Shirt jacket

The shirt jackets! A lot of guys favourite now. It is one of the trends that is not going to die anytime soon, it has become so popular and is now a very indispensable piece of clothing for a man due to its versatility and functionality. One thing that makes this shirt jacket so versatile is that you can wear it anytime in any weather, as there are of different types; light weight and heavy weight.

 A lot of components have been added to the shirt jackets now, like over sized pockets to give it a bold statement on this style - emerging from the combination of jacket and shirt deign and creating a new

 focal point. Also four big pockets have been added too, giving it a classic look or that military look. More facets or components like the regular collars or round hems which is being influenced from the button up shirt, contrasted with jacket elements like tab adjusters and concealed zip plackets.

Denim is the main material used for the shirt jacket, especially during summer period. And they come in  genuine styles, although heavy weight flannel materials and heavy cotton, contrast twills are strongly associated with the shirt jacket and also singularly just the shirt.

Floral print

The floral print came back to life this year, from female fashion it spread and has affected male fashion and apparently is among the biggest trends now. It expresses a great deal of colours and patterns.
Like the aztec print they are not limited to just shirts, shorts to trousers, you can get them in possibly all kind of accessories, like ties, pocket squares, scarves, shoes, belts hats as well as bags too.

It takes some really good fashion sense, style and a greatly detailed floral print and a great attitude towards any kind of fashion to pull out this trend very well or perfectly. The floral print involves a lot of colours, thereby you need to mix your colours and patterns properly. Black is one colour that goes perfectly well with floral print, incase you cant find the right colour to add to your floral garment, application of black will deal with your problem, whether the print be light or dark.

Brogues

Brogues roots to a rudimentary shoe that masterminded in Scotland and Ireland. It was produced with leather having perforations so that when used in a wet topography the water can be drained out. The name "brogues" was brought about in the late sixteenth century and is an extraction of the Gaelic (Irish and Scottish culture)

They are of four different types, the Full or Wingtip Brogues which have a pointed toe cap with extensions rubbing along the sides of the toe, terminating near the ball of the foot. It has a "W" shaped design with perforations at the toe cap which looks like wings, thats the reason it is also referred to as Wingtips.

Secondly, the Semi Brogues which have a toe cap with perforations and serrations along the edge of the cap, and also have designed perforations in the middle of the toe cap. The "W" design is what differentiates the full brogue from this one.

Thirdly, the Quarter Brogues which are very similar to the semi brogue, they have a toe cap decorated with perforations and serrations along its cap edge like the semi brogue, but they dont have designed perforations in the middle of the toe cap unlike the semi brogues.

Lastly we have the Longwing Brogues, and as the name implies, it has a pointed toe cap with the "W" shape design which extends to the to the back of the shoes and meet at the centre seam of the heel. In the US its popularly known as "English brogues" while in the UK as "American brogues"

Quarter brogues

Full/wingtips brogues

Semi brogues

Longwing brogues


The brogues are undeniable the urban gent's shoes. Brogues are being brought back to life but not as we have known them. The traditional brogues have been influenced highly by the country gents adding to it a twist of urban sleek. For the real followers of fashion or the real gents, brogues are the ultimate shoes, with bags of character; brogues are full of life and colour.  Brown and black brogues are classics dress them up or dress them down for work, rest or play. The versatile shoes for the man about town. Look sharp in pair o polished patent brogues or keep things casual with a washed vintage style leather brogue, add character to suits and tailoring whilst a pair of washed tan leather brogues will go perfectly with a checked shirt.

Shambala bracelet

Most men are not easily swayed by fashion trends like the women, especially when dealing with accessories. The most you will see on a man's hand is his watch or/and his wedding ring for a married man. But now its a whole different story, so man guys have been spotted with all kinds of bracelets especially the shamabala. The shamblala bracelet is a bracelet that is braided, woven or knotted with specially designed stones, gems, metals or small diamond or diamond-like crusted balls of different colours.

