Who Rocked
Every so often, a team destined for greatness but consistently underperforming, does something so overdue, you’re almost loathed to applaud. But applaud I did when the San Diego Chargers spanked Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts – shutting them out in the second half for good measure. Both Manning and Rivers (San Diego’s QB) are on course to fall just short of 5,000 passing yards. They are joined in the race for top NFL Passer by Drew Brees (Saints) and (!) Kyle Orton of the Broncos. The numbers for Orton are particularly inflated due to the awfulness of his team and thus the necessity to throw deep in the 4th quarter. Quite remarkably, all or any of the four could break Dan Marino’s yardage record, but whether that materialises remains to be seen. As do the Chargers’ dreams of winning a Superbowl! Something only achievable by making the playoffs, something made all the more likely by this week’s win. They now share Indi’s record (6-5) and, like Indi, fall into Wild Card consideration. At the moment, neither would make it thanks to the Steelers (8-3) and the Pats (9-2). But should they win-out and their rivals slide, San Diego now holds the edge on head-to-head tiebreakers. This likely won’t matter, though, as the Chargers should overtake the Chiefs atop the West over the next fortnight. Reporter, out!
The Bears MUST be the real deal. I dismissed them early in the season as a fluke – the last surviving undefeated team at 4-0. I thought they would fade into obscurirty. And, for a while, at least, I looked to have been right. I was not right; I was absolutely wrong. They just keep beating great teams – teams I picked for a deep playoff run. Why? Well, they must be a good football team. Can they win it with Cutler being guided by Martz? Of course they can! Watch out Packers – you may not even make the playoffs if the Bears keep this up.
The Chiefs are clinging to their lead in the AFC West by one game, but in a week that could have seen them slide into the Wild card struggle and thus the bringer of considerable pressure, the Chiefs excelled. Dwayne Bowe is looking like the next big thing at WR, and the calls for Cassel’s head have died down now the QB is winning games. Can they hold off the Chargers? I doubt it. Can they get a Wild Card? Thanks to the parity of the AFC South, they just might sneak it over Pittsburgh…but don’t bet on it.
The up-down team of the year wowed us again. The Houston Texans put division rivals, the Tennessee Titans, to bed without any supper. A 20-0 shutout in an intra-divisional game is a statement indeed – especially when all four teams are within a game of each other. Still, their schedule looks fearsome and I’m sure the Texans will be on the outside looking in once more. I only hope coach Kubiak gets to keep his job (again).
Whose Chances were Knocked?
Well, let me be the first to say sayonara to the Cowboys’ hopes of hosting the Super Bowl as the NFC rep. Okay, maybe not the first, but it is surely official now that the Boys cannot make it to the postseason. With 8 losses on the card already, the Cowboys would need every 9+ win team to win out and their closest rivals to lose to the right people to make an 8-8 good enough for the playoffs. Which it won’t be. Bad luck, guys, you have all the pieces…maybe next year…again!
For the first time in these weekly round-ups we find a winning team in the doldrums. The Pittsburgh Steelers looked shoddy against an improving Bills team. I’ve said before, the Bills are better than their record, but the Steelers have not justified theirs of late. With a must-win clash coming-up against the surging Ravens, the Steelers need to find their form. The re-aggravation of Roethlisberger’s persistent injury won’t help, and with the Jets/Patriots sure to take at least one Wild Card and the Chiefs/Chargers in hot pursuit of the other, Pittsburgh need to focus.
The 7-4 Buccaneers have been one of the surprise packages of this year. Losing to genuine mettle in the Ravens was telling, though. They were not humiliated – far from it – but those 7 wins all of a sudden looked a bit bizarre when they were made to look decidedly average against top-class opposition. The NFC is more open than it has been in my lifetime. Any one of 8 teams look capable of winning it, but 2 will miss out on the playoffs. If the Bucs can’t take a few decent scalps down the stretch, they will be the ones to go in place of the Saints, Giants or Packers – their current Wild Card contenders.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Monday, 29 November 2010
On Style: Three Button Suits...
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
On Style: Two Button Suits...
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
On Style: One Button Suits...
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Friday, 26 November 2010
On Style: Double Breasted Suits...
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
On Style: Single Breasted Suit...
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
On Style: Suits...
It really doesn’t do to put such an expansive title atop such a piffling post, but what can I say? I’m audacious if nothing else…
Suits are the bread and butter of men’s tailoring. For a brief period – a brief and loathsome period – suits were consigned to the ranks of professionals as youth culture eschewed smart dress in favour of trends. Well, fortunately for anyone who prefers wearing clothes that enhance your appearance to something a dirty fingernailed farmer would stuff full of potatoes, tailoring is back, and it appears more than a trend.
As with the modern art movement – a necessity for the shake-up of a world becoming stale and polluted with blinkered traditionalism – the trend era served its purpose. Tailoring had become uninspired and generally insipid; suits were thrown on without a thought given to form, colour or material and treated like the proverbial Jeans and T-shirt. The reinventing of men’s tailoring has given birth to a fluid, adaptable and dynamic corner of the fashion universe that has seen the suit re-imagined countless times, while remaining true to its roots.
Depending on your build/tastes, your requirements of a suit will vary, but there is now something for everybody; something that can hide or enhance your worst and best features, while projecting a flavour of your personality.
Please find, posted over the following few days, examples of some modern suits, which I will expand on at a later date.
So check back to find out what I would suggest for your body-type, and in the meantime I hope the images give you an idea of what’s out there and how to look awesome.
EMBRACE THE SUIT.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Suits are the bread and butter of men’s tailoring. For a brief period – a brief and loathsome period – suits were consigned to the ranks of professionals as youth culture eschewed smart dress in favour of trends. Well, fortunately for anyone who prefers wearing clothes that enhance your appearance to something a dirty fingernailed farmer would stuff full of potatoes, tailoring is back, and it appears more than a trend.
As with the modern art movement – a necessity for the shake-up of a world becoming stale and polluted with blinkered traditionalism – the trend era served its purpose. Tailoring had become uninspired and generally insipid; suits were thrown on without a thought given to form, colour or material and treated like the proverbial Jeans and T-shirt. The reinventing of men’s tailoring has given birth to a fluid, adaptable and dynamic corner of the fashion universe that has seen the suit re-imagined countless times, while remaining true to its roots.
Depending on your build/tastes, your requirements of a suit will vary, but there is now something for everybody; something that can hide or enhance your worst and best features, while projecting a flavour of your personality.
Please find, posted over the following few days, examples of some modern suits, which I will expand on at a later date.
So check back to find out what I would suggest for your body-type, and in the meantime I hope the images give you an idea of what’s out there and how to look awesome.
EMBRACE THE SUIT.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
NFL Round-up: Week 11...
Who Rocked?
Do you believe in fairytales? Michael Vick for MVP? Who had a dollar on that when the curtain went-up on this season? Not me, unfortunately. The Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback – yes, starting quarterback – has been on electric form. Following his historic 6 TD performance (4 passing, 2 rushing) on Monday night against the Redskins, Vick led his new team to victory over the New York Giants to take the lead in the NFC East and replace the champs of ’07 as the NFC faves for postseason glory. Here’s an interesting, and pertinent, stat: the Eagles have won every game that Vick has started and finished. Wow. Can you see Will Smith on the Eagles’ pregame VT at Superbowl XLV yet? I can almost smell the freshness…
The New England Patriots just keep getting the job done (except for that stinker of a loss to Cleveland). I like their subtlety and think they will be one of the teams to beat come January. I could see them having to settle for the fifth seed, though given the Jets’ loud-mouthed prolificacy. If they manage to edge the East they will likely take top-spot and from that position they are fearsome – no one wants to go through Foxboro to get to the Super Bowl, and if they are No. 1 I don’t think their journey will end until Texas.
Smash! The Bills can score points! If only the season were twice as long the upstate New Yorkers might have a chance of causing an upset. Forgive me, I’m getting carried away, but the Bills have been impressive the last two weeks, finally catching the break their play deserves albeit against lesser teams.
Jason Garrett has done something to the Cowboys. Two wins out of two is a record that should have stood next to the big blue star of Arlington after the second week. Now it means very little given the unlikelihood of 9-7 being enough to crack the postseason, and in fact serves only to placate the furious fans, addled owner and to boost the hopes of their stand-in coach of pinning down the job proper next term. I like the Cowboys’ spirit. They are not the worst team in the NFC by a long stretch, but will miss the playoffs – a real shame.
Whose Chances were knocked?
The Vikings are all but out of the playoffs. They now share the same record as the Cowboys, who are travelling in the opposite direction under Jason Garrett. Brett Favre might be wishing he’d stayed retired. With every pick he throws, he further consolidates his embarrassing record as the QB with the most interceptions in NFL history. He is a hero of mine and I hate seeing him playing banged up. 10-6 might have been enough to get into the playoffs via the back door, but 9-7? With the Giants and Bears closing in on that total already the Vikings have run-out of wiggle room. It’ll be a long offseason for the purple machine.
No one likes to get shut-out, especially after looking like you’d turned your season around. Although the 49ers got lucky in that every other team in the NFC West lost, further cementing the division of my beloved Cardinals as the worst in pro football, they are running out of games to make up for their poor start to the season. I still think they’ve got the talent to top this division, but they’d better get a move on – time is running out.
Houston just keep sinking. The Texans looked one of the league’s brightest teams a few long weeks ago, and now they are back where they didn’t want to be, staring at the Colts backside. Fortunately, though, Tom Brady and crew did the Schaub-led Texans a favour by knocking off a slick Indi unit. There’s hope yet but its dwindling with every passing week.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Do you believe in fairytales? Michael Vick for MVP? Who had a dollar on that when the curtain went-up on this season? Not me, unfortunately. The Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback – yes, starting quarterback – has been on electric form. Following his historic 6 TD performance (4 passing, 2 rushing) on Monday night against the Redskins, Vick led his new team to victory over the New York Giants to take the lead in the NFC East and replace the champs of ’07 as the NFC faves for postseason glory. Here’s an interesting, and pertinent, stat: the Eagles have won every game that Vick has started and finished. Wow. Can you see Will Smith on the Eagles’ pregame VT at Superbowl XLV yet? I can almost smell the freshness…
The New England Patriots just keep getting the job done (except for that stinker of a loss to Cleveland). I like their subtlety and think they will be one of the teams to beat come January. I could see them having to settle for the fifth seed, though given the Jets’ loud-mouthed prolificacy. If they manage to edge the East they will likely take top-spot and from that position they are fearsome – no one wants to go through Foxboro to get to the Super Bowl, and if they are No. 1 I don’t think their journey will end until Texas.
