Italy 2013: Travel/Fashion Essentials

Italy 2013: Travel/Fashion Essentials!

As many of my twitter/Instagram followers & friends may have seen me ranting on about how I was about to visit Italy for the first time ever! I’m just going to rant a lot more in a positive way! I explored so much fashion and culture in Italy, I’d be stupid not to let you all know what it was like. This blog post is about travel essentials, but for a fashion conscious man.

1) A great pair of walking shoes!

– I am not a fan of wearing for comfort, which was a BIG mistake as I did not realise how much walking I would have to do! So guys (& girls) please if you’re the type who likes to walk a lot, a good, solid pair of trainers (sneakers), pumps or plimsolls. If you prefer sandals, make sure you wear them beforehand to see if you can cope a day in them. Above is the pair of plimsolls I wore a majority of the time. They were soo comfy and durable. They also fit perfectly and were light and great to walk loads in.

2) Protect those eyes with some Shades!

– being from the UK, I don’t think I would have been able to survive my holiday without my sunglasses. I literally slept with them because I was so used to wearing them a majority of the time. I like a variety of different shapes and colour sunglasses, but I knew Italy was a very sophisticated place and I wanted to make a good impression. As much as I LOVE aviators (which look good on anybody), I wanted a quirkier pair which was also fun & sophisticated. I went with a pair of brown wayfarers. Above is the pair which I wore all the time, ultimately leaving me with a tan line over my eyes! Oops!

3) Straw hats ain’t for those in the Deep South anymore…

– if you’re travelling to a beach resort or a hike up a mountain this summer, a hat of any type is necessary. Although caps are perfectly fine, a more fashion forward statement is the straw hat which is very light and stylish all at the same time! I visited seriously hot places and I would not be able to have survived without it! I wore the hat in Rome, Pompeii, Naples and Capri. Above is how I wore it. Yet there are many ways you can wear it. I personally do not like looking like a tourist, there’s something so not appealing to how a majority dress, everyday you should try to dress good, especially when abroad!

These three essentials are a must-have for any guy/girl who are travelling this summer to any hot destination.

Other essentials include:

-Sun-Tan Lotion: be safe, and you don’t want to burn. This helped me a lot!

-Deodorant: you need to smell good as often as possible!

-Fragrance: You need to smell amazing on the outside also.

-Moisturiser: nobody wants dry skin on a summer holiday.

-Beard Trimmer: unless you want to keep a beard, it’s best to keep it short, keep this with you in your toiletries bag.

-Simple Accessories: a watch, bracelet, ring or necklace. Just to jazz things up.

-Invisible Socks: no, not stockings for men, they are socks which you can’t see when wearing with pumps to give an illusion that you’re not wearing any, when you are!

Where to purchase: –

Good shoes – ‘Next’ for £10 or any high street store you like.

Shades – ‘Urban Outfitters’ – £15. Cheap and long lasting!

Straw Hat – ‘Zara Man’ – £18, stylish and helpful!

Good quality deodorant and moisturiser from ‘Kiehls’

I wore ‘D&G: Light Blue’ fragrance – a classic.

Invisible Socks available at Mr Porter or Urban Outfitters.

Hope you’ve enjoyed a helpful guide for those of you travelling! – let me know where you’re heading for the holidays? Any more interest? Thanks!

Updated: Effortless Quiffs

Updated: Effortless Quiffs

I just recently got a haircut which I felt was perfect for this seasons upcoming spring hairstyle. This style is very much recommended to all males as it suits all ages. Previously I displayed a few images of what hairstyles are popular. Now, I’ll show you images of my hairstyle which is most surely my best hairstyle in a while!

(Below) is the Spring 2013 Effortless Quiff.

I really love this hairstyle and it is similarly reminiscent of Justin Timberlake’s recent ‘Suit&Tie’ hairstyle.

But I actually was inspired by this image, which I have previously shown. (Below)

This picture also inspired me to get highlights. I don’t like the idea of going for drastic changes, so I opted for a soft light brown scattered on the top of the head, whilst also encouraged to create a stand-out look by including light blonde highlights, which are very subtle, to avoid looking like Rogue in X-Men.

