white – Above The Ankles

Get The Look

Get The Look – #6 Suit & Trainers

Posted on May 4, 2015April 19, 2016by Hamed

This week I wanted to do something more casual but still very classy, while also being very easy to copy and alter to fit your style. Most of us wouldn’t actually have to go out and buy anything to create this look as we all own a suit, a hoody and trainers. The look itself is simple, it is combined of a very slim grey hoody designed for warmer months, a decent light blue suit, a dark blue pocket square, a watch, some shades and a pair of crisp white trainers. Sounds simple right? Absolutely!

The Look – Suits & Trainers

The Hoody

The hoody in this look is actually the most important part of this outfit, even more important than the suit. The reason why the hoody is so important is because it really dictates how people see the outfit. If you use a thick hoody with a logo then the outfit will look cheap and actually quite “gangster boy gone to court.” Keep the hoody thin, use a light colour and the hoody will fit nicely under your suit.

The Suit

The suit is a slim fit suit made from linen, which is perfect for all those hot summer days. I would suggest wearing one of your bigger suits so you can move around comfortably (also why wearing a thin hoody is important.) The suit in this look has beautiful wide lapels, 2 buttons for fastening the jacket and the trousers are cuffed (rolled up.)

The Pocket Square

Pocket squares are fantastic always and in this outfit they are no different. Simply add any colour pocket square you want to this outfit and it will fit, here’s a few I like from Moss Bros.

The Trainers

Without a doubt, the item I love in this look are the trainers. For summer, we all should own crisp white trainers that just reflect the light into everyone’s eyes and make us look fantastic. You have so many options when it comes to white trainers but I would keep it as simple as possible. My favourite is definitely Vans.

Shades & Watch

For the shades and watch, I don’t actually want to recommend anything for you guys. These two things are not important to the outfit and what you choose to wear is completely down to personal taste.

Let me know how you get on with this look and let me know what you think below in the comments.

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Get The Look

Get The Look – #5 Lambo

Posted on April 14, 2015September 22, 2015by Hamed

I’m sure the majority of you will click on this one just because the Lamborghini looks amazing. Unfortunately I don’t know many places to get one so I’ll leave that up to you. You could probably try lamborghini.com. The flashy car aside, this weeks look is an extremely basic but extremely useful look especially for summer. You can tweak this outfit just by switching the trousers and the outfit will look different every time.

The Look

The main piece to this outfit is the blazer, this is the centerpiece, the main event if you like and if you get this right then its pretty much impossible to fail in the rest of the look. The blazer is a solid navy blue, not too dark so it will look perfect for those sunny days and won’t look like a black blazer on those dark nights out. Being a double breasted blazer, it is very easily converted from a work blazer by adding a shirt and tie although nowadays the double breasted is usually more associated to smart/casual events and weekends. Pair this beauty with some white chino trousers and a white cutaway shirt and you get the perfect summer casual outfit. To complete the whole outfit, grab some shades, slap on a watch, stick a white pocket square in the blazer and add some bracelets.

Sounds simple right? It is.

So where would you wear this? Anywhere – whether out shopping or off to the beach. I’d probably wear this look with some loafers or boat shoes, but you can even throw on some trainers.

The Blazer

So for this look you need a blazer with a solid blue, which isn’t too dark and not too bright that it looks like you can only wear it during the day. On top of that it needs to be double breasted and have a nice slim fit to it. I recommend grabbing this beauty while it is in stock at House of Fraser; Corsivo Redi Double Breasted Peak Lapel Panama Jacket for only £72.99. If you want a slightly darker or lighter one then I’ve added three nice blazers, each of different shade.

Corsivo Redi Double Breasted Peak Lapel Panama Jacket – £72.99

River Island Blue Double Breasted Slim Blazer – £110.00

Next Navy Slim Fit Double Breasted Blazer – £65.00

Brook Taverner Reigate-Navy – £159.95

The Shirt

When it comes to quality white shirts I just can not seem to fall in love with any shirts as much as I love TM Lewin shirts. If you want another shirt aside from TM Lewin, then I recommend Moss Bros or GANT. Personally, I own TM Lewin shirts and nothing beats them on price or quality. Here’s my two favourite white shirts.

Fitted Plain White Twill Non-Iron Shirt – £39.95

Fitted Plain White Twill Cutaway Collar Shirt – £34.95

The Trousers

White trousers are pretty unique and you generally have an option between going for some white chino’s which are quite thick but are generally pretty comfy. The alternative to that is to get some white formal trousers, which are designed to be suit trousers, they look and feel like suit trousers, generally quite light and great for summer. Which ever one you choose won’t matter too much, they look the same its just about your own comfort.

Pure Linen Easy to Iron Flat Front Chinos – £35.00

Moss 1851 Tailored Fit White Linen Trousers – £50.00

Accessories

To complete the look, add your favourite watch, some sunglasses and a bracelet or two, check out the bracelets I posted on the last issue of get the look. Finally to finish things off, you need a nice white pocket square. You can opt for a plain white one or even a polka dotted one, entirely up to you. Might not seem like much but trust me, a white pocket square works wonders.

