Men's Lifestyle

Off with the beard!

Yes, it’s getting closer and closer to Summer, which means it’s time for the beard to go, and it’s gone! 😀 For the past couple of years I’ve had this tradition where I have a beard in the Winter and then shave it off for the Summer. I’ve done this now for a few years, and last year I decided that to make it an even 6 month kind of thing, I would use changing the clocks as a rough guide…So we put our clocks forward a few weeks back, and so I have finally shaved off the beard.

p.s. I may have created some content in advance for the blog, so don’t be surprised if it looks like I have the beard back 😉

It looks weird, I almost don’t recognise myself 😀 It’s always the same, and I only started doing the beard thing originally for Movember around 3 years ago, then decided to keep it in the Winter.

Not only that, but now the warmer weather is here it’s time to start putting away all the jumpers and knits, and get out all the T-shirts and Summer clothing. I’m looking forward to wearing T-shirts without another layer again, I may have to invest in some newer pieces 😉

For now I will keep out a couple of my favourite jumpers, because it’s not summer yet, and it’s still a little cold. One of my favourites has to be this one from Gant, so it’s made it to my Outfit Of The Week.

It’s my cream cable knit sweater, which I really like a lot. It’s minimal and simple style is what I like about it the most, and has a small logo to the breast. I love wearing this colour with this pair of denim from Cheap Monday, it’s another colour, they’re a brown/copper colour which I really like and think they work well with the cream jumper. I’ve worn these with my cream cricket jumper too, I might get that out in the coming weeks too. I wore these with my black Converse Chuck Taylor All Star trainers.

Have a great Friday & Weekend! It’s Easter next weekend, I cannot wait, no work! 😉 Check out more pics from this look below
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Whether you call it Sunday Lunch or Sunday Dinner, we can all probably agree that they are the best! They’re something to look forward to for many, every weekend. The Sunday lunch is not just about the food, it’s about tradition. Back when we were kids we went to my nanas house with the family, and for many it’s a chance to go to your mams, because nobody makes a home cooked roast like your mother! If you’re a regular reader of my blog then you’ll know that I don’t eat greens, nothing! For me a Sunday dinner is all about the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings, you cannot beat some good roasters and Yorkshire puds!

The Best Sunday Lunch In The North East

If you want to go out for Sunday Lunch and live in Newcastle then you’re in luck, because we have so many incredible restaurants which offer some epic food, and that includes a roast with all the trimmings. So whether you’re treating the family, or going out for a change, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to eating out on a Sunday. Here’s a run down of the best places for Sunday Lunch in Newcastle which you can try. From a traditional set menu to a Sunday carvery with unlimited options, you’ll find the best selection of places to eat below.

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So, Do We Need Bud Light In The UK?

Several weeks ago I heard about Bud Light coming to the UK, and then when I was out a few weeks ago I noticed that in one of the bars they had it on tap…But the bar didn’t actually have it on! I’ve seen it in a few shops to buy, and I finally got myself a few cans to try out over the weekend.

Apparently we’ve had Bud Light in the UK before, I’ve never seen it, but apparently we did have it. Anyway, it’s now officially launched in the UK, and comes in a really distinctive blue colour can. I’ve only seen this in cans and on tap, so presumably it’s not available in bottle form, which is probably a good thing, because it is light, very light.

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Hey guys!

I hope you’ve had a good week so far, it’s Friday, and for most, it’s also Pay day!!

So last week for my outfit of the week I talked about the men’s pink Spring fashion trend, and I think it’s a big thing, with lots of shades of pastel pink and salmon being around already.

Another one of the pastel colours which is making waves as it does in Spring is green.

As you probably know from reading my blog or just in general, green was the Pantone colour of the year, and although it’s not the pale shade which I think is great for fashion, it’s in the same colour to that.

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Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Yes…I know….I should be wearing some green somewhere for my outfit of the week and I’m not. This was my favourite outfit this week, and since today is St. Patrick’s Day I have not taken any photos yet, I may do later, I have a couple of green bits of fashion I could throw on 😉

I have spoken time and again about this outfit and style and I love it, so it’s not the first time you’ll have seen me in it, and it won’t be the last. It’s the all black style, apart from the jacket, which is very dark grey. I love the all black look, and what makes it stand out even more is the lighter shades of the jacket which brings everything back to black.

