I don’t know whether it is by fault or design with the Olympics and the Queens Jubilee but there is a vast array of products in red white and blue in the market this season.

The Olympic torch begins its journey from Olympia in Greece on 10 May 2012 arriving in the UK a week later.  The flame then completes a ‘grand tour’ of the UK which will take 70 days and arrives in London on 27 July 2012 in time for the opening ceremony.  As a nation we are pretty good when it comes to pageants and processions and the Olympics should be no exception so bring on the jingoism and let’s get ready for the show.

Even if you haven’t been fortunate enough to get tickets for the Games you can still participate and wear our National colours with pride in support of team GB.  If you have glimpsed the 2012 website you will see a very limited selection of official branded merchandise but it isn’t very inspiring and you won’t to wear it on the beach this summer.

Here at Aspecto we have a huge selection of footwear, tops, t shirts and polo shirts in hues of red white and blue.  Below are a selection of clothing and footwear to suit every pocket but there is loads more online to suit every pocket.  Check us out and wear your colours with pride!

When you think of Nottingham you automatically think of a city steeped in a rich history and brimming with character. Based in this vibrant city’s bustling town centre, Aspecto Nottingham provides the city with styles to cater for traditional yet contemporary sensibilities. Here in Nottingham we’ve seen particular interest in established brands such as Grenson and Ralph Lauren Polo Footwear, both proving to be a hit with shoppers.

Long established as “the” shoe for discerning customers, Grenson have found great popularity here in Nottingham showing that classic pieces always stay in fashion. Grenson combines high quality materials and craftsmanship with timeless designs to create shoes which should be a wardrobe staple for any style conscious man, and it’s the ‘Stanley’ that has generally been the shoe of choice  with its sleek profile presented in a traditional tan colour. If it’s a no nonsense classic piece of footwear you’re looking for then look no further than Grenson as they offer customers style and substance in one high quality package. Surprisingly interest has not been limited to our more mature shoppers with attention being given by our younger friends proving style has no age limits.

Another such brand that’s shown massive appeal across the age board is Polo Footwear by Ralph Lauren. A name synonymous with American lifestyle fashion, the brand really needs little introduction and Aspecto welcomes the addition of such an established name to its Spring/Summer range. The ‘Vaughn’ and ‘Faxon’ styles have found the most popularity in store with clean and understated designs offered in a wide range of colours from eye-catching reds and oranges, perfect for the summer, to more subtle, muted blues and greens. These shoes really are versatile in that they offer a comfortable and contemporary style, reminiscent of the ever so popular classic Vans shape, coupled with small accents of leather detail which highlight the quality and pride put into the Polo brand. Price-wise the shoes come in at £74.99 making them a high quality, highly fashionable option which won’t hurt your wallet too much!

Here at Aspecto we offer 6 different styles of Edwin Jeans in a number of different fabrics and washes.

If you are after a tapered fit you can’t go wrong with the ED55 which is a favourite amongst the staff here at Aspecto HQ. When we say tapered or slim fit we are not talking the skin tight Russell Brand look! The Ed55 offers a tapered bottom but is also generous in the thigh. We currently have 2 styles available the unwashed quartz blue denim at £81.99 and the raw Selvedge denim at £120 which look great turned up showing off that selvedge detail.

The ED71 also offers a slim fit but is not as tapered as the ED55 and is slim in the thigh all the way through. The ED71  dry blue wash is highly recommended retailing at £110.

If you are after a regular fit you can’t go wrong with the ED47.  This is a classic fit jean that is available in the unwashed quartz blue denim at £79.99.

The ED39 is also worth a mention which is a regular fit with a small taper at the bottom available to two fabrics.

If you need any more advice please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Here in the internet team we are not party to any of the glamorous pre season buying exploits so the first time we see the season’s product is when it arrives in our warehouse.  We have now had the bulk of our Spring/Summer product delivered and it was only when I was out in our depot the other day that I realised how strong the stripe is this season…it is everywhere and very few of the brands stocked at Aspecto haven’t featured it in this season’s offering.  Autumn/Winter was the season of the check but Spring/Summer is about ‘the stripe’.

