I don’t like coffee. Never have, never will. I don’t think it’s that big a deal, it’s just one drink. But everyone else does. Amongst the responses I hear when I say this are ‘Really?’ and ‘how do you cope in the morning?’. But my favourite is the ‘tell me why not?’

That last question sounds fairly innocuous – but it’s rammed with expectations. No one ever wants a short answer, expecting some tragic tale about me tripping on some discarded nescafe and breaking an ankle or cocoa beans randomly falling from the sky, killing my parents and leaving me a caffeine hating orphan. A curt ‘I don’t like the taste’ answer is never enough.

I wouldn’t mind if it ended there, but most people then take it upon themselves to cure me of my coffee hatred, like some caffeine fuelled jehovah’s witness. All pro coffee talk has become white noise at this point, but the conversation always ends with the phrase ‘wait until you try coffee X’.

Now this annoys me on two levels. (A) because they assume I haven’t had coffee and that’s why I don’t like it and (B) once I taste their life-affirming, amazing coffee I’ll finally be cured. The most awkward part of this is when I take them up on their offer, as I sometimes do, me being the reasonable fellow that I am.

They get a face on that sits somewhere between smug, expectant and nervous, like a Lakers fan who thinks Kobe’s about to score 60 but isn’t sure his knee will hold up. And then, when I end up not liking the coffee – which happens 100% of the time, me not liking coffee and all – they get a little disappointed because they’ve failed in their mission. The thing is, I’ve tried all the local coffees, the exotic coffee, the coffee that was supposed to blow my mind. And I didn’t like it. Which is why I say I don’t like coffee.

When did everything get so rugged? Everywhere you look there’s rugged boots, rugged shirts, rugged candles. You’d think someone was overcompensating. The latest trend is to call everything under the sun masculine, butch and rugged. It’s like reading through the diary of a factory worker. If they kept diaries.

It’s getting a bit much for me. Calling everything masculine is a nice way to get insecure men reading your site, but who cares about those guys? If you need to be constantly reassured that something is ’straight’ enough, you need some self esteem. It’s okay to have feminine traits, we’re people of the world after all. Chances are, if you’ve lived with your mother for about 16-18 years, you might’ve picked up a feminine trait or two.

So can we cut the shit? Candles aren’t masculine, but having a room that smells like sweaty basketball shorts isn’t masculine either. It’s reaching the point where things are resembling this level of over-masculinity:

These are genuine magazines, all taken from this interesting site, Men’s adventure magazines. As a magazine lover, it was an interesting find – first for the magazines and then to see how we’re slowly regressing to this image of ridiculousness (though the hemingway cover is pretty cool). The blog focuses on ‘pulp’ magazines from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and amongst them you’ll see titles like ‘All Man’, ‘Man’s Action’, ‘Man’s True Danger’, ‘Man’s Daring’ & ‘World of Men’. I assume the 2010 equivalent would ‘Man’s trip to Liberty for rugged candles’.

The Warriors is bordering on obvious when it comes to movie style, but I don’t think there’s much you can take from the film literally. Walking about in just a vest, dressing like a gang of George Clinton aficionados or wearing meticulously applied facepaint with a baseball outfit might’ve worked back then, but it’s not a great everyday look. Instead I’m gonna focus on the most masculinely (and best) dressed gang in the entire film, the Lizzies. It’s always a bit odd talking about getting menswear inspiration from women wearing menswear (my minds blown just typing that past sentence) but I think it’s something most men are already doing, albeit on a subconscious level. The Lizzies had several menswear obsessions in good denim, military jackets & plaid shirts. They also make tie-dye shirts look like good, a tough task at the best of times.

Case in point: How popular is the rolled up jacket sleeve in menswear these days?

Double denim, rolled up sleeves, a tie-dye shirt and a bandana around the neck. She dresses more masculine than half the menswear bloggers doing the rounds.

The denim’s nicely worn in and it’s pretty much a perfect cuff. It’s not selvedge but I doubt that’s a priority if you’re in a gang. I wonder if folks would say she’s dressed by the internet?

