Pick of the Week

A short sleeve shirt is a great option to stay stylish and keep cool in the summer months. This shirt, which is new in this week at Topman is one of the best that I have seen. 

From brand, Jaded the shirt is a real summer style statement with it's heavy floral print. A great summer piece that looks great with jeans or with chino shorts, as styled by Topman. 

Shop the pick of the week jaded khaki floral shirt at Topman. 

New articles for Entouraaj Magazine

My latest articles for Entouraaj Magazine are now online. 

The new pieces for the British Asian menswear publication include more of the best looks sent in by readers with details on where to go to get the look as well as a profile of Mr Omer Farooq, the Creative Director of Republic, a Pakistani based brand that has the ability to go global. 

Head to the below links to read the articles in full:

Mr Omer Farooq

Men of Entouraaj: Looks of the Week

Men of Entouraaj: Looks of the Week

New articles for Mens Fashion Magazine

Two of my latest pieces for Men's Fashion Magazine are now online. 

Last weeks articles for the menswear online publication are a look at the debut collection of men's swimwear from new brand Thomas Royall (a great mix of plain and printed designs) and the first edition of the Red Wing Post, a magazine from the makers of some damn good footwear. 

Head to the below links to read the articles in full:

Shop swimwear from Thomas Royall 

Red Wing Post edition 1 launched 

Look of the Week

Trying something different, this weeks illustrated look features an item which will feature as the key piece again next week, where it will be styled by a different illustrator and with a range of different items. 

This week, styling the key bomber jacket in a high end designer look, the illustrated look has been created by artist ALEXMADEMEDOIT. Established in 2009, the illustration concept ALEXMADEMEDOIT mixes sharp line illustration with digital manipulation to create really stunning modern art. In house projects like "Illustrate Me Sexy" and "Girls on Paper" have allowed to concept to create a really strong fashion illustration message, which embraces homour. This is the first menswear commission for ALEXMADEMEDOIT and I am beyond thrilled with the refreshing, bold and courageous illustration that has been created. 

As I say above, the key piece in the look is the Mihara Yasuhiro feather embroidered bomber jacket from FarFetch. I am a huge fan of the label Japanese brand and this jacket is one of the best pieces from the last collection. Styling the bomber with other high end designer pieces was not difficult - a pair of great J.W Anderson slim trousers (at Mr Porter) make a nice change from denim, and the Margiela ring at Matches Fashion makes a real style statement. The simple black Topman leather sneakers add to the luxe factor with their high shine. 

A huge thanks to ALEXMADEMEDOIT for the brilliant illustration. I am thrilled with the illustration of the high end look for this week. You can find out more about the concept illustration company on their website as well as by following on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Make sure to come back to The Rakish Gent next week to see the same bomber jacket styled in a high street way. 

Best Dressed of the Week - Mr Tinie Tempah

I have always been a big fan of Tinie Tempah's style. He seems to have a fearless and fun approach to fashion - always wearing things slightly different to others and never looking like anyone but himself.

Behind the decks and in front of the flashbulbs at the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup Final polo event earlier this week, the ever stylish rapper rocks Dolce & Gabbana white collarless bib front shirt with plain black joggers and black leather sneakers. It is a simple, elegant and striking look. There are not many men that can get away with wearing joggers to the polo, but if anyone can, Tinie can. 

Images courtesy of Mail Online/ Daily Mirror

Shop - Shore Projects watches

New brand Shore Projects has just launched a range of watches that combines the Swiss designs with classic British style. 

Each watch features a stainless steel case with scratch resistant sapphire glass. The collection is inspired by the idyllic summer at the British seaside combined with the style of classic explorer watches. The adaptable straps are interchangeable (so you can make it look like you have a different and new watch on all of the time) and are created with the finest Italian leather. 

True to the design inspiration, the watches are waterproofed to 100m which makes them perfect for a dip in the sea. The 2014 collection is based on a vintage look - classic white and muted black dials with brushed silver and gold finishes to accompany the adjustable straps. 

Unisex, versatile and ultra affordable at £85 a watch and £15 each for the individual straps (£20 for the polka dot designs), take a closer look at my picks of the current collection below:

Poole Green

Poole Grey

St Ives Light Blue

Whitstable Yellow 

Shop the range at Shore Projects. 

July column - British Style Bloggers

My July column for British Style Bloggers is now live. 

For my latest column piece, I take a look back at London Collections: Men which took place in the capital in June. The article looks at all of the major trends for S/S '15 from the shows - from pinstripe suits, to pastel pink and art inspired prints from all the key designers including Alexander McQueen, E. Tautz and Burberry Prorsum. 

Head to the below link to read the article in full:

The Rakish Gent on S/S '15 trends

Pick of the Week

For those of us lucky enough to be holidaying this summer, you will need a great pair of swim shorts and Reiss have a great selection, with this pair of Ditora trunks being my pick of the week. 

The shorts are mid length (the most flattering cut for most of us) and a classic fit in a striking butterfly and floral print design. Featuring one back pocket and slash pockets to each hip, it also looks pretty damn good with a towelling polo. 

Shop the pick of the week Ditora blue nature swim shorts at Reiss. 