Smash! The Bills can score points! If only the season were twice as long the upstate New Yorkers might have a chance of causing an upset. Forgive me, I’m getting carried away, but the Bills have been impressive the last two weeks, finally catching the break their play deserves albeit against lesser teams.
Jason Garrett has done something to the Cowboys. Two wins out of two is a record that should have stood next to the big blue star of Arlington after the second week. Now it means very little given the unlikelihood of 9-7 being enough to crack the postseason, and in fact serves only to placate the furious fans, addled owner and to boost the hopes of their stand-in coach of pinning down the job proper next term. I like the Cowboys’ spirit. They are not the worst team in the NFC by a long stretch, but will miss the playoffs – a real shame.
Whose Chances were knocked?
The Vikings are all but out of the playoffs. They now share the same record as the Cowboys, who are travelling in the opposite direction under Jason Garrett. Brett Favre might be wishing he’d stayed retired. With every pick he throws, he further consolidates his embarrassing record as the QB with the most interceptions in NFL history. He is a hero of mine and I hate seeing him playing banged up. 10-6 might have been enough to get into the playoffs via the back door, but 9-7? With the Giants and Bears closing in on that total already the Vikings have run-out of wiggle room. It’ll be a long offseason for the purple machine.
No one likes to get shut-out, especially after looking like you’d turned your season around. Although the 49ers got lucky in that every other team in the NFC West lost, further cementing the division of my beloved Cardinals as the worst in pro football, they are running out of games to make up for their poor start to the season. I still think they’ve got the talent to top this division, but they’d better get a move on – time is running out.
Houston just keep sinking. The Texans looked one of the league’s brightest teams a few long weeks ago, and now they are back where they didn’t want to be, staring at the Colts backside. Fortunately, though, Tom Brady and crew did the Schaub-led Texans a favour by knocking off a slick Indi unit. There’s hope yet but its dwindling with every passing week.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Monday, 22 November 2010
On Style: Matching Belts, Shoes and Watches...
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
On Style: Shoes...
The subject of shoes deserves a blog of its own. And although I’m sure many such blogs exist, you are reading mine and I like to be brief and to the point.
You need a smart pair of brown shoes and a smart pair of black shoes. They can be boots, winkle pickers, Lloyds, loafers, brogues or square-toes. Whatever the hell you like, basically. But you need at least one pair of brown and black.
Remember, the basis of this blog is to offer suggestions on how to craft a variety of tightly-composed, seamlessly coordinated outfits without blowing out your budget.
You don’t need as many pairs as Mario Cipolini to be cool. On an everyday level, it is how you wear something, not what label you are wearing that matters.
Buy a cheap pair of white summer pumps for casual outfits, and crack-out your smart shoes (costing no more than £100 a pair) whenever you feel the situation demands.
I’ve just bought a pair of mid-ankle brown Lloyds (in the sale for £25, no less) and they are amazing. Cool and smart in the same move, you really can’t ask for more from such a reasonably priced pair of shoes.
Go out, find the necessary additions to your wardrobe, and make them your own. Being the guy that always wears winkle pickers (me from 2004-10) has never felt so justifiably good!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
You need a smart pair of brown shoes and a smart pair of black shoes. They can be boots, winkle pickers, Lloyds, loafers, brogues or square-toes. Whatever the hell you like, basically. But you need at least one pair of brown and black.
Remember, the basis of this blog is to offer suggestions on how to craft a variety of tightly-composed, seamlessly coordinated outfits without blowing out your budget.
You don’t need as many pairs as Mario Cipolini to be cool. On an everyday level, it is how you wear something, not what label you are wearing that matters.
Buy a cheap pair of white summer pumps for casual outfits, and crack-out your smart shoes (costing no more than £100 a pair) whenever you feel the situation demands.
I’ve just bought a pair of mid-ankle brown Lloyds (in the sale for £25, no less) and they are amazing. Cool and smart in the same move, you really can’t ask for more from such a reasonably priced pair of shoes.
Go out, find the necessary additions to your wardrobe, and make them your own. Being the guy that always wears winkle pickers (me from 2004-10) has never felt so justifiably good!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Saturday, 20 November 2010
On Style: Belts and Buckles...
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Friday, 19 November 2010
On Style: Watches...
Here’s a topic that could run for years and years and years. Given my daytime occupation as an apprentice watchmaker, I am obviously somewhat obsessed with this subject.
So I’ll be as brief as I can.
Watches are the most significant part of your attire. They will feature more than any other item you wear, even if you have two, three or more you rotate. People will come to regard your watches as a part of and will always hold an opinion – whether candid or not – on your wrist-wear. A man’s watch says more about him than the rest of his garb. That can be a good, o equally bad thing.
Rule number one: A watch is a status symbol. Therefore do not attempt to buy and carry off a watch significantly above your station. If you work in a petrol station and earn, let’s say, about a grand a month after tax, do NOT save up and buy a £6000 Rolex. It is ridiculous. Wearing that watch may be cool, but it is too much for you. The service charges would eat into your wage, and woe betide you if it actually BROKE! As they is a rule on how much a man should spend on his girlfriend’s engagement ring, so too should you impose a limit to your watch-buying pursuits. I think that spending one months salary on a watch is about as much as you can justify, and, to be honest, I would advise all of you not earning six figure salaries, to stick to half that.
So Mr Esso, you can buy a £500 watch, and that will do for you (for now, until your unpublished manuscript catches the attention of Harper Collins…).
Rule number two: Choice is more important that cost. Who buys a gold Rolex? One of three types of people: folk with too much money and not enough sense (pricks); Rolex nuts (misguided pricks); Pikeys (Pikeys). It’s a crass, in-your-face statement of how much money you have, and makes you look a wee bit like you don’t know what you’re doing.
Class is not always reflected in monetary value – in fact, it is often restraint and personal selection that wins the admiration of ones peers, not balls-out mendaciousness.
Choice something that is versatile, timeless and you – follow those three pointers and you will get years of wear and pleasant comments out of your purchase.
If you happen to know a watchmaker, ask their advice when buying vintage: I picked-up an unmarked 1920s gold Rolex on eBay for £18 inc. p&p. that was missing the glass – an easy repair job, adding immense value and, more importantly, wearability to the piece. Over time, your collection will grow if you are a fan of fine timepieces. Your first steps on the horological ladder should be concerned with case metals. Get yourself a gold watch, a silver watch, one of each with a black strap and one of each with a brown. Then graduate to rose gold (if you dare attempting to coordinate it with the rest of your outfit – rewarding but challenging). A good, early-doors suggestion would be the Swatch full-blooded gold and/or silver as the straps, as with all swatches are easily interchangeable with little risk of damage.
Personally I think you should hunt for something weird and wonderful that speaks volumes about your personal style. Put a bit of money aside and spend time thinking about what you want and comparing the prices of the vintage items you find.
The bargains and gems are out there; you’ve just got to be patient.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
So I’ll be as brief as I can.
Watches are the most significant part of your attire. They will feature more than any other item you wear, even if you have two, three or more you rotate. People will come to regard your watches as a part of and will always hold an opinion – whether candid or not – on your wrist-wear. A man’s watch says more about him than the rest of his garb. That can be a good, o equally bad thing.
Rule number one: A watch is a status symbol. Therefore do not attempt to buy and carry off a watch significantly above your station. If you work in a petrol station and earn, let’s say, about a grand a month after tax, do NOT save up and buy a £6000 Rolex. It is ridiculous. Wearing that watch may be cool, but it is too much for you. The service charges would eat into your wage, and woe betide you if it actually BROKE! As they is a rule on how much a man should spend on his girlfriend’s engagement ring, so too should you impose a limit to your watch-buying pursuits. I think that spending one months salary on a watch is about as much as you can justify, and, to be honest, I would advise all of you not earning six figure salaries, to stick to half that.
So Mr Esso, you can buy a £500 watch, and that will do for you (for now, until your unpublished manuscript catches the attention of Harper Collins…).
Rule number two: Choice is more important that cost. Who buys a gold Rolex? One of three types of people: folk with too much money and not enough sense (pricks); Rolex nuts (misguided pricks); Pikeys (Pikeys). It’s a crass, in-your-face statement of how much money you have, and makes you look a wee bit like you don’t know what you’re doing.
Class is not always reflected in monetary value – in fact, it is often restraint and personal selection that wins the admiration of ones peers, not balls-out mendaciousness.
Choice something that is versatile, timeless and you – follow those three pointers and you will get years of wear and pleasant comments out of your purchase.
If you happen to know a watchmaker, ask their advice when buying vintage: I picked-up an unmarked 1920s gold Rolex on eBay for £18 inc. p&p. that was missing the glass – an easy repair job, adding immense value and, more importantly, wearability to the piece. Over time, your collection will grow if you are a fan of fine timepieces. Your first steps on the horological ladder should be concerned with case metals. Get yourself a gold watch, a silver watch, one of each with a black strap and one of each with a brown. Then graduate to rose gold (if you dare attempting to coordinate it with the rest of your outfit – rewarding but challenging). A good, early-doors suggestion would be the Swatch full-blooded gold and/or silver as the straps, as with all swatches are easily interchangeable with little risk of damage.
Personally I think you should hunt for something weird and wonderful that speaks volumes about your personal style. Put a bit of money aside and spend time thinking about what you want and comparing the prices of the vintage items you find.
The bargains and gems are out there; you’ve just got to be patient.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
On Style: Rings...
Rings can be a problem for many men, given that marriage requires you to wear one, and only one ring on the same finger, every day. This means you’ll be bound to one metal the moment you say “I do,” unless you don’t mind mixing and matching, which is probably advisable if you ever want to diversify again.
One way round the ‘clash’ problem in terms of wedding bands is to go for a tricolour option. Never the most attractive pieces, tricolour rings do offer you guaranteed coordination for the rest of your married life.
If you’re single and have no sentimental rings that you refuse to remove then you are on to a winner. Signet rings are coming back into fashion and come in all shapes and sizes. I managed to pick-up a Maltese cross design in rose gold for five English on eBay the other day. If you are prepared to wait, the world’s best-known bidding site will throw a few gems your way.
I’ve always been a fan of claddagh rings, and Celtic knot work – especially if you possess a shred of Gaelic heritage – is beautiful and can catch the eye much easier than a simple D-band.
