In the 80s and 90s – back in the twentieth century when greed was good and suits were everywhere – the world of fashion was ruled by three major brands: Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss.

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger started his own clothing store in 1969 and had gone bust by 1977, but not before he had discovered a passion for design. Over the next decade he learned about the business of fashion and set up a number of other companies, culminating with the founding of the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation in 1985.

One of the new company’s first moves was to set up a large billboard in Times Square declaring that Hilfiger had arrived and was every bit as significant a brand as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. People may have had their doubts at the time, but over the next ten years, Tommy Hilfiger would explode. It became the official outfitter of ’90s hip-hop, was associated with Britney Spears, Lenny Kravitz and Aaliyah, and in 2000, it had sales of $2bn.

Then for a while the fashion icon fell out of fashion. But it came back.

In 2010 the company was bought by the then owner of Calvin Klein and with its biggest year ever in 2013 (revenues of $3.4 billion), Tommy Hilfiger is once again one of the biggest global fashion brands. At New York Fashion Week in 2016, Tommy announced an upcoming collaboration with social media supermodel Gigi Hadid.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren was working as a tie salesman in the 60s. After designing a tie that was rejected by the company he worked for, he quit his job and set up on his own, opening his own tie store in 1967. Things went well and by the 1990s, Ralph Lauren was widely known as the King of Menswear, and his Polo Sport line was worn by people from all walks of life.

In 2015, Ralph Lauren announced that he would be stepping down as CEO and in summer 2016, shareholders have been warned of an upcoming decline in sales, with the new CEO, Stefan Larsson, announcing a plan to cut costs drastically, and close 10% of stores. Part of the current decline is due to a significant amount of Ralph Lauren sales being in-store, and the younger generation today making more and more purchases online.

Hugo Boss

Hugo Boss went bankrupt after seven years in 1931, but then landed a very lucrative contract just before WWII.  After the war, Hugo Boss passed away and his son-in-law Eugen Holy took over, changing the fortunes of the company by making readymade suits. In the 70s, the Boss brand started to appear on Formula One cars and in other high-profile sports tournaments. Then in the 80s and 90s, it became the brand of choice for power-dressing sharks of Wall Street.

Today, Hugo Boss is 90% publicly owned, has revenues of $2.8bn and is apparently still considered one of the top 30 coolest brands in the world (not just in fashion).

The great American writer James Baldwin said: ‘Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.’ This of course is true, and when you look around the world today and see some of the men on whom young boys are modelling themselves, it’s also kind of terrifying.

No one wants to condemn all men. That would be as ridiculous as condemning all women, all people born in April, or all bankers. (Although the last is pretty difficult to resist.) Though blanket discrimination is a waste of time and helps no one, it has to be said that some men are as good at modelling good behaviour as Nigel Farage is at diplomacy. And it is for those men that we have compiled this list of five tips for being a great male role model…

1) Give a Damn. If you genuinely don’t, there’s probably little to be done. But if you do and you’re just not managing to show it, try harder. Nothing stays with a child more than when the adults in their life (and men are guiltier of this than women) do not engage or are simply not present. Be engaged. Be reliable. Be present.

2) Ease off on the Macho Posturing. Maybe that’s how you are. Maybe you’re never happier than when you’re pumping iron and downing pints and getting in fights and laughing at people who prefer reading to being punched in the face, but let’s face it: it hasn’t made you happy. Of course there’s nothing wrong with being a rough and tumble, engines and tattoos, football and fists kind of bloke, but kids need to know there are more options available. They also need to feel comfortable in themselves if they happen to be a little more sensitive than you.

3) Have Fun! You might be a boss at work, and maybe you’re the shouty, aggressive kind of boss that everyone hates and secretly dreams of murdering. Maybe you find that gets results at work. Maybe it does. But not at home. Loosen up, for pity’s sake. Make the child in your life laugh and you make them happy. Have fun with them! Play games. Play sports. Play silly devils. Play helps kids develop and interact and it encourages creativity. It’s good for you too by the way, and maybe when you get good at it, you could try being less of a dick at work too.

