Five of the Best: Men's Hi-Tops

Mr Musing loves a good pair of retro inspired hi-tops and right now there are some amazing pairs in the shops, from relatively inexpensive ones through to some eye-wateringly priced designer 'statement' offerings. If a pair of trainers doesn't come up above the shin, right now I am just not interested.

So keep those ankles warm with these beauties...

The High-End: These hi-tops from Lanvin just look pure class - although for the price I feel they should actually do the walking for you! The copper coloured patent leather and contrasting suede detailing stands out for being different to many of the other trainers I have seen. From the Spring/Summer 2011 collection, expect them to be upwards of £350. Lanvin.com.

Update: Okay, so while on holiday to Puerto Banus I succumbed to the beauty of these Lanvin hi-tops (below) and completely blew my budget buying myself a pair. 


I went for the silvery-grey colour as I figured I would get more wear out of them (I was coming up with any old excuse once I had tried them on). Unfortunately they don't actually do the walking for you but they do make you feel absolutely fabulous. 

The Collaboration: This pair of Alexander Mcqueen for Puma 'Descent' hi-tops made me a very happy boy at Christmas and are my favourite pair of trainers at the moment.

With interesting shapes and a comfortable cushioned ankle, you can wear these night or day. They also come with neon orange laces, which means you can choose to make a real stand-out statement. £225. Farfetch.com

The Understated: These Converse 'OS Academy Hi' trainers are clean and fresh in white leather, with contrasting red textile stripe detailing. A simple design, yet you'll stand out from the crowd wearing these. £65 Size.com

The Sporty: I just loved the simplicity of these 'highrise' trainers from Adidas Originals. The gold detailing contrasts nicely with the grey leather and they feature unobtrusive perforated adidas stripes. £62 shop.adidas.co.uk

The High Street: 

Okay, okay so AllSaints is not exactly the cheapest high street store but these vintage-look 'Lincoln' hi-tops are great for perfecting that scruffy care-free look. £95 AllSaints.com.

Man Bag Yourself One Of These: The Best Man Bags

The average man now carries an astonishing range of gadgets and gizmo's around with them - from i-pods, mobile phones and blackberries; to the more traditional items such as keys, wallet, a pen, notebook and glasses. With the Britsh weather being as unpreditcable as ever you can also throw into the mix an umbrella and sunglasses. Oh and we haven't even mentioned grooming products yet - a quick spray of aftershave before that date after work?


So it really surprises me that so many men are still against the idea of a man bag. I mean, where does a man put all of these things if he doesn't have a bag to carry them in, because lets face it bulging trouser or jacket pockets are not attractive? Particularly if you have splashed out on some decent threads. Or if you are wearing skinny jeans!


There are now so many good men's bags around ranging from sporty to classic, masculine to camp, edgy to the frankly ridiculous that it must be impossible not to find one that suits your style.


Since getting my first Man Bag (A black Mulberry Seth, pictured below) I could never live without one. I do have a thing for Mulberry bags. They are classy, timeless and long lasting; getting better with age particularly once they have been bashed about a bit. I soon followed up the Seth with a brown Mulberry Barnaby (also pictured), which has slightly more room for those days where I need to take more out with me.

For work, I like my bag to match my shoes and belt (sad I know) and so at the momnet I am looking for a bag in a lighter brown but not another Mulberry - I want something different. In my search I came across this lovely Vivienne Westwood satchel (below) which is reduced from £418 to £214 on triads.co.uk. This is an absolute bargain! I am not sure which season this bag is from but to be honest I think with good quality bags, as long as they aren't too fashion forward it doesn't really matter.

Personally I steer well clear of the shopper. For me it is just too feminine but I have seen some nice ones. I suppose it depends on your individual style and whether you think you can pull one off. On the right person they can look great.


Anyway I thought I would pull together some of my favourite man bags of the moment:


BEST SPORTY - This green, white and red tennis bag from Lacoste has to be one of the best sports bags I have seen. Smart and masculine this is the bag to get you to the gym in style or dazzle your opponent on the tennis court. The bad news is I have never actually found it!

BEST HIGH STREET - This All Saints grey messenger is classy without being too smart, a great bag to wear casually with jeans. All saints do a great range of men's bags.

BEST DESIGNER - For this one I am going back to Vivienne Westwood. There are two reasons for this. Firstly it is a classic bag that will never date, it looks strong and masculine and hardwearing, with some nice details that sets it apart from other similar bags. Secondly it's the price - £209 for a Vivienne Westwood bag is a bargain. Bring on payday I say!

BEST LUXURY - this Mulberry Balthazar bag is beautiful and at £995 does not come cheap, but I think it is worth every penny. It's beautiful soft luxurious leather means that this will add real touch of class to whatever you are wearing and it's simple, classic design will never be out of fashion. This is a bag for life.

BEST BARGAIN - This Topman red check holdall, at £35 is the way to go if you are looking for something more bright and colourful. It's bargain price means that you won't have splashed out when you eventually tire of it.