Autumn Winter Men’s fashion Trend – Queen’s Country

Queen’s Country

A few months ago I leaped blindly on to the back of a trend I thought was going to be a biggie come those tedious winter months, which are approaching at an awfully rapid rate. Basically it went down like a gigantic, inflated sack of ‘Ralph Lauren’. However, I’m going back there and hopefully you’ll have had enough time to digest that image of British eccentricities promised for next season.

I never sit there and look at the Queen and think, ‘Oh my days, she’s so cool’. As much as I have all respect for old Betty, she’s not exactly the Gaga of blue blood monarchy. However on paper maybe she is just that, well, that is in terms of British eccentricity. From her matching, tweed suits and her timeless millinery, to the vast collection of jewel-encrusted, Victorian brooches and Liberty Lawn neckerchiefs, I mean come on, she’s a chic little thing isn’t she. And all this extravagance is just Ma’am day wear. Where we’re going this winter is that all so famous ‘Queens-hunting-attire’.

Let me illustrate how this sartorial salute came to be.

So I’m out perusing the latest savvy happenings with the full time Fashion Mister, Ashley Cover. To his dismay I’m flapping about like some unfortunate chicken whose end is inevitable and nigh. My problem is I just love beautiful clothes, this is exactly why it’s imperative that I shop solo: I get excited over diminutive, intimate wardrobes, so you can imagine how I react in major brand HQ’s. Let me tell you its messy and slightly scary. Another issue I’ve developed over the years is that I completely forget how to dress myself when in these heavenly, sartorial situations. I’m not saying I rip all my clothes off as soon as one foot is in the door and run around arms flaying (yet this is only because I would get arrested and prison slacks just wouldn’t be that forgiving on me). My problem is I lose all knowledge of what suits me and channel all my fashion know-how into dressing my company, and if it’s the case that I’m alone, it’ll be the person to the right of me trying on the pink, plaid harems “yeah, you definitely shouldn’t buy those”.

Return back to Ash and myself perusing the bulging rails, full of the latest ‘it’ pieces. We stroll upon the newest installment from the Topman LTD range. I’ve always been a fan of this series, every season it’s spot on and yet still affordable. To my absolute delight the AW10 collection doesn’t disappoint – far from it actually – I mean it’s literally the shiznay. So here’s when my decapitated chicken flapping increases to something more along the lines of that horrible, squealing noise pigs make. This is the precise moment when my company starts to wish they had declined my offer of a shopping date, “Ooo I can’t, sorry, um I’m waiting for a, um thing”. This is also around the same time confused onlookers mistake me for an ‘escapee’ and slowly make their excuses to leave the building.

So here I am in front of this wonderful, inspiring collection, slowly piling endless amounts of garments over one arm. “Oh Ash, you should totally own this,” a horse head print tie; a rosette embellished polo shirt, oh my days, those breeches style corduroys with the leather, saddle patch are fiiit. “You definitely need those,” and so I stagger upon the quilted jacket with its suede elbow patches and this is the one thing I not so hesitantly through onto my self. “Now this one’s mine, stay back or feel my wrath”.

I know I’ve spent the last, numerous sentences drawling over the LTD collection, but they’re not the only ones delving into the deep end of that delicious strolling-in-the-country pool of yummy-ness.

Zara have taken a huge dollop of saddlery, equine prints in beige, greens and browns and smothered it (thicker in some places than others) over their entire AW collection. From beautiful heavy, wool coats to perfectly fitted carrot, tailored trousers and the all important hunting blouse. Even H&M are taking handfuls of country chic and sprinkling it across their affordable, collection of new arrivals.

My point is that the Queens aging chic-ness is making a swift return, thus throwing (well maybe gently placing, she is getting on a bit) her to the top of the leader board for savvy forward, fashion icons for this season and quite frankly I think it’s tremendously exciting. Maybe we’ll even see the odd crown fashioned on the peaks of those flamboyantly, extravagant fashionistas.

The fast approaching winter months are looking brighter after all.

Big Love,
Jacob Kamara
http://twitter.com/jacobkamara

Editor Addition

So below you will find what Jacob has been gushing over throughout the whole of his post above. These are the latest Topman LTD collection promotional shots and some of the collection which exemplifies what this trend is all about. We have plenty of full trend preview reports coming up over the coming months which will delve into specific sections of each trend like tweed, country, quilting and the like. All are set to take off like never before this year though so I would recommend you get on board early.

The Lookbook

The Collection

So here is a selection of items you can already get your hands on which really hit the trend: