Blog – Page 5 – Above The Ankles

Blog

Secret Sales – Quality Designers – Massive Discounts – Hardly Any Stock

Posted on July 3, 2015August 1, 2015by Hamed

Have you any heard of such a site? You probably have but I doubt one as good as Secret Sales. If you are looking for a quality double breasted blazer, a stunning pin striped suit or the sexiest pair of crisp Armani shoes and want them all at a cheap price – keep dreaming. You can’t get brands like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Oliver Sweeney and Versace for cheap, they would be 100% fake. If however you want all those top quality brands with 20-50% knocked off the retail price, then Secret Sales is the site for you.

The easiest way to describe them is – an EXTREMELY successful flash sale site. They boast that they sell an item every 15 seconds, which is pretty decent. A company based in the fancy part of London (Notting Hill), they are quite huge (over 100 staff) for a flash sale website and have been going six years now.

You actually have to register/sign up to Secret Sales before you can even view their products, I suppose it creates a feeling of; “members only.”

The way the site works is simple, they buy designer products that are really low in stock off the big brands for dirt cheap, add a profit and then resell it. The reason they get the items for next to nothing is because the product is so low in stock the brand can’t put it out in their stores. Can you imagine Louis Vuitton having a clearance store? It’s bad for brand image!

Secret Sales runs successfully by adding a whole bunch of products together, for example they have a category called “mens formal designer shoes.” Then out of the 40 different pairs of shoes in that category, every design has one or two pairs left in each size. The whole category “mens formal designer shoes” is put up on the site for four days and then is removed and never to appear again. This is their biggest strength and weakness. Every day you go on the site, there are new things added but it also means that the beautifully crafted double breasted tweed jacket you saw yesterday, has now expired.

Top tip: if you see something you like & they have your size – buy it.

Check Them Out Here; Secret Sales

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Tips

Blazer Outer Pockets – Side Pockets & Ticket Pockets

Posted on June 28, 2015November 13, 2015by Hamed

A pet peeve of mine is seeing things, like a sandwich, stuffed into the outer pockets of a man’s blazer. I feel like just slapping them on the spot. If you do this please stop, leave the pockets alone. Some blazers now come with fake outer pockets, where there’s just a pocket flap. However, most blazers have real outer pockets that are usually tacked together with a bit of thread but can easily be pulled open.

The question then arises what do you use them for and in fact, should you use the pockets at all? Well there isn’t really a right or wrong way – it’s completely a matter of opinion. The way I see it, pockets are functional and are meant to be used. There is however a right and wrong way to use them – putting a sandwich in them is definitely a wrong way.

The breast pocket on the blazer is obviously for pocket squares in order to decorate the outfit. The other outer pockets – the side pockets and ticket pockets are intended to carry small flat items that do not create a bulge in the pockets. Anything ranging from receipts, cinema tickets, shopping list & other notes to your favourite brand of tea bag.

I have seen pictures of some celebrities with their hands in their side pockets, using them for the purpose of keeping their hands warm. Notably you’ll see pictures of JFK with his hands always stuck in his pockets – I actually looked into it and turns out he used to use them as ashtrays.

The stitching used to keep the pockets sewn together are put there to stop potential customers trying on the jacket in the store and sticking their hands in the pockets and ruining the shape. When you buy a new suit you should ideally remove the stitching so you can use the pockets but if you’re the type of guy that will stick bulky things in them – it’s best you leave them closed.

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Tips

Size 8? Go For Size 7! – Loafer Sizes

Posted on June 24, 2015June 24, 2015by Hamed

It’s fair to say it’s supposed to be summer now and even though the weathers not amazing, it is still loafer season. In the spirit of loafer season a couple weeks ago I bought some loafers from Zara and last Thursday I wanted to wear them to work with my blue pin stripe trousers. I took seven or eight steps out my door and realized my foot was flipping out the back of the loafer like sandals. Then it hit me, I bought the wrong size.

I’m a size 8 in every shoe and trainer except loafers. It’s important when buying anything that you try on a small size first to see if you can wear that size comfortably. If you can without feeling like you’re about to burst out your clothes and shoes, then go for it.

Everything looks better a size smaller and that is definitely true when it comes to loafers. Don’t ask me why, it’s just how it is. Size 10 shoes look better than size 11.

Next time you go shopping online or in-store, try goes a size down, if it doesn’t fit well you can always return it.

Continue reading if you want to hear how my returning experience went this weekend. I took my loafers back to return them and found that they were now £39.99 down from £59.99. Good news, to swap a size 8 for a size 7, I had to return the size 8’s for a full refund and then buy the size 7’s. I’m now £20 richer.

