GROOMING FOR MEN

Over the years ,grooming has become a requirement for African men , In the old days it was very easy for a man to not pay attention to his looks , most men used washing detergents on their skin and follwed it up with heavy application of petroleum jelly . it was all one needed in those times to look decent .In the new age however most men have remain sceptical to groom as there were not enough products specially made for men , There is nothing more embarrasing for an African man than to be smelling of sweets, vanilla or to smell of his mother or sister's moisturing lotions or sprays in the midst of his friends .
 These days however, more companies are making provisions for men grooming products, walk into any supermarket and you will be faced with many choices of men moisturing lotions , Nivea for men, Dove for men, Palmers men's lotion , you name it. Same goes for hair cream, shampoo , body sprays and perfumes . Here are a few tips on how to groom yourself from head to toe 

HAIR
While most African men keep a low fade which is very easy to maintain, you will still find a number of men who tend to grow out their hairs ,this can be a little tricky to maintain due to the changing climates in Africa but here are a few steps i have found very useful in grooming my hair . Firstly , to have a Healthy hair  you will need a shampoo to wash your hair regularly, what i have also found useful is to use warm water as this will enable it wash out excess oils on your scalp which if un attended to gives white powdery substance on your scalps which leaves you embarrassed at the barbers and no it is not dandruff and sometimes it is. what is usually means is you need to pay more attention to your scalp whilst washing and making sure there are no soap residue or oil residue on your scalp , It is also useful to use a conditioner so as to enable the hair breathe . Due to excess heat one is bound to lose hair nutrients thereby causing hair to thin out or break in which case it is required to use hair creams , while most people go with obvious choices as coconut oil and shea butter , most men require products that require less maintainance , you can find a variety of products with sulpur or menthol which helps clear dandruff. It is also very useful to have a hat , fedora , face caps for  the outdoors as  dust particles can easily be caught up in your especially if it is very oily.

BODY
While most african men wash themselves atleast once a day , it is important to note that after a days of sweats and dusts your pores are bound to get clogged by dirts ,it is adviseable to take a shower before going to bed , As regards types of body wash or soaps to use ,it is important to note skin type , same also goes for moisturising lotion as using body wash /lotion that is not for your skin type might leave your skin very dry or oily as the case implies .But it is best to not use lotion at night as to enable the skin to beathe .

NAILS
In as much as most people are tempted to chew out their nails when they are anxious , as much as it is unhygenice it is also bad for your nails as it leaves them chaffed and still looking unkept . Most men regard going for a manicure appointment as unnecessary and expensive , there are various ways one can maintain healthy nails without breaking a bank. It is always easy to find a cheap nail cutter that can be used as a key holder so that anytime you have the impulse to chew them you can always use the cutter to trim them . 




Credit: Ismail Ibrahim

A Man's Life In 8 Fragrances

According to a recent global fragrance report commissioned by Heathrow Airport, the average man will own eight different fragrances over his lifetime. It’s a novel idea, isn’t it? That the scents you select are in many ways milestones, olfactory markers of moments past.

So here’s a man’s life in eight scents – from the one you should invest in with your first paycheck to the one to spray once you’re old and grey – taking in some brilliant special occasion scents along the way. After all, a man’s not so much as old as he feels but as old as he smells.

A Boy’s First Fragrance

“Lynx Africa remains the pre-eminent fragrance appetiser for millions of teenage boys,” says Lizze Ostrom, author of Perfume: A Century of Scents. And though the brand has had a bad rap over the years, it’s clearly been doing something right. “Lynx fragrances are big business, and developed by some of the most experienced perfumers in the industry,” she says.

They’re not exactly scents known for their subtlety though (which probably explains their success with callow youths) and with teenagers today altogether more sophisticated customers, James Craven, perfume archivist at Les Senteurs, suggests a young man pops his olfactory cherry on a tried-and-tested classic like Chanel’s Pour Monsieur instead. Fresh, woody, spicy, it’s masculine without being polarising or too challenging.

