Displaying items by tag: Fashion

Sea-faring history has always influenced fashion - and no object more so than the Breton Top. But where did the history of the famous stripes begin?

From inventing the blue jean in 1873 Levi’s, has always been an innovator when it comes to clothing, always functional, and suited to both work and play. So, it’s no surprise that in the 1960s they found a way to put a permanent crease into trousers.

There are many types of fabrics associated with work wear, especially originating in the 1800's when it was first mass produced. Every one knows about denim, it's been time tested and worn throughout the ages - but what about the other types?

The earliest known roots of polo reach back as far as 6th century BC, the modern form of the horseback sport can be traced back to the 19th Century in India. British military men stationed in Manipur, a state in Northeast India, adopted polo from the indigenous Indians, and brought it back to the U.K. where it became synonymous with wealth, royalty, and the upper-classes.

I am a fan of hats, I probably have too many, after all, I only have one head. But for me, a good chapeau can make a person stand out in a crowd. It can elevate their style, and can help a person exude a confidence that is admirable. Now, I am talking about real style. Not just a functional thing to put on one’s head to protect yourself from whatever a person feels their noggin needs protection from.

For some reason, whenever towelling’s mentioned, the first thing I think of is Sean Connery’s baby-blue belted terry playsuit in Goldfinger (don’t ask me why – some of you will already know I am a 007 fan).

OK, the title of this article could be mistaken for the ludicrous title of a mid twentieth-century pocket book novel. You know the ones that you could pick up from a newspaper stand for about twenty five cents in the US back in the day. You know, when working men would read a book for entertainment?

A timeless classic, a pair of Desert Boots is an item, that arguably most well-dressed men, has for those slightly more casual days, in their shoe collection. It is a form of boot that is similar to a Chukka Boot. (A boot that usually has three pairs of eyelets, and derives its name from a period of play in the sport of Polo)

When you read about Mods, and many other cultural styles, such as Skinheads, and those that like to adopt a Preppy or Ivy style. You will sometimes read the acronym “OCBD shirt”. This stands for Oxford Cloth Button Down. It is quite possibly the most popular style of shirt in the last century, in that it is stylish, and can be worn both casually and formally. Here I look into the history of the style. It’s origins and the popularity of this versatile and seemingly timeless garment.

The name seersucker is said to originate from the Persian words shîr and shakar, which translates to “milk and sugar”. This most likely references the smooth and bumpy texture of the fabric, as well as evidencing the origin and popularity of the fabric in the Middle East - just like the popularity of the Madras fabric during the British Colonial era.