WeirdApe – Excelsior Black & Gold Watch Review!

Excelsior Black & White - Mechanical Skeleton Watch

WeirdApe Excelsior Magnum Gold – Mechanical Skeleton Watch

Excelsior Black & White - Mechanical Skeleton Watch
There are some amazing small companies out there doing very innovative and crazy things for great prices. WeirdApe is one of them, considering all their watches range from £25 to £35 and they have over two-hundred different styles – they’re doing really well.

WeirdApe have chosen some really creative designs that go really well, you’ll be spoilt for choice. As they all look pleasing and can go with many outfits. You get the choice of many colour sets along with strap colour and material. Some of their designs are in every sense of the word – WEIRD.

First Impressions: Wow what a piece of art!

Design

Once you catch the Excelsior in your eye-sight it automatically makes you go for a double look, you get a craving to want to peer inside it. The kid inside me came out when I first took it out the packaging, I wanted to see it ticking away with all the mechanics moving around.

The design is simple, gold and silver with a black synthetic leather strap. Anyone could see that the designs at WeirdApe are well thought of while at the same time being kind of crazy. The choice of gold and silver is well combined, for example the gold could be seen on the buckle, head, time-winder and inner clock work. The the silver stainless steel is then added to help make those small details stand out and be easily visible.

With the gold skeleton design you can see right though the background into the inner clock work, allowing you to see the magic behind how the clock maintains its time. Seeing the magic is my favourite feature, it just amazes me. Undoubtedly most watches in this sort of design will cost you into three figures.

The clock work can be viewed from the front and back, as there is a clear glass which allows you to look in. Now although it is so cool to have a watch were you can see the clock work, there really isn’t much you can actually see. Still amazing to look at none the less, on the first observation as the WeirdApe have put a skeletal background with static dials and gears to help enhance this feature.

WeirdApe Cover

General Use / Description

The watches dials consist of a hour, minute and second ticker which can be set from the pin on the right hand side. The pin also needs to be used to wind up the clock work as this watch is not battery powered. This can be done by twisting the pin clockwise. You know you are doing this right when you can see the gears moving in the back. Its important to point that out as it did take me a little time to work out how to actually get the watch ticking. I must admit for the first twenty minutes I thought I had been sent a broken watch. Now this function is really unique and gives an old fashioned feel to the watch, however I’d rather just have a battery or even better, a decent watch that ticks away with out the need for batteries or a daily wind-up.

This is my first mechanical powered watch, I’m not a fan. I’m not sure if this is the norm but since the watch does not have a battery or self winder, the mechanical wind up itself will only last around two days. In a way its still impressive and gives you the chance to crank it up when putting the watch on in the morning. That however is being really positive, in reality I can’t be asked to check the time on my phone then crank my watch up and get it to work accordingly.

Excelsior Magnum Gold - Mechanical Skeleton Watch

Occasion

Upon getting this watch I was really excited to wear it and did hope to wear at on any occasion. I soon realised that this was not the case and the watch is really just a show piece, to grab peoples attention and rake in the compliments. This mainly is because of the type of style along with it being mechanically powered, which will get annoying when you forget to crank it back. I wore it wherever I could and showed many people to get their opinions on it, the compliments came flying in and people assumed the watch was an expensive timepiece. So thumbs up on the reasonable price tag.

Durability and Quality

For the average price tag of a non branded watch, you get a beautiful crafted watch made out of stainless steel with a high grade synthetic leather strap. Only shame for me was that the strap was very stiff and tough from new and even after wearing the watch after a week, it still struggled to fit my hand snugly. I will definitely be replacing the strap with a genuine leather strap. WeirdApe, if you’re reading, fix the straps, they’re horribly uncomfortable.

Excelsior Magnum Gold - Mechanical Skeleton Watch

Conclusion

I really do love this watch and putting the obvious downfalls aside, I would highly recommend getting one for the watch collection. At only £35, you can’t go wrong. The WeirdApe Excelsior is not a watch to wear on a daily basis but it is a great go-to watch when looking to switch things up and grab a few compliments. As a first watch, I’d steer clear and get a reliable watch, but to add to the collection.. Perfect.

Excelsior Magnum Gold - Mechanical Skeleton Watch

Is The Waistcoat Size The Same As The Jacket Size?

waistcoats cover photo

Waistcoats aren’t worn nowadays as much as they should be. With six months of cold ahead of us, layering up makes sense and wearing a waistcoats is a great idea. How do you know your size?