Since fragrance can interact and intensify on contact with skin oils, fresher, citrusy scents like L’Occitane’s Verbena and Clinique Happy For Men are likely to come across as less overpowering on oilier teenage skin too.

The ‘Fit In’ Fragrance

A man’s early twenties are the years when he’s most likely to do most of his late nights (not necessarily in the office) and a lot of that time will be spent with his mates, rather than getting dressed up for dinner dates.

When you want to smell good but not too good, it’s worth turning to a modern fougère – a family of fragrances typically built around notes of lavender, geranium, oakmoss and coumarin – which are widely regarded as safe bets when it comes to men’s scents.

“The fougère accord is considered to be one of the freshest and most aromatic within perfumery and fragrances built around it have exceptionally broad appeal to men, and women love them too, which makes them extremely versatile,” says British perfumer Roja Dove. Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male is a classic updated fougère (hence its enduring popularity) but if you’re looking for a bang-up-to-date example try Burberry’s Mr. Burberry.

The Scent Of Dating Success

Whether you’re seventeen or seventy, chances are you wear a fragrance in the hope of increasing your chances on a date. You may even be one of the 15 per cent of men who that Heathrow survey discovered buy a new fragrance to herald the start of each new relationship.

Which is fine if you change partners as often as you change houses, but hard on the pocket if you’re a bit of player. So it’s worth investing in a killer fragrance that’s going to work every time.

And while sweet, spicy ‘oriental’ fragrances are generally considered to be sexier, if you fancy employing a bit of science you might want to look at scents like Dior’s Eau Sauvage and Paco Rabanne’s Invictus, which are big on an ingredient called hedione. A study by physiologists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany showed that this synthetic citrus-floral note stimulates an area of women’s brains responsible for releasing sex hormones. It’s the nearest science has come to proving fragrance really is a weapon of mass seduction.

 

The Eau De Toilette To Wear At The Altar

According to the Heathrow study, nearly one in 10 men will select a new fragrance especially for their wedding. The perfect candidate is something that’s sexy but not so overpowering that’ll it leave them reeling in the aisles. Most importantly though, it needs to be meaningful.

“It’s really important to choose something that you feel comfortable with and are likely to think fondly of over the years to come,” says fragrance expert Thomas Dunckley, founder of The Candy Perfume Boy blog. “I always recommend picking a trusted favourite that has personal significance to you; perhaps the scent you wore on your first date for example or even your partner’s favourite fragrance.”

A word of warning though: given the fast turnover of brand new launches (many are ‘retired’ after just a few years to be replaced by updated versions) you might want to plump for something that’s already stood the test of time and you know will be around to remind you of the event in years to come – like Hermès’ Terre D’Hermès.

 

The ‘F**k You!’ Fragrance

We’ve all done it – worn something ridiculous to grab attention and as a two fingers up to convention (Rick Owens’ penis-flashing man-dress anyone?).

You might only do it once, or you might fall in the love with the way it makes you feel and abandon that bottle of Hugo Boss for good, but every man should get experimental with his eau de toilette at least once in his life.

The easiest way to switch things up is to bend gender boundaries and consider a fragrance traditionally classed as a ‘women’s perfume’, like Guerlain’s legendary Shalimar. “Fragrance doesn’t have a gender – that’s just an idea instilled in us,” says award-winning fragrance writer Liam Moore. “When a man wears a fragrance like this it doesn’t just show he’s savvy and modern – it shows he’s got balls.”

 

A Scent For A Man In His Forties

With an increasing appreciation of the finer things in life, no peer pressure to buckle to and a bigger disposable income, this is the perfect time for a man to experiment with richer, more complex fragrances. According to Craven, it’s also the perfect time to explore classic heritage brands that reflect your growing maturity and sophistication. “It’s only when you reach this age that you really appreciate what it means to buy into a treasured tradition,” he says.

And if heritage is what you’re after, look no further than brands like Creed (founded in 1760); Floris (1730); Penhaligon’s (1870) or Acqua Di Parma (1960). Or try true classics like Aramis – a fragrance redolent of leather-bound books and gentleman’s clubs – Creed’s Green Irish Tweed, Yves Saint Laurent’s Pour Homme or the grown-up, patchouli-based sexiness of Givenchy Gentleman.

