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

Shopping for Fair Isle jumpers inspired by Michael Polish

It's not easy for my brain to be distracted when Kate Bosworth is in sight. That being said, her boyfriend's husband's cardigan choice this week managed to do just that – for a couple of minutes anyway. Michael Polish kept his look classic and fuss-free but injected a bit of FW13 flavour by means of his fair isle shawl-collar cardigan. This is one of the best graphic motifs for us men to introduce patterns without risking being loud (unless your fair isle is bright red, which is only allowed for a week during Christmas) and it adds a nice subtle vintage flavour. These below are some of my favourite choices I found online.

Clockwise from top left: J.Crew wool jumper, Original Vintage Style knit sweater,

Polo Ralph Lauren nordic jumper, Thom Browne wool sweater, A.P.C. merino wool sweater. 

Introducing... Exemplaire: The best jumper a man can have

This week I stopped by the PR Consulting press day to have a closer looks at what some of my favourite brands have in store for SS14. One these favourites of mine is Exemplaire, a French label which prides itself in its subtle designs and excellent quality – what we now call 'everyday luxury'. They first launched witch a cashmere collection produced in a limited number, which added to the luxurious feel. They have since introduced fine leather goods – jackets and small accessories produced in the softest, lightest leather.
I fell in love with the brand, its philosophy and their super products from the moment I first laid hands on one of their jumpers. Their latest offering for the new season consists of slightly lighter knits best worn over tees but equally as practical for the colder seasons.
The seemingly ordinary pieces also have a perfect fit. Getting away from some of the boxy, baggy even, fits of classic jumpers offered by many other luxury brands, Exemplaire is all about a fitted silhouette, which is much more contemporary.

I hear the brand is soon to expand into ready-to-wear territory – it will be excellent, no doubt – and will also soon be opening a stand-alone store in Paris.
In the meantime, you can shop Exemplaire at Dover Street Market in London and on Mr Porter.

My two favourites above: The grey crew neck cashmere jumper, and

The cable knit rollneck cashmere jumper.

Fashion, Frankly

A Few Reasons why The O.C. is still Relevant 10 Years Later

It has been 10 years since The O.C. first aired, which is scary for me because once you can recall well past events and need to go back in time to double digits you know you're getting old. This was possibly the first TV show I properly got into as a teen and one that not only I connected with but that also had a influence in me. I remember going shopping with Seth Cohen's style choices in mind. And I was successful once or twice – most notably with my vast collection of argyle sweaters and my deer Christmas jumper, which people in my class requested me to wear every December.
A decade later I find that not only I continue to dress somehow like I first learnt from Cohen but that a lot of his very preppy choices have become staples in a contemporary menswear wardrobe. And that is why I decided to put together this post – to prove this show (and this guy) influenced a whole generation.

From vintag-y jumpers and loopback sweatshirts to Penguin and Fred Perry polo shirts, also with a retro vibe, The O.C. made cool what we first knew as 'geek chic'. Pieces which have now become must-haves for style-concious men. The short on long sleeve combos are perhaps the least common look these days but still a favourite of mine – if only I could find long-sleeved t-shirts my size. Seth Cohen's vest jumpers, dressing gown numbers and casual blazer get-ups have now been claimed, to some extent, by hipsters. The latter was another favourite of mine to wear to school. Nothing beats a corduroy blazer over an argyle jumper at 15 years of age.

Eddie Redmayne in Gant Rugger at the "Peter and Alice" after party

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I think no one would challenge me when I say he was the best dressed guy of 2012. Thanks to his huge 'Les Mis' press tour we got to see him in a bunch of very different outfits. My favourite thing about his style is how he mixes together classic British elements and tailoring with modern slim fits and contemporary accessories. If anyone is a great icon of British style, it's definitely him.
Last week Eddie was spotted leaving the "Peter and Alice" play after party in London wearing a great outfit of different shades of blue contrasting with his olive green trousers. The stand-out piece was the beautiful baby blue cable knit jumper by Gant Rugger. I have talked about how much I love the brand in the past. Their jumpers and plaid shirts are amongst my favourites – I am, in fact, wearing a Gant Rugger jumper right now as I type this.

Shopping for Spring Knits at Mr Porter

1. Etro cable-knit cotton cardigan, 2. Gant Rugger cable-knit cotton jumper, 3. S.N.S. Herning basket-knit cotton and merino wool cardigan, 4. Folk pima-cotton jumper, 5. Massimo Alba striped cotton jumper.

After these two weeks of crazy cold, during which I've enjoyed wearing my new shearling jacket, it's time to start planning the new purchases for the Spring wardrobe. Despite my best efforts, I didn't manage to get many new jumpers this winter, so I need a few new ones now.
I wear my leather jacket pretty much everyday in the Spring so I like mixing things up with cotton knitwear and lightweight scarves. I am loving all the texture Mr Porter is offering this week – subtle colours and a quiet graphicness.

He's Fly: Daniel Radcliffe, Le Geek c'est Chic

JustJared

I am really impressed with how much Daniel Radcliffe's style has improved in the last few months. After quite a few mistakes on red carpets and appearances it looks like he's finally found a style that suits him. I understand that this took a while because –and this I know from experience– getting dressed when you're a short man it's not an easy task. It takes years to figure out which exact length of trousers and tops is best for you. Simple things like sleeves have to be just right or you look silly. But Daniel's got this figured out now.
For one of his latest appearances on TV during the press tour for his new film he went for a brilliant all-blue outfit. The smart blue shirt contrasts with the jumper –the highlight of the look– which injects a geek/70's/casual vibe into the outfit. The almost unwashed dark jeans are a perfect fit and because they're really slim the two rolls up the bottom look great and add to the look. The final spot-on touches are the suede shoes that are somewhere in between being Vans and a smart shoe, and the old school haircut.

For a similar look in a different colour palette –perhaps sandy colours– I found this awesome Levi's Vintage wool jumper on Mr Porter. Radcliffe (or I) could rock this with a beige Oxford shirt, a pair of mustardy brown chinos and brick-coloured desert boots.

MrPorter

Burberry gets Pre-Fall

I often spend a lot of time on blog posts complaining about how pointless I find "pre" collections. However, this is not one of those moments. For the first time I feel like someone has got it. Burberry's Pre-Fall11 collection hits all the right notes. And it does because it includes heavy winter-looking clothes made in lightweight materials, which is the perfect combination to satisfy our needs at the beginning of the autumn season while keeping us happy. We're, then, anticipating the winter season but we can't wear full-on winter wear yet. Burberry proposes an autumnal colour palette that mirrors the colours of the leaves while mixing it up with their staple pieces such as the mac and the trench in bold hues like tangerine or made with new materials.

[Pictures: Coute que Coute]

Frank Loves: cable knit

Yes, I am still going to rant about the ridiculous weather we have to face everyday... I'm not too sure about the rest of the world but London is getting colder by the day! Which is why I am desperately trying to find ways of getting dressed every day to stay warm and look good. The good news is this weather is perfect for cable knit jumpers! I got myself a vintage cable knit cardigan a couple of weeks ago and now I need to get my hands on a turtle neck jumper, for full coverture. This one below, by Henri Lloyd, is absolutely perfect.

[Picture:Henri Lloyd]