That said, D-Bands are not a bad option. When I wear silver I go for a plan, unfussy D band that I picked up on a market in Frankfurt for a few quid. These things don’t have to be expensive to be cool – interest is the key. Go for vintage so your ring will stand out. Wearing one you intend to pale into the background is a waste of time so be bold!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
One way round the ‘clash’ problem in terms of wedding bands is to go for a tricolour option. Never the most attractive pieces, tricolour rings do offer you guaranteed coordination for the rest of your married life.
If you’re single and have no sentimental rings that you refuse to remove then you are on to a winner. Signet rings are coming back into fashion and come in all shapes and sizes. I managed to pick-up a Maltese cross design in rose gold for five English on eBay the other day. If you are prepared to wait, the world’s best-known bidding site will throw a few gems your way.
I’ve always been a fan of claddagh rings, and Celtic knot work – especially if you possess a shred of Gaelic heritage – is beautiful and can catch the eye much easier than a simple D-band.
That said, D-Bands are not a bad option. When I wear silver I go for a plan, unfussy D band that I picked up on a market in Frankfurt for a few quid. These things don’t have to be expensive to be cool – interest is the key. Go for vintage so your ring will stand out. Wearing one you intend to pale into the background is a waste of time so be bold!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
On Style: Cufflinks...
You may not even own a pair of cufflinks, and yet still have a sizable and totally respectable wardrobe and arsenal of accessories. Given that linked cuffs are less common, and seldom worn casually, the need for cufflinks has diminished.
If you class yourself in the ‘button-brigade’ buy a couple of pairs of silk knots from TM Lewin or Tie Rack. They’ll set you back about £4 unless you snap them up in the sale, and a black/white pair and a coloured pair (depending on your favourite combo – I’ve got navy and yellow) will see you right if a linked-shirt-occasion arises.
If you’re a fan of the link, though, sort yourself out with some decent kit.
Cufflinks are a good way to separate yourself from some hard-earned wonga, so be choosey and precise when you buy. The temptation is to pick-up cheap ones ‘that will do’ when you see them reduced – don’t, if you can help it. They make you look like a low-rung wide-boy. Instead, choose one design and treat yourself. If you rotate the colour of metal you wear, you’ll need more than one pair, but I advise sticking with the same style.
I’ve always attempted to plug the idea that men’s tailoring should be about refinement of the craft. Not loud colours, weird cuts and novelty, draw-the-eye items, but clean lines, exceptional craftsmanship and subtle elegance that oozes class. For that reason I suggest standardising your wardrobe and make sure you cufflinks follow suit.
Check out Skye Jewellery for some great design in a variety of colours.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
If you class yourself in the ‘button-brigade’ buy a couple of pairs of silk knots from TM Lewin or Tie Rack. They’ll set you back about £4 unless you snap them up in the sale, and a black/white pair and a coloured pair (depending on your favourite combo – I’ve got navy and yellow) will see you right if a linked-shirt-occasion arises.
If you’re a fan of the link, though, sort yourself out with some decent kit.
Cufflinks are a good way to separate yourself from some hard-earned wonga, so be choosey and precise when you buy. The temptation is to pick-up cheap ones ‘that will do’ when you see them reduced – don’t, if you can help it. They make you look like a low-rung wide-boy. Instead, choose one design and treat yourself. If you rotate the colour of metal you wear, you’ll need more than one pair, but I advise sticking with the same style.
I’ve always attempted to plug the idea that men’s tailoring should be about refinement of the craft. Not loud colours, weird cuts and novelty, draw-the-eye items, but clean lines, exceptional craftsmanship and subtle elegance that oozes class. For that reason I suggest standardising your wardrobe and make sure you cufflinks follow suit.
Check out Skye Jewellery for some great design in a variety of colours.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
NFL Round-up: Week 10...
Who Rocked?
The Falcons are looking like the real deal. They now possess a league-tying best record at 7-2. After contesting the early-week game away in Maryland, they stunned the home team with a 26-21 victory that moves Baltimore down to second in the AFC North, and keeps Atlanta sitting pretty atop the NFC South. The defending champions, the New Orleans Saints, are falling off the pace, and with the Giants (despite losing to a reinvigorated Cowboys outfit, operating under stand-in coach Jason Garrett) looking certain to nab the East with Philly close behind and sniffing-out a Wild Card, and the Bears nipping at Green Bay’s heels with an identical – and wholly impressive – 6-2 record, the champs need to pick-up the slack if they hope to either catch the Falcons or secure a return to the playoffs one year after their fairytale victory.
Well, it took 9 weeks of this unpredictable season, but Dallas finally looked the business. They put-in a cohesive display through all phases of the game and managed to snap the Giants’ 5 game win-streak and end their own 5 game skid. They are now a 2-7 team, but with that performance you wonder how different their record could be had Garrett’s magic been worked earlier in the season. Cruelly, Dallas could win every one of its remaining game and still miss the playoffs. In my opinion, a 9-7 will not be enough to guarantee progression, with several teams looking able to top that as runners-up in their division (most notably, the Saints, Bears, Eagles and Redskins). I think it’s too little too late, and one may beg the question, is it really worth it? Sure, until you are mathematically out of it – and there is a long way to go for any of the Cowboys’ main competitors to lock-down a playoff spot – you should keep playing. But one more loss and their season is done. I would use the remainder to get creative; to run some silly plays; to play go-for-broke football and recycle your depth chart to find a diamond in the rough, all in preparation for next year (as usual) and in the hope you might get soundly thrashed en route to a high draft pick in 2011.
This is a classic matchup – one of the best of the last ten years. Cowher may be gone, but Tomlin’s Steelers still know how to play. But, as is the norm, Belichick’s boys got the measure of them and played some impressive football to bounce back from last week crazy loss to the upstart Browns. The Patriots, I would say, are a lock for the playoffs; the Steelers, not so much. Pittsburgh is currently leading the AFC North, but the safe money is on the Ravens to pip them to the post. The competitiveness of the North, as with the South, means teams are going to struggle to hit the stellar heights of the’07 Patriots. Games will be lost, on a stomach-lurchingly regular basis. This year, the parity of the NFL has been more obvious than ever, with no team making it past 4-0 without a loss. Any team can beat any other team, and the Steelers will find themselves scrapping for the one available Wild Card left vacant by the Jets/Patriots progression from the East. Look to Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston, Miami, San Diego, Kansas City and Oakland to be duking it out with the men from Penn.
Now Cleveland did lose to the New York Jets, and thus are the first non-winning side to make it in the rocked category, but hell do they deserve some props right now. The Browns are a nothing team. They have a decent runner and a league-topping return man (who also plays QB, Receiver, Water Boy and emotional counsellor) in Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs got his money last year and has played as if he deserves it, but the team is too weak across the board to make any real impact come January. BUT they are extremely competitive. A couple of years back, Cleveland edged Buffalo in an absolute stinker (I think the score was 9-6). They’d been playing good football that year, but were still capable of howlers. This year, they are equally inconsistent, but since we all expected them to lay down and die, their attitude has been nothing short of inspiring. Good show on the Browns part, and congratulations to Holmgren and Mangini for doing something special with a young team that could be one to watch in the future.
Whose Chances were knocked?
The Vikings needed to win this week to make their record 4-5, the Bears’ 5-4 and the Packers’ 6-3. That looks like an achievable target, right? 2 games off the lead with the team you need to catch coming to your back yard next week? No bother. Sure, that’s how it should have panned out, but it didn’t. The Bears beat the Viking to leave them with inverse records or 6-3 and 3-6 respectively. With 7 games left of the season, the Vikings need to win them all to have any real chance of making it to the playoffs and giving Brett Favre another shot at the big game, otherwise, it’s over and out from him.
Jacksonville pulled off the Hail Mary of the week in beating the floundering Texans, and now leapfrog their rivals in the AFC South. It sure is tight down there, but with the outcome yet to be decided, my attention and ire is drawn by the Texans’ failure to capitalise on a deservedly good start. What’s wrong with this team? They can win that division and even a Superbowl on their day. Buck it up Coach Kubiak or you’ll find yourself on a Central Park bench with Wade Phillips and Chipmunks for company next autumn.
With Houston losing, Tennessee had a real shot at making headway in their division. Instead they lost to a fellow Wild Card contender, the Miami Dolphins. The Fins are a good side, but warped by the unpredictability of youth. They can win any game, though, and if they somehow manage to survive all the way to the postseason (which I doubt) they could be dangerous.
I happened at last! Buffalo are no longer winless, and by virtue of their first victory, have consigned the often credited Detroit Lions to the shame section this week. The Lions are a good side – plenty of youth, plenty of enthusiasm, little hope of doing anything for a couple of seasons, but they work hard and deserve their meagre win total if not more. In fairness to the Bills, they are not an 0-8 team. Bad luck has been as much to blame as their incompetence. Let’s hope they round out the season with a few impressive displays to give the fans hope for next year.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
The Falcons are looking like the real deal. They now possess a league-tying best record at 7-2. After contesting the early-week game away in Maryland, they stunned the home team with a 26-21 victory that moves Baltimore down to second in the AFC North, and keeps Atlanta sitting pretty atop the NFC South. The defending champions, the New Orleans Saints, are falling off the pace, and with the Giants (despite losing to a reinvigorated Cowboys outfit, operating under stand-in coach Jason Garrett) looking certain to nab the East with Philly close behind and sniffing-out a Wild Card, and the Bears nipping at Green Bay’s heels with an identical – and wholly impressive – 6-2 record, the champs need to pick-up the slack if they hope to either catch the Falcons or secure a return to the playoffs one year after their fairytale victory.
Well, it took 9 weeks of this unpredictable season, but Dallas finally looked the business. They put-in a cohesive display through all phases of the game and managed to snap the Giants’ 5 game win-streak and end their own 5 game skid. They are now a 2-7 team, but with that performance you wonder how different their record could be had Garrett’s magic been worked earlier in the season. Cruelly, Dallas could win every one of its remaining game and still miss the playoffs. In my opinion, a 9-7 will not be enough to guarantee progression, with several teams looking able to top that as runners-up in their division (most notably, the Saints, Bears, Eagles and Redskins). I think it’s too little too late, and one may beg the question, is it really worth it? Sure, until you are mathematically out of it – and there is a long way to go for any of the Cowboys’ main competitors to lock-down a playoff spot – you should keep playing. But one more loss and their season is done. I would use the remainder to get creative; to run some silly plays; to play go-for-broke football and recycle your depth chart to find a diamond in the rough, all in preparation for next year (as usual) and in the hope you might get soundly thrashed en route to a high draft pick in 2011.