If you’re daring, Craven recommends giving Knize Ten a whirl. A leathery number dating back to the hedonistic 1920s, he describes it as ‘disturbing’. In a good way, obviously.

 

The ‘I’ve Arrived’ Fragrance

Once a man is in his fifties he rarely has anything to prove: he’s confident in himself, has a bit more cash to flash and appreciates the finer things in life. “You have lived and your mind has expanded,” says Craven. “Your imagination is broader, you’re less judgemental and more open-minded – you’re your own man.”

Now’s the time, then, to opt for a finely crafted boutique fragrance like Kilian’s Light My Fire, which is big on notes (like tobacco) that have a whiff of the grown-up about them. “This fragrance smells of a Monte Cristo cigar; the smell of power, affluence and influence,” says Craven. “And in the same way a big cigar can be too much for a young man to handle, it’s a fragrance not all younger men can handle.”

Don’t worry about smelling like a 1950s gentlemen’s club (just in case that was a concern). “It’s far subtler and sexier than that,” says Craven reassuringly.

 

The Finely Matured Fragrance

As we get older, production of sebum – the skin’s natural oil – slows down, making skin much drier, which doesn’t just have implications for the way our mush feels but for the way fragrance reacts on our bodies too.

“Dry skin doesn’t retain fragrance as long as oily skin, so you may find you need to opt for a stronger fragrance or re-apply the fragrance more often,” says perfume consultant Mary Ellen Lapsansky. So now might be the time to ditch anything light and citrusy and go for a big, bold chypré fragrance – one characterised by notes of rose, vetiver and cedarwood – designed to have staying power on the skin. Roja Dove’s Vetiver Pour Homme being a perfect example.

An eau de parfum based around the musty, woody root that’s key to many classic men’s scents, it displays a longevity on the skin mass-market fragrances can only dream of. “I created it to be the ultimate in how a man should smell,” says Dove of his luxury creation, which is pretty much what any man wants from a fragrance – whatever his age.

Credit: Lee Kynaston

5 Boots Every Man Should Own

Winter: the only season that can dampen your style from a stride to a squelch. But no man should suffer a perpetual snail trail. Ditch the trainers, stash away the brogues and lay off the loafers – here are the five essential boots you need in your wardrobe.

Black Chelsea Boots

Although popularised in the Swinging Sixties, Chelsea boots had more regal beginnings – way back with Queen Victoria. Or more specifically, her shoemaker: J. Sparkes-Hall patented the design in 1851, and ma’am was said to wear them on the regular – be it horse-riding or strolling through the palace grounds.

Though you might be more likely to traipse around beer gardens than Buckingham Palace, the core message still stands: these really are as tough as old boots. Not to mention stylish.

“Try a real leather [style] in dark brown or black,” says Giles Farnham, head of personal shopping at River Island. “And, as with any skinned footwear, maintenance is essential. Regular conditioning will ensure your boots age well.”

Example Styles

Suede Desert Boots

Like so many menswear classics, desert boots began in the military. While stationed in Burma during WWII, British officer Nathan Clark (note the surname) noticed officers wearing basic suede boots with crepe soles. Turned out they’d had them specially made in an Egyptian bazaar to withstand the tough desert climate, and clever Nathan, sensing a good idea, brought the idea home to the family business – British shoe giant Clarks.

The suede variation of the chukka boot is now a menswear staple, and while this material requires treatment with a weatherproof coating, they can power through most of what autumn and winter throws at them. Aside from rain. Farnham advises avoiding wet weather at all costs as this can damage even the best quality suede.

“Try your desert boots with a smart denim,” says Farnham. “Perhaps an indigo or raw selvedge, and complete with a crisp inch and a half turn up.”

Example Styles

Hiking Boots

No longer just standard issue for naturists, hiking boots have found a place in the fashion mainstream. But it was a rocky route. Outdoors wear was considered niche apparel until Carhartt WIP popularised the hunter-gatherer trend. From there, the likes of Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Bally followed, showcasing luxury takes on hiking boots for AW14 that skyrocketed what was once a functional piece to the heights of high fashion.

