What I Wore Today - Boden & John Varvatos

Craig of That Dapper Chap shows us his look for this weekend and shows off his new John Varvatos weekend bag.

When I chose this red and blue striped sweater by Boden I couldn't wait to wear it, but being in the midst of summer, the opportunity hadn't yet arisen. Not that today was a particularly cool day, more that I couldn't resist wearing it any more! With its thin knit in cotton and cashmere it's a great fit and so soft and easy to wear.

With the sweater I wore a pair of stone coloured chino shorts and kept the red and blue theme going with the wristwear and laces in the tan lather brogues.

If you're off for a weekend by the sea like myself you'll need a great bag. This canvas weekend bag by John Varvatos fits the bill. The fact that it's lightweight to begin with is a huge plus. I have leather weekend bags and they are heavy even before you've filled it with everything that you need for your time away!

It's a very roomy bag and even after I'd packed everything I needed I still had some room left inside. I love a bag that comes with handles and a strap as it makes it much more versatile than a bag with just one or the other.  It's faux leather handles are large enough to fit over your shoulder too, so you have three carrying options. The only downside for me is a distinct lack of pockets so if you needed to take passports and documents you'll need to carry them inside the bag itself or somewhere else which could be a pain.

While you may know John varvatos from his time designing for Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, you might also know that he has his own range of clothing along with a great range of fragrances which are available at Debenhams.

I didn't take a huge amount of stuff for my trip, the idea is to chill out, drink wine and relax with friends rather than have to worry about looking stylish. We all need some total chill time right!

Where It's All From

Weekend Bag: John Varvatos

Red & Blue Stripe Sweater: Boden

Tan Leather Brogues: Burton Menswear

No Show Socks: Primark

Stone Chino Shorts: Primark

Sunglasses: Primark

Straw Hat: Primark

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Bead Bracelets: Home Made

Anchor Phrep Bracelet: Paul Hewitt

THANKS FOR READING!

What I Wore Today - The Boden shirt and blazer

That Dapper Chap shares todays look, wearing a shirt and blazer from Boden

I've loved Boden menswear for a few years now and have amassed quite a few pieces from their range, mostly knitted ties and patterned shirts, which I have to say are exceptional. When I speak of Boden, most people are aware that they do womenswear but not many know that they also do a great range for us blokes. 

They did used to have the mens range in their little catalogues, which I looked forward to getting each season, but for whatever reason they decided to do away with it, and focus their range of menswear purely online. So, I thought I'd bring it to your attention with today's look.

As soon as I saw this blazer online I knew I had to have it. luckily I got it just before it sold out, so if you wanted to grab one, I'm afraid you're out of luck. The large check pink gingham shirt is also Boden and is made from a thick cotton. It fits really well but I did buy a size smaller than I would have from another store, as I know that Boden can be large on me. I also went a size down on the blazer, and I'm pleased that I did as I think my real size would have been far too big.

This is quite a summery look, but in true British summer fashion it poured down with rain on the day that I wore it. I had planned to go sockless but the weather dictated that socks were a must. Luckily I had a pair almost the same colour as the blazer!

I wore jeans with the shirt and blazer, slim fit and dark in colour. They're the same jeans that I wore for the 'Date Night' look in the jeans style challenge blog post. They're a real favourite of mine now and I wear them a lot.

I accessorised with a pink lapel pin and pocket square to compliment the pink of the shirt, one of my trusty trouser chains, again in a complimentary colourway, and finally some pink and green bracelets just to help pull it all together. I love this look but I just wish the weather would have been more suited to its summer styling.

Where it's all from

Burgundy loafers: Next

Green Socks: Racing Green

Smart Jeans: Next

Pink Gingham Shirt: Boden

Brompton Green Blazer: Boden

Watch: Harding

Briefcase: John Rocha

Lapel Pin: Home Made

Pocket Square: Southern Gents

Trouser Chain: Home Made

Bracelets: Home Made

Umbrella: Vintage Fox

Glasses: Specsavers

Thanks For Reading!

What I Wore Today #29

That Dapper Chap shares his daily look, this time using blue and green

Summer is here so the tweed and wool suits are firmly put to the back of the wardrobe and lightweight chinos are called for. These green chinos are just the ticket for the warmer weather. They are a thinner fabric and the colour lends itself well to the season.

I love this tie. I'm a fan of knitted ties and also of blue and green as a colour combination so I had to have it. One of the greens in the tie matches that of the chinos really well and the blue goes really well with the denim blazer.