Part Nine: Of Menswear & Cr**s

(Colourful and fun, who says menswear can't be interesting?)

Knowing that the male wardrobe enables less general fun than the female wardrobe, do you prize the same things both in menswear and womenswear?

I do not believe that menswear is any less fun than womenswear, however the opportunity for everyday creativity is certainly less accessible. Given that the fashion industry has for the last century been inherently targeted at women, it is understandable that there is more choice and creativity where womenswear is concerned. That is not to say that menswear designers are falling behind in any way, but rather that menswear has yet to gain that diversity. I often feel that menswear is the safer option for designers, simply because it has less competition.

Menswear has always been somewhat of a dark horse, in that it is usually rather understated when compared to womenswear. However one can certainly look towards the concepts and theatrics of contemporary designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen, and note the playful nature with which they present their views. Indeed in spite of such celebratory and wild fashions, I feel that menswear is perceived as less exciting than womenswear, simply because it is less well documented and publicised.

It is certainly easier for women to have fun with their clothing, simply due to the availability factor. One notes on the high street that your average store will have two floors dedicated to womenswear, whilst the corner of a single floor contains the menswear. Even then, this is found on the underground floor, where an absence of natural light and enclosed space makes the idea of simply walking into a store to browse all the less inviting.

Indeed stores are designed around catering for women, and that in itself makes it just that little bit less accessible for men. They may only be small differences, yet those small differences subconsciously make men less willing to go inside, even if they happen to be less interested in clothes shopping in the first place. Yet this is certainly understandable given where the consumer power within the market lies. However this also naturally means that there is far less available in your average store when it comes to choices of menswear.

As a man, I do believe that my appreciation of womenswear is somewhat different to how I view and appreciate menswear. I can not realistically fully understand the everyday practicalities of a womenswear collection, and as such I may not always look at the sky high heels or choices of cut from that perspective. This is in contrast to perhaps my own first opinions of a menswear collection, where I make a decision on my own personal wearability choices.

Yet, I also happen to look at fashion from the perspective of fashion as art. I can appreciate a beautifully crafted and executed collection, even if I may not be able to fully relate to the practicality of the finished garments. Concept is a very powerful thing, and indeed, I appreciate both mens- and womenswear collections from a conceptual and artistic viewpoint. In general I suppose that my views of menswear is tempered slightly by the factors of practicality and pieces that I myself would love to wear, whereas when I view womenswear, it is much more to do with the visual and conceptual appeal.


Whereabouts in London do you find the most inspiration and why?

Inspiration is but a fleeting concept, it is not one that can truly be defined or categorised. One can find inspiration in the most beautiful of things, yet also in the most ugly. One may be inspired in the very moment of an experience, or many years after, for inspiration is one of the few concepts that never does seem to abide much by the constant of time.

Whether one is inspired to write having just seen a flower, or to film a documentary having been faced with death in the past, inspiration can come from any source. As such, I do not believe that one can have a singular point of inspiration. Indeed one can also never second guess inspiration. I believe that you simply have to live and let inspiration find you, in whichever form or appearing that may occur.

There is no real location which I find most inspiring, although there are certainly those in which I find myself in awe of my surroundings. There are locations which hold certain meanings and memories, locations in which I am enamoured by their natural beauty, locations in which I find myself bored. However, I find myself mainly inspired not by locations, but rather by the people therein.

I suppose in particular I am inspired by my family and friends. It is people that inspire me the most, for the people we love make life worth living. People shall always be the most interesting and complex of mysteries - even once the wonders of the world are solved, the secrets to the wonders of humanity shall remain ever elusive.

Which style trends have you noticed and loved or loathed on the streets of London lately?


If you are over the age of five please do not, under any circumstances apart from pain of death, wear Cr**s. I dislike saying what I believe others should or should not wear, but these mockeries of footwear make me physically ill. Even worse is when the offending items are worn with socks, or indeed even on suits (I kid you not, I have seen this on several different occasions).

Currently playing: Portions For Foxes - Rilo Kiley

xxxx