Less Is More (bow tie).

Going out for an occasion that requires a smarter look, i.e cuffs and a collar, can be such a drag.
For people like myself who's job entails getting messy, dressing up for the night (or day) is something I love doing, but even sometime's getting out a suit and tie feels so mundane, so formal, just . . . Boring.
I'm not a fan of traditional top and tails wedding attire and this was something I made sure I wasn't going to wear on my wedding day (which I will add, was an amazing day).
I don't understand why people waste money on hiring a typical outfit that has no originality to you as a person, surely you want your own style or ideas you love to represent you on your special day?
Not everyone has the money to have a tailored suit, but there are plenty of off the peg suits you can go for. I opted for a grey two piece with black trimming, a throw back to the 1950's teddy boy style, with a skinny black tie all from Zara, which I loved.

But in the evening I wanted to be more comfortable when I'll be talking to my guests and spending a huge ammount of time making shapes and sweating it out on the dance floor (which I did, i looked like Lee Evans during his live shows).
Obviously changing your whole outfit is a hassle and also means you'd have to hide away your other new garms somewhere (on a hanger aswell as you don't want it creased) which can cause a problem.
You need to make the changes small, yet affective and that's easily done.
I made 4 changes which totally re-vamped my outfit:
1 - I ditched my jacket and rolled up my sleeves to add a more casual feel.
2 - I replaced my skinny tie with a bow tie, which also added a more relaxed feel about my outfit and a more fun look about it too.
3 - I put on my clear lensed fashion glasses, which transformed the look of my face, so with the other two steps, completely redesigned the whole top part of my outfit.
And lastly, 4 - I changed out of my shoes and put on my all black Converse high tops, which still look smart enough to wear to an evening event as they are classic black and don't stand out too much and also if your gonna be on your feet all night, (especially dancing) they are more comfortable on your feet.
These small steps gave me a whole new look and I was able to keep the bow tie and glasses in my inside pocket all day and the shoes hidden under a table so there was no need to carry around a hefty bag with a whole change of clothes somewhere, which is so easy.

You need not just use these items as a change to an evening from day event either. Like I said before the whole suit and tie thing can be a bit boring and you might wanna switch it up, which I did to a friends wedding reception the other night.


In this picture I went for the bowtie and glasses again, with a blue shirt, navy chinos (which I rolled up to add a summer casual look) and my boat shoes.

I was the only guy there who still had a smart evening event outfit on, but with a casual twist to it (everyone else who tries to relax abit ended up looking scruffy with their shirt hanging out and a bulge in their pocket from the tie they'd taken off).


Less is more and we all know men like things to be made easier for us, we're to busy watching the end of the game to have to start getting ready too early. The only down side is you gotta sit around a little longer waiting for her to get ready, trust me, cuz I always am!!!!

Here are some more awesome bow tie designs which I love.

The skull design one is by Alexander McQueen and the other two are from ASOS.

Whether plain or patterned , spotted or striped you can find so many cool designs that will liven up your evening attire.

Even the stars love a good bow tie, Outkasts Big Boi even wrote a song about them.

Busting Rhymes for Free.

Alot of Hip-Hop artists in a run up to a new album wanna get themselves back out in the public eye. Whether its guest features on other artists tracks, club appearances or blowing up on twitter. Whatever way they do it, you can't get better than releasing FREE music for the fans.
On Tuesday 21st August, Busta Rhymes, as a warm up to his official debut album on the YMCMB roster (his 9th studio album) is dropping a full free album titled 'Year Of The Dragon'.
It's a 14 track album including the hot track 'King Tut' featuring the new artists in his Conglomerate squad 'Reek Da Villian' and 'J-Doe'.

Busta has been at the top of his game since he burst on the scene in the early 90's. His live shows are so energetic just like his music videos, I've been lucky to see him a few times, recently at the Palms Memorial Weekend Pool Party where he was supposed to just MC the party but he treated us all to a half hour set of classics.
He's such an exciting artist to watch.
Personally i think he's done his best work when bringing out a new label debut album.
So needless to say I'm looking forward to this.
To download this album get onto google play this Tuesday and kop that shit and check his twitter banter @BusaBusss.

