As a rule I’m not a baby person but within the coming months it looks like I will be surrounded by the little lovelies as a number of friends have announced (threatened) the potential patter of tiny feet.

Whilst obviously having a look at the possible gifts that no doubt have to be purchased in the upcoming visits to homes to ooh and ahhh, I’ve also had a think about what children can wear. As a rule of the eons it’s been a simple case of girls wearing pink, and the boys wearing blue. How dull (and extremely limiting) is that?! Thankfully in the 21^st century we are somewhat less shocked and all for change in the traditions that we have grown accustomed to. No longer do all babies have to be wearing the obligatory pink and blue grab, they can now wear bright fun colours and even, yes even printed clothing. Oh the joy! With this in mind I’ve been scouring the net in search of the ultimate in baby clothing. On a weekly basis in addition to my T-Shirt of the week articles, in honour of the exciting prospect of these little people coming into the world I will explore what’s on offer for the little tikes in this ever changing fashion world where you are what or who you wear.

My first find is a rather funky company called Raspberry Blowers (a rather whimsical choice of name too!), their approach is to bring a little humour into the clothing for the kids, simple plays on wording or catchphrases made famous throughout the globe, partnered with bright and simple colours and images, a pleasure to wear for the child (as well as being made from 100% organic cotton) and perhaps a giggle for any tired parents. My favourite would be the Ipod inspired “Ipoo” t-shirt which is literally just the wording formatted to imitate the infamous logo, simple and rather funny without being too crude or inappropriate for even the yummiest of mummies. Definitely a winner. I also like their presentation, each garment arrives in its own little labelled box (free of charge too), meaning that present buying is made that little bit easier, what could be better?

Tee Boy

Yes, today is officially the first day of Spring. The birds are singing, the sky is blue, the sun is out and people seem to be a lot happier. Amazing what a little bit of good weather can do for you.

With the Spring season comes a new season in fashion and style. Gone are the thick jumpers, the body coverings of grey, black and brown and out come the bright colours, short skirts, shorts and skimpy footwear. Unfortunately here in the UK we aren’t blessed with much by way of sunshine so I think it’s safe to say that as soon as that sun does rear its head, then soon enough the shorts, flip flops, skimpy tops and sunglasses emerge in throngs. The parks are once again populated with people playing games, reading books, generally just chilling out. Bars start adding piazza style dining areas outside their windows, enticing young professionals to partake of a glass or two and a light snack to reward their hard working selves for being in the office when the outside sunshine has so much to offer. Yes I perhaps am really rather wistful looking outside myself, but more so am I also contemplating what will my choice of wardrobe be for the coming warmer climate?

Shorts are a definite, this year the boardies (surf style funnily enough never goes out of style) and combat style shorts are back with a vengeance, camouflage won’t cut it this year however, the more preppy checked and striped “smarter” look is one of the hot looks in the gents stores at present, or the rolled up short jeans are a must, teamed with either the understated white plimsolls (and no socks, please no socks) and casual bright baggy t-shirts (or tight for those of us that can pull it off), printed retro bold designs are definately hanging around for a while so hang onto those ones you had for Christmas or picked up in the sales, they are an investment.

Bright rolled up sleeve shirts left open with plain white t-shirts for those wanting a more serious yet summer look for an afternoon session with friends in true metropolitan style.

Flip-flops as always are an easy, comfortable (if you’re lucky enough not to have to spend a few days with sore feet from trying to get used to them) bit of footwear that can be worn with shorts, jeans or anything else. Available in pretty much any colour or style you can imagine (but please, do try and stay away from sandals, there is a limit to which you can stray too far) all the designers have added their brands to them, or if you’re not too worried about what’s on your feet, especially when you can’t see the brand, then the high street stores have a great variety of colourful, plain or designed ones to suit any budget from as little as a fiver; so there’s definitely no excuse for anyone to be seen without at least a hint of style and taste upon themselves! You have been warned.

Sunglasses, sunnies, shades (all the same thing); it goes without saying are a big look as usual. If you’re a lover of the Oakley look and again you can pull them off (not everyone can, believe me!) then keep with it. For those of us on a tighter budget and not able to fork out for the likes of Ray Ban or Police, then again the high street stores are offering a great variety of retro, modern and downright strange styles that suit all budgets from as little as £8.00. Big glasses are back, wide rims, retro white frames and aviators have returned for another season. Perhaps not great with regards to the sun protection factors, but in the style stakes, you’re on to a winner.

