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.

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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.

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 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.