Surprisingly long lasting gear - Prada's indestructable trainers

While tramping across my local shingle beach - feet firmly shod in an eight-year-old pair of battered Prada linea rosa trainers (linea rosa? aka Prada Sport) - I considered the following: what other trainer brand would still be holding up to weekend-wear on unforgiving flint rocks after that tsunami of years? You tell me. It's as if the dense rubber sole, leather upper and thick laces are made of some bullet-proof material that nobody else has stumbled upon apart from those clever folks at Prada. 

If Plato were around, these trainers (which, let's face it, are lifestyle shoes, rather than sports friendly) would be praised for being  perfect Forms, sent down to us from the Olympan gods. Which, come to think of it, these silvered leather toes would look quite cool poking out from under your toga. I'll keep you posted when these sturdy faithfuls do finally kick the bucket, as long as they don't outlast me.

Flat pack: 5 thoughts about cap wearing

1. The cap's peak gives useful shade for your eyes and protects your head from excessive sun exposure.

2. Lightweight styles from a brand like Kangol are made from an open mesh fabric - keeping hot heads cool.

3. The cap sets off jeans and trainers as much as a dressed-down suit (if you're wearing a tie, lose the cap - too many details dilute your image).

4. Match the colour of your cap with another thing you're wearing - a navy cap with indigo jeans is a good starting point. Remember, co-ordination = smart.

5.  Felted wool and cashmere mix versions in the winter - as Guy Ritchie can verify - keep that third of body heat you lose through your head under wraps. 

Crease-free shirts without an iron. What's your secret, Dave?

It has been common knowledge for some time now that life is too short to peel a mushroom; which leaves us with the tricky conundrum of whether there's enough time to fold back a French cuff, cover it with a damp cloth and press down firmly on it with a hot iron.  When I'm styling photo shoots  I'll use a nifty steamer to get creases out of shirts, suits etc.. At home I avoid the whole grisly process by doing the following and suggest you do the same:1. Turn down the speed of your washing machine spin cycle to 800 rpm. This stops your shirts becoming too creased through central fugal road kill. 2. Empty the washing machine the instant the cycle has completed. Clothes start to dry and deepen their creases while hanging out in the drum like a bunch of old soaks. 3. Shake out creases from washed shirts by holding them at the shoulders.  The more they're shaken, the less creases they'll hold. Two vigorous shakes should do it. And finally, 4. Hang each shirt on it's own individual hanger to dry and do the button up at the neck while flattening down the collar. This keeps the shape neat while the shirt dries. Hey presto! Crease-free shirts leaving you much more time to read fascinating time-saving tips on this blog.

A right Charlie - how to wear Bottega Veneta's new shape

Baggy chinos, white scuffed brogues, sans socks and a buttoned up check shirt, knitted waistcoat with a fitted tailored jacket is fashion spaghetti - way too much mixing of casual and smart; too lose and too tight, all at the same time. But now I know it can work.

This was my first attempt to wear the new shape for men presented by Tomas Maier this summer, the talented creative helm at Bottega Veneta (luxury, Italian blah, blah). 

I've been thinking about this look, which owes its being to Charlie Chaplin in his role as the Tramp, an unlikely fashion hero. It's typified by loose trousers and a cropped, fitted jacket (Chaplin's squashed up hat is   optional). It's a tricky shape giving stress to the lower half of your body and legs while minimising the upper half - the opposite of the exaggerated V shape beloved of over worked out gym rats.

When I first put the clothes together it was the footwear that was tough going to begin with. Straight legged chinos (from Cos) with a wide 12" bottom could only be worn with white trainers I thought, but the bagginess swamped my feet making them disappear which was disconcerting. My feet needed bulk to support the bulk of the trousers.  So, I pulled on a pair of scuffed up old white Loakes. The trousers were given the platform they needed. I was building my new style house from the foundations up.

Once the base elements were in place, the rest was a cinch. A bold grey and white check buttoned up shirt ( Cos) and knitted grey waistcoat (Paul Smith) and marl grey fitted suit jacket (Paul Smith) and the looked rocked. I was a posh tramp or an under-dressed toff.

I felt odd at first going out with all that fabric billowing around my legs, but a few drinks and checking out with some mates how they rated my efforts,  and their resounding thumbs up gave me a warm glow. I was standing on a street corner being thrown gold sovereigns by the passers by.

Impressive knowledge to share: The El Primero movement by Zenith.

For watch-heads, being able to name the movement of an automatic watch is a badge of connoisseurship beyond the dismissive shrug given to, say, a fashion brand's latest bling, or knowing that Cartier is really a jewellery, rather than a watch, brand. This stuff can be impressive when thrown around at dinner parties, though it comes with the risk of potential violence for being such a smug  know-all. As all knowledge is power, I'm willing to risk a knuckle sandwich to spout the following, and you should too. These are the kinds of statements to be heard saying:

1. El Primero is an automatic movement developed by Zenith in 1969 (yes, it's 40 years old this year) 2. It was developed in a race against other watch makers to make the most accurate mechanical movement, beating the competition hands down with a 1/10th of a second accuracy 3. The movement is made by 20 watchmakers using 28 different metals 4. The movement is used across the range of Zenith watch families, but my choice is the Vintage 1969 Original in rose gold (its pinkish shade usefull suits my pale skin tone). 

A good yarn - is just what underwear needs to hear

When I saw the new Autumn/Winter 09 collection from Sunspel last Thursday, I recognised my favourite plain white T-shirt - one I've been wearing for over three years. It's the only white one in my 1960s chest of drawers that hasn't turned shapeless, mixed-wash grey, or managed to look anything other than blindingly pristine. 

Made from extra long Egyptian cotton threads, my T's fabric has a softness and strength missing in other underwear brands. With it's loose fitting, crewneck shape it feels far more comfortable the lycra-engorged, body-hugging versions in the heat. A chilled spritzer to their room-temperature plonk.

This isn't a brand to shake things up, and they don't make pulling pants, but in an uncertain world, there's a reliability and quality with Sunspel that feels pleasingly comforting and safe. And hands up, who doesn't want to feel secure in their pants?

The Details: sharpen up with square eyes

These are the  sunglasses I'll be wearing throughout this summer. They're from Prada and have bold square frames which gives definition to my face, making it look more angular and strong, like its hewn from stone. No bad thing in the summer when the rest of your wardrobe feels lightweight and barely there.

The variegated brown lenses have a 70s feel which fit neatly into the colour spectrum of my summer staples -  khaki chinos and shorts. They set off a white Tshirt perfectly too. These glasses are a hybrid between modish 60s Wayfairers and laidback

 70's shades - a style car crash engineered with ease by Prada's eyewear designers. They're not whacky, they're not boring and they're on my face. (£179 from major stockists).