Polo Geezer

Bang into my Ralph again. Always been a staple for shirts - for both work and play - but fell out of love with their namesake polos as was often between sizes. However the classic fit large is now perfect and will replace Benetton as my pique of choice - 'carmel pink' and 'wine' the newcomers.

Also a smashing rugger shirt in a striking colourway, which coincidentally the same colours as my home town rugby club Durham City... which counts for nowt as I'm more of a West Hartlepool RFC man.

Finally a superb Stockport Barracuda in aviator navy. Classy bomber jacket for milling round South Manchester for County away. Ivy League for the National League.

Summer Swag

With the summer fast approaching and with me dropping a fair bit of weight, I've had a massive clear out of big baggy XL numbers and replacing with slightly slimmer, almost trimmer larges.

First up a few Madras check shirts. A Barbour sample with double chest pockets and hidden button down collar, a staple Ralph Lauren short sleeve Yarmouth and a modern classic L/S by favourite British shirtsmiths tuktuk. All in a pleasing array of summeresque blues, reds and greens...

Summer wouldn't be summer without some cool as Connoisseur bits and pieces. The already iconic Mary Pigeon polo and Heron bucket hat. Also some pinbadges, for FREE, courtesy of Hess the Horse. Sharing some pinbadgelove indeed...

After a spell of weighing up whether to go Stan Smith or Reebok Classic for a cool white summer trainer, have opted for the Exofit Lo Clean. Boks won it being that theyre unlikely to be seen on instagram with the hashtag casuallyobsessed preluding it. #ThatsNotCasual...

Didn't really need another Jacket if I'm honest, but then do we ever need another one? An Oi Polloi issue Armor Lux parka for a criminally low £13 off eBay. In a lovely hue of Francais Bleu (French Blue) and also includes the Frenchies other favourite colour inside the hood and as the lining - white. Anyway 'Lux' like a decent parka anyway...

I'm away this week. In Scotland. And apparently it's going to start raining later today. And not stop until we come back next Saturday. So I've packed a mac...

And finally, with the Gascoigne film out in June (for one night only) a replica version of the 1990 England shirt, complete with his trademark number 19. Perfect for flinging a bit of garden furniture round when on tour in Scotland...

Sweat Shopping

Sweatshirts. They look cool. But I've always struggled to find any that excite me. So therefore, sweatshirt less, I'm uncool. Actually I'm over warm, sweating my balls off in a lambswool knit, when what's required is a temperature controlling cotton pullover.

Anyway my wait is over, finally found a corker of a sweatshirt that's Rich in quality. Woolrich are one of the USAs finest in outdoor clothing, and rather pleasingly, were started by an Englishman. John Rich was fresh off the boat in the late 1800s, landing in the new world looking to seek his fortune. Found it he did, and for numerous years now his fine wares have been making their way back across the pond, and finding themselves on the backs of Casual Men up and down the terraces.

Love the design of this. Always like the V shape on the crew neck. I find it rebellious. Like the cheap BHS roundnecks you used to wear at school when the uniform was a proper big wooly V neck. Also love the minimum branding, with just a small tab externally on the ribbed hem. It feels a million dollars on.

Also snaffled a RL 1/4 zip sweat too. Because why not.

Thrifty Beatnik

Thrifty? Yes most definitely. I love a eBay pennies pick up and sifting through mothballed clobber in charity shops. Beatnik? Not quite up on hippy ideals, although I do have a scruffy goatee on the go at the minute...

If you're the same and you enjoy your vintage one offs and your forgotten 90s labels, then Thrifty Beatnik could be for you. Based in wor very own Newcastle-upon-Tyne, they specialise in gentleman's garments unique as they are original and pieces of fine clobber that are "individual as you are". Nicely put.

Stumbled across them via fleabay and immediately checked out three inexpensive old school Chaps shirts for under a tenner. With combined postage this trio of shirtings arrived at my door for 12 of the Queen's.

They have thousands of lines and I'll certainly be sifting through them again for more thriftily priced gems maaan, and if you want to do the same visit www.thriftybeatnik.co.uk

Getting Shirty Again

A few choice shirt signings into the collection. Yet more Ralph, Faconnable, Blue Harbour and Hackett. I'll let the pics do the talking.

Recent Purchases

Few bits and pieces amassed during last couple of months -

Aquascutum scarf. Had one of these for yonks but outed it on eBay and regretted it. I know the house check is a oft maligned thing these days, but 'Water shield' scarf is a classic. Picked up this lana wool one from TKM.

