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Blog Now Part of TOPMAN GENERATION

The Topman Blog is now becoming part of our digital magazine TOPMAN GENERATION. For all the latest in fashion, music and culture head HERE.

Blood Red Shoes

Musicians have forever remained at the height of style. Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Paul Weller, Alex Turner - the list goes on. To celebrate the looming London Collections: Men, we have spoken to some of today’s most style conscious artists. First we talk to Steven Ansell, drummer from heavy rock two piece Blood Red Shoes, about his leather jacket clad icons and why music and fashion have always been intrinsically linked.

 

Blood Red Shoes - Picture From lostinconcert.com

 

How do you think fashion and music relate?

I guess, from the beginning, the rebelliousness of the rock ‘n’ roll thing wasn’t just about the music, it was a presentation thing; presenting yourself in a way society thought wasn’t the standard way to look. It was a rebellious gesture in the way that making music was a rebellious gesture. So since that point there’s been a correlation between the two.

 

Who do you think the best dressed musician of all time is?

Of all time? Hmm, I’m trying to think of ones that didn’t end up looking really lame later on in life. Laura (shouts to Laura, the other half of Blood Red Shoes), who’s the best dressed musician? It’s tricky, because everyone ends up looking really bad at some point. PATTI SMITH! She’s maintained herself androgynously; it’s an interesting style that’s not common.

Patti Smith - Picture From huffingtonpost.com

 

Do you think artists have stopped caring about fashion as much compared to the times of Bowie and Reed?

No, a lot of bands care way more about style. I mean that not just in terms of how they dress, but in terms of their music; quite stylised overall – before they’ve actually figured out basic stuff like how to be in a good band, or write good songs, or get some good chemistry going with the people in the band.

 

Not to cause arguments, but who would you say is the best dressed out of Blood Red Shoes?

Laura! I just stick to leather jacket and jeans all the time – I’m sticking to the classics! I just want to look like I’m in The Clash.

The Clash - Picture From last.fm

 

Are you keeping your leather jacket on in even though you’re in Australia at the moment?

No, I took my t-shirts out of my suitcase and cut all the arms off and I rolled my jeans up to my knees because I don’t own a pair of shorts!

 

What’s the fashion in Brighton like? We imagine it to be a clichéd ‘mods and rockers’ kind of scene.

It’s crazy and eclectic; really old school mods and people that are really into old shit. Like women into ‘30s and ‘40s dresses, and guys who go out in really old school moustaches, suits and pipes as a look. Guys that are like 25. There’s a real trend for that in Brighton – real old eccentric British. I don’t see that so much anywhere else. There’s also an art university in Brighton that has insane art kids that come out with their own fashions that look like some sort of post modern hybrid of any element of fashion of the last 50 years.

Blood Red Shoes’ new EP ‘The Water’ is out Monday, January 21^st on V2 records. They will play London’s Shepherds Bush Empire on Tuesday, January 22^nd.

You will also be able to interact with bloggers and celebrities through our innovative London Collections: Men app and get an incredible 360 degree view of the show. See you on the front row... 

Nobody Does It Better

The suit makes the man. It’s a fact. Throughout history, the most iconic men – real and fictional – have donned a good suit.

We run through some of the best men ever to wear a suit: from the classic to modern, and formal to outrageous.

 

    Photo from A Man Of Style

The Icon

David Bowie is to have an exhibition dedicated to his costumes at the V&A. That’s how influential his style is. In his heyday he wore some borderline mental outfits, but he also knew how to counter that and incorporate boundary pushing style into his formal attire. It was the same with his music, it was almost bipolar the way he could switch from piano ballads, to funk, then to punk. There has never been anyone like Bowie, and there probably never will be again.

Going for the bright look? Try this purple blazer.

 

 Photo from Secret Circle

The Modern Gentleman

 Ed Westwick as Gossip Girl’s playboy/bad boy Chuck Bass has to be the most stylish TV character ever. You might have missed this show if you haven’t been forced to watch it by your girlfriend, but the suits and the Upper East Side decadent lifestyle are worth watching.

Going for the New York elite look? Try out this Peter Werth suit.

 

Photo by Kooples

The Romantic

Pete Doherty has a bad rep. If he went on a puppy stamping spree (probably in The Sun tomorrow), it really couldn’t damage his image anymore than his ultra rockstar living already has. But the Doherty of the papers and the Doherty of the actual fans are two different things. Everybody (mostly the tabloids) loves a villain, so the character is distorted. We’ll probably never know the real Pete, but his dabbling into fashion design and his love of vintage wear has made him one of the most stylish indie icons ever, regardless of his personal mishaps.

Going for an indie look you can play down? Try this grey Nottingham slim suit.

 

Photo by Ken McKay

The Classic Brit

Dermot O’Leary may seem like an odd choice, but the X-Factor host epitomises classic British elegance through the simplicity of his suits. Low slung waistcoats and flawless navy shades; Dermot plays it safe, but his appeal lies in how he pulls it off so well.

Wanting to add some sophistication to your suit? Try out this navy satin two piece.

 

  Photo from Fine Art Diner

The Screen Legend

The scene in Casablanca where Humphrey Bogart looks so solemn in his white dinner jacket and bottle of booze is iconic. Bogart was the definition of masculinity, if you cut him open he bled nails and bourbon. He also wore his suits like a man – confident, no messing.

