Competition: Double Denim Day from Burtons

Psst...want to win some free clothes in the form of vouchers? OK, there are two ways you can do it.

First, for £300, get over to the Burtons Facebook page and upload some pictures of yourself wearing as much denim as you can. They will pick a winner in the middle of the month and that winner will receive £300 in vouchers to spend in Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, BHS, Evans, Topman, Outfit, Miss Selfridge - any of the Arcadia Group.

Better still, I have a £50 e-voucher to spend with the same group to give away. All you have to do is to leave a comment between now and 9am one week from today (so that's 9am, 7 March) about your worst style mistake. Sartorial errors you've made over the years, clothes you wish you hadn't worn - email a pic to Guy@Clapperton.co.uk if you like and I might publish a few.

No fee to enter, my decision is final and this is separate from the Burtons' Facebook page promotion, you can enter one, neither or both, and it won't affect any likely outcome.

Good luck!

Guest post: mistakes men make in formal settings

It's nearly time for the Oscars and last week we had the Baftas (we don't count the Brits because very few people are formal there). But what errors do blokes make when it comes to smartest bib and tucker? My thanks to Mytuxedo.co.uk for offering these six tips.


The wedding of the year has arrived. The dress attire is morning suits. This consists of a jacket with tails, and striped formal trousers, a dress shirt and a dove or beige waistcoat should be worn.

• MyTuxedo.co.uk is finding, however that many men are hesitant about stripy trousers. While it may not necessary be your cup of tea, morning suits traditionally always require striped trousers and not adhering to this dress code would definitely ensure that you look ridiculous on the day. 
• For every man that thinks it is a wise decision to wear a pleated shirt with a waistcoat, please don’t! The combination off too much pattern and material in the chest area is too much and is not a wise choice if you want to make an excellent impression on other people. 
• It is not okay to wear a coloured waistcoat with a white dinner jacket either. It makes too much of a statement and when it comes to formalwear, you want to look suave and subtle to make the right impression. Traditionally with a white dinner jacket, wear a white Marcella waistcoat, a white bow tie and black trousers.
• Dress shirts can also cause confusion with many people as well they are not aware that they need to be a looser fit then a normal shirt. This is for allowing you to tie the button at the top. So before you decide to return the loose fitting shirt for a smaller size, take this into consideration and if you are still unsure, opt for a slim fit dress shirt instead. 
• One rule that should always be considered when it comes to formalwear is patent dress shoes. Of course, you will realise that trainers are a definite no but so are ordinary black shoes. If you have a specific formal wear dress code to adhere to, then you must wear shiny patent shoes as well. On the day, make sure they are nicely shined and buffed and do not have any scruff marks. This final touch will ensure that you look your very best on the day. 

This guide will hopefully ensure that you look great at any formal event but just in case you need any more style advice, then visit MyTuxedo.co.uk for great tips and excellent formalwear 50% cheaper than the high street!

I think we can allow them the plug at the end - useful stuff, my thanks once more.

Uncommon scents: Storm Electric

I had a note from Apple's (no doubt) sales and marketing department the other week, telling me to buy my loved one an iPad Mini. If she wants to get me one then fine, although I'd query the expenditure when there are rooms in the house that need repairs and money spent on them.

Tokens it is for us, and they might well include a new scent. I've recently been testing a box set of Storm Electric, courtesy of the people from BrandAlley; it's pretty good, although I do have an issue with the name. I'd never have asked for anything called 'electric', I'd have assumed it was to do with electric shavers.

It's not. The shower gel and eau de toilette in this package is woody with traces of cinnamon and lemons and lasts a fair time. There's a bit of citrus in there as well.

Oddly for a spicy number my wife rather liked it - usually she goes for naturals. I'd be happy with a bottle of this for my valentine's present any year; that said, I've already got one now.

So, iPads all round then..?

