Two Watches Inspired by 007

It’s very rare on this blog that I go into too much depth in regards to accessories.

Indeed, there are so few options available to men when it comes to dressing up an outfit, that often accessories are considered an after-thought by lots of men, or an affectation by a select few.

One of the few pieces that many men are still passionate about, however, is the humble wristwatch. The wristwatch is a piece that was once an absolute necessity, but now (due to the advent of the smartphone) is becoming less and less common. Watches are terrific for adding a little flare to an outfit, without needed to go overboard or feel too dressed up.

Perhaps one of the best watch icons in fiction is Ian Fleming’s 007 – Commander Bond, as he originally appeared in Fleming’s novels, was a man of simplicity and habit and enjoyed high-quality in all aspects of his existence. Indeed, Fleming gave his fictional secret agent many of the same tastes and predilections as he himself had – including an affinity for Rolex watches.

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The “Gap Year” Dr Strange

So last night I saw ‘Dr Strange’ and was absolutely blown away by it – in my opinion it’s easily the best Marvel movie in a long time – it’s fresh and exciting, while also introducing some new and interesting elements to the MCU canon. Benedict Cumberbatch is stellar in the role and the entire cast shines in a beautifully realised world of sorcery juxtaposed with the ordinary, everyday world in which we normally live.

On top of all of this, the costumes featured are absolutely stunning and Strange himself looks amazing in all of his outfits, from the slick dinner suit worn in the early movements of the picture, to the training garb he wears as he learns his mystic arts, to when he finally dons the clock of levitation and becomes the Dr Strange comic book fans know and love.

The Bespoke Experience: Three Piece Donegal Tweed

As those who follow me on Twitter will know, I’m getting married in December!

It’s all very exciting and there’s lots of odd jobs still left to do, but recently I got to tick off a big part of my personal to-do list.

Donegal tweed swatch.

The other week I collected my three piece Donegal tweed suit from my tailor in Lincoln. I originally visited Andrew J Musson Bespoke in March to choose my fabric and order the suit which is a very generous wedding present from my Dad and his wife.

My first visit was rather daunting as I only had a vague idea of the sort of thing I wanted. Originally I’d planned for a Blackwatch tartan suit in a much more classical style but, upon talking to Andrew, my fiancé, and my Dad I opted for something a bit more appropriate for a winter wedding in the country.

My partner and I looked through about seven different books of fabric samples before narrowing it down to three (very different!) fabrics, one was a heavyweight wool in navy with a classic chalk stripe, the second was a brown and beige herringbone, and the third was the beautiful Donegal tweed I eventually chose.

The “Elegant Eccentric” Willy Wonka

As I write this, ITV3 is showing “Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory” in memory of the late, great Gene Wilder who sadly passed away recently.

While rewatching this beloved classic it struck me just how Doctor-y Willy Wonka is, from his mannerisms, to his mad-eyed playfulness, to the somewhat sinister nature of his seemingly endless factory. Indeed, many people have drawn parallels between Wilder’s Willy Wonka and Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor – indeed, they both share a love of eccentric clothes, big eyes, mad hair, and madder conversation.

In memory of Gene Wilder, and in appreciation of his wonderfully weird Wonka, I’ve created a look-book to best channel your inner chocolatier.

The “Rockabilly” Starfleet

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” – Star Trek: The Original Series

As Trekkies all over the world celebrate 50 years of boldly going where no man has gone before, it’s perhaps fitting to create a warm, layered, and stylish look-book influenced by the 60’s chic of the original Starfleet crew uniforms.

The original costumes incorporated lots of TV friendly fabrics and designs and had a surprisingly basic silhouette at heart. The loose military vibe is easily forgotten when looking at the vibrant colours and textures of the costumes and the subtle insignia add great layers of detail in a time when it was easy to forget the little things.

The “Autumn 2016” Number 6

“I am not a number, I am a free man!” – No. 6

If, like me, you’re eagerly awaiting the cooler months and wishing this abysmal heat would finally dissipate, it might be wise to look forward to some autumn looks comprised of soft silhouettes, textured fabrics, and several layers.

One such look that manages to tread that tricky line between summer and autumn is the aesthetic worn by many of the villagers in 1967’s  ‘The Prisoner‘. Shot on location in seaside village of Portmeirion, the villagers would naturally want to keep warm against the sea breeze while also being able to shed layers or wear breathable fabrics when the climate called for it.

‘The Prisoner‘ has a passionate cult following but isn’t very well know these days – which is a crying shame as the series is visually rich and wonderfully inventive. I’d really recommend giving it a look.