Since I prefer jeans to trousers I always opt for those, and there’s none better than my Nudie Jeans. The shirt is from Jaeger, I’ve featured it before in my black Jaeger shirt post, it’s a stretch cotton shirt which feels luxurious, and has a tiny bit of stretch to make the fit even better. The jacket is from Minimum, a brand which I really love, they’re from Denmark and do Scandi style really well. The footwear comes in the form of my derby shoes from Kurt Geiger which are my go to black pair of shoes and have really stood the test of time.

No product in my hair again! I recently dyed it darker (again) so I couldn’t put anything in just in-case it reacted with the dye or something like that.

For today I don’t think I will be celebrating Paddy’s Day too much…It’s never been something I’ve really got into, although any celebration which encourages drinking is fine by me, so I might do something later 😛

If you are doing something tonight have a good one!

You can check out more pics from this look below.

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Everybody Wants Some – What a great film!!

It’s a film I’ve wanted to see for ages, and finally I got it, sat down and watched it, and it was brilliant. The last film I wrote about which I watched Grimsby  which was OK, but not brilliant, so I thought the next one up I’d watch from my new little collection of blu rays would actually be one I’ve just got, Everybody Wants Some.

The film was billed as “the spiritual successor of Dazed And Confused” which is one of my favourite films of all time. They’re both indie type of films, written, directed and produced by Richard Linklater who has done other films I love like Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight and Boyhood. I went into watching this film with an open mind that it wouldn’t be as good as Dazed & Confused as I love that it’s hard to compare, and I wanted to watch it with fresh eyes and not compare it to something else.

The film is done in a similar style of Dazed & Confused, it’s a bit of a comedy-coming of age type of film, and is set in 1980 around a baseball team (don’t worry you don’t need to know about or like baseball). The main character is a freshman who’s just going to college through being good at baseball, and encounters his new teammates, some of which are in the same shoes as him, stars of their high school and now in the big leagues of college. He moves into an off-campus house which is for baseball players, he meets his older housemates who are on the team, and the story goes from there.

There’s lots of college life type of stuff, with the usual story of drinking, games and trying to get girls, and of course there is a love interest thrown in their too. The soundtrack is just brilliant! Everything from some dodgy country music to hip hop, soul and rock, it probably has a much better soundtrack than Dazed & Confused, the music is so relevant and instantly recognisable.

I love this film! I can’t say that it’s better than Dazed & Confused, but it’s such a good film, and I will be watching this one quite a few times.

Hey guys!

I hope you are well and are having a good weekend. Yesterday I took some photos for my outfit of the weekend, and the weather was so miserable! I should have waited for today where it’s actually pretty warm and bright. Unpredictable weather? It must be British Springtime!

This is one of my suede jackets, actually the first suede jacket I got quite a while back. It’s from Mango Man, and is a brown camel colour. Suede is a material which you shouldn’t really wear in the rain, so whenever I think about wearing this or something else in suede I always tend to check my weather app (not that it’s very reliable!).

For my jumper I went for this blue knit from Gant. It’s one which I love and wear so often, the blue goes with so many different pieces of clothing so it’s really easy to wear. The lambswool is pretty tough, but this being a premium style of brand is quite soft and fairly light. I think that this colour works well with the camel colour of the jacket.

For the jeans I went for a pair of BOSS Orange denim. These have a tapered fit, and it’s not my favourite styles of denim anymore. I much prefer a slim or skinny fit, which is more on trend these days, and has been for a while. However for a weekend style, relaxed and chilled out, these are fine for this kind of outfit. As for the colour, you can never go wrong with dark indigo denim, my favourite colour, I own so many jeans in this colour!

For my footwear I pulled out an old favourite, a pair of Converse. I hardly ever wear Converse these days, I opt for the much more comfortable Air Max, and have a couple of pair of those to pick from. But if you’ve been a reader for a while then you’ll know I went through a stage of Converse, and I have 10 or 11 pairs, all in different colours. I went for the grey colour, which I really like, and have never worn too much. The usual colours for guys wearing Converse are the classic red or black, so it’s always good to be able to pull out a different colour which adds something to the overall look, the grey keeps things toned down.