4) Teach Them What You Know. Kids need to learn how to do things – everything from tying their shoe-laces and riding a bike to washing up and planting vegetables. Teach them what you know with patience, forgiveness, praise and good humour. Be selfless with your time and your skills. They will love you for it.

5) Love them. It’s what you were made to do. If you’ve forgotten how, let them show you. The best role models don’t just teach the kids in their lives, they learn too. Love is a perfectly reciprocal arrangement and absolutely the most important positive thing you can do with your life.

‘I believe the children are our future.’ It’s not just a cheesy lyric from a sentimental song. It’s true. And they all need positive role models!

Buying a Men’s Suit

There are a few things to bear in mind before purchasing, and hopefully these tips will make sure you get the suit that is right for you.

Know Your Size

This is very important and something that you can measure yourself. When spending such an amount on a new suit, you will need to make sure it fits like a glove. If buying online, make sure you take a look at the size guide and then measure yourself against it. When looking for your chest size, measure it just under your arms and across your shoulder blades. Use a flexible measuring tape and hold it level, remembering not to hold your breath, ensuring you measure the shoulder blades and the fullest part of the chest. Getting the fit right is the most important element of your suit, as a suit that is too big or too small will not look right, and more importantly won’t feel right.

Shoulders

How to Measure: from the end of one shoulder to the other, where the seams will be.

For a perfect fitted suit, your shoulder pads will end where your shoulders do. This sounds simple enough, but you see a lot of people getting this wrong. If the shoulders don’t feel right, don’t buy it.

Trouser Length

How to measure: inside the leg, lowest point of your crotch, to where you would like the trousers to end.

Depending on the occasion, a different length is often required. For anything formal, i.e. Work, job interview, funeral, it is recommended that your trouser touches the shoe, just above where the foot begins. A more modern lookembraces a flash of sock, possibly for a summer wedding or garden party. Turn-ups are also back with force, and can look really cool with a pair of brogues. Remember to think about where it will receive most use before you make the purchase.

Sleeve Length

How to measure: Measure from where the seams on the shoulder meet to where you want the sleeve to end. 

There is a conventional wisdom when it comes to sleeve length. Most people suggest that you should see between ¼ and an inch of cuff, although I think a little more can be stylish, especially with a good pair of cufflinks and a watch. Remember that your suit should be tight around the cuff. Too much gap gives the impression that you might be borrowing it from your dad…so make sure you get in touch with your tailor if you are experiencing this age old problem.

Vents on Jacket

The most common styles include:

• European – Often regarded as the most stylish and fitted suit of them all, the Italian is often without vents, very slim and has a low button stance.
• American – Otherwise known as ‘the sack suit’, it’s very neutral, one vent and straight hanging lines.
• British – Often known as ‘Saville Row’ style, with two vents and more shape than the American and made with thicker fabrics to reflect Britain’s temperamental weather.

Tailoring

Remember, you don’t need to go to a top tailors to get a suit perfect for you. There has been an emergence of buying able your designer suit directly from a brand like Ted Baker. If it doesn’t fit exactly, take it to a tailor who will often modify it for a lot less than a top end suit shop would charge. Shoulders, trouser length and cuffs are very difficult to get exactly right, therefore finding a good tailor is essential. Shorten the sleeves, hem the pants and tighten the waist and your suit should be good for years.

This article is published in partnership with Men Style Fashion, and the original article can be found here.

Author: Gracie Opulanza – The female voice for menswear

About Men Style Fashion

Guys, we are a funny breed and thanks to Dandy Clash and their very interesting infographic we now get a better picture of ourselves and our weird habits. I present to you; UK Men in Facts & Stats. Enjoy!

Let’s kick this of by looking at our spending habits. First thing that caught my eye was the fact that men spend more money on online shopping than women! Who would have thought? But then again, we also spend almost £300 on jewellery each year on our wives. Probably so we won’t feel as guilty about spending so much money on ourselves.

