South London Style - Matthieu Beck

Originally from Bordeaux, Matthieu is a South London-based musician (see Zooey) and record shop guy. I thought this was the perfect look to celebrate the Tour de France's recent visit to London.

  

Matthieu wears...

Cap - "My girlfriend got it for me."

Silk scarf - Christian Dior from 'Steack Fripes', Bordeaux. "A great second hand store."

Denim jacket - Levis from 'Retro Man', Notting Hill. "Another gift from my girlfriend."

Backpack -  Herschel

Shirt - Second hand from Bordeaux.

T-shirt - "It's a Belle & Sebastian t-shirt."

Jeans - Lee, from Tk Maxx, Brixton.

Trainers - New Balance from 'Retro Man'.

Bike - 1970s Halford Racer.

Visit facebook.com/zooooooooooey

Royal Crown Hair Dressing

Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee - where it is still manufactured to this day using the original formula - it is little wonder that Royal Crown is often referred to as Elvis's hair grease of choice. Allegedly that's something of a fallacy, he preferred Black & White. Who really knows (and cares) though? Royal Crown's Hair Dressing is light, bright and smells just like a barbershop should. The formula is very simple, consisting of petroleum jelly, olive oil and perfume. It's the olive oil that makes it good for the hair, unlike many pomades that can seriously upset your natural oil balance. In this sense it's reminiscent of 'Edge Control'. Though i think I know which tub design I prefer.

 

Royal Crown's Stick Pomade is tinted black and helps to hide gray hairs. It's much heavier than the hair dressing and offers more hold. It's also one of a very few hair greases that fits in your pocket. Both products are suitable for men and women.

Istanbul (not Constantinpole)

Just got back from Istanbul, City of simit street vendors, barbers and bazaars, hamaams and halloumi. If you visit, I've got one piece of advice for you. Don't pack a razor! Turkey has many wonderful barbers and a wet shave only costs two or three pounds.

You'll always see wet towels drying outside a Turkish barber's.

I got the cut throat treatment from this wonderful gent, who spoke no English but rather generously compared me to a young Alain Delon.

  

Aside from visiting a barber or two there are many great make-shift tea/coffee shops. These are usually just a few small stools and tables in the street and a friendly man with a chai urn and a coffee machine.

Turkish coffee is a fine, fine thing! Best enjoyed with one sugar and maybe a piece of baklawa.

 

  

Amla Hair Oil

Continuing with the theme of exotic perfumes and hair greases I'd like to talk a bit about Amla Hair Oil. The Amla Tree or 'Indian Gooseberry' is considered sacred by Hindus and plays an important role in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. Some people claim it makes the hair grow faster and prevents premature greyness. Certainly it helps nourish the hair. If you suffer from dryness or split ends then comb some through your locks after washing and wrap in a towel while the hair is still wet. Leave the towel on for 20 mins and Balvindra's your uncle.

You can pick up all sorts of Amla oil-based products (including shampoos) from your high street chemist, but I was attracted to Kohinoor's hair oil from Pakistan. The bottle is particularly beautiful I think. The scent is rich and reminiscent of the East, like one of the perfumes you might find outside a Mosque. Obviously it doesn't offer any hold, but like a brillantine gives the hair a lovely sheen. Really though this is all about the scent, and the lovely bottle!

Murrays Pomade

Being both a frequent grease user and a purveyor of pomade I suppose I'm in a good position to comment on which is the 'king of the pomades'. I sell more tins of Murray's Original than any other hair grease. But I rarely use it myself.

Formed in the 1920s Murray's is certainly one of the longest running pomade brands. It was them who pioneered the metal tin which almost all pomade comes in today. The idea was that you placed the tin on the stove to heat it up and soften the wax before application. To this day Murray's Original remains a heavy pomade that you have to work in your hands for a minute or so (or risk the slightly dangerous stove idea) in order to make it workable. A lot of the people that buy it off me don't seem to mind this, knowing that the pomade offers unbeatable hold and a lovely level of shine.

Over the years Murrays have extended their range to include Nu Nile, which is slightly lighter than the original but still offers strong hold, not to mention a unique, rather fine scent. I sell very little Nu Nile, but personally use it regularly.

Murray's Super Light (and Murray's Hair-Glo) are both very light and won't keep your quiff in place per se. They are more to give the hair a lovely shine, or a loose hold. They both have a nice coconut scent and are somewhat reminiscent of my favourite pomade, Black & White.

Finally, check out this rather wonderful piece of memorabilia. Murray's Special Obama Edition pomade. One of my treasured possessions!