[products ids= “2958”]

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Tips

Shirts Ripping At The Elbow

Posted on June 20, 2015November 13, 2015by Hamed

Why Do My Shirts Rip At The Elbow?

I’m a proud owner of some beautiful TM Lewin shirts. So proud I’ve ordered some for others and told ample amounts of people to get them. Then out of nowhere – my shirt ripped right above my elbow, the fabric just decided to split and tear. I was so shocked I thought maybe I put on one of my old cheap shirts by mistake. I always thought only cheap shirts rip and quality/luxury shirts last a lifetime. In all my previous jobs I was always out & about and now working 9-5 on a desk, I’m a victim.

If this has not happened to you, then I’m guessing you probably don’t have an office/desk job.

Why?

You may be asking – Why Do My Shirts Rip At The Elbow? Does This Mean My Shirts Are Low Quality?

Why they rip is pretty easy to answer, the area under your elbow will be the most worn out part of any shirt. Every time you bend your elbow, you stretch all the fabric and the shirt will get more worn out as the day goes on. On top of this constant flexing, everyone that sits at a desk puts their elbows on the desk. Using a mouse or typing on your keyboard requires some movement which will slowly ruin the elbow area of your shirt.

To answer the second question, does this mean your shirt is low quality? – it’s a bit more complicated. I find TM Lewin to be among the best quality shirts on the high street and still my shirt ripped. The problem isn’t the quality, it is how thick the material of the shirt is. All fabrics rip after some time, unless it’s some indestructible military fabric. Thin fabrics will rip and tear faster than thicker fabrics – that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

How To Stop It?

It’s too late for my beautiful blue shirt but it doesn’t need to be too late for yours. Preventing your shirts from ripping at the elbow is not too difficult, you just need to be conscious of the fact this can and will happen to you if you sit at a desk or table often.

Blazer or Jacket – Easiest way to stop it is to keep your blazer on, your blazer will be able to handle a beating much better than your shirt will.

Elbows off – Keeping your elbows/forearms off of the table/desk is a sure fire way to stop them for tearing. All you have to do is adjust your chair and keyboard/mouse so they are on the edge of the surface and your forearms are in the air.

Roll your sleeves – I always roll my sleeves up, mainly because the people I work with live in the 1800’s and haven’t discovered air conditioning yet. Rolling up your sleeves will mean that your skin is free to rub against that table as much as you want it too. Just make sure you have your sleeves rolled up high enough.

How To Fix It?

Easy answer will be take it to the tailor and they’ll get it stitched over, it won’t look perfect but it’s better than having a hole in your shirt. You could also get your shirt converted into a short sleeve shirt but I don’t see why you would! Or you could be like me and attempt to stitch it yourself, however, I strongly advise you don’t unless you know what you’re doing. I did a horrible job stitching mine up and tomorrow I’m taking it to the tailor. (Lesson Learnt – I can’t stitch.)

I found a great article from this blogger, Eileen, on how to fix your shirt – properly! Click Here.

Twill Shirts

I’m a massive fan of TM Lewin as I’ve mentioned a million times and I’ve decided to order myself some more of their Twill shirts. My blue shirt that ripped was a Poplin shirt which like their Twill shirts it’s made from 100% cotton. The difference however is Poplin shirts are great for summer as they are thin and light. The Twill shirts are a lot thicker which is great for me as I know they’ll last a lot longer. Considering my blue Poplin shirt only lasted me five months, I’m hoping to get a good eighteen months out of my Twill shirts. Only time will tell.

Fitted Plain Blue Sky Fine Luxury Twill Shirt

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Blog

To Primark Or Not To Primark

Posted on June 14, 2015June 14, 2015by Hamed

That is the question, well at least one that I have been asked a lot recently. It would be very easy for me to brush off this question and just simply say; no don’t go to Primark . That would definitely be a contradiction on my part, as I was in Primark yesterday, I did only buy a towel and a washing basket but none the less, I’m “technically” a Primark shopper.

There are some things that you can buy from Primark that are completely fine and acceptable, such as; homeware and underwear. Primark is fantastic for essentials like bedding, socks and t-shirts and I would definitely go there to buy them. I’m not really one to buy a plain blue t-shirt for £30, but I am happy to pay £4 for one at Primark.

