Introducing Helen Ruth

Brighterman — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:29:37 +0000

Helen is someone we featured a little while ago when we introduced you to some new up and coming designers which caught our eye, and today we’ve decided to designate a post on her and her collection. The good news is we will be stocking Helen Ruth in March, so keep your eyes peeled for her collection hitting the store online.

“Helen Ruth is a luxury accessories label based in North East Scotland, dedicated to creating beautiful but quirky hand-finished silk and wool scarves.

Her range is based around unique designs and colours, adding a unique touch to any look. Her collection of accessories begin with original hand-drawn illustration, mixing these unique designs with found imagery such as old illustrations of flowers or vintage postcards. Her inspiration for design comes from a variety of sources, from her home surroundings of North-East Scotland to personal childhood memories. We’re excited to have exclusive Helen Ruth designs hitting our store shortly, meaning they can only be bought at Brighterman!

Brighterman Updates

Brighterman — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:44:20 +0000

It seems like we’ve been away from the blog for a while now, but our silence brings good news. Brighterman is going from strength and strength and we’re still going to be updating the blog constantly with style advice and some of our best offers. Our accessories range will be increasing soon, with a few new brands coming on board along with a new exciting feature. Alongside the regular day to day occurences of Brighterman continuing, we’re going to be launching some exciting features:

New Premises – This is one of the main reasons why we’ve been pretty silent. We’re currently moving premises and converting a section of the new office into a photo studio. This means our Looks page and Style Advice page will be reguarly updated with new lookbooks to aid your style enhancement. This is something we’re extremely excited about…
Up and Coming Designers – Along with new product ranges from our current brands, we’re going to be launching an up and coming designer section. This is a platform for new designers to sell their range of accessories. Expect some real unique collections.
Style Advice – The way this works will change, and we’ll be introducing a live chat feature again. This will be on certain times, and we’ll be using some of the most respected fashion bloggers and style advisors online. We’ll also be creating a lot more videos, offering style advice.
Social Media – Our social media platforms will be offering more competitions, so if you don’t like our facebook page already or follow us on twitter then make sure you do!

We’re pretty excited right now and hopefully all of these updates will benefit your shopping experience with us. So keep your eyes peeled and we’ll keep you updated! Let us know what you’d like to see new on the Brighterman website below…

Being Consistent With Style

Brighterman — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:15:15 +0000

Consistency is something you should be focusing on once you’ve defined your own personal style. Laziness can creep in at anytime, so it’s important to be consistent. The good thing here is that you’re already consistent with the way you dress. Those t-shirt and jeans combinations you’re pretty consistent with aren’t you? Loose fitting clothing your probably also consistent with at the moment. You see consistency isn’t an issue and it isn’t something we need to work on, we just need to change what we’re consistent with wearing. Being consistent with style is something that’s mentioned more in depth in the FREE eBook Definitive Guide To Timeless Style. As by defining your own personal style, and coming away with some fashion tips on what you should be wearing, being consistent with your new style wont be a problem. It never has been and never will be, just change the style you’re consistent with.

2 Important Ways To Be Consistent

Consistency with style is natural to everyone; it’s something we don’t think about. So the first step is to be aware of it. If laziness starts to creep in and you feel like chucking on that baggy t-shirt and jeans, recognize that you’re becoming inconsistent and adjust yourself.

Refresh your memory and look at how you redefined your style. Once this guide is completed and you’re starting to develop your appearance more, don’t fall into the inconsistent stage. Refreshing your memory of how you want to dress every now and then will decrease the chances of inconsistency occurring.

This is a really important step, but isn’t something I want you to dwell on. Just remember the two killer ways to keep ahead of inconsistency and you wont find this to be a problem. Remember being consistent is natural; we just need to be aware that inconsistency with the way we dress can creep in at anytime. Look at the way guys used to dress, as my grandpa would like to say “back in the day”. They never became lazy and inconsistent; looking smart, elegant and stylish was something they always did naturally at a consistent level.

Sunglasses In The Winter

Brighterman — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:42:34 +0000

Sounds pretty silly doesn’t it? Sunglasses are typically a summer accessory if your from the UK. So why are we touching on the importance of wearing sunglasses in the winter? Firstly sunglasses have a function, which is obviously to protect your eyes from sunlight. They also are an accessory which can add style to a look, so should be seen as both a fashionable yet functional accessory. Before we talk about key styles, UV rays are still extremely strong in the winter seasons, with the reflection off surfaces such as ice or snow having a huge impact on your eyes. Sunglasses still hold the same importance in the winter, than they do in the summer.

With that being said, do they still hold the same stylish importance in the winter? A lot of people laugh at people wearing sunglasses when the pavements are filled with snow, but like any accessory they can be used to add individual touches to a look. The choice of sunglasses is always daunting, with the range of styles being extremely vast. In winter, you want to keep things simple. Stick with simple styles and don’t opt for setting a new sunglasses style trend in winter, it’s not going to happen. Men’s sunglasses which we’re popular in the summer season carry over to the autumn/winter season, such as black wayfarers and aviators.

Remember, don’t shy away from sunglasses if its cold outside. The functionality and style of sunglasses are still the same in the winter season.

