What to look forward to

Over the next month  the blog will upgrade to a website I am hoping, and I've already prepared 6 posts with plenty of photos to wet your appetites. These articles will be ranged from odd waistcoats, to the contrast collar, to keeping conversation and much more..... Just wait and see. I would like you to give me some feedback on what you would like this website to look like; any particular colour schemes or backgrounds you would find quaint and elegant? Any particular layout? I eagerly await feedback that can either be sent as a direct email, or post it in the comments section.


Stylishly yours,


Kieran

Back in business!

After a long stint of hibernation from the world of style and educating those who wish to be on the world menswear and classic men's style, I'd like to say hello again! First and foremost, I believe I should apologise for letting dust gather around The Voice Of Elegance; as I'm in secondary school I must prioritise my education naturally but time is permitting me to start writing for the blog again. The dawn of 2016 has allowed new beginnings for us all and this blog included. 2016 will be a busy and fruitful year for us with a lot to look forward to.... All I'm going to say is bespoke suiting, James Bond and Crockett & Jones shoes.

I will upload as often as I can but 1 post every week will be the bare minimum. To incorporate the whole meaning of "elegance", my posts will extend from clothing to grooming and lifestyle also- one day you will be reading on how to shave with a straight razor and the next the topic of writing may be how to conduct a proper dinner party. It's all going to be a surprise from now on as opposed to the predictable shirt posts, tie tutorials and suiting rants.

I look forward to writing for all of you readers and wish you a sartorially savvy 2016!

Stylishly yours,

Kieran Dolan

Brunello Cucinelli, Italian Comfort:- Part 2

In the previous BC post, I spoke about their ready to wear suits and the details of them. This article will centre around their footwear and beginnings. Brunello Cucinelli started off as a purveyor of cashmere, supplying to the larger mills and brands, such as Loro Piana and Zegna. After a few years of this, Brunello Cucinelli decided to design his first product, the cashmere cableknit jumper that cemented their brand.

The original products were sports luxe and casual, "sports chic" as described by the manager of one store on Burlington Gardens. They were made with practicality, youth and fashionable allure in mind. Useful, beautiful, fashionable- a concise ethos from what I saw. The brand has become much larger since those infant years, now purveying ties and pocket squares.... Up to unlined jackets and black tie suits with silk faceted shawl lapels.

The nature of The Voice Of Elegance is to educate those on classic style with contemporary undertones, and vice versa. Ergo, I will not posting about the "sports luxe" side of Cucinelli, until my website expands of course.....

 Observe the above picture, a pair of double monks that look quite frankly, gorgeous. The shade of brown is a melange of chocolate, espresso and oaker. The effect that is on the leather is one to resemble rawer hides being left on or reindeer skin being used to make the show, these effects can be achieved by using the former method or by digitally printing it on, this can be spotted by the leather still being smooth to the touch.

These double monks are rather a 3 in one. A monk, spectator and a brogue. The broguing design is merely for show (as it is on all modern brogues) whilst the buckles make it a monk, and the contrast leather/fabric pattern makes it a spectator like so ething from Boardwalk Empire or the Great Gatsby. I am an advocate of brogues and a dedicated follower to the double monk, even the spectator.... But this shoe does resemble a golfing shoe I once saw on Pierce Brosnan's feet in Remington Steele. If both the upper and lower last were made of leather or leather/canvas, and dyed different colours still, then I would have bought them myself!

 These monks are classicly Italian, understated aesthetics with maximum sprezzatura. The contrast grains are more elegant, being more subtle and practical, allowing for the broguing pattern on it to not become garish. Cucinelli brogues have the top buckle and strap follow the ankles curvature, making European makers instantly noticeable whilst I see most British makers such as John Lobb and  Church's favour the parallel strapping, as opposed to curving straps. This may not be noticeable in ALL makers, but in the ones I have a great interest in. Notice the golden buckles too, the gold doesn't clash with the brown like silver or black would, bringing out the patina more also.

Notice the soles, halfway between dress and practical, Danite soles are on Cucinelli shoes with a Goodyear welt. They strangely resemble a pair of desert boots I own from this angle. Goodyear welting is arguably the only type of welting that should be done on shoes; it is easy to remove and replace without damaging the shoe itself and offers the longest time of wear and comfort too. Goodyear welting was done on these shoes aswell as hand-done stitching in areas that could usually be done by machine, the little details keep racking up in Mr Cucinelli's favour. 