Van the Man

What's better than having Wayne Rooney, the premier leagues 2nd top scorer of the 2011/12 season (27 goals) as your main goal threat going into the new season? Try the leagues top scorer of 30 goals Robin Van Persie!!
As a Manchester United fan, much as any other fan, you admire the other class players that play in the league and imagine what they would do for your team.
With the way RVP held Arsenal together last season with his ability to score from anywhere and from nothing, I don't think a football fan in the world couldn't admire such class.
When he publicly announced he wasn't going to extend his contract, the first thing I thought was ''he'll be in a Man City shirt next season'', but how wrong I was!!!
It just shows that it's not all about the money, (even though he's still gonna be well paid) Robin wanted to come to a club with great history, a family based club, with one of the greatest managers of all time.
Personally I can't wait to see what RVP and Rooney will do this season.
Plus with the back up of Welbeck and Hernandez, like Sir Alex has said himself, it's the most exciting and best strike force out there since our treble winning '99 season!
Let's hope our new number 20 can help bring home the 20th top flight title.

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Only the 'Elite' to Compete

With the new football season underway I always like to kick it off with a new pair of boots!!
Mostly for the same reasons as I like putting on some fresh trainers, they make me feel good, so if I'm feeling good and I got my mind right I'm surely gonna play some better football?! (well thats the idea, my team mates might not agree).
There has been alot of science and technology going into football boots now days, we've come along way from the plain black leather boots that were big and heavy and for a fashion conscience guy like me, ugly to look at!!
Boots now days seem to get brighter with each new design and with more colour variations than a bag of skittles!
I personally love this but its not for everyones taste, you still get some old school players who like to comment with phrases such as "with boots like that u better be fucking good"!
But more importantly ( I can't believe I'm gonna say this ) it's not all about the blue, red, bright pink and green colours of the boots, it's also about  - the technology.
Sports companies are putting alot of money into creating the perfect boots for every type of player, whether you're a midfield maestro, a speedy winger or a prolific striker, there is a boot out there designed to help you improve your game play.
My favourite sneaker brand, Nike, are one of the main creators of the techno heavy modern day football boots so this post is gonna be all about them as personally they are my 'go to' boots and why wouldn't they be, they're the best!!

The main and most popular of the Nike football boots (going by what I see the professionals and standard league players, such as myself) players are wearing are in a group branded as 'The Elite Series' or as seen in Euro 2012 with new colours 'The Clash Collection'

This consists of 4 different styles-
CTR360's
Mercurial
Tiempo
And the T-90's.
Each pair are aimed at the style, position and type of footballer you are. For every pair there are the different options of studs including soft ground, firm ground, artificial grass and standard astro turf grips, (I prefer to have a pair of each, you gotta look after your feet and adapting to the different grounds is crucial to keeping injury free).
On top of the stud styles each type of boot has varied prices based on the boot just looking like the style you've brought (this being cheapest) and the boot having all the technology (being the most expensive), I'm gonna talk about each boot as the full high tech versions though. Also from experience paying that higher price DOES mean the boots will last longer, ''you get what you pay for''.

The CTR 360's -

These boots are aimed at the midfield player that wants to control the games tempo. They made from Kanga-Lite synthetic material which is said to help give them a cushioning touch and durable to all the twists and turns a midfielder makes to find the perfect pass. They have 3D control pading and fins to help you hug onto the football, optimising receiving and passing accuracy. On top of that, the midfoot has a dimpled texture which also increases friction, also aiding to help control and touch. These boots are perfect for a midfielder and this is proven by them being the boots of choice for players like Andres Iniesta and Jack Wilshere.

The Mercurial's

These boots are built for speed, the boot choice for Christiano Ronaldo. Inspired by sprinters spikes the contoured design mirrors a foot shape for a snug fit and with the central stud layout they are ideal for fast acceleration and explosive speed. They are made from an ultra light Flywire technology designed by Nike with a carbon fibre sole. The ultra light weight of the boot also helps with speed as you hardly feel like you have anything on your feet. I play on the wing so these boots are the usual choice that i would go for, im not the fastest player so anything that can help me add more speed to my game is perfect.

The T-90's -

The strikers boot. These boots claim pinpoint accuracy with its 'Shot Shield' technology which is divided into its 'power' and 'swerve' zones. These zones are covered in shape correcting foam and fins which reduce in size offering you a great natural feel allowing you to know the power your putting through the ball when striking. The weapon of choice for Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres.