Wanting to add some golden age allure to your outfit? Then this black skinny tux if for you.

 

 

 

Vice Magazine Birthday Party

The line is long. REALLY LONG. It’s down the street and round the corner, and we can’t see the door. Well, this must be the right place: Vice’s 10^th Birthday Party, at Cable, London. It’s no wonder, though. Where else are you going to see Andrew W.K. and Wiley in the same building again?

 

Once we finally get inside, the place is full of tight jeans, kids carrying skateboards, and a lot shouting (Odd Future’s new label additions, Trash Talk, just leave the stage). Oh, and there’s a free bar being heavily taken advantage of. This definitely is a Vice party.

Tonight is one massive genre blend, as walking through the rooms you go from punk, to RnB, to hip hop. Necessary really for the broad Vice’ readership (from androgynous hipsters all the way to Made In Chelsea extras).

Although electro punks Crystal Castles and American rapper Danny Brown make appearances here tonight, it’s actually the stranger acts that put on the more memorable shows.

Newcomers Peace teeter between psychadelia and good ol’ rock and roll, and get quite a crowd reaction, which is a surprise seeing that their recorded material hasn’t really hit home yet. They provoke crowd surfing (we think it’s crowd surfing, or people are just passing out and being moved backwards), and the whole room becomes more sweat than human.

Andrew W.K. provides a bizarre set. Arriving on stage in his signature dirty white outfit, he takes the microphone and a backing track comes on. No band. Actually, there is a bald hype man doing the Irish jig. So they are technically a duo. However, W.K. surprises people by alternating between his Pokemon-esque shouting of ‘PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!’ to knocking out some elegant yet rapid chords on his piano, showing that still over a decade of partying hard he still has the palpitating heart of a student in freshers' week. 

Crystal Castles ramble their way through another chaotic live set, but by this point the place is so packed you can’t even bring your hand up to give a little cheesy fist pump.

 

If anything is taken from tonight, it’s that Vice know how to put on a real party (although it be a completely manic one).

P.S. Whoever took a skateboard to this…what were you thinking?

Photos by Christopher Bethell, Theo Cottle, Dan Dennison and Victor Frankowski

The Music Man

Shopping for other people is hard. It’s not like shopping for yourself, is it? Quite often, that’s what it turns out to be. Admit it, you’ve gone present hunting before and ended up with more stuff for yourself than for other people. We all do it. What you need is a starting point, and we’re here to go through every type of person you need to buy for this Christmas.

We start off with one of the toughest ones: the music mogul. Stuck on what to buy the person who just listens to records? Well, forget the boring and impersonal download vouchers, we are here to give you suggestions that’ll be music to their ears (PUN ALERT).

 

What better way to show off the band that you love than wearing it right on your chest? Here we have a few examples for every type of music lover. For the indie guy we have a white Kasabian tee, for the hip hop obsessive we have Run DMC T-shirt, and for the classic rocker we have a unique Jimi Hendrix printed stubs T-shirt.

 

Plain black earphones are a bit boring, so why not spice up your ear drums with a set of lightening bolt earbuds? There’s a pun to be made here somewhere, but after the earlier one we’re just going to leave it.

 

 

Don’t be a music hog and social pariah, share your music out, greedy! This cassette earphone splitter is the ideal way to show other people what you’re listening to without giving up half of your audio quality.

Mumford & Sons are the band of the moment and they love to dress smart. It’s hard to get the country gent look without looking like a farmer in the big city, but with these Harris Tweed waistcoats you’ll look effortlessly cool.

 

Design Team Mix Tape - November

Legendary Costumes From Artists In Music

Check out this cool series of illustrations we've seen over on High Snobiety looking at various costumes from legends in music. Interesting to see how you identify certain artists with certain types of clothing...

Source: High Snobiety

For more head HERE.

Win Tickets to see The Temper Trap Live!

The Temper Trap are a band who have a lot of ambition. Many first heard them through their release of Sweet Disposition, when they brought stadium rock back to Australia. Since the bands' acclaimed release of their sophomore album Conditions, they have gone on to tour the world almost non-stop, and now they're coming to London where you can see them live...

For your chance to win a pair of tickets to see them live on 4th October at London's HMV Apollo Hammersmith simply answer this question:

Who is the 70s glam rock icon who The Temper Trap cite as a musical influence?

For a HINT to the answer check out our interview with The Temper Trap over on TOPMAN GENERATION.

Answers in the COMMENTS section below (will not be published).

1 randomly selected correct answer will win a pair of tickets to the concert.

Entrants must be 16+.

COMPETITION CLOSES: Sunday (23/9/12) at midnight.

TOPMAN Casual Trouser Buying Team's Album of The Week

@TOPMANUK_Nat writing for TOPMAN Scene

Check out the album still on heavy rotation for the Casual Trouser Buying team since it's release - Frank Ocean's Channel Orange!

Combined with impressive video imagery, his souful melodies and engaging lyrical poetry mean this is definately an album we'll be playing all the way through to next summer! 

Suitable for 18+

Kanye West's Dancers Start a Flash Mob in Flight

Check out this really cool 'Runaway' flash mob we spotted over on High Snobiety done by Kanye West's dancers from his Australian tour! Pretty awesome right?

Source: High Snobiety