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 “Menswear Edit” Thirteen

Hot off the heels of yesterdays announcement (my thoughts on which can be read here) I thought I’d do a rough and ready chuck together look book inspired by Jodie Whittaker’s thirteenth Doctor.

This look is fantastic, as I’ve said elsewhere before, and it’s androgynous enough to work for either gender, so here I’ve presented a few close enough menswear alternatives to help evoke the notion of the now iconic image of Jodie Whittaker in character for the first time.

The Thirteenth Doctor’s Costume Revealed!

As many of you will know be well aware, today the BBC unveiled what Jodie Whittaker would wear when she finally steps aboard the TARDIS for series 11 sometime in 2018.

While my initial thoughts on what the Doctor would wear in her new incarnation were a little off compared to what we eventually got, I don’t feel I was a million miles away… I could’ve been a lot closer though!

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…

Preparing to Say Goodbye to Twelve

At the time of writing there are only two episodes left for the twelfth Doctor. Tomorrow sees the finale of series 10 and then we have the Christmas special which will see Peter Capaldi exit the show by regenerating into an (as yet) unannounced actor or actress.

As I sit and type this on a breezy Friday morning, it suddenly strikes me just how unprepared I am to see the end of the twelfth Doctor’s era. Peter Capaldi has, without a shadow of a doubt, been one of the best things to happen to the show since its’ inception back in 1963. Capaldi’s performance has always been that of a true thespian; emotive, deep, layered, and complex. While other fan favourite Doctor’s only went skin deep with many of their more emotional scenes, Capaldi manages to illicit a real gut-wrenching emotional responses from the audience with the merest look.

The “Off Duty” Bill Nye

So I’ve recently discovered the brilliant Netflix produced “Bill Nye Saves the World” and I flipping love it.

Being an Englishman born and bred, I wasn’t too aware of Nye growing up, he didn’t really grace the screens over here but due to the internet I’ve become increasingly aware of him throughout the last decade or so, and what with appearances on shows like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and Americans’ adoration of the original bow tie bad boy of science, I’d become a fan of Nye’s work by proxy, by cultural osmosis.

So when I saw that Bill Nye was back on screens in a big way this year I was really excited to delve into the show and learn all about small changes and big steps we can all make to help save the world.

In addition to being incredibly informative and entertaining, Bill Nye sports his trademark look throughout the series and it’s pretty clear that few men other than Nye can pull off a bow tie with such a louche attitude.

Combining American collegiate preppiness with a quirky professorial edge, Nye’s personal style is an absolute hallmark of geek culture and it’s a carefully put together look most men would do well to replicate, so without further ado, lets learn how to dress well, look smart, and perhaps (dare I say it) ‘Save the World!’

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 “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.