A Poor Man's Millions

I think winter wear is communal. You get some gloves and a scarf from a lost-and-found box, wash them, wear them for a while until you lose them. Then somebody else does the same thing. - Adrian Grenier

Wool / Cashmere Scarf by Johnstons of Elgin

It seems people have either a love or hate relationship when it comes to scarves or is it just more confusing to those trying to wear them?
Scarves come in all different sizes, materials, shapes and an abundance of colors and patterns. Personally, when buying a scarf I take the same steps when buying a tie, taking into account color, length and composition.

Color
Firstly, thinking of a base color, then deciding whether I'm after a pattern or just a solid.
Knowing this ill make it easier to find what you're looking for whilst shopping.

Length
The length is a considerable part, you want to think about how you are going to wear it and what you visually like, for example; If it's a shorter scarf to just cover the neck or a long scarf to wrap around/ tuck into a jacket.

Composition
Finally, it's the composition, what kind of materials I should buy? Which the answer depends on the last question. If you're wanting to wrap it around your neck and layer a jacket over it, a medium wool, cashmere or alpaca will work fine. If you're wanting to wrap it around your neck and have it sit over your clothes you can go for a heavier/thicker wool scarves. Lastly, if you are wanting to wear it under a jacket and wrap it around your neck, go for the finer cotton or silk scarves including the blends.

Below are some ideas and ways I use scarves during the colder months of the year. I would love to hear your ideas on wearing scarves, please leave them in the comments below.

Fine Alpaca Scarf by De Capo

Medium Wool Scarf by Drake's

Wool / Cotton Scarf by John Smedley

One pretends to do something or copy someone or some teacher until it can be done confidently and easily in what becomes one’s own style
- Cary Grant

Can a man wear a monochrome outfit in grey and not look like a living statue that's busking on the high street?

The simple answer is yes. The beauty of grey is that it's so neutral. Variations of grey include the full range of achromatic shades which lie on the spectrum all the way between white and black.

To be honest I had an idea of what I was going to wear and how it would visually play out before this photo shoot, but I took the time to scan the internet and see if I could find others braving the monochrome theme and doing it well.

Some guys I came across tend to mix the shades with lighter on the inner layers to dark on the outer. Others went for the one shade through all layers. In my opinion, it's easiest to start with a simple outfit excluding the shoes and socks, maybe just using shades of one colour for the top, inner and bottom layers and then you can build from there. I guess wearing all black is quite easy and trying on trends in men's fashion without looking too uniform may initially seem a little tricky but that's what personal style is all about!

Here I've opted to even try dressing down a suit with a roll neck and some smart sneakers.

Suit by Oscar Hunt Tailors
Polo by Hermen Menswear
Roll Neck by River Island
Socks by Pantherella
Sneakers by Nudio Studio (Coming Soon)

Even when you take a holiday from technology, technology doesn't take a break from you.

- Douglas Coupland

Well, it's finally time, I'm off to the tropics to relax and recoup after another roller coaster year.

We all know that trying to pack a suitcase can be a little bit tricky when you're going from one temperature extreme to another and since I'll be jetting out of freezing Melbourne and into sunny, tropical Indonesia, I'll be keeping my layers light and warm.

I've decided to focus this post on my summer holiday essentials - being in the menswear industry (and perhaps more importantly, being a blogger) going on a holiday doesn't necessarily mean that my work stops, so to paraphrase Douglas Coupland, where I go technology is sure to follow.

Panama Hat (From Oscar Hunt Tailors)

If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know how much of a fan I am of Panama hats. The Panama hat is the perfect style to take away with you on your summer holiday. Traditionally made for the heat, it will protect you from the sun whilst keeping your head cool and not tarnishing your style. I strongly recommend giving it a mist of water every two days (if in direct sun), to stop it from drying out and cracking.

Linen Shirt (From Oscar Hunt Tailors)

I'm also a big fan of linen as it's a great summer weight, open-weave fabric. I've opted for a short sleeve shirt in this image, although I'll also be taking a long-sleeve option out of respect for the Indonesian culture.

Espadrilles (Handmade in Spain)

When it comes to footwear, flip-flops don't do a lot for me. They break easily and then you're left searching high and low for a suitable pair of replacement shoes. Espadrilles, especially traditionally made ones like these, are super light-weight and comfortable. Comprising of a light canvas upper and a hemp rope sole, they mould to your feet and last.

