Sock it to me

I've resisted the predictable "Father's Day is coming" post this year, concerned at the avalanche of predictable gift samples. The old saw is that we're all doomed to receive endless amounts of socks because the kids can't think of anything else.

On the other hand, or on the other foot perhaps, I've just been looking around the Richmond Socks website and I have to say some of them look pretty good. I've tried a pair of the Casa Italia purple versions (pictured) and they are incredibly comfortable. The fine Egyptian cotton makes quite a difference and they look great - I'm a bit of a fan of coloured socks. At £17.50 they're not cheap for socks but then they're a bit of a luxury, and for Father's Day that would be most acceptable.

Many men opt for black socks as if it's all we can manage, and we go for ankle socks rather than calf length. This generally means an unsightly span of leg when you cross your legs in a suit so I'd recommend calf length. In terms of colour I'd try to tone in with a tie or shirt (or even pocket square); it makes it look as though some thought has gone into it. Which is because some thought has gone into it.

Expert advice

Simon Bullmore runs Richmond Socks and has offered LifeOver35 readers some advice on choosing socks - he made the same point I did about longer garments (which they wear in Europe anyway, only we Brits favour the scrunched-around-the-ankle look) but also the following thoughts:

"This seasons trends are for pastel and candy colours.  Pastels are perfect for social occasions - especially weddings.  We'd suggest candy greens and oranges as an easy way to add some summer colour to chinos and jeans.   If you're not up for bold colour then add interest to your socks with a pattern.  Herringbone patterned socks very popular at the moment.  A quick tip for choosing socks - never match your socks to your shoes.  It makes you look like you're wearing booties.  Matching your socks to your trousers looks much better, and has the added benefit of making your legs look longer.  If you have long legs compared to your body then go for a splash of contrasting colour in order to break up the line of your legs and feet."

"Quality textiles make all the difference when it comes to socks.  Your feet sweat a pint each day.  Man-made fibres aren't very good at wicking this excess moisture away.  Which is why your feet might get a bit more niffy when it's warm - bacteria love sloshing around in the stuff.  Smelly feet are for teenagers.  Which is why you should make sure that your socks are at least 70% cotton or bamboo in summer (some nylon is ok as it helps the sock stay in shape).  Cotton and bamboo are much better at naturally wicking away sweat."

"When it comes to style details make the difference.  Socks are a great place to start.  And Richmond Socks is here to help men find the perfect pair.  All of our socks feature hand finished details and the best quality materials.  We only sell socks made by reputable European producers so we know that workers and the environment are cared for during the manufacturing process.  We've scoured the world for what we think is the best collection of mens socks.  Some of the brands we sell are only available in the UK through our store.  The socks we sell reflect our passion for timeless style and quality materials.  We think it shows in every pair."

We'll forgive him the sales pitch at the end and just say thanks for the thoughts.

All of which said, I know I won't be getting socks for Father's Day this year. We visited the South Bank on Saturday and there was a Beano exhibition, and they had these Dennis and Gnasher tee-shirts in adult sizes.

Now that is stylish.

Orbitsound: unobtrusively making TV better

I had an issue with the sound on my TV. I admit the issue was mostly 'Guy is a fussy little sod' and it was perfectly comprehensible, but I do like a bit of bass when I'm listening to music or watching a movie. On the other hand my wife has this incomprehensible aversion to wires and speakers all over the room. I assume this is because she's a bit weird or something, looks perfectly OK to me, you should see my office.

Nonetheless we started investigating sound bars. I've been loaned a few in the past and they've been difficult to set up, needed the right connections, all that confusing stuff. The Orbitsound M12 (pictured) had none of this trouble. Inputs through optical (which we use) port, or a standard 3.5mm port like you'd use on an earphone (avoid if possible, you have to turn the TV volume up really high so don't get so much control), speaker cable options (again quite good but not quite what you'd get from optical) or Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is a great option because the predecessor, the T12, had a little iPhone stand on it. I now don't have to have my iPhone in the dock whilst listening to music, just pair it up and go. The sound is good - no, not quite the spread you'd get from separate speakers but a decent beefy sound nonetheless. It's particularly effective on music programmes and movies but improves most things.