The “Everyday” Driver

“If I drive for you, you get your money. You tell me where we start, where we’re going, where we’re going afterwards. I give you five minutes when we get there. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours. No matter what. Anything a minute on either side of that and you’re on your own. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down. I don’t carry a gun. I drive.” – The Driver

2011’s Drive is, perhaps, one of my all time favourite films. The soundtrack, the story, the effortless cool, and – as ever – the clothes all make this one of the most thrilling, engaging, and memorable films for years.

Ryan Gosling’s nameless protagonist cut such a swathe on film that he was instantly catapulted to icon status; the sort of plateau only occupied by the likes of Marlon Brando’s Johnny Strabler or James Dean’s Jim Stark.

Dressed in classic Americana, Gosling looks every bit the leading man. His look consists of an quilted satin souvenir jacket, worn denim jacket, slim fit jeans, off-white boots, a tight fitted henley, and a pair of brown driving gloves.

The pared down, yet high-quality outfit sported by the Driver has spawned literally hundreds of imitators yet it’s important to remember that the detail of the look can change around, yet the silhouette and texture is perhaps more important than the overall style.

(Reader Suggestion) Time Differential: Ten to Twelve

Recently, @DaveceptionYT – a friend of AAWTIS and loyal reader of the blog – got in touch and suggested a Time Differential post combining the looks of the tenth and twelfth Doctors.

Not wanting to disappoint such a stand up chap, I naturally jumped at the chance to come up with a look book to combine these two iconic Time Lords.

The basic design for this look is taking the shape, silhouette and pieces of Twelve’s ‘Space Hobo’ aesthetic and twisting them to match the colour palette of Ten’s blue suit variant.

The pinstripe jeans are a unisex style from Topshop and are available on eBay. Sadly, these seem to be a one off pair left in the overstocks. Alternatively, a pair of blue (or brown) chinos, either striped or otherwise), would work just as well.

The boots are a fantastic pair of Doc Martens Mayports in canvas twill. These are burgundy, in order to reference Tennant’s deep red converse worn with the blue suit but they also come in cream if you wanted to do a brown suit version of this look book!

The jumper I’ve selected is the blue version of the BooHooMan holey jumper I’ve mentioned before; I own this jumper myself and it’s absolutely fantastic – it’s comfortable, well made, dirt cheap, and makes a great substitute for the Paul Smith original – they’re out of stock in black but the blue works especially well with this colour palette. To go with this, I’ve selected a burgundy long sleeve t-shirt from Topman – the burgundy showing through the holes in the jumper make a neat reference to the rust pinstripe on the screen used suit.

The hoodie is a terrific burgundy version of the Fat Face hoodie I’ve shown before and helps to tie the whole look together.

I’ve chosen a pair of tortoiseshell RayBan wayfarers in order to reference both Ten’s brainy specs and Twelve’s sonic sunglasses – these are available from lots of retailers, but cheaper alternatives are everywhere at the minute so be sure to check your local high street to grab a bargain!

Lastly, the coat featured is a beautiful mash-up of Twelve’s Crombie style with Ten’s overcoat colours; it even has a great blue lining! The coat’s even in the sale at the minute for £150.

What do you reckon? How would you mash up these two styles? Be sure to send in any suggestions or requests via Twitter!

Save the Arctic with Doctor Who & Greenpeace

The ‘Save the Arctic’ campaign is one that’s been running for a while, but recently came to my attention when, researching images for this very blog, I came across this photo of Peter Capaldi wearing this very spiffy t-shirt.

Upon clicking said image, I was graced with several Doctor Who stars all sporting the same shirt.

Delving deeper, I discovered the shirts were designed by Vivienne Westwood and are available on the designers’ site here. The shirts were designed to promote awareness of (and to raise money to combat) climate change. We’re all too aware of what climate change is doing to our planet and making just a few small changes to our lifestyles can have a huge impact on our carbon footprints.

The “Series 10” Twelve (V2 & V3)

Hello Pudding Brains!

Here’s another look-book for you. This one focuses on the other outfits Peter Capaldi has been seen sporting while filming the first few episodes of series 10. Personally, I love the mashed up, thrown together nature of these costumes and think they really strike a nice balance between the formality of the series 8 look, the slouchiness of the series 9 look, and the quirkiness of the burgundy velvet.

Capaldi’s two more casual outfits, featured here, are a little more reminiscent of the holey jumper looks from previous years, while also adding something new into the mix. It’s believed the jumper is a new one, without holes and a slightly looser fit, and the waistcoat and t-shirts are all a little out there too.

I’ve found some pretty good substitutes for some of these pieces and combined them in a way that’s not only very Doctory, but pretty on-trend too.

[Featured image via Twitter]