Guyliner at River Island.

I remember being asked a few months ago to give a quote for an Irish Independent article on the apparent decline of men's grooming heralded by a beardy George Clooney. After deliberating for a while, making sure I'd come up with something that might dupe the general public into trusting I knew what I was talking about, I said something along the lines of, "The 'metrosexual' is dead", and that an overly groomed appearance smacked of conspicuous luxury in a time when recession chic was taking hold. 

Still, even if Brad and George were carrying out their own little backlash, their look was still groomed in a more, um, laid-back fashion, which brings me to the point that even if you're not a fan of the adulterous footballer preened-squeaky-clean look, it's still vital to get the basics down. And by that, I mean, a good skincare regime, shaving properly, and keeping your brows in check.

That said, I'd sooner shell out on apparel or shoes than extortionately priced cosmetics, and am a firm believer that a lot of the shite on the market is just not worth splurging your hard-earned shekels on, despite what the scientists and labels (do I really care that your moisturiser contains organic sage picked by blue-blooded virgins?) would have you believe. . So, the arrival of Guyliner and River Island is just a bit great for me personally. I loathe the thought of having to actually figure out what women's concealer might be best for a bloke, and yet if I'm not exactly blemish free, it's the first thing I'll be reaching for much to the dismay of my girlfriends. 

Guyliner offers a fairly comprehensive range including a) the immeasurably useful: clear mascara (£9) and concealer (£7), and b) the not so useful for me: black mascara (£9) and kohl eye pencil (£9). Now, wearing mascara might arouse genuine fear in a lot of you but the clear kind helps to define both your lashes and your brows, which far from increasing your fruity factor, works to better shape your face and frame your eyes. As for the concealer, some guys adore it, some just can't see past the stigma, I say you'll look a hell of a lot better if that zit was staring me right in the face.

As for the black mascara and eye pencil, well, it's for the Bowies and Brandon Flowers amongst you. I'd not be against it for clubs or costume parties but unless you're model material, you're probably better off going au naturel (and do remember I don't mean this literally, so don't neglect the other two essentials) for the day.

Guyliner is available at River Island from Oct 14th.

Oil & Clay.

Aaand it's time to start figuring out timetables, watching countless films (Cinema and Censorship course this year, looking forward to...er...copious amounts of sex, violence, and generally objectionable material), and barely making essay deadlines. I'm taking one semester here in Dublin, and then leaving for Berlin.

Anyway, that's a while off, and the point of this post was to just to show you two recent faves I've secured for the oncoming semester. Both incredibly affordable, and surprisingly (in the case of dear old H&M) great quality. You may remember I was dabbling in chino waters back at the beginning of the Summer, but this clay/tan pair is preferable to the too-wide pair I was trying out back then. Without further ado...

^ Oil wash tee from ASOS, chinos from H&M, belt from Urban Renewal, socks from M&S, boots by Grafters

Dolls: Dublin 8's Retail Haven.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed - apart from all the minor anti-blogger ranting, and TV chef fan-boy cooing - that I've finally embraced online shopping, having received my first order from ASOS just a couple of weeks ago (can't fault anything), and having pledged from the moment I opened the package to burn the remainder of my wardrobe.

Well, my reaction wasn't quite so fervent but, as an Irish menswear consumer, what interests me about e-tailing etc. is the opportunities you're afforded. At the risk of sounding like a v. badly broken record, Dublin is a great city (and has at long last got its arse on the bandwagon of fun, offering alternative entertainment from daytime artsy affairs like Electric Relaxation, to club nights of the London ilk like C U Next Tuesday). But in terms of menswear you can get manic about, it lacks the choice of other European cities of a similar size like, say, Antwerp. But, things seems set to change with labels like Arms emerging, and boutiques like Dublin-based Dolls introducing interesting menswear for a male population pretty much starved of it.

A firm favourite amongst Dublin's female denizens since the inception of the original boutique on Clarendon St. several years ago, Dolls (owned by FIT grad, Petria Lenehan) opened its second store on Emorville Avenue in the post code area that could effectively be termed Dublin's equivalent of Hackney - Dublin 8. Eager to uncover something a little bit amazing, I went along this time last week for brunch with Lil of This is an Offshoot who I hadn't seen in forever. Yes, that's right, brunch. No, we weren't planning on tucking into a nice leathery pair of brogues or chomping down on quirky cotton tees, the latest branch of Dolls also boasts the cutest little café (Bibi's) where we both feasted on what we'd like to think was a healthier version of a traditional eggs benedict - toasted granary bread and asparagus spears topped with perfectly poached eggs and smoked salmon. This would conventionally be the point at which I offer you a series of food porn shots to get you salivating but..er...we were caught up in such foody bliss that we only remembered to whip out our cameras when the damage was done. Still, nice crockery, right?

