Today’s story in the ‘Lockdown Clothing’ project is from Shaun Cole. Shaun is a writer, lecturer and curator. He is Associate Professor in Fashion at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, co-director of Intersectionalities: politics, identity, culture (iPIC research group) and author of a number of books on men’s fashion and dress. You can... Continue Reading →
I've been a bit of a fabric nerd since studying textile technology as part of my BSc in the mid 90s. Finding out which fibres have good wicking properties, enabling moisture to be drawn away from the skin, and discovering the ways in which manufacturers were developing fabrics that were both breathable and easy care... Continue Reading →
As I have more than a passing interest in men's fashion, I figured that my 'brief history of' blog series should probably feature menswear at some point. The idea sat dormant for a while, until British brand T.M.Lewin - best known for their men's and women's smart shirts - sent me the infographic below. It... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to attend the opening show of London Fashion Week Men's. Nine graduate collections from the MA Fashion Design Technology Menswear course at London College of Fashion, UAL, were showcased in the grand surroundings of converted church St John's Smith Square, kickstarting four days of menswear shows. My favourite collection was... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I attended the private view of a new menswear exhibition at the University of Westminster called The Vanishing Art of Camouflage. You might wonder why a lingerie blogger would be interested in menswear. Well, first of all, I don't consider myself to be solely a lingerie blogger. I'm interested in writing on a number... Continue Reading →
As someone who has a definite style, works at a fashion college and is rarely seen in an outfit that hasn't been carefully planned out, I often get asked for style tips. Last summer I played the part of personal shopper twice and it got me thinking about how I could distil my advice into... Continue Reading →
Last night, I attended the opening of the LCFMA16 exhibition, featuring some very impressive student work from across the London College of Fashion's postgraduate courses. With an overall curatorial theme of 'anti gravity', clothing and costume could be found floating in space with horizontal mannequins levitating next to spot-lit shoes on dark plinths. LCF's postgraduate... Continue Reading →
In the lead up to the next Costume Society #CSFashionHour Twitter discussion which I will be hosting, on the topic of underwear, I have decided to base my September 'Lust List' around innovative underwear of the past. 1) Kestos bra One of the first commercial bras to be developed with two separate cups, Kestos was... Continue Reading →
Fashion is often still thought of as something that is only of interest to women. Despite centuries of astonishingly elaborate menswear before the Great Masculine Renunciation of the late 18th century, plus a recent resurgence of menswear, many people still believe that an interest in looking good is something rather feminine. The vast majority of... Continue Reading →
Last week, I visited Selfridges' much talked about Agender concept space. When I walked into the Oxford Street department store, I had no idea where I was headed and so I sought the advice of a friendly customer service assistant who explained that there were three of the concept spaces throughout the store - one... Continue Reading →