I’m not the best at this self promotion lark, as most British people tend to be. (Generalization alert) Americans tend to be unabashed in their approach to promoting themselves at all times whilst Brits tend to approach it like some dirty thing that shouldn’t be done, lest we be seen as navel gazing. Okay, lemme cut to the chase: I’ve just relaunched my own name site as a more fully featured site and, while it’s pretty bare bones at the moment, it’s gonna have all the stuff that I don’t think fits on Selectism, Esquire or Gentleman’s Corner.

That doesn’t it’ll be crap stuff, but just stuff that’s a little too out there. Basically, expect a bunch of movie style posts that’ll leave you scratching your head and random posts that will top even the most random stuff I’ve put on this column. I’ll also be going on about stuff I’ve bought (in a non-boring manner, honest), doing outfit shots, product field tests and shop tours. I’ve even put up wallpaper size versions of ‘Kickin’ it with your girlfriend’ for all you folks who liked it. I’m worried I’m starting to sound like Don King now, so I’ll stop this self promotion blaze while I’m behind.

In i-D’s newest issue, there’s an in depth article about the problem with young British menswear which disappointingly inaccurate. The main disappointment for me was that this piece was written by Charlie Porter, a man who knows what he’s talking about. For those that don’t know, Mr Porter is deputy editor of Fantastic Man (and contributing editor to i-D) and has written a bajillion enlightening menswear articles, which makes this piece all the more disappointing.

While the base point for the article is correct – namely that there aren’t enough supporters of young British menswear on the retail side – there’s some glaring omissions.

First up, the showrooms in Paris. In the article, this is represented as a step forward. While it was technically a step forward in the sense that they hadn’t done that before and now they have, the paragraph ends with the line ‘all agree it was a great success’.

What’s left out is how or why it was a great success, surely making a statement like this requires hard facts to back it up? This is an investigation piece after all. And, as far as I’m concerned, the only way a trade show appearance can be a success is if business is increased. Yes, fashion weeks can be related in unquantifiable methods like ‘energy’ or ‘excitability’ but the aim of a tradeshow is, by name, to increase trade. And for such a black or white affair, it’s odd that the outcome is treated in such a vague manner.

The article continues with paragraphs on why more directional designers should be placed among the mainstays and so on (all of which I agree with) but then it makes what I think is a ridiculous omission in naming the supporters of British menswear. The article names Oki-Ni, ASOS and LN-CC as the sole supporters of British menswear, leaving out Daniel Jenkins. And here’s where the waters muddy for me, as Daniel is a friend of mine, so you could argue that I’d be inclined to claim he deserved more props.

But, friendship aside, the fact is that he has been running a menswear store solely based on young British menswear for three years now and was the first stockist for several of the designers mentioned in the article. Whether you like or dislike his store, his buy or the cut of his jib, he deserves a mention. While ASOS and Oki-Ni do support British menswear, none of the aforementioned have based their entire business on it.

Don’t get me wrong, this article isn’t meant to down the other stores involved. I like LN-CC and where it appears to be going (I say appears because it’s still incredibly new). Oki-Ni is in a period of transition but they still have good stock in and their styled section is shaping up very nicely. ASOS have also done a good job of looking after the more ‘directional’ customer as well as the regular bloke customers, a very tough line to tightrope on.

While it’s easy to point out things with the benefit of hindsight, there could have been interviews with the buyers who buy British, and longer interviews with the ones who don’t. Maybe even an interview with a sales agent or two. Or ask why everyone involved thought the Paris showrooms was a great success. I know this is fashion and perception is far more important than reality, but an investigation into a topic as important as this should include some investigation, or at least a hint of questions being asked.

I just think it’s ridiculous that an article claiming to investigate ends up doing nothing of the sort.

So David and Phillip asked me to document one day of my life for the release of Patrice’s new album. I’m included with a whole bunch of ‘tastemakers’ and good folks like Eugene from Hypebeast, Jay from BKRW, Levi Maestro and so on (and Patrice himself, who’s cooler than I could ever be).

Go take a look at it.

In my ongoing attempts to break up the ranting monotony of this column I’ve decided to add some miscellaneous shots I took not so recently. I’ve always wanted to say a phrase ‘these are from my vault’ but these shots are just from the depths of my pictures folder on the Mac.

It’s cliched to say this – especially in the age of Twitter and Tumblr, where everyone is inspired by anything and everything – but I was inspired by my visit to the French press archives. Couldn’t afford to buy anything mind you, but it was worth the visit.