This is an interesting one. On a night out men spend an average of £126.42 at least once a month, more than three times as much as the average women. Is that because we are being a gentleman and picking up the bill at the end of the night?

So where do we get this money from? 2.5 million of us work more than 48 hours a week. And we earn an average of £30,951.

Looking back at our online shopping habits it is probably no surprise that men spend an average of £660 per year on their wardrobes compared to a £612 annual spend by women. Actually, it is quite surprising. You would have thought that maybe we bought more tech and gadgets etc, however the numbers don’t lie! Women spend a lot more on toiletries though. Make up is expensive! So I’ve been told anyway.

Plastic surgery isn’t just for women. Around 10% of the procedures are performed on men. And rhinoplasty a.k.a. nose job is the top surgical procedure for men.

We can’t talk about the male body without talking about the penis. Guys, get the rulers out. The average erect male penis length is 5.5-6.3 inches.

Smoothly moving on from penises to sex and relationships. The average man has sex 4.9 times per month, and between the ages of 16 and 44 we have an average of 11.7 sexual partners. Please spare a thought for all the single guys still looking for the love of their lives. Don’t give up my friend, there is one for everyone! Depending on your age, you might find comfort in the fact that the average age at first marriage in England is Wales is 32.

This next paragraph is a more serious one. Did you know 2.5 million men have no close friends? That is immensely sad. Absolutely everyone should have at least one close friend who is there for you through thick and thin, through heartache and happiness. No one likes being alone, so next time you go with your mates, ask that new, quiet guy from the office to join you. And every now and then ask your friends how they are doing, and don’t take “fine” for an answer. Show that you care.

Domestic abuse is a serious problem in too man homes, but you probably didn’t know that 1 in 3 domestic abuse victims are male!

Just to make this post even more depressing, let’s move on to the leading causes of death for men. They are heart disease (15.6%), lung cancer (7.0%), Emphysema/bronchitis (6.0%), stroke (5.9%) and dementia & Alzheimer’s (5.8%). However for men aged 20-45 the single biggest cause of death is suicide.

1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer at some point int heir lives, so make sure you check yourself regularly!

Below are the top 10 men’s magazines. Fun fact: Gruhme has been seen in 5 of those!

Do you do any sports? Considering that 67% of men are overweight or obese and the leading cause of death is heart disease you definitely should… Yes, you’re probably watching sport on a daily basis like 61% of us, but that does not improve your fitness.

90% of British men fake their love of sports to impress their friends and colleagues. I told you we are a funny breed!

We are getting bigger! in 1954, a typical british male was just over 5ft 7in tall weighing 11st 6lbs. However, today the average man is 5ft 9in and weighs 1st 6lbs. We have grown two inches and gained one stone! A bit worrying, don’t you think?

What has improved since 1954 is gender equality in the home. 29% of men don’t mind taking the sole responsibility for cooking and 36% of British men said that the achievement that would make them the most proud would be cooking a restaurant quality meal at home. Nothing impresses your date more than a good home cooked meal! Furthermore, a whopping 88% of parents agreed that the role of fathers had changed rapidly over the last generation with 47% of fathers feeling they should do more.

Going back to the fact that 67% of men are overweight or obese, it is interesting to see that 69% would give up alcohol forever in return for a perfect body. Maybe because when asked which part of their body they are most unhappy with, 50% of men said their beer bellies.

To finish this post off, let’s have a quick look at our top 10 fears. It is interesting that death and old age are both so high up on the list. I know the thought of death can be terrifying, but there is absolutely no way of avoiding it, so I’m not going to waste any energy fearing it. And why on earth do people fear old age! It’s like one group is afraid of dying and the other group is afraid of not dying. What is your biggest fear?

I hope this has been an interesting read, and hopefully you have learnt a thing or two. As always, comments and feedback is very much appreciated. And feel free to share this with your friends on the internet.

Hmm, why indeed?

At first glance, you might be forgiven for thinking that this was an error on behalf of the wearer, however, it seems there are several possibilities as to why we follow this little quirk of etiquette. Here are some of Gruhme’s favourites.

