Author Archives: Luke Todd

The Modern Man’s Mantra The Mantra of Arrogance: Many assume it to be a product of French invention; as it remains, arrogance is still an arrogant subject. I want to arrogate to myself the ability to mantra an indispensable guide of modern man, modern accord, modern modernism(?), in a post millennium setting. The Buddhists won’t let me. Does my want rather than the self-proclaimed ability to, restore any lost humility? The Mantra of Social Acceptability: There currently circulates six thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two stagnant books professing their gentlemanly principles…

Introduction I requested a bio’ of all contributors. Anyone not intimidated by the pretence of lexically indulgent and frankly, overwhelming words dwelling in my articles obliged accordingly. I suppose, in avoidance of being shunned for pedalling hypocrisy, it calls upon me to follow suit. Prepare to have any façade of preconceptions about me longingly established: Luke Todd; ‘Seasonal’ biography I’m a clothes storage system embezzled, in a more often than not case of the [not so] essentials of any given sartorial requiem. Self-diagnosed bi-polar towards the seasons also occasionally blunders…

Introduction YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Well, not so much your country, or your region in fact, not even so much the poorly dressed councilmen of your estate. The FashionBeans community is spilling over with readers (and the occasional stalker). For the latter, I have a compiled list of FashionBeans writers’ addresses available for distribution. It would be wrong to assume every dandy, chap, and Bill visit the site to receive a level of a sartorial education; although the effects of the undelivered seminars on where the hell chivalry went certainly…

Introduction So here I am, back again. Attempting to put a few shoddy words together, emanate Michael Caine’s ‘Alfie’ chap (charm-check, wardrobe-check, dapper eccentricity- I’m half there), pedal a few insights and aphorisms and hope no one shouts at me for detrementing the English language in an effort to display an overzealous lexicography yet offering minimal understanding of what I’m actually doing with it… Oh yeah and I’ll shine a sartorial spotlight on what you need to be wearing and what you need to put back in your grandmother’s closet…

Introduction If there is one thing, one idiosyncratic quirk, that plagues the English populace more than any, it’s procrastination. There is always somewhat of an angst when starting a new article; a wrangling in my stomach and in my head of which I know wasn’t left by Saturday night’s ill-advised kebab choice. It is so easy to be put up on a pedestal as an omnipresent of knowledge; acting as ubiquitous in all stand-points of style and genre as my current level of energy/ intoxication will allow. With any measure…

Introduction The length of this article is less than biblical, it doesn’t aim to out-word war and peace and it leaves little time to be caught browsing at work (but hopefully enough time to admire). The editorial has been broken down into sections to allow everyone to plan their aviation attire with care and thought. Jumping into certain aspects of life head-first just isn’t a good idea, like an empty swimming pool for a dramatically obviously example? There is a credible chance that, with any read of my characteristically eccentric…

Introduction The length of this article is less than biblical, it doesn’t aim to out-word war and peace and it leaves little time to be caught browsing at work (but hopefully enough time to admire). The editorial has been broken down into sections to allow everyone to plan their aviation attire with care and thought. Jumping into certain aspects of life head-first just isn’t a good idea, like an empty swimming pool for a dramatically obviously example? If, as I previously noted, the excitement of airports is marginal; then the…

Part 1: The Airport Ensemble The excitement of airports is marginal; you need an educational aptitude higher than expected of modern man to understand the restrictions of luggage and accord. The approach of “could I cause anyone discomfort with this item?” leaves little suitable for hand luggage after enduring any form of in flight ‘entertainment’. With any stretch of the imagination; anywhere between a travel sized iron and a travel sized mouthwash is enough to sodomise the crew with in all their recently whitened smiles, “hello’s” and “have a wonderful…

The Experts’ Introduction Life is a battlefield; yet wielding any description of prehistoric war paraphernalia at your boss/ co-workers/ friends/ potential love interests is deemed to be socially unacceptable. Going into any battle well dressed is going into a battle half won. The other half is won with…blagging it? Throughout my editorials I pedal consistently insightful mottos/life sayings/aphorisms/pronouncements/dictums. I carry myself with an ‘imperceptible’ sense of humility (?) I grasp the English language and ‘blag’ my way through any such means of a dictionary. I could pedal more self-fashioned proverbs…