How do you know your waistcoat size?

Is the waistcoat size the same as the blazer or jacket size?

The model David Gandy wearing a bespoke suit by Henry Poole & Co

Waistcoats are sized by our chests, the same as the suit jacket sizes. If you wear a size 40 blazer then you should follow suit accordingly with the waistcoat size. There are a few things to consider before purchasing a waistcoat.

Waistcoat & Your Stomach

If you have a large stomach then you need understand that unlike the suit jacket, the waistcoat will be done up all the time. It’s best to order one size up in the waistcoat if this is the case. It will give you more room to breathe, especially if you’ll be eating.

Copy The Suit Cut

Many suits come with waistcoats however some don’t. All suits and waistcoats are cut in different sizes. If you’re going to be buying a waistcoat from a company your not used to, go one size up to be safe.

Remember: Leave the bottom button open.

Black Friday Deals – The Best Of The Crop

black friday

It’s that time of the year when our inbox’s get spammed with deal after deal about the wonderful Black Friday. All the deals start to get a bit confusing after awhile. Mainly due to the fact most of deals available aren’t actually deals. The usual tell-tale signs are “UP to 40% OFF” banners, meaning four products are 40% off and the others are normal price. Another trick is the whole “25% off today only.” All of these types of sales I dislike and never use. Everything you like on sale will probably be ridiculous sizes or utterly hideous.

To help you out,I figured I’d combine a list of all the best deals that are actual deals. Most of the deals below will be site-wide discounts meaning you can use the discount code on ANY product on the website.

Please note all of these offers were sent to my email and I strongly advise signing up to your favourite companies newsletters so you can receive these offers throughout the year.

Black Friday Deals

Click either the banners or the titles below and you will be redirected to their website. Hope you enjoy the list and I’ll see you after this madness that they call Black Friday.

Ben Sherman

30% off everything!!!
no code needed!

ben sherman

The Hut Group

30% off Everything this Black Friday.
Enter code: BLACKFRIDAY
Valid: 27/11 – 30/11

the hut group

ASOS

20% off Everything.
Enter Cyber at Checkout.

asos banner

The Idle Man

20% off Everything.
No code needed!

the idle man

Dobell

20% off Everything
Remember to enter BL20 at checkout

dobell mr tuxedo

MenLook

30% off everything
Use the code “BLACKFRIDAY”

menlook

Moss Bros

30% off everything
Use the code “FRIDAY20”
Dates: 26th – 29th November

moss bros black friday

Happy Socks

40% Off + Free Shipping On All Orders
No Code Needed

happy socks black friday

Jake’s Shoes

20% off everything!
No code needed!

jake shoes

Office Shoes

20% off with free delivery online and in store
ENTER ‘SNOW’ AT CHECKOUT
Valid from: Wednesday 25th Nov until Monday 30th November (23.59).

office shoes trainers sale

Suit Size – Struggling To Find The Best Fit?

Suit Size - Struggling To Find The Best Fit

It’s important to know that suits that are readily available in retail stores, like the ones I post on here or the ones you find on the high-street, they are made in their thousands and the suit size is based on the “normal” size human. What’s considered normal? I don’t have a clue but I know I haven’t been “normal” or been able to wear a suit straight off the rack since I was nineteen years old. I play football and cycle a lot so below my waist is much larger than “normal” meaning none of the trousers off the rack will fit me. Suit jackets off the rack fit me fine.

Tailor Made

Let’s get down to it, if you cant find a suit that fits you, what do you? If you can afford to have a tailor design a suit for you from nothing, usually costing around £600 for the entire suit – then you need not worry, the suit will fit you perfectly. Most of us, myself included cannot afford to be buying tailor-made suits.

A good friend of mine messaged me this morning this same question. He’s super slim and 6″5 in height, you can imagine his struggles.

Retail & Tailor Combined – The Perfect Suit Size

The Perfect Suit Size

The best thing to do is to combine between buying from the retailers for cheap and then spending another £15-£50 at your local tailors to get them to readjust the suit to fit you. I advise you to always buy the suit in a larger size and then you’re tailor will have an easy job removing the excess fabric.

If you are in doubt, go into the tailors without a suit, get them to measure you and tell them your intentions of buying an off the rack suit and getting it cut. They’ll tell you what jacket and trouser size to go for and you can work from there.

