Creating the Modern Safari Look

For SS14, menswear takes a walk on the wild side.



For anyone with even the slightest interest in keeping up with current fashion trends, it would have been difficult to notice the earthy, natural tones and utilitarian styles on the menswear SS14 catwalks. Reminiscent of Indiana Jones and Out of Africa, the Modern Safari trend celebrates heritage combined with practical, comfortable but smart fashion.

Many summer trends can seem to casual for those who prefer a more classic, smart look. Summer fashion should be light, breathable, effortless and stylish; and this is where modern safari steps in.

Striking yet simple, modern safari utilises muted, natural shades cut in utility driven styles which is easily adapted to any situation. So, channel your inner explorer and lets dive straight into the perfect safari look....

Colour Matching

Dusty, sandy shades are the staple of this look with khaki, beige, cream and white also being on trend for this look and ideal for keeping cool in the heat. These staple colours are complimented by bolder tones such as terracotta, earthy reds and sunset yellows.



The Safari Jacket

Traditionally an important piece of British Military uniform for soldiers serving in Africa, the safari, or bush jacket is a utility style jacket designed for action and high temperatures. Typically waist length and featuring four pockets, a waistband and epaulettes whilst being lightweight and allowing for ease of movement and providing additional warmth for chilly evenings.

For the modern safari look the jacket has been modified slightly; the pockets remain largely intact, although you may also find the look recreated with three or two pockets. The waistband has largely disappeared as it would probably prove unpopular with most men, although a slightly cinched waist is a standard way to create the original effect and give shape and definition. You will find most safari jackets in khaki colours, cream, beige and browns.

Barbour's Stanley Jacket

Midlayers.

A shirt would be the classic choice, but add a modern twist by opting for a short sleeve option. White and cream are ideal colours to look for as they work well with this look and are versatile enough to see you through many more summers. The midlayers would however be a chance to experiment with those bolder colours we mentioned earlier. A tee-shirt would be a more casual choice for weekends, and an easy way to incorporate a splash of bold colour into the outfit. For a smarter, weekday look a cool linen or cotton shirt in white or cream shades will be ideal. If you prefer to wear a long sleeve shirt try rolling the sleeves up slightly for a more rugged, 'outback explorer' look.

Barbour Alber Shirt and Hurlingham Polo Shirt.

Trousers or Shorts?

Beige and khaki coloured legwear is a must for this look. Above the knee shorts are ideal to give a strong nod to the origins of the look, but slim fit trousers and chinos are also perfect for creating a smarter style. For a casual look opt for jeans.

Barbour Slim Essential Chino and Joules Fenlow Shorts

Footwear.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the Desert Boot is the footwear of choice for this look. Choose a quality suede pair in dark brown, beige or mahogany shades. If you feel that boots would be too hot, Derby shoes can be worked easily into this look.

  

Barbour Ledger Desert Boot and Cottam Derby Shoe.

Accessories

Stay cool in the shade with a straw or outback hat in colours that compliment your outfit. A leather cross shoulder or messenger bag is an ideal finishing touch to this outfit, look for lightweight and practical options that are easy to carry.

               Barbour Wax Leather Mail Bag

Summer Layering

Summer dressing in the UK can be a tricky thing to perfect. Waking up to glorious sunshine doesn't immediately give the green light to shorts, vest tops and sandals. We are plagued by thoughts of 'will it still be sunny an hour from now?' and 'is there rain in the forecast?' so on and so forth. This is where clever layering becomes a must. Done with a little thought it is easy to create a chic, comfortable look that will see you smoothly from sun up to sun down and everything inbetween.

First of all, create a good base layer with a vest top, shirt or tee-shirt and trousers, shorts or a skirt. Essential items that are light enough for the heat, but simple enough to build on.

If wearing a casual vest or tee, smarten it up with a light blazer - this is also a good opportunity to experiment with colour blocking, for example wearing a red vest top with a blue blazer to create contrast and interest. For a more casual look pair a vest or tee with a light summer cardigan.

Shown are; Joules Mimi Vest in Melon; Dunmere Jacket and Hepburn Trousers in Navy. 

If you prefer not to wear a jacket and are looking for a more casual look, try layering with a shirt over your vest top or tee-shirt. This might work especially well for men, with a shirt layered over a tee and loosely buttoned, but could work well for ladies who would like to casually layer a shirt over a vest - if you're feeling especially bohemian, you can try tying the bottom of the shirt rather than buttoning. This is a good alternative to wearing a cardigan over a base layer.

Try mixing shades of blue this year. Shown is Jack Murphy's Mark Shirt and Barbour's Cross Flags Tee. 