White Cotton Handkerchief – £6.00

Moss London White Stitch Border Handkerchief – £7.00

Cotton Handkerchief Gift Set – £25.00

Hope you enjoyed this weeks get the look, please feel free to rate the look at the top of the post and let me know what you think in the comments below.

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Blog

Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Shirt White

Posted on April 8, 2015April 8, 2015by Hamed

I suppose you don’t always have to wear a dress shirt to work, and even if you do, then you might want to wear a different type of shirt on the weekend. I love my dress shirts that I wear to work but on dress down day or if I’m going out to eat then I love wearing my other formal shirts that ARE NOT meant to be worn with a tie.

Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Shirt White

This Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Shirt White is the perfect shirt for those of you who want to look smart and fresh without feeling like you need to put on a tie. Ralph Lauren is probably one of the most well known brands, we know what to expect from them and if you have ever owned a ralph lauren polo shirt then you will know; they last a long time. This shirt is made from 100% cotton so the white colour will be easy to look after & maintain.

Collars

The collars are pointed button down collars which pretty much mean that they must be worn with the shirt fully done up and can not be worn with a tie. On the left side of the chest is the trademark Ralph Lauren Polo logo in a sharp blue.

Price

Priced at £85, the Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Shirt White is definitely going to be one of those stand out items in your wardrobe.

How To Wear This

Depending on what you do for a living, you could wear this to work or to study, I would recommend mainly wear this out to dinner with a blazer and some chino’s/dark jeans. Add a pair of boat shoes/loafers or dark trainers and you are winning.

Get yours here; Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Shirt White.

If there are any discount codes available for this you can find them; here.

Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Shirt White - £85.00 — Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Shirt White – £85.00

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Get The Look

Get The Look #4

Posted on April 1, 2015by Hamed

I haven’t done a get the look post in awhile and you guys have been bugging me for it, so here it is.

This weeks Get The Look is based upon two of my favourite colours. Black & White! These two colours aren’t generally consider to be peoples favourite colours but could you live without them? Black and white are the two most simple colours you could ever wear. They fit perfectly into all outfit combinations and are almost completely neutral. This outfit today is very simple and won’t cost much at all, but if you get it right, it will look amazing!

The Suit

Wearing a black suit is really easy, theres not much thought needed with it, simply just wear black socks. The only problem with black suits is finding a quality one, there’s too many cheap ones out there. The two suits I’ve added below are from Moss Bros and TM Lewin – two giants in the suit retail world. Both of these suits are quality, I personally prefer the Franco Suit from TM Lewin as it’s a blend of polyester and wool. The Moss London Black Mixer Suit is still a quality suit, however as its a blend of polyester and viscose it falls slightly short compared to the Franco Suit.

Franco Suit Jacket By TM Lewin – £149.00

Moss London Slim Fit Black Mixer Suit Jacket – £129.00

The Shirt

The shirt is very simple black and white checked shirt. However purchasing a black and white checked shirt isn’t an easy choice and it should be done with care. You need to know the difference between a weekend/summer checked shirt and a business formal checked shirt. In this look, the shirt is single cuffed, although I believe a double cuffed would suit better, both are fine. Understand that in order to pull off this look, you need a firm shirt, with solid collars that are not flimsy and look like you mean business. I found it really difficult to find shirts that are similar quality to the one in this picture. I did however manage to find one I really liked from ASOS.

ASOS Smart Shirt with Long Sleeves in Gingham Check – £20.00

Bow Tie

The bow tie in this outfit is really simple, its a basic black bow tie with white polka dots. You could also wear a grey bow tie with white polka dots and that would go perfectly with this outfit as well. Where you buy your bow tie from is pretty irrelevant really, you can buy them from many different retail stores but I’ll be nice and offer you a few.

Reclaimed Vintage Polkadot Bow Tie 2 — Reclaimed Vintage Polkadot Bow Tie – £16.00

Ted Baker Spotted Print Bow Tie – £40.00

The Bracelet

Bracelets are easy to come by and not a necessity in your outfit. However, you can wear whatever type of bracelet you prefer with this outfit and it will pretty much go. In this look, the wearer is wearing a plain bead bracelet and a metal link bracelet. Here’s a few;

Beaded Tassel Bracelet Multipack – £10.00

Lovebullets Barrel Bead Bracelet – £35.00

The Lapel Pin

Lapel pins are a great way to add something special to your outfit. In this look it’s just a simple musical note pin but you could replace it with any silver lapel pin. Don’t spend too much money on these, you can get them for pretty cheap. I would recommend having a look on ebay here so you can find your taste.

The Pocket Square

Pocket squares are among my favourite pieces of an outfit and are so simply to apply. This look is no different, just a simple checkered pocket square.

Black Bow Tie And Pocket Square – £10.00

ASOS Pocket Square With Polka Dot – £6.00

That’s All

Have fun creating your own look and let me know how it goes.

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Tips

What Are Shirts Designed To Be?

Posted on March 3, 2015April 3, 2015by Hamed

shirts are designed to abovetheankles cover

Can you guess what shirts are designed to be?

