Men's shirts from Jacamo

Shirts are an item of clothing that I used to wear nearly every day either with a suit, with jeans or with trousers and a blazer. I was really picky about my shirts then and I still am. It is very very rare that you will see me in a short sleeve shirt, I just don't find them comfortable and they remind me of a guy I used to work with who wore then, stains and all - to my former colleagues if reading, I'm "sure" you know who I mean. Any way, I digress, so long sleeve for me it is, double cuffed if I'm going to be wearing a suit. When it comes to colour, I leave that to the wife as I am colourblind, but my one rule is nothing denim and nothing lumberjack.

With that in mind, I have just de-cluttered my wardrobe and need a few new shirts to fill the gaps and Jacamo have a pretty impressive selection of men's shirts and these are the ones which have caught my eye.

While I can go casual in the office I do like a shirt for when I go out for dinner or out on the town. These shirts I think would look great with a pair of dark blue jeans and biker boots.

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  It has been a long time since ive found a French Connection shirt that I like. This floral shirt is one which I feel I can pair with smart jeans and a loose-fit blazer or on its own.
  
  
  This Mythic long-sleeve shirt from Mish Mash is perfect for your smart to formal wardrobe. Pair with jeans for a smart casual look and wear under a suit or blazer for a smarter occasion look.
• Williams and Brown London isn't a brand I am familiar with but I like the style of shirt. Something I can wear with a suit or with jeans and still look smart, perfect for work.
• Finally this Brakeburn floral short which is totally different to the offering from French Connection by way of design and cuff style. I like that it has double cuffs and can be worn with smart or casual wear.

Personally I have shopped at Jacamo before (it surprised my friend as she mistakenly thought they only sold ranges for the taller and larger man) and still love my Pea Coat and have just taken delivery of some summer wear which again is high quality (the Firetrap tee is awesome) and doesn't leave you feeling as though your wallet has been violated. If you have never visited the site I highly recommend that you do, they have men's clothing to suit a broad spectrum of styles.

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House of Fraser - Men's Accessories

House of Fraser as a store sticks in my head for all the right reasons. In my early twenties (heady days before Internet shopping was a pipe dream) it was the only place that sold my favourite aftershave of all time, Bvlgari Pour Homme. When I was asked to take a look over their male accessories to see what they had to offer I didn’t have to think twice after all I could happily bankrupt myself when wandering around one of their many stores. 

Instead of looking at the usual items, such as cufflinks, ties and belts to accessorise an outfit I thought slightly outside the box and have gone for some lovely items that cut across a broad range of budgets and covers everything you need when it comes to mens accessories. 

So, what did I spot that I could see myself buying? Here’s what…

Wrist action 

A stylish update of a classic Casio design, this timepiece is built for classic and street styling. The piece features a daily alarm, 1/100th second stopwatch and illuminator backlight and is 30 metres water resistant perfect for everyday styling.

I’ll be the bag man 

Tommy Hilfiger Ethank Mini Flat Crossover Bag is described as being a small messenger bag which is perfect for London travel and again, you won't be annoying anyone on the tube in rush hour with your backpack

Wallets, and not a mothball in sight

Paul Smith London Small billfold colour flash wallet which is suitable for both cards and cash and by cash I mean notes and not change!

Did you really think I wouldn’t pick out cufflinks? 

Simon Carter Rope ball cufflinks, made from metal they are the kind of cuffinks which can be worn casually or more formally, simple in design and detail, they tick all boxes.

Bracelets 

Yes my obsession continues in this department and I have chosen The STORM Cog Leather Bracelet. It features 3 separate leather bracelets held together with a highly polished stainless steel magnetic fastening, featuring intricate cog detailing.

I spy, with my little eye 

An essential for sunny weather, these sunglasses have a classic gold-tone design of these aviator sunglasses is complemented by the simplistic detailing which makes them an ideal outfit addition whether you`re close to home or away on holiday. 

