London Collections: Men - Day 1

Craig of That Dapper Chap attends London Collections: Men as an accredited blogger and takes us through the events of day 1

Once again all the build up and anticipation of the largest menswear event in london comes to fruition and on Friday 8th January London Collections: Men once again opened its doors and showcased all that the British menswear industry has to offer.

This season saw me with a packed itinerary so I unfortunately had to choose which shows I wanted to see more as a lot overlapped or were logistically impossible to reach in the time between shows.

Stylists, press, editors and bloggers line up to sign in to this seasons LCM

After signing in at the stunning Victoria House in Southampton Row, this seasons LC:M hub, I took my official book and lanyard, pinned my badge to my lapel and made my way to the Barbour presentation. 

Barbour

Barbour never disappoint. The inherent quality comes through in every piece and they offered us everything that we'll need for AW16: heavy knitwear, their iconic wax jackets and a collection of great shirts and accessories.

Very accessible and easy to wear I've been a Barbour fan for a while and I really like the new collection.

Chunky textured sweaters continue to be a staple items

Beautifully tailored shirts in some great fabrics

Casual styling by Barbour to keep out the cold

The latest style Barbour coat

The classic Barbour wax jacket

Another great collection from Barbour

Cottweiler

After a quick coffee break I made my way to Marylebone to see the Cottweiler show. Designers Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty showed us a range of intelligent and futuristic designs in metallic fabrics and sheepskin-like woollens.

Moody models in fields of wheat from Cottweiler

Futuristic designs in metallic fabrics

Fashion folk flocking to see the new Cottweiler collection

Modern fabrics in relaxed design

Impressive designs with a real edge

The new Cottweiler collection

Universal Works

Leaving the Cottweiler show it was a hop and a skip over to Blandford Street to see what Universal Works had to offer. I've always enjoyed the Universal Works show and they always offer up an interesting concept.

This season was no different and we walked in to a virtual fairground, complete with 90's dance tracks and 'all the fun of the fair' Guests enjoyed mushy peas with mint sauce and popcorn while we perused the collection.

Unstructured, relaxed and comfortable clothing for the cool and youthful won the day, and they again showed a very British and very wearable collection that could be enjoyed by anyone.

Time for the Funfair with niversal Works

Prizes for everyone at the Universal Works funfair

Relaxed but stylish

The classic funfair goldfish, its all in the details

Casual footwear from Universal Works

I enjoyed the mushy peas and they certainly filled a void in my stomach

Unstructured and easy to wear

The new Universal Works collection

Private White V.C.

So leaving the sights and sounds of the fairground behind I legged it, in the rain, over to Mayfair to the Private White V.C. store on Duke Street.

Upon entering the store I was immediately welcomed by Brutus the Bulldog who took an instant liking to my trousers, pressing his nose against my calf and following me around the store. Apparently he likes the smell of my cats!

Private White never fail to impress and I was already converted way before I stepped over the threshold. The nod to classic wartime tailoring didn't go unmissed. Designer Nick Ashley continues to offer us some great pieces and I very much need to get some in my armoury.

Arriving at he Private White V.C. store in Mayfair

Classic styling from Private White V.C.

The new Private White V.C. collection

My new buddy Brutus

I'm in love with this heavy shearling collar coat

rails of clothing from the new collection waiting to be browsed

The models take their place in the store

More elegant clothing from Private White V.C.

I managed to snap designer Nick Ashley at the event

Guests mingle, drink cocktails and enjoy the canapes 

So after a fun filled day with very little to eat, cold and slightly wet, I called it a day and made my way to my London home where I had set up base for the weekend. Day one was a success on many levels. I met some great people, reconnected with my 'LCM Buddies' and saw some great menswear.

Roll on day two I thought. That was a success too and I'll report on that very soon so watch this space.

Thanks for taking time out to read this. Pop back again soon!

Meet Xupes, your Place for New and Vintage Rolex Watches

Craig of That Dapper Chap introduces us to Xupes, your place for vintage and new Rolex watches

Meet Xupes

If you're looking around for a new or a vintage Rolex watch, stop your search right here as Xupes (pronounced Zoops) currently have over 100 in stock waiting for you.

And it's not just Rolex, they also stock many other high end names including Cartier, Breitling, Tag Heuer and Dior to name but a few. And if you're also looking for a piece of art for your new pad or THAT handbag for the lady in your life, Xupes can set you up with these too!

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The Daytona 18k Yellow Gold Rolex. Available at Xupes £22,500

The guys at Xupes pride themselves on a few things. One of those is price and they do their best to offer the best possible prices to their customers after sourcing items from all over the world. Sometimes this can be up to 70% off the RRP, and that can't be ignored.

The pieces that they sell may be vintage, pre-loved or brand new, whatever their provenance, rest assured that they will be top notch pieces: works of art, jewellery, antiques, hand bags and of course high-end watches, which we’re focussing on today.

The other things they pride themselves on are their professionalism, honesty and integrity. Three things I think you’ll agree are much valued by you and I as customers but which is often missing from other businesses.

Set up in 2009 Xupes operate from a beautiful barn building at Wickham Hall in Bishops Stortford. With a small team and two friendly dogs they welcome potential customers to their ‘Wonder Room’ where you will be free to peruse all that Xupes have to offer. And anything you do decide to take home with you will be covered by their guarantee.

The Xupes office in Bishops Stortford

As well as dealing in highly desirable products they also offer additional services such as repairs, refurbishment, servicing and cleaning of your much loved timepiece. This is all carried out by their in house watchmaker using the latest technologies. They don’t only do this for watches but can also offer repairs and such for that special ladies hand bag or items of her jewellery. It seems they really have thought of everything.

About Rolex

Originally known as Wilsdorf & Davis, Rolex began life in London 1905 before moving to Switzerland in 1908. They then become known as The Rolex Watch Company in 1919. It is now one of the world’s most well established and powerful brands. The original business saw the gentlemen import Hermann Aegler's Swiss movements which they then put in to watch cases which had been made elsewhere. They then sold these to jewellers who put their own name on the watch before selling it as their own. Having said this, if you do happen upon a watch with W&D inside the caseback, hold on to it as it could well be one of these very watches.

The Rolex Submariner available at Xupes £4,995

Now a much loved status symbol Rolex watches have evolved but still retain that classic and sophisticated style. With the first automatic date changing watch created by Rolex in 1945 they have pioneered many of the functions that we now want as standard on our time pieces and have paved the way for other watchmakers.

The Daytona 18k Rolex available at Xupes £13,950

Rolex now produce over 2,000 watches a day and depending upon design and condition) will cost you anything between £200 and £50,000. So there is something to suit every pocket. Having said this, the GMT Ice Rolex fetched over £330,000. While a bit on the ‘bling’ side for me it does have a certain appeal.

The Submariner Stainless Steel Rolex £5,995

Find Xupes

This is a sponsored post of honest and unbiased opinion

Thanks for taking time out to read this article. I hope to see you back here soon! - Craig

The Primark SS16 Press Day

Craig of That Dapper Chap attends the Primark SS16 press day and gets a sneak peek of what's coming our way in the new season

The menswear area at the Primark SS16 press day

This time around the Primark SS16 Press Day was held at the Swiss Church in Londons Endell Street. An architecturally beautiful building, it made a perfect location from the next seasons collections from primark.