That said, they’re far more than a mere fad. Hiking boots were designed specifically to face the elements and as such, make mush of commuter slush.

When your kicks take a workwear edge, it’s advisable to steer your entire look into tougher territory, says Farnham. “Hardy footwear is best worn with equally hardy clothing, so try styling your boots with a rugged, heavy denim jacket and a chunky knitted cardigan.”

Example Styles

Brown Leather Brogue Boots

The brogue has been a menswear fixture since the dawn of time (well, the 1900s at least). And while brogue boots may be the less traditional footwear option, they’re by no means less versatile. The addition of brogue detailing to a sturdy boot base guarantees a durable anchor that will still chime well with tailoring.

That’s where their strength lies. Brogue boots are a smart and versatile option for those that prefer a sartorial streak to what they put on their feet – no technical features, no metal accents, no Dales-ready design.

“The traditional punch hole detailing means brogue boots look great with heritage pieces, like heavier wool blazers,” says Farnham. “And for extra points, take your trousers to a local tailor and have them slightly cropped and tapered to highlight the boots.”

Example Styles

Work Boots

If brogue boots champion Savile Row, then work boots skew more building site. Which, in 2016, isn’t all brick dust, arse cracks and well-thumbed issues of Nuts magazine.

Thanks to the likes of Timberland, your dad’s work boots are hot property, with the brand having blown up thanks to hip-hop’s finest (Diddy, Kanye and Biggie have all sported their own pair in the past).

True, they may not sit pretty with suiting, but worker boots are the perfect foundation to a jeans-tee combo. (Same can’t be said for that hi-vis jacket, though.)

“As with hiking boots, keep your look rugged,” says Farnham. “A pair of work boots are your statement, so a white tee, bomber jacket and grey marl sweatshirt will balance your look.”

Example Styles

 

 

 

Credit: Murray Clark

A Guide to Men’s Hat Styles

Hats are slowly becoming a daily accessory for more and more modern gentlemen, reminding us of a time in America when men wouldn’t leave the house without one.

Men’s hats come in many shapes, sizes and fabrics. So to make it easier for you, we’ve broken down the basic hat styles, offered a little background history, and provided some pointers for adding them to your wardrobe.

The Fedora

A fedora is typically creased lengthwise down the middle of the crown, then “pinched” near the front on both sides. Fedoras have become widely associated with gangsters and Prohibition, which coincided with the height of the hat’s popularity in the 1920s to early 1950s. They were a daily accessory for many American men until JFK, a style icon in his own right, started making public appearances sans-chapeau and started a 40-year trend toward general hatlessness.

A good felt (or straw) fedora has a sturdy but flexible brim that can be “snapped up” or “snapped down” in the front or back, allowing you to mold the brim and achieve the perfect, slightly-askew shape. My favorite are unlined and crushable. Find one in a quality lightweight felt (probably a versatile shade of brown) with a brim that’s roughly 2.5″ wide (depending on the size and shape of your face), then start working on perfecting the subtle side tilt (RIP MJ).

The Homburg

The fedora’s dressier cousin, the homburg, also made primarily of fur felt or straw, is a good choice for a formal business look. It has the same center-creased crown as the fedora (although sometimes not the side pinches), but the brim is stiffer and has an upturned lip all the way around (which usually cannot be molded or “snapped down”).

The Trilby

The trilby has a shorter (thus narrower) brim which is angled down (“snapped down”) at the front and turned up at the back, versus the fedora’s wider brim which is more level and flat. The trilby also has a slightly shorter crown than a typical fedora design.

It reached its zenith of common popularity in the 1960s; the lower head clearance in American automobiles made it impractical to wear a hat with a tall crown while driving. It faded from popularity in the 1970s when any type of men’s headwear went out of fashion. They had a moment of rise with 90’s boy bands and cheesy musicians, but lately they’ve landed closer to being a symbol of nerd culture, especially cheap versions made of synthetic fabrics.