Whatever your tastes (unless you are a massive goth - nothing wrong with that) there are literally hundreds of male accessories to choose from at House of Fraser. I have to admit, when I was asked to take a peek through I expected to spend around an hour going through the site. Instead, I've spent hour after hour over the past week picking out some excellent products from reputable fashion houses and building up an online wishlist on their site for when payday comes around.

Go on, head over there and take a look, I'm 100 per cent certain you will find at least one thing you really want to buy.

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Westfield London - Suit Style

Suits used to be an obsession of mine, I still have a wardrobe full of them, from French Connection and Ted Baker to a series of lovely numbers from Tom English. Being colour blind I’ve never been one to opt for a whacky suit or louder colours, instead opting for solid colours or the boring old navy blue pinstripe. Wearing a suit was a must when I worked in financial services and also when I found myself running press offices for Councils. My latest job (which is by far the coolest) while still dealing with the media doesn’t require me to wear a suit, we go smart casual. So when I was asked by Westfield London if I would like to go in centre and find some accessories to show off my style I was apprehensive but thought in the end, why not, I will have to wear a suit again. So when I head off to conferences, how am I going to accessorise my suit?

As a bit of a closet goth I do quite like to break from the norm and I think this comes through with some of the items I bought.

As full disclosure, I was provided with a Westfield card charged with credit but alas, there are no images of me actually shopping as there was a mix up with my press pass to allow me to do so. 

That said, on with the show….

I’d never been to Westfield London before so after arriving at Shepherd’s Bush underground station the better half and I (she always comes shopping with me to help with colours) followed the signs to be greeted by a very long street of bars and restaurants - you can read the full list of places to eat here but needless to say, within ten minutes I was really hungry and after spotting a Five Guys there was no other place I wanted to go. So before the shopping I topped up my burger levels, chowed down on some amazing Cajun fries and was raring to go.

Picking up the Westfield Card was really easy - I had received codes for the card by text and found the nearest concierge desk, of which there are lots scattered throughout the centre. The process was incredibly quick and painless and the concierge couldn’t have been more helpful. Step one of the process went well.

Taking a map of the centre I was impressed with the sheer number of quality outlets there are - you have everything from run of the mill Next and River Island to Tesla and Thomas Sabo within the centre. You can see the full list of stores at Westfield here.

After a casual wander around the first floor we can stepped into Beauty Base with the wife muttering something about it being a poor mans beauty store. She came to eat her words some seconds later as like a child in a candy store I developed a crazed look, cheeky grin and moved towards the aftershave section as though I was going to hug them. Wow, the range of aftershaves on sale was immense and the prices ridiculously reasonable. I picked up a bottle of The Dreamer for myself and another bottle as a giveaway for my blog readers (you can enter the draw to win a bottle of The Dreamer until 31 May 2016 here). I didn’t use my Westfield Card, although I did think to myself “can I spin an aftershave purchase as an accessory” before opting to pay cash. 

So what did I buy to accessories my suit?

First up was a pair of cufflinks - they were only £20 from Menkind.

Second up was a bit of a chunky belt with a slight industrial twist in my view not the usual subtle number I would wear normally with a suit. This one wouldn’t look strange with a pair of jeans. This was £10 from Next. I also picked up a pack of five pairs of socks for only £12.

As I mentioned earlier, being a bit of a closet goth I really wanted to pick up some bracelets and after popping into River Island I picked up a pack of four bracelets for just £8.

We did go for a wander into Debenhams where I could have gone wild in the suit section. I saw a lovely light blue suit from the Jeff Banks range for just £250 and a few ties and pocket squares. I actually opted for two ties that came in at £25. When I took them to the checkout there was a problem with the card and it had been blocked. By this stage we had been walking around for nearly four hours taking in the vast nature of the stores on offer and rather than go back to get the card unblocked we called it a day and headed home (it was also one of the hottest days of the year so far).

