BAH.

BAH! HUMBUG! Were the defeatist words I croaked in a morning haze. Caffeine and nicotine, simultaneously slurped and inhaled, are my pick-me-ups on a dank Thursday morning. A morning when fashion has come and gone and creative stimulation comes in the form of which of my assorted Tupperware containers, should have the dutiful honour of housing a rather limp looking salad. A sprightly kick of energy, induced by my morning rituals, dampens my pessimism, as our next fashion installment is just a hop, skip and a jump away - Hooray! 

A season hijacked by Suiting and the foe I fear the most... The boot - whether military, desert, docs or hiking. I find comfort in a suit free James Long's collection, which featured fuzzy mohair knits, cozy structured outerwear and polka dots - my favourite kind of dot. As for the boots - we will just ignore those (Shoo - be gone with you!). 

Pics courtesy of: catwalking

Faux.

Ahh... "MAN" day, THE day, a day in which we men can call our very own, during a swollen calender, dripping with billowing chiffon, the silkiest of silks and luminous prints. This day, is a day in which we celebrate the new and emerging talent, typically ignored on fashions four stop tour, where an old world of established traditionalists weave a PR web (of freebies) too potent for the Conde-Naste elite & Co to resist.

Forget freebies, tis the season to be furry... Well, according to Gordon Richardson. Topman Design, the first of the shows at the dedicated MAN day at London Fashion Week, was a collection of fur coats and no nickers... Literally and figuratively. Nickers neatly tucked to one side, Fur and fox stoles draped on fresh faces were all too much of a distraction from the collection at hand. Topman + fur!?!?! Nah... Still confused. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the furriest things in life (maybe a tad less then Bryanboy), though not, fur for fur sake. A collection that prides itself on affordable price points, will see those furry critters breath a sigh of relief, as they are likely to be replaced by faux, synthetic fakery. Fur aside, the collection tantalises the thrifty shopper with 50's suiting, an exciting variation of lapels and collars, box shaped outerwear and a plethora (my new BIG word) of herringbone.  

 

Pics courtesy of: GQ

i.

Shirt: Vintage Ralph Lauren
Sweater: Vintage
Trousers: American Apparel
Shoes: Bass
Socks: American Apparel
Specs: Oliver Peoples

Awkward and stiff I am, in front of that, that never lie's. I the little spy, dyspraxic (or so I think) from limb to limb. Is driven to deceive the capturing eye, a stubborn eye that fails to make the teeniest of tiniest exceptions....Pfff - Who am I kidding, awkward and Stiff Is me and awkward and stiff I shall always be.

See.

As you, my faithful + insightful devotees of this very wunder-blog (please feel free to agree), may already be aware, that I the spy, have been laden with a fair few genetic flaws... Nothing too serious my friends, although Darwin may beg to differ. The absolute inability to decipher the difference between my grammatical nemesis, the homonyms... their/there, to/too - boo you! An obsessive, unhealthy and somewhat "Crazy cat lady" like need, to substitute a mate with cats - socks in this case are my feline friends... sumptuous stripes, cosy cables, moorish merinos and everything in-between. A hairline that is unforgiving and eats into my ego like acid and last but not in the slightest bit least, my degenerative eyesight. The latter for most folk, is an additional moan to an ever increasing list of groans, I however, rejoice, as for every additional squint and strain calls for a new pair of specs.

With that said, I look to my brand bible of the all seeing kind for a new pair of spectacles. Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, I pick you Lunettes Kollektion. The Berlin based eyewear fanatics, take inspiration from Berlin's golden age, when Dietrich reigned supreme and the charleston and hyperinflation were Germany's sweet and sour imports. Forget that these beauties are individually crafted by artisans from Germany, Italy and Austria, with names like Artsy-Fartsy (LOVE!), Zeitgeist and Doppelganger... I'm sold.

Shop Online: Lunettes Kollektion

Pics courtesy: Lunettes Kollektion

Victory.

Impatience is a virtue of mine, a virtue that has my toes tapping and my fingers twitching for constant sartorial gratification. Yet sartorial gratification comes all but twice a year.... Tis Torture for a self proclaimed clock watcher like myself! With the winter show season nearing its end, I am yet to feel content, my thirst not quenched nor my hunger satisfied. With Milan (Bring those boys home, Bailey!), Paris and New York all parading suited armies of 6ft1 loyalists, trooping their new vivid colours in perfect unison. My hope for gratification lye's with London - THE fashion week in which originality and innovation is the victor (Me biased?? noooo - don't be silly!). 