Things You Must Not Buy From Primark

Apart from underwear and things for the house, you should not really be stepping foot in Primark . Items to avoid are the ones that stand out in your outfit such as a suit or a shirt that people would notice often. With Primark you can really see the low quality in items like suits, shirts and ties. When you compare a Primark suit to a suit from anywhere else you get the feeling something is wrong, it looks like the Primark suit has been stuffed into a box and shipped from Turkey to Britain. Take a closer look at the shirts and ties and you will see threads hanging off everywhere and they lack massively in colour.

Avoid: Suits, Shirts, Ties, Shoes, Jackets & Casual Clothing Like Chinos

Unemployed Or A Teenager?

If you are either of the above, then scrap everything I wrote previously in this post. Not having any money spare to have an expensive or quality wardrobe is not a bad thing, it’s just a part of life that most of us have been through. Primark can be a great place to build your wardrobe on a tight budget so feel free to spend the little money you have available on a Primark suit or shirt.

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Reviews

Sioux Couture – Fancy Socks

Posted on June 11, 2015April 4, 2016by Hamed

sioux couture cover image above the ankles

I’ve been meaning to write this post for awhile and have just been putting it off for so long. I was approached awhile ago by Sioux Couture (I have no idea how to pronounce it) and they asked me to have a look through their site, pick some socks and review them. Obviously I weren’t going to turn them down so I figured I would give them a try and then write a review on their socks. I would just like to apologise to the guys and girls at Sioux Couture as I’m going to be brutally honest and say exactly what I love and don’t love about the socks.

Sioux Couture Review

In this review I’m going to go over five different areas; my first impressions, the look, the comfort, the practicality and the price.

First Impressions – 8/10

On first opening the package, I thought thank God it’s finally here. As its made in Italy and shipped from Spain it does take awhile to get through customs. So expect a week or two for delivery. Once opening the package I was quite impressed with the packaging. Each sock is packaged in a pocket like cover, which I now use them for other handy stuff around the house.

The Look – 10/10

The socks look amazing, when you wear them you literally draw compliments toward you. The colour is fantastic and vibrant. I enjoy standing out with my outfits and these socks really help me be seen a mile off. I have two blue socks, a red one and a purple (see below) and they are absolutely stunning. I’ve worn them and washed them each between 5-6 times so far and they still look brand new. Sioux Couture have done an amazing choice in picking the correct colour combinations, my favourite being the purple/pink.

The Comfort – 9/10

The feel of these socks can easily be described as incredibly soft and comfortable due to them being made from egyptian cotton. Once you put them on you can really feel the difference in quality compared to your normal five navy socks you got for £3. Wearing them throughout the day is refreshing as they aren’t too tight and you get the feeling that your feet are being allowed to breathe. I also walked around the house in them and they did the job of keeping my feet warm in my not so warm flat.

The Practicality – 6/10

Here’s where the socks lack in awesomeness. What do I mean by practicality? How well they do their job. The job you expect from winter socks is to keep your feet warm. The job of invisible socks aka ballerina socks, is to be invisible when worn with trainers. The job of colourful socks is to look great and be seen. The colour of the socks are fantastic but where Sioux Couture have slipped up is how well the socks stay up throughout the day. I find myself every hour or so pulling my socks up, which considering I sit down at my desk in a call centre all day, it’s really unexpected. To be fair to them, this is a problem a lot of socks companies have, my TM Lewin socks are even worse than them, but regardless – it’s still a problem. Socks really don’t look attractive on a smart or smart/casual look if they are rolling down and getting bunched at the ankle.

The Price – 7/10

How much will one of these bad boys set you back? £10.73

Nope not for two pairs, just one pair, £10 for a pair of socks is a bit steep. I have owned a fair amount of socks in my time and these are among the most expensive. I do own socks that are much more expensive than Sioux Couture’s but I still get the feeling their over priced.

Overall – 8/10

Well in all the four areas I covered, you must say, Sioux Coutures fancy socks did a pretty decent job. I wouldn’t say they are the best socks in the world. However, they are pretty damn good and paying £10.73 for pretty damn good is in my opinion – worth it. I don’t recommend these if you are only just dipping your toes in the big pool of colourful and playful socks. On the other hand, if you’re a seasoned veteran in this sock game, then you really don’t have any excuse not to grab four of these beautifully crafted socks.

To sum it all up, if you want compliments and socks that will grab people’s attention and don’t mind paying a premium for them or having to pull them up every so often, then grab yours here;

siouxcouture.com/en/

Sioux Couture - socks lined up on a bench

Tips

How To Tuck In Your Shirt

Posted on June 6, 2015November 13, 2015by Hamed

This is a strange tip because everyone knows how to tuck in their shirt, we have been doing it since we were kids. I guess the right title for this tip is; how to properly tuck in your shirt. You might be thinking what exactly do I mean by properly and who can say which way is the correct way. The correct and most proper way of tucking in your shirt is the way that looks the best and smoothest.