Swimwear (Shorts by Nikben)

This is a very personal item, with some men liking them longer in the leg, some liking them short and others keen to not wear them at all. I prefer a well made, mid-cut swim short and this pair is quick drying and fade resistant.

Headphones (By Jay's)

Music is life and there's nothing worse during a long-haul fight than those badly made headphones that don't work properly or crack loudly while you're trying to listen to music or watch a movie. Lucky enough I was able to test out these new two-way stereo earphones by Jays, with a smart tangle free wires and the crystal clear sound these make regular earphones seem like a pair of tin cans with a string.

Laptop

As a blogger, I want to be able to keep in touch with my readers and without a laptop or personal device it's virtually impossible. But apart from doing the regular email checking and blog posting, your laptop or tablet is a great way of storing your holiday memories and keeping in touch with friends and family at home.

Camera

Holidays are meant to be remembered and a camera is vital. Having a camera with a video capability means that you'll never miss a moment although in the past keeping the quality of your photo and video footage high meant that you had to sacrifice on bulk and weight. Introducing the GoPro, the perfect lightweight high-def video and camera in one. They come with a waterproof/shock-resistant case for all those crazy selfies and adventurous moments.

Luggage(By PakLite)

Luggage enables you to take your wardrobe and bathroom essentials with you when you travel, although the big downside to packing is those pesky airline weight restrictions. To help soften the blow of a 20-kilo baggage allowance, there are new lightweight cases being released into the market every year.
Paklite contacted me regarding their new Air range and it seemed like the perfect time to try the brand out. This range covers carry-on, medium and large cases all under 4kgs, the one pictured here is their large case which is both strong and scratch resistant.

Sunglasses (By Bailey Nelson)

Last, but certainly not least, is a pair of sunglasses. When it's sunny outside they're a must, just make sure that if you are on a boat or close to water that your pair has polarized lenses, as they reflect from top to bottom (unlike tinted lenses which just mute the glare).

My favourite place in Indonesia is Bali. I was there with my family in Nusa Dua, and my kids loved it. I'm a workaholic, so for me, Bali is a place where you can have a vacation, but you can have your own moment as well. You feel like you blend with nature - and I love the beach

- Joe Taslim

Jetting off on exotic mid-year holidays is quickly becoming tradition for me.
I love nothing more than getting away from the wintery Melbourne weather and heading off to the warmer climates of South-East Asia or Europe in June. This year I decided that I wanted to go somewhere that I hadn't been before; preferably somewhere hot, with great beaches, that wasn't going to break the bank or inflict major jet-lag. Nusa Dua and Gili Island in Indonesia were two locations that immediately jumped out to me when I started planning this year's holiday.

The great thing about Indonesia is that it's extremely close to Australia and the exchange rate is very reasonable. There are also parts of the country (like Nusa Dua and Gili Island) that lay pretty much untarnished by the stereotypical Aussie 'bogan' Kuta beach holiday cliche.

Nusa Dua is a beautiful part of Bali. The area is semi blocked off by a security point, keeping the crime down and the parties clean. We stayed at the Grand Whiz, a nice 4 star hotel which had great ratings. I'm not much of a holiday writer but it was nice, they had clean rooms and great staff whom were helpful and not overbearing. I guess the only negative thing I would say is that all of the information online indicated that the resort had beach frontage, when in fact it's a 10 min walk to the ocean.

Day 1 - we travelled into Kuta to check out the shopping and left feeling slightly disappointed. There was an abundance of RipCurl, Hurley and Billabong shops and although I did manage to find a couple of pairs of linen shorts on sale, there wasn't much else to offer.

Day 2 - tourist time. We headed out on a full-day tour which started at 9:30am with a visit to the centre of the island and the ancient Mengwi royal family temple, Taman Ayun. It was an amazing sight and I was surprised to learn that these beautiful buildings are still used for worship today.

For there we headed to Luwus Village, an area known for its coffee plantations, which produce the world's most expensive coffee. To make the famous "Luwak" coffee, Arabiaca beans are fed to the Luwak ( a feline/possum type animal), the beans ferment in the animal's stomach and droppings are collected and cleaned, hulled beans are then put through the normal roasting and grinding procedures. The coffee can be bought on site and costs around $50 per 100 grams. After a relaxing lunch break in a restaurant overlooking Lake Beratan, we visited the "floating Temples" of Ulundanu. The temples are located in a vulcanic lake and to access them you have to go through a massive garden, there are also boats there to take you around the lake if you wish.

