That Dapper Chap X Topman - Great Britain, Great Suits

Craig of That Dapper Chap joins Topman for their Suit Style By City campaign which showcases different looks for different UK cities

Every guy needs a great suit, so I was pleased to be asked to be part of the Topman Suit Style By City Campaign, where the brand took seven top UK menswear bloggers and asked us each to represent a city based on what look is popular in that particular city.

Having relations in Brighton, that's the city I chose. A popular look for guys in this diverse and eclectic city is a roll neck sweater worn under a suit, and this is my take on it.

The suit grid flatlay as seem on Instagram

A good suit is a wardrobe staple and even if you work in a factory or have a uniform that you wear for your 9-5, you will have an event which calls for one at some point, be it a wedding, Christening, funeral, barmitzvah or whatever, you will have one! Yes, you can wear separates but why not really look the part in a sharp suit.

Topman have a great range of suits right now and there's something to suit all tastes, skinny fit, slim fit and a range of suits at just £100 

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 - Vintage Bow Tie Tuesday

That Dapper Chap shares his daily look. Today he goes for a vintage inspired outfit.

Full on vintage style in navy and brown

Today's look was built around this vintage waistcoat. It's predominantly navy in colour with an orangey brown check. So, with that it mind I went for a navy and brown ensemble. Because it's a true vintage item I also styled the look with other vintage elements to keep the theme specific.

The outfit flatlay as seen on Instagram

Under the said waistcoat is a slim fit plain white shirt and over the top is a simple brown cardigan to add an extra layer as it was a tad chilly today. 

Today's heritage look

New vintage style glasses in newsprint grey

I wore my brand new glasses today too, something old, something new, nothing borrowed and lots blue. Again these have a very vintage styling which compliments the overall look of this outfit. 

I had to have them made and shipped from the US as unfortunately they have no stores in the UK and do not even ship here! A huge thank you to Instagram's CameOnStrong for sorting the logistics for me!

Making my way back to the office

New hair, new glasses & vintage waistcoat & tie

Continuing with that vintage theme I opted for an original vintage pocket watch instead of a wristwatch, the new two tone brogues also make the look cohesive, continuing with the heritage focus and colour scheme.

Time for some vintage accessories

Leaning on a lamp post on the corner of the street

My new two tone brogues as seen on Instagram

The full look with vintage styling

A closer look at the vintage bow tie

Loving my new glasses

A close up of the pocket chain

Taking a stroll during my lunch break

A closer look at the two tone brogues

WHERE IT'S ALL FROM

Two Tone Brown Brogues - Redfoot

Brown striped socks - CNYTTAN

Navy 'Lawson' Chinos - Racing Green

Slim Fit White Shirt - H&M

Vintage checked waistcoat - Hunky Dory Vintage

Vintage Clip On Bow Tie - Ebay

Vintage Army Edition Pocket Watch - Ebay

Pocket Watch Chain - Ebay

Brown Cardigan - H&M - Similar Here

Newprint Grey Glasses - 'Watts' by Warby Parker

Brown Leather Briefcase - Rocha JohnRocha at Debenhams

THANKS FOR READING!

The Denim Jeans Style Challenge - Look Five

That Dapper Chap shares the last of five looks 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 final 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 Five - Weekend Style

So, here we are with the last installment in the Next jeans style challenge. This last look is another very casual styling using the rip repair denim jeans which you can find HERE for £45.00.

This look will take you from that Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, to that pub lunch with your mates. The boots keep the look masculine and are a classic brogue style in a rich brown leather. Great for this time of year with rain always on the horizon!

To keep out the spring chills I chose a textured knit cardigan with a shawl collar in a mustard colour, all three of these elements are very on trend right now.

The classic brown leather brogue boots

Chilling out on the sofa reading the Sunday papers

To keep track of the time I chose a beautiful watch with brown leather strap. The brown herringbone wool blazer stops the look from becoming too casual and also adds warmth. Don't be afraid of wearing a blazer of a chunkier cardigan, just be sure that you can move freely!

The shirt is a red and white striped cotton shirt and it has umbrellas printed on it which I thought was appropriate for this time of year here in the UK.

Keep track of the time with a great timepiece

The full look with textured shawl collar cardigan and ripped jeans

The umbrella print shirt

A closer look at the mustard cardigan

Some comfortable merino wool socks adds to the comfort of this look

This look work work well with a V-neck sweater too

Wearing a shirt makes the look smarter

A closer look at the blazer

Wearing boots and a blazer smartens this look

Photography

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

Find him on Twitter HERE

Find him on Instagram HERE

The Details

Rip Repair Denim Jeans - Next £45.00

Brown Brogue Boots - Next £65.00

Umbrella Print Cotton Shirt - Ben Sherman £85.00

Textured Knit Mustard Shawl Collar Cardigan - Burton Menswear £35.00

Ochre & Green Merino Wool Socks - CNYTTAN £15.00

Herringbone Brown Wool Blazer - Primark £30.00

Brown Leather Watch - AVi-8 £295.00

Thanks for checking back. I hope that you've enjoyed this series and that I've gone some way to help you pull together some different looks to wear with your jeans.

THANKS FOR READING!