And of course, it’s only really possible with the classic black (including a thin pinstripe), dark charcoal grey or navy blue options. Luckily these can then be transformed by shirt and tie choice with clever colour coordination, or by having a three-piece and only using the waistcoat for weddings.

If you do only buy one suit, black is the most versatile suit colour, contrasting multiple colours and suitable for all occasions. Contrary to grey often lauded as the ultimate all-occasion suit, only black is truly suitable for a funeral, and shirts and ties combination can be the variant for any other event.

Ideally you do need multiple options for a wider range of varied occasions, and understanding the implications of colour an important factor in any purchase. Variety in suit colours can add versatility to a man’s wardrobe, allowing for adaptability to various social, professional, and personal circumstances.

The style of a new suit directs the overall look and feel, and single-breasted or double-breasted jackets which can really change the appearance (the latter is more formal with overlapping front flaps and a wider lapel).

And for the record, a suit is the trouser and jacket bought as the same ensemble, made from the same fabric and designed to be worn together. Having mis-match trousers and blazer is not the same thing.

Anyway, we’ve covered buying suits in depth before, so this article is specifically a comprehensive guide on how to choose men’s suit colour to stand out from the crowd in the right way.

Dressing for the Occasion: Event-specific Suit Colours

In the context of occasion and setting, the selection of suit hue can signal formality or informality, thus carrying implications beyond mere personal preference.

In short, dark suit colours, including black, navy, and charcoal grey, exude professionalism and sophistication, making them popular choices for formal events.

Dress code expectations for business meetings and interviews typically lean towards darker hues, reflecting professionalism and gravitas. For black tie events, only a Tuxedo will do.

But outdoor events, summer gatherings, and casual Fridays allow for lighter, more vibrant suit colours, echoing the relaxed ambiance. Lighter shades, such as tan or light grey, convey a casual feel, making them ideal for less formal or daytime events.

Ultimately, the colour choice should also align with office dress policies, ensuring that one’s attire is always occasion-appropriate. Simply, if there is a dress code, stick to it.

And this includes funerals, where the family will specify if they want mourners to avoid the traditional respectful sombre attire of black suit and tie with white shirt, for a colourful celebration of life.

For weddings, the outfit colour can vary, depending on the invite dress code specifications and if at the daytime event, or the more casual evening reception.

Cocktail parties, often marked by a blend of formality and leisure, open up a wider range of colours and you ideally want a lounge suit for these.

Ultimately, the chosen suit colour should embody the intended message and personal style while respecting the occasion’s protocol.

Analysing and Complimenting Skin Tone

Assessing the undertones and overall hue of your skin time is a critical step in determining the most flattering shades for clothing, leading you to the most suitable suit colour. Simply, you need your hues to complement and enhance your natural features.

The spectrum of skin tone varies from light to dark, each having its unique colour palette. Light skin tones are complemented by darker suits, providing a striking contrast. While darker skin tones benefit from lighter or vibrant colours, highlighting the richness of the complexion.

As an example, in harsh lighting or bright sunny days, fair-skinned individuals may find lighter colours washing out their features and looking pasty. And in dark environments or grey cloudy days, darker colours get less vibrant.

And it’s not just colour, your skin complexion has a natural undertone which is either cool, neutral or warm. It’s suggested you hold a white piece of paper against your skin to look for warm-toned yellow or cool-toned blue. Alternatively style experts say to look at the veins on your wrist for warm green or cool blue.

In theory, the suggestion for cooler tones is to avoid the brighter bold colours, and go for greys, blues and greens. While warmer tones can pull off the bright and light spectrum.

In truth, if you are going to the effort of holding white paper up to your face, I’d suggest you use a whole range of colours and just see for yourself how it looks. And this includes natural and pastel colours which can look quite vintage (main picture).

Complementary and Contrasting Colours

Okay, on to the art of colour coordination. Wearing the right colour shirt and tie combinations is essential, and we’ve detailed what shirts to wear with black suits previously. The key to achieving a well-coordinated look requires an understanding of complementary and contrasting colours.