The Porkpie

The porkpie has a narrow brim that is always turned up and a flat top with a circular indent. As fashion writer Glenn O’Brien once joked; “the porkpie hat is the mark of the determined hipster, the kind of cat you might see hanging around a jazz club or a pool hall…it is often worn with a goatee, soul patch, and/or toothpick”. The most famous porkpie in recent television history is worn by Bryan Cranston‘s character Walter White in Breaking Bad when he appears as his alter ego “Heisenberg”, whose persona is largely associated with the hat.

The Panama

The Panama hat is a traditional brimmed straw hat of Ecuadorian origin. Similar in shape to the trilby (down in the front, curled up in the back), but with  proportions more similar to the classic fedora. Traditionally Panama hats were made from the plaited leaves of the Carludovica palmata, a palm-like plant rather than a true palm.

The rarest and most expensive Panama hats can have as many as 1600–2500 weaves per square inch. These hats are known as Montecristis, after the town of Montecristi, where they are produced. The Montecristi Foundation has established a grading system based on a figure called the Montecristi Cuenta, calculated by measuring the horizontal and vertical rows of weave per inch. A “superfino” Panama hat can, according to popular rumor, hold water, and when rolled for storage, pass through a wedding ring.

Although the Panama hat continues to provide a livelihood for thousands of Ecuadorians, fewer than a dozen weavers capable of making the finest “Montecristi superfinos” remain. Production in Ecuador is dwindling, due to economic problems in and competition from Chinese hat producers. Our friend and favorite LA hat maker Nick Fouquet explored the gradual extinction of this cultural tradition during a recent trip to Ecuador, as capture in this video.

The Boater

The boater is a men’s summer formal hat made of stiff sennit straw. It’s characterized by it’s inflexible brim, flat top, and wide grosgrain band (which is often striped, or solid black for traditional summer formal occasions). Similar in formality to the homburg, a boater is correctly worn with a blazer, smart lounge suit, or even with black tie (as seen here by the one and only Dandy Doctor Mr. Andre Churchwell).

The Wide Flat Brim

A cross between a wide-brimmed fedora and a western country hat, the large, stiff, flat brim is the trendiest hat in menswear right now. These heavy beasts are the opposite of the crushable/packable hat. They are stiffened and made to hold their artistically flat shape, no matter what.

The Newsboy

The working man’s cap. Flat caps were very common for North American and European men and boys of all classes during the early 20th century and were almost universal during the 1910s-20s, particularly among the working ‘lower’ classes. A great many photographs of the period show these caps worn not only by newsboys, but by dockworkers, high steel workers, shipwrights, costermongers, farmers, beggars (such as Oliver Twist), bandits, artisans, and tradesmen of many types. This is also well attested in novels and films of this period and just after.

The Driving Cap

The Ivy cap, or flat cap, is similar to the newsboy, only without the floppy 8 panels and the button on top. This style, which traces its history from Southern Italy, Northern England, and parts of Scotland, also wins the awards for the most names. It is also referred to as a cabbie cap, longshoreman’s cap, cloth cap, scally cap, Wigens cap, ivy cap, golf cap, duffer cap, driving cap, bicycle cap, Jeff cap, Steve cap, Irish cap, Paddy cap…in Scotland as a bunnet, in Wales as a Dai cap, and in England and New Zealand, as a cheese-cutter.

Cloths used to make the cap include wool, tweed (most common), and cotton. Less common materials may include leather, linen (as pictured) or corduroy. The inside of the cap is commonly lined for comfort and warmth.

The Baseball Cap

Time to grow out of the snapback with the flat brim and the stickers still on it. It probably wouldn’t be a back look to lose ant heavy sports memorabilia from your casualwear altogether. Think about a baseball cap that is a little more discreet, mature, and versatile – like this simple worn-in cotton cap by our friend Josh Woods.

The Beanie

This one is pretty straight-forward. Wool or cashmere, usually. Keeps head warm, not great for keeping hair in place.

As men, we wear a lot of hats…

So what’s your go-to style? Feel free to share in the comments.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Credit: Dan Trepanier