Then it was off to the largest rice fields in Bali, which boast an impressive natural irrigation system. This was followed by our last destination of the day, the famous temple, Tanah Lot and a beautiful butterfly enclosure . Tanah Lot sits on top of a large rock island and in low tide you can walk out to it. For a small donation (approximately $5) the resident Hindu monks will wash you in the local holy-water.
The enclosure had some massive butterflies and months - I did get photos but they just didn't do the area any justice, so instead you get an image of me looking through the museum.

If there were something that I was going to endorse, it would probably be something like sneakers
- Justin Timberlake

All photos by Nudio Studio

There's always a fine line between the cool and the ridiculous.
A t-shirt, pair of jeans and sneakers always work together well and the same can be said of a suit worn with clean leather shoes.

Then there are the so-called 'trend-setters' who try to wear both of the aforementioned styles at once - most teaming suits with a pair of chunky style trainers like New Balance 574s, and although I like both, I don't necessarily think that they should be worn at the same time - It only evokes images of the stereotypical office worker speed walking through a crowded city on his way to work. However there is a simple way of marrying both styles together.

Your best option is to try and balance out the weight of your outfit. For example; if you're going to wear a chunkier style of shoe then it's a good idea to try and add more bulk to the top half of your outfit. The other option is to find a sneaker with sleek and sophisticated lines, the holy grail of the sports shoe world. To put it into layman's terms, you might have to take a good look around before you find the perfect pair.

Over the last few months I've had the chance to meet with a few Australian labels, testing out their shoes for quality, style and durability. One of the first brands that I was in contact with was the Melbourne based leather company, Nudio Studio - who first came to my attention when they ranked me as the number one Melbourne menswear style influencer on Instagram (Thank you kindly!).

Nudio Studio invited me to take a look at their collection and this pair of sneakers really stood out. They're super streamlined and remind me of the weightless Lanvin trainer. Pairing them up with a suit or smart trouser and jacket worked perfectly and kept the look of my ensemble clean, not to mention the price is pretty amazing. These shoes are a nubuck leather upper with a clean vulcanized sole. There's no extra padding and no unnecessary finishings and they work perfectly with my wardrobe.

Jacket, Pants & Scarf by Oscar Hunt Tailors

Polo by Hermen Menswear
Gilet by River Island
Sneakers by Nudio Studio

All photos by Tom Blachford & Kate Ballis

It's no secret that I work for Melbourne tailoring house Oscar Hunt and one of the greatest parts of my job is getting to do what I love, being creative.

A few times a year the team and I work together to create campaigns and shoots, including this range of images from the latest Autumn/Winter 2015 lookbook.

Following the brand's aesthetic I decided to mix two different forms of everyday construction - tailoring and machinery. Both methods utilise old world technology and I didn't want anything modern and heavily computerised when it came to the machines that we shot against.

We were lucky to come across the Nobody wash factory (like most good denim makers Nobody use the old washing machines, dryers and stone rumblers). These machines haven't been changed in almost one hundred years and that aligned perfectly with the skills of the Oscar Hunt tailors.

An array of workable suiting fabrics were chosen to suit the colder weather, whilst leaving the colour and personality down to a new line of sports jackets and overcoats.

For a look at the full lookbook head over to www.oscarhunt.com.au

You may have the universe if I may have Italy

- Giuseppe Verdi

Since returning from my holiday in Indonesia I've had a bit of time to browse through the shops here in Melbourne and one thing has started to jump out at me. I've been noticing an increase in the amount of "Made in Italy" tags appearing on products and it seems as though more and more brands are starting to diversify and choose Italian artisans for small batch collections.

One particular label is Amsterdam born Scotch & Soda, who, as some of you may know, I've been keeping my eyes on since I purchased my first sports jacket off them a few years ago. This year Scotch & Soda introduced their 7/7 artisan collection, handpicking seven of the finest designers from around Europe to create capsule collections for the menswear brand. The Italian range is beautiful and was the first thing I noticed when I walked into their new Melbourne Emporium store. This particular suit called out to me immediately, with its burgundy flannel and generous lapel, 3 roll 2 buttoning, mid-waisted trouser and half lining.

I decided to wear my new Scotch & Soda suit with a pair of recently acquired shoes from Aquila. This brand has been around for quite some time and is probably best known for their range of men's shoes here in Australia. Not too long ago, Aquila reintroduced an Italian line of high-end shoes into their stores. The leather has been upgraded to offer a higher quality of footwear to their customers and all are finished off with a Blake stitch - my tip is to drop a size as they run big.

