For The Love of Clarks Originals

I have got to admit it was only a couple of years ago that I finally started to get into Clarks shoes, I think there were too many bad memories of 'school-shoes' blocking my mind.

However, I really wanted to get the Clarks Orignals desert London in cola and since then my love/appreciation keeps on growing.

Here are three of my current favorites;

Clarks Originals Desert London 

Clarks Originals X Beans Desert Trek Hi

Clarks Originals Trigenic Flex Camel

The Perfect Parka

As the nights draw in and the daily walk to the train station bites with the cold - the focus turns onto jackets.

In the cold and damp of the north west nothing quite compares to the joy of a Parka!

From childhood memories of walking to school with your snorkel up to adult dreams of climbing Everest. It is am item of clothing that can evoke so many emotions.

So here are four of the best at every price point.

The Nigel Cabourn Antarctic Parka in Vinateg Orange

Woolrich Luxury Arctic Parka

Penfield Hoosac Hooded Down Mountain Parka

Uniqulo MEN Ultra Warm Down Coat 

Sometimes Simple Is Just Beautiful

A lot of the time people obsess over the latest trend or over the complexity of product design.

But quite often keeping it simple is the best option.

A pair of Bass Weejuns, selvedge jeans and an Oxford shirt is just an amazing look.

When it comes to simplicity, Ivy tends to be the best source of inspiration.

And you does this the best?

Well it is the Japanese, quite obvious for a look born in America.

They obsessed, copied and then refined the look to perfection.

It is probably the best way of creating your own personal style, look around, copy what you like and then make it your own.

When it comes to simple and beautiful clothes, it is difficult to get much better than Uniqulo.

Simple, beautiful, perfection!

Lovely Penfield Down Jackets

Now I first fell in love with down jackets in the late 80s and early 90s with the brilliant Tog's Unlimited jackets from Chevignon.

Since then styles have changed but personally I still love the classic down jackets over the modern shiny look that a lot of people are wearing.

So this AW I am investing in some Penfield (I already have a vest) but I have really fallen for the hooded bowerbridge jacket.

I Got Myself A New Bag

I am a big fan of bags and with all the travelling around I have done with work over the years I have been constantly on the hunt for 'the perfect' work bag.

Last year I decided the try the Fjallraven Kanken and I have been in love with them ever since.

So yesterday I treated myself to a new one from the good people at Terraces in Stafford, a great shop and they really look after you.

Now the Re-Kanken is made from 100% recycled material and is designed to have as little environment impact as possible.

If you are really interested here is a video with the designer talking about the process.

adidas NMD R1

On a recent trip to London I popped into Foot Locket and I have got to admit I have slightly fallen for the adidas NMD R1 in onix-bold and onix-core black.

Denim Jackets

I love denim - jeans, shirts and a decent jacket is always worth investing in.

This sonny blue friend denim from Nudie Jeans is outstanding but if your budget does not quite reach that far the Uniqlo one below is outstanding.

An Autumnal Outfit

The fashion industry is always out of step and as we are thinking about our hols the shops are landing loads of lovely Autumn collections.

I rather like the look of this outfit!


The Coat

I do love Rains jackets and this smoke parka from Oi Polloi is just lovely.


The Shirt

You have shirts and then you have the Ralph Lauren white button down Oxford.


The Body Warmer 

Uniqulo ultra light down is just amazing and this black vest is in my sights.


New Jeans

I always invest in a new pair of jeans when the season changes and these Steady Eddie Nudie dry selvage will just get better with age.


Some Shoes

 
















When I say 'some shoes' i am actually talking about Paraboot Michael's!

Summer/ Autumn Product

So as we start to transfer between the seasons I have made a few small changes to the product I am buying.

Aesop Marraketch Aftershave 

I do love my aftershave and I try to keep things fresh every couple of months and I am loving this Aesop Marrakech Intense from End Clothing.


American Crew Forming Cream 

It is always worth while changing your hair product on a regular basis, I think it helps to not rely on one product/look for too long and this American Crew forming cream is brilliant and they stock it at my local HQ's Barbershop.