That’s it for my outfit! Now it’s Sunday so it’s all about chilling out! Have a good one. Check out more pictures of this look below and let me know what you think

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Turtle neck, polo neck, or roll neck. Whatever you’d like to call them, I’ve never really been much of a fan. That is, until now. It’s Spring so I decided to expand my wardrobe a little bit, and get myself my first roll neck jumper.

Usually I think of knitwear as a smart V-neck or crew neck knit, perfect for an evening out or more smart affair; Or a big, thick chunky knit, great for a casual night, cosy evening and the likes. The roll neck has been a style which I have never found a place for, but I thought I would give it a go this season.

I’ve seen a lot of people wearing them, and the style has really grown on me, so I decided that I would jump on board and give it a try. What is this style good for? I think it’s good for a smart casual look, especially a plain or toned down roll neck, when you don’t want to layer with something visible, i.e. a shirt. This is the jumper I went for.

It’s a neutral colour, 100% merino wool roll neck from ASOS. I usually wear quite dark coats and jackets, so having a lighter knit will really brighten up my overall outfit look. However this Winter I also invested in a camel overcoat, I really do like the camel overcoat trend, so that jacket is going to be something I’ll hopefully wear for years to come.

Layering light with light garments can sometimes not work, but I think the neutral colour of the jumper along with the camel colour of the coat work quite well. It certainly does not look out of place, the colours are toned down enough not to make the other one loud or bright.

I wanted to get a 100% merino wool jumper because I really like this style of wool. It’s really thin, but feels soft and more luxurious than other types such as lambswool, which can feel more coarse. I always prefer 100% wool over a mix or polyester whatever the type, as it’s a natural material and you do notice the difference over time and even when you wear it.

It’s very fine, and I would say thinner and lighter than some of my other merino wool jumpers.

To complete the look I went for black jeans which really adds some contrast to the overall picture, and my brown Kurt Geiger brogues which I think go well with this outfit, and compliment the black jeans keeping the look just that little bit more casual, while keeping the overall look smart.

Remember if you’re still on the hunt for a jumper for the cold snap to check out my sweater guide which will give you inspiration and the lowdown on everything to do with knits and jumpers for this season.

Let me know what you think of the look and these pieces.

ASOS Roll Neck Jumper | ASOS Camel Overcoat | Kurt Geiger Brogues | Armani Jeans

Close up of the merino wool neck jumper by ASOS

Happy Pancake Day!

It’s one of my favourite days of the year, I just love pancakes! I had some for lunch, and I will have some for my supper later, which has been a bit of a tradition since I was a kid. Earlier I made some from scratch, and they were so good! My pancakes are nice and simple, just three ingredients; Flour, egg and milk. I know some use a pinch of salt or sugar or other things, but I just like to keep them nice and simple, and I eat them savoury rather than sweet.

My Simple Pancakes

2 eggs
100g flour
300ml milk
extra virgin olive oil

Get all the ingredients together with a large bowl for mixing.

Put the flour, eggs and milk into bowl and whisk until you get a batter.

Heat up a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, wait until it’s hot. Pour the batter mix into the pan, and cook for a few minutes on a high heat. Flip the pancake over, and cook for a few more minutes.

Then enjoy! 🙂

I use HP Brown Sauce as a topping, which some think is weird but I always have since I was a kid. What’s your topping of choice?

Have a great pancake day 🙂

Happy Sunday!

I hope you are well and have had a good weekend so far. It’s the usual quiet Sunday for me, with the EFL Cup Final which I am watching, I will be doing not much else, other than a film later in what’s been a Sunday tradition for a long time.

This is my Sunday Style for this week, which is the last Sunday in the month! I can’t believe that we’re almost into March and Spring, my chunky knits and jumpers will be going, but I can keep this one out for a bit longer. I am wearing this navy blue striped knit which is from Jaeger. It’s a fine knit jumper so is light and quite thin, and in this cold weather I needed a T-shirt under it! I have styled it with my Selected Homme leather jacket which I really love, it’s definitely one of the better fashion purchases I’ve made in my life. To go with that I am wearing my Duck & Cover Selvedge Denim jeans, and for footwear I have chosen the smart casual brown brogues from Kurt Geiger.

Have a good Sunday! Back to work tomorrow, but at least we have pancake day on Tuesday and I’ll be posting about that like I always do 🙂

p.s. – What does my hair look like without any product on? THIS!

Check out more pics below.

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