Rupert Everett

It is funny with men's fashions that one can immediately take a dislike to a look, but eventually it grows on you. Such is the case for me with Rupert Everett's 'tracksuit bottoms with jacket' look that he sported on Channel 4's The Scandalous Adventures of Lord Byron http://tinyurl.com/mu95bc

Stylish, but practical and cool for travelling I should imagine, especially with the summer holidays upon us.

Best dressed man

According to Esquire magazine, Prince Charles is the world's best dressed man

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/endorsement/prince-charles-best-dressed-man-030609

Although undoubtedly smart, his look is too fussy for my liking though due to his relentless wearing of the double-breasted suit and the high lapels. Daniel Craig pulls off the British look better in my opinion.

Unpatriotic as it may seem, the simple continental stylishness of Nicolas Sarkozy and Jose Mourhino is more to my taste.

Black ties

The black tie (standard tie as opposed to bow) has increasingly in modern times been shorn of its funerial associations and are generally worn at work and leisure. I wore mine at work for the first time today with a grey suit and white shirt and I feel it looked good. I did, however receive a few concerned looks and comments by friends and colleagues who believed that I had arrived at work from a funeral. Perhaps the black tie should be reserved for less formal attire to remove all possibility of it being associated with funerals to prevent well meaning misunderstanding. One would look good underneath a black shirt, grey pullover worn with a pair of jeans and a light jacket perhaps for an evening at a tapas restaurant or bar.

Character Socks - Yes or No?

Here are the socks that I am wearing today, no doubt a thoughtful present from a recent birthday or Christmas (men in their thirties will attest to the fact that socks, and Simpsons socks in particular are a common present). I would never wear a character tie (a no-no unless one is a primary or junior school teacher) but think that character socks are quite charming – the jury is still out on character boxers however. Note that my shoes, socks and trousers all match in colour though, so whereas the picture of Homer Simpson challenges the rule, the predominance of black in the sock adheres to it.

Men and tights

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Very_cool_men_in_tights&in_article_id=579445&in_page_id=34

Reported in today's Metro is a trend for men wearing tights (under shorts or plus twos/fours). Initially I thought no way - but the look grows on you. I doubt it is a look for the streets of Huddersfield though, but an interesting and quirky summer look.

If you are brave enough go to http://www.e-mancipate.net/

Scarves as ties part II

Further to my conversation yesterday regarding using scarves as ties, perhaps David Beckham overdoes it when out and about in Milan. It is a bold look though.

The Scarf as a Tie

The scarf is an essential fashion accessory for the modern man and can be considered a tie replacement when wearing clothes too casual to warrant a tie. They can quite comfortably be worn inside, although I would warn against them in too formal a setting where the tie is still the order of the day. Here my friend and colleague Dr Chris Gifford shows how it should be worn – note the knot (the scarf is doubled up and then passed through to form a knot) which presents a sophisticated look. Chris wears a pale blue scarf here, which is just right – I caution against too rowdy a colour or pattern however.