Complementary colours, found opposite each other on the colour wheel, create a vibrant appearance when used together.

Contrasting colours, on the other hand, are separated by three colours on the wheel, offering a striking yet balanced appeal.

When selecting shirts, ties, pocket squares, belts and shoes, these colour principles are invaluable. And crucially the tie should complement the dress shirt s well as the men’s suit colour. The overall outfit should present a unified, coherent look with harmonious combinations.

For instance, a navy suit paired with a burnt orange tie provides a striking complementary contrast, while a charcoal grey suit with a pale blue shirt offers a subtle, refined contrast.

I’m going to stress the importance of shoe choice with your suit now, as it’s essential to get right. The right footwear is critical, so give it the attention it deserves.

Ultimately, the judicious use of colour can enhance the overall aesthetic of a suit, elevating it from commonplace to statement-making.

Decoding the Classics: Black, Grey, and Navy Suits

Okay, so in an ideal world you will have three colour suits in your wardrobe; black, grey, and navy. These classic formal attire staples have maintained their position as the quintessential choices due to their versatility and timeless appeal. And as mentioned initially, these are your only choice of a suit for all occasions.

Black Suit

The black suit, often selected for its formality, exudes an air of sophistication and authority. It’s the most formal colour of the choices, but also the most highly versatile suit colour as every colour will contrast.

Grey Suit

A grey suit, particularly a darker shade like charcoal, offers similar versatility to its black counterpart but with less rigidity. Notably, the grey jacket, paired with a crisp white shirt, delivers an understated elegance ideal for a variety of settings.

Navy Suit

The navy blue suit, meanwhile, provides a gentler alternative to black, retaining professionalism while affording greater flexibility in pairing with other colours. It’s great for business and job interviews, and is the most professional looking so is a safe and versatile choice.

If you have only three colours in your suit collection, it’s these.

Making a Splash: Bold and Unconventional Suit Colours

Despite the dominance of traditional hues in formal attire, the emergence of bold and unconventional suit colours offers a refreshing deviation from the norm, adding a vibrant splash to the male wardrobe. But to be honest, you have to be the right character to pull it off and these fall under the leisure suit category. But, they do make great options for mens summer suits for weddings.

This trend sees an array of suit colours, from burgundy to olive, gracing the mens fashion scene, breaking the monotony of black, grey, and navy. These colourful combinations not only showcase individuality but also evoke a sense of belonging among fashion-forward individuals.

It has been observed that the choice of the colour of one’s suit reflects one’s personality, with brighter colours denoting confidence and creativity. This trend represents a shift in norms, signifying a broader acceptance of the unconventional in the realm of men’s formal attire.

How to wear a suit

So we’ve covered colour choice, and how you wear your first suit can really change things. You can still look scruffy if you don’t follow these tips.

The fit

A well-fitted suit that matches your body shape and size will always look more polished and professional as well. For most men, this is a classic fit that isn’t too tight or too loose, so looks like it’s owned rather than borrowed.

The jacket should hug your shoulders, with the sleeves ending at your wrist bone. The length of the jacket should cover your buttocks. The trousers should sit comfortably at your waist and be long enough to cover the top of your shoes with a slight break (which means they rest on the top of your shoes with a small crease) and this will rise when you sit down so wear smart socks.

Naturally more heavy set males might prefer a slim fit suit, and the muscular gentleman might want a skinny fit with stretchy fabric.

On the subject on material, it’s worth a quick pointer than suits are often made from durable wool, which despite the linen lining are more suited for winter. Cotton and linen suits are more lightweight and better for warmer weather.

Shirt and Tie

This is where your personality can shine through; you can either go for a solid colour or a subtle pattern. If your suit is a pinstripe, do not go for a check or anything with horizontal lines. It’s best to only have one noticeable pattern on your dress shirt and tie selection.

The collar should be properly tucked under the jacket lapel. Make sure the tie is long enough to reach your belt buckle, and take your chest width into account when choosing a tie style if wide or thin. There are various tie knots you can use which change length.

Dress shoes

To look like a proper gent, wear a pair of polished leather shoes. Once again I’d refer to this excellent shoe guide as it covers styles and colour. No trainers. Ever.