I enjoyed my walk around Westfield and picked up a few things that I believe show off my style (dark and humourless - joke). The range of stores available to shoppers is jaw-dropping and I was impressed with the sheer number of luxury outlets. Personally I will be going back (if only to pick up the Jeff Banks suit for summer) and can see the pain that my new found love for Westfield London will have on my bank balance. There really is something for everyone and every individual style at Westfield London. Give it a try, you’ll lose a day of your life wandering around the stores. 

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For the avoidance of doubt, this post has been sponsored by Westfield, by way of credit on a Westfield card used to make the purchases on the day. No further payment was or will be made.

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I Just Love It - Personalised Gifts

I do like a good personalised gift, and despite being completely stumped on what to buy as gifts this year, when Ijustloveit.co.uk offered me the chance to pick a few gifts I rather selfishly opted to buy myself some things, and then in a pang of guilt changed the order so it was 50/50 between I and BeautyqueenUK.

So, what was on offer?

Well, I have to say I was impressed with the sheer range of gifts available, and the range of personalisation that could be added to each one. The website was easy to navigate, the gifts were sorted into relevant categories brilliantly (for a lazy bloke like me simply clicking on ‘gifts for her’ narrowed down my browsing time) and it’s rare that I say this, but the site seems to have something for everyone, from personalised whiskey, cufflinks to candles, and all for a very reasonable price.

Sooooo, what did I opt for?

Engraved Men's Leather Clasp Bracelet £19.99

2015 has seen me really get into accessorising – and bracelets have been a bit of a feature for me throughout the year. This engraved men's leather clasp bracelet features a brushed stainless steel tag which I personalised with my initials and year of birth. I did consider using my old numberplate off my car ‘666 SJS’ but thought better of it.

The bracelet is handmade with three strong leather cords and is finished with an alloy clasp. The clasp is a bit fiddly, but it is solidly made and looks the business. Personally, it’s now my favourite.

Personalised to the Moon and Back Candle £8.99

My wife is candle obsessed, and when I say obsessed I’m not joking. You cannot move in our living room for the bloody things, so in a moment of madness I thought, that’s what she needs, another candle!

Ideal for giving to someone special on Valentine's Day or to your partner on your anniversary, this lovely candle is presented in cellophane and tied with a pretty ribbon for the perfect finishing touch. It has an impressive 150 hours burn time and looks the business. Winner!

Happily Ever After Hanging Heart £16.99

My missus and I got married on Christmas Day back in 2004 (insert joke about getting less jail time had I murdered her). Joking aside, trying to find an anniversary present was a bit of a pain – I did find something in the end in a shop in Wales (possibly the most racist shop ever) so this turned into just a surprise, aren’t I lovely gift.

First of all – it’s bloody huge – I expected something quite small but oh now – it’s the same size as my head (which is big). It is solidly made though and it has been personalised with our names and the date we got married – all together now awwwwww (pass the sick bucket).

Personalised Map Cufflinks £24.99

Now these really caught my eye – being a Manchester native living (read existing) in London I really liked these cufflinks with maps built into them. Well, actually they are digitally printed maps in round silver plating settings covered with a glass dome to stop them being damaged. They really are a chic gift (for myself). Rather predictably I opted for, yes, Manchester and London and I have to say, I can’t wait to get them on.

At £25 for a pair of cufflinks I think they would make a really brilliant gift for him. Sod Christmas, these would make a great gift idea for birthdays, anniversaries or just for a man who is a nightmare to buy for!

So, was everything great? Well from a product perspective, yes, the products are all of a great quality but I found the delivery to be slightly strange. After ordering four products together they then arrived on a kind of drip, drip, drip basis over the course of seven days. It would have been much more cost efficient for them to send all at once, but they did all arrive and arrive undamaged so in theory I should just shut the **** up.

Great quality gifts that will show that you’ve put a little thought into the person you are buying for, and even better, it won’t break the bank. I highly recommend using this site and have bookmarked it for use for every special occasion coming up in the future (family you have been warned lol). Personalised gifts – priceless.

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