Kiehl's Facial Fuel 

Everyone should use a good moisturizer and the Kiehl's heavy lifting facial fuel is top stuff.

When It Is All About Polo Ponies, Crocodiles and Laurel Wreaths

I have got to admit I can have mixed feeling towards Polo shirts - they can go from being funky, bright and interesting to representing everything I hate about boring menswear.

When it comes to buying them there are three classics you can't shy away from.

The Ralph Lauren Polo 

Ralph Lauren is a man who consistently get's the Ivy look spot on and his Polo's are some of the best and this custom fit dark indigo one from Oi Polloi is lovely.

The Original Lacoste

The Lacoste polo is the original and still one of the best and this big fit takes you back to a more classic look over the slim fitting focus we have seen in recent years.

Fred Perry Collaborations

I do love the Fred Perry collaborations and the current one with Nigel Cabourn is outstanding, I am actually wearing one at the moment.

British Summer Time

Finally we have some sun!

I love the sun, the warmth and being outside but unfortunately the British don't really dress well when the heat hits.

So here are a few things I like to wear.

Plain Oxford Shirts

These always look good and are perfect for the summer, I am a big fan of the plain white slim fit Oxford from Uniqulo - a great fit and they look amazing. 

Ralph Lauren Tailored Shorts 

Shorts can be a very difficult thing to get right, it is so easy to look like an overgrown child, but I really don't think you can go wrong with a pair of Ralph Lauren slim fit chino shorts. 

Ray Ban Caravan Sunglasses 

A lovely alternative to the classic aviator the Ray Ban caravan is a classic that will serve you well for years. 

Some Classic Trainers

I really hate sandals and flip-flops at work and often shoes can be a little bit heavy so personally i love classic trainers and the Nike Roshe Tiempo are perfect. 

A Proper Barber

Barber's don't always hold good memories for me - painful experiences as a child with some shocking results.

My nickname was Punk Baby!

Over the years I have worked with loads of people and had a mixture of good and bad results - for the last few years I have not been consistently happy.

So I had been looking for a new place for quite some time and had some shocking experiences along the way.

I have finally found a place I am happy with - HQ Barbershop in Longton and I have been going for coming up to a year.

I have been keeping things clean and in place using a mixture of Layrite pomade, Fudge cool mint shampoo and TIGI peppermint conditioner. 

The combination of a good Barber and product does make life a lot easier - low maintenance and a look that I am comfortable with. 

So I can personally recommend Nathan and the lads at HQ's ... and this is not something I normally do on this blog! 

It Has Been A Rather Long Time ...

I can't really say why I stopped blogging - personal stuff, nothing to say, life stuff getting in the way and probably a whole host of other reasons.

It is probably fair to say that I have been ready on many occasions to finally put Terrace Gent to bed.

However, I have decided to start doing a weekly blog again - talking about clothes, culture and any other things that I am currently finding interesting.

So today I am starting with a few of my favorite things I have been wearing over the last year :-)

NikeLab Roshe Daybreak x Fragment Design

It is probably fair to say that I was not really aware of Hiroshi Fujiwara's influence on modern design until relatively recently when I read a book about his life and creative output.  Not all of it is my bag but I have really fallen in love with these trainers. 

RAINS Jackets 

Everyone who knows me understands that I have a deep love of outerwear - if is probably an obsession.  My love for the RAINS jackets is one that comes down to practicality as I travel around a lot and need something that looks good, is light & easy to wear - affordable and really worth investing in. 

UNIQLO 

I love UNIQLO for many reasons - great design, fabrics, the price, the service and doing Ivy better than the Americans.  I really love UNIQLO jeans and the skinny stretch selvedge are made of the most beautiful denim.  

Timex Originals Camper 

Watches have been an obsession my whole life but about five years ago I started to move away from price/value as a judgement.  Since then I have invested in all sorts of timepieces but the Timex Camper is my favorite at the moment - great design, easy to wear and very reliable. 

Fjallraven Kanken 

Such a simple piece of design and at the same time wonderful rucksack that is a pleasure to walk around with.  I believe it was designed to help school kids avoid back problems - for me travelling around this is the ultimate partner in crime.