These shoes are the Cucinelli dress shoe, a half oxford. It's a half oxford, yes... It has an oxford's lacing system and appearance, but a derby's construction with cut and amounts of leather used. Although, it's not noticeable to the untrained eye so no discerning gentleman should worry. They are calf skin and given a brown/dark brown patina that is not too noticeable until the light catches it. 

 I present the more casual derby, similar in appearance other than the open lacing system and single piece lower. The patina on this was more prominent, showing hints of burgundy or red. It was so subtle that I had to look twice, but it's certainly in there.

The shine of the shoes themselves are not overly magnificent, they're even and thorough but not as mirror-like as my dress shoes or other boutiques dress shoes, Gaziano Girling or Cheaney for example. I asked why this was, and the gentleman I spoke to said that it kept in line with the more nonchalant vibe that Bruenllo Cucinelli wishes to purvey in his product.

The shoes were rather interesting to see, and quite varied in the store. They reached from leather varieties to suede varieties and patterns, configurations and colour combinations. Although, the shines and patinas were too nonchalant for my personal tastes, but nevertheless the shoes are beautiful within their own right. Coming up next, I will be writing about the outerwear and fabrics used at Brunello Cucinelli.

Stay stylish-stay happy,

Kieran 

Brunello Cucinelli, Italian comfort:- PART 1

Today I visited the Brunello Cucinelli boutique on Burlington Gardens, adjacent to Savile Row. I went with the purpose of an interview and I got just that, along with enlightenment. Initially, the brand itself is a fashion forward yet elegant Italian cashmere company, but it turns out to be so much more....

I spoke to the retail manager and she told me that Cucinelli started off as a cashmere purveyor, supplying some of the finest Mongolian cashmere. After a while, they started to make some cashmere jumpers and it grew from there. Brunello Cucinelli was made with the purpose of conch comfort, fashionable twists on classic designs; they recently started making suits and that would be a prime example:

As you can see, the suits appear quite run-of-the-mill to the casual passerby, but to see the pathology of any tailor, you must look inside and below the fabric. The two jackets you see in the above picture are made of lightweight cashmere, silk and wool blends which are all sourced from Ermenegildo Zegna mills in Italy. The Zegna mills offer more superior fabric with less imperfections or uneven weaving. 

Their ready to wear collections are all with natural,a casual shoulders and fabrics, offering wider peaked lapels to broaden one's chest. Personally, I find the shoulders and lapels in this conjunction to be contradictory to each respective purpose, but it works with these more casual jackets. They offer comfort ability through the lack of full linings and horsehair canvases (half canvas). These choices equal in a natural drape that hugs the body lightly without moulding to the fit, making them perfect for wearing regularly with layers or draping over the shoulders. In the above picture, you can see that their buttons may not work functionally, which doesn't necessarily matter, but their lining is 100% cupro which is more eco-friendly and less high maintenance as opposed to silk linings.

Pay close attention to the shoulders, they appear to be Neapolitan due to the fabric being sown underneath the pad, as opposed to curved and sown parallel or sown straight like a British shoulder; I digress though, shoulders are a whole article in their own right. They are not  cut like a Neapolitan shoulder, they are roped with stitching to appear so, they may not be true Neapolitan but the result is still the same, a unique elegance. These shoulders (or imitations even) are difficult to find in RTW suits, usually American slope shoulders or British straight padded shoulders are donned for the jackets, so this is rare to find and that makes them even more elegant. 

Brunello Cucinelli is separated by many things, as I was told and shown, but their most prominent difference from other fashion brands are their understated details like you see above. The first and last pictures have a very special detail, it's a lapel roll. There are 3 buttons on the jackets but the lapels are rolled as if they're for a two button jacket, ergo being lower set in gorge but visibly 3 button in other construction. This is a feature shown nearly exclusively in bespoke suits, yet Brunello Cucinelli offer this in a style staple nevertheless. 

