Shopping for DB's and Turtle Necks

I recently got a bit told off by a friend of mine who said I don't always blog about the most affordable fashion. I will not disagree but, truth to be told, I started off Fashion, Frankly as a reflexion of my style aspirations. That being said, I will try to at least give you all a few more different price options from now on.
I have always been a huge fan of turtle-neck jumpers but up it hasn't been until recently that they have been rid of their stigma of being for the 'mature' thanks to the young stylish celebrities who have been wearing them. Guys like Zayn Malik, Oliver Cheshire or Jack Guinness have give back rollernecks their deserved spot in the evening-wear department. They have become quite the hit paired with double-chested blazers, which also help to add colour and sharper lines to the look. These below are some of my favourite options. And to kick off my new democratic fashion endeavour I have selected choices for every budget.

CASH

ASOS Slim-Fit Double-Chested Blazer £65

Uniqlo Turtle-Neck Cashmere Jumper £79.90

CHEQUE

Peter Werth Double-Chested Peak Jacket £179

John Smedley belvoir Turtle-Neck Merino Wool Jumper £130

LOAN

Michael Bastian Slim-Fit Double-Chested Wool Blazer £1,105

Exemplaire Cable Knit Cashmere Turtle-Neck Jumper £1,300

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Vivienne Westwood x Johnstons of Elgin

Courtesy of Johnstons of Elgin

I was recently introduced to Johnstons of Elgin, one of the best British manufactures of fine wools, cashmeres and tweeds since 1797 known for their quality and craftsmanship. They are also the only Scottish mill to take cashmere from fibre to fabric. For all this, they were granted the Royal Warrant by the Prince of Wales.
With this in mind it comes as no surprise that Vivienne Westwood chose them as part of their "Vivienne Westwood ♥’s" initiative, which celebrates the best of British craftsmanship and to spread the message of ‘Quality over Quantity, Buy less, Choose well, Make it last’.
As part of this celebration Westwood has collaborated with Johnstons of Elgin to create a capsule collection that brings together the designer's quirky approach to British design and the brand's excellent materials. The result are a beautiful range of beautiful tartan scarves and, my favourites, a diamond motif lounge trousers, a cardigan and a jumper (a twin-set of sorts). All of which are marked with a distinctive fun logo.
The pieces are all available from November exclusively at the Vivienne Westwood flagshipstore on Conduit Street and at VivienneWestwood.co.uk

The ASOS Crafted In Collection

This week ASOS is introducing 'Crafted In', a new range of tailoring, knitwear, denim, footwear and accessories created with premium materials. The brand has struck all the rights notes for FW13 with a strong feel of British heritage but also with a solid variety of contemporary silhouettes and shapes.
The tailoring seems to be the focal point of the collection and its most striking part with a mix of suits made from Italian wool and Harris Tweed, which is also present in some of the stunning outerwear such as the peacoats and the bomber jackets.
The cable knit pieces are all made from 100% British wool and include a selection of jumpers in burgundy, green, navy and cream, as well as scarves and beanie hats. All of which are a perfect addition to the tailoring.
Together with tailoring, footwear is my favourite part of the collection. The eight beautiful pieces created in Northampton, the heart of British shoemaking, cover all the essentials a stylish man should have in his wardrobe – a brogue, a double monk-strap, a Derby, a lace-up Derby boot and a Chelsea boot. The last two in a choice of smooth and grainy leather. The streamlined design of the classic styles and the pops of red make the shoes extremely relevant yet timeless.
And finally, if the above wasn't enough, 'Crafted In' also offers an array of denim made from Japanese selvedge and available in four indigo washes all with a straight fit.

'Crafted In' is a concise and subtle capsule collection perfectly suited for the needs of the modern stylish guy – and all for a very competitive price. Scroll down for a selection of my favourites from the 'Crafted In' collection.

Grainy Leather Derby Boots

Harris Tweed Peacoat

Harris Tweed Blazer and Harris Tweed Bomber Jacket.

