Deconstructing Summer Style: A Gentleman's Guide

As Summer suddenly seems to be right around the corner, I am thrilled that I have been asked to write a second guest post for Amanda and Jane over on their classy, inspirational blog The Women's Room and this time I am deconstructing Summer Style for the gentlemen in our lives.

Jane Fonda & Alain Delon Photo: www.galerie.parismatch.com

Speaking from experience I have found that a gentle nudge in the right sartorial direction can only be a good thing, so drawing inspiration from some of the male style icons of the 50's and 60's and their different takes on European seaside attire, I've highlighted how to keep the gents cool in the heat and avoid that last minute pre-holiday panic.

Jean Seberg and David Niven. Photo: Everett Pictures/Rex Features

I am also introducing a small company in Norfolk called Carrier Company that sells beautiful locally made traditional clothing for men, women and children with a maritime feel - the kind of clothes that are effortlessly stylish and only get better with age. More on this brand soon.

Photo: www.carriercompany.co.uk

So grab yourselves a coffee and have a browse over on The Women's Room - there's so much to read across such a variety of topics - enjoy!

Man up - Mankles

OK gents, this is one for you: mankles - are you man enough? Now I'm not talking just rolling up your chinos to go rock pooling on the beach with the kids, nor am I talking about that hideous trend from a few years ago of wearing Crocs with 3/4 length cargo shorts (I can't even go there) - if you still have a pair they need to go out now - please. No chaps, I'm talking about this:

Photo: The Telegraph

Check out the classy and dare I say rather glorious Tinie Tempah at this week's Esquire & Jimmy Choo Party, part of the London Collections: Men S/S 2014 (that's Mens Fashion Week to you and me). Now, obviously his whole style groove isn't to everyone's taste - and I'm not sold on the T-shirt at the Mulberry show below either, but he wears a great trouser, gets routinely voted "Best Dressed" and I love that TT (as I like to call him) isn't afraid of men's fashion and just gets out there and gives it a sartorial whirl. Way to go Tinie.

Photo: Getty

To me, mankles says Summer, and to an extent, a European, nay Côte d'Azur sensibility. I love a man in a long sleeved linen shirt, shorts and loafers (English Gent will attest to that) but the mankles look goes even further, because the trouser has to be - wait for it - tapered, and I think perhaps that is the step too far for some of our leading men. Leaving off your socks is one thing, deliberately shortening and tapering your trousers, quite another.

Photos: Lloyd Macallister

This is Nicole Fahri's take on the look for S/S 2014, laid back and effortlessly cool - a bit Eddie Redmayne methinks, with the mankle very much in evidence.

Photos: Lloyd Macallister

And though we have been more rain-drenched than sun-drenched of late, the bright colours, cropped trousers and sparkly embroidered espadrilles (go on, you know you want to) of Savile Row tailor Richard James' collection for S/S 2014, are Summer's menswear fashion choices in one neat package. There's a bit of something for everyone in there if you look closely, but one thing's for sure, the mankle is definitely here to stay.

Photo: www.esquire.co.uk

Now I know I said that rolled up chinos didn't cut it, but for one man I'll make an exception....

Photo: Sean Connery by Annie Leibovitz for Louis Vuitton

So guys, (and gals) - if Beard Love was taking things a bit too far, can you (wo)man up for the mankle?

Feel the love at Merci

Whilst I sit in my (currently very soggy) field in my small corner of France, wondering whether Summer will ever arrive, I find myself daydreaming of hot footing it to Paris for a day's shopping, sipping coffee at the Cafe de Flore, in the sunshine obvs, but then WHAM - I come back down to earth with a bump realizing that a) it's just not feasible on a school day, b) on the weekend I'd have 3 grumpy boy shoppers in tow, so c) I need to adopt a rather different approach.

Photo: www.huffingtonpost.com

Which is why I am so happy that after years of patient waiting, Merci - my favourite shop in Paris, has finally gone online - hooray! English Gent is blissfully unaware of this major development in my life and I'm going to have to be very strict about my 'browsing' vs my 'buying' but it's an excellent reason to take you on a virtual tour of this beautiful concept store. Allons-y.

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

Photo: www.hausofmoo.com

Situated in what is now called the Haut-Marais, and just slightly off the beaten track, Merci was started in 2009 by Bernard and Marie-France Cohen, founders of the oh so Parisian children's clothing label Bonpoint.  They saw an opportunity in Paris for a store combining high-end fashion with interior décor, beauty,  art, design and homeware, championing new designers, hosting art installations, alongside a bookshop, a garden, a florist, two buzzing cafés and a restaurant - in short somewhere you could happily while away several hours browsing, shopping, or just hanging out - a venue that would swiftly become the hip place to see and be seen, in a nonchalant boho Parisian kind of a way. Think Anthropologie, but well, just more French....

Second Hand Bookshop Cafe

The Merci Canteen

But on top of all this the Cohens have played a masterstroke - they have managed to make the Merci shopping experience even more satisfying for their customers by combining consumerism with philanthropy:  after operating costs, all profits from the store go to benefit women and children in south-west Madagascar, with a particular emphasis on education and learning new skills, so you can know that the money you are spending is going straight to help others. Shopping with a conscience doesn't get much better than this.