Teetotal drinks: A ginger glow

I've mentioned here before that I'm taking part in the Dryathlon for Cancer Research during January - no alcohol this month and people's sponsor money has already started going to this excellent cause. If you wanted to make a small donation to encourage me at this roughly half way mark, please click here and give what you can - I'm not quite half way to my target (although I'll be adding my money-that-would-have-gone-on-wine-for-dinner at the end of the month).

This has left me looking for non-boring drinks with no alcohol and I have to say I'm disappointed - so much out there is so sweet, and the thing about we wine drinkers is that we don't necessarily need a sugar hit.

One really good alternative is ginger wine, not fizzy ginger beer but the wine - fermented and no alcohol, I've been sampling two varieties from Gran Stead and I'd recommend them heartily. Almost like a good whisky they have a kick (that will be the ginger, duh...) and yes a bit of sugar, but not offensively so.

I can't stand Coke, never liked it - this is a proper grown-up drink that goes with a lot of meals and you can serve it in an actual wine glass. Oh, and if you're not off the bottle for January I can only imagine a glass spruced up with a bit of whisky will warm the cockles of your cockles nicely for Burns Night next week!

New year, new suit

Flickr: Matt512

First off, a Happy New Year to all readers and I hope you had a great Christmas. Everyone is now back to work of course, so it may be time to think about a new work suit (and no, the picture isn't of my dog although she's the same breed).

The question is what to look for. In terms of business suits, a bit of tradition never did anyone any harm. All but the slimmest people do well to go for darker colours, and ideally these should be in blocks rather than loud patterns. I'm currently quite drawn to suits that look as though they're a solid colour but when you get close there's a subtle Prince of Wales check like my blue number, or a thin, subtle pinstripe like the one I'm picking up on Thursday.

Two buttons is classic and will suit most builds; if, again, you're very slim you might get away with three buttons but if like me you're a little 'broader' (euphemism alert) I'd suggest sticking with two. Skinny collars and skinny ties will work only if you're skinny yourself, otherwise they end up working as a contrast and showing your own well-upholstered proportions in a poor light.

If you want a bit of fun in spite of being businessy, have a think about a lively colour for the lining. People do see it when you take the jacket off or when you move around, so you might as well go for something less than dull; if you're looking for a tailored suit you'll be able to choose something individual. The weight of the cloth is important; you might find something warm a bit comforting right now but you're likely to regret this as the weather gets milder. I have a blue 'winter' suit which seemed a great idea at the time but I barely use it as most of the year it's too hot.

Contrasting stitching is a good way of picking detail out that makes your suit individual without being ostentatious. When I'm having things tailored (and it doesn't cost as much as you might think) I normally opt to have the cuff buttonhole stitched to match the lining. I once went for this on the lapel buttonhole as well, which was a bit of a mistake as it limits the ties I can wear and look reasonable.

Watch out for other 'fun' bits as well. Ages ago on this blog I went for a morning designing suits with A Suit That Fits. It was fun and I liked the John Steed/Avengers look of the velvet collar I'd put in. So, being an incredibly sensible and wise person, I ordered the suit later - and have hardly worn it. I just don't get invited to the 'showy' occasions on which an ostentatious feature like that is going to work, and would have been better off opting for a standard collar that doesn't stand out.

It's all about what works for you and above all the context in which you're going to wear the thing. You can always liven it up with a fun tie from someone like Victoria Richards, a firm favourite, or Duchamp, of which I'm also rather fond (although if you see something reduced on the Duchamp site at the moment, do check it against prices of the same product from John Lewis in the sale - I'm finding the discounts are deeper there in the January sales).

Right, it's New Year and I'm off to the gym for the first time in about ten months. And I'm happy to note the shorts still fit, which is not a bad start to 2013.  