Both brands seem to be adding a little more flair to their latest collections, while continuing to offer more luxurious and top quality products and it's a trait that I hope they both continue with.

Although this is only a brief post, I will continue with another story on two younger Australian brands, who are making their mark on the market not only in Australia but worldwide with their Italian made products so please stay tuned.

I'm so shy now I wear sunglasses everywhere I go.

- Al Pacino

All photos by James Want

I'm addicted to sunglasses and it's a habit that developed while I was tiling roofs under the Australian sun many years ago. The sun's glare was almost blinding, so wearing sunglasses became more necessity than sartorial choice.

Some of my long-term readers might also be aware of the fact that I hate being in front of a camera, but a good photographer and a great pair of shades make me feel so much more at ease when I'm getting my photo taken. I also live by the harbour, which means that the light reflection of the water can be overwhelming at times.

As you can tell I'm trying to justify my frame fix and I'm not too sure that the gents from TVG (The Versatile Gent) were aware of just how bad my problem was when they started designing OBLYK, but as soon as I saw their range of glasses I knew that I had to get myself in a pair.The collection consists of re-imagined versions of pretty classic designs - and not only are they "Made in Italy" but each pair is completely handcrafted.

My favourite style in the range are the Miro style in "Seaweed", "Ghost" and the pair that I'm wearing here, named "Pineapple", which comes in the options of polished or matte, with light (unpolarized) or dark (polarized) lenses.

I couldn't imagine myself in a better pair of sunglasses this summer. "Please Sir, I want some more!"

I feel incredibly lucky to have a job which is also my passion, and that I can deliver a product that is unique and handmade

- Tess Ebinger

Tess Ebinger

It's such a great feeling when you watch something come to life right in front of your eyes. It's an even better feeling when you know that it's all done by hand, using methods that date back to the last century. I've always been interested in finding modern artisans using old world techniques and thought that this would be something that my readers were probably interested in discovering too. The first person on my list to talk to was Tess Ebinger, a milliner who works from both home and out of City Hatter's here in Melbourne's CBD.

Tess was brought up in a family of sewers and was taught how to sew, embroider and knit from a young age. Her mother was a dancer and young Tess followed suit and started dancing too. She began making her own costumes, adding design and pattern making to an already impressive resume. Tess went to University to study science and engineering, keeping up her dance and sewing as weekend hobbies. She soon realised that her passion was in the creation of objects.

Soon after graduation, an opportunity came up to join the team at City Hatters, "I'd never worked with hats before," she says, but she managed to muddle through and learnt a lot within her first few years on the job. The skills and knowledge gained whilst at City Hatters spear-headed Tess into enrolling in a millinery class and after nearly 7 years, she has launched her own business, producing amazing custom designs for race goers, weddings and personal commissions.

It was while catching up with Tess at a recent event that I decided to commission a custom hat, asking Tess to record the steps and processes for you guys.

Below is the first day of starting my custom hat:

A Milliner's Tools and the form selected after measuring the circumference of my head.

The first step is stretching the fur felt over the size form.

This is achieved by using steam to make the felt pliable and easy to stretch. Each area stretch is then pinned into place by special metal tacks.

After evenly stretching the felt around the entire form a cord is wrapped tightly under the tacks to hold it in place.

An outer form is then pushed into place with steam, forming the shell of the hat.

Then using steam the brim is stretched over the outer form and pinned into place.

After the brim has been evenly stretch and secured another cord is wrapped tightly around the form.

The final process of the day is applying a stiffening glue around the brim, which will hold the shape and create a solid base. The hat form is then left overnight as the glue dries.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the part 2....

I personally go to the airport looking like a homeless person, because I think people will leave me alone. But I dress myself with my luggage - all my luggage matches

- Andre Leon Talley

All photos by Dylan Nie

If you read my Travel Essentials post, then you'd remember me mentioning the new Paklite Style Air large luggage bag which I took with me on my recent trip to Indonesia.

Everyone knows that packing can be a traumatic experience for even the most seasoned of traveller and avoiding going over your baggage allowance can be a difficult task, well, the folks at Paklite came to my rescue with their awesome brand of luggage and I was happy to travel with a brand with such a great reputation and over 60 years of solid experience in the Aussie travel game.

I ended up with the large trolley case ( 52cm x 32cm x 77cm ) as I wanted to try and fit enough luggage for two people in one single bag. Luckily the large trolley case only weighs 3.85kgs by itself, making it very easy to pack everything that we needed for our trip.