Sailor stripes and all things nautical have been done many times previously but perhaps with the Olympics just around the corner and the powers that be asking for our ‘heart on the sleeve’ support there is some method in the madness of our designers.  I would much rather wear a red white or blue striped t shirt or polo than some tacky merchandise from the 2012 shop!  Stripes come in vertical or horizontal, narrower wide bands and there are other colours thrown into the mix you don’t have to stick to the patriotic red white and blue.

My Gran always said that you had to be careful with stripes as horizontal stripes can make you look fatter; she wasn’t wrong because if you don’t sport a ‘model’ figure you must make sure that you don’t sport a garment which is too tight – you will looking like you are wearing a rubber ring… you will look just fine and slimmer if you size up.  I would suggest that you keep it simple and remember mixing patterns with stripes is a tricky affair and best avoided if you aren’t 100% confident; wear once piece at a time whether it’s a t shirt, polo shirt, sweater or shirt.  You’ve earned your stripes!

If you’ve earned your stripes then check out some of those available online at Aspecto Designer Clothing for brands such as Adidas Originals, Money, Suit, Sunspel, J Lindeberg, Universal Works, Gant Rugger and Norse Projects.
Click here for all of our striped products

Creative Recreation originates from the laid back surf county, Orange County, California, which has been a catalyst for a number of casual lifestyle brands in recent years.  The brand came about in 2002 when two ex Vans designers, Rich Confinco and Robert Nand, put their heads together to create a unit of footwear that would bridge the gap between the athletics sneaker and dress shoe.  This ‘hybrid’ offered the consumer a product which transformed from one setting to another; casual dress to smart evening attire.  Creative Recreation is one of few brands in the lifestyle market which has achieved momentum by word of mouth, as opposed to glossy advertising campaigns, and may perhaps explain in part why, despite the high demand, the brand has maintained a competitive retail price point. In fact FHM Magazine (April 2012) wrote ‘Creative Recreation provides the perfect example of the adage that fashion is always a reflection of the economy’

Creative Recreation is a hip hop and street inspired shoe trend which is more than holding its own as one of the sought after brands of the moment. Their design philosophy has gained Creative Recreation cult status among their followers –  P Diddy, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Chris Evans.

Here at Aspecto the best seller is undoubtedly Cesario Lo XVI which sports a canvas upper on a contrast man made(very on trend) and comes in a variety of colours (blue, khaki, maroon, navy) the second best selling shoe here at Aspecto is Kaplan Mesh with its PVC panel and white sole (black, grey).  Aspecto also stock styles Lacava and Luchese for Spring/Summer 2012 so if you are looking for something that bit different and don’t want to break the bank this could be the brand for you.

Here at Aspecto we are always looking to improve our customer service and from 26 March 2012 we are launching our buyonline collect in store (CIS) facility.  This hasn’t been possible until now for a number of reasons but primarily it wa due to the fact that our software was not sufficiently flexible.  We have been working with our software provider, DGCS, to perfect a system that works in real time and are very excited at the possibilities the launch of this new facility offers.

Our online consumer will process through the website as normal but once they reach the checkout  page they will be asked to select the delivery type which can be our regular delivered signed for service (delivery charges apply) or they can select their chosen collect in store branch (no delivery charge apply).  Aspecto’s operating system, Fashionmaster, will advise if the items they wish to order are available for collection in that particular store and dependent upon the outcome of that search the customer will then have a further opportunity to choose the CIS option or to revert back to our delivered service.

Customers using the CIS service will receive an automated email confirmation indicating the products available and the store they have selected.  The chosen store will then email the customer directly when the goods are available for collection.  The benefits of using this system are twofold:-

• No delivery charge on buyonline collect in store orders
• As CIS orders are essentially completed online you are covered under Distance Selling Regulations and will be eligible for an exchange/refund, whatever the reason, provided the goods are back with us no later than 14 days following date of receipt.