I think spring (hopefully) will be a positive bright season and you’ll be able to soak up some sun and show off some effortless Quiffs. Attempt to keep the top long, whilst trimming the sides short. Please make sure in order to achieve this hairstyle, do not create a short back of the hair, as it could come across as very bold and could be regrettable. Opt for a relaxed look. Blow drying after a shower, with slight product used to create a luxury texture will work wonders!

Thanks, let me know about your hair queries!

Rising Star Style: Alden Ehrenreich

I recently watched ‘Beautiful Creatures’ and I was amazed by the brilliant acting of newcomer Alden Ehrenreich. He recently wore an amazing suit at the LA premiere of ‘Beautiful Creatures’.

The suit is impeccably tailored to perfection and the colour of burgundy and a dark claret look amazing. The suit is by designer Albert Hammond Jr.

I love this suit. The colour is very on trend and the combination of the brown and burgundy tie and brogue combo create a laid back and suave look.
What do you think about this suit? Alden is for sure a new fashion icon and rising star.

Oscars 2013: Best Looks!

The Oscars 2013 Was an amazing event which saw the brilliant thriller Argo win for best picture produced by actors Ben Affleck and George Clooney and also Ang Lee won the best director nod for life of pi.

Hottest celebrity of the moment, Jennifer Lawrence achieved best actress at the very young age of 22, for her role as unstable Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook.

Daniel Day Lewis truly made history by being the first actor To win the best actor title three times making him the greatest actor of all time, his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln was awe-inspiring and perfect!

Anne Hathaway achieved the best supporting actress award for Les Miserables as a tragic Fantine whilst Christoph Waltz achieve the best supporting actor for the jangle and chain, where he thanked director and winner of the original screenplay Quentin Tarantino for his success.

Now let us look at the best outfits and fashion of last night!

Best Actress Winner: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Actor Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Supporting Actress Winner: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Best supporting actor winner: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Best picture winner: Ben Affleck with wife Jennifer Garner (Argo)

Best actor nominee: Bradley Cooper with his mother

Best Actor Nominee: Hugh Jackman with wife Deborah (Les Miserables)

Best Actress Nominee: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Presenter at Oscars: Charlize Theron

Presenter at the Oscars: Jennifer Aniston

Presenter at the Oscars: Eddie Redmayne

Presenter at the Oscars: Amanda Seyfried

Which of these looks do you love? Are you happy with the Oscar wins? Disagree? Let me know! More styles to come up.

Designers:

Jessica Chastain – Armani prive
Jennifer Lawrence – Dior Haute Couture
Jennifer Aniston – Valentino
Amanda Seyfried – Alexander McQueen
Eddie Redmayne – Alexander McQueen
Jennifer Garner – Gucci
Hugh Jackman – Tom Ford
Bradley Cooper – Tom ford
Daniel Day-Lewis – Domenico Vaccaand
Charlize Theron – Dior
Ben Affleck – Gucci

My Best Dressed Male: Daniel Day-Lewis – stunning Blue suit and stood out. Very well fitted also.

My best dressed Female: very hard decision but Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lawrence all looked stunning! Jessica Chastain stood out for me in her curve hugging dress!

Who were your faves?

Oscar Night: The Best Fashions

OSCAR NIGHT IS HERE!

Not only is the prestigious movie awards in a few hours, so I thought we could look at some of the best dressed actors and actresses of the past few years!

Jennifer Lawrence: A nominee tonight and a favourite to win at her first Oscars in 2011, where she dressed sexy and simplistic, looking effortlessly beautiful. Looking forward to what she will wear today?

Hugh Jackman: The always smartly-dressed Hugh hosted the Oscars in 2009. Hugh never fails to impress on the style stakes. He is a first-time Oscar nominee for best actor, so let us see what he wears this special day!

Jessica Chastain: Another female who is also battling favourite Jennifer Lawrence for best actress. She was nominated for the first time last year for best supporting actress in The Help. This actress never fails to stun fans and critics alike with her beautiful dresses and her trademark red locks.

Tom Ford: He is a well-known designer, yet he was nominated for best director for his directorial debut ‘A Single Man’. He has brilliant suits which many celebrities wear, and he always dresses perfectly.