Belt and socks

Match your belt colour with your shoes or trousers, and choose dress socks that are long enough to cover your shins when seated and match either your suit or shoe colour.

Overall appearance

If you really want to dress to impress, make sure your suit is clean, pressed, and free from wrinkles. Pay attention to the little details such as personal grooming, using deodorant and aftershave, ensuring your hair is neatly styled, and your nails are clean and trimmed.

How to button your jacket

Okay, so there are rules here, and it depends if you are sitting or standing, and how many buttons your jacket has. The TL:DR is leave the bottom button undone, and when sitting, unbutton your jacket to avoid fabric stretching.

If you don’t want to leave any buttons unfastened and it gets pointed out (there’s always one), retort with the origins of the tradition that King Edward VII started it because he was too fat to do it up so everyone copied him to not make him feel bad.

But here’s the detailed version of the frankly stupid rule if you want to look the part.

The One-Button Jacket

Buttoned while standing and undone when you sit down.

The Two-Button Jacket

Top only. The two-button jacket should never have both buttons fastened apparently.

The Three-Button Jacket

There’s a simple, and still stupid rule of sometimes, always, never. Basically the top button is optional. the middle should always be fastened, and never button the bottom.

The Double-Breasted Jacket

Leave the bottom button, and you can leave them buttoned when you sit as the design means less stress on the fabric.

Conclusion on the best mens suit colours and how to wear it

In conclusion, the selection of best suit colours for men requires a comprehensive understanding of colour theory, analysis of skin tone, and consideration of the occasion appropriateness and setting. The colour of a gentleman’s suit and accessories, creates an ensemble for any occasion.

But as actual evidence goes, Levi Strauss jeans deserve the accolade with their external branding on the branded copper rivets (1876) and outer leather patch on the jeans as far back as 1886. And they claim that illiterate ranchers would walk into stores asking for the jeans with the two horses, so it clearly worked as early marketing too.

As for visual logo’s, you could argue Frenchman Rene Lacoste wearing tennis shirts with a crocodile logo embroidered on the chest. While he had first designed them in 1926 (basically polo shirts rather than the long sleeved shirts tennis players wore at the time), the large logo was proudly promoting a nickname given to the egotistical Frenchman by the American press in 1927.

This is first documented visual branding although wasn’t on commercial sale a the time. But Lacoste set up the La Chemise Lacoste clothing brand when he retired in 1933 to sell reproductions of the shirt. Potentially this is the first case of famous sportsman turned fashion brand owner, it depends if you consider Spalding which is arguably sports equipment. For the record, Chuck Taylor only worked for Converse as a salesman.

Just as a side note on Lacoste, Izod purchased license rights in the USA and after initial limited interest got his famous friends such as JFK, President Eisenhower and Bing Crosby to wear them. Unsurprisingly, this celebrity endorsement influenced the American public to buy the brand. If you consider that in 1950 only 9% of American households had a television set, but by 1960 this had reached 90%, it was likely was the first case of influencing too.

Other famous brands in the late 1950’s were experimenting with external branding, like Coco Chanel’s intertwined CC logo on the jacket buttons. And in the 1960’s fashion individuality spread with screen printing designs for expression and group identities like the Punk movement.

But for me, big brand logo’s really took off in the 1980’s as MTV made people materially orientated and the masses more fashion conscious. An ordinary t-shirt could be transformed with a simply Swoosh logo, with the brand fashionable and not the clothes. This applied to footwear like Nike Air Jordan’s, Tommy Hilfiger jeans, to Calvin Klein boxer shorts, all made more desirable by TV adverts, billboards and print media campaigns..

Famous fashion logos

It’s fair to say, that with typographic logo’s it’s more a question of how famous a brand name is. But the key fashion brand logo’s are instantly recognizable worldwide. Want proof? Try our quiz below:

Why do brands use visual branding on clothes?

Visual branding taps into the swagger and the common human desire to be better than our peers. It helps the wearer show the world they have money and buy expensive clothes. And this plays into the brands hands, as it’s free advertising that builds brand loyalty and recall.