It’s all a bit boring, wouldn’t you agree? Menswear, I mean. We’ve reached tipping point when it comes to the amount of chambray, oxfords, bretons and ‘honest fabrics’ doing the rounds. The problem with ‘honest, lasting’ fabrics is that, you know, they actually last. Meaning you don’t need to buy so many of them. Which should, in theory, mean that companies shouldn’t make so many of them. That’s not been the case. I’m not saying that I don’t like any of the aforementioned garments – I have more than one of each – but I don’t need to re-buy the same thing every season.

So what do you do if you’re a man like me and want to mix it up? You start wearing floral printed corduroy. It’s the logical solution.

I’m not joking, this is my next purchase.

My main problem with good taste – or, to be exact, today’s definition of good taste – is that it’s easy. Anyone can look good wearing a white shirt, indigo jeans and tan shoes. It’s the style equivalent of sleep walking. It’s also the reason why phrases like ‘pull off’ are so overused on men’s style blogs. No one can say that being plain Jane stylish is easy, hence why everything has to be ‘pulled off’ like it’s a military suicide mission.

Blogs have turned into those people who have to make everything at their jobs sound like a near impossible task, lest you realise that things aren’t that difficult after all. You don’t have to pull off a backpack, jeans or a striped shirt. You just put it on. Regardless of how impossible all these blogs make things sound, it’s not hard to look good.

Which is why I’ll be nearly all floral everything come this winter. For better or worse.

Spent overnight trips in both Hamburg and Stockholm the past couple of weeks. Don’t worry, this blog isn’t turning into one of those ‘look at my amazing life’ photo based blogs – I haven’t turned into a complete cunt. Not yet anyway (give it a couple of weeks).

Visited Dickies HQ in Hamburg, here’s some outtakes from my shots of their (huge) space.

The hotel room was prettay good. prettay, prettay good.

My capsule wardrobe for the trip. I fully realize that it’s only the Dax saving it from being a hipster’s guide to living.

After this it was off to Stockholm for a Filippa K show. There aren’t as many photos of this, mainly because I overslept and left the camera at the hotel.

Mr Hare’s on my feet (or on the ground, as they are in this photo)

More hotel room shots. I would make up a fancy excuse for these, but it’s basically the only place my camera was for the entire trip.

On the playthru. #livingthecliche

The one shot I took of outside whilst in Stockholm.

I don’t get this Lebron thing. Yes, he moved teams. Why has he turned into the ‘most hated man in sports’ all of sudden? I understand if you’re a Cavs fan – you’re best player just left and you’re looking at a 30 win season next year (and that’s being generous). But what’s everyone else so mad about?

First up, the show. My view of Lebron is tempered by the fact that I didn’t watch the decision. But no one else had to. Logic should’ve told you that an hour-long show about something that takes ten seconds to say would have some padding. And if it annoyed you so much, why didn’t you just change the channel?

Secondly, all these ’sometimes taking the stairs is better than the elevator’ arguments. I don’t know where to start with these but I’ll give it a go – that’s the dumbest thing I ever heard. If you were offered a better job with better workmates, prospects and location wouldn’t you take it? Or would you, as this analogy implies, say ‘nah, I’d rather work my arse off for next to nothing, it’s character building’. And that’s ignoring that Lebron took the stairs for seven years – when your second best player is an over-the-hill Antawn Jamison, that counts as taking the stairs. Actually, that’s taking the stairs while someone throws bowling balls at you.

Thirdly, the whole loyalty thing. Loyalty in sports is an odd thing – players are supposed to be unfailingly loyal to their teams but teams can trade players without a second thought. Lebron was at the Cavs for seven years, more than long enough for them to build a championship worthy team around him. They didn’t do it, so he left and created his own team. Despite all the hyperbole, it’s no different than the Big three at Boston or Pau Gasol being traded to the Lakers for a chicken sandwich.

And lastly, onto the dumbest part of this argument – the ‘winning doesn’t necessarily make you a champion’ argument. I felt my IQ drop 20 points just typing that sentence. Again, I feel for any Cavs fans, but can we quit the nonsensical arguments? you’re making yourselves look bad.