ChicGeek Comment Ode To Christopher Bailey
News just in - Burberry president and chief creative officer, Christopher Bailey, who has been with the Burberry brand for 17 years, will stand down from its board in March 2018 and work with CEO Marco Gobbetti and team on a transition period until December 2018.
When Burberry’s renaissance began in the late 1990s, it was the perfect time to turn around a recognisable British name, dust it off and grow it into the new desire for luxury and branded products. We’d witnessed it at Gucci, under Tom Ford, and other languishing brands were thirsty for the same.
Burberry initially started with the Italian designer, Robert Menchetti. That didn’t last long and was soon replaced by an unknown designer, Christopher Bailey.
Left - Christopher Bailey who turned Burberry into the billion dollar business it is today
Initially, and this was pre-Google, so you can forgive me, I thought it was the same Chris Bailey who had started Jigsaw Menswear and the soon-to-be defunct Uth. A great designer and businessman, I thought it was a perfect fit.
I quickly realised they were different people and I bought a shirt from that first 2001/02 collection. Admittedly, it was in the Harrods sale and it was very expensive, if I remember, and I still have it. It was in a stretch, striped fabric, one I hadn’t seen before, with metal Burberry branded buttons and epaulettes. There was something beautiful yet innovative which became the signature of the new Burberry.
I quickly became fan. Every collection had a strong theme and the pieces were well designed and had that all important desire factor. The brand got bigger, the shows became fancier and major events with Christopher Bailey overseeing every detail, from store fits to the music to the Testino campaigns.
Those Bill & Ben hats, the paisley collection and then there was the coats with the leather arms which are still yet to disappear off the British high-street.
Bailey is one of the greatest Creative Directors of our time. He’s up there with Tom Ford for a progressive and consistent luxury handwriting. Burberry’s growth and success is down to his balance of updating Britishness while respecting the past and knowing exactly what consumers want now.
While the average Burberry customer probably doesn’t know or care who Christopher Bailey is, for us fashion folk, we like to see the whites of the eyes of those designing and leading the brands we look at.
Seventeen years in fashion is a lifetime, especially today, and while “See Now, Buy Now” pushed him into a creative cul-de-sac, Bailey produced some great clothes and images.
I think he’ll probably take a break. Burberry has made him a very rich man. But, it is exciting what this talented man decides to do next. Perhaps he’ll join Angela Ahrendts at Apple, maybe a bigger fashion job such as Louis Vuitton, his own label or maybe something really radical like Amazon. Who knows?
See more Burberry related comment pieces:
Time to Ditch “See Now, Buy Now” here
Choose Your Rip-Off here
Hot List The Fancy Western Shirt
As American as apple pie and a lack of gun control, the cowboy shirt is one of the most romantic and masculine of menswear items. This beauty from Ralph Lauren's Double RL label popped off their US website and is constructed from a medium-weight Japanese wool blend fabric with a Concho button at the neck. Chain-stitched embroidery uses ombré threads in a vintage Western–inspired spur motif created exclusively for Double RL.
This is the kind of shirt you'll have forever and keep returning to time and time again.
Left & Below - RRL - Stretch Wool Western Shirt - $495
Get The Look Call Me By Your Name
We seem to be fixated on the year 1983. First came Stranger Things and now, the new film by Luca Guadagnino, Call Me By Your Name.
Left - Getting rave views - Call Me By Your Name - The new film by Luca Guadagnino, who also made I am Love & A Bigger Splash
A love story between Elio and Oliver, Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet, respectively, it is an Italian summer romance featuring the power brands of the decade.
Right - The film's wardrobe was very casual 80s brands such as Lacoste & Polo Ralph Lauren
From Polo Ralph Lauren shirts, clothing the arrogant and preppy Oliver, to the striped Lacoste polos on the young and loving Elio.
Mix it with a bit of 80s Italian disco and copious amounts of drawstring swim shorts and you have your next warm weather wardrobe sorted. A future classic, it’s a peach of a film!
Left - B.D. Baggies - Bradfort Oxford Butt Down-Pocket - £73
Below - Ray Ban - Original Wayfarer Classic - £127
Left - Ralph Lauren - Slim Fit Cotton Oxford Shirt - £95
Left - Lacoste - Men’s Lacoste Regular Fit Striped Pima Cotton Polo - £79
Below - Boardies - Overlay Shortie Swim Shorts - £50
Persol - Havana - £153 from Sunglasses-shop
Converse - Fastbreak ’83 Vintage - £70
Casio - Classic Digital Watch F-91W-1XY - £13 from ASOS
adidas - Originals Football Swim Short - £29.99 from Footasylum
See More Get The Look - The Assassination of Gianni Versace - here
Get The Look - Wild, Wild Country
BUY TheChicGeek's new book - FASHIONWANKERS - HERE
Superdry The One Stop Shop For Winter Jackets
The relationship with your winter coat is a long - okay, well, a good few months, - and close one. Your sartorial significant other, choosing and committing to a style isn’t something to be taken lightly. So, lucky then, Superdry has a Tinder-like amount of choice, this season.