So here we go;

Tuck In Your Shirt | Avoid The Muffin

Let me make this clear; muffins are amazing but looking like one is horrible. When your shirt puffs out and kind of hangs over your belt you look like a muffin. This must be avoided at all costs, but how?

This usually happens for two reasons, which are both easily fixable. Usually because your shirt is too baggy and loose fitting or you are wearing a t-shirt underneath your shirt which is causing your shirt to puff out, making you look like a muffin.

Oversized or Loose Fit Shirts – Military Tuck

Whatever you want to call it, a baggy shirt simply isn’t pleasing to the eye. If like me you have a bulging belly sometimes you still need to wear a well fitted shirt, even if it means you got to cut down on dessert after lunch. If you currently can not afford to purchase some new slim fitted shirts then you can use the military tuck.

This, simply put is an easy way to tuck in your shirt by grabbing and pinching the sides of your shirt and folding them over and tucking your shirt in. It’s really simple and works like a charm, just follow the image below.

Wearing A T-Shirt Underneath – Underwear Tuck

Even if you have a well fitted shirt, if you wear a baggy or loose undershirt, it will cause your shirt to look messy and if the undershirt is not long enough in length you will get the muffin look. You have two options; wear a very thin, well fitted and long undershirt or do the underwear tuck.

Undershirts are amazing but finding a quality one is quite difficult. I prefer something light with a v-neck cut so if I wanted to wear my shirt without a tie, the undershirt wouldn’t be shown. Wearing one that can’t be seen underneath and is so soft and comfortable you can’t even feel it – is a real gem. I own and recommend this uniqlo undershirt.

The underwear tuck is fabulous, when getting dressed in the morning simply tuck your undershirt into your boxers/briefs. It might feel a little weird at first but trust me it works like a charm. As the day goes on you’ll get used to it and you’ll realise your undershirt hasn’t moved place.

I hope this has helped, these are the techniques I use and if you have any of your own feel free to drop me a comment below or send me over an email. Good luck with the military and underwear tuck.

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Blog

Pay Day – Shopping List June 2015

Posted on May 31, 2015June 6, 2015by Hamed

I’m in London for the weekend visiting my parents and considering it was just pay day, obviously I had to do some shopping. After spending all day on Oxford Street, I decided I would compile a list of all the great clothes and accessories I saw throughout the day. Most of this list, I either already own or just bought today and I’m hoping you will find as much joy and benefit from these products as I do.

Things Every Man Needs

1. Easy To Carry Cufflinks

On my trip down to London I realised I left my cufflinks at home in Birmingham, considering the only shirt I brought with me was double cuffed, I was screwed. Thankfully the weather on Saturday was fantastic so I just rolled my sleeves up and went shopping. I found myself in TM Lewin looking at cufflinks and then I remembered they sold those silly pretend cufflinks and figured for £4 – why not? So these are now my easy to carry cufflinks.

Navy Pink Knots TM Lewin — Navy Pink Knots – TM Lewin – £4.00

2. The Perfect Undershirt

If you wear a dress shirt to work then you know how useful undershirts are, not only do they stop your shirt from being ruined by your sweat in the summer, they keep you warm on those not so hot days. The problem is if your undershirt is too loose fitting or not long enough, it can cause your shirt to look cheap and baggy. This is easily solved with the best undershirt I’ve ever owned and seen. Uni-qlo’s undershirt is literally the thinnest item I own, its so comfortable and tight fitting I barely know I’m wearing it. The length is amazing dropping right down pass my boxers meaning it will never become un-tucked no matter what I do. I bought mine in white but it’s available in about eight different colours.

MEN AIRism V Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt white — MEN AIRism V Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt – £9.90

3. Loafers

With Summer basically here you really have no excuse now not to be rocking some dapper loafers. I’d definitely go for a slip-on loafer with the tassels. Loafers are fantastic for looking casual in a suit, especially when worn without socks. On Saturday I grabbed myself some decent loafers for £60 from Zara.

4. Replacement Collar Stays

Us gentleman that wear shirts all the time and look after them properly know that you have to take out your collar stays whenever you wash or iron your shirt. Just incase you don’t know, if you don’t then you will ruin your collar and possibly melt your collar stays into your shirt. So since we are constantly removing our collar stays it is very possible that we may lose them. I’ve lost about five in the last three months. As an aspiring gentleman you should look after your clothes and buying some replacement collar stays is a great insurance item for you.