This is a classic matchup – one of the best of the last ten years. Cowher may be gone, but Tomlin’s Steelers still know how to play. But, as is the norm, Belichick’s boys got the measure of them and played some impressive football to bounce back from last week crazy loss to the upstart Browns. The Patriots, I would say, are a lock for the playoffs; the Steelers, not so much. Pittsburgh is currently leading the AFC North, but the safe money is on the Ravens to pip them to the post. The competitiveness of the North, as with the South, means teams are going to struggle to hit the stellar heights of the’07 Patriots. Games will be lost, on a stomach-lurchingly regular basis. This year, the parity of the NFL has been more obvious than ever, with no team making it past 4-0 without a loss. Any team can beat any other team, and the Steelers will find themselves scrapping for the one available Wild Card left vacant by the Jets/Patriots progression from the East. Look to Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston, Miami, San Diego, Kansas City and Oakland to be duking it out with the men from Penn.
Now Cleveland did lose to the New York Jets, and thus are the first non-winning side to make it in the rocked category, but hell do they deserve some props right now. The Browns are a nothing team. They have a decent runner and a league-topping return man (who also plays QB, Receiver, Water Boy and emotional counsellor) in Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs got his money last year and has played as if he deserves it, but the team is too weak across the board to make any real impact come January. BUT they are extremely competitive. A couple of years back, Cleveland edged Buffalo in an absolute stinker (I think the score was 9-6). They’d been playing good football that year, but were still capable of howlers. This year, they are equally inconsistent, but since we all expected them to lay down and die, their attitude has been nothing short of inspiring. Good show on the Browns part, and congratulations to Holmgren and Mangini for doing something special with a young team that could be one to watch in the future.
Whose Chances were knocked?
The Vikings needed to win this week to make their record 4-5, the Bears’ 5-4 and the Packers’ 6-3. That looks like an achievable target, right? 2 games off the lead with the team you need to catch coming to your back yard next week? No bother. Sure, that’s how it should have panned out, but it didn’t. The Bears beat the Viking to leave them with inverse records or 6-3 and 3-6 respectively. With 7 games left of the season, the Vikings need to win them all to have any real chance of making it to the playoffs and giving Brett Favre another shot at the big game, otherwise, it’s over and out from him.
Jacksonville pulled off the Hail Mary of the week in beating the floundering Texans, and now leapfrog their rivals in the AFC South. It sure is tight down there, but with the outcome yet to be decided, my attention and ire is drawn by the Texans’ failure to capitalise on a deservedly good start. What’s wrong with this team? They can win that division and even a Superbowl on their day. Buck it up Coach Kubiak or you’ll find yourself on a Central Park bench with Wade Phillips and Chipmunks for company next autumn.
With Houston losing, Tennessee had a real shot at making headway in their division. Instead they lost to a fellow Wild Card contender, the Miami Dolphins. The Fins are a good side, but warped by the unpredictability of youth. They can win any game, though, and if they somehow manage to survive all the way to the postseason (which I doubt) they could be dangerous.
I happened at last! Buffalo are no longer winless, and by virtue of their first victory, have consigned the often credited Detroit Lions to the shame section this week. The Lions are a good side – plenty of youth, plenty of enthusiasm, little hope of doing anything for a couple of seasons, but they work hard and deserve their meagre win total if not more. In fairness to the Bills, they are not an 0-8 team. Bad luck has been as much to blame as their incompetence. Let’s hope they round out the season with a few impressive displays to give the fans hope for next year.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Monday, 15 November 2010
On Style: Tie Pins and Slides...
There is absolutely no reason or excuse not to have a tie pin/slide depending on your preference.
They are cool, crisp additions to any suit; tie the metal of your outfit into the colours of your suit and tie; will make you stand out from the crowd; and are lovely things to collect.
If you want to make it a signature piece of your style, get at least one in gold, silver and rose gold. The latter is the hardest to find, so take any copper-coloured metal you can get your hands on and be thankful for it!
Buy vintage in the case of pins, and new in the case of slides. Avoid loud patterns or jewels on slides - go for a clean bar of metal.
Given that your watch and belt tend to hang almost next to each other, the time and care you've spent selecting which metal to wear with your outfit may go unnoticed due to the sub-eyeline positioning of your jewllery - fix that with a tie adornment.
I'm a fan of the quirkier pins, but don't use anything but a slide on my best, non-knitted ties for fear of causing irrepairable damage to the fabric.
If you can't find what you want,have your own made. Get a pin badge made-up to your spec, then buy a tie-tack retainer from eBay. That'll work just fine.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
They are cool, crisp additions to any suit; tie the metal of your outfit into the colours of your suit and tie; will make you stand out from the crowd; and are lovely things to collect.
If you want to make it a signature piece of your style, get at least one in gold, silver and rose gold. The latter is the hardest to find, so take any copper-coloured metal you can get your hands on and be thankful for it!
Buy vintage in the case of pins, and new in the case of slides. Avoid loud patterns or jewels on slides - go for a clean bar of metal.
Given that your watch and belt tend to hang almost next to each other, the time and care you've spent selecting which metal to wear with your outfit may go unnoticed due to the sub-eyeline positioning of your jewllery - fix that with a tie adornment.
I'm a fan of the quirkier pins, but don't use anything but a slide on my best, non-knitted ties for fear of causing irrepairable damage to the fabric.
If you can't find what you want,have your own made. Get a pin badge made-up to your spec, then buy a tie-tack retainer from eBay. That'll work just fine.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
On Style: Shirt Patterns...
This is a bit of a cop-out, but I am deadly serious when I say;
DON’T BOTHER!
A white shirt is the canvas upon which your artistry can be wrought. You can’t where a paisley shirt and a tie without looking like some kind of Gekko reject, and if you team it with jeans you’re instantly a 45 year old dad who listens to Pink Floyd whilst talking loudly about his new Porsche/penis extension/injection of vitality at a barbeque.
DON’T DO IT
Simplicity and elegance are keys. Finely cut clothes outpunch flashy one any day. Go for understated smoothness and leave the patterns to the schmucks. You fancy a faint pinstripe for the office? Fine. But don’t dabble outside of work unless the pattern is angular, the same colour as the shirt and subtle as a breeze.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
DON’T BOTHER!
A white shirt is the canvas upon which your artistry can be wrought. You can’t where a paisley shirt and a tie without looking like some kind of Gekko reject, and if you team it with jeans you’re instantly a 45 year old dad who listens to Pink Floyd whilst talking loudly about his new Porsche/penis extension/injection of vitality at a barbeque.
DON’T DO IT
Simplicity and elegance are keys. Finely cut clothes outpunch flashy one any day. Go for understated smoothness and leave the patterns to the schmucks. You fancy a faint pinstripe for the office? Fine. But don’t dabble outside of work unless the pattern is angular, the same colour as the shirt and subtle as a breeze.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Saturday, 13 November 2010
On Style: Shirt Fit...
Fit is obviously paramount when choosing your shirts. Although you can get away with a bit of excess material round the gut when your jacket’s on, you don’t really want to be left with a crude parachute when you are forced by circumstance or temperature to remove your outerwear.
Cotton is definitely the way forward in terms of cloth: it is cool, sweat-wicking and bright. When kept in good condition, a good cotton shirt retains its lustre longer than one made of polyester.
These days, most young men are on the slender side. Thatcher’s push for false inclusivity meant that a greater percentage of the population could afford to stay indoors with their noses buried in books (and their hands down their trousers) instead of getting out and doing a real job that might have put some meat on the bones.
Finding a shirt for the skinny man is tough. Topman now go down to the ludicrous (but sympathetic) XXS, and could be considered. It is possible, however, and preferable, to have a shirt made. Collars rarely go below 14 ½ inches and even that can be too much for some men. Furthermore, even if you have a collar that fits, your body may not match your neck (like mine for most of my adult life) and so you are forced to sniff-out a slim fit.
Harder to find than hen’s teeth are slim-fit shirts that don’t cost a bomb. Fortunately for all you penny-pinching rakes of men, Primark now offer a reasonable white slim-fit for a bargain £4. My advice? Buy four and then spend around £50-70 on a tailored shirt from one of the many reasonable emporia online. Save the tailored masterpiece for special occasions and rotate through your cheap stock as and when.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Cotton is definitely the way forward in terms of cloth: it is cool, sweat-wicking and bright. When kept in good condition, a good cotton shirt retains its lustre longer than one made of polyester.
These days, most young men are on the slender side. Thatcher’s push for false inclusivity meant that a greater percentage of the population could afford to stay indoors with their noses buried in books (and their hands down their trousers) instead of getting out and doing a real job that might have put some meat on the bones.
Finding a shirt for the skinny man is tough. Topman now go down to the ludicrous (but sympathetic) XXS, and could be considered. It is possible, however, and preferable, to have a shirt made. Collars rarely go below 14 ½ inches and even that can be too much for some men. Furthermore, even if you have a collar that fits, your body may not match your neck (like mine for most of my adult life) and so you are forced to sniff-out a slim fit.
Harder to find than hen’s teeth are slim-fit shirts that don’t cost a bomb. Fortunately for all you penny-pinching rakes of men, Primark now offer a reasonable white slim-fit for a bargain £4. My advice? Buy four and then spend around £50-70 on a tailored shirt from one of the many reasonable emporia online. Save the tailored masterpiece for special occasions and rotate through your cheap stock as and when.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Friday, 12 November 2010
On Style: Shirt Cuffs...
There are really four different types of shirt cuff available. Let me first do away with convertible cuffs, which are able to be fastened by button or link – they are rarer than Moomin teeth, and less often worn.
Here's a good little picture of varations of the Cuffs I'm going to talk about - notice how angle-cut varieties don't have a section of their own: thay are merely stylistic varients, and their use is down to personal preference
That leaves us with three types of cuff. The Button Cuff is by far and a way the most popular. It is cheap, easy-to-care-for, in some cases adjustable, slim line and comfortable. It is almost certainly the best for work unless you are a very important manager in finance, or a poser. You can wear a Button Cuff with every kind of suit without too much bother. Furthermore, your watch will fit underneath it – even if you have a ludicrously large timepiece like, say, a TW Steel, many Button Cuffs are adjustable with a wider setting to accommodate a fat watch or just regular fat.
