This Autumn classic brand  Lyle & Scott ‘s Heritage collection sees a complete relaunch with a dynamic new design team at the helm.  Inspired by ‘hidden treasures since 1874’ the new branding takes it’s lead from a deep red Eagle that is carried on all garments. The message is clear – a sophisticated, refined menswear line with a modern edge.

The perfect collection of outerwear is offered for every occasion. An easy to wear black padded gilet will work hard in every stylish man’s wardrobe this Autumn, whilst a striking wool peacoat offered in navy and mid grey marl will take him effortlessly through winter.  Sharp blazers available in tweed knitted melton and wool flannel, provide a more formal alternative.

As you would expect, knitwear is at the heart of the Heritage line and this season is offered in a great selection of fine and heavier fabrications including Merino, lambswool, heavy gauge Shetland wool and for the first time wool and silk blend. Highlights include a heavy gauge shawl neck cardigan with chic leather buttons that comes in a rich deep tomato hue as well as Ivory and Charcoal grey and the ultimate winter roll neck in a luxurious wool/silk blend, available in grey and navy. Heavy gauge merino features prominently and styles range from a shirt-neck button through cardigan to a funnel neck sporty zip-through. Cricket sweaters and cable knits are also available alongside a great selection of basic v and crew necks in the perfect Autumnal colour palette.

Shirting has also been reworked to incorporate both formal and casual options. Standout pieces include an over dyed cotton Oxford in Highland Green Navy and a satin cotton button down striped shirt available in Bright Indigo. Poloshirts continue to impress with unusual details and revised branding.

Trousers complete the line with cords, fine cotton chinos and a hard-wearing grey wool flannel style designed to complement the range.

WIN!

The exciting new Lyle & Scott Heritage collection is available to buy now  at www.lyleandscott.com as well as leading department stores and independents nationwide from August 2011

To celebrate the new range Lyle and Scott have kindly offered one of our readers this lovely jumper from the range

to be in with a chance of winning the jumper all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us how much the jumper costs on the Lyle and Scott webstie.

This competition is now closed , congratulations to Rich, your jumper will be with you shortly

Former England cricket captain and sporting legend Freddie Flintoff has been named as the new
brand ambassador for men’s fashion e-tailer Jacamo
The brand, which has carved out a niche for itself providing quality fashion for real men of all
sizes, will work  on a new design collaboration with the sportsman to be revealed in 2012.

The exclusive Jacamo collection is available alongside a host of other well-known brands
including Ben Sherman, Penguin, Boxfresh, Caterpillar, Nickelson, Nike and Adidas.
On the announcement Freddie says, ‘I’m really pleased to be working with Jacamo. I love the
brand and what it stands for – a huge choice of labels, great prices. I’m looking forward to starting
work on my own collection next summer.’

‘We’re more than happy that Freddie is on board for our AW11 campaign. He’s a great role model
for real men. At Jacamo we’re committed to providing clothes that fit and we can’t wait to develop
a collection next season with Freddie that will reflect his personal style, and that of men all around
the UK’, said a Jacamo spokesperson.

Fore more info and to see the Jacamo range head over to www.jacamo.co.uk

With Valentines Day fast approaching its time we start thinking about that special someone in our lives, and one thing you must not forget is to look your best on the special day. We of course hope our other half will wear something special in the bedroom  so if your lady makes an effort why shouldn’t you?

Two new brands have recently come to our attention, first there is Stylish men’s underwear brand Oiler & Boiler.

Inspired by the preppy vibe of the Hamptons, Oiler & Boiler provides a stylish choice of underwear for the discerning man about town.

Capturing the essence of a Long Island summer holiday and available in preppy and quirky prints or simple block colourways, these are an ideal choice  for the man looking to make a statement this  Valentines Day.

With prices starting at just £10, Oiler & Boiler is available at Fenwick’s, House of Fraser & Selfridges as well as online at www.rockundies.com

Next up we have new and exciting underwear brand, Luis & Juke.

Driven by the energetic sounds and styles of the fifties, Luis & Juke is on a mission to bring retro to a new young audience. Boasting fun, flirty and brightly coloured prints, all at an affordable price tag starting at just £13.

Luis & Juke is available from a wide range of stockists, including Topman, Selfridges, Fenwick’s, House of Fraser, Urban Outfitters and on-line at

www.rockundies.com

But there’s more, we have managed to organize a special discount for our readers of 10% off all Luis & Juke and Oiler Boiler products (including sale items).