Of course there is a noticeable shift into quiet luxury with minimal branding, but consumers still want people to know they are wearing high quality designer clothing.

Why do consumers buy designer brands?

Designer brands often:

• Have a reputation for using high-quality materials and superior craftsmanship.
• Associated with luxury, exclusivity, and social status. Consumers may buy these brands to signal their wealth, taste, and status to others. Owning and displaying designer products can be seen as a symbol of success and affluence.
• Known for their unique and innovative designs. Consumers may be drawn to the creativity and beauty of these products, appreciating the attention to detail and the sense of style they offer. Designer brands often set trends and influence fashion, making consumers feel fashionable and up-to-date.
• Develop consumer loyalty due to positive past experiences, trust in the brand’s reputation, or emotional connections. These consumers may continue purchasing designer brands because they feel confident in the brand’s ability to consistently meet their expectations and deliver a certain level of quality.
• Offer a high-quality customer service and shopping experience to their clients. Consumers may be willing to pay a premium for the enhanced customer experience they receive when purchasing designer brands.
• Are viewed as an investment. Certain luxury items, particularly those from iconic or limited-edition collections, can appreciate in value over time. Consumers may purchase these items with the intention of reselling them later at a higher price, or as a way to preserve and pass on a valuable asset.

What makes a good fashion logo?

There are several factors that contribute to making a good fashion logo:

1. Simplicity: A good fashion logo should be simple and easily recognizable. It should have a clean design that can be easily reproduced in various sizes and formats.

2. Unique and Memorable: A successful fashion logo should be distinctive and memorable. It should stand out from competitors and leave a lasting impression on customers.

3. Reflect Brand Identity: A good fashion logo should accurately represent the brand’s identity, values, and aesthetic. It should convey the brand’s personality and target audience.

4. Versatility: A well-designed fashion logo should be versatile and adaptable to various applications. It should look equally appealing on different mediums, such as clothing tags, websites, packaging, and social media profiles.

5. Timelessness: Fashion trends come and go, but a good fashion logo should have a timeless quality that can withstand changing trends. It should have the potential to remain relevant and recognizable for years to come. A good example is a flower logo, which is rarely utilised in fashion.

6. Colour and Typography: The choice of colour and typography in a fashion logo plays a crucial role in creating the desired visual impact. Colours should complement the brand’s identity and evoke the desired emotions, while typography should be legible and appropriate for the brand’s image.

7. Scalability: A good fashion logo should be scalable without losing its clarity and impact. It should look equally impressive whether it’s displayed on a large billboard or a small clothing tag.

8. Consistency: A strong fashion logo should be consistent with the overall brand identity. It should align with the brand’s other visual elements, such as packaging, website design, and advertisements, creating a cohesive and unified brand image.

9. Market Research and Testing: Before finalizing a fashion logo, it is essential to conduct market research and gather feedback from the target audience. This helps to ensure that the logo resonates with customers and effectively communicates the brand’s message.

10. Uniqueness: Lastly, a good fashion logo should be unique and avoid any resemblance to other well-known logos. It should be distinct and instantly recognizable as belonging to a specific brand.

Due to rising inflation and cost of living, typical English households are aiming for any discounts and savings for their regular purchases whenever possible. The majority of the time, the discounts we receive through coupons, special occasions, and other promotions aren’t applicable to the things we usually shop for.

Another option for maximising your daily spend is credit card companies which give cashback rewards to customers to entice use of their cards for purchases. These could be points, air miles, or cashback. The plus side of these are they are automatically applied when making transactions and you get the added support of the credit card consumer act for when you shop online and in store.

What is cashback exactly?

In simplistic terms, cashback is a form of promotion employed by most credit card providers. It grants cardholders benefits when they utilize their cards for frequent purchases, such as when making purchases from any spend or purchase. It’s also worth checking for participating stores like The Good Guys where you can garner an extra incentive and bonus.

For reference, this is different to UK cashback sites, which frequently use affiliate deals with retailers to get a percentage of your order value, in exchange for giving you cashback. This is applied when you go via the cashback website as it generates a unique landing page URL for tracking the sale for both the cashback site and retailer. The affiliate site then gets awarded a commission for driving the sale.