Getting back into me skinhead gear - got a crombie jacket recently but couldn't get a decent photo of it - and this vintage houndstooth shirt fits the bill perfectly. It's by Ralph Lauren which obviously isn't traditional skinhead gear but it's got no branding and the staple button down collar. A winner for a bin lid off eBay.

From the sublime to the faintly ridiculous. Another Ralph shirt (I do wear other brands I promise) with no branding but with a whacky design that could only be Lauren. Patchwork quilt 'Bob Camp' short sleeved button down, again for next to nowt offa fleabay.

Chatham have been providing top notch quality boating gear for over two decades now. Based in Kent they've become a staple label for British designed and made technical clothing for offshore activities. Smart pair of brown deck shoes from TKM for £15.

Break from the norm with these. Certainly never have been or never will be a plimsol wearer, and have previously scoffed at guys on forums claiming Supergra kicks are good. Still not a hundred percent on them, but they're comfy and will be decent for kicking around in. And couldn't resist from same TKM for £7. Daft money.

Balls to all that half and half scarf nonsense. But don't mind flashing a bit of club and country. Got this Pools/England badge for the San Marino game back in October as I tried to get excited about national games again. Didn't work. And a steward mistook it for a Burnley badge.

Issue two of Stand AMF. Issue No 1 sold out with a fortnight so was pleased got the second issue of the best magazine around at the moment. Worried I might of missed out as it went AWOL in the post but those #AMF lads sent out another one no questions asked.

Slightly disappointing artwork and album title, but being a Madness die hard the incredibly positively named Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da has been added to the stack of CDs. The nutty boys tenth studio album is a bit less exciting as some efforts, but still a couple of cracking tunes on it. The main single they're pushing 'My Girl 2' is a splendid blend of ska mixed with Northern Soul. Beautiful.

Factory Records Graphic Album book. Wanted this for ages and the wife duly delivered with this on my birthday. Expect a post on this very very soon...

Recent Purchases

A few bits and pieces picked up by the usual thifty means -

First up my dream jacket. One True Saxon Jungle Marsh Parka in brown. Don't care that OTS is now defunct after selling out to the man, this is classic OTS gear when it was at it's finest. Seen these come and go on eBay and I've never managed to land one. Managed to snare this one for under a score (then a bit postage). Quality colourway for upcoming autumn and has some smart features, including more pockets than a kebab shop sized pack of pitta breads, and a basic watch viewer (A short zip on each sleeve, not in same league as CP windows mind). Pleased as punch.

Next having sold a couple of Ralph shirts due to poor sizing, felt I'd left myself open to exposure on the shirting front. Was after a gingham tuktuk in summer sale but missed out on the email informing me on increased reduction, so by the time I'd logged on at tea time all the fat bastard sizes had gone. So picked up a couple of Wolsey's for the price of a pint each, again from eBay. Two nice designs with nice detailing on buttons.

Final bit of clobber in this post is yet another Ralph polo (yawn). Again as per from TKM, my usual haunt for RL polo shirts. A baby yellow with green horse, feel very Brazilian in it despite the fact I haven't shaved. In the clearance for £18, not going to say no to that are you?

Next up some bedtime/bogtime reading. Got issue #11 of Proper a couple of months ago, fairly late in the day for how long it's been out. Just hadn't got round to getting it. The plus side of that move was I didn't have to wait long for number 12. And just the other day an eagerly anticipated Stand Against Modern Football plopped through the letterbox.

Finally a daft little piece. A good few years ago Football Focus did a feature weekly on every clubs top cult heroes - voted for by the fans. This is the book that goes with it. Found in poundland of all places, although I can't remember how much I paid...

Ralph Lauren Shirtings

The new boys on the block like tuktuk and Mikkel Rude may be taking all the shirt related plaudits at the moment, and rightly so, however I still don't think you can really beat a nice bit of RL. A staple diet in any blokes wardrobe, found in 1969 stateside but finally going big here in the 1990s due to 'Polo Geezer'. The shirts are timeless with their classic designs, soft cotton and are always cool in style. Picked up a few more to add to the shirting collection including a short sleeved Madras check, an incredibly busy Two Ply Ellington and a pleasing green/blue Poplin Tartan. Courtesy of fleabay and TKM.

Custom Fit Madras

Ellington

Poplin Tartan