Christmas presents 11: Other stuff

This time of year bloggers get sent a lot of stuff to look at for Christmas and I've tried to give an opinion on most of it. Here 's a glance at stuff which just hasn't fitted into a category I've been covering:

* IrisNotes Executive 2: Pen plus monitor you clip to a piece of paper. Write with the pen and you don't see it on the paper but you can upload to your PC or Mac; you can then turn this into text or just get an image if you use the iPad or iPhone app. This was sent to me and my faulty computer swallowed the installation CD otherwise I'd have covered it a lot more - it is spectacularly useful for note taking. Really, really simple to set up and use and does what it's supposed to - the odd letter may be misread depending on your handwriting.

* Bowers and Wilkins C5 headphones: In-ear headphones which, like most in-ear models, are great for the treble and clarity but I prefer a bit more oomphy bass. I can only get the quality I want from an over-ear headset. These are good for what they are, though, with a bit of wire that holds them in place for extra comfort. Excellent for audiobooks, less so for bassy music, unusually comfortable for long sessions and they come with a carry case. The £149.95 price tag will make some people wince.


* Rohan Superfine Merino 200 Necktube: Bit of a fashion statement this one, keeps your neck warm and looks like a scarf which is a loop rather than a straight bit of material. Very warm, very comfortable and a little 'young' for my tastes - which no doubt means everyone will be wearing them in January or whenever the next cold snap starts. A good stocking filler at £25.

* 3M iPad screen protectors: Another stocking-filler for the iPad fan in your life. Just a self-adhesive cover for the iPad, which comes off without residue if you need it to, and protects it from scratches without diminishing its sensitivity. Recommended (or something like it) for all iPad users.

* Eneloop rechargable batteries: Or similar, of course - what, you've opened a load of presents and they need AA or AAA and you haven't got any? Get charging with these, you'll end up swearing by them and longer term they will save you money.

That really is it for this festive season - I may be back with the pick of the online sales between Christmas and the New Year. Have a great break and whatever you get or are about to give away, enjoy!

Drinks for Christmas

So, time to think about some drinks for Christmas? I like to greet people with a cocktail when they come to visit and this year I have a fair bit of Tia Maria around the place, mostly because the PR people were kind enough to send a sample to show me the new packaging. If I'm honest nobody really cares about the packaging by the time it's in the glass: it's a good cocktail ingredient as well as a coffee liqueur in its own right. Here are a couple of recipes:

Tia Espresso Martini

25cl TIA MARIA

25cl espresso coffee

25cl vodka

10cl sugar syrup to taste

Coffee beans to Garnish

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients together with cubed ice in a Boston and shake. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with coffee beans.

This is a good one for a short drink, although some people will find the vodka a problem (my wife can't take white spirits for example). For a longer drink try this:

Tia Ginger (pictured)

35cl TIA MARIA

Half a fresh lime

Ginger Beer

Instructions:

Pour ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice, squeeze in the juice of half a fresh lime and garnish with fresh mint

Very refreshing and warming I find, and if Christmas is going to be as wet as it's threatening to be then this is going to be a good option.

For mealtime I won't be driving this year for once (YAY!) so I'll be on the white with the starter and red for the main course. I can recommend some of the Absolutely Cracking French Wines selection. This is a promotion in which drinks journalists selected their best wines of the year and as you can imagine the results are pretty good. 

The promoters have sent six samples and I can recommend them all: AOC Chinon, Bernard Baudry, La Croix Boissée 2010 (Lea and Sandeman, £17.95, pictured) will be my main course tipple of choice, a lot of earthy fruit in there, or AOC Fleurie, Albert Bichot La Madone 2009 (Soho Wine, £10.99). Try also something from the Tra La La vineyards through Naked Wines if you can get a pre-Christmas delivery at this stage (look, where does this  time go?

On the white front you could do distinctly worse than IGP Pays d'Oc, Marquis de Pennautier, Terroirs d'Altitude 2009 (Majestic, £9.99) if you like oaky wines with a bit of an acidic tang; for something a bit more citrussy have a look at AOC Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, Domaine Capmartin 2010 (Enotria, £10.95).

As always, enjoy sensibly and don't drive afterwards. And in January remember I'll be giving up for the Dryathlon in aid of Cancer Research - why not sponsor me?