To collect their goods from their chosen store our CIS customers will require two forms of ID:-

• Photographic ID (passport/driving licence) with the name and address shown on the order.
• A hard copy of the automated email order confirmation or a utility invoice showing the same name and address shown on the order.

All customers who purchase online receive an email from our independent reviewer, Trustpilot, asking if you would care to comment on the service received.  Whilst we appreciate all reviews placed with this service Aspecto would be delighted to hear from customers using the CIS service so we can fine tune the service offered.

I don’t know if what they say is true – a change is as good as a rest – but if you are fed up with bunging your feet in the same sneaker brand you’ve been wearing for the past decade then look no further, there could be an alternative.  It’s not just me that’s extolling the merits of Superga even the glossy mags are on the case with editors from FHM (April 2012) Grazia (April 2012), Bliss (March 2012) waxing lyrical on this Italian brand.

Superga have been around since 1911 so they can hardly be described as being new to the market; they’ve a 100yrs of heritage behind the brand!  However, it was only after the First World War that the 2750 rubber soled Cotu Classic was designed and essentially it is that same shoe that is in production today. The basic sneaker  has a canvas upper and rubber sole and is meant to be worn without socks;  this obviously has its draw backs but the great news is that your Superga’s can actually go in the washing machine (low temperatures and dried away from a heat source) when they’ll be as good as new.

The recently appointed brand ambassador for Superga is Alexa Chung.  Chung is a TV presenter, model and contributory editor at Vogue.  She remains a muse to many fashion designers because of her distinctive personal style.  She frequently appears on best dressed lists and is a regular cover girl for Vogue, Elle and Harpers Bazaar and can often be seen in the front row at fashion shows.  In 2010 Chung was presented with the British Style Award which “recognises an individual who embodies the spirit of British fashion and is an international ambassador for the UK as a leading creative hub for fashion”.  Could Superga have made a better choice for the ‘Face’ of their brand than this highly individual ‘IT’ girl?

For Spring/Summer 2012 Aspecto are stocking the iconic canvas sneaker  the Superga 2750 Cotu Classic for both men and women. The colour palette was so huge that our Buyers had to control themselves and they kept the ladies colours to the classic navy, white and camel but then they have injected some red, pink and sunburst into the mix.  The men’s shades are a little more muted with grey blue, olive, black navy and white in the mix.  Check out the Superga sneakers now in stock at Aspecto.

Well part two of our journey, next stop the big apple for a bit of retail therapy!

The 5 hour flight from Vegas to New York was mainly spent recovering from the Vegas experience!

With it being my first trip we were asked what we wanted to do and the first thing that came to mind was a trip in a yellow taxi and corner street hot dog which I don’t think was expected!

After a gruelling flight and long taxi ride we finally arrived at the SMYTH hotel in Manhattan’s trendy Tribeca neighbourhood and what a good spot.

After a good couple of hours rest and a few bacon sarnies it was back to work. We immediately hit the streets to see what New York had to offer and we weren’t disappointed.

Each block was full of great shops from our favourite brands and a great mix of boutiques selling top clobber.

Although New York is incredibly big we still managed to bump into the owner of Grenson whilst having lunch in Soho. Well it definitely is a small world.

After enough talk on clothes and shoes it was time to do the touristy thing and see the sights! A trip to Times Square and the Empire state was a great experience although the rain did hamper the mood.

Just walking about the city you feel the buzz all around. New York seems to have everything 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

One of our nights was spent at the LAUT restaurant which was the world’s first Michelin starred Malay Restaurant. The food was fantastic and highly recommended, definitely worth a visit.  (Just a bit better than a street hot dog!)

After a few days in New York there is a couple of things you learn about the city. It is an adrenaline-charged, history-laden place that never sleeps and works harder and longer hours than anywhere else. It’s also a town of icons, both past and present- you’ll find it hard to move about the city without encountering a view of something world famous. The city’s boundless energy will suck you in and make you want to come back again and again.  Overall a great whirlwind 5 day adventure which will not be forgotten for some time.

