Raising a glass

Tristan (left) wears three piece suit and white shirt by Jae Wan Park. Shoes by Church. Ring by Dominic Jones at Start-London. Richie (centre) wears velvet navy suit and white shirt by Burberry. Shoes by Church.

As the sore heads and tired limbs scattered around me indicate we have well and truly entered party season. Despite our sorry physical and mental state, we should all embrace this time of year by donning the finery we might already have in our wardrobes, whilst adding some bargain pieces from the High Street and online by taking advantages of the bargains to be had at sale time. Back in October I touched upon the idea that most of us have lost sight of how much fun it is to be well dressed. In an interview with SwipeLife Patrick Grant commented the following; "It seems like men are almost embarrassed to be well-dressed. It feels like it’s too much, or you’ve tried too hard." I think it is about time that such a belief is quashed and what better time than now? This is the time where we ordinarily drink, eat and do everything else in excess so why not have a little fun getting dressed. Now is the time to dress in excess to see out the old year whilst raising a drink in the clutches of a fur trimmed leather gloved hand to wave goodbye to 2009 welcome in 2010. Right on time, the ever inspiring Fashion156 have recently launched their Soiree Issue...

Sam wears shirt, purple longline jacket and trousers by Omar Kashoura.

Guy Hipwell and his team have certainly allowed decadence and excess to prevail in their latest offering. The fashion editorials, film (their best yet) and featured articles all capture my preferred aesthetic of the season whilst showcasing a plethora of design talent. Established names including John Rocha, Alexander McQueen, Burberry and Vivienne Westwood Man sit alongside emerging design talent emerging design talent including Casely Hayford, JW Anderson and Omar Kashoura and the pick of the recent graduates including RCA graduates Jae Wan Park and Bronwen Marshall. Marshall's opulent oand oversized furs and Hannah Taylor's fanastical knitwear actually steal the show. The dribble inducing spread of images showcase a new form of sensual dandy. Satin slippers and silk scarves suggest luxury whilst the colour is anything but bog standard black tie affair. At his pleasant surprise of the AW09 catwalk shows, John Michael O'Sullivan puts forward the idea that they marked a "return of debonair dressing - Lanvin’s satins and ribboned trousers, or Dolce & Gabbana’s Martini-quaffing playboys in woven silk jackets, dangerously reminiscent of dressing gowns - suggested a modern, easier, laid-back spin on the aesthetic." The AW09 shows undoubtedly reminded us that dressing could be merely for pleasure and this theme was picked up in September for the SS10 shows...

Alex (left) wears jacket, shirt and trousers by John Rocha. Matt (right) wears white shirt, trousers and fencing waistcoat by Alexander McQueen.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Casely-Hayford used in this editorial but their designs cetainly exude a new form of luxury. Inspired by the raw energy of Kingsland Road, Casely-Hayford SS10 collection represents a new style tribe, the Afro Punk. One of the main recurring themes of their collections is the fusion of classic, English sartorialism and British anarchy. In previous collections this manifested itself in a wonderful balance of formal tailoring and sportswear but for SS10, instead relaxed tailoring sits extremely well with tribal, handcrafted ornate embellishment. Now, there is no reason why we have to wait for the sunshine to return before splashing on some orante embellishment.

Sabine (centre) wears orange chiffon dress by Louise Amstrup. Grey suede shoes by Rupert Sanderson. Jackdor headpiece by Natasha Lawes at Luna and Curious. Sam (right) wears long johns. jacket and shorts by Matteo Bigliardi. Richie (left) wears belted mac by Raf Simons at Selfridges.

If you are still in any doubt as to what to wear to your next party despite Fashion156's guidance, my advice is always to look at Tom Ford's well constructed elegance. The Texan designer looks as though he escaped the womb wearing a dinner jacket and has perfected the art of wearing one ever since. Of course we all don't look quite as good as Mr Ford in black tie but we can but dream and take a few pointers along the way.