There are two types of link cuffs. The most common these days is the French Cuff that folds back on itself making it bulky and luxurious. It can be fastened in the ‘kissing style’ where the inside faces of both cuffs touch and are joined by a cufflink or silk knot, or the less common ‘fold over’ where the outer edge of one cuff meets the inside edge of the other in a style similar to the Button Cuff. The latter looks pretty awful and eliminates the flamboyance that comes with French Cuffs – if you’re going to wear them, you might as well go the whole hog. Additionally, the ‘kissing’ method is more comfortable and leaves a little more space for your watch that is taken up by material in the ‘fold over’ style. You will probably need to invest in a slim dress watch if you want to wear French Cuffs regularly. I have worn them with a bulky chronograph and, I must admit, a rucked-up cuff, necessary to keep my watch on show, was NOT a good look. Go for a Skagen (Danish made slim watches), a Swatch from the Skin Family or a classic analogue from a high-end watchmakers to guarantee a good look. Wear the French Cuff for out-of-the-office work dos that don’t require a Tuxedo. Also, they are great for weddings and projecting the I’m-a-cockney-wide-boy-with-too-much-money-and-not-enough-sense look when teamed with an open collar and jeans.
(Don’t do that, please – you’ll look like Stringfellow…)
The third type of cuff is the Single (as opposed to the Double – another name for the French). This cuff fastens in the same way as its big brother, but doesn’t fold over and is a single piece of cloth edging the sleeve as with a Button Cloth. Single Cuffs are almost exclusive formalwear. I do think they are the most elegant, comfortable and eye-catching, but they are hard to come by and usually rather expensive. Buy one – better still, have one made – and use it for every formal occasion you are invited too (and even those you’re not – I’d sooner let a gatecrasher into my home if he was well-dressed). Go for small, stud-like cufflinks with a Single Cuff. With formal wear, minimalistic grace is the key.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Here's a good little picture of varations of the Cuffs I'm going to talk about - notice how angle-cut varieties don't have a section of their own: thay are merely stylistic varients, and their use is down to personal preference
That leaves us with three types of cuff. The Button Cuff is by far and a way the most popular. It is cheap, easy-to-care-for, in some cases adjustable, slim line and comfortable. It is almost certainly the best for work unless you are a very important manager in finance, or a poser. You can wear a Button Cuff with every kind of suit without too much bother. Furthermore, your watch will fit underneath it – even if you have a ludicrously large timepiece like, say, a TW Steel, many Button Cuffs are adjustable with a wider setting to accommodate a fat watch or just regular fat.
There are two types of link cuffs. The most common these days is the French Cuff that folds back on itself making it bulky and luxurious. It can be fastened in the ‘kissing style’ where the inside faces of both cuffs touch and are joined by a cufflink or silk knot, or the less common ‘fold over’ where the outer edge of one cuff meets the inside edge of the other in a style similar to the Button Cuff. The latter looks pretty awful and eliminates the flamboyance that comes with French Cuffs – if you’re going to wear them, you might as well go the whole hog. Additionally, the ‘kissing’ method is more comfortable and leaves a little more space for your watch that is taken up by material in the ‘fold over’ style. You will probably need to invest in a slim dress watch if you want to wear French Cuffs regularly. I have worn them with a bulky chronograph and, I must admit, a rucked-up cuff, necessary to keep my watch on show, was NOT a good look. Go for a Skagen (Danish made slim watches), a Swatch from the Skin Family or a classic analogue from a high-end watchmakers to guarantee a good look. Wear the French Cuff for out-of-the-office work dos that don’t require a Tuxedo. Also, they are great for weddings and projecting the I’m-a-cockney-wide-boy-with-too-much-money-and-not-enough-sense look when teamed with an open collar and jeans.
(Don’t do that, please – you’ll look like Stringfellow…)
The third type of cuff is the Single (as opposed to the Double – another name for the French). This cuff fastens in the same way as its big brother, but doesn’t fold over and is a single piece of cloth edging the sleeve as with a Button Cloth. Single Cuffs are almost exclusive formalwear. I do think they are the most elegant, comfortable and eye-catching, but they are hard to come by and usually rather expensive. Buy one – better still, have one made – and use it for every formal occasion you are invited too (and even those you’re not – I’d sooner let a gatecrasher into my home if he was well-dressed). Go for small, stud-like cufflinks with a Single Cuff. With formal wear, minimalistic grace is the key.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
On Style: Shirt Collars...
A lot of men don’t realise that the difference in collars are not just fluky one-offs, but, for the most part, examples of a wider collar-family, all of which can be worn n different ways, with different ties and accessories to set off.
There are too many to go through in one post, so here are a few that might be useful with the tie-tying tips you’re already armed with.
Cutaway Collars look great with Windsor or Double Windsor Knots due to the extra space for your bulging neckpiece. In fact, I would go as far as to say that one should always wear a cutaway when tying a knot as fat as a Windsor, unless you happen to prefer the Windsor Collar itself, which has a wider space between larger points to accommodate the knot. The Albany, popular in the early 20th century, is a common cut of cutaway collar.
The abundance of skinny ties around these days, make Button-down Collars a good choice for the slimmer gent. When I say slim, I mean you skinny folk, who can wear skinny jeans without looking like a Hippo from the nineties. A well-tailored shirt with a Button-down collar, black skinny tie, braces, skinny jeans and calf boots is a decent, edgy look for the season. Team it with this season’s staple – the flight jacket – for rugged cool.
The Turned-down Collar is the standard collar on all work shirts. They are great as they can hold most ties and knots, with the exception of the very large and very small. It is, thankfully, getting easier to find slim-fit work shirts, but until they are as ubiquitous as the parachute-esque sacks we’re forced to put-up with day in, day out, go for a narrow (though not skinny) tie with a half Windsor – the perfect look for work.
And now for a bit of retro..:
The Gladstone Collar is my personal favourite. Popularised by British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, the Gladstone Collar stands up against the neck, while its two points are ironed to stick-out horizontally from the front of the neck. It look particularly good with an Ascot (day cravat), or a scarf. I have started wearing this collared shirt under a waistcoat, rolling up the sleeves to my biceps and wearing a colour-coded scarf twixt my open collar. Follow those pointers and you’ll end up looking like Sherlock Holmes on his day off.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
There are too many to go through in one post, so here are a few that might be useful with the tie-tying tips you’re already armed with.
Cutaway Collars look great with Windsor or Double Windsor Knots due to the extra space for your bulging neckpiece. In fact, I would go as far as to say that one should always wear a cutaway when tying a knot as fat as a Windsor, unless you happen to prefer the Windsor Collar itself, which has a wider space between larger points to accommodate the knot. The Albany, popular in the early 20th century, is a common cut of cutaway collar.
The abundance of skinny ties around these days, make Button-down Collars a good choice for the slimmer gent. When I say slim, I mean you skinny folk, who can wear skinny jeans without looking like a Hippo from the nineties. A well-tailored shirt with a Button-down collar, black skinny tie, braces, skinny jeans and calf boots is a decent, edgy look for the season. Team it with this season’s staple – the flight jacket – for rugged cool.
The Turned-down Collar is the standard collar on all work shirts. They are great as they can hold most ties and knots, with the exception of the very large and very small. It is, thankfully, getting easier to find slim-fit work shirts, but until they are as ubiquitous as the parachute-esque sacks we’re forced to put-up with day in, day out, go for a narrow (though not skinny) tie with a half Windsor – the perfect look for work.
And now for a bit of retro..:
The Gladstone Collar is my personal favourite. Popularised by British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, the Gladstone Collar stands up against the neck, while its two points are ironed to stick-out horizontally from the front of the neck. It look particularly good with an Ascot (day cravat), or a scarf. I have started wearing this collared shirt under a waistcoat, rolling up the sleeves to my biceps and wearing a colour-coded scarf twixt my open collar. Follow those pointers and you’ll end up looking like Sherlock Holmes on his day off.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
On Style: The Four in Hand Knot...
Addtional info: hold the knot, and pull the back of the tie to tighten the tie once it is in your coloour. By massaging the knot with your fingers during this process, you can add shape to the knot. The thin end should never be longer than the thick, and use a tie pin/slide/clasp for extra kudos!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
NFL Round-up: Week 9...
Let me start by saying this season is full of surprises – I’ve often preached about the benefits of the NFL’s replenishment system via the draft, but this year every single game seems to be close or on its head. Fantastic stuff in all, read on to find out who prospered and who suffered in this week 9, of the 2010 NFL season.
Who Rocked?
Green Bay are looking at last like the team I picked pre-season to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. And by the looks of it, the New York Giants should be the last team standing in their way if things play out as I imagine they will.
The last time the Packers and Giants met in a crunch game was at the back-end of the 2007 season that saw New York prevail over Green Bay in the NFC championship game (thanks to an overtime nterception by none other than Brett Favre in his last ever Green Bay game) and go on to upset the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Giants are playing better football now than they were then and look dangerous.
The Saints beat on a woeful Panthers outfit that should be minus long-standing coach John Fox come next season. Credit where credit’s due, though, the Saints still had to beat the Panthers and looked better than they have despite not reaching the levels expected after last year. Still, a win is a win and the Saints will take them any way they come if they can squeeze their way back into the playoffs – once there they can be dangerous.
The Eagles beat the Colts to open the door for the Texans to take control of the AFC South – a chance they failed to take. The Eagles, though, are impressive. They are winning games they should lose and this victory further compounds them as possible Wild Card stealers come January. I think perhaps at the expense of the Vikings unless they go on a run.
Whose chances were knocked?
Last week I was getting excited with the quiet head of steam being built-up by the New England Patriots. They had slunk to a 6-1 record – the best in the NFL at the time. Now they share that honour with a few teams standing at 6-2 after losing heavily to the Cleveland Browns, who were assumed y many to be doing a stand-up impression of a doormat until season’s end.
The Brady bunch will not be happy with this and I doubt they will dare lose another game until the end of the season. It was rubbish, but losses like this one must be easy to bear in comparison to the Super Bowl heartache inflicted by the Giants. They will bounce back and storm into the playoffs a very dangerous team.
Talking of dangerous teams, the Dallas Cowboys are at risk of going bust if they keep this up! Having spent a fortune on a new stadium and attempted a Joe Namath-esque guarantee of homefield Super Bowl advantage, they have been totally, wholly, utterly rubbish. I am at a loss. Wade Phillips must go at the end of the season, if not before. I wouldn’t normally call for a coach’s head, but WP has had more chances than a toddler would need to get this team deep into the playoffs – they are loaded at almost every position and so thoroughly mediocre, the let 45 points go past them in a game they knew they simply HAD to win. Worst team in the NFL? I think they are (at least the Bills try).