Using a cashback credit or debit card on the purchase is just your choice of payment method. It would be possible to use a cashback site, discount code and then a cashback card to pay for maximum return. Each are separate parts of the checkout process. Any retailer loyalty program is also in addition to the above, so the savvy shopper could quadruple their return in some cases.

So as an example if you:

• Find retailer on a cashback site offering savings and go to the site via their link
• Use any available discount codes from social media (not from discount code sites as often they want you to click the link as again they get the affiliate payment kickback negating your cashback site use)
• Make your purchase on a cashback debit or credit card

If this was on a £100 item, the savings could be:

• (10% discount added): £100 – £10 = £90
• (5% cashback site offer on £90 purchase): on £90 so £4.50 back (can be taken out as vouchers for an extra bonus)
• (2% cashback from using cashback credit card): on £90 so £1.80 back.

So you are getting the £100 at a total cost of £83.70 and any loyalty points would be on the £90 sale.

Point of note, these savings are covered by the retailer with the affiliate commission paid to the cashback site and the card processing fee applied by the banks to the merchant account for those rewards.

Is there cashback for debit cards?

Additionally, although cashback was previously only available via a credit card company’s rewards program, several financial institutions have started providing these kinds of cashback rewards via debit cards too.

You may use your debit card if available to get cash rewards. You are rewarded for money that already exists in your standard bank account, instead of the money borrowed from a bank which can limit overspending.

How does credit card cashback work?

Cashback credit cards promos provide similar benefits to debit cards. However, instead of receiving benefits for money in your account, the benefits you earn come from spending money borrowed on credit. You should check the small print though, the amount of return you may get on your purchases may be limited to when you can earn cashback.

Also, other credit card issuers may provide new customers with sign-up incentives if they sign in with a recently-obtained credit card and fulfil certain conditions. It may include greater interest rates and lead to increasing debt. You must keep spending habits and credit limits in mind to avoid drastically increasing your monetary debt to receive rewards. But, these kinds of credit cards provide a boost to your credit score if you pay on time.

One thing that is worth highlighting, ensure that if you are buying gift cards it is not treated as a cash withdrawal. This would then be generating interest even if paid in full by the cut off date and will generate a cash withdrawal charge.

Is cashback free money?

Since you must buy things to obtain cashback, it is technically not free, although you could argue that if you were making the purchase anyway it is free money. While other cards provide great benefits, these may also charge a yearly card charge or need a certain level of regular spend, which may negate your savings based on how often you use the card and expend money.

To make this fully clear, if you have a cashback credit card with no fee, and always pay it in full, you will benefit. If there is any fee or you pay interest, then you need to factor this in to your calculations.

To give you more knowledge on such cards, let’s discuss several additional benefits and drawbacks linked with cashback cards to help you properly evaluate if this is good for you.

Among the numerous benefits of cash-back cards is that most card companies will give consumers cash bonuses when they expend a specific sum of money, as long as they are spent within a provided duration. In addition, the majority of your daily transactions and purchasing locations will be eligible for cashback incentives.

Besides that, a good credit score gives you the chance to receive cards that offer greater benefits than others.

In terms of disadvantages, this is all about the particular cards terms and conditions. You should check things like any restrictions on the amount of money you may spend and collect points every year, and fees, and any other limits imposed. And bear in mind the interest on credit cards.

And of course, you may need to monitoring your spending to insure it does not increase with impulse purchases.

Before getting into a contractual arrangement with any credit lender, it is highly advised to contact your financial counsellor. By doing so, you can gain a clearer picture of your financial situation and guidance on how to constructively impact your present budgetary constraints and credit restrictions.

What is the cashback process?‍

It is crucial to remember that the cards that are offered, as well as how they function, will differ based on whatever company you select to establish a deal with.