The second picture of the 3 is for a cropped overcoat with the same 3 buttons with 2-button roll, but they have the functional collar like a tradition chesterfield overcoat (the variation it is). This functional collar means that the it fastens the right lapel to the left by the button shown. This keeps the cold out and is not a requirement for overcoats anymore. Although, the lapel rolling makes this only an aesthetic detail, not functional. Nevertheless, this detail makes Brunello Cucinelli a different to other fashion brands.

I hope you enjoyed the first of a 3 part article on Brunello Cucinelli and my experience of the brand. Thank you for reading,

Stay stylish-stay happy,

Kieran.

Earth tones and spring

After an overcast prelude to the sun, I was eagerly anticipating those breaks of sunlight. On the 10th, I had a pre planned photo-shoot and the weather was perfect! I was looking for weather that would highlight the browns, greens and golds of my desired outfits, the earthy tones. Earth tones are the most raw and organic ones, so less artificial brightness or zany coordination would work best for this time of spring/summer due to the chill wind can still carry but keep in mind that earthen colours work well in sunlight.

Notice the green and brown base colours of my wool prince of Wales check suit, the earthen colours highlight the vibrancy of the backdrop but also the ornate surroundings. The layering was a necessity due to the slight chill that day but grey made a bold enough contrast to work just as well a waistcoat. The pastel green long point collar shirt compliments the grey well but make two items pop out in particular, my shoes and pocket square due to the Light-Deep-Rich colour difference.

As you can see, I was sporting a very retrospective look with not only the enormous pompadour of hair but also the classic check design, these all simply accumulated to one great look of vintage inspiration. Notice how the shine of my derby shoes reflect the light but reciprocate the depth that the leaves give to them, a string contrast on a suit like this. As you can see, the gold and burgundy in both my tie and pocket square show depth to the weather's brevity but also the browner complexion I was getting from this weather. One valuable lesson for spring and summer colours at this point of the article is this, rich and bright colours unless they're earthen tones that are being complimented by equally muted ones. 

Not taking into account the ghastly graffiti, the park I am in was a perfect mix of both earthly tones but bathed areas of sunlight. Men and women alike have a desire to want nice bodies, and summer bodies are a large part of teenage life sadly. Before one takes a shirt off, their body figure should leave plenty to the imagination and this basic outfit highlights that. The v neck jumper drapes so elegantly over my body but highlights my physique, showing my broader chest and shoulder with the deep v in my abdominal area, that plays well into the thighs that fit well in the tailored legs of my trousers, they highlight my calves and thighs but don't strangle my body like skinny or spray on jeans. This outfit can easily be made causal by losing the tie and made formal by donning the jacket so I make it a spring priority to have some form of a staple jumper to wear when in stylish doubt. 

The base colours of my outfit all apply to my principle of earthen tones and muted colours, even my socks abide. I release my flair through the accessories like the tie and pocket square, even the sunglasses even though they apply the same principle as mentioned. The pictures you have seen highlight how simple small things can made a large impact on such an already personally unique outfit. It is simple things like this that separate the newly stylish from the truly elegant. 

I would also like to give a great appreciation to my good friend and photographer, Danny Mandla. He is my confidante and now the photographer for this blog who took these amazing photos, nearly getting himself killed by a hybrid car than none other vehicle, but I digress. If you wish to hire services for a photographer or editor, contact Danny by:

Email- mandladanny@gmail.com

Mobile phone- 07531619760

I thank you for reading and greatly appreciate any feedback or contribution you have for me, him, or the article and blog!

Stay stylish stay happy,

Kieran

A blogger's nightmare

This evening I was reviewing my published articles and I noticed that I committed a terrible faux pas, I used images that were not mine to use. For the sake of my future in this blog, I have changed some of my article pictures to those that are labelled for reuse without any infringement. I apologise to you readers for changing previous articles but there will be a lack of pictures in some articles sadly, it is a shame as it doesn't demonstrate my points as well... But the show must proverbially go on! This will not hinder my progress to provide articles but I have made changes in other articles to refocus my writings also.