All you have to do is visit www.rockundies.com and enter the discount code VAL11    (offer valid until Feb 11th)

mr.black@gentlemensgoods.com

In October I gave you advance notice that Lyle & Scott would be launching a range of snazzy socks in December. Well, December is here and with it arrives the launch of the entire Autumn Winter collection from Lyle & Scott, come on, you didn’t think all they would be offering were socks did you?

Those nice people at Lyle & Scott asked Mr Black and I if we wanted to have a look at the new range before it hit the rails and who were we to say no, especially when the invitation is delivered by a golden eagle swooping out of the sky? Okay, perhaps I that’s stretching the truth a little, the invite arrived by email but wouldn’t Eagle Post be something special?

As you can imagine, there were lots of sweaters and cardigans, both in chunky knits and materials such as lambswool together with a fine array of jackets, polo shirts, hats, scarves, trousers and well, everything you’d expect Lyle & Scott to deliver, all of which is available to purchase now both in store and online from www.lyleandscott.com

Now if, like me, you’re worrying about how you’re going to pay for all the things you want from the new collection I’ve got some great news. Lyle & Scott have given us a discount code to share with our readers which entitles you to a 10% discount on all online purchases excluding items from the Archive range, reduced items and delivery charges. Simply shop online at www.lyleandscott.com before 11.59pm on 22 December 2010 and enter blog10 when you reach the checkout stage to receive your exclusive Gentlemen’s Goods 10% discount.

Curated by Lyle & Scott

While you’re visiting the site make sure you sign up for tickets to Curated by Lyle & Scott, an exclusive series of gigs taking place at London’s XOYO club. There will be four gigs in total; the first will take place on Wednesday 8 December with the remainder taking place in early 2011. Tickets can be obtained from www.lyleandscott.com/CBLS

Headlining the first show will be that awesome one man band James Yuill who will be more than amply supported by Trophy Wife and Babe Shadow. There is even a competition running which will allow fans to decide the fourth slot in the 2011 gigs. More information on that can be found at www.facebook.com/lyleandscott

To whet your appetite here’s a short clip from the launch event where Trophy Wife played a selection of their tracks in the intimate surroundings of the Russian Club in Hoxton’s Kingsland Road.

I’m not sure of the statistics but I feel certain that perhaps with the exception of Valentine’s Day, Christmas is one of the most popular occasions for men to feel it appropriate to give the gift of lingerie to their partners.

Things have come on a long way from the days when you’d see red-faced men furtively browsing the lingerie section in department stores, intent on taking home something racy but when confronted by an assistant offering help in choosing something they’d leave with something more suited to their Great Aunt Maude.

The arrival of Agent Provocateur in 1994 changed all that. Suddenly men and women had a place to shop discreetly for beautiful, feminine lingerie that women would delight in wearing.  The chain now has over 30 stores in 13 countries as well as their website which lives up to its claim to be the sexiest lingerie website in the world. Quite simply, Agent Provocateur sells some of the most luxurious lingerie and decadent sleepwear imaginable which is sure to please the recipient and put you in the good books.

Their timeless Classic Collection ensures women can be sexy and professional as the mood takes them. These are stunning pieces that never go out of fashion and make perfect gifts. Some items you might want to consider are The Love Bra, The Fifi Bra or The Shazam Bra

If you’re looking for that racier item then fear not, Agent Provocateur has a wide selection of garments that are most certainly not for the faint hearted but are the ultimate choice for a night of pure seduction in the boudoir! Things you’ll definitely want to consider are The Nadia Basque, The Cendrillon Playsuit and The Marylin Bra

This week Agent Provocateur launched their Christmas Guide which as well as including some of the items I’ve already mentioned has some stunning items, like The Kiki Kimono which certainly beats a dressing gown from BHS!

They have also produced a handy buying guide for men because after all, you can never have too much information and if you get really, really stuck why not direct your loved one to Agent Provocateur’s wishlist facility? That way even though she’ll have an idea what she’ll be getting, you’ll know it’s something she wants and it certainly beats unwrapping a gift voucher! That said, with a gift voucher you may strike lucky and get invited to go shopping with her!

All purchases from Agent Provocateur come beautifully packed in luxurious pink boxes wrapped with silky black ribbon at no extra cost and they offer a no quibble money back guarantee, just in case!

When it comes to shaving I freely admit I am very much old school in my preference of using a shaving brush and soap over canned foam and a single blade razor rather than one of the numerous multi bladed cartridges that are now available. That is not to say I don’t try them, I just find myself returning to that which I am used to.

