“I always used to think leather boots and shoes were reserved for special occasions, and you had to wear sneakers during the day. This was when I was younger. But now I know that smarter shoes can be worn all day, thanks in part to modern shoe manufacturers making them comfortable enough to wear every day. Timberland are my first choice, with all day comfort and killer designs.”

These types of shoes are ideal for wearing with a dark pair of denim jeans (I’m currently wearing Naked & Famous denim, available in Cape Town at Loading Bay) I could easily wear the following pairs of shoes every day of my life:

Timberland Wodehouse Chukka

This is an awesome pair of mid length boots, easy going and nothing too fancy. Will work in any situation thanks to their shiny (But not too shiny) appearance.

Details:

Premium Horween full-grain leather, hand finished for a unique, well-worn and well-cared-for appearance
Molded leather midsole for a handcrafted look and great styling
Leather outsole with a rubber heel and forefoot insert for traction and flexibility
Waxed cotton laces
Note that minor differences may be present in the right and left shoes as part of the worn-in aesthetic

Timberland Wodehouse Oxford

Definitely one of the best looking pair of shoes I’ve seen recently, nice point to them without being too pointy. If there is one thing I do not recommend to anyone (A personal choice), it is square toed shoes. It reminds me too much of Richard Hammond. Boot cut jeans and square toe shoes make you look like you’ve just stepped out of college and are trying to impress at your first job interview, using clothes you’ve had since school.

Details:

Premium Horween full-grain leather, hand finished for a unique, well-worn and well-cared-for appearance
Molded leather midsole for a handcrafted look and great styling
Leather outsole with a rubber heel and forefoot insert for traction and flexibility
Waxed cotton laces
Note that minor differences may be present in the right and left shoes as part of the worn-in aesthetic

Timberland Counterpane Oxford

It’s quite difficult to find a pair of Oxfords, but they are an absolute classic and every man should own a pair. These are a nice change from regular black/dark brown Oxfords. I love the tobacco colour.

Details

Premium Horween full-grain burnished leather combined with CF Stead suede for a well-worn appearance
100% organic cotton canvas and leather lining wicks moisture away and adds comfort
Cushioned leather insole provides all-day comfort and reduces fatigue
Leather sole with rubber heel and forefoot delivers traction and flexibility
Subtle differences may be present between the left and right shoes as an intentional element of worn and repaired design

I haven’t looked to see if these shoes are available at Timberland in Cape Town, but they are on their online store so I assume Timberland will be getting stock in South Africa, if they don’t already have.

From my experience with my pair of Timberlands, they are a superior shoe to anything else I have ever owned. At just under R1000, mine were the same price as my Feiyue sneakers, which fell apart at the seams. The comfort levels of Timberland are unsurpassed, and I wear them on a daily basis with a pair of Japanese selvedge denims from Naked & Famous.

Where do we wear sunglasses? Well yes, some of us wear them inside. If we’re D Grade celebrities trying to hide our faces from the non existent flashes from the press following us. Yes, we know celebrities are introverts and wear sunglasses to avoid looking peoples in the eyes because they are self conscious. But in SA, the closest we come to celebs are people who have done a bit of nip slip for Playboy SA, which took a steep turn downhill right after featuring Tracy McGregor. She is the best you’ll ever see in Playboy SA, so treasure that issue. Very soon they’ll be featuring Grant Nash from 5fm in Playboy SA. And then we’ll know the Mayans were right.

The thing I’m trying to get to, is that the world is changing. Sure, the more things change, the more they stay the same, which is why we always have sunglasses outlets in major shopping centres. I’m not saying set up a Sunglass Hut on Clifton 4th beach 24/7…but what about a pop up store in Camps Bay or around Clifton? I don’t know, maybe take a shipping container, have it air conditioned and let people try on sunglasses while sipping on a beer or a cooldrink. Maybe an iced coffee? Pair up with Vida perhaps?

Give people the chance to really try their sunglasses in the sun…let them step out of the container shop, into the real sun instead of the false light in the stores. Let people buy sunglasses when they really need them. Introduce some fun into the brand. Lay astro turf in the shop to give it a cool feel. Put a splash pool in the corner. Give it that outdoors vibe. Serve cocktails if you can (You know…what with all these ‘rules’ that ’society’ enforces upon those of us just wanting to have fun)

Have a Beach Boys CD playing? Maybe some Jack Johnson? A little bit of Dire Straits never hurt either…relax the atmosphere with the music.

Pop up stores have worked all over the world, this is one from Puma in Cape Town in 2008:

Image Via Urban Ninja

Seriously though, isn’t that a cool idea? Or am I just delusional?

The problem with anything classic, is that every dickhead wannabe fashion designer/street photographer/craft beer drinking tool is going to be wearing them. Not that these fools should in any way detract from iconic styles such as Aviators and Wayfarers, but in some sense they do. Go to any music festival and you’ll see everyone in Wayfarers and Aviators. And the upper class hipsters will be in their Persol Steve McQueen’s. While the chinas kick in in their Oakleys.

The problem with Iconic styles is that people will go buy their R100 rip offs at Mr Price. We won’t speak about these people. Anyone who buys fake Aviators just doesn’t get it.