My Preferences

My budget for a suit is usually around the £150 mark. For me anything above that is pushing it and anything below that is a bit too cheap and tacky. My favourite store at the moment for suits is Mark’s & Spencer’s, their suits are usually made really well and they have a MASSIVE range of sizes so it becomes easy for me to find a suit that fits perfectly in the jacket. Then my tailor charges me £25 to get the trousers tapered in and turned up above my ankles.

Straight-Hem-Or-Turn-Up

Get The Look #8 – MusikaFrere

Get The Look #8 - MusikaFrere cover photo

There aren’t many people on Instagram better dressed than Davidson Petit-Frère. Combined with his partner, David runs his company; MusikaFrere. You only have to be on their site for three seconds to realize they have unique talents and following them on Instagram is a must. A lot of my style is influenced heavily by men I see online that have amazing fashion sense and David is one of them.

Get The Look #8 - MusikaFrere 2

I had a choice of many different outfits from David but ultimately the majority of his outfits are unique and will cost you quite a bit of cash to look that good. Plus you’d pretty much have to go to David in NYC to get them. Therefore I decided to opt for an outfit that is easily copyable but still looks amazing. The look I’ve picked is both smart and casual, while being perfect for both winter and spring. Should you buy this outfit, it’s pretty much an all time classic that you can wear all year round.

The Outfit

The outfit is extremely basic, starting with a black slim-fitted turtle neck, a wide lapeled burgundy blazer, slim fitted black trouser and a pair of plain black trainers. Simple right? Simplicity is always the best, especially if you can make it look natural – almost as if you got dressed in five minutes.

Where Would You Wear It?

Sometimes we find ourselves with an outfit that we are unable to wear often. Either it is too casual or it is too loud – which is annoying. Doubt you’ll have a problem with this one.

Wearing it on a night out is the obvious choice, whatever you choose to do with your night, the turtle-neck shows people you are willing to chill a little, while the blazer let’s people know you’re classy guy. Dinners are perfect for this kind of outfit, especially if you’re going out to eat at a decent place where you know others will be dressed smartly.

Any sort of event, ranging from a work-do or a sporting event to a family baby shower, this look will surely have the colleagues and family admiring you. Whether they say anything to you or not will depend on how often they see you well dressed. If you find that the event is too casual hang your blazer on a chair and show off the fitted turtle-neck.

Blazer

The blazer is an elegant burgundy colour, a nice dark dull colour. Not often do you compliment a dull colour, but with winter coming round, you don’t want to be wearing those bright colours. Dark colours are great for many reasons, whether it’s to create a serious/professional persona or to blend in and not stand out like a lollipop lady.

Turtle Neck

A good fitted turtle-neck can get you far in this world and is essential for a man with a thing for fashion. They can be worn in a range of different ways. The most common is as a casual/smart look, usually by the older gent. This is combined usually with chinos, a jacket and driving shoes – this is my favourite way of wearing them. Combining it with a suit jacket is the most stylish way, as seen in this look.

Trousers

David here has kept it simple, a slim fitted black pair of trousers. Whether the trousers are a chino or a dark pair of jeans it doesn’t matter much. For the smart/formal nights, I’d always opt for the chino. Zara do some amazing fantastic quality chinos for £40. On the more casual night out, I’d definitely go for jeans, especially if you’re likely to be jumping around or spilling things. If that’s the type of night you’re intending to have, I’d probably leave the blazer behind.

Trainers

I was surprised to see David wearing trainers, it’s not a common sight on his Instagram page. Both trainers and shoes work well with this look. Which one to wear, depends on the day/night you intend on having. As with the chinos/jeans, follow accordingly (jeans with trainers and chinos with shoes.)

Don’t forget to follow David on Instagram;

Davidson_Frere

Nike Team Training Mini Duffle Bag

Nike Team Training Mini Duffle Bag

I’m sitting down at my desk one morning just spinning around on my chair at work, bored as hell. Then I look up and see this small manly handbag with “NIKE” printed boldly on the back, it looked so neat and tidy – I wanted one. Went straight up to my colleague and asked him where he got it from. Unfortunately for him, he paid £25 for it.

Do I mind having the exact same bag as someone else at work? Nope. As long as I look good I’m happy.

He got it off Amazon and thankfully for me it was sold out. After some googling I managed to find a few different links. Good news, I ordered mine for a fraction of the price he paid – £18 from John Lewis.

Diversity

The obvious use is for the gym, it’s strangely big enough to carry my trainers, tracksuit, t-shirt and a bottle of water. It’s also small enough to hold comfortably hold my lunch box, shoes and book for those working days. One handy feature is that there is actually room to unzip one end of the bag and extend the bag by about 50%. This proves great for all those weekends away. However, let it be known, the bag loses all its s*x appeal when you extend it. Only use in emergencies.

