Oliver Sweeney Shoes

Feast your eyes on these high-shine badboys...

Now, I’m a firm believer of ‘investment shoes’, or, spending a lot of money on long lasting, versatile footwear that would be staples in a young man’s wardrobe. Whether it’s just my personal way of justifying expensive purchases, Oliver Sweeney’s latest collection definitely guarantees durability and the attention that most well-dressed men appreciate, expected when they are priced at between £170- 400.

Launching his business in 1989, Sweeney established his own business based on ‘The Anatomical Last’- a unique in-sole design that supported the arch of the foot and guaranteed comfort for the modern day gentleman. Yet, aside from being practical, Sweeney quickly gained a reputation as a creator of ‘classic-with-a-twist’ shoes. Not afraid of being unconventional, Sweeney injects vitality and novelty to traditional footwear such as the brogue or loafer by introducing colour or patenting. His latest collection feature innovative creations such as welted boots with decorative perforations typical of the brogue, or loafers in patent maroon or blue. My favorites are the Eubank Tan Tassel Slip (appropriately titled after the eccentric Chris Eubank) and the Farnell Blue Oxford Brogues. They-are-beauts.

When I eventually find a job I know where the majority of mypay-slip is going…

                            Eubank Tan Tassel Slip, £275, www.oliversweeney.com

                         Farnell Blue Oxford Brogues, £275, www.oliversweeney.com

The Gentleman’s Quarterly

In the last couple of months it seems as if “Britain’s leading men’s magazine” has progressively got worse since I started buying it about four years ago. Back then, its pretentiousness and focus on unobtainable clothing didn’t bother me as I was aware that, demographically speaking, it’s target audience was a white, 30-something, balding successful male; for a 17 year old boy enthusiastic on fashion I could only hope that one day I too could afford a Savile Row suit and the latest gadgets and gizmos.  In addition, its cultural and fashion updates were always good reads  (especially those by Millar and Franklin) and were unrivalled amongst its glossy counterparts.

However, though once a coherent mag that always promised value for money, its recent transformation has left it disjointed and disappointing. Adverts seemed to have increased in the last 4 months (the first 104 pages of this months issue!) making it hard to find the actual content, and the male equivalent of vogue; an expensive catalogue with a few good articles (not really the investigative journalism that it once was) thrown in for good measure.  Another recent feature seems to be that, in hope of appealing to a younger and broader audience, profiles of unobtainable women  (to match the unobtainable clothes) have replaced interviews or success stories of inspirational men who matched the ‘look sharp and live smart’ mantra GQ propagated. Sure, the women are attractive, but do I really want to read about Bar Rafaeli’s bitter break-up with Leonardo Di Caprio?  All these women pulling shapes in bikinis has lowered its sophisticated tone, instead putting it on par with soft-core magazines like FHM and Maxim, designed to titillate rather than update.  

This desire for a broader audience has been self-harming in my opinion, mixing articles that appeal to a younger generation (Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter exclusive for example) with pages of adverts and style updates that showcase heritage brands at hefty prices, that most young men can’t afford, is a little unrealistic. The cheaper high-street alternatives have seemingly disappeared too. Sort it out.

I’ve cancelled my subscription…pass me ‘Esquire’ would you?