Straw hats seem to have snuck in somewhere, not to my taste to be honest but some guys can just pull them off, put with rolled up jeans, t-shirt and plimsoles and you’re transformed into an English countryside picture circa 1950’s, quirky yet casual.

All in all, the general rule is quite plainly, there are no rules, wear what makes you comfortable, what makes you smile and black definitely should stay in the wardrobe for a few months.

Get some Spring in your style step!

Tee Boy

Even though I submitted a t-shirt of the week yesterday, I have to show this one, mainly because it is quite simply genius! Ask any child under the age of 14 what a video tape is and you are most likely to get a very blank face, it’s all about Blue Ray and MP3 nowadays but not so long ago I fondly remember popping into Woolies (another part of our lives that will never be the same again) and buying that tape that I’ve been saving for all month. Chunky plastic things that had such exciting covers with the brief overview of the plot on the reverse that even though you knew what was on it, you still had to read every mouth watering sentence.

As time has gone by and the VHS and video players alike have gone the way of the dinosaurs, this t-shirt is a fantastic tribute to a very large part of all our daily lives, for those of us around in the 70’s and 80’s of course!

A simple and novel approach that may raise a smirk on the street.

Tee Boy

This week’s nomination is from Quicksilver as part of their usually successful surf branded wear, they’ve started incorporating colour and edgy street looks to their collection. This item in particular is pure and blatant agenda pushing with the design being the label name written over and over fused with bright and funky colour usage. All in all, a great and simple design that for the summer months ahead would look great paired with boardies, combats or jeans, teamed with the usual beaded bracelets and other various surf gear that has been adopted as part of most gent’s summer wear, yes sir we have an ensemble!

On the subject of ensembles and perhaps digressing onto fashion in general; I’m off to see Confessions of a Shopaholic tomorrow. Having already read the entire series of books I’m quite keen to see how it has been translated onto the big screen. With the obligatory references to huge names and fashion designers it is sure to strike a smile on our faces, and having already picked up the soundtrack which contains a variety of not only great talents (Lady Gaga, Natasha Beddingfield, Akon and the Pussycat Dolls) but fantastic track titles geared towards fashion or even the items of clothing themselves (‘Blue Jeans’, ‘Fashion’ ‘Accessory’ to name but a few), definitely a must have for any fashion or music lover.

It strikes me that over the years, a film can even be about a simple thing as clothes, shoes and accessories. Yes perhaps a little materialistic but hey, that’s progress and the human condition for you!

Tee Boy

Unless you didn’t already know it, today is the 17^th March which means that it is St Patrick’s day. In Ireland this means celebrating the patron saint of Ireland, whom ironically was a citizen of Wales who was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. Having escaped and taking on religion he then returned to Ireland as a missionary where his work then earned him the title of saint.

In other parts of the world it is celebrated by those of us with an excuse to drink copious amounts of Guinness and the recent revelation that we are in fact Irish by descent, convenient don’t you think?

Whatever your excuse to celebrate this event, it goes without saying that green is the colour today, already I have seen a number of t-shirts hats and trousers worn (particularly by the students amongst us) on my journey to work this morning, along with the posters advertising various St Paddy’s day offers, drinks promotions and pub nights. Out of all the holiday’s this one seems to be one of the more popular ones and the one most likely to get people dressing up in more and more outrageous get ups with shamrock’s, pints of the black stuff and all manner of Irish-esque logos and famous slogans.

T-shirts especially are the most popular part of the ensembles, some with messages, some with jokes, most with drinking related subject matter.

There are plenty of websites advertising their own designs and I’m sure plenty of people have designed their on appropriate homage to this fast becoming non-religious holiday.

If you’re off out tonight, do the Irish people proud and do it properly, loud, proud and green!

Onto another seasonal subject. It’s March, the spring has arrived and so far the weather has been lovely, so lovely in fact that prematurely the lads and lasses out there have already been donning those shorts, flip flops and shades. If however some of you (like myself) aren’t quite ready to acknowledge that the temperatures haven’t really risen that much then here’s a helpful hint, wear shorts and flipflops but partner them with a trendy, warm yet cool (not idea how that works but it does) hooded sweatshirt. Should the weather suddenly turn nasty, you can quite simply throw them on over your t-shirt and voila, warmth plus style equals happy person. All the colours are out there, the high street itself is alive with labelled and non labelled sweatshirts in a variety of bright and fun colours perfect for the transition from Spring to Summer. I myself have my eye on a very bright yellow sweatshirt that will pretty much go with anything in my ever expanding wardrobe. Alas, apart from certain jeans that may perhaps have me looking like a representative of a very well known Scandinavian furniture store (it doesn’t dare thinking about does it?).

