Vans High Summer Collection
Following the relaunch of their flagship store in Carnaby Street, Vans have released their High Summer Collection. The Collection features the classics with nice summery colours such as: Orange, Green and Yellow. They’ve have also released a range of lovely sunnies which have a similar shape to that of the Ray Ban Wayfarer for that vintage beach look.
Other lesser known models such as the Zapato (Van’s take on the boat shoe) and the Rata make an appearance. The Rata is available in a natural/ Stone colour which would be a good look on the beach or just for a summer stroll. The final piece to Van’s Summer Collection is the apparel line, which includes a solid range of board shorts.
The whole collection is available from their store here
Jessica Cambensy X Wrongwroks
I heard a rumour about this possible collaboration around March so I just crossed my fingers with one trembling hand and touched a block of wood with the other. This technique is so far 100% successful and I will use it on very rare occasions when I need lady luck most, for example: England winning the World Cup in South Africa.
Enough talk about my rituals, Wrongwroks are just simply superb! Their designs have really taken off since their iconic Doraebob t-shirt. The brand has also grown at an almost exponential rate over the last year or so with the opening of their Super Bored stores in Vancouver, entering the womenswear market (Super Bored Femme) and further diversifying their offering by selling: bottoms, backpacks, jackets and hoodies.
To promote their 2010 collection, Wrongwroks have now teamed up with Jessica Cambensy and although she might not be a familiar sight in the States or the UK but she’s quite a big deal in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. She has featured in campaigns for Clinique, L’Oreal, Max Factor and Marie Clare to name a few.
Check out the new Wrongwroks collection (including a lovely video featuring Jessica C) below. The complete collection is available from their website.
Decisions, Decisions – Roll ups or Cuffed Jeans?
Let’s make this clear from the beginning, that the roll ups we are talking about are nothing to do with smoking as we Stylenerds would never endorse smoking (would we guys?!). Obviously, we are talking about roll up jeans and they are now an ever-more common site when you roam the streets. Last year ,we followed the emergence of roll ups and now this trend has gone leaps and bounds so it’s time for a little update!
The Stylenerds are great Ambassadors of the Roll up movement because they are a great summer look. They also give a great Carrot fit silhouette, the jeans don’t bleed onto your fresh trainers and the jeans won’t cover up any of the great details you may have on your trainers.
The new Cuffed jeans are essentially jeans with elasticated bottoms to give the same sort of fit as a roll up. I like to refer to them as the lazy mans roll up but that’s not to say I don’t like them. It does the same job as roll ups but you need to shell out some extra money for them and they aren’t as versatile as your average pair of jeans for the sake of a 2 minute job.
Anyways, if you do choose to buy a cuffed pair of jeans I would recommend checking out Humor (Elefunk model) and Topman (Acid wash Denim jogger) for their selection. Humor also have a great range of carrot fit jeans and the detailing is mouthwatering (white rivets, tilted rear pockets… drool!)
Breath of Fresh Air – Art of the Trench by Burberry
Ok, I know what you’re saying, are you crazy?! Burberry are renowned for their Trench Coats! Let me tell you something, when you see the video below followed by the website you will say “Moses was right, that was a Breath of Fresh Air”. The Youtube link below is the pre launch video of “The Art of the Trench” and it is where high fashion meets augmented reality or, what it should look like very soon. As this is a Men’s fashion blog, I won’t go into a detailed explanation as to what augmented reality is, but I will tell you it’s freaking awesome!
The website has now launched and it’s where high fashion meets The Sartorialist with feel to the site. It’s a great website just to see how other people around the world wear their trench coats and a great source of inspiration. You can also share your thoughts with other people and share it on facebook. It definitely worth visiting even if you don’t plan on wearing a trench anytime soon. You never know, it might convince you to buy one!
My Beloved APC jeans – An Essential Buy for any Wardrobe
The French brand APC is very much the unsung hero of the denim world. Generally, when many people think of top quality denim, the following brands would be mentioned: Diesel, True Religion, Evisu, Seven, Earnest Sewn, Nudie, Levis, Lee, Wrangler, Acne and Cheap Monday.
APC jeans have always concentrated on the basics as opposed to just a clever design on the back pockets. This is what makes them versatile enough to go with any casual outfit that you can pull together and the quality of the denim will ensure your APC’s are in it for the long run!
The current range consists of 5 different styles and several washes. My favourite APC’s are the New Cure for the skinny jean look and the New Standard for a slightly more relaxed look to which go perfect with a pair of high-tops.
Two things to keep in mind is that, the jeans only come in one leg length (this is normal when you buy a pair of raw denim jeans) so alterations will probably be needed once you have bought them. The last thing is that when you buy a pair of raw denim jeans make sure that you allow some room for comfort around the waist because they have not been pre-washed and will shrink by about 2-3 inches after the first wash you give them.
For more information on how to look after you jeans, check out my previous article here.
