Store Blog

We've recently received a full re-stock from scent specialists Laboratory Perfumes. Included was a re-stock of the there first three scents (Amber, Gorse & Samphire). We also brought in their two newest scents, Tonka & Atlas. Tonka has notes of Peppercorn and Mandarin with fresh Vanilla and Tobacoo undertones. Atlas, named after the Moroccan mountains, has notes of Rum, Vanilla and Hay topped with Cinnamon, Ginger, Black Pepper with Woody Cognac top notes.

Before we get into how to prolong that smell, let's get a little scientific. The base of any fragrance you can buy will be the 'perfume essence', this is what actually makes the smell. This is a combination of essential oils (cedar wood, sandalwood etc), absolutes (jasmine, rose, etc.), animal extracts (musk, ambergris) and synthetic fragrance. There are four categories of fragrances, each with it's own characteristics. Perfume, Eau de Perfume, Eau de Toilette & Eau de Cologne. The main difference is the percentage of pure perfume extract in each type. Generally speaking, they have 15-40%, 10-20%, 4-15% and 2-5% of perfume extract, respectively. The more perfume extract a fragrance has, the longer it will last, but usually costs more.

Stay Away From Pulse Points

Most of us have heard at one time or another that the best place to apply a fragrance is on so-called ‘pulse points’. This refers to areas on the body where blood passes closest to the skin and are therefore warmer, such as on the wrists, throat or behind the ears. This is a no no for a couple reasons. Firstly, heat drives off a perfume faster. The more heat, the quicker the perfume will disappear. Secondly, these areas are the most exposed to the air and therefore the fragrance dissipates more quickly.

A much better technique is to activate your scent through movement. Applying directly to clothes helps fragrance linger. Apply a few spritz to the chest area (between your skin and clothes) to allow it to waft upwards and out of the neck of your shirt. Spritz straight onto tees and shirts and scent gets trapped between your layers, wafting out throughout the day. Also look to less hematic spots, like your forearms or the back of your neck, which release the scent more slowly.

Moisture

Ensuring the skin is well moisturised can add precious hours to the life of a scent, as can opting for more concentrated eau de toilettes which last longer than colognes or aftershaves. The drier your skin, the less it will hold onto a fragrance. But don’t be tempted to spray on straight out of the shower; the hot water elevates your skin temperature, which means your fragrance burns off faster. Try using a moisturiser lotion formulated for sensitive skin...but make sure it's scentless.

Storage

Where you stow your collection also plays a role. Store fragrances away from light, keep it cool, and avoid temperature changes. If it resides on your bathroom shelf then heat, moisture and light will gang up on its chemicals, breaking down the constituent ingredients. Which means it stops smelling like it should and won’t last as long. Your best bet is to stow your scents in a drawer in your bedroom instead. If you really want to take care of your fragrance, keep them in the fridge.

Warmer weather means one of two things for your wardrobe: 1) it’s time to switch to clothes that make you feel cooler; and 2) it’s time to start passing on the black and navy in favour of brighter shades. If tried-and-true hues like black, grey and navy are ‘safe’, then bolder ones like yellow and pink are, in sartorial terms, asking for trouble. However, we all know how relatively easy it is to pull off neutral looks made up of black, white, navy and grey, but if you really want to stand out from the pack, it’s time to start embracing bolder hues.

 PINK

Still hung up on pink supposedly being for girls? Then consider this: it’s no myth that until the end of the 19th century pink was – in the Western world – actually thought of as a masculine hue. Whether dusty and soft or bold and bright, pink has been big news for several seasons now. And the shade is not about to fade away anytime soon. It pairs well with plenty of colours you probably already have in your wardrobe – including brown, beige, blue, white and darker shades of green, such as olive. Guys with a darker complexion can wear most shades of pink, but those with fairer skin should opt for deeper variants to sidestep the washout effect.

YELLOW

Yellow is a statement colour that needs to be used sparingly and anchored with neutrals. With this in mind, always look to control use of the hue with surrounding pieces in white, blue, grey, beige and charcoal. Perhaps more importantly, though, is finding a shade that doesn’t wash you out – especially if you’re of a fairer skin tone. While darker skin types will be able to pull off everything from corn flour to canary yellow, fairer men need to be slightly more cautious. For those with lighter skin tones, you may need some sun before you start wearing yellow.

GREEN

No matter what shade you opt for, this masculine colour always looks best paired with blue, white and grey, while darker military variants complement similarly earthy hues such as brown and mustard. The only real consideration to be made is skin tone. Those with pale/fair skin should stick to deeper shades like bottle green, while anyone with an olive/medium complexion just needs to avoid shades too close to the skin, such as olive. Finally, guys with darker complexions have the pick of the lot, along with the added benefit of being able to wear bold, bright hues like jade green.

Not much else adds a summer vibe to your style more than a Cuban collar shirt. Relaxed, breathable and usually in a great seasonal print, this season the Cuban shirt is seriously on-trend.

Portuguese Flannel - Ananas S/S Shirt

The Cuban shirt (sometimes known as the Vacation, Havana, revere or camp collar) is an old-school staple and has made a made a major comeback in recent seasons. Though Cuban collar shirts found their niche in the 1900s, the origin of this particular shirt style dates as far back as the 18th century in South America, where they served as a sort of uniform for working-class men. It is unclear how exactly this shirt style sailed over to North American soil (tourism probably played a role prior to the 60s), but Cuban collars took men’s fashion by storm in the 50s — quickly becoming one of the wardrobe staples of the decade.

3sixteen - Vacation Shirt - Olive

The classic Cuban collar shirt features an open, notch lapel-like collar, short sleeves, and a straight, boxy hem. It has a similar silhouette to retro bowling shirts and touristy Hawaiian shirts but with a bit more class (the two are not synonymous). The modern variant features a more fitted cut in the body and tapered sleeves. And this season, we have a host of rather more flattering ways to wear it. 

Outclass - Barre Stripe Havana Shrit - Taupe

There are a lot of ways to wear this piece, but it takes careful styling. Stick to lighter materials to keep that warm-weather outlook as a unifying thread. As well as wearing it solo, either tucked in to tailored trousers or over chinos, try slotting it under an unstructured blazer for a louche summer wedding outfit. Just never wear a tie with it!

Portuguese Flannel - Purple Haze

If heading to Havana – or at least anywhere the temperature gets above 20 degrees Celsius – pair yours with a pair of cotton shorts and/or suede loafers. If you’re more into the rebellious youth culture of the 1950s, opt to pair it with skinny jeans and cuff the shirt sleeves instead.

Kestin Hare - Crammond Shirt - Mustard/Natural