Mix up patterns for a bold look. Such as Joules Skipperton Tee and Wilson Shirt.

Wear a light summer vest with a shirt for a relaxed look and alternative to cardigans.

Shown are Joules Maywell Shirt, Mimi Vest and Elspeth Shorts. 

Joules Chrissy Skirt is paired with the Mimi Vest and Lovell Shirt (which is whiter than it appears here)

Light knitwear is perfect for summer, especially on cooler summer evenings. A thin knit sweater is a perfect piece to wear over a shirt or vest to keep out the evening chill. Style conscious chaps can experiment with contrasting top and lower halves by wearing a knit sweater with shorts. Combining a button up shirt with a light sweater and shorts creates a contrast which works surprisingly well. Team with deck shoes for a complete summer chic look.

Barbour Alber Shirt and Hawick Crew Neck Pullover

Joules Fenlow Shorts with Musto Nautic Bay Shoe

Fashion and Recipes to Celebrate Wimbledon

On the third day of Wimbledon we have been checking out spectator fashion and brought together some of our favourite key pieces for a smart and stylish outfit.

                       

We love the blue and white outfit in a Wimbledon photo from Vogue. We think the Joules Inaya Tunic and Elna Loafers would make a smart and elegant summer outfit.

        

This smart, nautical look would be at home almost anywhere. We recreate it with the Salisbury Jacket from Alan Paine and Joules Hepburn Trousers. You could choose between a casual Mimi Vest from Joules or a smart Anna Shirt from Jack Murphy (both below) to complete this look. (Wimbledon photo from Vogue). 

  

In celebration of this British institution we've found out some delicious recipes to make with strawberries and cream (apart from just eating them as they are - which is also an excellent use for them!).
(Courtesy of BBC Good Food)


This delicious Summer Pudding is easy to make and would make a lovely garden party centrepiece.

Summer Pudding

Try your hand at making this summery strawberry jam, gorgeous spread on warm croissants or in strawberry tarts

Soft Set Strawberry and Pimms Jam

This Polka Dot Strawberry Cake is certain to impress, if you're feeling ambitious enough to take it on!

Polka Dot Strawberry Cake

A quintessential summer classic Eton Mess is adapted into trifle form. 

Eton Mess Trifle

Ideal for picnics, these Strawberries and Cream Cheesecakes are quick and easy to make!

Strawberries and Cream Cheesecakes

    

Rewaxing Your Barbour Jacket

Our newest webpage and guide 'How to ReWax Your Barbour Jacket' is now up and running and ready to view, here. To create the page and its accompanying video we set about rewaxing an old, much loved Barbour, using the Thornproof Dressing. This comes in a fairly small tin and needs to be stood in hot water to soften the wax before proceeding.

We used a new sponge (an old one may crumble and leave bits behind) although with hindsight a cloth would have been a better option. The sponge was, naturally, very absorbent and we soon discovered that a little wax goes a long way! It is also advised that you re-wax in a warm place, likely because in cooler atmospheres the wax begins to solidify on the jacket much more quickly, making it much more difficult and time consuming to rub the wax into the fabric.

Despite the minor teething problems, we found the home re-waxing process straight-forward and easy, with great results and we would certainly recommend trying your hand at it!

Putting the jacket to some good use first!

Cleaning before re-waxing

Softening the Thornproof Dressing

Working the dressing into the fabric

Picnic Recipes

Our beautiful Joules Picnic Bags, Cool Bags and Picnic Rugs are proving exceptionally popular! So, we can only assume there'll be lots of al-fresco dining going on this summer. This got us thinking about our favourite picnic foods and, in this blog, we've scoured the web for some delicious and inspiring recipes for you to try!

It's just not a picnic without scotch eggs! Here's two recipes for a vegetarian, Falafel Scotch Egg and Heston's traditional Scotch Egg.

Great British Pork Pies with Piccalilli and Summer Sausage Rolls, from BBC Good Food. 

We love these light and tasty Ham and Asparagus Rolls with Lemon Dressing and Tortilla makes a great picnic addition. 

Healthy options include Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Brie on Rye Bread and Marinated Chicken Kebabs

Two delicious Scone recipes include Cheddar and Sage Scones and Mediterranean inspired Feta, Olive and Sunblushed Tomato Scones.

And, finally, who could forget the Pimms! The perfect summer refresher, nothing too complicated here > http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pimms

And if you've not seen them yet, here's a peek at the gorgeous Picnic Range from Joules...

                          Picnic Rucksack                          Cool Bag                                   Picnic Blanket