Best of all is that this time around the subwoofer is smaller than on previous models so you can hide it away more easily; this is simplified and helped by the fact that, Hallelujah, it's connected wirelessly so just put it near a power socket and you eliminate the trailing wires.

By all means I'd prefer a full-fledged, five-speakers-around-the-room system but if I want my marriage to last that's not going to happen. This is a neat solution for just under £400 (so no, not cheap) with enough oomph to keep me happy.

P. S. Although we don't have a convenient shelf on which to try it out, the soundbar is apparently non-directional. So although you get sounds clearly coming from the left or the right, you can in theory put the soundbar on a shelf nowhere near the telly and it should still sound OK. That said, you're then back to having wires trailing around the room everywhere.

Accessorise your iPad Mini

So I've now been doing this DocuSign Challenge thing for just over a week (memo to self: when borrowing blood pressure monitoring equipment from hospital do not even bother asking whether you can sign for it electronically, it sends them into seizures and is no good for your blood pressure). So I've done the only reasonable thing and started looking at accessories for the iPad Mini they've sent as part of the deal.

First essential is a decent case. With a smaller tablet I'm mostly free from big heavy cases designed for laptops so my trusty Marks and Spencer Italian Leather man bag has been perfectly fine; start to put too much stuff into it, though, (sun glasses, a notebook and you're pretty much stuffed) and you realise it's only suitable for the iPad Mini only.

If you have the budget a Jill-e Jeremy bag like the one pictured is an excellent option. Pockets for pens, phone and separate media player are in a zipped compartment you can get to without opening the main body of the bag, your iPad or 13in MacBook Air (this entry is very much for Mac users like me) will be well padded internally and there's an unfastened side compartment for books.

I'd have liked the option to detach the strap but that's about all I'd have changed about this - and maybe the price. Women have had bags for much longer than men, culturally, and are used to paying hundreds: £249.95 seems a lot to pay for something like this from the Apple Store (that's not a sponsored link, buy a hundred if you like and I won't get a penny) but I've been using it since I got it and it still looks very new. Recommended.

Look also at the Booq Boa Squeeze if you want something half the price and are happy with a backpack; I have only seen pictures but it looks as though someone's thought through exactly how to make the interior pockets and spaces almost Tardis-like in their ability to store stuff.

Covers

You might also want to consider a cover if you've bought a New Shiny. I've been looking at two; the BooqPad is a folio with space for a paper notebook. This will go against the grain for many iPad users but I find it very useful; whether I'm jotting thoughts for a new stand-up routine or making a quick note of something for a do-list, sometimes paper is better than switching on a screen, so something to hold a couple of cards, a pen, an iPad Mini and a notebook is useful. It comes in black leather and costs £40.

Pricier but more functional for many is the KeyFolio 2 Case and Stand from Kensington. At £79.99 this is a chargeable keyboard in a case which Bluetooths to your iPad Mini but the clever it - the really, really clever bit - is that it's not built into the case, it's attached magnetically. The reason this is good is that a case for an iPad is by definition small and constricted so folding it out and using the keyboard can feel rather cramped and you have to have the iPad almost upright. Remove the keyboard and it still works perfectly and you can adjust the iPad's angle to your taste. I still find the keyboard a bit small but that is what we call in the trade my own damned silly fault for using an iPad Mini instead of a full-size gizmo. I find it great for emails on long train journeys; no doubt someone with smaller fingers would be perfectly OK using it for blog entries like this or full-sized articles.

Depending on your needs you should be pretty happy with either of these.

Docusign Challenge: Day one

So I've entered this thing called the DocuSign Blogger Challenge. The premise is simple enough and as a tech addict I couldn't resist: just go through three months without signing a wet signature if you can avoid it.

Instead you use the DocuSign app on your phone or tablet. I have duly installed it and have to say it's aaving me a little time already. It wasn't much use when my sports club wanted me to sign to take receipt of something, but in business terms it's been great.

My standard process for dealing with signing stuff has so far been: someone sends over, say, a contract. I print it out, I sign it, I scan it back in. This gets fiddly because my scanner isn't that fond of my printer, so I generally end up transporting the scanned document back to my computer for sending out on a memory stick.