A GENTLEMANLY INTRODUCTION: From the etymology of the Latin gentili-s: belonging to the same gens or stock. The concise hyphenation of gen-tle-man, aided by the received IPA pronunciation along with offering the pluralisation of gentlemen. The noun form of a man of breeding or of higher class. When produced colloquially it is nothing short of a trip to the ‘little boy’s room’. It is the gesticulation of prolonging an introduction through implementing grandiose words and an elaborate overindulgence of Wikipedia. A gentleman’s disposition, to few, is of personal taste. To…

What is…? Colour | [kuhl-er] | -Noun The quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light; saturation or chroma; hue. Sartorially speaking? A chance of expression. Individualise. Hardy Amies Colourful Introduction “Everybody talks about the return of colour to men’s clothing as if it had never been there before. The French have an expression ‘Grisaille’ which they use to denote a form of decoration in different shades of grey. As…

Sportswear Introduction I decided to write this piece based on a predisposed idea I have found myself pedalling. Sportswear brands have been an emblem for so many generations, so many icons and so many trends. With this in mind I feel reluctant to be anything less than embarrassed for my wardrobe omissions. I am in no way annulling my style convictions; you won’t catch me not too dissimilar from a Jimmy Savile shell suit any time soon. Integrity intact, I always introduce the idea that a man who approaches life…

The doctor will see you now… There be nout more British than a few quaint. Teenage pregnancies, cheap cider and our Monarch’s Union Jack draped undies. There stands those few that staple ‘this is what us British produce’ onto our tweed & quilted hearts. Granted we have to give the Germans credit for their part in the history of ‘Docs’. Nevertheless, our punk anarchists pushed these icons into the mainstream far further than any German anarchist ever dared (and admittedly – they had some nasty ones!) To illustrate the adornment…

It’s all gone a bit ‘nod to the 90′s. To avoid just being recalled simply as a dandy, must you empower the ideologies of 90′s man? Revel in the thoughts that the web will never take off, your butler-’bot will make a sensational coffee every morning; and not to mention awaiting the second coming of Jesus like an out-of-schedule bus. You wait forever and then, who knows, two might come along. Fortunately this time around I’m not here to cultivate you into failing to recognise Dale Winton’s tendencies or stand…

Style steal Introduction The generic discourse for the contents of this title would be a number 52, a 19, a 28, pita & pilau. Fortunately the aspirational style of the local Indian Restaurant is not on the menu for this week’s article. Bummer. I would like to clear up that in the event of a style steal, all clothes were returned and most charges were dropped; the other way around or somewhere around there… Bombay Bicycle Club’s style is about everything 90’s from basics to Balearic brights, printed tees to…

Introduction Time to be shady about events. It happens twice every year, four if you’re a real stickler, but leave the pedantic geography teacher at the door. I’m talking about seasonal change. No matter how prepared you anticipate you are; you never are. The first day that the sun arrives is the day it all goes tits up. You end up fighting with the single Mum holstering two melting, sticky ice lollies for the best spot on the green. She, at the same time, seems to be employing her shins…

Style Shrink Introduction “So tell me when you first developed your fear of socks and sandals…” Over the next few months you will see the FashionBeans site grow even bigger and sexier. And the writers… well they’ll just grow sexier and sexier. I’d love to be able to tell you all the exciting upcoming features that are going to be added to the site but if I told you I’d have to kill you; and steal your shoes. –Mainly because Ben would kill me… and steal my shoes. And I…

Introduction Hello to you who I now collectively refer to as ‘fashion beaners’. Welcome to the men’s fashion round-up of the past weeks. This edition contains everything from news & shoes from your fashion gurus and jeans for the man of means, here on FashionBeans! That was either incredibly cheesy or equally genius! The opening months of the year are huge in the fashion calendar. Ignorant of the fact you have broken potentially all of your new year’s resolutions (which I hope didn’t end up in arrests), you can indulge…

In 1964, Hardy Aimes would have reluctantly redirected you from ‘Shorts’ to ‘Beachwear’. He would have stated: The natural desire to relax is often the cause of abandonment of all standards of taste. It is the Italians who arouse our admiration, but examination of their technique shows us that they are prepared to spend as much as much money and time on their beachwear as their town outfits. He will never wear shorts except at the water’s edge. In 2010, Luke Todd would share his insight with a cheeky wink….

SS10 is full of hat-worthy trends which is why I am going to turn you all into a hat-wearing cult bigger than the old-birds at Ascot! Hats, to the lesser fashion-literate, are an excuse not to be effed’ to do your hair. Booooo to you sir! “A man should look as if he bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, then forgot about them.” – Hardy Amies Now that I have shamed you into my hat-wearing society it is time to cover the basics of ‘el arte…