So, the main point of my ramblings today is that even though it’s warm, it really isn’t but you can still look the business without sacrificing your comfort and sanity.

Tee Boy

Upon discovering that my boss has acquired a very trendy pair of new trainers I was very keen to see them. Unfortunately, upon seeing them I have had to fight feelings of jealousy and envy over and over again, because they are quite simply fantastic. A bright blue meshing contrasting with a faux brushed suede grey, making them a retro yet modern example of what is being worn on the streets today. Yes people I want them!

Thinking about them and the colours they are available in, not one of them is a boring or light colour, all of them are bright, bold and edgy, I couldn’t help but wonder, is colour back in style?

For a long time we’ve been happy with white trainers, with perhaps a small amount of colour thrown in for good measure, but never anything too in your face. From there the usual basketball sneakers, skate wear and surf wear have had their influence and more colours have started to crop up. Gone are the days when you could only be seen on the street wearing a pristine pair of whiter than white daps (old school term for trainers, oh dear I really am getting old! Pass me my slippers and pipe would you dear?).

This isn’t just happening in the footwear world however, across the ranges colours are really coming to their own. T-shirts hardly ever come in pastels anymore, the bold red, blue, yellow and pink have come back with a vengeance and so have their neon cousins. Hooded sweatshirts have always been an item used to express an attitude and message are now showing up in bright purples’, greens and various shades of bright pinks. Jeans, an item of clothing traditionally known to be varying shades of blue are now available in black, red, white, green, purple, pink and upon visiting Topshop recently with a friend, gold and silver have also made an appearance. I have no idea how long these new members of the fashion family will be around but for the moment, colour is here to stay!!!

Not always something that goes with the wearer’s complexion of the rest of their ensemble (or hair even), in this time of the 80’s comeback, punk and skate looks, there are no rules when it comes to what is being put with what. It’s a great time to experiment, there’s no shock anymore to see someone with bright coloured hair paired with neon clothing of the complete opposite colour.

So with that in mind why not grab your neon pink jeans, your bright blue T-Shirt and gold trainers and go out in style (well it sounded good in my head anyway).

Get colourful!

Tee Boy

This week our t-shirt de-jour is one for the girls, or those lads brave enough to wear it!

I have to admit I am a fan of Elmo, as shameful as this revelation is, he is adorable, funny and have you seen a tickle me Elmo?! Hours of fun, well perhaps for me anyway. For those of you that haven’t check out the video below, I dare you not to laugh.

The colour and print of the t-shirt is very much an example of what is popular and on the high street at the moment. Retro images and that distressed t-shirt that I’ve had since the 80’s look is very prominent in both the ladies and men’s looks. Not a bad price and their quality is always very high and durable meaning that this retro top could be kept for years to come and perhaps even become actually retro in age as well as appearance.

Maybe not something to be given as a gift for Mother’s Day (22^nd March in case anyone’s forgotten!) unless your Mum happens to be around her early 20’s and in which case I have no idea how you could possibly be reading this blog or know what your belly button is.

Anyway, I digress; this t-shirt is pink, colourful, fun and would be perfect simply with a pair of jeans for going out with the girls to the cinema or bowling or perhaps slobbing around in your PJ’s watching your favourite guilty pleasure. Whatever the use, let’s face it, in this time of “recession” and all things money and misery it’s nice to see somethin bright and fun that may perhaps bring a little smile to your face.

Here’s to fun and colour, Spring is coming so let’s leave the browns, blacks and greys behind.

Tee Boy

Love it or hate it, Graffiti is here to stay. Whether you consider it an art form, a form of expression, a colourful and interesting design or quite simply a criminal defacement of public property; it has been around for a long time and will most likely stay for a long time to come.

The reason that this subject has come to my attention is that recently having wandered around my usual retail haunts I have noticed a large number of brands, designers and stores producing ranges of clothing, including T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and even trousers incorporating an element of graffiti like “art” and I couldn’t help but wonder; is graffiti now fashion? Could it now have reached a point where eclectic images of colour, letters and extreme messages are now considered to be something worthy of wearing and being proud of?

