The “Spring 2018” Han Solo

With all the excitement surrounding the release of “The Last Jedi” (which I’m seeing this weekend!) my Star Wars obsession has once again been reignited and kicked into overdrive (as often happens!) so I decided to put together a little warmer-weather look book inspired by everyone’s favourite scruffy lookin’ nerf-herder.

Han Solo is, without a doubt, my favourite character in the Star Wars universe – while a lot of my friends growing up wanted to be Luke, and most people these days think Boba Fett is the ultimate bounty hunter (for some reason) for me, Han has always been the most interesting, most human, and simply coolest character in the franchise.

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The “Carnaby Street” Rorschach

If you follow the blog over on Instagram you may have seen on my story that I recently re-read (for the fifth time no less) the stunning masterpiece that is Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ ‘Watchmen’.

The writing is, of course, absolutely stellar and takes a beautifully dark and gritty look at a world where superheroes exist, yet come with all the murkier parts of their humanity still in tact. Dave Gibbons’ artwork is breathtaking to say the least with a genius use of golden-age line work with some truly inspired colour palettes which really help to breath life into every panel on the page.

Of the two favourite characters I have, Rorschach is perhaps the most simply designed character, but as a result, I feel he’s most effective and most believable character in the book. A dark vigilante with no powers or gadgets (save for his grappling gun, built by former partner Nite Owl) Rorschach has a black and white world view where wrong is wrong and, as a result, must be punished with extreme prejudice.

Rorschach’s now iconic look was, in turn, inspired by a no less iconic comic book character; Steve Ditko’s ‘The Question’. The outfit worn by Rorschach throughout the book is a simple one; pinstripe suit, white scarf, Chelsea boots, trench coat, stingy brim fedora and his eponymous inkblot mask.

The Thirteenth Doctor: A Concept

Welcome to the universe, Jodie Whittaker!

What an astounding piece of news, the future is female. I’m so thrilled that the show has finally made this step forward and I can’t wait to see what Jodie and Chris do with the show; I think we’re in for a real treat in the coming years and the 13th Doctor will certainly go down in history.

Speculation right now is rife as to what Jodie will do with the role and what sort of bearing her gender will have on the character. She’s already being put through the usual run of the mill questions regarding how it feels to be cast, what she’s excited about, and more importantly, what she’ll wear.

Obviously, I don’t tend to focus on women’s clothes on this blog but with the casting of Jodie I thought I’d turn my hand to designing the Doctor’s new look. Obviously, I’m almost certainly miles off and she could end up in something totally different – but this is just an initial musing on my part…

The ‘Bang on Trend’ Forrest Gump

There seems to be a correlation between films by Robert Zemeckis and characters that become fashion icons; Marty McFly, Eddie Valiant, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, Forrest Gump.

The 1994 film sees Gump living his life in the most unwittingly audacious way, getting wrapped up in major historical events and meeting an entire pantheon of famous figures along the way.

Gump’s signature look has become a guerrilla cosplay for people who may not even realise that they’ve unwittingly taken inspiration from the eponymous Gump. The stone coloured suit, blue gingham shirt, and white leather Nike Cortez trainers made Forrest’s aesthetic instantly achievable by most people. In 2017, such a minimalist look with a focus on heritage trainers is at the absolute forefront of men’s fashion.

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.

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 “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 “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.

The Casual Kingsman

“There’s nothing noble about being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self” – So wrote Ernest Hemingway, and so spoke Harry Hart, aka Galahad when he took young Eggsy under his tutelage in 2015’s ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’.

The film centres around the recruitment and training of a new addition to the roster of Kingsman secret agents. Harry Hart mentors Eggsy and teaches him all the things a true gentleman spy should know, how to be courteous, polite, and deadly. One of the most important aspects of the film is the wardrobe sported by the Kingsman forces and, as such, Matthew Vaughn teamed up with menswear website Mr Porter to develop and sell the pieces seen in the film.