Nike Team Training Mini Duffle Bag

Whether it’s the gym, work or a short break away – this quality Nike bag will do the job.

Appearance

When walking to the gym, I always hang it on my shoulder using the long strap. This keeps the look of the standard gym bag, which is neither good nor bad. However, when walking to work, I make it far more fashionable. The shoulder strap is removable, I tuck it away inside the bag and carry the bag in one hand using the soft holdall handles. Due to the compact size of the bag, all the weight is in one position and the bag holds shape fantastically well.

Nike Team Training Mini Duffle Bag
Nike Team Training Mini Duffle Bag

Price

How often do you find bags costing £18.00? – no brainer!

Conclusion

Gone are the days of me walking to work with my lunch in a shopping bag. I no longer have to walk to the gym with a half empty bag or carry some huge bag on holiday with me. This Nike bag is compact, functional and cheap. If only Adidas would create one similar (being the Adidas fan that I am.)

Rules All Men Should Follow

Be a Gentleman Wallpapers 2560x1440

While on StumbleUpon, I stumbled upon a decent set of rules all men should obey. Not only are they interesting, they are also easy to implement. The majority of fashion blog’s will focus on looking amazing outwardly, when undoubtedly, having a beautiful character will benefit you a lot more. The rules are short and concise and hopefully you will be able to implement them into your own life. All credits go to the original author; OkShark.Com.

36 Rules all Men Must Know

    1. Know what you want. Don’t go around asking for approval.
    2. Always love and respect your parents.
    3. Never cheat on your girlfriend/wife.
    4. On the bus always give up your seat to the elderly, pregnant women, and mothers with their kids.
    5. Don’t lend money to your family. Give it.
    6. Don’t put others down.
    7. Don’t participate in gossip.
    8. Exercise.
    9. At the gym wear nice clothes. You will interact with a lot of different kinds of professionals there and first impressions are everything.
    10. Don’t ever take selfies.
    11. In emails and texts don’t use short form.
    12. No matter how mad you may be at your family, keep it in the family.
    13. Don’t brag.
    14. Listen. Girls like to talk about themselves.
    15. Never use the term: “Shit happens.” Put in more efforts into comforting that person.
    16. If talking to someone you don’t want to, make a polite excuse and leave.
    17. Don’t follow others.
    18. Don’t waste your life away being on your phone and computer all the time.
    19. When making plans, call. Don’t text.
    20. Know how to fix things around the house.
    21. Don’t be intimidated by anyone.
    22. Know how to fight.
    23. Have hobbies.
    24. Don’t be afraid to go and watch a movie alone.
    25. Learn to be patient and relaxed.
    26. Never stop learning new skills.
    27. Read books and keep the mind fresh.
    28. Read the newspaper.
    29. When your parents don’t make any sense, put up with it anyways. It’s too hard for them to change at this age.
    30. Never split the check. Always pay it.
    31. Play chess at least twice a week. Keeps the mind super fresh.
    32. Buy your mum flowers for no reason.
    33. Own a pair of expensive sunglasses, gloves and nice scarf.
    34. Own at least two nice watches.
    35. Use a money clip. Not a wallet.
    36. Don’t buy things you can’t afford.

You don’t have to agree with these rules but they are all characteristics of a good man.

gentleman quotes

Winter Coats – What To Wear This Winter?

what to wear this winter

All of those blessed enough to live in hot countries, can get away with wearing their blazers throughout the year. Those of us that have to grow our hair for a few months just to have some extra insulation, know all about wrapping up this time of the year. The cold in the UK is no joke, and wrapping up is essential, but so is looking good.

TinieTempahstreetstyle

The Perfect Winter Coat

Most of us don’t give a monkey’s about comfort, we just want to look great. With winter in full effect, and every other day the rain beating down on my hairless head, there shouldn’t be a doubt in anyone’s mind that for you to look great this season it’s all about the coat you wear. There are many different types, some will suit you perfectly and others you may look out of place. Regardless of the type of coat, the most important thing you need to get right is the combination of three;

– Fit
– Warmth
– Style

Fit

Having a coat that fits, is imperative. Its the same with all outer garments. When out shopping we sometimes fall too deeply in love with something and are willing to sacrifice how well it fits. This is pretty much always a bad idea. If you’ve tried on both the Medium & Small and they’re not quite working for you, as much as it hurts – move on. We’ve all been there, trying to force our way into an item we love, then a week later we end up hating it. Be patient.