With that said, my beady eyes have caught the attention of Christophe Lemaire, the newly appointed creative director of Hermes. The minimalist collection lost amongst the noise of the Mugler hype, sought not to conform to the "Word" of the consultants and delivered a collection of volumes and o so beautiful outerwear. I salute you, Monsieur Lemaire. 

Pics courtesy of: Christophe Lemaire / Pressing PR Agency

i.

Jacket: Vintage American Workwear

Shirt: Repro

Jeans: 1950's Vintage Levi's 501XX Big E

Shoes: Converse

Socks: Urban Outfitters

Ring: Fancy Sexy Me

Necklace: 1930's Gold Chain

Specs: Oliver Peoples

At last... After two years (I tell no lie) of searching high and low, through the benign and average. I have finally bagged myself a pair of jeans. Not just any ole pair... A pair of 1950's vintage Levi's, of the BIG ease kind, in the most delectable and deepest of indigo dye's. The purest within, has yet to wash these lovelies for fear that I may bring harm to its untainted integrity. What's a Spy to do??

Crave.

I don't want for much... My cravings are few and far between. Though, Simplistic, unrefined, sugary pleasures are the very delights I yearn.  Deliciously soft nuggets of delight, Bright luminous wrappers, revealing acid pink jewels of bubble blowing gum.  Fizzy-citric sherbet - dipped or dabbed. Stabillo coloured sour pearls, capable of inducing extreme facial contortions. Unclaimed disembodied babies of the jelly kind and the Rich, dark aniseed flavour of liquorice, are all but a few of my favourite sweets. All individually laced with the devils additive of choice - the E-number.

With every sugar induced trance, comes a sugar low, in which I crave an alternative that my dentist, Dr Links would approve of. Benah is my would be splenda, my Australian alternative that's low in harmful additives but leaves me feeling just as satisfied.

Lena Tote

Fawn/Tan

Lena Tote

Navy/Tan

Jove Backpack

Navy/Tan

Lucian Satchel

Fawn/Tan

Shop Online: Benah

Pics Courtesy of: Benah

Touch.

Please do touch.... The very words that make me quiver with sensory excitement. Tactile I am.... Like a feral child cautioned, "Not to touch", curiosity seems too much of an urge for my mitts to do the exact opposite. Touch I must, within reason of course (I assure you its all clean fun!), Yet we touch obsessed are met by ever increasing killjoys in the form of fort knox like protective packaging, all designed to keep the OCD obsessive’s out. I ask, what's the harm in looking and touching? My hands are unsoiled – I swear! Anywho, before this post attracts the wrong kind of reader, lets bring it back to fashion. 

Rodarte... The American sweethearts of fashion and the advocates of textural delights, had me yelping (more screech then yelp, think over excitable, teenage girl) with rapture, when I heard word that these lovelies were set to join forces with the kings of collaborations, Opening Ceremony, in which us men now have a slither of their tactile world of delicious textures and sumptuous fabrics...  

Drop Stich Cable Cardigan

Dark Nude/Olive

Cable Cardigan

Dusty Blue

Cable Cardigan

Olive

Shop Online: Opening Ceremony

Pics courtesy: Opening Ceremony  

Pennies.

In recent years I turned my bulbous, sephardic nose the other way, when it came to all things Americana... A look of conceited distain as I tried to decipher the obsession for the fedora, vests and super-sized (minus the fries) bow-ties. My vision, blind-sighted by these anomalies, failed to see past the imperfections of the contrived and commericialised nonsense. However, With my blinders and discoloured chinos put to rest, I was able to put my ignorance aside and begin my journey into the world of true Americana. My journey left me wide eyed and wanting to chant "The star-spangled banner", Though I soon was made aware, that the exact lyrics had eluded my monotone tones and stretching to those distinct vocal gymnastic frufruness, perfected by Aguilera & Co seemed like far too much effort. 

My conversion lies not with the 80's backwards peak but instead with 1950's Ivy league and American workwear.... Ahhh the deep indigo of a Levi's 501XX and THE penny loafer. The Bass penny loafer to be exact! The very penny loafer of choice for a 1950's Ivy Leaguer. 

Layton - Burgundy

My shoe of choice 

Goodwick - Burgundy

The Original

Grayson - Burgundy

Shop online: Bass

Pics courtesy: Bass