The Beat Generation

“So in America when the sun goes down and I sit on the old broken-down river pier watching the long, long skies over New Jersey and sense all that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going, and all the people dreaming in the immensity of it..."
Jack Kerouac - On the Road (1955)

1. Italian Leather Holdall from John Lewis
2. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star from converse.co.uk
3. 'The Americans' by Robert Frank
4. 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac, 2nd UK edition

1. Vintage 1950's shirt from Radio Days
2. Miles Davis - Milestones
3. Royal Crown Stick Pomade from lostjohns.co.uk

'One Hundred Years of Menswear' by Cally Blackman from Fashion and Textile Museum Shop
 

1. Vintage record box
2. Shanghai workers jacket
3. Charlie Parker - Yardbird from Gramex, Lower Marsh
4. 'Scattered Poems' by Jack Kerouac from Foyles
5. Vintage matches

Easter Camping Holiday

Time to pack your bags for a bank holiday break. It looks like the weather is going to be hot too! This is what I'm taking with me on my weekend camping trip.

Italian 'Alpini' Canvas Rucksack 
Compact, easy to carry and stylish. Wynnchester sell some great reconditioned back packs, as well as clothing, tents etc. Everything you need! From wynnchester.co.uk.

Douvalls Daily Moisturiser with SPF30 - Travel Size
An excellent organic moisturiser with UVA/B protection. Not too greasy and with a pleasant smell. From douvalls.com.

Mr Natty's Poacher's Candle
Mr Natty has a superb range of hair and shaving products. His juniper and pine organic poacher's candle burns for 40 hours. Just don't burn down your tent! From mrnatty.com.

Tales from the Dead of Night: Thirteen Classic Ghost Stories
Be afraid with this classic collection of ghost stories! From waterstones.com.

Couto Toothpaste
Nothing worse than forgetting your toothpaste when you go camping. This Portuguese product tastes just right. From thegreensardine.co.uk.

Falcon Enamel Mug
Wouldn't drink that morning cuppa from anything else. From labourandwait.co.uk.

Eau de Cologne - No. 4711

What is an 'Eau de Cologne'? Quite literally it is 'Water of Cologne'. But why write it in French and not German? To make things more confusing, the first Eau de Cologne was created by an Italian, Johann Maria Farina. Farina was a pioneering perfumier who opened what is now the world's oldest perfume factory in Cologne in 1709. "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain," he wrote to his brother. He gave it a French name to make it sound chic.

Pre-WW2 advert for '4711'

'4711' is hands down the world's most famous Eau de Cologne. The name derives from the location of the original factory on Glockengasse, No. 4711, where the brand's rather splendid flagship store is located. The perfume was created by Wilhelm Mülhens back in the 1790's and is still produced using the original formula. JFK wore it. Holly Golightly wears it in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffanys. Bizarrely, Pete Townshend used to snort it. It's also commonly used in Haitian Voodoo.

A bottle of '4711' dating from 1885

Like most Eau de Colognes, 4711 is a light, unisex fragrance. It has a refreshing citrus kick to it with a hint of cedar wood. On your skin it's very subtle which is the reason, I think, for its great success. It's also cheap.

'4711' today

East London - Ian Johns

Ian has been buying and selling vintage clothes in London for over 25 years. He currently runs Hunky Dory Vintage, 226 Brick Lane which always stocks an affordable, quality selection of clothing. Maybe it's not surprising that almost all of Ian's outfit came from his own shop!

 

Ian's outfit
Vintage Ray Bans
1960's tattersall check waistcoat
Vintage 'Dior' fly front shirt
Bow-tie and handkerchief from Hunky Dory
Levi's LVC 501xx 1890 model. "Given to me as a bit of product placement!"
1960's Tootal paisley scarf
Vintage gladstone bag
Church's 'custom grade' brogues

Bumble and Bumble Grooming Creme

Today's gent is always battering the hell out of his hair with pomades and waxes and what-not. They offer great hold and shine but are they any good for your hair? I'd recommend going easy on the grease for a time and using a cream every now and then. You can substitute hold for a looser, tousled look (a la Gene Vincent!) and restore a little of your hair's natural oil balance.

Rather like good old-fashioned Brylcreem, Bumble and Bumble's Grooming Creme "grooms without gumming". Just put a little on your palm and run your fingers through your hair. It's also particularly good for Afro hair-types or anyone who has coarser, dryer hair.






















This cream is carefully blended with a mixture of safflower and jojoba oils (for a light sheen), and avocado and almond oils (for moisturising). The scent is refreshingly neutral, rather like Dove soap for example. £22 will get you a large (150 ml) tube, which will last you some time. Not as cheap as Brylcreem, but a good product.