Boys, boys, boys! What are you doing? The Houston Texans could have avenged their loss at the hands of the Colts last week by beating an up-and-down Chargers team that were there for the taking. And the worst of it is, the Eagles did the hard work by burying the Colts where the Texans couldn’t. Houston are a top team, and a real feel-good story, but they need payoff success this year for coach Kubiak to keep his job (a job I feel he deserves). Fingers crossed they can nick the division – a Wild Card may be tough with the Steelers, Pats, Ravens and Jets all looking good.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Who Rocked?
Green Bay are looking at last like the team I picked pre-season to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. And by the looks of it, the New York Giants should be the last team standing in their way if things play out as I imagine they will.
The last time the Packers and Giants met in a crunch game was at the back-end of the 2007 season that saw New York prevail over Green Bay in the NFC championship game (thanks to an overtime nterception by none other than Brett Favre in his last ever Green Bay game) and go on to upset the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Giants are playing better football now than they were then and look dangerous.
The Saints beat on a woeful Panthers outfit that should be minus long-standing coach John Fox come next season. Credit where credit’s due, though, the Saints still had to beat the Panthers and looked better than they have despite not reaching the levels expected after last year. Still, a win is a win and the Saints will take them any way they come if they can squeeze their way back into the playoffs – once there they can be dangerous.
The Eagles beat the Colts to open the door for the Texans to take control of the AFC South – a chance they failed to take. The Eagles, though, are impressive. They are winning games they should lose and this victory further compounds them as possible Wild Card stealers come January. I think perhaps at the expense of the Vikings unless they go on a run.
Whose chances were knocked?
Last week I was getting excited with the quiet head of steam being built-up by the New England Patriots. They had slunk to a 6-1 record – the best in the NFL at the time. Now they share that honour with a few teams standing at 6-2 after losing heavily to the Cleveland Browns, who were assumed y many to be doing a stand-up impression of a doormat until season’s end.
The Brady bunch will not be happy with this and I doubt they will dare lose another game until the end of the season. It was rubbish, but losses like this one must be easy to bear in comparison to the Super Bowl heartache inflicted by the Giants. They will bounce back and storm into the playoffs a very dangerous team.
Talking of dangerous teams, the Dallas Cowboys are at risk of going bust if they keep this up! Having spent a fortune on a new stadium and attempted a Joe Namath-esque guarantee of homefield Super Bowl advantage, they have been totally, wholly, utterly rubbish. I am at a loss. Wade Phillips must go at the end of the season, if not before. I wouldn’t normally call for a coach’s head, but WP has had more chances than a toddler would need to get this team deep into the playoffs – they are loaded at almost every position and so thoroughly mediocre, the let 45 points go past them in a game they knew they simply HAD to win. Worst team in the NFL? I think they are (at least the Bills try).
Boys, boys, boys! What are you doing? The Houston Texans could have avenged their loss at the hands of the Colts last week by beating an up-and-down Chargers team that were there for the taking. And the worst of it is, the Eagles did the hard work by burying the Colts where the Texans couldn’t. Houston are a top team, and a real feel-good story, but they need payoff success this year for coach Kubiak to keep his job (a job I feel he deserves). Fingers crossed they can nick the division – a Wild Card may be tough with the Steelers, Pats, Ravens and Jets all looking good.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Monday, 8 November 2010
On Style: The Pratt Knot...
Addtional info: hold the knot, and pull the back of the tie to tighten the tie once it is in your coloour. By massaging the knot with your fingers during this process, you can add shape to the knot. The thin end should never be longer than the thick, and use a tie pin/slide/clasp for extra kudos!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
On Style: The Half-Windsor Knot...
Suitable for work or play - my favourite knot for its versatility. Occassionaly works with a skinny tie, but simpler knots are better for them.
Addtional info: hold the knot, and pull the back of the tie to tighten the tie once it is in your coloour. By massaging the knot with your fingers during this process, you can add shape to the knot. The thin end should never be longer than the thick, and use a tie pin/slide/clasp for extra kudos!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
On Style: The Windsor Knot...
The next four sections deal with the tying of a necktie. There are literally hundreds of minor variations to these knots, so keep searching, keep learning, and find one that works best for you…
Super-formal, only wide-boys wear this in the office. Save it for the races.
Addtional info: hold the knot, and pull the back of the tie to tighten the tie once it is in your coloour. By massaging the knot with your fingers during this process, you can add shape to the knot. The thin end should never be longer than the thick, and use a tie pin/slide/clasp for extra kudos!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Super-formal, only wide-boys wear this in the office. Save it for the races.
Addtional info: hold the knot, and pull the back of the tie to tighten the tie once it is in your coloour. By massaging the knot with your fingers during this process, you can add shape to the knot. The thin end should never be longer than the thick, and use a tie pin/slide/clasp for extra kudos!
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Friday, 5 November 2010
On Style: Ties - When and Where to Wear Them...
Everyone should own at least one good tie. I have over thirty, of varying degrees of goodness, but to be honest, I wear maybe four or five on rotation, and have a particular leaning to one tasty little Ralph Lauren number in Orange with White, Green and Purple decoration. Oddly enough, it seems to go with most things – a garish colour like Orange or Electric Blue, for example, is a nice way to set off an otherwise sombre outfit – Black suit, White shirt and Black tie is funereal; a Black suit, White shirt and Orange tie with secondary accents is jazzy.
A good, snappy tie need not be expensive. You could make your own, but they are devilishly tricky to get right (don’t let this put you off though – head down to your local haberdashery and ask them for a pattern and advice on material. It is good fun!).
A good place to find nice ties for cheap is the ever-disorganised TK Maxx. For around £10 you can pick-up a designer label in silk – well worth the investment. Be careful not to spill anything on your neckpiece, though: they are very hard to clean without warping the material and most require professional dry-cleaning attention.
If you are only going to buy a couple of ties you must purchase a simple Black tie to start your collection. Black ties are versatile and the most often required for formal situations. If you are slim, opt for a skinnier cut over a traditional wedge-shape. When worn with a tailored jacket, a skinny tie will keep the look fresh. For your second tie, I would suggest plumping for a designed label in a vibrant colour that coordinates with brown – that way you will be able to wear all the suits in your wardrobe. Orange is good as it sits nicely with Navy, Brown, Grey and Black, so can be worn with most suit combinations. Likewise, blue is a favourite or, if you’re feeling fruity, Pink can be worn with all colours and looks classy, though a bit businesslike.
And don’t be afraid of patterns! Bold paisley prints; extravagant checks; three-coloured stripes; club logos (my favourite)…patterns enliven the canvas created by your neutral suit, and can be the difference between the ‘geezer who just fell-out of the office party’ look, and the ‘effete chap who just popped out of parliament for a cigar’ look.
So when and where to wear a tie? Work is a good start, though some corporate jobs do not require you to follow such strict conventions. You will stand out in the office for making very little effort to go outside the box. I remember working for a back, which was full of suited and booted people, and still I would get compliments everyday for the way I was dressed. The secret? Unabashedness. I was unremittingly smart; my hair was well-kept; my facial hair neat; my suits fitted; shoes polished; tie well-tied and eye-catching in design; and accessorised to the finest detail: tie clips, slides or pins; a matching broach in my lapel; if the watch was Gold, the belt buckle would be too…
The Opera: if you’re going out, make an effort! As long as the environment to which you are heading doesn’t involve the throwing of mad shapes on a sweat-soaked dance floor, there is no reason not to dress-up. Even the pub, though you will get stick for this. I’ve always said, though, there is no shame in being the smartest person in the room, and if people say anything negative, they are probably just a bit jealous that they haven’t got the balls to wear a three-piece Harris Tweed ensemble down The Globe on a Thursday night…
Their loss.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
A good, snappy tie need not be expensive. You could make your own, but they are devilishly tricky to get right (don’t let this put you off though – head down to your local haberdashery and ask them for a pattern and advice on material. It is good fun!).
A good place to find nice ties for cheap is the ever-disorganised TK Maxx. For around £10 you can pick-up a designer label in silk – well worth the investment. Be careful not to spill anything on your neckpiece, though: they are very hard to clean without warping the material and most require professional dry-cleaning attention.
If you are only going to buy a couple of ties you must purchase a simple Black tie to start your collection. Black ties are versatile and the most often required for formal situations. If you are slim, opt for a skinnier cut over a traditional wedge-shape. When worn with a tailored jacket, a skinny tie will keep the look fresh. For your second tie, I would suggest plumping for a designed label in a vibrant colour that coordinates with brown – that way you will be able to wear all the suits in your wardrobe. Orange is good as it sits nicely with Navy, Brown, Grey and Black, so can be worn with most suit combinations. Likewise, blue is a favourite or, if you’re feeling fruity, Pink can be worn with all colours and looks classy, though a bit businesslike.
And don’t be afraid of patterns! Bold paisley prints; extravagant checks; three-coloured stripes; club logos (my favourite)…patterns enliven the canvas created by your neutral suit, and can be the difference between the ‘geezer who just fell-out of the office party’ look, and the ‘effete chap who just popped out of parliament for a cigar’ look.
So when and where to wear a tie? Work is a good start, though some corporate jobs do not require you to follow such strict conventions. You will stand out in the office for making very little effort to go outside the box. I remember working for a back, which was full of suited and booted people, and still I would get compliments everyday for the way I was dressed. The secret? Unabashedness. I was unremittingly smart; my hair was well-kept; my facial hair neat; my suits fitted; shoes polished; tie well-tied and eye-catching in design; and accessorised to the finest detail: tie clips, slides or pins; a matching broach in my lapel; if the watch was Gold, the belt buckle would be too…
The Opera: if you’re going out, make an effort! As long as the environment to which you are heading doesn’t involve the throwing of mad shapes on a sweat-soaked dance floor, there is no reason not to dress-up. Even the pub, though you will get stick for this. I’ve always said, though, there is no shame in being the smartest person in the room, and if people say anything negative, they are probably just a bit jealous that they haven’t got the balls to wear a three-piece Harris Tweed ensemble down The Globe on a Thursday night…
Their loss.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
On Style: Chest Hair...
There is a simple rule you must follow with chest hair – all or nothing. If you have a mighty, Spartan-esque rug, wear it with pride. If you sport a few wispy strands of bum-fluff, get rid. Wax or shave (in my youth I preferred the latter, though am in the rug camp these days). If you are a rug-man, wear white shirts open a couple of buttons, and try adding a Captain Haddock style beard to the mix. This season the Great British Male look is still strong, so you can really rock the imperialist forefather look this winter, and keep yourself comfortably warm in the process.
Don’t forget that having a bald chest doesn’t make you any less of a man – remember, you can shave by choice; you can’t make your hair grow. And that, my dapper disciples, is an important lesson.