The cool thing about Ray Ban Caravan is that no one has caught onto them, because they’ve never really had that Hollywood feature. No film or person has really brought them into the spotlight, but in my eyes, they are one of the most perfect pairs of sunglasses. Here they are on a few celebs:

Taylor Lautner

Cuba Gooding Jr

Jared Leto

They’re more suitable to most faces than Aviators because they don’t have the tear drop shape. They offer better coverage than the Wayfarers and are more comfortable thanks to their thin metal arms (Wayfarers can hurt your ears after extended periods of use, and are really bad at blocking the sun because their design is so open) They also sit closer than Aviators and so block more sun out from the sides and the top. And their square , solid design gives them a masculine feel that you can be proud of.

They are not available in a polarized version which is a pity, but you can get them in the classic gold frame or a gunmetal frame with green lenses for around R1600.

I honestly believe they are Ray Bans most under rated pair if sunglasses. And if you buy them now, then one day if they become really popular at least you can say you wore them before they became really cool. Because once they’re cool, they fall into hipster category. And then you’re just a dick.

Look, most guys avoid The Body Shop because it is predominantly womens stuff. But I roll with my camp side and stroll in there like it aint no thang. I can throw around words like ‘exfoliator’, ‘pore refining’ and ‘reed diffuser’ and STILL drive past a school and bang the prom queen.

I was surprised when my girlfriend actually commented the other day that I smelled so good. With 23 hours of my day spent chopping wood and driving diesel powered machinery, it was a miracle. That part is a lie. No, we were in the Body Shop and I was strolling about spritzing myself with The Body Shop’s ‘Activist’ eau de toilette. At R199 for 100ml’s, it is about as cheap as you’re going to get. I tend to lean toward woody and smoky fragrances, because I am the man. Le male! Le gigolo! This is what Activist contains:

• Lemon and orange combine to create the citrus top notes.

• Cedarwood and ylang combine to create the spicy heart notes.

• Sandalwood, patchouli and amber combine to create the warm, woody base notes.

Anyway, so not only did I think this stuff was good, but I had my girlfriends approval. Victory! So you’re not only hearing this from a males point of view. If you wear this, chicks WILL dig it. and because all the other guys are wearing more highly publicised fragrances, you are totally going to come in from out of the dark and surprise them all. Next thing you know, you wake up with some lacy panties on your bedroom floor and you’re thinking ‘Shit son, I got game’

A visual representation of what you may have in your bed (For your information, this particular photo shows crotchless lace panties , you can buy them locally HERE on thelovebox.co.za. Sexy stuff for your girlfriend/wife/mistress/whatever it may be)

Slow down there champ, Activist by the Body Shop is your game. But I won’t tell anyone if you don’t

The hidden secret in fragrances is to use an entire range for your shower gel, deodorant and eau de toilette, to really pump up that fragrance. Doing this in the Armani league will probably cost you like R100 per day just to smell good. But The Body Shop range is so well prices, even the frugal amongst us can afford it. for example, the Activist shower gel is R99, the Activist roll on deodorant is R70 and the eau de toilette is R199. And if you know what I do, you’ll know that if you have a Body Shop loyalty card, you can buy three items and you’ll get the cheapest one free. So grab the eau de toilette, shower gel and deodorant for R298. WINNING!

The ‘Come right tonight’ package

Get down to The Body Shop today and grab yourself a piece of the action.

Thank me when you wake up next to an angel.

Seriously, I need this, so think of me when preparing your Christmas list.

We’ll chat about my ‘Naked & Famous’ Japanese Selvedge jeans next time…

Head down to Woolworths and stock up on a pile of these for summer.

The judges? None other than the readers of GQ.

The prize? The man voted GQ’s Best-Dressed Reader will win a double ticket to walk the red carpet with the most stylish men in South Africa at our annual GQ Best-Dressed Men event on 17 October 2011, a night at the luxurious Westcliff Hotel, a pair of Lee 101 Collection selvedge jeans and an Armani watch.

What’s in it for the nominators? We’re giving away another double ticket to the illustrious Best-Dressed Men Awards event to a GQ reader who nominates one of the competition’s finalists. So tell or the stylish men you know by sharing this article with @GQdotcoza or with our hashtag: #GQbdr

Need some guidance? We’re searching for looks from preppy casual to red-carpet classics – scroll through to our second image to see the dapper gents who’ve proven themselves worthy of the GQ camera.

Look Sharp. Live Smart

To enter, just email a focused, portrait-orientation picture of your nominee looking his best to BDReader@condenast.co.za along with his name and city. Now’s not the time for modesty, gentlemen you can nominate yourselves, too.

GQ will select ten finalists and open the voting to select the competition’s top three. The most ‘Liked’ and ‘Tweeted’ three will become the finalists and GQ.co.za readers will choose their winner – GQ South Africa’s Best-Dressed Reader 2011.
Nominations close on 23 September.
Voting to choose the top three finalists closes on 4 October.
Voting for the winner of the GQ Best-Dressed Reader competition closes on 11 October.

Click here to find out more.

Click here to order your J Fold leather wallet.

But you’re also allowed to mix things up with a bit of colour, something like these Terracotta Dockers Alpha Khakis:

Cool? I think you can pull that off easily.

They’re not exactly a crazy shade of yellow like you’ll see in the current Fabiani window display.