^ Limited range of view here 'cos I didn't fancy being seen to be papping Neil Hannon and Cathy Davey who were just a few tables from us. 

The boutique itself is compact but well-organised, feels equal parts old-fashion grocers', rustic living room, and Parisian boudoir, and stocks some menswear labels perfect for the discerning yet discreet Irish bloke - YMC, Peter Jensen and more.

______________________

Look out for Dolls' online shop which is set to launch soon. Check here for updates.

AllSaints AW10: Lusting for Leather.

(...excuse S&M overtones, or don't, whichever takes your fancy) Much like Mat of Buckets and Spades, I've endeavoured to reign in my inner magpie of late, and tried my hand at channeling all-knowing-sartorial-god-who-never-makes-shitty-impulse-purchases. So far so...er...alright. I've acquired a good pair of tan chinos that are tan enough to work in a winter wardrobe, and a black racer-back cowl neck vest that I'll probably be wearing to clubs for the next year and a half if I have my way.

Still, I'm lacking key AW pieces, and as part of this wardrobe overhaul/spending habit intervention, I've been compiling a mental list of what's required and what needs to be avoided like the fast fashion plague. Top of said list is a black leather jacket. And I mean leather, not some pleather substitute that denies you that specific smell and luxurious yet robust feel that you get only from genuine leather. Surprisingly, I've come across quite a few potential models with top of the list being this babe of a jacket from Urban Outfitters (although it seems we're meant to be kept parted since the measurements are a bit off-kilter for me), closely followed by oh pretty much every single piece from AllSaints range of men's leather jackets.

Ideally, I want an asymmetric, zippers-ahoy, big f**k-off biker style (see AllSaints' Biker below) but I've also been just a bit entranced by the slew of subtle but v. slick crushed leather jackets that have emerged on the market for this season (tried on amazing one in French Connection and had my first brush with heaven), which AllSaints does pretty well with their current offering, Collide (below).

^ AllSaints Biker jacket

^ AllSaints Collide jacket

Last but most definitely not least is the Mace hooded jacket. Er, yeah, it's hooded, which kind of has me wanting to leg it from the laptop right now. I don't wear hoodies, I don't wear hooded parkas, I don't wear hooded duffle coats, and although I wouldn't quite call it an absolute aversion, I'm really not all that hot on them, which is a damned pity considering the below jacket practically drips sex but, well, you know, has a bloody hood. Still, if you're not quite as easily irritated by extra hanging fabric as I am, I'd be bagging this one now.



^ AllSaints Mace hooded jacket

So, which do you think is the style to last a lifetime?

Stop Press for SS11.

Since coming to the conclusion that fashion's timetable is far from ideal (from a blogger's POV), I've been less and less interested in churning out reviews of shows proposing a myriad of looks to be worn not now, but in several months time. As I'm sure you all know, showing - for example - Spring Summer 2011 in September of 2010 has a specific purpose: it allows buyers and members of press to identify what the key looks for the coming months will be, what elements of a designer's collection are destined for the shop window display, what's going to sell like crack-filled hot cakes, and what pieces aren't fit for much more than editorial.

Fashion, despite its inherent fickle disposition, is formulaic to an extent, and so this schedule is essential from a commercial perspective. In order for the industry of fashion to function, this schedule must be maintained. But, as a blogger, I don't see why we're demanding - with the increasing (online) access to the catwalks - to spoil suspense and gorge on another slaved-over drove of looks through a computer screen in order to satiate our consumptive desire. Ok, granted that was a little fire and brimstone, but is it really necessary to keep stoking this urge for something new? 

The rise of blogging has not helped. For me, it's somewhat of a double-edged sword: the emergence of online media and its penchant for immediate access undoubtedly made fashion more democratic, to the effect that I, a full-time Arts student, am considered a member of the fashion press despite having little or no formal training in, or comprehensive knowledge of, fashion. On the other hand, fashion's infamously elitist, so why not permit those boasting nerd-like passion (and little else) to assume a more active role within the industry? 

Still, I may be a blogger but isn't the whole point of blogging to write something that's relevant now, and not necessarily in the future? Don't get me wrong - we all need access to next season's collections but as Male-Mode.com was always intended as a platform for my own, um, style-related mental diarrhoea if you will, then it's only fair to point you in the direction of GQ.

Arms AW10: Acute Attention to Detail.

Rediscovering Dublin-based label (Made For You By) Arms for AW10 has been bittersweet; the collection is superb, but I'm reminded of the now defunct alternative retail mecca, Circus. Still, it's brands like Arms, headed by the v. charming Aussie Renate Henschke, that reassure me all's not lost for Dublin fashion. 