-Kieran

Style and the present day

In our current age of fashion, underdressing and strangulation by clothing is seen as fashionable. Recently, one blogger who I read regularly reposted an older article of his. This article explained how suits are now a dying breed and how jeans or mixed seperates are flooding in by the masses. Now, I often wear separates and denim also, but casually. The problem of the suit being metaphorically desecrated is that jeans and trousers are taking the place of them. This article will explain why suits are timeless and why trends shouldn't be followed in place of them.

I wear denim, yes, I admit it. My denim of choice is the Levi's 501 CT in cream or raw selvedge, they are much more deep and elegant that way. CT stands for custom taper and have a carrot fit of sorts, they are tailored on the thighs and more snug on the leg as they lower. Raw denim or selvedge denim as it is rightly called, is the ultimate form of denim. It is unrefined and raw dyed from the most natural fibres, they gain an aged patina with time and never look cheap or exhausted like many abominations on people today.

Look above at the picture, this is a pair of deep indigo Levi's 501 CT's and the fit is perfect, they slim his legs but do not err on the sight of tight, they are more tailored and this is really the only form of true tailored denim. The high waisting and low back pockets give a vibe of practicality in a casual sense, having utilitarian pockets that look relaxed with more fitted legs and a nipped waist.

I have no war on denim as it is a great alternative to chinos or trousers for those who like them for certain casual situations, but in our modern day of extremes, denim is being destroyed. The perpetrator of this are the fashionable skinny, spray on and "jegging" styles. Fashion use these styles to boost their popularity in the youth of today, to great success.... But does that make this look good, look below.

These jeans on the right are seen as trending and fashionable but that does not make them stylish, they simply show how androgynous someone's legs are and that their girlfriend has more breadth than them. These jeans have been around since the early 80's, but that does not make them stylish. They are not timeless and they do not offer comfortability. I have seen boys and girls in physical discomfort from these types of jeans, but they wear them because they think they look good.  They might to you younger readers, but as you progress in maturity and style you will soon realise that these are not flattering. Look at this gentleman's feet, don't they look disproportionately large in contrast to the minuscule ankles and calves he has? Something slightly fitted and not scuba style would have given him a greater shape and silhouette. 

Athletic builds and more stocky legs have muscle to actually show off, but they will certainly look like a member of the Royal ballet, it's nice to know one has such a physique but would we all walk around in vests to show off last night's expedition to the bench press.? I exercise, but I do not flaunt any part of my physique through clothing, it whispers not just a lack of style panache but also overcompensation. Boys and girls, do you want to look like a lollipop? 

Chinos are a perfect wardrobe staple, they offer versatility and a timeless look of smart-casual. There is a beauty to wearing chinos, they show that you are young and that you also care about how you dress, but they also show maturity, elegance and if cut right they can make thinner or more rotund men look quite athletic if need be. I wear chinos whenever I am either at home or visiting friends in a purely casual situation.

For gentlemen who are now rethinking their jeans and the possibility of trouser or chinos, I suggest a 

novice starts with summer or spring cotton chinos. If you wish to find a starting pair, try beige, 

cream, tobacco or light blue chinos from Fred Perry's tailored fits or Suitsupply who offer amazing selections on chinos, trousers and tailored separates of all sorts. Chinos can look great with a light 

chambray or oxford cotton shirt, or a polo shirt and sometimes a shirt and tie if paired well but not

formally.

I suggest tailored fit trousers from suitsupply, the material is not only all natural and handmade in Italy, but the fit is one of the most flattering for anyone. The little details like the side adjusters and button hip pocket add further elegance and beauty to them that can't be achieved with fashion jeans or spray on jeans. These trousers were a design made to make the wearer feel comfortable, godly and secure in how they look. These can easily be smart and smart-casual, but they cannot be used for the most casual of situations, that is where the aforementioned cotton chino comes in.

Dark pastel green chinos from Suitsupply are a more relaxed but snug fit that will hug but not constrict one's legs from movement, they are a brilliant summer colour that is recently becoming much more popular too so they are a go-to choice for those looking for a summer pair. These can be dressed down with loafers or some form of slip-ons, whilst some brogues or Oxfords would make them look dapper and audaciously stylish with their louder colour. I find statement chinos the most interesting as they offer much more room to experiment with, as they are already so far out there.