New articles for Mens Fashion Magazine

A couple of new articles that I recently wrote for the brilliant Men's Fashion Magazine are now online. 

The new pieces are a look at the S/S '15 collection from Italian brand Salvatore Ferragamo and a preview of the Harvey Nichols x #BEENTRILL# collection which is due to hit stores later this year. 

Head to the below links to read the articles in full:

Salvatore Ferragamo S/S '15 collection

Harvey Nichols launches #BEENTRILL#

Look of the Week

Geek chic is never been a look that I have aspired to, but after seeing the illustration created by Hallie Heald for Look of the Week, it is definitely a style that I am going to have to start thinking about. This is the first illustration that Hallie has created to The Rakish Gent and I love it. Based in New York, she is a freelance designer, stylist and illustrator. Since September 2013 she has been involved in am ambitious project to create an illustration every day for a year. In each of her paintings, she tries to capture the essence of the subject, whether that be through colours or gestures, or through expressions. 

The above look, as per usual has been styled by me and are great individual pieces that come together to create a really stylish look. The cotton, cashmere and wool blend sweater in a cool cream shade is from one of my favourite brands. A.P.C. and looks great with a pair of light pink J. Crew chinos, both of which are currently available at Mr Porter. Finish the preppy look off with clean an cool sneakers from Common Projects at Oki-Ni and black round glasses from Linda Farrow at FarFetch. 

A huge thanks to Hallie for her awesome illustration. I am really looking forward to featuring her illustrations on The Rakish Gent again. You can find out more about her on her website, as well a following on Instagram and Twitter. 

Best Dressed of the Week - Mr Harry Styles

Harry Styles has the answer to summer evenings out fashion questions that you may have - the humble short sleeve shirt. The One Directioner looks great attending the GQ and Warner Music party last night in London in his trademark skinny black jeans and brown suede Chelsea boots, and of course the fedora. I am not a huge fan of tattoos or shirts that are buttoned up half way, but it is a look that Harry can pull off with ease. 

The shirt that Mr Styles is wearing (the Lexington from Farah Vintage) is no longer available, but you can still shop the range of shirts from the brand on their website. 

Image courtesy of Mail Online. 

Marks and Spencer suits styling project

A couple of weeks ago, the lovely people at Marks and Spencer got in touch with me and asked me to participate in their suits styling project. The brief was simple - pick a suit and style it in the decade of your choice. 

With a love of all things old fashioned, I chose to style a look  inspired by the 1930s. I opted for the navy three piece check suit shown above, which I wore with the waistcoat, a knitted plum tie and silk pocket square from Reiss. To make the style even more thirties friendly, I added a vintage gold pocket watch which is pretty damn rakish. 

Having never previously owned a suit from Marks and Spencer, I was really impressed by the quality. The suit that I am wearing is tailored really well and is 100% pure wool. Having never really been a wearer of waistcoats, I was a fan of how well fitted it was and how wearable the suit is as a three piece, without the waistcoat or without the jacket. Although wearing the whole look together does make me feel like I belong in the stylish 1930s which is no bad thing as far as I am concerned. 

The suiting at Marks and Spencer is one of the labels strongest features - the range currently includes the Collezione collection, modelled by David Gandy and the Savile Row inspired Best of British collection, fronted by Oliver Cheshire. My suit is from the Autograph collection, which specialises in slim, stylish suits that are easy to wear and suit the workplace and formal events. 

A huge thanks to the team at Marks and Spencer for including me in this project. Find out more and shop the huge selection of suits at Marks and Spencer. 

Pick of the Week

The Mr Porter sale is now in its final stages and there is still a huge selection of amazing pieces to get your hands on. This weeks pick of the week is one of my favorite pieces currently in the sale - the lightweight bonded bomber jacket from Lanvin.

Cut from bonded cloth, the jacket has an effortlessly fluid style that is typical of Lanvin. Unlined, so you can keep cool in the summer heat and in a vibrant raspberry pink, as with any good bomber jacket it can easily be styled up or down. Even better - it is 50% off the original price. 

Shop the pick of the week raspberry pink Lanvin bomber jacket at 50% off in the Mr Porter sale. 

Shop - Bilam Bags for men

Where would we be without our man bags? We would be stuffing our pockets with cards, keys and all other sorts of paraphernalia is where we would be. If you are on the hunt for a new man bag, your first or maybe an addition to your collection, take a look at the range from new range Bilam. 

Designed by a family run business based in Cambridgeshire, Bilam seek to create some choice for men, in a market that caters very well for women. The designs are contemporary, stylish and vibrant without being in your face. 

The capsule collection, named "Maison" is made up of four bags in different colours but that share the same design features. Inspired by the design of a traditional postman's bag, they are hand crafted from durable British leather, with an adjustable strap with antique style buttons. They are You could fit all you need for a day in the bag, which comfortably holds an Ipad and more. 

Each bag is handmade in England and created made to order. They all retail at the same price (£139.00) and the brand currently offer free delivery. It is the colour that really makes Bilam bags stand out for me. There is the more traditional camel and brown shades or the jewel greens and blues that stand out. Take a closer look at the range below:

Buffalo brown

Organic green

Mean as mustard

Electric blue

Shop the range at Bilam Bags.