knowledgeable about their craft, and the finished products reflect as such.

For an afternoon in East London, it was a gin-lover's dream - although sipping neat gins at room temperature came with some reluctance, it has to be said! (Especially when Maddy went to compare a taster of Tanqueray No.10, and... well, her face says it all.) As the sky darkened outside and the tour came to an end, Maddy, Georgia and I grabbed the tonic and stayed on for a round of drinks. It was delightfully intimate sipping on delicious G&Ts and wearing our cosiest Christmas jumpers.

Topman Christmas Wishlist

Blame it on too many Doctor Who Christmas Day specials, but Victorian London always conjures up images of the quintessential Christmas. So where better to shoot a Christmas collaboration with Topman than a beautiful nineteenth century neighbourhood? The addition of television aerials, block paving and a basketball hoop brings us forward to the present day, yet I still feel as though I have stumbled back in time, surrounded by these quaint cottages with handsome brickwork and painted front doors.

To mark the season's festivities, Topman has enlisted four menswear bloggers to create the "ultimate Christmas wishlist", and I am very pleased to say I was selected as one of said bloggers. The four of us having each chosen five must-have items from the website, the folks at Topman have drawn up a special feature to see you through winter in style. What's more, they are offering you lovely lot the chance to win my favourite piece from the AW14 collection, details for which you can find at the end of this blog post.

My must-have items for the Christmas season are very much practical choices: a warm winter coat, a colourful Christmas jumper (see it in my next blog post!), a snug roll-neck jumper, a cosy bobble hat, and the ever-versatile plain white shirt. The coat was naturally my number one item on my wishlist, a smart cut in navy herringbone and white fleck, almost as if I have already had a light dusting of snow. For my shoot, I have styled the coat with black Levi's jeans, my favourite Cuban heel boots by Jeffery West, and the softest cashmere scarf from Topman's older brother, Burton, which barely leaves my neck when I leave the house. You can preview all of mine and my fellow bloggers' must-have items by visiting the Topman website.

For my first ever giveaway, Topman is offering one lucky reader their very own Premium winter coat. To be in the chance of winning this wonderfully warm prize, all you need is to read the Bloggers' Christmas Hit List, then answer the following question: "Which Christmas movie taught me that roll-neck jumpers are the bee's knees?" The competition closes at 11:59pm on Friday 12th December, so get your entries in quick. Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winter warmers, London Waterloo

Quilted

I had rather hoped the first day of December would grace us with a beautiful blue-sky morning, followed by plenty of winter sunshine. Who was I kidding? But now everyone is officially (hopefully) in the Xmas mood, the British weather shall find it hard to put a downer on my spirits, even more so when I am wrapped up in cosy Barbour goodies and watching my cats pounce on the oak leaves in the back garden.

Barbour Liddesdale quilted jacket & Barbour lambswool scarf c/o Repertoire Fashion

Quilted jackets are iconic to the Barbour brand, and the Liddesdale is considered an all-time favourite - warm yet lightweight, and featuring a contrasting corduroy collar. Though I normally prefer slim-fit jackets, the Liddesdale provides room for those all-important extra layers (such as my many, many patterned jumpers). Here, I am also wearing a Barbour lambswool scarf in colourful houndstooth pattern, breaking up the black of my overall outfit.

If you too would like to bag a Barbour jacket in time for Xmas, you can claim 10% off all orders over £100 at Repertoire Fashion. Simply enter "JK10" at the checkout.

Columbia Road, London

Lucy, a lawyer, wears Russell & Bromley patent loafers, a Zara skirt, bag and cardigan from charity shops, tartan scarf from Accessorize, and Prada sunglasses.

Lewis, The Old Truman Brewery

Lewis, represented by D1 Models, spotted in Ely's Yard on a sunny autumn evening. He wears an H&M bomber jacket, American Apparel t-shirt and trousers, and New Balance trainers.

Burberry on a budget

ZARA TRENCH COAT / ASOS SHIRT & TROUSERS / TOPMAN SHOES / NEXT TIE

How to recreate the Burberry Xmas advert on a budget...

