A Twentieth Century Gent Giveaway

Fashion is always evolving and forever changing.
Style, however, defines time.

The Roaring Twenties were no exception to this; it was a time when the ‘gentleman’ learned to carefully tailor his own image. Suits were the order of the day.

I am an avid fan of HBO’s ‘Boardwalk Empire’. An explosive prohibition drama, it is a highly-acclaimed series set in Atlantic City and everything has been painted with a twenties brush. The props are decadent, the costumes are sharp. So, for this outfit post, I decided to take inspiration from prohibition-era America.

Let’s start with what is on my feet, as “you can judge a man by his shoes”. Luckily, Dune are on hand to offer the perfect finishing touch to any dapper suit or tuxedo with their velvet moccasins. I really love the finish and they help to complete an outfit for any special occasion.

Trying to mix up the colours a little (as the 1920s weren’t all black and white you know…) I wore a pair of tailored maroon trousers from Zara. As well as looking crisp, these are incredibly durable and also partially resistant to the odd splash of red wine, always a slight fear of mine when the drinks start flowing.

I’m a huge fan of crisp white double-cuff shirts, a staple in my wardrobe. There are literally thousands of generic white shirts out there but in my opinion, a good strong collar is also important to make the shirt sit well. Hawes & Curtis have a number of affordable options that can either be worn with a suit or casually. Just remember to invest in a good pair of cufflinks!

I’ll often opt for a belt for two reasons; firstly, it will break the colour between the shirt and trousers but, more importantly, it will prevent your trousers from falling down (certainly not the correct etiquette for a gentleman). On this occasion however, I felt that a pair of green River Island braces would do the job perfectly whilst adding a splash of colour to the shirt.

I own a number of smart blazers and you could end up re-mortgaging a house to fund such an extravagant habit. Luckily, Jeff Banks have an affordable solution with this tuxedo jacket. If you look a million dollars there is no need to spend a million dollars.

Tuxedo Jacket – Jeff Banks // Double Cuff Shirt – Hawes & Curtis // Green Braces – River Island // Maroon Trousers – Zara // Velvet Moccasins – Dune

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It would be great to know what era of fashion you find most compelling. Is there a particular decade that you like to take inspiration from?

If you have read this far, then I would like to reward your commitment with…my first giveaway!!

To celebrate the release of the fifth season of Boardwalk Empire on DVD, I am offering one lucky winner the chance to win a  copy of Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fifth Season on DVD plus a £50 drink voucher for London’s top Speakeasy bar PURL London where you could sample their new ‘Dry January’ cocktail menu, inspired by the hit TV gangster programme.

You
can sample the Big 7 Break and Empty
Gun mocktails from Monday 12th at PURL London for
the entire month of January.

Two
runners-up will also win a copy of the Fifth Season DVD box set.

Enter below and get your entries in before midday on the Saturday 31st January 2015! (UK Residents Only)

I will be announcing the winners on Sunday 1st February so you can spend that drinks voucher on something a little more alcoholic…

Don’t forget to scroll right in the giveaway, to see the three separate prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Boardwalk
Empire: The Complete Fifth Season is out now on Blu-ray & DVD.