Warmth

Now the coat fits, you need to make sure it’s actually worth wearing. No point wearing a thin layered coat that won’t keep you warm or dry. Get yourself a nice thick jacket that will be your saviour on that rainy day, so when you get back in from lunch you won’t have to sit at your desk dripping wet. Not only that but who wants to get ill?

Style

Realistically, we are all here to look good, if the jacket keeps you warm and dry and fits well but looks like it belonged to your grandmother – eww. I recommend two coats this winter; the bomber jacket and the trench coat.

Undoubtedly trench coats are the way forward this season. They cover your top-half as well as most of your bottom, so if you ever get caught in the rain, your coat will bear the brunt of it. The wool trench coats will keep you warm from the blistering winds, plus most come with added fur for that extra softness. They go perfectly well with the office look and will set you levels above the rest. A good trench coat should cost around £100, while the more designer ones are upwards of £500.

Bomber jackets are fantastic for the casual look, the days I wear chinos and a shirt, I usually complete the look with one of my Zara bomber jackets. Most bomber jackets will keep you dry through light rain but once the amazon showers start, you’re likely to get soaked. You’ll pick up a good bomber jacket for around £50.

A great winter coat, should keep you dry, warm and make you look fantastic. Don’t compromise, spend a little more, you’ll thank yourself in February when you’re standing in the snow.

Reiss Unstructured Wool Overcoat

ASOS Double Breasted Overcoat In Black Boucle

Now’s The Best Time To Grab Yourself A Bargain

Who doesn’t love a bargain? Genuine quality items are rarely discounted. Why would Gucci need to put stuff on sale when they’re guaranteed to sell at full price? So when’s the best time to grab the best deals?

shopping for men

Easy answer – when the seasons change. Autumn and winter seasons clothes begin being sold in August but summer clothes like shorts are still sold until October. After October retailers don’t mind taking a hit on revenue just to make a small profit on leftover stock from summer.

Here’s where you come in; check around your favourite websites. All of them will have a “new in” section. Skip past that. Go straight to the sale tab. What you’ll find are mostly items best fitted for the hot weather. Thin linen/cotton suits, slip-on loafers, button down collars shirts and chinos.

You can usually pick these up for around half their retail price. ASOS is my favourite company for doing this. I grab my best bargains around October and March. I simply do the opposite to most people. I buy winter stuff when everyone’s buying summer gear and vice versa.

My latest buy are these Frank Wright brown loafers which I picked up for £23 down from £75, definitely a bargain if you ask me. They’re comfortable and most importantly beautiful.

Frank Wright Leather Tassel Loafers

Break a habit and shop the opposite way round, you’ll get some great deals.

Two Fashion Mistakes Some People ACTUALLY Make

business men in shorts - fashion mistakes

You cannot make a mistake when it comes to style, style is who you are and what you choose to do with your clothes, so feel free to express yourself in anyway you see fit. However, when it comes to fashion there are MANY mistakes and I mean MANY. Some of the well known “fashion mistakes” I disagree with and this is evident in my own style. There are on the other hand some mistakes you can’t afford to make.

Two of which I have seen today and want to try and hopefully prevent you from doing them.

bad fit suit

1. Badly Fitted Clothes

Badly fitted suits are horrible, whether they’re too baggy or too tight. Clothes should make you feel comfortable and look good. If you’re uncomfortable, your clothes are probably too tight. If you feel like you’re in bed, your clothes are way to big.

I saw some incredibly baggy clothes today. They looked like they were handed down through the generations. I remember when I went to my first interview, I wore my dad’s suit and oh my God, I looked horrible and everyone could tell.

If you find it difficult finding clothes that fit you properly, then either branch out of your comfort zone and try out new stores or build a great relationship with your nearest tailor. You’ll be surprised what tailor’s can do.

2. Short Sleeves With A Tie

Fast food restaurants want their managers to look the part so they ask them to wear ties. Obviously they can’t wear a tie without a shirt so they get them to wear a shirt. The problem arises when you have someone wearing a shirt, getting sauce and oil all over their sleeves. Which obviously leads to this short sleeve/tie combo we see today.

short sleeve shirt with tie

Now unless you’re a manager in a fast food restaurant, why would you ever wear a short sleeve shirt with a tie? Please don’t. The short sleeve/tie combo is associated with low paying jobs and unless that’s the look you’re going for, avoid it.