To begin with, there are flat-rate cashback cards. The amount of money you earn back on every purchase might span from a fixed rate of around 1% to 5%, depending on the firm you keep your credit cards with. These percentages might fluctuate based on the purchasing category. Another option is to use rotating cashback cards. You might also be eligible for quarterly incentives. To provide customers with additional alternatives for their savings, credit institutions frequently provide rotating categories with good returns all year long, as opposed to those that last the entire year.

The bonus category is another form of rewards program given by lenders. These cards give you much more when you purchase and spend money on certain categories like department shopping, home improvement, travel, etc. A choose-your-own-category cashback card is the ultimate form of reward card. This sort of card gives the user more options in terms of what goods they may spend their funds on.

How are rewards redeemed?

Even though your rewards programs may range, the majority of corporations present their cardholders advantages in the way of bank deposits. It is where money earned via transactions made with the specific card will be immediately transferred via your account.

These cash backs may also be used to repay the credit card debt. This approach offsets your existing credit card debt, which could be a suitable choice for people who are using their card but are unable to pay it off regularly. Thirdly, your organization may give gift cards via various stores, both in-store and online. Many credit card issuers provide travel card choices where you may get airline tickets, hotel vouchers, travel points, and other rewards.

Conclusion

It is now clear that consumers who use their credit and debit cards to do transactions may take advantage of several perks thanks to cashback programs. When utilized wisely and carefully, options that let you choose how you save and get incentives may serve your gain. Before signing a contract with any credit institution, pay attention to the fine print and browse for rewards that will favourably impact instead of worsening your purchasing habits.

Celtic tribal symbols have been passed down generations and have become central to both Scottish and Irish identities. To learn more about the symbolism and traditions of the Celtic Knots, let’s take a look at the history of the British Isles and see if the Celtic Knot is Irish or Scottish.

Celtic Knot Early Origins

The origins of the word “Celt” refers to the population of the British Isles and Western Europe from 500 B.C. to 400 A.D. Considering the vast timeline and regional changes. It is no wonder why some of the Celtic symbols have become representatives of these countries.

The Celtic interlace knot is a design that pre-dates the Irish and Scottish identities as nations. Ireland, for example, has been home to various civilizations for thousands of years, so these symbols have become an integral part of history and culture.

As we have seen before, it is impossible to pinpoint the birth of the knots precisely. On the other hand, the birth of Celtic jewellery started during the Iron Ages in modern-day Scotland, inspired by Scandinavian mythology. For individuals of Welsh, Irish, and Scottish heritage, Celtic knots designs serve as a great point of cultural pride. Consequently, the most popular designs have attributed meanings to them within the last 150 years.

Christianity and the Celtic Knot

To understand the meaning behind the Celtic Knot, we need to look back in history. The popularization of the knot is first dated around 450 A.D. when Christianity started to spread through the Celtic civilization.

The birth of Christianity in the British Isles started in Ireland, where the first monasteries and theological centres were created. This could explain why most Celtic symbols are primarily associated with Irish culture nowadays. Many pagan symbols and designs have been adapted by monks and given a Christian meaning, hence their popularization throughout the region.

Of course, one of the most well-known Celtic designs is the Celtic Cross. On the territories of modern-day Ireland, legends say that Patrick combined the symbol of Christianity with the sun cross to show the pagans the importance of it.

Either by linking the Sun-God to Christ or by showing the latter’s supremacy, the legend of the Cross still carries through today. Other Celtic designs can be found in various Christian artwork and manuscripts, with symbols of plants, animals, and humans. Examples include the famous Trinity and Love Knot.

Celtic Knot: Irish or Scottish?

Maybe the greatest reason why we could classify it as more of an Irish symbol is its spread throughout pop culture. From movies about Vikings to the birth of the tribal tattoo, the Celtic Knot was a symbol of the Irish diaspora, especially in the USA.

Irish-Americans cherish their origins through the visual representations of Celtic design. There are even some neo-pagan communities that have adopted the designs as a way to return to the old gods of the Celts.

These designs carry thousands of years of history and culture through tattoos and jewellery, representing generations of people who have adapted their lifestyles to the new world.

From pagan symbols to Christian ones, from history to heritage, the Celtic Knot work is not just a cool design but a story that is ready to be told to the next generation about their true origins and honourable values.

