Branded City Breaks – Volume One
As the days get warmer and the nights get lighter, we long for a weekend away somewhere new and exciting, with the extra bank holidays at this time of year making it the perfect time to stretch your wings and try somewhere new.
To make sure you make the most of these precious weekends, the Hip Store has compiled some of its favourite European city breaks, inspired by the brands that they house and inspired.
Paris
The ultimate city break for many, Paris is on point at this time of year, with the hazy evenings perfect for alfresco dining outside your favourite bistro, with a glass f wine in hand, naturally. For those that have never visited, a walking tour of Paris is the best way to see the city. Start at the picturesque Montmatre with its iconic Sacre Couer before meandering down to Notre Dame and the winding streets of the Latin Quarter, snaking along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower, crossing the river to Trocadero Gardens and finishing up on the Champs-Elysees after a brief rest watching the traffic fly by Arc de Triomphe.
Must see
The Pompidou Centre and its stunning array of carefully curated works of art from the classics right through to the modern day.
Must wear
When in Paris, it has to be A.P.C., with the effortless cool of the brand’s garments marrying perfectly with the laidback nature of the French capital – the A.P.C. denim shirt in indigo is perfect for such a stroll as described above.
Amsterdam
Look beyond the stories from your mate’s stag do and up at the imposing architecture, and you’ll appreciate the Dutch city of Amsterdam in a completely different fashion from many a tourist. With the recent passing of the Dutch master Johan Cruyff thrusting in Holland and it’s culture into the limelight once more, anyone with even a passing interest in the beautiful game is recommended to read David Winner’s book Brilliant Orange before visiting this ace city, to get a greater understand of how football has the city of Amsterdam and vice versa.
Must see
No trip to Amsterdam is complete without visiting Vondelpark, the huge sprawling city centre park perfect for a sunny day, and full to brim with museums and galleries should you need to grab a little shade.
Must wear
Fit in with the locals by donning Patta for your Dutch trip. The retro styling of this italic print t-shirt in white fits the tone to a tee.
Copenhagen
While once the 20-somethings of the UK would venture to Barcelona or Berlin to get away from it all during the summer months, Copenhagen has emerged in recent years as theweekend break for those in the know, as Brits can’t get enough of the ice-cold cool of Scandinavian culture.
Must see
For something a little different to the norm, Tivoli theme park cannot be missed, with its 150 plus years of history making it the second oldest adventure park on the planet.
Must wear
There’s no option but Norse Projects if you want to assimilate in Copenhagen is there? Unfussy and perfectly put together, Norse Projects is the archetypal Danish brand, with the Jens cotton linen broken twill overshirt in navy the perfect garment in which to transition from afternoon to evening in.
Check back in with Ways & Means soon for the next instalment in our branded city break guides.
Brand profile: PRO-Keds
It’s always good to welcome an old friend back home, and that’s exactly how we feel at the Hip Store this week as we introduce to you PRO-Keds – the American sneaker legends who are back to win over an entire new generation.
Exactly 100 years ago, the U.S. Rubber company created Keds, a workhorse of a canvas shoe that was low on features but big on wearability. Created as a by-product of the tyre making process and viewed as purely functional pieces as opposed to the coveted menswear items we know today, Keds sneakers were made as a no-fuss sports shoe for pre-war Americans.
However, by the time 1949 came around, American athletes needed something more from their footwear – something that would give them that edge to beat their competitors, and PRO-Keds was born to answer this need. The Royal was the first style in the new PRO-Keds range, and was championed by the new breed of towering, burly basketball players looking to break the backboard of the narrative at the time that declared basketball was a game for smaller men., with basketball legend George Mikan the posterboy of both this changing in mentality for the sport, and the PRO-Keds Royal itself.
Over the next 50 years the brand became synonymous the world over for high quality, stylish, yet functional sneakers, with the double stripe to the sole becoming a sign of undeniable class.
This year, Tom Slosberg has resurrected this classic shoe from the archives, and we’re proud to stock this sneaker classic at the Hip Store. Whether you prefer Lo or Hi tops in navy, camoor white colourways, each pair of Royals by PRO-Keds feature the same woven canvas upper, rubber toe cap and textured gum rubber sole, featuring the classic dual stripe to the front and logo to the back.
Clean and timelessly cool, reacquaint yourself with PRO-Keds this spring.
View the full range of PRO-Keds at the Hip Store here.
The Hip Store X adidas Originals SPEZIAL Event Review
To celebrate the launch of the latest exemplary collection by adidas Originals x SPEZIAL, we opened up the doors of the Hip Store for a very special Friday evening event.