All packed up and ready to leave Melbourne's winter behind, we set off to the airport and at the bagged drop we were greatly surprised to see that our luggage weighed in at 19.6kgs, well under the 20kg limit.

To be completely honest, I wasn't sure the trolley case would get through the holiday being so light, but to my surprise it got through the airports and plane, numerous taxis, a couple of shuttle buses, boats and even a horse and cart. Did I mention that I even dragged it across a beach from a boat?

I'm very happy and lucky to get the opportunity to try out and keep this trolley case and in the future it will be accompanying me on many more travels abroad.

Jacket by Barbour

Sports Jacket, Trousers & Shirt by Oscar Hunt Tailors

Tie and Sneakers by Christian Kimber

Cardigan by Hermen Menswear

Sunglasses by Bailey Nelson

I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring

- David Bowie

Regardless of how familiar you are with the career of David Bowie, there's a huge chance that you've enjoyed a cover of one of his songs; for example Nirvana's version of "The Man Who Sold The World" (from their MTV Unplugged concert), or heard his music sampled (the Bowie song "Fame" has been used in both Jay-Z's "Take Over" and Lady Gaga's "Fancy Pants") at some stage in your life. Not only is Bowie an icon in music but his work has also had a huge impact on art and fashion too, with his numerous on-stage outfits and costumes designed by legendary names including Issey Miyake, Kansai Yamamoto and the late Alexander McQueen.

Although Bowie's career started in the 1960s, he became popular with a whole new generation of fans in the 1980s when he starred as the Goblin King in the movie 'The Labyrinth', he's also appeared in the films 'The Last Temptation of Christ' and 'Basquiat', where he famously portrayed Andy Warhol.

To showcase David Bowie's inspiring 50+ year career, ACMI has brought London's V&A exhibition David Bowie Is... to Melbourne and I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the launch party and get a sneak peak at this ground-breaking exhibition last Thursday night, a full day before it opened up to the general public.

The exhibition has so much attention to detail that you could literally spend hours watching footage and inspecting photographs and costumes. It starts with a timeline of David Bowie from his early days in London, touching on his groundbreaking time in Berlin, through to last year's release, 'The Next Day'. With radio and headphones on, each section is divided into time, or in the case of Bowie, character periods; with video footage, outfits and interviews to accompany each theme. It's an outstanding event and one that I highly recommend to anyone interested in film, music and popular culture.

David Bowie Is...will be showing at ACMI here in Melbourne until November 1st, 2015 after already having toured London, Chicago and Paris.

Tickets are guaranteed to sell out really quickly and ACMI suggest that you pre-book to avoid missing out on the entry.

A big thank you to Scotch & Soda Australia for dressing me on the night.

How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about

- Philip Treacy

Following on from part 1 in the creation of my custom hat, we now move into the final day of production. My hat has now been on its form for at least 24hrs and now it's time to remove it. This is the time that Tess would start to think about crown shape, the edge finishing and the colour of the band.

The brim is pinned down ready for the wire to be inserted.

The crown is then shaped into the desired form.

Depending on the wearer's head shape, there are a few different crown forms to choose from. Tess and I tried out 3 different ones; from the classic pinch, teardrop and the extended teardrop.

We decided on the teardrop crown as it allowed the hat to sit a little lower on my head (but not too low).

Next the wire is inserted - There are different types, some are pliable to help shape your brim and others will hold one shape.

Choosing the pliable wire, the inner leather ring is cut to size and pinned into place. The hat is then tried on to check if it is firm enough whilst wearing.

The outer brim is then based stitched into place and the, machine stitched to hold everything firmly in place.

I choose dark brown for the band to give the maroon felt a warm contrast.

The bow is made by hand and then hand stitched into place.

Band placement.

Then a custom green silk lining is glued into place and the inner band is hand stitched.

The custom green silk lining, as it's my favourite colour!

The finished product is amazing, Tess's work is extremely precise yet effortless.

The experience of going from the creation of something through to receiving the finished product is like waiting for Christmas and then finally opening your presents on Christmas day. If you want your own hat made by Tess contact via Dressed By Tess or email tess.ebinger@gmail.com

It's a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It's all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together.

Alexander McQueen

Photos by Jerry Hsieh

I've been flicking through some menswear and style online articles, both online magazines and blogs. I was curious to find out what the goss was of late and was there anything educational. Answer was, to be honest, a lot of the same same, "What you should be wearing this season", "What's hot right now", "Men's essentials", "How do dress if your short or tall". Now these are all great and within good context they are educational and can help but when you start reading them they tell you how something should be instead of offering an inspirational point of view thus leaving "you" the reader the choice of deciding if it is right for you.