Leather Chelsea Boots

Double-chested Italian suit

Leather Brogues, Grainy Leather Chelsea Boots, Leather Derby Boots, Leather Double Monk-Strap Shoes

Cable Knit Jumper

Courtesy of ASOS

Winter is Coming: MA.STRUM Officer's Coat

I am on a mission this season to find a new coat. Shearling jackets aside, I last bought a coat some two years ago – a classic streamlined A.P.C. navy wool coat, which is perfect for any occasion. For the last couple of weeks I've been checking out the offerings of some of my favourite retailers in London and also online. So far it has proven quite a challenge to find a good balance between style, quality and price. And that's exactly why I was so happy to find out about MA.STRUM's Officer Coat.
What makes this piece so great is that, as well as a stunning timeless style, the coat is very versatile. The double-breasted front offers the possibility of removing the military metal buttons and the same goes for the belt, which you can choose to add or not. So already you have some styling options with just the one piece. My favourite feature, the lambswool top collar, is also removable, which is great to add and remove the extra warmth. Also removable are the ID wearer's right epaulette and right collar, and the liner. It's all these functionalities and a waterproof wool and nylon blend fabric that make the Officer's Coat perfect for a mild and an intense winter.

Topping it all off, with MA.STRUM you have the assurance of buying a quality product. The company is the offspring of the Massimo Osti Studio, an Italian outerwear-maker pioneer in the field. Mr Osti started revolutionising the industry back in the 80's for renowned companies Stone Island and CP Company. He was also responsible for inventing the Rubber Flax and Rubber Wool, two of the first waterproof materials, and Thermojoint, a material not only resistant to water but also to up to 80% protection from nuclear radiation! Inspired by the Massimo Osti Studio, MA.STRUM creates these beautiful stylish pieces using high-tech fabrics and technology.

Patagonia Celebrates its 40th Anniversary with the Legacy Collection

Special Edition All-Wear Down Jacket

I love it when brands do something special with their products. The Legacy Collection, which Patagonia is launching this season to celebrate their 40th anniversary feels twice as special because firstly, the brand has been a pioneer in staying true to their high quality standards while reducing their environmental and social impact. And secondly, because for this new collection the brand has reproduced some of their best archive pieces in a modern way.
To help spread the message, Patagonia has put together a stunning and charming look book accompanied by a video. The first (see below) takes the shape of a visual diary of Trevor Gordon's 2,000-mile trip through the Rockies back to California. Foster Huntington captured his adventure for which Trevor wore a handful of pieces from the Legacy Collection – You can see my favourites below.
The video (see below, too) tells us a bit more about the collection, what's new and what they have brought back from the archive. Another beautiful view.

Special Edition Summit Pack

Diamond Quilt Snap-T Pullover

Special Edition Quilt Again Vest

Special Edition Mesclun Retro-X Jacket

Courtesy of Patagonia

Winter is Coming: Get Your Camo On with Tod's

This weekend I visited the Tod's store on Old Bond Street to pick up some goods for an exciting upcoming project with the brand. While I looked around the new season collection I spotted two new models from their signature gomini range. I instantly fell in love with the classic khaki camouflage model, which also comes in a combination of deep blues. I can't think of a better way to introduce the trendy pattern into a classic dressed-up outfit. The camo loafers are also perfect to upgrade a weekend look keeping it comfortable and cool yet relaxed.
They are available at Tod's stores and also at the brand's online shop here.

Winter is Coming: Shopping for the Best Burgundy Shoes

It has recently come to my attention that burgundy is the only (essential) colour without a presence in my shoe collection. This is obviously an issue that must be addressed as soon as possible, especially since the FW13 is upon us and a merlot-leather shoe is the best way to add a dash of season-appropriate colour to a winter outfit. I had a look around at my favourite online retailers to see what they had to offer and these are the ones that made it to the shortlist. Which one is your favourite?

1. Clarks Edward Limit Brogues, 2. Armando Cabral high-shine Derby Shoes, 3. H by Hudson Cornell Brogue Shoes, 4. KG Kurt Geiger Burnham Brogues, 5. Rolando Sturlini Leather Brogue Shoes, 6. Jil Sander patent-leather Derby Shoes, 7. ASOS Derby Shoes in Polido Leather, 8. Selected Homme Leather Desert Boots.

Céline FW13 Slip-Ons: Finally something we can wear

It isn't really a new thing (especially in fashion) for women to borrow styles and pieces from the men's wardrobe. This is, in fact, the base of styles such as the 'garçon look' and even of of the foundations of Coco Chanel's philosophy. Nowadays, women around the world have made theirs some our wardrobe staples disguising the theft calling our shirts oversized and our jeans 'boyfriend'. Some celebrities – see Tilda Swinton or Ciara – even borrow looks from the menswear collections to wear to events.
I have always found this terribly unfair because we have never been able to do the same to them. Womenswear silhouettes and fits make it pretty much impossible for us to steal anything without looking like hobos in drag. So this is a time to rejoice – for FW13 Céline has released, as part of their shoe collection, a line of slip on sneakers (a.k.a. designer Vans) that industry insiders have been sporting non-stop over the latest edition of the women's fashion week. And finally here is a piece that not only we can make ours but that a lot of us will simply want to buy.
My favourite pieces and the ones I think work best for men are the felt styles in grey and khaki, which are also perfect for winter. If you like a bit of a cool trend that passes as a bit of a bold print I recommend the checked style in silk, which you can match with your girldfriend's (if she can afford it) top. For the more daring and flamboyant, Céline also offers some styles in astrakhan calfskin, pony calfskin and ostrich.

