That Dapper Chap: Burton

Sunday, 14 May 2017

The effects of fast fashion

Craig of That Dapper Chap explores the effects that 'Fast Fashion' is having on our world and how we can make a difference

Image courtesy of BBC Hughes War On Waste

Question: What do you do with your clothes once you've decided that they're not for you any more? Are you happy with how you dispose of them?

Let me ask you another question: How long do you think it takes for people in the UK to dump 10,000 old pieces of clothing, like the pile in the picture above? A year? A month? A week? Maybe even a single day?

What I Wore Today #51

Craig of That Dapper Chap shares what he wore today in this outfit of the day post featuring a statement jacket and boots

This look is pretty much all about the jacket. In a vibrant red and blue check it really does make a statement. While this was available as a full suit (now sold out) I wanted to show you how a suit can be broken up and worn in a less formal way. Just because it comes in three pieces it doesn't mean that it's the only way to wear it!

You're Invited To The Party

Craig of That Dapper Chap shares a sneak peek of the latest campaign video from Burton Menswear in which he appears with stars of TV, sport and stage

Well know for it's suiting, Burton Menswear are going all out this party season with a range of good looking suits to take you from office to party.

To show off their range they've created an incredible digital social campaign which includes a video created by the talented Steve Neaves who's work includes pieces with Robert De Nero, Eddie Redmayne, Nicole Scherzinger and Nick Jonas to name just a few.

Myself, rugby star Tim Visser and fellow online influencer Carl Thompson

For the Burton #YoureInvitedToTheParty campaign they wanted a variety of guys of various ages and sizes to showcase their suiting range. So with Calum Best as the face of the brand, Scottish rugby player Tim Visser representing 'big and tall', Magician Tom London, blogger Carl Thompson and myself they set about putting together a really exciting visual display.

The Montague Burton Menswear Dinner

Craig of That Dapper Chap attends the Burton Menswear Dinner to celebrate the launch of the new Montague Burton range

If you're here at ThatDapperChap.com you're no doubt a fan of menswear. If that's the case you're no doubt familiar with Burton menswear, but are you familiar with their Montague Burton range?

Montague Burton was the founder of the brand way back in 1904 and the guys at Burton have put his name to their collection of higher end products. With beautiful tailoring, crisp cotton shirting and great footwear, the range is a stylish addition to your wardrobes.

Some of the tailoring available in the new AW16 range from Montague Burton

The Denim Jeans Style Challenge - Look Four

That Dapper Chap shares the fourth look in the denim style challenge, creating five very different looks from just two pairs of jeans.

This is a sponsored post of honest and unbiased opinion

Welcome to the fourth edition in this denim jean style challenge, where I am creating five distinct styles with just two pairs of jeans from next.co.uk. If you haven't already read the details of the challenge or the very interesting denim survey results by Burton Menswear, find it HERE

All photography by the very talented Ian Clark of PhotoByIan, check out his other work HERE

The two pairs of jeans from Next.co.uk that I used for the challenge

Look Four - Date Night

So, you've plucked up the courage to ask that special person out on a date and s/he has said yes! The table is booked and the flowers have been ordered but what are you going to wear!?

For the fourth in this series of looks I'm going to show you how to wear jeans for date night. Jeans keep things more informal than it would if you were to wear a suit. Of course this very much depends on the location of the date, but if it's the cinema and a meal at a local restaurant then jeans are a very good option.

The perfect look for date night, smart but informal

My oxblood leather brogues, classic and comfortable

So, of course I chose the smart jeans from Next.co.uk and available HERE for £35.00. Keeping it classy and classic I chose a pair of oxblood leather brogues. Promise me never to wear training shoes for a date please. Shoes tell a person a lot about a man. Whatever you may want to think, first impressions do matter!

On top I opted for a statement shirt, something that says, 'I am confident and have a personality' but isn't too crazy to scare people off. This shirt is a red and blue micro floral and comes with a matching navy tie. Keeping with that red and blue theme I added a silk pocket square. This adds detail and interest to the navy velvet blazer.

polka dot socks add a bit more personality than a plain black pair would

A closer look at the pattern of the shirt and the pocket sqaure

The entire look, just add flowers and maybe a ring?

Add a beaded trouser chain for some additional individuality

I also added a beaded trouser chain, for no other reason than to add some individuality. I could have made it a functional addition by attaching my wallet or keys to it, but wanted it simply as a statement piece. This one was hand made for me by a fellow Instagrammer and I love it.

More details of this Date Night outfit

Photography

All photography by Ian Clark. Check out his work at HERE

Find him on Twitter HERE

Find him on Instagram HERE

The Outfit

Oxblood Leather Brogues - Racing Green Now £69.00

Blue Polka Dot Socks - Rock My Socks £8.00

Smart Jeans - Next £35.00

Floral Shirt & Tie Set - Next £28.00

Navy Velvet Blazer - Burton Menswear £90.00

Watch - James McCabe Heritage £179.00

Trouser Chain - Enquiries to The Modern Gentleman

Pocket Square - Ebay

Look out for the final post in this five part series very soon.

THANKS FOR READING!

Product Review - The Burton Miliary Coat

That Dapper Chap reviews the Burton Menswear military style coat which came top of his recent blog on top five coats available from the current collection

We all know the Burton brand. Now owned by the Arcadia Group who also look after Topman, it's a well established British institution. With over 400 stores in the UK you're never far from a store.