Most "essentials" state that every man should have a navy suit, white and blue shirt, black and brown dress shoes, a good pair of jeans and so on. When I was a mechanic, I never needed all of that in my wardrobe and not because I didn't like that style of dressing, but it wasn't necessary at that point in my life. But spearing forward to the present day and I'm in a different situation, I have the time and the life to wear what I like wearing and not only that, I know what I like and what works for me. This is the key to building your essentials, no matter what anyone will tell you; you should wear. Everyone should learn what you need over what is the fashion or in trend. The art of dressing to look the millions only has one rule which is "knowledge" without it, your money is wasted. It's like buying a sports car to help you collect hay bales on your farm because that's the latest model you "should" buy.

So in saying that today I did what I do every day and wore what I wanted. It's still cold here in Melbourne so layers were the foundry for this outfit. The day consisted of a casual catch up with a friend for lunch before a little retail work, this is "my" perfect reason for smart-casual wear. A few layers of wool on top, a comfy smart chinos, casual sneakers, scarf and a super warm wool bomber jacket to shield the icy winds whistling through the streets. Something I usually think about is what I'm doing that day and the situations I may be in, so I dress accordingly. I know that when I'm indoors I won't wear the scarf and jacket, so my outfit underneath is almost a separate outfit, making the final choice a two in one. This maybe a bit over the top in the line of thought process put into it, but it's just how I've learnt my way of style and I'm sure you all will have ways of your own too.

Jacket by Scotch & Soda Artelier
Roll Neck by Hermen Menswear
Chinos by Uniqlo
Scarf from Oscar Hunt Tailors
Sneakers by Elect Footwear
Sunglasses by Bailey Nelson
Tote Bag by Nudie Jeans

“Guys don’t need a lot of choices, they need the right choice.”- Sid Mashburn

Small checked deconstructed jackets this summer.

I'm late to cover Pitti Uomo 88, but I wanted to keep Spring/Summer fresh in the minds of those over here on my side of the world, as the Southern hemisphere slowly makes its way into our warmer months.

When the sun returns, it's time the men here in the Antipodes can fully spread their sartorial wings. In Australia, we haven't been born into a society that traditionally celebrates dressing well as is the case in places like Italy, but the Menswear movement has grown dramatically here over the past few years and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Here is an example of using lighter earthy tones in summer and a nice reverse outfit combo on the right with dark on top and light on the bottom, then switched.

Below are some of my favourite looks from the summer edition of Pitti Uomo. I chose these primarily because of their versatility.

Dark colours hold the heat and are great for the colder months of the year, so when it comes to the Spring/Summer, the lighter tones take over. A forest green can be replaced with a lighter olive green; still earthy but light enough to freshen up your look. For the gents who has light complexions, you can go even lighter and experiment with more pastel colours as they will give your natural tones a deeper colour against them.

I love the colour combinations and tones here, especially the rust orange linen field jacket. Both outfits marry very well.

Contrasting a darker colour under light beautifully breaks up the dulling effect against the lighter tone skin. It also individualises each part of the outfit.

Joe a friend of mine on the right from the Finery Company with Chad from BnTailor, an expression of modern next to classic for the hotter months.

Mixing in denim with cotton and linen jackets will be a big sort after style this Spring/Summer, with it's relaxed smart casual feel.

You may have also noticed the abundance of suede shoes and loafers, a great summer classic shoe and loafer can be worn through every occasion whether it be work, party or relaxed.

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did

- Newt Gingrich

It's been a long time since I've done a round-up of happenings on my Instagram. It's been a very busy six months and things don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

So without further ado, here are a few random highlights from the past couple of months on social media:

I attended the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival in March and styled and helped shoot the Oscar Hunt Tailors (Winter 2015) lookbook.

I had an amazing holiday in Indonesia, putting my new Paklite Airstyle luggage bag through its paces while relaxing in Nusa Dua and on the Gili islands in Lombok. There was also a street-style shoot with Nudio Studio, test driving their new sneakers in the process.

When I got back from my holiday I caught up with Jordan from Rokkman barbers to get a fresh cut, attended the launch of the 'Bowie Is...' at ACMI while wearing a new suit from the Scotch & Soda Italian Atelier range, checked out the 65th anniversary of the Clark desert-boot and (phew) caught up with the gents from new Sydney-based blog The Hounds.

