27th September 2017
Hello and welcome back to The Jack Experience! A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of being invited to London Fashion Week Men’s by my friends over at Topman. Yes, little old me at ACTUAL London Fashion Week – mum, I’ve made it. The whole experience was very surreal, as the event I attended was the same day as my A Level History exam. So, at 1pm, I swiftly exited the torture chamber that academics call an ‘exam hall’, dumped my oversized sweatshirt and beaten trainers in my locker, and headed to the train station. Reading that last sentence back, I realise that it sounds as though I went to LFW naked, which I can assure you I certainly did not. In fact, this fundamental step of *putting clothes on* before heading to the lights, camera and action of London Fashion Week is precisely what I’d like to share with you today!
I experimented with A LOT of crazy looks for Fashion Week, but ended up settling for something I thought was different to what I’d wear on a day-to-day basis, yet still not completely out of my comfort zone. As long as you feel comfortable and confident, that’s what counts, right? So, allow me to break this look down for you.
Firstly, the pinstripe trousers… I’m OBSESSED. Mixing smart trousers with casual outfits is my favourite trend of 2017, simply because they’re SO BLIMMIN’ COMFORTABLE. While I am of course faithful to my trusty skinny jeans, trousers have been my side-chick this year, and I’m not afraid to catch feels. This particular pair are from boohooMAN’s beaut tailoring range which they launched earlier this year. They’re cropped and a dark navy colour, perfect for teaming with white trainers for a fresh and streamlined look, redefining smart-casual.
Tucked into these trousers, I wore an oversized, white, Lazy Oaf t-shirt. Now, you guys all know just how much I love a good pun, and so this was a perfect way to pop a little bit of my personality into the clothes I was wearing. It’s a small doodle of a flower, with the word ‘flour’ scrawled underneath – y’know, like the baking ingredient. At least I thought it was funny, anyway.
Finishing off the look were my black Swatch watch and Topman denim jacket. The former is super easy to wear and style, with a cool monochrome look and fresh ‘SKIN’ design, making it a subtle but functional and stylish timepiece. The latter has many of the same qualities – functionality in terms of the MAHOOSIVE pockets, perfect for carrying my vlogging camera around, and stylishness in the sense that denim jackets never really go out of style. It’s a classic, and a real staple item in my wardrobe, but one that pulled this outfit together perfectly.
The event itself was super fun, with Topman celebrating its fifth London Fashion Week Men’s collection (previously named 'London Collections Men’s' until this year) and – as always – putting on a truly incredible showcase. It was a very immersive event; something new for the brand who usually opt for a classic runway. The Old Truman Brewery was transformed into an exhibition of colour, sound, music, poetry, and, most importantly, fashion, proving that the brand ain’t just a pretty face, but an artistic power-house too. Futuristic and streamlined outfits contrasted the rustic and historic venue, with many different artistic minds being brought together in collaboration with an iconic British men’s clothing brand to create something really rather special. Fingers crossed I didn’t go too overboard on the delicious cocktails and will be invited back next year to keep up with what this pioneering and industry-leading brand do next! Thanks for reading :)
By Jack Edwards