Ed's Note: I hate to admit it, but it looks like Kanye West was onto something some two years ago...

Exclusive First Look at The Kooples FW13 Video Campaign

For the last few seasons, The Kooples produced some of the most striking ad campaign, which take over buses and black cabs in London bringing a bit of Parisian cool to our streets. This season, this mix of style Parisienne and Savile Row's tailoring precision is the inspiration for their latest FW13 collection.
Today at Fashion, Frankly you can have an exclusive first look at the brand's three campaign videos featuring the three couples of the season: Dan Single & Bambi Northwood-Blyth, A$AP Nast & Veneda Budny and Adam Holden & Alice Gomme. The super cool videos were shot by Raphaël Elicha (co-founder of The Kooples) at the beautiful  Hotel d'Evreaux in Place Vendôme.
Bonnie & Clyde inspired this campaign, which is accompanied by three exclusive music tracks by leading Parisiene electro pioneers Myd (Club Cheval), Maelstrom (Zone) and Soufien 3000 (A$AP Rocky) and Jeremy Chatelain (Oxmo Puccino). Each of the artists created these tracks especially and exclusively for The Kooples.

Scroll down to take the first look at each of the films. Once you get past the ridiculously good looks of the girls (Bambi!) you will add a bunch of pieces to your FW13 wish list!

Courtesy of The Kooples

FW13 Wishlist: Club Monaco Boiled Wool Bomber Jacket

As I mentioned previously, during my last visit to New York a couple of weeks ago I had the chance to do a bit of (window) shopping at some stores we don't have in the UK. One of these stops was at Club Monaco. I didn't used to think much of their clothes but after visiting their stores I couldn't have been more wrong. They have a great selection of classic and contemporary classics. Some of their key seasonal pieces have a real luxe feel to them, which makes them a bit higher priced than your average Zara item but also seems to be worth it.
One of such items was this Boiled Wool Bomber Jacket in burgundy and navy, which I tried at the store. It was incredibly lightweight, made with a very slim material, but really warm. The quilted detailing inside give it a sort of sportswear feel when it's on and it's one of those versatile pieces that can look very sporty worn with a t-shirt and jeans but also elevated when paired with a button-shirt, chinos and smart shoes.
I, of course, was dumb enough not to buy it thinking there might be a way of buying it later from the UK – which, guess what, there isn't.  And so, this makes my first FW13 Wishlist item this season.

Fashion Frankly, Club Monaco

Nicholas Kirkwood: The Footwear Addition to your FW13 Wardrobe

Last January, coveted shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood presented his first men's footwear collection during the second edition of London Collections: Men. For those eager to get a piece of his debut FW13 offering, a selection from this line is available as of today at MatchesFashion.com I personally love the lace-up shoes – both in the classic black, playing with texture, and the colour-block model in burgundy and black. There is something really simple, timeless about them and yet they have such a contemporary feel.

Must-Have Early Drops from the Clarks FW13 Collection

This week Clarks released a selection of their key FW13 pieces online and in stores. What all the pieces have in common is a sense of tradition, a Victorian influence that Clarks has translated into contemporary pieces to suit the lifestyle of the modern men – that's us!
Amongst the pieces that have dropped early I am most keen on the Darby Desert shoe – an adaptation from Nathan Clark's archive, which had been reinvented for SS13 and continues into the new season. I love the minimal brogue detailing, the contrast of texture and colour introduced by the smooth and grainy leather and the fringed tongue at the front. They're one of those pieces you can wear both with a suit as a statement as with jeans as a cool standout piece.
You can buy these styles here and here. And I also recommend you have a look at their Dorset Strap and the classic Edward Limit brogue.

