Get the Saint Laurent Floral Shirt Look for Less at Uniqlo

After years of just being something that your middle-aged uncle from Miami would wear short-sleeve floral-printed shirts became a big thing last summer. I posted some of my favourite styles about a year ago on the blog prompted by the success of the ubiquitous Saint Laurent floral shirt. I found myself quite into the idea of including it in my wardrobe but at over £500 a pop it didn't seem like the wisest choice.
Despite it being quite a trendy piece that you might get tired of quickly it can easily become that summer staple piece you throw on with a pair of jeans and a cool pair of sneakers to really stand out. Luckily, the way fashion works means such super trendy pieces will inevitably trickle down to high street shops for us mortals to have a chance at trying them out. And that's exactly what has happened. Uniqlo recently launched a mini collection of floral shirts so evidently inspired by Saint Laurent's styles that you might just think you're wearing the real deal – and it will only set you back £19.90 so you can have more than one style to vary.

You can shop the red style here and the black version here.

The Best 8 Printed Shirts to Wear this Summer

1. Gitman Bros. Vintage Chiquita shirt, 2. Saint Laurent printed silk shirt, 3. Carhartt Cayman shirt,

4. Gitman Bros. Vintage Bahia Shirt, 5. AMI botanial-print shirt, 6. Officine Generale plaid shirt,

7. Sandro printed shirt, 8. NN.07 Derek shirt.

Even though we don't seem to be enjoying much of a spring – in London anyway – I have a feeling that summer is creeping up on us and trying to catch us off guard... I am not the greatest fan of summer wear for men because it leaves very little room to change things up day to day. Luckily, the last couple of seasons have seen the rise of the short-sleeved shirt, which has come back to be cool. Particularly this season, they come in all colours, collar styles and prints. And it's the latter than I am crazy about. A shirt always looks better than a tee or a polo and when they're as fun as these, they become the perfect addition to classic denim shorts. You can easily dress them up or down and they guarantee a lack of boredom in your summer wardrobe. These above, are my favourite 8 picks.

The Top 5 Best Dressed Gents at the 71st Golden Globe Awards

I am a big fan of award ceremonies but I am even more keen when they celebrate TV and cinema as they are two of my other passions. Such was the occasion at last night's at 71st edition of the Golden Globes, which I live tweeted through the night.
Award-wise, I was really pleased with most the recipients of the Globes – perhaps only Best Drama could have gone to a different film. Only two of the winners, however, have made it onto this year's best dressed list.
In 5th place, Orlando Bloom in a midnight blue Lanvin number. I give him kudos for not choosing black and for opting for a skinny shawl collar jacket with an unconventional fastening. However, his shirt sleeves should have been altered and, c'mon, Legolas would never wear his hair so messy.
With a fit to perfection Ermenegildo Zegna tux Chris Pine gets 4th place. Only a slightly less traditional choice of tailoring and better grooming (shave your neck, man) would've rated him higher.
Winner of Best Actor in a Drama for 'Dallas Buyers Club', Matthew McConaughey found the perfect balance between classic and fashionable in a three-piece Dolce & Gabbana suit in emerald-green with contrasting lapels.
Almost at the top (believe me, I considered it at length) is Jared Leto, who also won an award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. Giving everyone much to talk about with his 'man bun', Leto looked really sophisticated in a slim Saint Laurent tuxedo accessorised with a silk scarf and his spotless beard.
Who else but Bradley Cooper could be number one? Ever since he cut his hair the actor seems to be on a fashion roll. This classic and epically well cut Tom Ford tux is one of those things only a tall broad-shouldered man can pull off and, since it can't be me, I am glad it's Bradley.

Getty

I'm not Frank vs. Harry Styles: The Suede Bomber Jacket

I have always been a big fan of Harry Styles – Harry's Style? – so this isn't so much a face-off as it is a celebration of our shared good taste. You might remember I first blogged about my suede bomber jacket from Marc by Marc Jacobs back in January when I bought it from Mr Porter. It was, by a mile, the best buy of the season but because I got it sort of late in the winter I didn't get to wear it much. That is something I am making up for this time around. Not only it's a cool classic piece but it's also a bit of a statement and extremely warm – I'm not the kind to sacrifice body-temperature for fashion.
Harry was first spotted in his a week or two ago and he's since made it a wardrobe staple of his worn with his also signature skinny black jeans and Chelsea boots, which is oddly how I often wear mine. He also wore it last week for his latest appearance with One Direction in Good Morning America. His personal choice was this Saint Laurent version, which has a slightly aged-effect suede, darker knit cuffs and hem trim and tougher shearling detailing. It also doesn't feature the knit side panels from mine or the shearling lining inside. It suits him better because he's more rock and roll.

UPDATE: I wrote this post before the British Fashion Awards took place so now that Harry has won the British Style Award, I deserve a bit of recognition for my similar good taste, no?