Observe the same chinos as previously shown, but in a different colour. Chinos offer a tailored, slim leg that will not make them look fragile. I promise you that chinos are a staple that you would never look back from. They, and fitted jeans, last better and look better than the fashion jeans that will soon be shunned out by the so called trend setters

Finally, tailored trousers from a suit are also used in mix-and-match scenarios alongside chinos and casual trousers. For those looking for a pair, I suggest dark charcoal trousers from suitsupply with the fly front with an off centre button system, featuring no belt loops. When a pair of trousers has no belt loops, they were made to be worn as a tailored garment or with braces, keeping the consistent line of fabric without the break of any belt. Personally, I prefer trousers with no belt loops on my suits and only one suit of mine has belt loops. These can obviously be business appropriate if paired with a matching jacket, shirt and tie with possibly a pocket square if you feel that ready. They can also be dressed down with a turtleneck that fits snug or a casual shirt and jumper. 

I hope this article has provided you with a thorough if not controversial insight to how separates and suits shouldn't fall into the clutches of fashion trends. The views I shared personally are mine which I am conveying with the intention of opening your eyes to a larger world of casual.  I understand that one may enjoy skin tight jeans, and by all means wear them, but how long will it be before you waste more money on something you will only wear for so long? You may spend £120 on designer skinny jeans, and grow out or stop wearing them in 6 months due to trend change. If I was to spend £120 on tailored chinos like my tobacco Fred Perry cuffed chinos, I would wear them until either they wore out or I grew out, which would be years if cared for properly. Remember, trends are not everything so do not let them consume your natural figure and self respect. Stay strong to stay stylish, 

thank you for reading.

How much is too much?

In style there are lines. These lines are what separate the elegant, the audacious or daring..... And the ridiculous. Elegant, audacious and ridiculous can all be the same thing and that is the point of style, showing your personal flair; some like pink suits in a gingham like Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby whilst others perhaps like collar bars or boutonniere flowers. The former and latter are both things that can be seen as strange but are in reality immensely elegant or versatile items that can really open new pathways to more style options. Ridiculous might be socks with shorts or rainbow suits and psychedelic flower cravats as you will see shortly.

Elegance is all about the little details being there to add depth, colour and complexity to ensembles. For example, a pearl tie pin may not be noticed at first, but when it is it can be a positively potent conversation starter. Elegant accessories like cufflinks, pocket squares and leather bracelets can have their ridiculous members but those are reserved for either the overcompensating or insecure sartorial blasphemers. I am not saying don't wear yellow or pink or rainbow even, just don't overwhelm your palette nor bring too much attention to individual accessories, nothing screams cheap like a person who's outfit shrieks "look at me!!"

In the picture above, you can see John Slattery's amazing portrayal as advertisement executive Roger Sterling in the TV series Mad Men. The outfit does contain a dimpled tie, pocket square, cufflinks and signet ring but none of it screams attention. This is elegant to it's perfect 50's finesse. The dark suit compliments his skin by showing his pale yet healthy complexion, his well groomed hair and the light colours of his other pieces. The white and creams all compliment but don't match completely, so they have panache without any sense of no imagination.

This beautiful double breasted suit on the far right is in a light summer fabric that appears to be a linen blend possibly, but it makes the tie pop out with audacity. This outfit is bold and requires confidence, but that's what it exudes, confidence. This picture is taken from the Pitti Uomo style  gathering in summer 2014, Pitti Uomo is the style equivalent to comic con or an awards ceremony, it is where every stylish gentleman and lady can converse with others and express their most beautiful or radical forms of style.

This is a prime form of audacious yet elegant style. This is Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal. As you can see, the character favours windowpane and prince of Wales check suits of the 3 piece variety, this one has a double breasted waistcoat (note the severe crossing of the waistcoat's lapels under the jacket). Despite his large tie not have a sharp dimple, the designs and colour coordination do have elegance, albeit sometimes overstated and perhaps a little strong. There is little imagination to this outfit other than the suit's pattern, but a grey or pastel green shirt would have given the suit a whole new look, with the exception of a different tie and pocket square.

I spoke about showing you too much, well...... This is too much. Words cannot describe my respect for this gentleman as he has such confidence to wear this ensemble, but he pulls it off because of the disdain he wears it with. He sees this outfit as just that, an outfit. No other man I know could wear something so brash as this but he does and it is unfortunately too much. The beauty of his unique style is something to much be admired very much, in contrast (pun intended).