Photo: www.huffingtonpost.com

The ground floor décor changes regularly depending on which designer, artist or cause the store is showcasing and the cute red Fiat 500 - a permanent fixture in the courtyard and the store's mascot - is frequently re-vamped and is currently covered in Aurelie Mathigot's flax crochet work, as part of her art installation: "L'Art du Lin, l'intemporel".

Merci courtyard - Aurelie Mathigot "L'Art du Lin, l'intemporel"

Brands such as Isabel Marant, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney and YSL have donated exclusive pieces to the store, and along with merci-merci's own brand - a range of sophisticated basics - you can get a full dose of that elusive Parisian chic, for a considerably reduced price.

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

The menswear section in-store is very cool with an old fashioned tailor's shop vibe - Savile Row meets Serge Gainsbourg - even English Gent was impressed (yes, I managed to get the world's greatest anti-shopper inside - but he was indulging me as it was my birthday....)

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

He got happily lost in the homewares department - phew....

Photo: www.huffingtonpost.com

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

The 18th century building with its airy, loft like feel, mixes the vintage with the contemporary in an artful, laid back way. Part industrial space, part Parisian townhouse - there are sweeping staircases, cozy nooks, chandeliers, books, and wherever you look things to pick up, feel, touch, smell and discover.

Photo: www.hausofmoo.com

A really charming idea is the Annick Goutal 'laboratoire' where you can mix your own fragrance for a remarkably reasonable price given the usual cost of a bespoke fragrance, and her mainline perfumes. For obvious reasons this service is not available online but if you get the chance to visit it's a whole lot of fun.

Photo: www. merci-merci.com

I'm loving these Liberty print suitcases, which are available here, and the masking tape is so pretty.The Fiat 500 had a Liberty makeover too....

Photo:www.avecsfr.blogspot.fr

A recent collaboration between two classic French brands, Aigle x Kitsuné produced this "festival kit" of a poncho and classic Aigle wellington boots - boy do I need them here in my field - now!

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

And when did cleaning utensils ever look more chic?

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

My purchases last time I visited were a beautiful coral linen scarf, some recycled rubber bangles made by a women's co-operative in Mali, and lots of lovely notebooks for me and stationery for the boys.

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

I like the fact that you can buy little things for a few euros, as well as bigger items and they are happy to ship internationally.

Photo: www.merci-merci.com

Whilst shopping online is never going to be as exciting as visiting the actual shop, I hope this has given you a taster of the style aesthetic and raison d'être of this fabulous non-profit establishment. You can read more about Merci's endowment fund and the charity's progress here. There are so many lovely things to choose from, I hope you'll find something you like when browsing, and when you're next in Paris, be sure to put it on your list of places to visit. Either way, it's a win win scenario - actively helping others simply by treating ourselves - what's not to love?

I'm off for a spot of shopping - merci!

Beard love

OK, so go with me on this - as you know I'm having a beard moment -  see Ben and George at the Baftas and Stella's other half at the Palace - but this post is taking beards to a whole new level, and whilst it may be a bit extreme for some, I have to say it's working for me. 

Photo: John Lewis

Oddly enough we're back to my current fave shop John Lewis who have gone out on something of a limb with their latest ad campaign for John Lewis and Co Menswear featuring (I think) the rather gorgeous and very bearded Johnny Harrington. 

Photo: John Lewis

Photo: John Lewis

The campaign aims to appeal to the everyday guy who isn't that into fashion but has a sense of his own style and wants clothes that will work hard for him and last (he's not much of a shopper then!) The collection is inspired by British Heritage and the tradition of exploration - think Mallory, Burton, Lawrence of Arabia and Scott of the Antarctic.

Photo: John Lewis

Photo: John Lewis

Apparently opinion in the UK has been completely split by this campaign, but I'm totally for this deconstructed look - as well as the beard I'm loving the hair pulled back in a bun and all his arm candy.

Can't resist a couple of other images. Not too shabby for a former carpenter from Milton Keynes.

Photo: Arnaldo Anaya for GQ France

Photo: Arnaldo Anaya for GQ France

What do you think, does the 'hobo chic' look do it for you?

Dressed to Kilt

It was Burns' Night on Friday, which gives me the perfect excuse to talk about men in kilts. The Observer did an excellent mens' knitwear spread last week and as well as showcasing some great jumpers, the male model is proudly sporting a "jupe écossais" and mighty fine he looks too. There's something very rugged and dashing about a Scotsman in his kilt and I really like the way this is a casual version of kilt wearing, rather than the formal version that we are more used to.

Kevin Foord/Observer

Kevin Foord/Observer

Proving that everyday kilt wearing can be for all ages....

Alban Donohoe

 All kilts are from 21st Century Kilts. Aren't the wee bairns adorable?

From everyday wear to the catwalk, Chanel's Métiers d'Art 2013 show in the ruins of Linlithgow Palace in Scotland back in December showcased Karl Lagerfeld's inspired interpretation of traditional Scottish dress for both men and women. I love the 'Chanel meets the Highlands' touches such as the iconic quilted bag replacing the sporran and the bow on the blouse instead of the lace jabot.

Photo: Conde Nast

Photo: Conde Nast

Photo: Conde Nast

Photo: Conde Nast

And if you don't think the man in your life can go down the kilt route then tartan trews, as worn by the Chanel gentlemen above, are the perfect alternative. English Gent delved into his Scottish ancestry and wore a pair to our wedding so I have to admit to being rather partial to a man in tartan. Perfect for this winter weather and certainly less draughty around the knees!