jacket: bespoke, trousers: Zara, shoes: Office, bag: Cambridge Satchel Company, shirt: Topman, roll-neck: Topman

After a week since launching the new layout, I’ve been gradually taking in the critique from readers and other bloggers, and have spent some time each day adjusting things here and there and adding little links and other pages. I’m really happy with how it’s turned out so far so big thanks to everyone for their support, really is very much appreciated!

So moving swiftly on to the outfit - on Wednesday I went to Aston Martin x Bespoke HQ’s breakfast to highlight their new collection. I’ll most likely be writing about them in a later post, but to summarise what they do - it’s basically a very nice tailor called Stephen who has made a tailored range (including bespoke, ready-to-wear, made-to-measure) of beautiful suits for Aston Martin. While I love suiting up, realistically it isn’t something I can do every day, but with a whole day of meetings I decided to dress warm, comfortable and smart at the same time. Hence the roll-neck just made sense.

(as you scroll down the page, I get less serious. Promise.)

The roll-neck was originally a piece used by athletes and navy workers; it keeps you warm around the neck without being bulky like a scarf. Then it often got associated with the intellectual look and people started seeing photographers and artists and probably more modern, Steve Jobs, who famously donned the roll-neck. Now, it’s a piece that can scream pretentiousness, but it has definitely become a more popular piece with the suit-smart look, acting as a substitute for a shirt. I personally loved the roll-neck with Prada’s AW12 show, which famously saw the likes of Gary Oldman and Adrien Brody (the guy oozes cool) walking their lavish cat walk, with white shirts and white roll-necks underneath.

History aside, layering underneath a suit adds a much more striking appearance than simply wearing a tie. Not saying there is anything wrong with wearing a suit and tie, but I like to have my own take on things and as a result, I decided to work with the different look of having a roll-neck. And instead of using a tie, I decided to accessorise using the gold necklace which is matched with a gold tie-clip. Some might say “why the hell are you wearing a tie clip without a tie?” - and rightly so, it’s purely for aesthetic purposes. I wanted to compliment the necklace and add something else to just a plain white shirt. Hence, black, gold and white were the colours ‘dominating’ the top half of the outfit.

Ideally I could have worn this with black trousers which were cropped just above the top of the sock, with white socks or something, but I like to add colour to my outfits, so I opted for the dark green and burgundy combination. It’s smart, the socks colour-pop and the colours definitely compliment the black look.

Anyway, blabbering on a bit - I know the sun is meant to be coming out so roll-neck season is a far step away, but it CAN look good if you wear it with confidence. It definitely isn’t a piece for everyone.

As you can see I’ve added a little logo on all the images in this post, and I’ll be doing it from now on as that is the new Mr. Boy logo! Hurrah. Thank you for all your support up till now - I’ve met some lovely people who are readers of the blog and the feedback has been great. Have a lovely weekend and stay tuned! Check out my other social feeds for daily antics.

- Mr. Boy

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Hey readers, I’ve finally finished deconstructing and reconstructing the blog and this is the finished outcome!

With some theme help from my buddy Rachel, and many caffeinated  hours in front of the laptop, I present to you the new Mr. Boy layout. After taking on the criticism and opinions of my readers, I’ve decided to make the images significantly larger by getting rid of any white spacing around the sides. Over time I’ll be adding in additional pages in order to separate the posts, but really I just wanted to make things seem much clearer and more uniform.

It might not seem like a significant change now, but I intend to be taking the blog to new heights with some photography collaborations I have lined up, and hopefully with a bigger workspace I’ll be able to showcase more than just some outfits! I’ll stop there with the Apple-style introduction now.

My ultimate goal with the blog is to promote personal style with a focus on menswear; it’s a growing market that still needs drive to compete with its female counterpart. I’ve looked (and remodelled) some of the initial posts on this blog and I don’t intend to change the style at all, so I hope you’ve enjoyed reading up till now as I’ve very much enjoyed writing for the past three months.

More things to come as always, stay tuned! And hope you like the Mr.Boy branding on the bag, courtesy of the lovely Cambridge Satchel Company. Business cards coming soooooon.

- Mr. Boy

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As you can see, I’m currently refurbishing the page! Unfortunately I have to go back and edit all my older posts, which I assure you is a massive chore, so please be patient and let me know your opinions! A new www.mrboy.co.uk will be launching soon.

Thank you for your patience!

- Mr. Boy

cardigan - Topman, shirt - vintage, trousers and pocket square - tailors, shoes - Poste, socks - Primark, bag - Dr. Martens, coat - Zara

Last Saturday was a seriously busy day - I had a shoot in the morning, haircut in the afternoon, model scouting in the late afternoon, dinner plans in the evening and then party night to top it off - all with different people. With no time left to go home inbetween ‘activities’, I had to dress for all occasions. Hence, a nice blend of smart and casual - a very Mr. Boy outfit.

It was a pretty sunny day, but if anyone knows anything about London, it can very easily turn cold and rainy. I decided to pack my coat just in case, which isn’t too thick for Spring yet still adds an extra layer of warmth when the sun sets. The coat goes with practically everything and has stuck with me for a good few years (bought during an all-nighter in Macau - that’s another story). Short jackets tend to be suitable for both smart and casual occasions, and can actually substitute a suit jacket as well providing the colour and fit is complementing.

Might have noticed these shots were taken from two different cameras, one was my pal Abo’s. Reminds me to check my white balance…

So how else did I decide to make this smart casual? Well I decided to stick with the blue theme. Blue/navies are always a safe colour for not coming across as too smart or too casual. A blue checkered suit (similar to the trousers) can be worn with an open white shirt, with or without a slim tie, which would be suitable for say meeting the other half’s parents over dinner, or going for lunch at Strada on a nice day.

Instead of going tie-less, I decided to instead add the chain for extra detailing. I rarely like to wear a tie unless I’m fully suited, instead preferring to opt for necklaces instead. Necklaces and chains can add different detailing to an outfit that isn’t often seen on males, but to me says a nice balance of both smart and street. In order to not take too much attention away from the necklace, I’ve used a pocket square which has the same print as the trousers, in order to match but to not distract from the chain.

The brown socks are there to contrast the outfit, as socks are the easiest way to add colour pops to any outfit. The backpack has become my adventure staple, but the red also pairs nicely with the blue clothing, as opposed to be using my navy music bag which I received last week.

I wanted to make an impression at dinner but I didn’t want to seem too formal during the day time, which I think is accomplished with this outfit. It’s very easy to stack too much of the same colour, so to avoid looking like a paint tube, mix and match materials and patterns. The checkered trousers and the knitted cardigan is enough to add detail to the very simple shirt. But don’t start wearing a polka dot shirt as well, or some studded belt.

Hope you like the threads! I haven’t posted quite as often as I would have hoped this week, but I’ve been a bit ill and very busy as well. Here’s a rare behind the scenes shot of me smiling, as well as a photo fresh from the barbers. Big props to Kevin from Toni & Guy, best haircut I’ve had in a long time!

- Mr. Boy

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