Feel free to talk to me in the comments below and don't forget to follow @APMMILLIONS on Instagram.

The man who, as is often said, can get away with wearing a trench coat over his dinner jacket, or an old school tie for a belt, is the one who, in fact, understands best the rules of proper dress and can bend them to suit his own personality and requirements
– G. Bruce Boyer

Photos by Dylan Nie

This is easily one of my favourite quotes about menswear and style because it sums up what you should be thinking, rather than just blindly following the fashion herd.

I often get asked about old clothes, more specifically, how old does something have to be before you can't wear it anymore? And I honestly believe that there's a really simple answer to that question - you can't put an age limit on something if it's well constructed, It should practically outlive you.

They say that fashion is cyclical and changes every 6 months, so I might be throwing a massive spanner in the fashion works because I regularly wear clothing that's past its 6 month 'used-by' date. You can make it work by mixing these older pieces back with newer items of clothing.

The trick is knowing what's already in your wardrobe. This makes shopping easier and minimises the chances of buying the same item of clothing over and over again. If you examine the contents of your closet you'll be able to identify gaps that need filling.

Another thing that I've discovered while helping men develop their personal style, is that people tend to be drawn to the same things time after time. One gentleman wanted to break away from his norm and slowly introduce different patterns and colours into his wardrobe and while helping him choose a tie from a selection of twenty, I bet him that I could pick the tie that he would go for. He pointed towards the one that he liked and not surprisingly it was the one that I suspected. How did I do it? Easy. It was the most similar to the tie he was wearing, so it seemed obvious that he was attracted to that certain style.

The only way to get around this is to keep in mind what's already in your wardrobe and go after contrasting colours and patterns that'll work with what you already have. There's no point in buying another solid navy blue suit if you have one or two already, so why not try charcoal or shade of grey, both of which compliment navy, or if you're really attached to your navy palette, try introducing different shades and subtle patterns, then work your way onto another colour or shade.

So in the theme of today I wore my forest green overcoat from last year, layering it on top of my new navy herringbone suit and brown cardigan. I added on a recently purchased brown/green knitted tie and a pair of new suede loafers. I'll be able to wear all of these pieces next year and for many years to come.

Do you have any wardrobe favourites that you find yourself pulling out year after year?

Suit, Overcoat & Shirt by Oscar Hunt Tailors
Cardigan by Uniqlo
Tie by Christian Kimber
Loafers by Carmina

Nature, in its continuous flux, is a never-ending source of new ideas and inputs. Moreover, I draw inspiration from books, Their lives and imagined, Often from the gazes of men and women living with passion

- Nicola Ricci

I know that I've said it a lot in the past, but I don't really have any style "icons". Of course there are people that I admire and follow on social media, and I decided to use this post to pay homage to one of the men who's motivated me to learn about style, even though I usually find myself influenced by colour and pattern over particular items of clothing.

When I was starting to write this post it was really hard to decide if I should go in order from top to bottom, or just post by random - It was difficult figuring out who I'd actually put at the top of my list, who's had the biggest influence on my education? I thought about this for awhile and one question came to mind, "who is the first person I think of if I want to see colours and patterns?" And the answer to that question is Nicola Ricci.

Nicola and his brother Valentino own Sciamat and together they make some amazing bespoke garments. One day I would love to be able to commission something from them but for now all I can do is admire from a distance. There are many reasons why I choose Nicola, like me, he looks to nature for colour inspiration, we share similar tonal features and I'm pretty sure we are around the same height.

So we have some things in common and both follow our own paths of style. Although I look to Nicola for the inspiration, I don't just go out and follow what he's wearing blindly.

Nicola's style is pretty classic with an eccentric twist and he never looks over the top. I've read that his icons whilst growing up were Gianni Agnelli, from whom he gets his classic style inspiration, and the eccentric flair of the Duke of Windsor. Nicola has created his own distinct look but by from all accounts is too humble to share his wardrobe advice with others. Personally I think he gives out advice without even knowing, I know I wouldn't have learnt half of what I know without looking at his closet for inspiration.

Nicola Ricci, hat's off to you and Molto Grazie!

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society
- Mark Twain

Photos by Chris Hacker

Everyone knows men hate shopping but is this just a myth?
Personally I love shopping and I know other guys who also love shopping, so before you go on to say something gender-related, let's take a look why we think men hate it so much.