As you have seen, blurring the lines is not bad, but forgetting them is a very dangerous game that can make you look like a clown. A common rule of thumb is this from my experience; save the more audacious, bold patterns for when you gain more experience and knowledge of style. Once you know the rules, break them. Certain rules are there to be broken and bent so play that up.... Just not too much, at first at least.

Thank you for reading, I hope you found this as informative and numerous as I did from writing it.

Stay stylish-stay happy,

-Kieran

The "classic" fit dress shirt, a faux pas.

To start off, let me say that I am lean with an athletic build and a 15.5 inch collar, so my shirts that fit me are my pride and joy because fit was once a large problem for me. Recently, I have been seeing men of all professions wearing shirts that resemble Victorian bell dresses, they are what these brands call "classic" fits.

The classic fit is aimed at the man of breadth and "traditional" proportions, but this results in a box cut and gaping collar that can crease from tie pressure. When I was in Bicester village last year, I was shopping for shirts at Gieves and Hawkes, but classic fits were all I could see. The design and fabrics were beautiful but the cut was terrible, for my figure at least.

Observe this gentlemen in the terrible trousers, not only is an undershirt showing, but he has enough fabric on that shirt to cater for half my shirt wardrobe! As you can see, it's a casual oxford fabric but the cut is still not contoured to his body, regardless of the situation. His sleeves are too long and the ballooning at the bottom comes from incorrect tucking of his shirt, but also the tight belt constricting his waist.

It doesn't matter if the shirt is as well made as something from Turnbull & Asser or as mass produced and cheap as something from Marks & Spencer, if it doesn't fit it will not look good. Now, you may be rushing to your wardrobe panicking about your shirts, but you do not have to throw them out; there are remedies to ill fits.

Firstly, any stylish gentleman should have an alterations tailor for his garments if they're large off the rack, if you have one utilise them. They can take your shirts, collars and cuffs in to a certain extent but that should be enough unless you are wearing something 3 sizes too large.

Secondly, if your shirts are made-to-measure or bespoke, like Kiton or Turnbull & Asser, you can have them re measured which is like altering. Fabric can always be put back into the garment reserve and remade so do not fret over you £160 cocktail cuff poplin, they can be fixed.

Personally, I prefer the final remedy which is simple; try the smaller size first that contours to your figure. This means if you are a 38 chest, try the 36 and if you wear classic fits, wear the slim or tailored fit. This more often than not prevents bad fits for me and some friends who I take shopping.

Remember though, slim fits and classic fits are all based of an ideal body type in that context, so they will not always fit you like bespoke or made-to-measure. If you have the time and money to utilise a shirtmaker then go ahead but remember that sometimes they can even fit poorly if not made well.

Shirts are the life of your outfit, they may be framed by suits but they are a base colour and determine your extras that all accumulate to one spectacular ensemble, take your time looking for shirts and always..... ALWAYS do it in the boutique, never online.

Stay stylish- stay happy,

- Kieran

Warm weather and bank holiday Monday

This Monday I went with my family and dogs to Bushey park for a leisurely stroll, but the wonderful weather was too good an opportunity to pass up, so I brought a camera! The weather was humid but had a chill to it at some points, so I wore a contrast waistcoat alongside a micro check two piece suit in a wool/cashmere blend.

This outfit is a poplin blue and white Bengal stripe tab French cuff contrast collar shirt in a full English cutaway style. The tie is a pink and white micro-stripe silk tie tied in a double windsor with 3 dimples. The waistcoat is a black wool/mohair 4 button sans lapel with 3 pockets and the suit is a charcoal grey and black micro check two piece suit with flap pockets, peak lapels and subtle pagoda shoulders with roped sleeve heads. This outfit has many breathable, light fabrics but also paired with thicker fabrics to keep the chill of the later day off.

The 3 dimples may not be to everyone's taste and may be seen as too narcissistic, but it has a purpose nevertheless. The high number of dimples framed the collar in showing how wide the knot was, accentuating my shoulders into that pagoda concave but leaving breadth in my chest. Usually I have one large dimple in The middle of all my ties but sometimes I like to experiment, because style is nothing if you don't make it your own!