Fashion Frankly, Getty

Best Dressed at the British Fashion Awards 2013: Oliver Cheshire, Harry Styles & Tinie Tempah

Getty / Courtesy of Burberry

Last night, the best of the best form British Fashion donned their Sunday best to attend this year's edition of the British Fashion Awards. I was very happy to find out that some of my favourites – Burberry, Christopher Bailey, Agi & Sam, JW Anderson, had won very well-derserved awards.
To me, these type of fashion events are the perfect occasions to fashion fans and insiders to be have a bit more fun but perhaps because we're in December and it's freezing in London no one was too in the mood for this. My favourite looks of the evening were as follows.
Oliver Cheshire, a fashion scene regular, went for a shawl collar tuxedo jacket, which looked very interesting with the angular lines of his waistcoat – all by Marks & Spencer. The proportions were perfect and the hair, as usual, very cool. Harry Styles, who won British Style Icon, looked like a rockstar in a head-to-toe Saint Laurent look with a bit of sheer action happening on the shirt. It's a look we've seen before, especially on him, but it works so why not? Tinie Tempah is always one of my favourites any any kind of event. This time, the rapper wore a charcoal velvet jacket with slightly cropped black trousers and a classic b&w combination of shirt and bow tie, all by Burberry. He finished off the look with a pair of patent leather Jimmy Choo 'Mayfair' Derby shoes.

Most Stylish of the Week: A Whole lot of Great Tailoring

As you will notice scrolling down, it has been a great week for menswear but mostly in terms of tailoring. It's always interesting to see how different people approach it and play with the different elements that go with it.
Jason Sudeikis continued to look sharp this week in a very traditional-fitting blue suit with equally traditional accessories. It was almost like a look Obama would wear but it looked better on Sudeikis.
In a slim-fit grey Saint Laurent suit, James Marsden went for a more modern approach. He only used black, white and grey but the fact that he balanced the lack of tie with a waistcoat contrasting the jacket was a great move.
I am always interested to see what Jamie Campbell Bower wears because he gives clothes a very personal spin. This week he did it twice. The first, a three-piece blue mohair-blend Alexander McQueen suit (buy it here: jacket, trousers, waistcoat). The second, an oxblood McQ suit worn with a shirt and pocket square in the same tones and printed detailing (buy it here: jacket, trousers).
Darren Criss hosted the Teen Choice Awards last weekend and he turned up on the red carpet in a look that no teen could pull off. The deep green Emporio Armani suit was paired with a light blue shirt and deep blue tie and Christian Louboutin 'Bruno Orlato' shoes.



Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine both got it right at the Japanese premiere of 'Star Trek Into Darkness'. Zachary in a light pinstripe blue suit worn with a modern striped knit tie of burgundy tones and Chris in a more daring checked suit with brown accessory notes very much on trend. The best of both looks are the perfectly cropped suit trousers.
At 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones' premiere Robert Sheehan really put it out there with his paisley print Dent da Man suit. Just like his co-star Jamie Campbell Bower, Sheehan opted for a collar accessory rather than a tie. Don't try it at home.
After trying a few different things during his 'Bling Ring' press tour, Israel Broussard has found a compromise between edgy and elegant. His Viktor & Rolf grey look brought a classic silhouette and texture to a look that was made modern by the embellished white shirt.
Dev Patel brings the only casual hit of the week. The actor was seen at LAX in a pair of faded pink jeans, which he wore with a navy tee and the coolest quilted jacket.

JustJared, Getty

Kit Harington Rocks a Suede Jacket and Monk-Straps at Comic Con

Kit Harington – aka Jon Snow – made an appearance over the weekend at the latest edition of Comic Con in San Diego. The actor was representing both his hit TV show 'Game of Thrones' and his upcoming movie 'Seventh Son'.
For the press conference of the latter the actor wore a cool outfit including muted white trousers, which he paired with a casual t-shirt. The look came to life thanks to the beautiful suede jacket with knit detailing at the collar and cuffs and the pair of monk-strap shoes he donned.
The reason why I like this so much is because it feels really current and hits a lot of the right 'fashion' notes without being trendy. It's a casual and masculine outfit, which works for many occasions.

I had a look at what Mr Porter has to offer in terms of suede jackets and monk straps and this is are some of my favourites. Please note I am not a fan of single strap monks so I went for the double options.

From top to bottom – Jackets: Dolce & Gabbana suede and knitted wool-blend bomber jacket, Canali cashmere and suede bomber jacket, Jean Shop washed-suede western jacket.

Shoes: Saint Laurent leather double monk-straps, John Lobb William suede monk-straps,

John Lobb William leather monk-straps.

25 Things I'd like for my 25th Birthday

1. Stubbs & Wootton vekvet slippers, 2. ASOS paisley embroidered short suit, 3. Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience album,

4. Saint Laurent denim shirt, 5. Herschel Settlement backpack, 6. House of Hackney 'Flights of Fancy' satin cushion,

7. Mulberry 'Freddie' croc-print suede bag, 8. Church's Beijing Chelsea boots, 9. Carven honeycomb-knit jumper, 10. AMI contrast suede jacket, 11. The Perks of Being a Wallflower DVD, 12. All Saints Kushiro leather biker jacket, 13. Christopher Kane floral print jumper,

14. Thorocraft camo Mercer shoe, 15. House of Hackney 'Palmeral Luxury' cushion.

I promise this is (one of) the last post where I mention anything about the upcoming celebration of my 25th birthday on March 21st. As I mentioned recently, every year I put together a list of presents – more for personal fantasy purposes than for realistic use – and this time I've made it extra special. You must obviously add to the list the pair of sneakers I posted about recently. You can, in fact, still vote for the pair you think I should buy next month.

What do you think of the selection? Any favourites?

16. A villa in Tuscany, 17. Zegna camel blazer, 18. Saint Laurent double monk-strap shoes, 19. Thom Browne striped tie clip,

20. Cutler and Gross transparent acetate sunglasses, 21. Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar Watch, 22. Missoni knitted blazer,

23. Beams Plus camouflage pocket square, 24. Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière 55, 25. Cutler and Gross mustard acetate sunglasses.