Applying Subtle Touches: Pattern

Brighterman — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:41:27 +0000

Adding pattern is a great way to enhance your look, and offers a new dimension. Keeping things monochromatic and dull, suits some people, but most of the time that extra attention to detailing through applying patterns is a must have. Using accessories, we can add a subtle touch of pattern through unique designs and prints. A floral or paisley pocket square can add something unique to a look, and these individual touches are key.

Men’s Accessories Sale

Brighterman — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:51:26 +0000

The year is coming to its end and we’ve reduced a lot of our men’s accessories to celebrate the year 2011. With a range of bags, ties, wallets, scarves and hats all with up to 70% off, it’s a sale not to be missed. This sale is for a dedicated time only and prices will revert back to normal when 2012 enters. Here’s the pick of the bunch:

2012 is an exciting year for us with a lot in store, so keep your eyes peeled for the up and coming updates and new stock hitting the website!

Celebrity Style: Chuck Bass

Brighterman — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:11:38 +0000

It’s time for us to introduce the resident bad boy of the U.S. hit series Gossip Girl, Ed Westwick. Better know by Chuck Bass, his reputation is built around a bit of a player within the hit series, but it’s his fashion style on and off screen which caught our eye. As the character Chuck Bass, Ed likes to suit up and tends to look extremely elegant. He isn’t afraid of adding statement colour and introducing patterns your typical gent wouldn’t dare wear. He likes to add trademark touches through bow ties, men’s ties and pocket squares.

Ed Westwick

The style of Ed Westwick differs slightly from his own screen character. Ed likes to wear a lot of timeless pieces such as blazers, tailored trousers and loafers. Natural grooming is another big aspect of Ed Westwicks style, adding a casual touch to more formal looks with natural swept across hair, and not being afraid to show his dash of manly chest hair. This untouched grooming again emphasises his effortless approach to style.

Introducing Joey Bevan

Brighterman — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:15:13 +0000

Joey Bevan is someone we’ve admired for a while now, way before he appeared as the official designer of BINTM Live. His latest collection “Land of the lost toys” finally features a menswear collection, and we’re a huge fan of the pieces within this collection. With a lot of focus on his current womenswear collection, with Misha B from X Factor recently sporting a piece from Joey, we’re hoping to see the same success on the menswear front. It’s edgy and something you’re probably not going to find anywhere near the high street, and thats why we like it. We caught up with Joey to put together an exclusive interview about his latest collection, his inspirations and a few personal truths.

To find out more about Joey and his collection, take a look at his official website – http://www.pointedbrownshoes.co.uk/ Or you can follow Joey on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/joeybevan

We wish Joey all the best here at Brighterman, he’s a name to watch out for.

Inspiration From Trends & Style Icons

Brighterman — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:15:27 +0000

Another great way to help define your style is by looking into fashion trends and style icons. I can hear you quaking in your slippers as I’ve just mentioned, “fashion trends”, but fashion trends are extremely good guides to research into. A fashion trend is there to be looked at, and to take features of it in which you like to implement into your own style. A fashion trend shouldn’t be imitated; Imitating a trend simply adds no originality or uniqueness. For example: A trend which we’re a huge fan of here at Brighterman called the heritage trend is based around fabrics and textures, and the way you combine different textures into a look. This is a key feature in which you could implement into your personal style, instead of wearing cotton or polyester all the time; add a different texture such as knitwear or wool. This is just an example and I don’t want to confuse you, but you should get the idea of how to take inspiration from fashion trends. Just remember, take inspiration from trends, and don’t imitate them.

Everyone’s got role models right? James Bond, James Dean, David Beckham? Like trends, taking inspiration from someone you like within the public eye can help you develop your personal style massively. Again, don’t imitate the fashion style of James Bond or David Beckham; take a look at some photos and note down what you like about them and what they’re wearing. These can be implemented into your personal style, and is great way of defining yourself. Do you like the way David Beckham isn’t scared of wearing new things? Are you a fan of the way James Bond dresses with elegance, focusing on fit and suiting up? Make notes, and what you like can easily be implemented into your current wardrobe.

Taking inspiration from trends and style icons is just one factor of enhancing your style. The FREE eBook which talks about defining your personal style in a timeless manner is still available. To get your hands on it, click the link below.

Wearing Mens Scarves Elegantly

Brighterman — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:20:38 +0000

A scarf is tend to be used to add warmth to a look, and in some cases, add another needed texture. It’s not normally seen as a formal accessory, more of a casual yet functional accessory. Today we’re going to be talking about ways to wear the scarf elegantly, making the accessory have much more of a formal, elegant touch. It’s not about the scarf you buy, it’s mostly about the way you wear the scarf and what you wear the scarf with. Wearing t-shirt and jeans, a scarf and a quilted jacket is a casual look and the scarf is only going to add a casual element. Wearing a suit, with a buttoned down shirt and draping a scarf loosely over your shoulders creates a formal look, with the scarf adding an elegant touch. You don’t need to focus as such on the scarf itself, just on how you wear it. Draping men’s scarves loosely over the shoulders is the best way, with other alternatives being tieing it loosely, still creating a kind of draping effect. Here are some photos for inspiration:

A wool mix is perfect for the AW season, where as silk is probably the best choice of fabric for SS. It just goes to show, that paying attention to detailing such as the way you wear a scarf, can add a whole new dimension to a look. We’ve got a great range of scarves for men online available for you today, and keep your eyes peeled for our own range launching AW12.

By Paul McGregor