Rooney Mara: She earned herself a nomination for her portrayal as androgynous ‘Lisbeth Salander’ in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. Her first Oscars allowed her to dress angelic, yet her editorial figure and look create an egdy style and a unique take on a simple white dress.

Many More Oscar styles to come soon, especially after tonight’s red carpet!!!

Eddie Redmayne: Young Fashion Icon

Eddie Redmayne: Young Fashion Icon

Eddie Redmayne: Star of Hit Musical adaptation, Les Miserables, has shown the world what awesome style he has. This guy has worn the best suits I have ever seen, which are always impeccably fitted and tailored to perfection. If I was to wear a smart suit, I’d look at Eddie for fashion inspiration. He loves to take a risk on the red carpet by changing the colours and materials of his suits. Always daring and statement suits are in order whenever Eddie Redmayne is there. Let’s look at his best suits!

1) Teal Velvet Suit

This suit is AMAZING! When I saw this beautiful Burberry Velvet suit worn at the Les Miserables UK premiere, I seriously could not believe my eyes. I have always been interested in velvet suits and I see them being this years biggest trend. The colour of this suit looks amazing and is very unique when photographed and it is perfectly tailored . Burberry is ideally the perfect designer for suits at the moment. This was custom made for Burberry spokesperson and model, Eddie. The brown brogues are a perfect when accompanying the suit and is cooler than the generic black.

2) Midnight Blue BAFTA suit

This suit was worn at the 2013 EE BAFTAs. This suit is not velvet but another daring statement suit as Eddie was the only one in a midnight blue suit. The blue bow tie looks good against the white shirt and black shoes suit the winter evening event. Similar cheap versions of this Burberry suit could be found at Reiss or Topman.

3) Royal Blue Redmayne

This Royal blue suit was worn by Eddie at the New York premiere is really slick. The check designed brown tie creates a casual style and the red pocket square creates a cool contrast. The charcoal black shoes are casual and could also be worn with a dark pair of jeans. But it creates a comfortable look.

4) SAG Awards Brown suit

This brown suit is great for a daytime event. I love the change with this suit and brown is a great colour against pale skin. This velvet Hugo Boss suit looks suave with the glossy black shoes. The sun makes the suit shimmer and stand out.

I love all 4 suits and cant decide which one I love the most. Which one of these suits is your favourite? Is he a fashion icon for the younger generation. Are velvet suits on trend? Let me know

Spring 2013 Hair Trend: Effortless Quiffs

Spring 2013 Hair Trend: Effortless Quiffs

Hairstyles are significantly important when you want to look and feel good. Here are some of the trendiest hairstyles also seen on GQ Australia.

The first is called ‘The James Franco’, obviously inspired by the terrific actor, and it also reminds me of James Dean, an actor who inspired Franco.

To achieve this look, aim to get sides shortened and keep the back a bit longer than the sides. Aim to gel the sides back for the classic look, for the top, aim to keep it longer and blow dry back. Then whilst blow-drying, rub gel into your hair and create the wavy texture. Also the use of hairspray will give that old Hollywood style and it’s done. This is really easy to do and very effortless, kinda like James Franco. (Look below to see how it should turn out)

Another trend is the short quiff, which is pretty similar to the one above. Here it’s more neatly done. To create the perfect quiff, use a comb to create partings whilst forming a quiff at the tip of the hair and push back. (Below) is how it should turn out. Using less gel or product here works better.

Quiffs are very on trend, if you’re wanting to create a more extreme quiff, grow the top longer in order to create a radical look. (Below) shows a highlighted quiff, Which is very effective. Soft highlights such as light tones, chocolate or honey tones create a cool look. Hairspray works well here, although textures wax can hold the hair upright.

So as you can see the traditional short back and sides works well. It is truly up to you to decide how long you want the top to be. If you do visit the barbers, be sure to take some images with you in order for them to get the closest possible. Having a short back and sides allows bed head to look good and you can literally walk out the house with a cool look. Highlights will look great especially in the spring.

This is how my hair looks after a fresh cut. I look at celebrity styles. So check online for people’s hairstyles you admire. Thanks!