1) Don't hire Romeo Beckham. If £45,000 sounds a little steep for pocket money, give your neighbour's kid a fiver and a can of Red Bull, and he might just turn the Macarena into some crazy street dancing. (Children these days still know the Macarena, right?)

2) Don't bother paying for a professional set. Wherever you're based, you can reproduce the true atmosphere of London by prancing about merrily in the pouring rain, thus drawing bewildered and disapproving glances from passers-by.

3) Don't wear Burberry. That isn't to say I wouldn't love to be sporting the real deal, but as I was discussing with Tazz only the other day, a classic Burberry trench coat costs more than return flights to New York! So until such a time when a beautiful coat doesn't swallow almost an entire month's wages, I think I'll keep to substantially thriftier alternatives, namely a Zara trench coat I bought myself nearly three years ago.

Seeing red, Rivington Street

Rosie, a primary school teacher, wears a Zara coat, H&M scarf, Longchamp bag, and an Alex and Ani bracelet.

Sunday brunch with Montague Burton

A street corner cafe on City Road set the scene for the most well-dressed brunch I have yet attended. To mark the launch of Burton Menswear's rebrand to Montague Burton, in commemoration to its founder, the company invited an ensemble of individuals, including actors, bloggers, writers, models and musicians, to join them for a traditional Sunday brunch. Despite many of them having had a generous night out at Annabel's the previous evening, everyone looked remarkably fresh and sharp, albeit eager to tuck into a wholesome cooked breakfast.

Upon entering the bright cafe, I saw the tables were laid with more than cutlery and condiments. Patterned ties, bags of sweets, copies of the Sunday Times, and tartan cashmere scarves were welcome gifts to the lucky guests. The menu was delightfully appetising, from which I naturally chose "The Full Monty" - bacon, sausage, tomato, baked beans, mushroom, eggs, toast, and the best black pudding I have ever tasted. If there is one thing I love more than filling my wardrobe with countless clothes, it is filling my tummy with fantastic food.

Shoreditch High Street, London

Vespa, Columbia Road

Blogiversary

Happy blogiversary to me. Here's to another year of endless press e-mails, countless photos, and the occasional party. And how am I spending this very special day? In the most fitting way I know how - editing photos in Adobe Lightroom until my eyes turn square.

As if I've been blogging for four years! In that space of time, Maddy has maintained the very same fringe she had in my first blog post, however my confidence and photography have improved in leaps and bounds. These past twelve months were especially fun, having been shortlisted for the Company Style Blogger Awards, attended Paris Fashion Week for the first time, found my perfect barbers (yes, my hair is that important), and finally realised I needn't stress so much over page views or how often I blog.

So what to expect from my fifth year of blogging adventures? As far as fashion month goes, I want to embrace the international circuit - I will be visiting Paris twice more, and hopefully New York in September. I also want to feature a lot more of me on this here blog, since you lovely people appear to find my sense of style weirdly interesting. (Any excuse to buy more snazzy jumpers is fine by me.) But my most ambitious goal this year is to produce a YouTube series. I shan't give away too many details at this time, but I'm now obliged to turn this little dream into a virtual reality.

As always, thank you for your continual support.

Chris Millington, Somerset House

I have serious beard envy. Model and menswear blogger Chris Millington on the final evening of London Fashion Week.

Feathers 40th birthday

I'm going to be dreadfully honest. When I receive an invitation to a fancy press party, my eyes linger far too long on the words "complimentary cocktails", before sending my RSVP. As a thrifty graduate, it's hard to turn down a free party. Of course, I do enjoy attending these events for the fashion too, but who doesn't love a shindig? (Even if I'm the only one doing any actual shindigging.)

Feathers 40th birthday celebration was no exception. Their Knightsbridge boutique, kitted out with a pop-up bar and DJ booth, was buzzing with fashionable folk. As dressed up as Tazz and I were, it did feel slightly intimidating mingling with people who looked like they could actually afford the designer garments hung up around the store. It will be a very long time before either of us can swap our ASOS and Zara jackets for Moschino or McQueen - probably when Feathers celebrate a further forty years. In the meantime, how about a Martini?