So far I have opened up two contracts on my iPad Mini, supplied by way of thanks by DocuSign (hence the declaration at the end of this post), dragged and dropped my signature, done the same with the date, and sent them straight back. Returning them goes through DocuSign's secure system so I can be certain it's all safe.

I have to say I can't see a downside on day one. Let's see how it shapes up later on.

This post is a sponsored post as part of the DocuSign Blogger Challenge.

Suits for success - donate your old clothes

Only time for a quickie today - A Suit That Fits is repeating it's 'Suits for Success' campaign from last year, in which people donate unwanted (clean and wearable) suits to charities that distribute them to homeless young people. They then have something to wear for job interviews and stand half a chance of getting their lives back on track.

It (and many others like it) is an excellent cause. Info on drop-off points is here:

http://www.asuitthatfits.com/shop/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1659&Itemid=461

Do have a think about donating that suit you no longer wear. You get a £50 tailored suit token by way of return and you may help turn someone's life around.

Spirit gifts for Fathers' Day

I've never been big on Fathers' Day. My mother always insisted - quite correctly, I find - that it is a concoction by a greetings card company and not the deeply-held tradition that Mothers' Day is. Also I haven't had a father since 1984, so it didn't touch me much until my daughter was born.

Many people don't actually mind about the day's origins and would like to get their dads something nice for it. This is why I've been delighted to have the Alexander and James website drawn to my attention. The principle is simple: you verify your age, you order spirit drinks and accessories and it arrives. So far, so admirable e-commerce but mundane.

Premium spirits

I tried the service ordering a 14-year-old single malt (Oban, for what it's worth). This you can get in supermarkets, but you can also source premium, several-hundred-quid tipples. The Johnnie Walker on the left will set you back £475.99, for example.

There would be little point in my spending that much on a bottle of whisky even if I could afford it; I wouldn't know what I was looking for or what I was buying. My £40-odd Oban single malt will do me nicely but if you're feeling flush and your dad's a real connaisseur then this is a good site not just for whiskies but for premium vodkas, gins, rums and of course cocktail accessories.

What I certainly had was a surprise with the speed at which my bottle arrived (two days, never mind the fact that it's not going to be opened for a while, it's one of my favourites) and the packaging. I didn't specify anything fancy but it came well padded (of course) and in Alexander and James' own box, which would be quite good enough to wrap and present as a gift box.

Overall an excellent service with a system that recommends other drinks of similar character so it's a place to explore a little next time you're buying.

Of course LifeOver35 advocates responsible drinking, both for health reasons and social elements - you don't want to drive after touching a single unit, frankly. But then if you're buying one of their premium 'costs hundreds' bottles the chances you're just going to knock it back are pretty remote!

Steptronic: comfort shoes that look good

OK, first the nasty bit - I have achieved an ingrown toenail. It's simple enough, you cut your nail too small and it goes unpleasant.

So, all my decent work shoes - Church's and soforth - suddenly don't fit. It would be wrong to say that the pair of Steptronic boots I was sent were designed specifically for that, but I do find them wearable and that's something.

This probably won't apply to most readers (I mean, why would it?) - so let's see what the PR blurb says about the construction and why these are comfortable:

"All Steptronic Footwear has a patented 100% flexible rubber sole, it's made up of ridges at a particular 45 degree angle that ensures that the shoes bends with your foot at all times, and goes back to shape easily. They also have a sheepskin lining, not the furry side as your feet would be too hot, the sheepskin is within the inner of the shoe, ensuring bounce, comfort and breathability. The company boast that they are the most comfortable shoes you will ever wear."

They are indeed very comfortable. But, as the PR person comments, the above description will leave you expecting something hideous and grandfather-ish. Here's a picture:

This is the Aldershot Black style. I went for the Bassett Brown boot. The leather is very soft, they look good with a blue or grey suit but also work with jeans.

Oh, and given the complexity of the construction I think £99 or so per pair is a pretty good price. Given that it's going to be a month or so before I'm back in ordinary boots (no, the nail isn't complicated but my diary won't let me get it seen to before mid-May) I've ordered a pair of black formal boots too.

No, they're not as formal as my usual 'meetings' footwear. But for the price they're going to get me through, and quite honestly the ones I have are a pleasure to wear.