Obviously I can only talk about my personal experience, although throughout my experience of working in high-end retail, I've gotten to hear the opinions of hundreds of guys and these are some of the things I've been told over the years: We don't like trying things on, nor looking around a shop and asking for assistance, nothing fits the way I want it too, I don't know my size and I don't know what I want.

Men seem to not like trying things on mainly because of the last statement - they don't actually know what they want. Some may even say, "my partner wants me to upgrade my wardrobe" and that's why they've decided to go shopping. To keep their partner happy they'll go out, walk around the shops buy a few things that they'll never end up wearing. I think that knowing what you're after is the key to success before you even step out of the front door.

Nothing fits comes under the heading of knowing how something SHOULD fit you.
If you wear casual bomber jackets and then go to buy a blazer or sports jacket, it's not going to have the same feeling, but if you don't try then you'll probably never know either.

Not knowing your size is probably not true, you do know your size, although that doesn't necessarily mean that a size 32" pant from one brand will be the same as another. I agree with "I don't know my size" if it's something that I haven't tried on before, but if I'm a 32" waist in pants from a particular brand that's at least a good starting point to go from.

Another thing I can agree with most men is not wanting to ask for assistance and this is because of trust. Is this assistant just saying I look good to make the sale? Is it really for me? It's a lot to consider even if you've built up a great rapport with the sales assistant, and once again knowing what you like and are after will make your life a hundred times easier.

Window Shopping is also a great option if you find it hard to make decisions. The entire process is obligation free, you get to know what's around and if you can't find what you're after I suggest thinking back to what you have already and then imagining what new items would work back with your existing wardrobe.

Jacket by Farage
Shirt by Mazzarelli
Tie by Otto Marchesi
Pochette by Christian Kimber
Pants from Ebay
Shoes by Santoni

I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes

- Yves Saint Laurent

Photos by Zoli Dinh

Today I want to talk about which type of blazer or sports jacket you should pair back with jeans for a smart casual vibe, and what jeans work best to create this look.

When it comes to wearing a suit jacket as sports jacket, it's best to find one with relaxed details - Wearing a corporate suit jacket will look like business even if it's worn with a pair of relaxed trousers so it's best to save those for the office.

More relaxed details could include things like different coloured buttons, patch pockets, a jacquard or patterned fabric or a softer/relaxed construction (Softer shoulders and less canvassing). The key-note here is; a more relaxed garment equals a more relaxed look, think about how casual track pants and a hooded jumper are!

Jeans come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention the different shades and fades and even markings (whiskering). The best way to judge which jeans go with which blazer is if you have a pair that has markings and fading, stick with a solid jacket and/or Visa-Versa. You don't want to get too complicated with the pattern mixing as denim has a textured finish anyway. When it comes to the tailoring of jeans still make sure you use someone who has the right skills, cropping or rolling up the cuffs is also a personal preference.

I will say that personally if the rise of the jean is low I like to leave my top or shirt untucked but if it's a medium to high rise I like to tuck it in. It gives the illusion of more length in the legs and can either make my outfit look more relaxed or more put together.

Jacket by Scotch & Soda Atelier
Roll Neck by Hermen Menswear
Jeans by Boss Orange (Hugo Boss)
Socks by Fortis Green Apparel
Shoes by Boss Orange (Hugo Boss)

Shoes make an outfit. You can throw on a crazy shirt and crazy pants, but you add those shoes - done

- Russell Westbrook

Photos by Chris Hacker

Shoes are very personal, they can make a statement or put the finishing touches on an outfit. Because we wear them just as much as we do underwear, shoes should be cleaned and taken care of properly. The beauty of footwear is that if you invest in quality, they will last you a lot longer than your undergarments.

The only thing we should think about when buying shoes is making sure to invest in quality. Well, constructed shoes aren't cheap, but should last you 10+ years if you look after them correctly.

I know that some of you will be reading this and thinking that you can't afford to spend $400-$500, but I have the solution to your problems so you can wipe those thoughts away. It's Paul Evans NY shoes. Most of us forget about lay-by or layaway whilst shopping, mainly because we want the product immediately, but Paul Evans NY have come up with a novel idea for their online sales.The company wanted to cut the middle man out of retail and sell quality products (they use a family-owned artisan shoemaker in Naples, Italy) at an affordable price. Sound great, right?

Not only do they make a great selection of shoes, Paul Evans NY gives their customers the option of financing the new shoes with a payment plan. You still get your shoes within 2 weeks of ordering (if buying internationally), but you get time to pay them off, making the sale more affordable instead of paying one large lump-sum payment.