Product

For this product review I am focussing on the coat which came top of my recent blog on winter coats available from Burton menswear.

As we know, a lot of coats are inspired by military design, for example, the trench coat and the pea coat all have their roots deep in military soil. This coat however embraces this fact and doesn't pretend to be anything other than a Naval coat. With its wide ample collar, double breasted front and metal buttons embossed with Anchors, it's not a shy piece and is more of a statement coat compared to others we're seeing on the high street.

Price

The RRP is £99, and for a coat which is very 'now' it's well worth the cost, particularly as it is 65% pure wool.

Packaging & Presentation

This particular coat is a sample piece and was sent to me by the Arcadia group so didn't arrive in Burton packaging. from experience I know that items from Burton arrive on hangers and are sealed in clear cellophane bags before being sealed in plastic bags for posting.

No, it isn't glamorous and opening the package isn't part of the buying experience as it is with more high end brands, where some of the packaging is as beautiful as the items itself.

Burton are a high street brand, their packaging is nothing but practical and functional, and is there simply to protect the garment during transport which it does very well.

Performance

As I mentioned above the coat is 65% wool and 26% polyester with 9% 'other'. It felt good to wear and was heavy enough for it to feel substantial but not too heavy that it felt cumbersome. I have a vintage Tweed coat by Dunne & Co and I really know I'm wearing it, it's very heavy. You can put this coat on and forget about it, knowing that you look good.

It fitted well, and gave a very slim silhouette. When done up it looks very sharp, it's a serious coat. It's a good length on me and finished well on the arm (if an inch long for me personally). I often find sleeves on coats a tad on the long side as I am slightly shorter than the average gent. Aside from having a bespoke coat made for my exact measurements I have no option but to live with it. Chaps taller than me (5'10-6'0) won't have a problem here.

The pockets were deep, and ample enough for a wallet and phone. The inside pockets were roomy too.

As it is a sample piece I didn't test it for it ability to shed water. It didn't rain during the shoot so I am unable to comment on its water resistancy, but with a significant wool content I would assume that it has a natural ability to keep the wearer dry in a shower.

Pertinency

If you're looking for a new, masculine style coat in a classic colour but with a distinct look, this is for you. It does stand out from other more simply designed coats, and you will get noticed in it. So, if you are a more sedate chap that likes to stay on the sidelines more, maybe a more basic style is for you.

Pro’s & Con’s

The coat fits well and looks great. It feels good on and is well made. While shooting however, one of the button did fall off and on checking the others it was clear that they could have been fastened better. I managed to reattach it for the shoot but we have to take into consideration the fact that this is a sample piece and has been to more shoots than I have, and maybe hasn't been cared for as much as yours will be.

It may be worth just adding a few more stitches to the buttons when you get yours however as they are quite distinctive and if you lost one it would be very difficult to replace it.

People

My team really liked the coat. There were no negative comments. "ooo, that's really nice" and "That's a lovely coat" were just a couple of the compliments that it received.

They thought the cost was very reasonable and that the quality was high for the price.

Précis

Overall it's a very good coat for the cost. It'll most definitely last you a few years and you won't be disappointed if you do decide to take the plunge and buy one.

Promotion

Find Burton Menswear in a town near you using their store finder here

Burton on social media

Double Monk Delight

Burton Menswear get it right.

A couple of weeks ago I told you about a bit of a debacle that I suffered while purchasing a suit from Burton Menswear. I wont go in to the details again but the article is here if you'd like to read it.

Basically the shoes I wanted I couldn't have, I was a little unimpressed with the service and mentioned it on the blog. Burton could have simply left it like that and left me disillusioned and shoeless, but no! Soon after the article went live I received a lovely email, they apologised for the situation and said that they'd like to send me a voucher so that I could buy any shoes I wanted from their website. Of course I accepted their offer and immediately went online and ordered these black leather double monks.

So often you receive poor service from a company and you are ignored or they react like it doesn't matter, that you are insignificant and that there are a thousand other customers out there. I'm so pleased to tell you that Burton aren't like that. They recognised the situation and took steps to make it right. This action has totally restored my faith in them as a company and I know that I can shop in the knowledge that if something does go wrong (and we are all only human) that they will sort it out quickly and efficiently.

Thank you Burton.

See the full range of Burton shoes at burton.co.uk

THANKS FOR READING!

Calm camo

If you've been following my blog or have taken a look at the 'popular posts' section you'll know that these trousers have caused a bit of controversy in the past! That was the first time I had worn them and they have been neatly folded away in a draw ever since that day and I decided that it was time that they saw the light of day again. To hell with the haters!

This time I teamed them up with a plain white shirt, some tan leather brogues and a wool waistcoat which all go to keep the look smart. To accessorise I added some bracelet and my trusty Timex with a camo strap. I also opted for camo socks, I'm still not sure if that was a mistake. I'm not too concerned that it was too much but I was running late and just couldn't choose a pair!

I'm pleased to day that I received no derogatory remarks as I did last time. No shouts from mindless bigoted yobs and no negativity in general. Maybe because people knew what a debacle it was last time and didn't want a repeat or to compound my tendency not to wear these trousers. Maybe they just slated me behind my back, who knows. Either way who cares! I like them.