Nike Tiempo -

These are probably the most basic of the Nike boot range, but they are known for their comfort and durability. They are also made with Nike's Kanga-Lite technology aiding you with a great feel for the ball and comfort while playing your game. Ronaldinho and Manchester United's Mexican goal machine Chicarito are fans of these, so they are also clearly a good choice for strikers but personally the no frills basic design of these boots are great for the no nonsense defenders in the world.

But for the fashion conscience people of the world or the guy that wants the next level, better than the rest kind of footwear i.e ME, then your gonna want these little beauties.

This year Nike has created the limited edition GS's.

http://www.nikebetterworld.com/nikegs

There is far too much to explain about these amazing boots so checking out the link will be alot easier but trust me its worth your while.

If you're looking for some new boots I hope this helped a little, if you wanna look the part and wear a boot that's worn and loved by footballers around the world I'd strongly recommend getting yourself some Nike's.
(*)Plus last week one of the worlds greatest and my favourite footballer Chritiano Ronaldo told me his Nike mercurials enhanced his whole game play, so if a player of his quality thinks that then it must be true!
(* I don't really know Ronaldo but I'm sure what I said is true!)

Happy footballing and when I've controlled the ball, turned you and crossed in a accurate ball to the striker,it's because of my Nike's ( and me of course).
 #gamechanger #mytimeisnow

Who's Bad?!

It's been 25 yrs since 'Bad' hit the shelves of music stores worldwide and next month it's back again bigger and better!! With bonus tracks and for the first time ever a bonus DVD of his wembley concert from the '88 Bad tour, it's a must have for the big fans of M.J as i am and I can't wait to get it!

On August 31st 1987 Michael Jackson released his much anticipated 3rd adult solo album . . . Bad.
With the worldwide success of Thriller which won 8 Grammy awards and was number 1 in every corner of the earth (with its now global sales of  between 65 - 110 million) everyone was waiting for what M.J was gonna do next and by god he didn't disapoint!

For me the Bad era (even though it's not my favourite Jackson album) is my favourite time period. In my opinion he was still "normal" and hadn't transformed into the strange guy with all the court dates and personal problems he ended up having. Bad was an era where his style and energy were at their peak!

This album boasted more hits than some artists can provide over a few albums, hits including the title track 'Bad' (which alone sold over 8 million copies) 'The way you make me feel', 'Man in the mirror', 'Smooth criminal', 'Liberian girl' and 'Dirty Diana'. Honestly I could name the whole album and you'd know the songs, it was start to finish classics!!!
And not only that, he backed them up with brilliant videos! Bad's full 18 minute version directed my Martin Scorsese, shows a student M.J going from posh school back to his home on the holidays in a tough city area, where his friends try peer preasure to get him to rob an old woman in the subway. The main "friend" being played by Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes.Once M.J realises its wrong the film bursts into the Bad song demonstrating Michael and his new gangs excellent dance moves around the underground station!
Then there was the 'Liberian girl' video which featured a whole cast of 80's Hollywood royalty including -Carl Weathers, Whoopi Goldberg, John Travolta, Steven Spielberg, Lou Ferringo, Dan Aykroyd, Quincy Jones plus many more. Showing even the stars loved the King of Pop.

But the main event was the 'Smooth Criminal' video, set in a early 1930's style club, with excellent dance routines and a cool breakdown section with acapella vocals, before bursting back with more signature M.J moves. But this was only a small part in the middle of a full hour movie he called 'Moonwalker'.
Staring himself as the hero and Joe Pesci as a drug lord trying to destroy the youth by getting them hooked on drugs, but obviously M.J saved the day with his dancing, and transforming into sports cars and a missile launching robot (just watch it, it'll make more sense).

Other great videos created included 'Speed Demon' where Michael escapes his screaming fans by dressing up as a Rabbit and tries to get away on a motor bike while under persuit (all characters including himself being made of plastcine). So just like the songs, all the videos were brilliant.

All in all Bad was a classic album from a man who amazingly only seemed to make classic albums.
Michaels legacy will always live on through his music and I'm sure he'll continue to get new fans till the end of time.

R.I.P Michael Joseph Jackson.