Graffiti itself is nothing new, it has actually been around since the ancient times of the Romans, Greeks and most famously the Egyptians. The use of paint and ink upon walls and doors to depict acts, wars, images, people and religious icons is the most famous use, which shockingly is considered to be graffiti! According to the internet however, the first modern use of graffiti in which the creator was not acting on behalf of a higher power or organisation in society are the advertisements for prostitutes and brothels in ancient Roman towns and buildings where a certain image and symbol would notify anyone looking for that particular venue that they are close by! (well I never).

Today we perceive graffiti as the hip hop style messages and signatures that are sprayed pretty much on anything standing still in urban built up areas. Starting in the 1920’s in the USA, they began as political messages, eventually with the introduction of youth and gang cultures, people began to affirm their identities as a member of a group or as an individual with giant colourful signatures, all completely different to one another. If anything it is has become a rivalry between those people and from a brief look at any wall that has been sprayed on, you can see that there is a distinct number of designs belonging to a select number of people that probably live in the local area or call it their own.

Moving on from that people have over the years experimented with producing artistic imagery by using the traditional tools of the trade such as spray paint cans. Most famous in recent times is the “artist” known as Banksy, to this day the identity of this person has yet to be revealed, yet his influence in the UK alone has inspired a movement of copycats, art culture and not surprisingly the fashion undustry. You can now even buy a t-shirt or hoody with a Banksy design upon it (the funny bit about it being that as Banksy doesn’t technically exist as he/she won’t reveal themselves then there are no laws preventing anyone from reproducing the designs, go figure. Bet someone is kicking themselves from the loss of all those royalties).

But to stay on topic, it’s plainly clear that Graffiti itself has now jumped from the walls, trains and pavements to the clothes on our back; and that I believe is called progress. How many other aspects of our lives can boast that? Something so criticised, so taboo, so technically illegal has actually now been embraced by the fashion world so that anyone can show their independent identity and appreciation for artistic impression. However, has anyone stopped to notice that in doing so, making this rebellious and individual expressionism into a fashion statement is pretty much making a mockery of graffiti itself? If everyone smoked, would children cease to do so because it was no longer rebellious or “cool”? Time will only tell I guess, but for the moment it seems that Graffiti, love it or hate it, is spreading, whether we like or not.

Tee Boy

I know the above strapline is going to give readers excuse to mock me beyond all belief, I am highlighting a secret ambition amongst many of us. You really would like to be able to type in the font that was used on so-and-so’s album cover or the latest blockbuster movie. What could be cooler than to have all of your emails to your friends in, well the original Friends series font? Or typing a document in some funky font discovered on the latest High School Musical movie (can’t believe I just said that in print, there will be consequences I’m sure).

Well people now you can. Look on the internet and they are everywhere. I found a particularly well stocked site that has a fantastic compilation of films, artist’s fonts available for you to instantly download. It also has a free text space for you to type in whatever text you wish and see what it will look like when using the chosen font. What could be more fun than seeing your name appear like Beyonce’s?

This could be incorporated into the design of clothing or accessories, giving them a personal yet famous look that will be instantly recognised and admired.

Tee Boy

This week’s nomination is an ode to all that is 80’s and retro and especially to the wonder that is the invention of the rubix cube! You will see what I mean when you see the t-shirt in all its glory.

It’s creator, Stussy have been around for 25 years producing colourful, graffiti fuelled edgy clothing that have been worn and loved the world over.

Beginning with one man, a surfboard shaper in Laguna Beach - California that simply decided to emblaze t-shirts with his own personal signature surname in literally his own handwriting, and there you have it; a trend was born. Personally I’m not sure my name ‘Collins’ would be quite as effective printed on hoodies and t-shirts(!), I think not.

Spanning some of the 70’s and 80’s the brand picked up on the crazes of both eras (including Rap, Punk and surf) and continued to do so into the 90’s and here in the new millennium. Picking up new ideas and trends in other countries such as Japan and Europe, their designs are still as relevant and provocative as they have always been.

As for today’s little number, nothing spectacular or never been done before but I just love its colours and, the drawn on look about it and the retro feel. It really does stand out and could quite easily be a true wardrobe keeper to be worn for years to come.

Check them out!

Tee Boy