I can’t believe that it’s exactly a year ago when I visited Copenhagen for the first time! I’ve always wanted to go, and it did not let me down, it was great. It is of course Christmas time, with Christmas markets and the city was so Christmassy, definitely the place to be and probably the best time to go with so much to see and do. I thought about doing another Christmas Market this year, and looked at Munich, but decided not to go. Munich could be cool, but it’s not a place where I’ve always wanted to visit, not that I’d never go, but it’s not high on my list of places I want to go to, so decided to not bother.
Christmas is upon us, so if you’re looking for presents for any men, or just yourself, I have put together a small list of different gifts you could either ask people to buy for yourself, buy for others, or just buy for yourself! 😀
If you are buying for men it can be tough, or expensive depending on your taste or budget, but actually it’s not too difficult. I have split up this guide into separate parts, so if you’re looking for tech, grooming, food and drink or stocking fillers. If you’re looking for fashion, I have my Winter Coat Guide as well as a Jumper and Knitwear guide specially for the season, men’s aftershave for Christmas guide and who can forget a good old fashioned novelty jumper, check out the best Christmas Jumpers for 2016.
Find out all about these and get all the details below
Over the years I’ve loved my Christmas jumpers, and have quite the collection from my Christmas Jumpers 2015 and 2014, and this year will be no different. It seems there’s more and more jumpers on sale, from the absolute novelty to the verging on stylish, there’s a pattern or design for you. The ultimate in cheesy Christmas themed knits, or something a bit more toned down with a seasonal fair isle sweater.
Christmas Jumper Day 2016
Christmas Jumper Day is Friday 16th December this year, where you can not only wear a brilliant novelty jumper, but also you can donate to Save The Children if you want to show your support to the charity.
There’s plenty to choose from, here are my favourites from different brands and shops; From budget to premium, there’s one for everyone 🙂
If there’s one easy gift to buy for virtually any man, it’s a new scent, or a favourite fragrance. If you’re looking for aftershave ideas, then I have come up with this very short list of my favourites which I think will be big hits. It’s really hard to narrow things down, as you’ll know if you’re a regular reader, I have lots of scents which have been featured on Michael 84, you can see them all over on the fragrance reviews page, so it’s hard to narrow things down to a manageable level. But I have tried to take on the task, and have selected seven of my highly recommended scents, along with some which deserve an honourable mention too.
I only personally recommend fragrances which I either own or I’ve tried, and there’s obviously plenty others on the market too. With that said, here’s my favourites.
I got a couple of black shirts from Jaeger the other week as you’ll have read, and I think they’re really good. I love a good black shirt, they’re sleek and stylish, you can pair them up with pretty much everything, and they never fail to look smart.
They’re particularly good in the Winter, with the colder nights darker colours are usually preferable, and if you’re looking for something to wear for your office Christmas party then a black shirt could be on your list, depending on what your other options are.
A style I love is an all black suit including a black shirt and even black tie, the black shoes of course, but it’s a bit on the formal side, what if you want to do something more casual, city street style but still looking smart?
I’ve paired up the shirt with a pair of black A.P.C dry denim jeans, one of my favourite pairs of denim, and wore a pair of Kurt Geiger suede shoesto complete the look. I really like the colour of these shoes, you’ll probably know my love of these as you’ll see them in so many outfit posts.
The lighter colour really stands out alongside the black of the denim and shirt. As for the shirt itself, I love the fit, and the French placket makes it look so smooth and elegant.
When Midori told me about their Moshi Moshi campaign I was pretty excited! Combining alcoholic cocktails with a Japanese theme sounds pretty sweet to me! For a few years now I have wanted to go to Japan, in particular Tokyo, but there’s a couple of issues; Other than the cost, it’s so far, and I’ve never been on a plane for more than 5 or 6 hours, and a flight to Tokyo…Around 12 hours!
Maybe I will (eventually) get there, but until then, I had some fun with the Moshi Moshi Midori campaign, and making some funky and fresh cocktails, I have to say the taste is so good! Midori has always intrigued me, I know a few people who drink it, with them usually mixing it with lemonade or Coke, but this drink is something you’ll want to definitely try yourself, it is that good.
Since I am a fashion blogger I get to see so many clothes, fashion and styles from a huge number of brands. I also notice so many trends, and have jumped onto many, and for some things, really been at the forefront of some trends which later go on to become more mainstream which I think is cool. But fashion is fashion, and we can all get it wrong at some point, or maybe get it right at the right time, but later have that “What was I thinking” moment! As the old saying goes, fashion is temporary, style is forever.
I think my worst ever fashion purchase was this Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier hoodie. It’s a burnt reddish-orange/brown dip dye type of colour, with embroidered graphics and full of rhinestones. Back in 2006-2010 Ed Hardy was really popular, and were one of the things to own, and seen as a real statement piece, and probably were the streetwear of their day. The designs were tattoo inspired, and were over the top and filled with colours and usually rhinestones. Rhinestones are not your typical thing to have on men’s clothing, but it was done in such an edgy way that the pieces became a hit, and everyone wanted at least one piece of Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier.
What makes this the worst fashion purchase ever is two key things, the price and the number of times I wore it. The cost? £245! Yes, that much for a hooded sweatshirt. I still remember buying it, there was the choice of this one, or the same design but in a dip-dye blue colour. It was over Christmas and I went down to London for Christmas shopping, and bought it in Selfridges along with a lot of other stuff. One of the worst things is that I hardly wore it, I’ve worn it maybe 9 or 10 times, and never actually worn for years, probably since that Winter.
I probably wouldn’t pay as much for such a piece, It was street style designer back then, but as the years have gone on my ideas have changed, and I would only spend large amounts of money on investment pieces or from labels that have stood the test of time. Having said that, it was a big brand back then, and sometimes you just have to live in the moment. I’ll probably always keep this, you never know, it could come back in style like the 90’s trends have 😛
What’s the worst fashion purchase you’ve made? Check out more pics below…
When I first properly got into fragrances and scents as I have done, one of the first ones I got was Narciso Rodriguez For Him. This was released in 2007, and I believe that I got this for Christmas of that year, possibly a year later.
It was quite a mysterious scent for me to get, it’s not the huge name that everyone in the world outside of fashion or perfume knows, and the bottle gives nothing away either since it’s dark and opaque. However once you open it and try it, you’ll know why it’s called, For Him.
Larsson and Jennings have unveiled a special limited edition watch for Autumn/Winter 2016.
The special edition Saxon watch will limited to only 200 pieces, and features a matte black case, brushed gold coloured bezel and a black leather strap. Other features of the watch face include a small seconds dial, date window and the minimal styling we’ve come to expect from Larsson and Jennings. Each timepiece will be numbered, with engraving on the side of the casing, making each piece a one-off.
Welcome to Michael 84 – A men’s fashion blog and lifestyle guide from the UK. You’ll find the best in fashion, style, male grooming, fragrances, travel, tech and modern living.
Read about the latest fashion for men. Everything from luxury designer menswear to affordable casual clothing to keep you on trend. You’ll always look stylish with effortless fashion tips and up to date information on the latest style trends.
Michael 84 is often named amongst the best mens fashion bloggers in the UK and the world.
Please let me know if you have featured me in your blog, magazine or publication and I will add your button. Check out my Press Page here
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Individual posts which contain affiliate links are marked as such with the relevant disclaimers.