Looking good on the outside shows certain things about your personality. Sure, you might come across vain and conceited, but few successful men and women were anything but. More importantly though, it shows that you care about yourself; you care about what other people think – losers who can’t get the life they want and insist on blaming the world, rather than their own haplessness, for their state of dissatisfaction, often eschew the tenets society in search of an excuse as to why they are at the bottom of the pond and sinking. ‘Being different’ doesn’t mean you have to dress like a teenager into your thirties. It can be done with elegance and restraint; creativity and design; boldness and innovation. To look your best you need confidence in your decisions. But it is the exercise of this confidence that really sets your look alight. If you are confident enough to wear that electric blue and orange paisley print pocket square your dad wore to his prom in the ‘70s, go for it, but make sure you really go for it. Wear it in a puff – show it off, brag to the whole room about it. And all without opening your mouth…
Oscar Wilde once, quite rightly in my opinion, said; “It is the shallowest of people who don’t judge by appearances.”
Naysayers will say that what’s inside counts more. And they would be right.
But nobody goes looking for diamonds in a pile of shit.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Don’t forget that having a bald chest doesn’t make you any less of a man – remember, you can shave by choice; you can’t make your hair grow. And that, my dapper disciples, is an important lesson.
Looking good on the outside shows certain things about your personality. Sure, you might come across vain and conceited, but few successful men and women were anything but. More importantly though, it shows that you care about yourself; you care about what other people think – losers who can’t get the life they want and insist on blaming the world, rather than their own haplessness, for their state of dissatisfaction, often eschew the tenets society in search of an excuse as to why they are at the bottom of the pond and sinking. ‘Being different’ doesn’t mean you have to dress like a teenager into your thirties. It can be done with elegance and restraint; creativity and design; boldness and innovation. To look your best you need confidence in your decisions. But it is the exercise of this confidence that really sets your look alight. If you are confident enough to wear that electric blue and orange paisley print pocket square your dad wore to his prom in the ‘70s, go for it, but make sure you really go for it. Wear it in a puff – show it off, brag to the whole room about it. And all without opening your mouth…
Oscar Wilde once, quite rightly in my opinion, said; “It is the shallowest of people who don’t judge by appearances.”
Naysayers will say that what’s inside counts more. And they would be right.
But nobody goes looking for diamonds in a pile of shit.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Back on Style...
Now that the anniversary celebrations have concluded, it's time to resume the daily style tips.
I'll pick-up where I left off, working down from top to bottom in a loose fashion. As always, contact me if you have anything to add to my posts, or any completely new tips for me to use.
You can send any questions or suggestions to theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk
Thanks, and happy dressing!
R. Jay Nudds x
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
I'll pick-up where I left off, working down from top to bottom in a loose fashion. As always, contact me if you have anything to add to my posts, or any completely new tips for me to use.
You can send any questions or suggestions to theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk
Thanks, and happy dressing!
R. Jay Nudds x
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
NFL Round-up: Week 8...
Who Rocked?
In a topsy-turvy week, the most dominant performance came from – amazingly – Oakland. Jason Campbell’s Raiders managed to put-together back to back wins for the first time in two seasons. They level their record at 4-4 and are well in contention for the achingly poor AFC West. Their mains contenders – the Chiefs and Chargers – both won this weekend, but San Diego are bleeding points like a stab-victim on warfrin and Kansas City only won by virtue of an overtime field goal against winless Buffalo. The Raiders could, if Campbell continues to produce as he did this week (310 yards and 2 TD tosses), win this division and make it into the playoffs, where they would become a doubly dangerous side due to the age old belief that a well-oiled running game is key to a deep playoff run. Darren McFadden has all but justified his high selection in the draft and now needs to shut the mouth of the very last detractor by keeping his legs moving week in, week out/
New Orleans have lost some stinkers so far this term, but this week, things were different. The Pittsburgh Steelers are not an easy team to beat, and having gotten out of the gates at light speed, they looked to have taken on the appearance of a steamroller. The Ravens pipped them first, but this week the Saints stuffed them 20-10. Now, although 20 points is the sort of total that last year we would’ve expected to see assigned to any one of New Orleans’ playmakers by halftime, it is a decent score if your defence can play good football throughout all phases of the game. It certainly isn’t a winning score (generally, if you score 28 points you deserve at least overtime), but it is better than relying on field goals to carry you home (Green Bay, I’m looking at you). The saints are currently third in their division – although both they, the Falcons and the Buccaneers have 5 wins apiece, the Dirty Birds and the Bucs are yet to have their bye week and have therefore lost one less than the defending World Champs.
Normality is in the process of being restored in NFC North. The Chicago Bears are sliding (as predicted) and the Green Bay Packers are on the up, having beaten their bitter rivals and fellow division-chasers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the highly-touted New York Jets who had the longest win-streak in the NFL coming into week 8. The Packers are now top of the North, but the Bears have a game in hand and are on 4-3 to the Pack’s 5-3. One thing is sure though; the Vikings’ chances of repeating their feats of last year are getting slimmer by the week.
Props to the stealthy Pats. No one is giving the Massachusetts men much attention this year and it seems to be doing them good. They stand at 6-1 – the best record in the NFL. Their only loss came to the Jets, who, after losing to the Packers this week, have fallen to second in the AFC East. Can Belichick and the Brady bunch do it again? Don’t bet against them in January.
Whose chances were knocked?
The Vikings suffered a double blow on Sunday. Not only did they lose a game to the New England Patriots that was, for much of the contest, there for the taking, but Brett Favre was knocked out of the clash with a nasty facial laceration. The Vikings are now at 2-5 and Favre is looking the age of New England’s current record (6-1). Tavaris Jackson may have to start next week and thus end Brett Favre’s consecutive start tally – the most impressive streak in all professional sport (yeah, I went there). Jackson’s first pass when stepping in for the beaten and bruised Favre went for a TD. His second? A 2pt conversion. After that, though, he looked as athletic, but ineffective as ever as the team capitulated in what was really a must win game.
The Cowboys are a shadow of what they intended to be. They are limp, ineffective in all phases of the game and only saved the embarrassment of finding themselves with next year’s provisional top pick by a Bills team with a -80 points differential. Cruelly for a team at 1-6, Dallas have only been outscored by a TOTAL of 33 points – less than Oakland’s winning margin over Denver in week 7 (45). They can play football, and they can score points (scoring more than Miami (4-3), Baltimore (5-2),Pittsburgh (5-2), Houston (4-2) and the Seahawks (4-3) amongst others). Hell, they can even play a bit of D (conceding less than Jacksonville (4-4), Arizona (3-4) and Denver (2-6)). What they can’t do is win games. Wade Phillips’ time is up unless they come back from this to win the Superbowl. Fat. Chance.
Every week as a football fan, you pray your team will catch the break they need; you pray their rivals will slip-up and open the door. And when that happens and your team fails to capitalise, you cry on the inside so very much. I am crying on the inside. While the Oakland bloody Raiders were dismantling the NFC West-leading Seahawks, The Cardinals lay down to the Buccaneers and slipped, in the process, below .500. This is not a good football team. The offseason beckons.
The Redskins lost to a feisty Detroit Lions outfit. Quite unbelievable given their credibility thus far, but then the Lions are an up-and-coming franchise with plenty to like about the way they play. Basically, it means the Redskins are going to miss the Wild Card spot they should be fighting for if they keep losing to teams so low on the pecking order.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
In a topsy-turvy week, the most dominant performance came from – amazingly – Oakland. Jason Campbell’s Raiders managed to put-together back to back wins for the first time in two seasons. They level their record at 4-4 and are well in contention for the achingly poor AFC West. Their mains contenders – the Chiefs and Chargers – both won this weekend, but San Diego are bleeding points like a stab-victim on warfrin and Kansas City only won by virtue of an overtime field goal against winless Buffalo. The Raiders could, if Campbell continues to produce as he did this week (310 yards and 2 TD tosses), win this division and make it into the playoffs, where they would become a doubly dangerous side due to the age old belief that a well-oiled running game is key to a deep playoff run. Darren McFadden has all but justified his high selection in the draft and now needs to shut the mouth of the very last detractor by keeping his legs moving week in, week out/
New Orleans have lost some stinkers so far this term, but this week, things were different. The Pittsburgh Steelers are not an easy team to beat, and having gotten out of the gates at light speed, they looked to have taken on the appearance of a steamroller. The Ravens pipped them first, but this week the Saints stuffed them 20-10. Now, although 20 points is the sort of total that last year we would’ve expected to see assigned to any one of New Orleans’ playmakers by halftime, it is a decent score if your defence can play good football throughout all phases of the game. It certainly isn’t a winning score (generally, if you score 28 points you deserve at least overtime), but it is better than relying on field goals to carry you home (Green Bay, I’m looking at you). The saints are currently third in their division – although both they, the Falcons and the Buccaneers have 5 wins apiece, the Dirty Birds and the Bucs are yet to have their bye week and have therefore lost one less than the defending World Champs.
Normality is in the process of being restored in NFC North. The Chicago Bears are sliding (as predicted) and the Green Bay Packers are on the up, having beaten their bitter rivals and fellow division-chasers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the highly-touted New York Jets who had the longest win-streak in the NFL coming into week 8. The Packers are now top of the North, but the Bears have a game in hand and are on 4-3 to the Pack’s 5-3. One thing is sure though; the Vikings’ chances of repeating their feats of last year are getting slimmer by the week.
Props to the stealthy Pats. No one is giving the Massachusetts men much attention this year and it seems to be doing them good. They stand at 6-1 – the best record in the NFL. Their only loss came to the Jets, who, after losing to the Packers this week, have fallen to second in the AFC East. Can Belichick and the Brady bunch do it again? Don’t bet against them in January.
Whose chances were knocked?
The Vikings suffered a double blow on Sunday. Not only did they lose a game to the New England Patriots that was, for much of the contest, there for the taking, but Brett Favre was knocked out of the clash with a nasty facial laceration. The Vikings are now at 2-5 and Favre is looking the age of New England’s current record (6-1). Tavaris Jackson may have to start next week and thus end Brett Favre’s consecutive start tally – the most impressive streak in all professional sport (yeah, I went there). Jackson’s first pass when stepping in for the beaten and bruised Favre went for a TD. His second? A 2pt conversion. After that, though, he looked as athletic, but ineffective as ever as the team capitulated in what was really a must win game.
