Shoe of the Day - M&S Best of British Monk Strap

Marks and Spencer's Best of British range includes some corking men's footwear and the Monk Strap is no exception. Handcrafted by Joseph Cheaney & Sons is a good start to proceedings bringing that classic British design and production to M&S; an impressive and exciting collaboration. £285 is quite a startling sum of money to buy a pair of shoes from M&S but it demonstrates their commitment to bringing genuine quality to their collection. These are excellent shoes, well proportioned and cut. The monk strap is very much on trend at the moment and these are some of the best. Nicely coloured with superb punched design. Available at marksandspencer.com and priced at £285.

marksandspencer.com

British Fashion Fundamentals - Spring Casuals

Our second in our series of British Fashion Fundamentals showcases three casual British pieces that are ideal for Spring.

Despite Spring being imminent, remember we are still in the United Kingdom and will be susceptible to rain, hail, cloud, any type of weather imaginable to human consciousness and known science. Versatile pieces for Spring therefore are utterly essential as you'll look unprepared in shorts and flip flops when the rain comes.

These items have been chosen not only because they are made in the UK but because they offer understated, casual style and should be staples in any gentleman's wardrobe.


Here's our three top picks;



Hengrave Bomber Jacket - lavenhamjackets.com - £315


This outstanding bomber jacket from Suffolk firm Lavenham is an easy choice. Contemporary and very stylish, the Hengrave is everything you could want in a jacket for Spring. Great design, cleanly cut and with excellent choice of colour, the Hengrave can easily be thrown on over t-shirts when the sun vanishes and the clouds appear. An excellent choice of blue keeps the jacket understated whilst some red trim adds some nicely contrasting red. Leather and wool have been combined masterfully to add texture to this complete package. A must buy.

lavenhamjackets.com

Red and White Block Stripe T-Shirt - leithclothing.com - £30

A really great T-shirt chaps is so important to any wardrobe in any season, Spring is no exception. You need a t-shirt that can hold it's own and anchor an outfit by itself with shorts, and look great under an open jacket too. This is a fine example. Nicely spaced and sized stripes are complimented with a great deep red and clean, crisp white. Wear with just about anything and well worth £30 of anyone's money.

leithclothing.com

Blue Hemp Jeans - cockandbullmenswear.co.uk - £120

A Fifty Words On favourite, we've featured Cock and Bull Menswear's superb boxer shorts and the same attention to detail and passion for sustainability are evident in these fantastic  blue hemp jeans. Jeans should be well cut, shaped and of course comfortable; these fit the bill perfectly. British made jeans are an exciting prospect and these are remarkably well priced for British production and quality. Clearly made with a passion for design and a commendable philosophy, these are a great choice for Spring with a t-shirt or relaxed button up shirt.

cockandbullmenswear.co.uk