East London - Ricardo

I ran into Ricardo outside Levisons on Chesire Street, E2 which is always worth a look. I really like Ricardo's individual style. All his tattoos have personal meaning and I get the impression his clothes do too.

Ricardo's outfit
Glasses - 1960's Polaroid "I got them for ten pounds many years ago."

Shirts - Forsyth leaf shirt / Orange shirt hand made in Hong Kong from Rokit for £5

Necklaces -  "The pouch is a present from a Cree Indian called Charlie Black Fox and these are Ghanaian beads."

Jeans - "Levi's, glued and stitched... had for years."

Tattoos - "Had 'em for years too."

Watch - "1968 Seiko divers watch. It belonged to my dad."

Footwear - Moccasin leather boots. "From Wildcat Will."

South London Style - Marco Nelson

Marco is a music producer and photographer. He runs an all analogue studio in Brixton Hill. He's also a founder member of Mercury Prize-nominated soul group Young Disciples and has played bass on records by Paul Weller and Primal Scream. I caught him outside the Southbank Centre snapping pictures on his Leica M3 camera.

Marco's outfit

Overcoat - French Dust Jacket from Leftovers, Brixton
Worker jacket - "Also from Leftovers."
Jumper - 1950s Royal Navy
Breton Stripes - Arthur Beale, Covent Garden
Watch - Rotary 1950s
Jeans - Levi's 501xx 1940s cut
Shoes - Clarks Originals Desert Boots
Camera - Leica M3

Mother's Day - Last minute gift ideas!

Teapot by Orla Kiely - £55

Parakeet Silk Scarf by Cléo Ferin Mercury at Labour-Of-Love - £160

Rose Otto Collection by Balance Me - £12

 Bluebell Eau de toilette by Penhaligons - £85

 Earrings by Wolf and Moon - £42

 Sweet Almond and Macaroon Candle by Jo Malone - £39

Les Demoiselles de Rochefort DVD at Amazon.co.uk - £11.55

Colours for Spring!

colours for spring!! by lostjohns featuring water resistant watches

Monkey Brand Black Tooth Powder

My friends Christina and Simon from the garage band Oh! Gun Quit were kind enough to give me some exotic black tooth powder. They know I like that kind of thing.

It is odd. Odd to point where you think you might have misunderstood somehow and are brushing your teeth with carpet cleaner. But once you get passed the shock of seeing yourself in the mirror with a mouth full of black then you realise this is a great product.

Ingredients include spearmint flowers, caraway and wood charcoal (hence the blackness). The taste is not at all bad and the effect, after repeated use, is to whiten the teeth. Also if a product has survived for over 100 years it must be good, right?

Soho - Leo Maldore

Leo is a musician and an expert on all things Levis. I could quite easily spend an afternoon chatting with him about cuts of jeans and Ivy League style. Check out the LVC store on Newburgh Street, London. And yes, that is Bing Crosby wearing a denim tuxedo in the background.

Leo's outfit 

Glasses - 'Lemtosh' by Moscot

Piercings - "My ears are pierced nine times. I got them done when I was twelve. My Mum was a punk!"

Shirt - LVC current season. Based upon a souvenir shirt for the Goldengate International Exhibition 1939.

Jacket and trousers - Levis BIG E trucker jacket and 519s (original cut) both in Bedford fabric. "It's the classic Ivy League look. The trousers come really short because in the 60s it was all about showing off the shoes".

Socks - Plain white from Uniqlo.

Shoes - Sperry Topsiders, original model of 1935. "Obviously not an original pair even though they look absolutely battered!"

South London Style - Alex Barrow

I met up with Alex at Papa's Cafe on Pulross Road in Brixton. You can get a really good cup of coffee and an advocado and melted cheese ciabatta there. Alex is an accordionist and illustrator. His first children's book titled A Possum's Tail has just been published by the Tate Gallery.

Alex's outfit

Suit - 1930s tweed suit by Burton from Leftovers, Brixton Village

Shirt - Tailor made in China using fabric from Hong Kong. "My girlfriend lived there for a while and got it done for me by her local tailor in Suzhou."

Brooch - "It's a small radio mic. I found it in a street market in Corsica."

Hankie - From Casablanca, Rue Moret, Paris

Watch - "It's a World War I trench watch. One of the first wrist watches. I think the numbers might be radioactive! They glow in the dark."

Socks - "Wool socks from a charity shop in Glastonbury Town."

Shoes - by New Avenue. "Bought them from my friend Andrew Fletcher."

Accordion - "It's my new Cooperativa accordion from Italy!"