The Strap Ankle Boot
There’s an underlying elegance in leather strap footwear: monks for instance, be they single or double convey a characteristic poise enhanced by the belt-like fastening and metal buckles. As in so many other pieces, those small details make a whole lot of difference…
While looking for a more classic boot, reminiscent of the Chelsea and versatile enough to sport with jeans, chinos or slacks, I came across this version from Carlos Santos. Perfect height sitting at the ankle, beautiful shade of brown leather, Goodyear welted soles and featuring a strap fastening that instantly caught my eye. The sleek silhouette is balanced by the metal buckles and leather straps making them appropriate for dressing up or down according to your mood or preference. The perfect allrounder that was missing from my footwear collection, these will be on heavy rotation to achieve that perfect worn in effect.
Details: herringbone cotton jacket by Boglioli, MTO Thomas Mason Bespoke shirt, white jeans by Massimo Dutti, ankle boots by Carlos Santos, vintage silk pocket square and braided leather belt and watch by Daniel Wellington.
Model and Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira
Source: beyondfabric
Beyond Fabric x Purificacion Garcia #2
The second look I put together for Purificacion Garcia revolved around one of the Spring/Summer essentials: white denim. Although I’m often seen sporting them during Winter as well, there’s something that just feels right about throwing on a pair of white jeans on a sunshiny day. Being neutral you can pretty much pair pair them with anything you want (just be careful with going full white), so here I went with a variation on the navy blazer in a beautiful lighter shade of blue. The summery pale blue gingham shirt sets the perfect background for a bold striped tie, bringing pattern into the mix, while lightweight micro-sole taupe suede longwings pick on the caramel shades of the jacket buttons and go perfect “sans socks”.
Styling: Miguel Amaral Vieira
Rome: day 3 - Vintage finds
After checking all the high end labels located in Via Condotti and Veneto, we indulged on one of my favourite hobbies: vintage shop browsing. I can get lost for hours in these places and Rome was a pleasant surprise, offering a great selection of pieces at affordable prices and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met (more on that later). I’ve been looking for a suede bomber for a while and this one immediately caught my eye hanging amidst waxed Barbour jackets and Burberry trenches: mint condition, snug fit, outstanding camel shade and a €65,00 price tag, perfect. Paired with white jeans it’s a tough one to beat…green sweatshirt for that contrast shade and an unexpected twist with the burgundy scarf creating an extra layer at the waist. Not to be worn everyday, but it’s nice to experiment and think out the box for a change…
Details: vintage camel suede bomber jacket, garden green great sweat by Our Legacy, grey crewneck tee by Levi’s, white slim fit jeans by Massimo Dutti, aviators by Ray Ban, watch by Gucci, bracelets by street vendor and burgundy paisley scarf by Zara.
Shot @ Tiber River, Trastevere, Rome
Farewell sunny days
While Winter has finally caught up with us, the atypical seasonal weather still allowed me to sport one of my favourite looks. As I mentioned earlier, wearing a blazer in hot weather calls for the right choice of fabric. This herringbone linen blazer from Gentleman Tailors in a brownish shade with slight hints of blue is definitely one of this year’s winners: lightweight, breathable and perfectly tailored to my liking, it’s full of small outstanding details such as two toned functional cuff buttons, patch pockets and paisley inner lining for added flare. It’s a perfect match for the navy/wine check short sleeve button down, which adds depth and pattern to the look. White jeans balance the whole outfit out and look great with the greyish suede espadrilles. Accessories add the final touch through the silk pocket square capturing the shirt’s essence, braided leather belt and timeless watch.
Combining some of my best last season purchases, it exudes a sophisticated nonchalance, perfectly in tune with that relaxed summery vibe.





Herringbone linen blazer by Gentleman, checked shirt by Our Legacy, jeans by Massimo Dutti, suede espadrilles by n.d.c., sunglasses by Rayban (aviators), silver string by Goti, pocket square (vintage), belt (vintage), bracelet (street vendor) and watch by Baume and Mercier (Classima Executive)
Urban Menswear Myths #3
Inherent to our perception of color and its earthy, warm or cold tones, we are keen to associate it with different seasons of the year. As a rule of thumb brighter/lighter shades become Summer staples, whereas warmer/darker ones are usually considered for Winter.
This division of the color palette into strict seasons always put me off in a way, but I can relate to it simply by taking human behaviour into account. We’re moody beings, subject to humor variations which besides our personal issues, are undoubtedly influenced by the weather itself. Our usual good Summery mood, a kind of temporary euphoria, leads us to express it through the use of color; in Winter however, our gloomy disposition is the perfect match for darker shades. Nonetheless, we were also given the gift of thought and decision making, which should overcome our humor when it comes to outfits.
One of the colors which is discarded right off the bat come colder days, and regrettably so in my opinion, is white. The epitome of lighter shades, it’s usually viewed upon as a SS alternative not only for its shiny mood but also for the ease of getting dirty. There’s no argument there: white will always be prone to stains, even more so in rainy, windy days. Sporting it in the rain might be a bit of a stretch, but it shouldn’t be left out of your wardrobe as it’s likely you’ll experience a few nice days during the season. Pulling off your white jeans with a hunter green cashmere sweater, topped with a navy duffle coat and snuff suede double monks is well worth the trouble of throwing them in the washer afterwards… and besides, they aren’t meant to look pristine all the time. After all, you still sport your crisp white shirts, so why give up the bottoms? 
I had something like this in mind: Gloverall Mid Length Duffle Jacket, Kitsuné V-neck Cashmere Sweater, Rugby Solid University Oxford, Zara Jeans, Ovadia & Sons Snuff Suede Milford Double Buckle Shoe and Anderson’s Woven Belt.