I first wrote about Arms back when it was nigh on impossible to bag one of their pieces in Circus. Almost every day I was in work customers would demand we re-order their comfy crewneck sweats and ever so slightly kitsch shirting, and it's really no wonder since Arms just kind of begs to be bought. Henschke understands the importance of classic silhouettes and fabrics for menswear design, but also appreciates the difference quirky detailing can make to a piece. I decided to go the source and recently paid a visit to her Clarendon St. studio to view the AW10 collection which boasts those cotton check shirts they do so well, tees with graphic detailing, oh and a first for Arms, a boxy cut jacket that has me reconsidering the importance of a slimline silhouette.

MM: Had you also wanted to be a menswear designer? 

RH: To be honest I did not imagine myself as a menswear designer at all when I came out of college but I really enjoy the contrainsts of menswear. With womenswear there are endless possibilites when it comes to shape, fabrics and trimmings but with the kind of menswear I make, you need to be very precise and quite minimal which I enjoy from a design perspective.

MM: What's your professional background? Did you study fashion?

RH: Yes, I studied fashion in Adelaide, South Australia at Marleston Tafe College. It was a fantastic course and it was very practical which I think is very important. Some people can leave college without being able to sew properly which I think is a shame. I moved to Ireland in 2004 and began working with the Angry clothing label which was a part of the Studio AAD company. My first role involved some design and the production of the men's and women's collection in Portugal. Angry clothing had been running for several seasons before I joined them so it was a great opportunity to join a small label and be involved in every element of the business. Arms is now a partnership with the 2 owners of Studio AAD and myself.

MM:How would you describe the aesthetic of ARMS as a label?

RH: Arms create simple, beautiful clothing for lovers of detail and subtlety.

^ The exquisite Arms studio

MM:What was your inspiration for the AW10 collection?

RH: The inspiration for the collection was, again, the creative studio environment. I focused on what kind of clothing people that work in this environment look for in their garments. My friends are always an inspiration too. They all want something comfortable, unique with attention to detail.

______________________________________

Find Arms at Topman.com (soon) and Dolls on Emorville Avenue, Dublin 8.

Peter Pilotto for Kipling: A Belgian Bag Affair.

As tweets (often drunken due to the ample volumes of champagne, but most complaining about this season's less than satisfactory PR-ing) from London Fashion Week flood the Twitterverse, I find I'm desperately trying to console myself with the latest addition to my very scant range of accessories - a Galaxy shopper from the Peter Pilotto x Kipling range unveiled at the Brown Thomas offices this week.

^ 'Galaxy' shopper (top) and the trademark Kipling gorilla (bottom)

Although it was a breakfast launch and not planned for evening time (read: complementary coffee instead of champers - darn), it was worth navigating crap Dublin public transport in the middle of rush hour, since the lovely ladies at Kipling and Brown Thomas (thanks Maeve!) were kind enough to gift myself and the v. charming Caroline of Miss Penny Dreadful a piece from the collab. each (!), which I did feel a little jammy for, considering I'd never even come across Kipling before checking out this range.

^ Peter Pilotto, Isabel Cheron (Vice President of Kipling), and Christopher de Vos

It turns out the collab. was a bit of a perfect marriage, though, what with Peter Pilotto designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos being half-Belgian and accessories label Kipling (yes, it's named after the well-travelled author, Rudyard Kipling) having been established in 1987 in Antwerp. I can't say I'm head over heels for Kipling's mainline garb but having worked with several emerging designers before (inc. La Cambre graduate, and fellow Belgian, Cathy Pill), the brand is obviously a proponent of today's emerging talent. With this collab., Kipling sought to channel Peter Pilotto's signature avant-garde experimentation with print (see below runway shot of fab zany look), and the results are pretty impressive. Yes, these are just nylon bags (or more specifically - shoppers, backpacks, belt bags, totes, and messengers, and more) with slightly quirky prints, but they're incredibly functional (with separate hooks for attaching keys, and more compartments than you could shake a stick at), and make a refreshing contrast to a lot of the 'designer x brand' tat on the market that might come at affordable price-points but lacks quality, being crafted with naff materials.

^ 'Galaxy' print (top) and 'Machine' print (bottom) (campaign keeps the collab. closer to home once again, featuring Belgian model Anouk Lepere)

^ Peter Pilotto AW10

________________________________________

Peter Pilotto x Kipling comes to BT2 at the end of this month and is available at prices starting from €40.

Topman LENS AW10: A High-street/High-end Triumph.

While it's no secret that high-street has always constituted the majority of my wardrobe, it's often I lament the fact that I can't purchase even a fraction of the brands under the control of some of my favourite menswear luminaries. I mean, yes, I could save, but aside from forgoing food and gaining some virtuous level of patience, it's just not feasible right now.