From lightweight bombers to full on “Everest” parkas, Superdry has the full range of jackets to suit every situation and climate.
Left - Superdry - Sport Power Down Hooded Jacket - £114.99
Traditional denim jackets have been given a modern twist with Superdry varsity badges, and “Sherpa” linings. For something more formal, they have a smart double breasted wool coat, while “Rookie” styles have the addition of military-style fastenings and adjusters, plus practical pockets, to add functionality. With offerings across a palette including “duty green" and “bullet grey”, the fleece-lined styles and detachable faux-fur trimmed hoods will ensure they keep you warm.
Right - Superdry - Limited Edition Flight Bomber Jacket - £99.99
Parkas, from heavy duty to cocoon puffa, camo print to glacier, will cope with the most intense of winter extremities, plus the addition of a luxury, high performance premium down option for the very first time.
Superdry’s signature wind-cheater jackets have been rebranded for AW17. Options include totally fleece-lined arctic styles, colour pop zip jackets with triple layer fastenings and microfibre wind-bombers with faux-fur detailing. These essential and easy-to-wear outdoor jackets come in a rainbow of colours to fit your personal style.
It's now time to make your outerwear mind-up. Decisions, decisions!
See the full collection here https://www.superdry.com/mens/jackets
Left - Superdry - Faux Fur Trimmed Everest Coat - £129.99
Right - Superdry - Remastered Rogue Trenchcoat - £124.99
*Sponsored by Superdry
Vlog SCRUBD, Lab Series, The Drop, Male Hair Transplants & Corduroy
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“Mr Perfect” Gary Lineker Covers Up In T.M. Lewin’s Perfect Shirt #Sponsored
Gary Lineker chooses to wear T.M. Lewin rather than go naked. When he famously tweeted he would present Match of the Day in his underwear, if Leicester City won football’s Premier League, it came back to haunt him and nearly bite him on the derrière when he had to fulfil his promise.
Left & Below - Put a T.M.Lewin shirt on it, Gary!
Fast-forward two seasons and he’s now found his perfect cover-up. The “Perfect” man - due to his impeccable record on the football field - needs the perfect shirt and T.M. Lewin perfectly fits the bill. From “The Ultimate Non-Iron Shirt” to a cooling cotton poplin to luxurious herringbone, T.M. Lewin is the home of the white shirt and has an option to suit every-body!
The 56-year-old former striker has also got himself into hot water with transport bosses. Buses are threatening to ban the snaps - and are demanding a pair of underpants is added to the TV star "to cover his modesty”. Ordered to put his pants back on, the full campaign has come under fire. Transport for London said: “We continually work with advertisers and brands to ensure that all adverts meet our mutual requirements. A slightly amended version of this campaign will run on our network from October 23.”
With or without pants, T.M. Lewin’s classic white shirt fulfils Gary’s every sartorial need from work to play to formal attire. London shirtmaker since 1898, their famous four for £100 offer can make everyman look as perfect as Gary.
Find out more here
Menswear Trend Beyond Borg!
If you thought Borg was a 1970s tennis player. you’d be correct, but, it’s also this season’s hottest material. Normcore, dad-chic, basic-bitch, the sources of reference are numerable, but it’s all about the fleeciest of fleeces, this season.
Borg is a type of synthetic plush pile imitation fur fabric commonly used for linings, according to Wikipedia, and the coolest of London designers - Martine Rose, Cottweiler - have been lapping it up.
You can find it at all price points, just look for exaggerated fleeces in dull colours. You could even ask your dad for his old one - very Countryfile. You don’t want to stand out, you want to blend in. Bring on the boring Borg!
Left - Martine Rose SS18
Left - ASOS - Oversized Hoodie In Borg - £30
Left - Topman - Red Check Borg Jacket - £50
Left - Uniqlo - Men Fleece Long Sleeve Full-Zip Jacket - £19.90
Left - River Island - Navy Fleece Hoodie - £32
Left - Napa by Martine Rose - Off-White Tyson Fleece - £275 from brownsfashion.com
Left - Cottweiler - Contrast-Panel Fleece Sweatshirt - £252 from matchesfashion.com
Left - CMMN SWDN - Fleece Track Jacket - £215 from MRPORTER.COM
Left - Albam - Fleece Jacket - £150
Left - Fila Vintage - Retro Teddy Bear Fleece Jacket - £64.99
Left - Tommy Hilfiger - Block Stripe Fleece Jacket - £240