Tis the Season to be Festiv-al

The festival season has arrived, and what a bloody sigh of relief, finally something to get your ears ringing, feet tapping and your heads banging! This weekend kicked off the festival summer with Hackney Weekend and Isle of Wight Festival, along with Love Box and I could go on... Now the bands are lined up, the tickets are bought, mum has pulled out the wellies, you're spending your evening duck-tapping your tent back together after the carnage of last year. But wait, what are you going to take with you, with so little space in between the tins of cooked breakfast, bottles of fosters and sun lotion your mum has made you promise to take. How to pack proficiently? Here's an idea...

Start off basic, shorts, vest and denim shirt, adding a bit of fashion know how with accessories can make or break a basic outfit, and where better to try out new things than at a festival, where if u do go wrong, its not like you know half the people there! 

Casio watches are the best buy right now, great with wear and tear, water-proof and timeless for everyday use.

Festival footwear will always be a challenge, take two options, a hightop trainer is bang on this year, make it cream, beige or camel, or "cream" as most men know any shade of this to be. It will attract the dirt like Heat Magazine, but show off your "i dont care i'm at a festival" side! 

Sunglasses are always a must at a festival, even if the sun isn't shinning, you will need them for your hungover eyes from friday morning onwards. Go for a straight top, tortoise shell, something cheap and cheerful, chances are your mate might sit on them. 

And a top-tip for festival packing, ROLL your clothes up, this saves space and puts security off checking all of your bag, i got 2 full bottles of vodka in this way!!!

***disclaimer, i have never, nor will i ever, try to sneak glass bottles into a festival***

Suits You Sir!!!

So, blogger have changed everything around, I am a big fan of change though, it has given me the inspiration to create my first menswear blog. Quite frankly, its about time too! So my original blog, a la mode, has birthed this little gem, male a mode. (and i'm sure that doesn't translate properly, but quite frankly i dont mind)

Round one! ding ding!

A big trend for the next 12 months will be tailoring. I'm not suggesting you get yourself down to Saville Row any time soon, or even Moss Bros, by tailoring, i mean attention to detail, structure, bold colours and a new fit of suiting!

I'll get cracking with the fit, we have seen the traditional fit, and in comparison to the modern suit, its quite baggy, even outdated -dare i say!- oh and then we have the supper skinny, watch out testicles, its almost body paint skinny fit suit. I cannot say I am a fan of either, but being a woman I'm not sure where I can rank myself for opinion. This new fit, narrow, with breathing room, or about-bloody-time-they-made-a-suit-like-this-fit as i'm going to call it, quite catchy right? Will allow for the modern male to work, dine, party, be a dad, be a husband, and most importantly be a man in a dapper suit. 

I am picking a lot of inspiration from the new bond film that is due for release on the next few months. Skyfall (pretty awful name right?) is daring to take suiting to the next level, with an almost crease proof fabric (i daren't say that Bond would be able to leave a suit un-creased!) tones and hues of grey, midnight blue and black, 'cause where would we be without black!? 

But you don't wear a suit? oh no, well fortunately for you mister, the tailoring trend is seeming through to the mainstream. what? you say, thats right, even a jeans, tee-shirt and jacket man can work this trend! Jean fits stem from a want to create something wearable, durable, and practical, and this suit fit allows for it. Tailoring you look is easy, firmer neck lines on tee-shirts, a new breed of shirt-jacket, wear it either way, it has a firm structure without shoulder pads (horay!) and makes the less 'built' man look like Arnie! (no promise folks sorry)

Outerwear, I know how you men like your coats and jackets, this (and next more importantly) season see's a lengthening in the classic Mac and wrap coats, hitting the knee is something the Mac has always done, but this is going to be taken on by other coats and outerwear. Invest in length, but remember folks, its not the size but how you use it that matters, wear it with narrow jeans, polished brogues or loafers and a crisp white shirt. Don Draper eat your heart out.

Finally colour. This is my personal favourite part of trend prediction, it can be used on any garment and then you don't need to worry about the garment themselves, its so easy a man could do it! Charcoal greys, midnight blue, rustic red, shaded bottle green and teal are hot right now in predictions for next season, invest!!!!

[All images taken from Asos.com and Skyfall website]

Male A Mode: Knitty Gritty Menswear

This season, knits are making a big impact, I know it is still summer (well the British equivalent to summer at least) but buying products out of season saves money, and time, I know those pesky male shoppers like saving money and time when shopping, so perk those ears fellas!

This piece is from Missoni's A/W 12/13 collection, and yes, i am demonstrating that cardigan do not always have rocking chair, slippers and a "nice brew" associations. Opt for simple colours when wearing textured pieces, you know that supposed rule girls go by, with the legs or cleavage out? well it applies to menswear, texture or colour, put them together and you look like a clothing skank, excuse my french.

Great news for your inner geek too, consol graphic prints are making a comeback Mr Pac-Man himself would be jealous of, indulge in bold fonts, attention to detail, but don't forget your loyality to the good ol' super hero tee-shirt (warning, mixing both may result in social isolation).

 

Looking for a source of cultured inspiration?

> Somers Town, the undisclosed second instalment of This Is England, filmed in black and white the picture sets out the discover the untold story of youth in London, how cultures are clashing and more importantly, how wearing the wrong footie top in the wrong area of town can be a bigger faux-pa than socks and sandals!

plus Somers Town is currently on BBC i-player, no excuses folks!

> Alabama Shakes, this band is a new sound for this era, unfortunately I cannot see them getting onto radio1 any time soon, rough and ready sounds, and they recorded the entire album in a garage! wicked!

> ALT-J like a good synth? 'nuff said really right? album is out now, and they will be supporting Temper Trap at Somerset house later in the year.

[Images via Google & WGSN]