But does it matter? Well, yeah, but with so many accessible price-point labels and stores collaborating with some high calibre designers, it's never been easier to get in on the action without having to go without. ASOS has just launched the highly anticipated ASOS Black collection which fuses the appeal of good tailoring with fashion-forward (*cringe* someone please invent a less clichéd, but still appropriate adjective...) design, and just today another edition of LENS has gone live on Topman for AW10.

Following its inception several seasons ago, LENS has grown from a collaboration with then little-known designers to an astounding curation of some of London's foremost menswear designers' product. This season features London menswear fixtures Carolyn Massey, and JW Anderson, as well as the Aussie (with English and Danish roots) regular, Mjolk, long-time collaborator, Dexter Wong, and Finnish knits-heavy label from Marjut Uotila, Dusty. Tempting as it was to overload this post with a shot of every salivation-inducing piece, I've managed to narrow it down to what I'll be adding to my own wishlist...

^ Carolyn Massey Cord Pocket Shirt (£50) and Carolyn Massey Morning Coat (£120)

^ Dexter Wong Lapolo (£40) and Dexter Wong Bib Detail Jeans (£80)

^ Dusty Knit Strap Cardigan (£70)

^ JW Anderson Minimal Shawl (£70)

^ Mjolk Knit Shawl Collar Cardigan (£80)

_______________________________________________

For more on LENS, read about my AW09 purchase, and the incredible SS10 collaborations.

The Ministry: Thou Shalt Covet.

Career crossover, the kind of thing legions of models and it-girls have been engaging in for quite a few years now (whether or not they were incredibly ignorant of the workings of design), always felt like a great idea on first thought, but almost always proved itself a sham in the end. Still, despite Kate, SJP and...er...Liam Gallagher's lacking endeavours, creatives (rather than celebrities) remain enthused about the prospect of bringing one area of expertise to another more fashion-related. 

Take J. LeRon Cooper; a Newark, NJ native who, not satisfied with his lot within the artistic field of mural painting and tattoo artistry, sought to branch into fashion via his line, The Ministry (do watch the flash intro  - it's full of Cooper's amaze clothing cut with religious iconography). Thankfully, though, unlike many Turner Prize hopefuls turned would-be designers, Cooper refrains from piling on all that conceptual baggage. His passion is for utilitarian art - art that can be interacted with, and serves a purpose, whether it be specific or multifaceted. And although there's no cohesive set of pieces, no collection per se, it's kind of refreshing to be surprised with what Cooper conjures up next - like the below Swarovski tuxedo tee, drop-crotch jeans (love the button detailing on the side), Napoleon silk and linen blend button down and collarless napa leather shirt which just drip luxury but don't veer into flaming peacock territory...

Some of Cooper's sketches which remind me of 80s-era Gaultier and Mugler...

And campaign shots which blend the practicality of the clothing as well as the sometimes understated, sometimes overt luxury...

GQ Style Germany and Vogue Hommes Japan: Editorials to Enrapture.

After a week of backstage show dressing (for the first time; who knew womens' various clasps and bra hooks were so bloody complicated? Not this gay man...), hangover-nursing, and being heckled by the locals that congregate near my temporary gaff (seriously? Don't you have anything more productive to do than sit on your spotty arse and slag my fairly tame outfit choices?), I want nothing more than to remind myself why I got so obsessive about fashion in the first place. And a hefty dose of editorials rarely fails to hit the proverbial spot. Be warned, it's gonna get image heavy here...

First up, Fütter Mein Ego (Feed My Ego) from GQ Style Germany's AW10 issue, which harks back to Germany's heritage (being the birthplace of literary Romanticism) with work from the masters of dark romance, Ann Demeulemeester, and Viktor & Rolf, whilst also incorporating a distinctly German reservedness and elegant restraint in the form of pieces from more tailoring-led labels like Emporio Armani and Boss.

For non-Deutsch speakers, the subtitle basically translates as: A wardrobe of suits, coats, and sports jackets in few colours can appear somewhat uniform. Or elegant and eccentric: Welcome to the world of the modern dandies.

Photography: Giampaulo Sgura; Production: Klaus Stockhausen

Thanks to CQC for scans! See link to left for full credits.

And highlights from Vogue Hommes Japan's 5th issue, gleaned from creative director Nicola Formichetti's blog. Although I've yet to purchase an issue of this mag, it's the only men's publication that's kept me intrigued right from its inception with its mix of pop and up-market gloss.

^ Come Together Photography: Ben Toms; Styling: Robbie Spencer

^ The Modern Standard Photography: Miguel Reveriego; Styling: Shun Watanabe

^ With Night Comes The Darkness Photography: Mariano Vivanco; Styling: Nicola Formichetti