Spring smart!

It came as quite a surprise when I was looking through my wardrobe, that I didn't own one pair of trousers. I have always been a jeans type of guy. I mean, I haven't really had any need to own any trousers. However, recently I have found myself branching into smarter clothing choices.

Spring trends are showing pairing a tucked in t-shirt/shirt with some fitted trousers to be super popular. I have been loving this look, it is something completely different for me. I chose to keep this outfit fairly neutral, opting for whites, blacks and greys. Not the most adventurous but it works.

The full outfit again is by boohooMAN, apart from the shoes. If you read my post about boohooMAN's new spring collection then you'll know all about this jacket. It's amazing. Super lightweight, amazing colour and it practically goes with every outfit. I paired it with a tucked in white t-shirt and some fitted black trousers that taper to your ankle.

For shoes I opted for some loafers. These are by Aldo and I absolutely love them. Really comfy and perfect for a warm day.

Again for accessories I kept it super simple with my Redherring watch from Debenhams, and some Topman wayfara sunglasses.

You can copy the codes into boohooMAN and shop the look here
Longline cap sleeve t-shirt: MZZ73493
Button through suedette trucker jacket: MZZ74513
Skinny stretch chino trouser: MZZ73989

boohooMAN | #NOVACANCY

Spring. It's officially here...well sort of give or take the odd rainy day. This is the UK after all. Aside from the warmer weather, I absolutely love this time of year. No longer do you need to have a hundred layers on to actually brave outside. It also means you can inject a bit more colour into your outfits.

We were super lucky when shooting this outfit as the weather was definitely on our side. Knightsbride is such a nice location to grab some outfit photos and you can even see some blossom starting to show on the trees. All very promising for a good few months ahead (hopefully).

Now, to the outfit. BoohooMAN have just dropped their #NOVACANCY Spring 2017 collection online and it is safe to say it is a winner. I opted to go fairly neutral with the colours of this outfit. I worked around the main piece of the outfit being the suedette grey jacket. It is really lightweight and can be paired with most items in my wardrobe. I wore it with some raw edge denim ripped jeans, a longline curved hem white t-shirt and some white Adidas superstars.

In terms of accessories I wore my black Red Herring watch and some aviator style sun glasses from Topman.

Shop my look by clicking the links below:

BUTTON THROUGH SUEDETTE TRUCKER JACKET 

LONGLINE LOOSE FIT CAP SLEEVE T SHIRT

SUPER SKINNY RAW EDGE DISTRESSED JEANS

Maltby Street Market | London's hidden gem!

One of the many things that I love about London is that there is always something new to discover. It is easy to feel overwhelmed however. With a city that offers so much, sometimes going somewhere that you know and are familiar with is just what you need. And this funnily enough is how I found out about Maltby Market.

I was sat outside Crumbs and Doilies in Soho having a coffee and a piece of cake when a woman walked past with her dog and said how great the cakes looked. We ended up chatting about food and she recommended this market. She said that Borough Market is known to all of the tourists however Maltby Market is known more to locals because of it's location. It can only be described as gourmet street food at it's best.

The street itself is fairly small and is only open on the weekends making it popular to say the least. None the less I grabbed my camera and still managed to get some photos of the amazing food on offer. Genuinely I didn't know what to go for. All be it small, you will not struggle for choice. I could have easily spent a fortune.

I chose to grab a British classic of 'Steak N Chips' from a place that specialised in serving quality cuts of beef. I paired it with peppercorn sauce and it was delicious and cooked just how I like it. I then thought about something sweet. I saw the sign that said London's best waffle was served at this market so I was eager to try. I chose the classic berries and yoghurt with a fruit coulis and it was INSANE. I know you're probably thinking how good can a waffle be right? This was just amazing.

Without a shadow of a doubt I will be going back soon, they even had a place serving cocktails which could be amazing during the summer.

If you are thinking about visiting, check out the location here: http://www.maltby.st/

Thank you so much for reading, so sorry if I made you hungry.

Luke. 

January Favourites.

I figured I'd give something new a go on my blog. I love hearing about what people have been enjoying recently. It's always great to find out about a new product or a TV show that you haven't heard of before. I think I really enjoy favourites because I am secretly a little bit nosy...

I have split this months favourites up into categories. Food, Drink, Fragrance, Technology, Shoe, Clothing, TV/Film and Book. I think that pretty much covers everything, but feel free to comment down below if there is something you would like to be featured next month.

So...without further adieu, let's get to it.

Food: Crosstown Doughnuts  - Locations across London  
https://www.crosstowndoughnuts.com/
I have been a fan of crosstown doughnuts for a while now. I went to the store in Soho back in July 2015 and have been a regular ever since. They regularly change their flavours to fit the seasons. Since returning to London one of the first things I had to go do was visit Crosstown...priorities I know. I always try to go for something different every time. This doughnut was their 'Black Forest" flavour which uses their cake dough recipe rather than their traditional sourdough and it was THE BOMB. Give Crosstown a go for an epic sweet treat or just to get a cheeky Instagram because all of their doughnuts look insane.

Drink: Oatly - Oat Drink (Tesco £1.40)
http://www.oatly.com/
Bit of a random one, however I have been really trying to cut down on dairy recently. There is just something about it that doesn't sit right with me. I have tried a lot of dairy free milk options and this one by far is my favourite. It's by a brand called 'Oatly' and honestly guys it's the one. There is no dairy in sight and is packed with nutrients. I really do love almond milk however this one has less of an impact on the flavour of foods and drinks. I highly recommend. I've noticed a huge difference in my skin too since cutting down on dairy - it's a win win.