There is a whole lot to the shambala than how we see it. The shambala is actually a mythical kingdom that Tibetan Buddhist believe in. It is supposed to be a symbol of enlightenment, peace and perfection. The myth says it is located deep within asia and is exceedingly difficult to locate. Today it is culture tied into meditation. On the spiritual side the stones, gems, metals are believed to have healing properties that are all natural and very effective. Most people use it for personal strength and they are very useful in meditation. Most of the are a symbol of oneness.

However, the shambala bracelet is a very unique fashion accessory because of its stunning beauty and beatnik and hip hop vibe. They look amazing with a variety of outfits, come with matching necklaces and one of the few bracelets men can wear.

The original authentic shambala bracelets are made using real mined diamonds and priced accordingly, costing from about $20,000 upwards. Some are made of synthetic diamond costing a low price like $250 upwards. And the bare ones of just shiny stones and so are within the range of $40.

The influence

 With dress codes getting more and more relaxed these days, we now get to see the different facets of fashion influence each other. If i must say, its a development in men's fashion.We should take inspiration from a variety of sources. Inspiration in the key word here, as imitating other styles makes you look unoriginal, so it is therefore good we take the best features of a look we like and apply them to our own style

One of the widest source of inspiration is the street, nowadays people bring the street style into the formal or bare casual look. One very good example is that of wearing sneakers with suits or with a formal outfit. The opportunities in the street style are countless, you can get your influence from a lot of people around the world. You can use the online images of street styles but remember to focus on your the key features which stand out to you, instead of totally copying it.

There are various ways we can reinvent our style, taking inspiration from a style icon, friend, magazines, celebs or a trend. Some major things we can drag the influence from are the colour combinations, layering, what influenced the trend, use of textures and layering and the specific piece of clothing.

Tailored shorts

Shorts are a very essential piece in anyone's closet. One problem is that most gents get the aspect of shorts wrong and pick out the wrong style of shorts and ruin the look. Cargo shorts or anything baggy or big are a NO. More tailored approach will enhance your look. Tailored shorts are full of urbanity and will transform your look as soon as you apply them to your outfit. They automatically give elegance to an outfit when worn correctly and they fit with apparently any top. If you want to wear these tailored shorts just the addition of a decent leather belt will make the good look. One cool thing about these tailored shorts is that they can make up both a casual and smart look.

Watches - G-shock

The Casio G-shock watches are the most popular digital watches now. You've seen them on music artists, skaters.... It is perhaps one the most recognisable and useful watch ever created. Though its produced by the boat land its more than unique, its as much of a legend as most of these pricey swiss watches.
It is apparently the first shock proof watch made, you can drop it from a three story building and it will still be as strong as new. It was the durability that made it a lot of people's timepiece of choice.

Chinos

Chinos are a typical light cotton trousers, a great alternative for jeans, but still make a great laid back style. They are more like a grown up version of jeans. Out of a blue chinos are gradually taking over shops and men wardrobe's. You can find them in every colour and shape for a fresh versatile look.

They can be both casual and semi formal if worn with a blazer. As they are available in a variety of colours and shape, best believe they an add a little excitement to your wardrobe.

Regardless of their success in mens fashion, a lot of guys still prefer the denim jeans over chinos and find it difficult to wear any other thing other than the denim jeans. The old cliché of chinos being for the old or rich still puts some guys off.

Totally failing to agree to the utterance of chinos by guys, i believe that chinos is an every man type of trouser like jeans, as it can make up a casual and smart outfit at the same time.

Bow ties

Ties in general are one of the most highly rated accessories in the gentleman's closet, they can never die out in the world of male fashion if i must say, it lives forever. It carries a great level of sophistication and can change any look to an outstanding one.

Bow ties were widely known for the unbeatable class and grade it added to the best of suits. Today its almost a different matter, it is not just for the class and grade but now it is used to add colour and style to an outfit. It is an accessory that will allow you play with colours and and designs that you wouldn't wear on a normal attire. It can add colour to a plain outfit or even neutralise the bright colours in an outfit and also tone down the brightness in an outfit. Again it can inaugurate a different and new pattern or texture into your look.  It is also a necessary accessory for spicing up the preppy look.