The Cowboys are a shadow of what they intended to be. They are limp, ineffective in all phases of the game and only saved the embarrassment of finding themselves with next year’s provisional top pick by a Bills team with a -80 points differential. Cruelly for a team at 1-6, Dallas have only been outscored by a TOTAL of 33 points – less than Oakland’s winning margin over Denver in week 7 (45). They can play football, and they can score points (scoring more than Miami (4-3), Baltimore (5-2),Pittsburgh (5-2), Houston (4-2) and the Seahawks (4-3) amongst others). Hell, they can even play a bit of D (conceding less than Jacksonville (4-4), Arizona (3-4) and Denver (2-6)). What they can’t do is win games. Wade Phillips’ time is up unless they come back from this to win the Superbowl. Fat. Chance.
Every week as a football fan, you pray your team will catch the break they need; you pray their rivals will slip-up and open the door. And when that happens and your team fails to capitalise, you cry on the inside so very much. I am crying on the inside. While the Oakland bloody Raiders were dismantling the NFC West-leading Seahawks, The Cardinals lay down to the Buccaneers and slipped, in the process, below .500. This is not a good football team. The offseason beckons.
The Redskins lost to a feisty Detroit Lions outfit. Quite unbelievable given their credibility thus far, but then the Lions are an up-and-coming franchise with plenty to like about the way they play. Basically, it means the Redskins are going to miss the Wild Card spot they should be fighting for if they keep losing to teams so low on the pecking order.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
Monday, 1 November 2010
NFL Round-up: Week 7...
Who Rocked?
To be honest, the Baltimore Ravens could have ended up in the other category, regardless of their skin-of-the-teeth win over Buffalo. The Ravens mounted a hugely impressive comeback to take the lead, but then proceeded to concede 10 forth quarter points whilst neglecting to score anymore themselves. That total took the game to overtime where the Ravens won on a field goal. They rocked my world simply because they never let themselves get flustered, even in the first and last phases of the game, in both of which they were bossed.
People often think that to be a genuine Superbowl contender you have to batter every rubbish opponent on your schedule. But despite records suggesting otherwise, there are no truly awful teams in the NFL and the difference between mediocrity and greatness is always measured in inches, split seconds and pure fortune. The Bills can play football, as one might expect, and this week they proved to an off-form, championship calibre side, that there are no easy games in any season of the National Football League. Being a Superbowl contender is about winning the games you should lose – the Ravens should’ve lost to a Bills unit outperforming their billing, on a day the Ravens were somewhat off colour defensively. Winning close-call contests like that will galvanise this team, and the coaching staff will be heartened by the game-saving potential of an offence that has, until this season, relied on its D to bail them out of trouble.
By Billio! The Raiders – the Oakland Raiders, that is, the team that have been dreadful since Rich Gannon threw five interceptions (a record) in their Superbowl loss to Tampa Bay at the end of the 2002 season) – just leathered the Denver Broncos by a score line of 59-14. The record score in an NFL game belongs to the redskins with 72, but remarkably, the Raiders failed to score in the forth quarter, putting-up all their points over the first three in instalments of 24, 14 and 21 respectively. Josh McDaniels’ fanny must be burning up – he has to go at the end of this season unless the Broncos can gel and live up to the hype. The only reason for keeping him on would be as punishment for making such a mess of this once up-and-coming franchise that has been severed from its stud QB(Cutler>Chicago) and primetime Receiver (Marshall>Miami) and left with questions all over the field. McDaniels has brought in some good players, but if they don’t start playing for their coach soon, he won’t be around to reap the rewards of his investment.
The Giants continue to impress and now move into an untied position atop the NFC East. Got to love what the G-men are doing right now – Manning just keeps getting better and better.
Whose chances were knocked?
The Cincinnati Bengals are fast falling out of contention in the AFC North. In fairness, the resurgence of the unfancied, but never to be disregard, Steelers has made things awkward. The Ravens are on top form and are possibly the best team in the NFL right now. Their Week 7 loss to Atlanta has further turned the screw- can they bounce back from this? With the division likely out of reach and the two Wild Card spots looking like they’ll be shared between the Colts, Texans, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Ravens and Steelers, I doubt it – I seriously doubt it. No ring for TO – not this year, at least.
Well, the Denver Broncos suck. Sigh…
San Diego are driving me crazy. At the start of the season I shed a tear for LT (LaDanian Tomlinson – San Diego rushing great jettisoned into free agency after carrying the team of nearly-men for the best part of a decade). I thought that this must be San Diego’s year and I had them to face Green Bay in the Superbowl. As they’ve shown in recent years, it is possible to storm into the playoffs after a stuttering start, but how many times can they pull that Houdini impression off? I’m betting not this year. The annoying thing is, on paper it looks harder not to win their division than to run away with it. The teams they face twice a year are nobodies and yet two of them – the Raiders and Chiefs – are fighting tooth and nail for respect and getting their dues.
This week San Diego lost to the Patriots. That in itself is no shameful occurrence – most teams lose to the Patriots. What’s infuriating about the Californian outfit, though, is the fact that they scored 3 points over 3 quarters before rattling off 17 in the fourth, only to finish shy of the tie by a field goal. Slow start – okay, I get it, it takes time to find your rhythm. But in week 7 of the season? Sitting on a 2-5 record? Give me a break! This team is loaded with dynamic playmakers; their roster boasts arguably the best Quarterback in the National Football League. And I mean that – Rivers has never had the stellar supporting cast of Manning and yet consistently blows teams out of the water. Except this year, the only thing he and the Bolts are blowing out of the water is the chance of ruining LT’s February.
And meanwhile LT is having a standout season with the Jets. Who knows, he might yet get his ring…
The Vikings aren’t great, are they? Four points down on arch-division-rivals, the Green Bay Packers, going into the fourth quarter and no points made their way to the board – very poor show. They’ve been thoroughly disappointing since the season opener. Brett Favre has looked old and it pains me to say that. His throws have been hesitant and non-committal and his team is suffering because of his play. But I say stick with him. Tavaris Jackson might be a better bet down the stretch for his youthful vitality, but come the playoffs Jackson will be ineffective. Win it or lose it with Favre, then let him go. The time has come.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
To be honest, the Baltimore Ravens could have ended up in the other category, regardless of their skin-of-the-teeth win over Buffalo. The Ravens mounted a hugely impressive comeback to take the lead, but then proceeded to concede 10 forth quarter points whilst neglecting to score anymore themselves. That total took the game to overtime where the Ravens won on a field goal. They rocked my world simply because they never let themselves get flustered, even in the first and last phases of the game, in both of which they were bossed.
People often think that to be a genuine Superbowl contender you have to batter every rubbish opponent on your schedule. But despite records suggesting otherwise, there are no truly awful teams in the NFL and the difference between mediocrity and greatness is always measured in inches, split seconds and pure fortune. The Bills can play football, as one might expect, and this week they proved to an off-form, championship calibre side, that there are no easy games in any season of the National Football League. Being a Superbowl contender is about winning the games you should lose – the Ravens should’ve lost to a Bills unit outperforming their billing, on a day the Ravens were somewhat off colour defensively. Winning close-call contests like that will galvanise this team, and the coaching staff will be heartened by the game-saving potential of an offence that has, until this season, relied on its D to bail them out of trouble.
By Billio! The Raiders – the Oakland Raiders, that is, the team that have been dreadful since Rich Gannon threw five interceptions (a record) in their Superbowl loss to Tampa Bay at the end of the 2002 season) – just leathered the Denver Broncos by a score line of 59-14. The record score in an NFL game belongs to the redskins with 72, but remarkably, the Raiders failed to score in the forth quarter, putting-up all their points over the first three in instalments of 24, 14 and 21 respectively. Josh McDaniels’ fanny must be burning up – he has to go at the end of this season unless the Broncos can gel and live up to the hype. The only reason for keeping him on would be as punishment for making such a mess of this once up-and-coming franchise that has been severed from its stud QB(Cutler>Chicago) and primetime Receiver (Marshall>Miami) and left with questions all over the field. McDaniels has brought in some good players, but if they don’t start playing for their coach soon, he won’t be around to reap the rewards of his investment.
The Giants continue to impress and now move into an untied position atop the NFC East. Got to love what the G-men are doing right now – Manning just keeps getting better and better.
Whose chances were knocked?
The Cincinnati Bengals are fast falling out of contention in the AFC North. In fairness, the resurgence of the unfancied, but never to be disregard, Steelers has made things awkward. The Ravens are on top form and are possibly the best team in the NFL right now. Their Week 7 loss to Atlanta has further turned the screw- can they bounce back from this? With the division likely out of reach and the two Wild Card spots looking like they’ll be shared between the Colts, Texans, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Ravens and Steelers, I doubt it – I seriously doubt it. No ring for TO – not this year, at least.
Well, the Denver Broncos suck. Sigh…
San Diego are driving me crazy. At the start of the season I shed a tear for LT (LaDanian Tomlinson – San Diego rushing great jettisoned into free agency after carrying the team of nearly-men for the best part of a decade). I thought that this must be San Diego’s year and I had them to face Green Bay in the Superbowl. As they’ve shown in recent years, it is possible to storm into the playoffs after a stuttering start, but how many times can they pull that Houdini impression off? I’m betting not this year. The annoying thing is, on paper it looks harder not to win their division than to run away with it. The teams they face twice a year are nobodies and yet two of them – the Raiders and Chiefs – are fighting tooth and nail for respect and getting their dues.
This week San Diego lost to the Patriots. That in itself is no shameful occurrence – most teams lose to the Patriots. What’s infuriating about the Californian outfit, though, is the fact that they scored 3 points over 3 quarters before rattling off 17 in the fourth, only to finish shy of the tie by a field goal. Slow start – okay, I get it, it takes time to find your rhythm. But in week 7 of the season? Sitting on a 2-5 record? Give me a break! This team is loaded with dynamic playmakers; their roster boasts arguably the best Quarterback in the National Football League. And I mean that – Rivers has never had the stellar supporting cast of Manning and yet consistently blows teams out of the water. Except this year, the only thing he and the Bolts are blowing out of the water is the chance of ruining LT’s February.
And meanwhile LT is having a standout season with the Jets. Who knows, he might yet get his ring…
The Vikings aren’t great, are they? Four points down on arch-division-rivals, the Green Bay Packers, going into the fourth quarter and no points made their way to the board – very poor show. They’ve been thoroughly disappointing since the season opener. Brett Favre has looked old and it pains me to say that. His throws have been hesitant and non-committal and his team is suffering because of his play. But I say stick with him. Tavaris Jackson might be a better bet down the stretch for his youthful vitality, but come the playoffs Jackson will be ineffective. Win it or lose it with Favre, then let him go. The time has come.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
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