While a wet shave is always preferable, there are times when it’s just not practical and for that reason I also have an electric razor, it doesn’t give me as close a shave as I would like but I’m not sure anyone would notice. I don’t feel I’m alone there, a lot of men I know say the same thing and it seems manufacturers are starting to listen, or at least Panasonic are.

Panasonic have recently launched two new 4-blade wet and dry shavers for men. They claim the new models, the ES-RF41 and the ES-RF31, are certain to put smiles on men’s faces thanks to a revolutionary 4-blade cutting system unique to Panasonic. The secret seemingly lies in an additional, extra-thin, finishing foil thereby expanding the shaving surface and enhancing results.

By increasing the number of blades the shave should be both faster (more blades cut down shaving time) and smoother (four blades achieve closer skin contact with lighter shaving strokes) resulting in a closer shave, even if you have tough stubble. Interestingly the average male facial hair, when dry, is as tough as a copper wire of the same thickness. This may explain why most women are not so keen on stubble when it’s pressed against their face!

As with the majority of Panasonic’s men’s shavers, the RF-series are 100% waterproof so can be used dry or in the shower with gel, foam or soap to further protect and soften the skin.  The outer foils feature a revolutionary curved shape that fits uniformly against the skin, even under the chin and the multi-directional pivoting head in both models adapts up, down, left and right to fit the contours of the face for irritation free results.

Combine all that with nano-polished blades that have been sharpened to a 30° knife’s edge and Panasonic claim it will give you the sharpest, closest, smoothest shave they have ever offered.  The extra-long battery in both models will give around 65 minutes shaving when used cordlessly and as far as I can make out the only difference between the two models are that the ES-RF41 comes with a charging stand and has five LED charge indicators, while the ES-RF31 has three LED charging indicators.

The retail price of the ES-RF41 is £169.99 and the ES-RF31 £149.99. Both models are available from John Lewis, www.amazon.co.uk, www.shavers.co.uk and Comet

I’ve mentioned Keynoir before but in case you haven’t heard of them, they are one of the leading luxury lifestyle clubs. There seems to be an ever increasing number of these on-line member’s clubs, most of which offer designer fashion wear and accessories to their members; so what makes Keynoir different?

Well, rather than offering you last season’s designer goods at discounted prices, they handpick some of the finest experiences in and around London for their members. These Keypasses, as they like to call them, are usually only available to purchase for 1 day and very often only in limited numbers. To give you an idea of what you can expect, today’s Keypass is shown below.

There is no membership fee to become a Keynoir member, you simply register and each day you will be notified of the current Keypass offer, usually no more than 5 per week. Recently these offers have included 70% off an evening of whiskey tasting at London’s Albannach restaurant, 61% off dinner at Soho’s Quo Vadis Restaurant, 50% off a 5 Star weekend break in Cornwall and an amazing 75% off a fitness retreat in either Morocco, Ibiza or Italy!

One of the things I really like about the Keynoir offers is the fact that whilst you generally only have 24 hours in which to purchase them, you usually have several months in which to use them and nearly all of them can be transferred to 3^rd parties with no fuss, making them ideal gifts.

So if the idea of enjoying fantastic offers at heavily discounted prices appeals to you why not sign up for your free membership today and start enjoying life, the Keynoir way!

Denise Van Outen launching the Kiwi Shoe Aid for Africa charity auction. Photo: Matt Crossick/PA Wire

Shoe Aid for Africa’s Celebrity Shoe Auction was launched today by the ever lovely Denise Van Outen. Shoe Aid for Africa was set up by quite possibly the most popular brand of shoe polish in the UK, if not the world, Kiwi. What man doesn’t have a tin of Kiwi polish at home?

The campaign itself aims to send 100,000 pairs of shoes to Africa and the best thing is you can send a pair with just a few clicks of a mouse.  If you head over to www.shoeaidforafrica.org and leave a message on the interactive map Kiwi will send a pair of shoes to Tanzania on your behalf.

Also on the site you’ll find out how you can win a once in a lifetime experience of helping to distribute the shoes collected in Tanzania with Soles4Souls who provide shoes to children the world over; they estimate that over 300 million children worldwide are without shoes. That should give you something to think about when you next look at your own shoe collection!