Collar stays - above the ankles — Collars Stays – £ 1.95

5. Base London Black Base Power Gibson Shoes

Black shoes are few and far between. Many men just wear any sort of black shoes and just expect them to go un-noticed. Your shoes are ridiculously important and every that cares about you will notice them. This June it is probably best you put away those battered black shoes and get yourself a new professional pair. Schuh is a great company to buy from, they have some good brands under their belt and are definitely a great retailer to check out. Base designed these shoes and they are both comfy and very stylish with a slight bump along the front of the shoe to create that perfect work look.

mens base london black base power gibson shoes 2 — Base London Black Base Power Gibson Shoes – £68.00

6. TM Lewin Shirts

Buying a new shirt is something you should do every so often, at least once a year. I love shopping and summer is a great excuse to buy a new shirt. As it heats up you spend more time with your jacket/blazer off and more time showing off your shirts. Since people are going to see it a lot more the next couple months, it makes sense to wear fresh shirts. TM Lewin is a heavyweight in the luxury shirts industry and definitely without a doubt my favourite shirt retailer. Grab your next shirt from them, you will not be disappointment- I promise.

Slim Fit Light Blue Stripe White Cutaway Collar Shirt – £29.95

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Tips

Stitching? – Should You Remove The Thread From Your Suit

Posted on May 28, 2015May 28, 2015by Hamed

Apologies Gentleman for not updating my blog recently. I’ve been working on the back-end of things and have not forgotten about all you stylish men. I’ve recently joined The Student Room and I’m really enjoying speaking to all these young students who have a million questions. I found one that really shocked me, it was from a young man who wanted to know if he should remove the stitching left by the manufacturing company in his clothing.

If you don’t know why this is done, it’s basically to prevent bits of the clothing from getting caught in any of the machinery or getting folded over and being creased in an awkward way for 6 months while in storage – thus potentially ruining the clothing.

Removing The Stitching

To answer the question; should you remove the tacking from your clothing? Yes.

The most common tacking done to suits would be on the lapel and on the vents. Sometimes you will find that the manufacturer has stitched down the lapel through the lapel pin hole on the left breast. The vents on the back, whether it be single or double vented, would also be stitched together in an “X” shape. It is absolutely essential that you remove both of these, no ifs no buts. Unlike most fashion rules, this one is agreed by everyone that it can not be broken. The moment you get that suit home, remove it.

Removing The Stitching – Optional

There are some common spots on your suit that are most likely to be stitched together as well. The back pocket of your suit trousers, the breast pocket of the blazer and the receipt pockets on the front of your blazer. These are optional and should only be removed if you intend on using those pockets.

I use my trouser and breast pockets every day so this is a must for me. The problem is if you open up the front receipt pockets of your blazer then you may be tempted to fill them. If you cram a coke can in them one night, you could potentially ruin the shape of your blazer permanently so be aware.

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Tips

The Two Step Rule To Sunglasses

Posted on May 21, 2015May 28, 2015by Hamed

With summer well on the way the Ray-Bans are fully out in waves to protect our lovely eyes from the dangerous Sun. Even though realistically none of us really wear sunglasses to protect our eyes, sunglasses still have a great use and I hate going out for the day in summer without my Ray-Bans. Do I recommend you to buy sunglasses? Absolutely! They are a great fashion statement and take good care of our eyes.

So what’s the two step rule then?

Sunglasses – The Two Step Rule

It’s simple; when you walk into any building anywhere, you take two steps into the building and take off your shades. Why? Well before I answer; let me ask you, Why would you wear sunglasses inside if the Sun is outside? Unless you are a vampire, it looks weird. Always take them off and hang them off your neckline on your shirt, hold them in your hand or put them in their case.

Maybe you are wondering why two steps into the building then taking them off, it’s quite simple really. I like my Ray-Bans, I look pretty damn good in them and I still want people to see me wearing them. Two steps is enough for people to see my shades on my face but not enough time that they’ll start seeing me as some wanna-be celebrity avoiding paparazzi.

If you are wondering what sunglasses are best, well I’ll discuss that at a later date but I would definitely always recommend Ray-Bans. Known as the biggest and most popular brand out there, originally designed for the military and now worn by politicians, movie stars, sports people and even casual folk like you and me.

Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses - Matte Blue - 50mm — Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses – Matte Blue – 50mm

Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Sunglasses - Tortoise - 50mm — Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Sunglasses – Tortoise – 50mm

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