SPEZIAL aficionados queued around the block to gain entry to the store, and were presented with the chance to take a closer look at the French Riviera-inspired collection and chat with the stellar team that made it all possible, Gary Aspden, Mike Chetcuti and Peter O’Toole. The guys also brought along some classic pieces from SPEZIAL lines past as free beer did flow and the much sought after adidas Originals gift bags were distributed.
While the adidas paraphernalia included was much appreciated by all, the item everyone desired was the latest instalment of the now legendary adidas SPEZIAL book, showcasing some of the key pieces and the story behind the collection to date, before highlighting the current SS16 collection.
If you couldn’t make the evening, don’t worry, we still have a few items from the range left in a variety of sizes. The Shadsworth polo in off white can still be picked up, while the on pointHarwood anorak in navy is also still available in most sizes. When it comes to sneakers, the Hip Store still has selected sizes in most styles, the Hochelaga SPZL Onix was the largest spread.
To browse the full range, please view the adidas Originals x SPEZIAL collection here.
Spring Shirting
Spring shirting: The Hip Store’s guide
After we nailed the art of the transitional spring jacket last week, this time out we’re peeling back to another key layer of your spring wardrobe: the shirt.
While picking a shirt seems an easy task on the surface, many a man has come a cropper by being all Lasseiz-faire about their choice. To prevent the same fate from befalling you, the Hip Store presents for you our ultimate guide to the three key shirt types for you this spring.
The Oxford Shirt
The Oxford shirt is the perfect laid-back piece that conveys a sense of ease and comfort while creating a sleek, clean look’. That’s how Ralph Lauren describe our ultimate go to on the shirt front, and we couldn’t put it better ourselves. It’s the ultimate smart-casual shirt, that can be dressed up or down at your behest. As you’d expect from our description above, Polo Ralph Lauren is a dab hand at the Oxford shirt, while Norse Projects’ seminal Anton shirt and the understated cool of A.P.C’s Oxford also can’t be missed.
The Grandad shirt
The sophisticated older brother of the Oxford shirt, the Grandad collar is a classic cut that can be worked into any outfit. The banded collar on this blue chambray Grandpa shirt from Scottish-favourites Folk is a prime example of the style, with the close-fitting neck juxtaposed with a slightly wider than the norm, curved hem meaning it’s another great choice for smart or casual looks. We also can’t get enough of this banded collar shirt from Engineered Garments, in a cool grey/blue, either.
The Overshirt
Perfectly treading that line between a shirt and a jacket, the overshirt is a workwear mainstay that is now an essential part of every man’s wardrobe. Perfect for layering during the notoriously tricky period between winter and spring, the overshirt is a favourite garment here at the Hip Store. If you’re looking to dip your toes in the water, it doesn’t get much better than the Veste de Comptoir in navy by French brand Bleu de Paname, while Universal Works’ poplin Bakers overshirt is a modern menswear classic.
Visit the shirt section of the Hip Store site to find the perfect shirt for you.
Brand Focus: Edwin
Edwin, with its signature selvedge finishes and the iconic ED-55 and ED-80 cuts, is today synonymous with easy-wearing, perfectly-cut jeans that can be relied upon no matter the occasion or season. While the brand is now one of many players in a Japanese denim scene full of exemplary craftsman, this wasn’t always the case.
Back in 1947, a good pair of jeans was hard to find in Japan. That all changed when Yonehachi Tsunemi, who had been sourcing his own jeans from the USA, decided to share the wealth and setup a denim import business. By 1961, and decided to give his compatriots a taste of what they’d been missing by creating the first ever pair of Edwin jeans, inspired by the pairs he had so lovingly handpicked from the USA.
After just three years, Tsunemi had created his first classic – the world’s heaviest ring-spun denim jean at a hefty 16oz – that always marked the world’s first exposure to the three-colour rainbow selvedge that is still held up as a denim icon to this day.
After revolutionising the denim industry in both the 1970s and 80s by pioneering the old wash and stone wash techniques respectively, the brand turned its hand to replicating classic washes from the 40s at the turn of the millennium, again reimagining what a great pair of jeans could be.
Today, the brand still prides itself on this same spirit of inspiration and craftsmanship – always going the extra mile to create washes and cuts that elevate the humble jean into something different entirely.
While Edwin jeans come in a variety of fits, the two most popular, and perennial favourites at the Hip Store, are without doubt the ED-55 with its relaxed, tapered fit and a mid-rise and the ED-80, a more contemporary slim fit with a leg that tapers just so.