Of course for some shoe collecting is a way of life, which is why Denise Van Outen was launching the 10 day auction on eBay. Male and female celebrities have donated shoes to be auctioned and every $1/63p raised will result in a pair of shoes being sent to Africa by Kiwi.

We’ve managed to find out details of some of the male celebrities who have donated shoes but you should check the auction daily as there may be more added, not to mention the female shoe donators who I know include Barbara Windsor, Mel C and Sarah Chalke. Men’s shoes that you can bid on include those from:

• Gok Wan
• Zach Braff (Scrubs)- Men’s Nike Velcro shoes
• Donald Faison (Scrubs)- Men’s Nike Hightop Basketball shoes
• Jason Kidd (NBA Dallas Mavericks)- Reebok Running shoes
• Brad Arnold (Lead Singer/ 3 Doors Down)- Black Alfani Leather Ankle Boots
• Tom Watson (PGA/ Pro Golfer)- Men’s Footjoy Golf Shoes
• Brian Friedman
• Nick Ede (Puma)
• Simon Webb
• Emperio Armani

So if you feel like grabbing yourself a pair of shoes and doing something for charity head over to Kiwi Shoe Aid for Africa’s Celebrity Shoe Auction now, before it’s too late!

Now, A Suit That Fits isn’t just another online tailor that takes your measurements, punches them into a computer which then cuts and stiches the material. The company was founded in 2006 after the owner was travelling in Nepal and became friendly with a family of tailors. After returning to the UK with a few suits that he had purchased he decided, after receiving high praise on their quality from friends and strangers, to form an ethical partnership with the family run business.

The cutters each have on average 30 years of experience whilst the stitchers have over 4 years of experience and both cutters and stitchers are paid 50% above the national average and receive work-related bonuses. In addition, 5% of all profits are donated to the local HPV School; by paying well and providing excellent working conditions A Suit That Fits ensures that the high standards that you would expect from a bespoke suit are not only met, but exceeded.

Ordering is done in one of 2 ways, you can enter your measurements and design your suit online or if, like me, the idea of ordering a suit online scares you, you can book an appointment at one of their 25 fitting centres throughout the UK and get not only an exact fitting but the chance to see and touch the wide variety of cloths that you can choose from. A fitting costs £25 but all customers who are measured in-store receive a fit guarantee and a second fitting for any tweaks that are required. If you order online with your own measurements there is a £40 fee for alterations.

It would seem that, if at all possible, you opt for an in-store fitting as you’ll then get to design your suit from a range of fabrics ranging from the best quality wools, from winter cashmere to summer mohair with materials like silk and linen.  What’s more there will be a style adviser to help guide you through the process of choosing fabric, linings and style whilst taking great care to ensure perfect measurements are taken.

Once the measurements are known your specifications are then wired over to the family-run workshop in Kathmandu to be expertly cut and stitched, checked by a quality support team and then checked again before being shipped to the UK ready for you to wear within 3 to 8 weeks.

At A Suit That Fits.com a bespoke two-piece suits start at £200, tailored overcoats at £300, shirts start at £50 if you buy 5 or as singles from £70.  They will also tailor trousers, jackets, waistcoats and dinner suits.

Every now and then an offer comes along that you can’t afford to miss and today is one of those days. In case you haven’t heard, Keynoir is undoubtedly THE leading luxury lifestyle members’ club which handpicks only the finest experiences in and around London for its members.

Given that membership is free there really is no excuse for missing out on offers such as 70% off an evening of whiskey tasting at London’s Albannach or 61% off dinner at Soho’s Quo Vadis Restaurant and today they have a fantastic offer of a £160 voucher towards a bespoke suit from King & Allen for only £80, that’s a 50% saving!

With King & Allen there are no online forms to fill in and quite possibly get wrong.  You can only get a suit by being measured in person at one of their nationwide fitting locations.  Once there you can inspect the range of over 2,000 fabrics while a King & Allen expert measures you and creates a blueprint of your body.

This blueprint and the measurements will be used to tailor your suit by hand from a roll of bespoke cloth within 6 to 8 weeks. You’ll want to experience the renowned King & Allen’s full bespoke fitting service, including their Fit Guarantee when you discover that a bespoke tailored suit can be yours for far less than you imagined.

Ladies and gents suits are priced from £249 however with the Keynoir offer you’ll save £80 just by claiming 1 of 140 half price vouchers, even better is the fact that you have until 19 April 2011 to redeem the voucher so you don’t have to feel rushed into ordering Having said that you could end up with a new bespoke suit in time for Christmas.