This might seem ridiculously obvious but unfortunately I see it everyday at work for some strange reason. By shirts I mean dress (formal) shirts. So what were dress shirts designed to do?

Dress shirts are designed to be tucked in, they are made long with extra material so that when they are tucked into the trousers, they stay there. Whether you plan on wearing a full suit or some casual jeans without a tie, your shirt should be tucked in – it just looks better.

Have a look for yourself;

Regardless of whether you want to look casual or just feel relaxed, if you are going to be wearing a suit, your shirt absolutely has to be tucked in. If you are going for a more casual jeans or chinos look then understand that you can’t wear an ordinary dress shirt untucked. If you want to go and get it tailored for like £5 and the shirt will get shortened and look better. Alternatively, of course you could just buy a formal shirt that isn’t long and keep that untucked if you wish.

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Reviews

My Four Shirts – 10% OFF

Posted on January 21, 2015April 4, 2016by Hamed

Do you ever just look at someone and think wow they are basically wearing the same thing as me but they look so much better, why? Or that guy looks great but he’s dressed so simplistically. Sometimes it can just be their complexion or their body shape just looks great with their outfit but 9/10 times it will just be the fact that they are wearing quality clothes.

TM Lewin doesn’t fall short in terms of quality. People notice you when you wear a TM Lewin shirt. Your white shirt is leagues above the other guys white shirt. I went into TM Lewin a few times in the last month, trying to match four shirts for £80 but I could never find three shirts I actually liked, let alone four. The problem with TM Lewin is the retail stores are more expensive than the online stores and they have such a small selection in store. The know that the fit of the shirt is the most important thing.

Try It On

Go into the store and try on the different sizes, find your perfect size, ignore the sales reps and walk out. Jump online and order all the shirts you love. Not only are the shirts online cheaper; they have more colours, more designs and you can mix up the sale items with the non sale items.

My Order & Vouchers

I ordered four shirts and two socks online in the exact colours and fit I wanted when I was in the store. Not only did I find my perfect size/design I also ended up paying less for four shirts and two socks than I would have if I just would have bought four shirts in store. When shopping online you have the opportunity to add in discount codes and coupons that you can’t do in store. I used a voucher for 10% off which brought my order from £92 down to £82.80. I sometimes get emails with them offering me 20 or 30% off so you should definitely sign up to their mailing list.

If you want me to send you any voucher codes I get for TM Lewin leave a comment below, I’ll gladly share.

It get’s better…

My order came with £50 wine voucher with Virgin wines, which I threw in the bin as I don’t drink wine. Better than the wine voucher, they sent me two vouchers with £10 off any order over £75.

Want My TM Lewin Shirts

Want to order the same shirts/socks as me, I definitely recommend them. Enjoy…

Fitted Plain White Twill Cutaway Collar Shirt

London Fitted White Curved Cutaway Collar Shirt

Fitted Blue Poplin Double Cuff Shirt

Fitted Plain Pink Luxury Twill Double Cuff Shirt

Navy Blue Stripe Socks

Navy Pink Stripe Socks

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Tips

White Shirts

Posted on January 7, 2015by Hamed

Many people get away with this, well at least they think they do. I have fallen victim to this and have learnt the hard way and the worst thing about this problem is chances are no one will tell you about it. You’re probably thinking why wouldn’t your friends tell you, well to be honest; they probably don’t fully realise themselves. The problem with having a dis-coloured white shirt is no-one really notices consciously. However without them knowing; they probably think a lot less of your outfit thanks to your “white” shirt. Have you ever looked at someone and thought, wow his shirt is really bright? Chances are you liked the rest of his outfit too. I have had so many conversations with different people about why my shirt’s are so bright, especially in summer when the suns shining.

Now unfortunately I’m not going to tell you how to look after your shirts, I don’t use daz or any other stupidly expensive washing powder or anything like that. If you really have no idea then google how to look after white shirts. I have only two tips for you.

Open Your Wardrobe

Open your wardrobe and look at your shirts, how do they actually look. Do they look good, are they worn out. A good place to start is with your oldest shirt, compare it to your newest. Are there any rips or bits that are tethered? Chances are if you can’t remember buying the shirt then it’s probably faded and has that second-hand white/grey look.

Don’t Be Lazy

Actually make an effort to look after your shirts. Wash them when they are dirty. Get stain remover (I use vanish) and get rid of the stains the same day they happen! Don’t leave them on the floor ever! Once they are washed; hang them up. You’re not a child anymore (even if you live with your mum), it’s time to step up and look your best.

Your Image

The way you look always reflects on how you feel. When you buy a brand new white shirt and put it on fresh from the packet, you automatically feel a lot better. You feel rich, you feel like you’re ready. You can always go out and constantly buy brand new shirts, if you’re blessed with that kind of money then well done. In my case I make my shirts last between a year and 18 months. After about 18 months it’s time for me to visit the charity shop then visit the shopping centres.

Remember people are watching, if you just want to dress well and get compliments – great! If you want more from life, if you want to go places and achieve something, people are looking at the finer details. If you take care of yourself and your possessions chances are people will entrust you to take care of them.

Keep em white!

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