These beauties are available from the web store and cost won’t cost the earth either (£100 approximately), which is not bad considering they will last you at least 3 years.
So Fresh, So Clean Vol. 4: The Essential Skincare Routine
In recent years, the borders of metrosexuality have be pushed thanks to: the emergence of “guy liner”, the growing acceptance of frying your skin cells till they beg for mercy at the sun bed and many others. Although these measures maybe a bridge too far, it still remains essential to keep your skin clean and healthy everyday to avoid looking like Mick “The Leather Face” Jagger when you’re 25.
I have listed 5 steps to a perfect skincare routine below and even though it may seem labourious at first, once you “nail” the routine you should be sorted in just over 5 minutes.
Step 1: Exfoliating
Exfoliating will get rid of all the dead skin cells & impurities that can build up around the nose and other areas on the face. It can also help in the removal of balckheads and also prevent them from reappearing. However, it is really important that you buy a daily scrub as some scrubs on the market can be too course. If you do continually use a scrub which is not suitable for daily use, you will end up taking off the top level of healthy skin and leaving your face susceptible to infection, break outs and a tad red.
Stylenerds Recommends:
DHC AP Scrub for Men: $
Shiseido Men’s Deep Cleansing Scrub: $$
Menscience Microfine face scrub: $$$
Stylenerds Uses:
Clinique Skin Supplies for Men Face Scrub: $$
Step 2: Cleansing
This is a very important as a cleanser will go where no facial scrub has ever been before. To start, I would splash some cold water several times on your face to stimulate blood flow followed by the application of the cleanser. Make sure that the cleanser has been massaged in to all areas of the face properly so that the cleanser does all the work for you! Once that is done, you should rinse your face again and dry off for the next step…
Stylenerds recommends:
Nivea for Men Q10 revitalising face wash: $
Lab Series for Men Multi Action Face wash: $$
Aesop: Parsley Seed Facial Cleaning Oil: $$$
Stylenerds Uses:
Kiehls Facial Fuel Energising Wash: $$
Step 3: Eye Cream
Eye cream is particularly important to my routine due to constant lack of sleep. The skin under your eye in the thinnest part of skin on your whole entire body so it important to pay it some extra care and attention. When applying the eye cream do not rub it in like a moisturiser! Instead, you should gently pat it on the area around your eyes until it has been absorbed. When that has been done, gently massage the area around your eyes to get your blood pumping.
Stylenerds Recommends:
L’Oreal Hydra Energetic Eye Roll On $
Kiehl’s Eye Alert: $$
Aesop Parsley Seed Anti Oxidant Eye Serum: $$$
Stylenerds Uses:
Dr G. Vital Energising Eye Gel: $$
Perricone MD: High Potency Eye Lift: $$$
Step 4: Moisturising
Choosing the most suitable moisturiser is the final piece of the puzzle to a skincare masterpiece. Most moisturisers out there are great to use on almost any skin type but the factor I find most challenging is the climate in which you are in. Thicker and slightly heavier moisturisers are great for the colder and dryer climates to ensure moisture is locked and and your skin is feeling smooth. These moisturisers just won’t work as well in the warmer and more humid climates. They will start to clog up your pores which will give your sweat glands the green light and before you know it, moisturiser is all gone because you’ve been sweating like (insert joke here)! Ultimately, it’s all down to trial and error and seeing how your skin reacts.
Stylenerds Recommends
DHC Virgin Olive Oil: $
L’Oreal Men Expert Turbo Booster Moisturiser : $
Kiehls Facial Fuel Energising Moisturiser : $$
Kyoku Facial Moisturiser: $$$
Stylenerds Uses
Dr. G Man Care Oil Control Moisturising Gel: $$$/$$
Clinique Skin Supplies for Men M Lotion: $$
So thats how to keep your face fresh and clean! All the products mentioned are available from either Mankind, Boots or Sasa. Watch out for up coming reviews on some of the products mentioned
Palladium Boots – Get the Casual Boot Look
Everybody knows that worn boots with the jeans tucked in are hot right now. All Saints have been pushing this look hard coupled with a scoop neck tee, loose fitted cardigan and an oversized beanie. Dr Martens are also making a come back and they have recently released boots in a multitude of colours.All in all, boots are back with a bang and Palladium boots have something to say about it!
Palladium held a launch party last week in association with Size? where the Stylenerds saw the likes of London radio Pirate MC’s: Jammer, J2K, JME, Logan Sama & Miss Dynamite. The thing is, if you look at the types of people that wear boots nowadays the last thing you would expect them to be into would be Grime (or any other sub-genre). Although this may seem strange, I believe it works perfectly with Palladium boots because of their rugged design and the dark industrial colours that they are available in.
These boots can also be worn with a variety of looks whether it would be the All Saints look with the jeans tucked in or an outfit you would wear with a pair of Timberlands with the jeans turned up. Lastly, my pick of the collection has to be the Baggy Boot in the mustard colour.
Check out the images below and Size? for the whole collection.