Fragrance: Giorgio Armani Code Profumo, Parfum Pour Homme (Debenhams 60ml £66)
http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_117024900999_-1
I received this fragrance for Christmas after testing it when it was first launched. I am a huge fan of Armani fragrances. They are always classy, sophisticated and refined. I have the Aqua Di Gio and it is my all-time favourite fragrance. The best and simplest way I can describe Armani Code Profumo is woody and almost smoky with top notes of citrus. It is an all rounder, you can wear it throughout the day for a casual scent or pair it with a crisp shirt and it will give you that perfect evening scent. I have wore it none stop and had a lot of compliments on how nice it smells. Nice one Armani.

Technology: Lava Brightsound 2 - Speaker & Light (Amazon £39.99)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lava-BrightSounds-Portable-Lantern-Bluetooth/dp/B01HTKLRCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486143491&sr=8-1&keywords=brightsound
This little gadget is awesome to say the least. My flatmate got this speaker for Christmas and after walking in kitchen and hearing the sound quality I knew I had to get one. I was expecting it to be super expensive for the quality of sound, but for under £40, value for money is insane. It has a certain richness to the sound, handling a variety of music really well. It also doubles up as a lamp to keep by your bed for night time reading etc. The design is brilliant, with the e carry handle being perfect for moving the speaker around with you. They also come in a variety of colours to match any interior or taste.

Shoe: Adidas Tubular Grey (JD Sports £75)
https://www.jdsports.co.uk/product/grey-adidas-originals-tubular-shadow/241389/
Admittedly I have a thing for trainers. So it's no surprise that I have welcomed a new pair into my collection. These were advertised on JD's Instagram and I immediately knew I had to have them. Again, I was expecting them to be priced in the hundreds but for £75, I didn't even think twice. They are very 'Yeezy' esque dividing opinion that they are dupe's of the famous trainer. However with Adidas making Yeezy's it's no wonder they have a similar look to them. They are honestly so comfy and really nothing like I have in my collection. I have wore them none stop since ordering them and I can see them being a firm favourite in the coming months.

Fashion: Black leather shearling jacket (Zara £89.99)
http://www.zara.com/uk/en/man/jackets/biker-jacket-c586542p4238056.html
This jacket has by far became my favourite thing in my wardrobe. I've had my eye on it for a while now, seeing bloggers and people on Instagram wearing similar styles and absolutely killing it. The thing with shearling is that it's so warm you don't really need many layers underneath making it perfect for the transition seasons. I picked this up in Zara and was surprised at the price considering the quality. You can fully zip the jacket up to the neck for those colder days. It just fits so well and makes any outfit look that little bit more classy.

TV/Film: A Series of Unfortunate Events - Netflix 
https://www.netflix.com/browse
So...this will probably divide some people's opinion. But I have to feature this in my favourites. Since moving to London I am watching a lot less TV purely down to lack of time. But Netflix is still very much used on an evening. I loved the original film version back in 2007 so when I heard that Netflix were making a spin off series I was very interested. Now I know people are saying it's predictable and not very much like the books, however I still think it has very quirky and funny element to it. Neil Patrick Harris plays Count Olaf, the horrid guardian of the Baudelaire family. Although he isn't a patch on Jim Carrey in the movie, he still fits the role really well. Give it a go and see if you get hooked like I did.

Book: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two (Amazon - £9)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Cursed-Child-Production-x/dp/0751565350/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486143521&sr=8-1&keywords=harry+potter+and+the+cursed+child
I know I am hugely late to this book. Calling myself a Potter fan and not actually reading this book for months is an outrage I know. I finally took the plunge and purchased this book at the back end of December. I am about three quarters of the way through and so far it is brilliant to say the least. It is written as a play so it does take a while to get your head around it and the which characters are talking etc. However you soon get into it and it becomes enchanting. JK Rowling is a genius and this book is no exception. I really am desperate to see the play in London however the tickets are crazy expensive. So for now, the book will do just nicely!

So there we are. Just a little round up of the things that I have been loving throughout the month of January. Bit of a random selection but none the less some great mentions. Feel free to leave a comment if you have enjoyed this post or anything you have been loving recently.

Thank you so much for reading,

Luke. 

Borough Market - London's best?

I class myself incredibly lucky to live just two tube stops or a 20 minute walk away from arguably London's best market food market. Since moving to London in September, visiting Borough Market has became a little bit of an obsession of mine.

Truly it's an experience you can relate to when you visit. The atmosphere, the smells, the hustle and bustle of the whole place is captivating. Street food is has a place in my heart, after travelling Thailand and America I have a new found love for food you can eat with your hands and get stuck in to.

Borough Market is well known to Londoners and tourists alike attracting thousands of visitors each month. Aside from being a market that sells everything from fresh flowers, cheeses and bread it also has a huge selection of food stalls and restaurants to grab a bite to eat.

Some of my favourite spots include:
Bread Ahead - Selling freshly baked bread and pastries but most famous for their doughnuts which are up there with some of the best in London.
Pie Minister - This stall is amazing if you fancy something comforting. Specialising in gourmet pie's with flavoursome fillings, served with mash and gravy - you can't beat it!
Monmouth Coffee - Monmouth have been supplying Londoner's with coffee for quite some time now. However, their spot just outside the main market has people queuing all day round. Well worth a visit for all those coffee fiends out there.
Gujarati Rasoi - Serving potentially some of the best vegetarian indian food I have ever tried. They offer snacks like 'Samosas' and boxes with an array of fillings, a must visit!

If you have never been to Borough Market I would highly recommend a visit. Even if you have already had food or have no intentions of buying anything, it's still well worth it!

Thank you so much for reading, 

Luke.