Some experts from the world of tailoring believe we can trace this back to King Henry VIII. Apparently it was considered a massive insult to Henry because he couldn’t see his toes, never mind fasten the bottom button of his waistcoat. Rumour has it that his courtiers took it as a style ‘initiative’ and followed suit, making it the acceptable and fashionable way to button a waistcoat…..

…..or was it when the future Edward VII was Prince of Wales and he became so rotund that he couldn’t do up the bottom button on his waistcoat? Seemingly his courtiers also copied him in order to make him feel better! The same story has been attributed to both of these Royals so who knows which one is correct?

Another theory that doesn’t seem too outlandish is that once upon a time, young dandies would wear two waistcoats at the same time and they would leave the top waistcoat’s bottom button undone so that you could see the one underneath. In case you were wondering, a young dandy is a young man unduly concerned with looking stylish.

Or could it simply be a matter of comfort? Perhaps the button was undone whilst in the saddle in order to stop the waistcoat rising up the chest while horse-riding? Again, plausible.

Finally, was it the members of Pop, the exclusive club at Eton, who kept their bottom button undone as a sign of their membership? Was it then snapped up as a trend by Savile Row as these wealthy young men tended to become good customers? Definitely a lucrative observation.

The true origins of this quirky etiquette feature may never be established however, it’s certainly a lot of fun exploring all the possible reasons!

By the way, my money’s on Henry VIII….

So you have asked a girl out on a date, and she’s said yes, now you are feeling unstoppable. However, this was just stage one, she may have said yes, but now you have to win her over on that first date. You know when people say ‘ First impressions aren’t everything’ Well in this situation they are, you have to make sure she goes home after that date thinking, ‘ I wonder when the next one is?’

So to do this I’m going to give you some tips to guide you on your path into executing your first date to precision.

Arrogance VS Confidence

Now when you first meet a girl, you want to seem confident, you want to make sure you stand out. However, there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and you can quickly cross over and that’s where you can all go wrong. The minute you start throwing around arrogance that’s where the girl can quickly be turned off, they can quickly pick up you’re being cocky. You have to make sure you have the right attitude, having the right attitude can make a first date go so much more smoothly, make sure you keep your cool. That way you know you have the second date secured.

Manners:

Manners are so important, you should have them all the time, but especially on that first date. Doing things like opening the door, letting her walk in first, opening the car door. So keep the manners high and don’t do anything stupid. I once saw a man go on a date and use the napkin on the table to blow his nose, only to leave the snotty tissue on the tablet… So keep your dinner etiquette at a high level and make sure you come across as a gentleman.

It’s not an interview:

Okay, when you go on a first date you want to get to know each other, so that involves a fair amount of questions but take it at a steady pace, do not ask her a million and one questions, and keep firing them at her before then even reply. You have to make sure you keep relaxed, give her the time to reply to the questions you ask.

Go somewhere new:

DO NOT GO TO YOUR LOCAL, I’m going to repeat that, when you take a girl out, especially on the first date do not go to your local pub. Go somewhere new, somewhere you both haven’t been. Try somewhere new, that way you can both experience and remember it as a first date experience. Also, I’ve seen it first hand a couple went out to a place I knew and you could clearly see they were on a first date, but every second person that walked past knew the guy and wanted to have a chat, you need to make sure you are giving her your full attention.

The past is the past:

We all have a history with ex girlfriends, some we have ended on good terms some you never want to talk to again. But when you are on first date you should NEVER, and I repeat NEVER  bring up ex girlfriends, they should never be brought up and the girl doesn’t want to hear about them. The problem is if you start talking about ex girlfriends on the first date she will immediately feel that you are still attached and you don’t want that.

Don’t go full romeo:

Now a girl loves romance, and loves the guy being romantic, but this is your first date not your wedding day, so keep your inner romeo at bay. In addition do not say the ‘L’ word. Do not say love, this will most likely scare her off and then you have pretty much ruined the date.

This article is published in partnership with James Vincent, and the original article can be found here First Date Rules – Tips for men!

About James