3 Must-Have Jackets from the River Island Holiday 2013 Collection

Growing up as a kid in Spain, it was a great time because I knew I still had a month before school was due to start so I would get excited over the winter wear, which I've always liked much more than summer clothes. And even now when there is no 3-month holiday I find myself in the same situation looking at the FW13 collections thinking what I should (can) and shouldn't (can't) buy.
River Island has been stepping it up a lot over the past couple of seasons. I keep finding great pieces from them at ASOS and it's one of the few high street shops I don't mind having a look around. They have recently released their Holiday 2013 look book, which includes a lot of great pieces – especially outerwear and jackets.
You can see the entire collection over at Fashion, Frankly's Facebook page but these above are my favourites. First, the contrast biker jacket with leather sleeves – a brilliant choice for autumn to keep you warm and looking cool and also great to layer under a coat later in the season. Secondly, the double-chested overcoat – I love the shearling detail on the lapels and the contrast colour of the sleeves in beige. It's a classic remastered. And finally, the double-chested blazer in Prince of Wales check – I love these type of jackets styled just like in the picture, as a coat over a casual jumper.

FW13 Essentials from Tod's

I already posted about the Tod's FW13 collection after attending their beautiful presentation during the last Milan Fashion Week. And, after this new one, I am sure there are a few more coming because this is one of my favourite collections yet.
I was excited to see their new ready-to-wear looks, which keep getting better every season. No other brand has the skill to create the most stunning lightweight leathers and suedes without lacking comfort and practicality. They're pieces to have for a lifetime.
Also for FW13 I am coveting most of the footwear collection. From the classic suede Chelsea boots, to the cozy shearling-lined desert boots and my two favourites – the pony skin Chelsea boots and the brushed leather monk straps. Every single piece is a wardrobe staple of the highest quality.
I am almost equally crazy about their new line of work and travel bags, which have also been treated with their unique brushing technique to make the leather soft and flexible and give them a richer texture.
The collection is not dropping for a while yet – let's content ourselves with some of their SS13 hits – but be sure to keep an eye out for your favourites towards the end of the summer.

Courtesy of Tod's

Still thinking about... Prada FW13

The FW13 Prada advertising campaign, which was released earlier this week, reminded me of how much I liked the collection. Even though it is meant for the next cold season I find it to be very much adaptable to SS13 – if you take out the coats and wool jumpers you're left with punchy tailoring, classic shirts and a lot of character. My favourite touch form the collection was the slight stylish detail with half of the collar shirts popping out of the jumper as if they were school boys.

Check out the video above, which I made last January in Milan at the show.

Courtesy of Prada

Prada unveils their FW13 campaign featuring Ezra Miller, Ben Wishaw and Christoph Waltz

Just when you thought Prada had pretty much run out of cool male faces to star in their campaigns the brand unveils their FW13 advertising images featuring Ezra Miller, Ben Wishaw and Christoph Waltz.
The choice is simply spot-on as it covers the three main market age points and three different styles – from classic (a lot of what next season's Prada is all about), to a bit of sartorial quirk and down to the young and fearless.
The campaign translates perfectly Miuccia's inspiration form the New Wave cinema in the 60's captured by David Sims with the wonderful set design by OMA for Knoll we saw at the show back in January.
If there was ever a season to stock up your wardrobe with timeless Prada pieces this is it!

Courtesy of Prada

A Closer Look at Burberry Prorsum F/W13

Today Christopher Bailey presented his latest fashion offering for Burberry in London. Even though it was the womenswear collection, the designer likes to give a few tastes of the menswear collection showed earlier this year. If, like me, the Burberry show today left you wanting more this post should help.
Back in January I visited the Burberry showroom in Milan to have a closer look at the new FW13 collection, one of my favourites together with SS09 and FW10. Together with the classic but beautifully modern outerwear – always Burberry's best – the brand introduced a few new trends for the new season. At the top of my list are the heart-printed items, which are fun, young and cool – so much so in fact that Harry Styles was the lucky one to first sport one of the shirts in public. My personal favourites were the v-neck jumpers closely followed by the ties. I could buy the entire selection. Another highlight were the basic polo shirts spiced up by leopard-printed heart motifs (I need one!).
Slightly less wearable but equally cool were the translucent trench coats and macs, which I absolutely loved and actually thought quite practical as they are 100% waterproof and perfect for the London weather.

If you fancy it, you can watch the Burberry Prorsum FW13 womenswear show here and see some of my snaps of the show on my Instagram account.






The other big trend of the collection were animal prints, which I found quite unexpected at Burberry. Loud as they can be, Bailey managed to include them in a very timeless chic manner, which made even the fully printed pony skin jackets feel like classics. The dashes of leopard and cheetah also made an appearance on pointy lace-up shoes, shirts, ties (!) and the new range of Burberry bags.

Fashion, Frankly