The shoes that I am wearing are Liverpool double monks in black calf leather. I am recently one to be enticed by the seduction of monk shoes and monk boots, similar to the Jodhpur. I find the buckles quite accentuating of certain metals one may be wearing, such as cufflinks or wristwatches. The silver buckles on these monk shoes complimented my silver watch whilst also complimenting my silver cufflinks with their white enamel.

Usually I wear some shade of brown with charcoal as it adds a nonchalance that can be elegant yet daring, but I was pushing it already with this wide colour palette already, the only thing that tied in all down for me was the grey prince of Wales check pocket square.

 If you look closely, the colours of the pocket square mute, compliment and accentuate all the right places of this outfit, in my opinion at least. These bright and muted colours all reflect the beauty of the sun's radiance but also the brevity of summer life, and how short it really can be. I love colour and I cannot wait to see what interesting combination I make this time round. 

Did I get carried away? Are there too many colours or the wrong ones? You tell me, but also be sure to send pictures too if you wish! Style is all about embracing instead of shunning, let us all embrace and see each other's style loves, quirks or mistakes even. 

Thank you for reading,

-Kieran

What is style?

A question with precarious opinions but never solid answers. Although, a common answer is that style isn't fashion. This is true. Fashion trends are in for a short lived stint and then they become a thing of the past, these trends are extremes and are not necessarily tasteful. Oscar Wilde once said,      " A fashion is merely a form of ugliness so absolutely unbearable that we have to alter it every six months." These were wise words and it highlights how blind fashion can be, but not always.

Fashion in the past has broken the fourth wall and penetrated the world of style, a good example would be jeans. In the 70's and early 80's flares were popular but skinnier, tapered fits were rising in popularity, becoming the jeans we know of today in most catwalks. Do not mistake these for those skin tight scuba-esque pieces of rag that are skinny and spray on jeans, those are a prime example of extremes. Fashion is something that can be followed to a certain degree and incorporated into style, but not religiously. For example, I wear tighter fitting chinos with suede loafers but they still fit like a tailored garment, not like something shrunken in a wash. 

Style is classic and timeless, it's as simple as that. Style is what you saw on Michael Caine and Cary Grant back in the days of old with the likes of Jams Dean and Marlon Brando also showing it in casual, not to mention Steve McQueen and his perfection of casual. Style is the following of a clothing form that never ages or becomes unnattractive, it stays just as sharp and debonnaire as it did in 1950. This could be the shawl collar cardigan for example, or the charcoal suit with roman shoulders and a knit tie. 

Fashionnable items from the past are now considered stylish and some should be embraced if you like them of course. The contrast collar/cuff shirt is a prime example, it was a workers shirt in the 1920's and became popularised by Michael Douglas' portrayal of Gordan Gekko in the 1987 film "Wall Street". I prefer contrast collar shirts in warmer weathers as it has a relaxed vibe that can show a sprezzatura in your style, if you wish to convey that. Another example would be the fishtail parka; popularised by the mods of 1960's London to protect their suits from mud and rain, adopted from the Swedish airforce. I personally find parkas bulky and unnatractive but the principle still lies there, they're now stylish from once being Fashionnable. 

Style is, as you can see, a complicated yet delicate art. It requires a contemporary edge to be loved still but traditional values and staples to keep it sophisticated and genuine. Modern undertones breathe life into it whilst tradition and classic bodies shroud it with simplistic beauty and vibrancy. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, if you did please share and tell you friends to read too! 




Thank you for reading,

-K 

Welcome to the "Voice Of Elegance"

Hello ladies and gentlemen of style,

My name is Kieran Dolan and this is my blog. I am an avid reader of style blogs and find the world of gentlemen and style so wonderful and embracing, but it is dwindling. Unfortunately, my generation are losing a sense of style and elegance, diving towards the extremes of either end. I say my generation because I am 15 and yes, I may be young to talk about timeless style for some of you, but I see style as something anyone of any age can enjoy. I will be posting as often as my schooling can permit as well as my life, but style journalism and blogging to you readers is now of great importance to me already. I look forward to seeing where this leads us. Au Revoir.