Next stop: Back to Manchester and a bit of normality!!

To all our dedicated Aspecto blog readers, this is the story of four men who decided to take the bold step to venture out to the United States and tackle the difficult world of contemporary Fashion.

Not content with all the European trade shows, Aspecto are always searching for the next big thing so a trip to America was in order for the Capsule and Magic trade shows.

For all off you not aware of Magic, it is the most prominent event of the Fashion Industry. The event is split into eight different divisions and sets the bench mark as being the most popular and worthy event of the buying year.

The story begins on a crisp Sunday afternoon at the time of 12:30 pm at Manchester Airport. We all arrived on time eager to see what America had to offer and not to forget the 12 hour flight time!

After a few hours sleep and one too many games of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” we had finally landed in sunny Las Vegas.  The view of the city before landing was just immense.

Stepping off the plane at the convenient time of 2pm, the excitement of being in a fresh city helped us override the jetlag! The taxi ride to the hotel was mainly spent in silence taking in the surrounding views and wondering what the next few days would bring.

We arrived at the Wynn hotel and were blown away with the place.  A few beers and couple of spins on Roulette were definitely in order before work officially begins the following day.

We all woke the following day ready to see what Capsule (the smaller of the 2 shows) had to offer. So eager we turned up 10 minutes early, with iPads and iPhones at the ready to make some important notes. We were greeted by some of our current brands (Penfield, Norse Projects, Grenson,) showing us what they had to offer for AW12.

After a couple of hours it was off to Magic. The show was filled with thousands of brands, from classic heritage to contemporary street wear.  We had spent the rest of the day discovering what all the brands had to offer, trying to provide our loyal Aspecto customers with high quality independent fashion and new up and coming brands.

The long day was over and it was back to our hotel to rest ourselves for the big night ahead.

After an interesting trip down to Old Town we decided to get some good food and attend some great bars in the hotel which was handy as it wouldn’t be far if we needed to stagger back!!

Not content with doing 1 day at the show the following day was spent back at Magic making sure we covered every square inch of the halls! So keep your eyes peeled for new exciting brands for next season.

The next stop would be the “concrete Jungle” formally known as New York City!  So far everything was going smoothly, no lost luggage or casualties, so we left Vegas with our hopes held high for the next trip.

Menswear has been steadily progressing over the last couple of seasons and continues to move in a more refined and smarter direction.  For the consumer, in this less than affluent world, it is becoming a balancing act between mixing what you have with what you’d like within your budget to create an up to date look and a successful versatile wardrobe.

Spring/Summer trends still show focus on craftsmanship and heritage with emphasis on outdoor labels.  There is a market for artisanal production and small batch manufacture but this does tend to come at a price.  However classics pieces are an investment, not one season wonders, and they will stand the test of time.

The preppy style is ‘in’ this season and if you want to take this to the next level choose fabric and colour-incorporating patterns such as gingham, dogtooth and stripes in both muted and pastel shades. Follow these key points to produce a well thought out look that is in keeping with the spring Summer Season.

We are still talking ‘pants’ or perhaps I should say trousers and they are getting smarter and smarter from chinos to well constructed dressy casual pants. Aspecto have some great chinos in stock this Spring and they will carry you through the summer and into the Autumn where the chino remains strong in many collections. If you are after a drop crotch don’t look any further than Humour. The Santiago pant has become a favourite in Aspecto over the last couple of seasons and has been injected with bold statement colours for SS12.

Colours are key this season whether pastel or bold the trend is to be a bit braver and sport the colour!! If you want the complete look team it up with a Ralph Lauren Vaughn sneakers and a pocket tee.

The drop crotch not your thing?  Dockers and Edwin will be!! Both these brands offer a key look and look great cropped up with a vulcanised sneaker.

Whatever it is you are looking for Aspecto can offer you an insight into the best trends, styles and products for the Spring/Summer season.