What does a Celtic Knot symbolise?

There are different styles of the ancient Celtic symbol, but they are all based on intertwined lines with no beginning or end; so an infinite looping pattern to symbolise eternal life.

Any interpretation to the Celtic knot meaning in modern age is guess work, with Christianity claiming the common triple theme is the Holy Trinity of Son, Father and the Holy Spirit, but of course early carvings pre-date St Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland in 4th Century AD so they were pagan symbols.

That, plus the Christian religion being the ones to actually document anything (like the Book of Kells) gave them the opportunity to give their version.

Another common meaning associated is with the he three element theory of nature of water, fire and earth. But considering there is a forth in air, that’s perhaps not as logical as it sounds either.

My personal thoughts is it could easily be the 3 stages of life, death and rebirth (the past, the present and the future)  which link into the infinity loop ideal. But I do buy into the Earth, sky and sea idea too.

The entrepreneur is better known outside football circles thanks to his clothing brand Fresh Ego Kid which ensured a close friendship with stars such as Romelu Lukaku and Dele Alli. Among the many top-flight footballers to pay tribute included Declan Rice, Ashley Young, James Maddison, Yannick Bolasie, Charlie Austin, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Harry Maguire, and many more.

Morgan will also be remembered for his work with Fresh Ego FC, which aimed to raise awareness of mental health and racism in football. He also arranged a match to raise money for victims of the Grenfell Tower fire on Friday 16th June 2017. Included in the line-up were Ravel Morrison (at Lazio at the time), Jamal Lowe, Anthony Grant, Harlee Dean, Junior Osborne, Dean Mason, Jamal Lewis, Kyran Wiltshire, and Anthony Cook.

It’s the second death in recent weeks to rock the streetwear scene after Off-White founder Virgil Abloh passed away. Morgan’s loss will be felt in the football and UK streetwear world’s deeply and the outpouring of grief is genuine. Marvin had a presence that lit up every room and the kindest soul proved by his donations and efforts for Grenfell residents.

The cause of death has not been confirmed, with his partner Jerri Fletcher only able to announce he was on a work trip to a factory. Marvin suffered from cavernoma, clusters of abnormal blood vessels which can cause health complications.

He revealed the condition in 2018 after collapsing while football training, caused by a seizure from cavernoma haemorrhaging. The announced his retirement and that he would be on medication for the rest of his life.

Our thoughts are with Jerri, Marvin’s friends and family at this time, and we are personally devastated of the loss of a great man and genuine human being. In a industry full of snakes and ego’s, Marv was one of the good guys.

Marvin Morgan Obituary

Marvin Morgan was born in Manchester 13th April 1983, and grew up in Watford. From Jamaican decent,

The journeyman striker started his career in the Wealdstone youth team, before going on to play for Berkhamsted Town, Yeading, Woking, Aldershot Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Shrewsbury Town, Plymouth Argyle, Hartlepool United, Havant & Waterlooville, Wealdstone, Bath City, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Hendon, Beaconsfield Town, Potters Bar Town, Wingate & Finchley and Hornchurch.

In total he played 408 games and scored 102 goals, and the highest level he played at was League One with Shrewsbury in 2012-13 where he scored 7 goals.

Morgan started his streetwear clothing brand Fresh Ego Kid in 2010 while playing for Aldershot in League Two, and with his football connections gained commercial success thanks to top Premier League players like Dele Alli wearing his snapback hats on their social media.

Marvin founded Fresh Ego FC to raise awareness in local schools and youth football of racism, social inequities and mental health. Leveraging his friendships with professional footballers they were able to have constructive conversations particularly in the black community.

]]> https://www.fastfashionnews.co.uk/what-is-fast-fashion-and-why-are-brands-distancing-themselves-from-it/ Tue, 16 Nov 2021 18:30:04 +0000 https://www.fastfashionnews.co.uk/?p=4523 This article was originally published at

There has been an influx of fast fashion brands that have saturated the market with low-quality clothing designed to be sold via social media advertising and promoted by social influencers, brand ambassadors or through affiliate programs. This throw-away fashion is coming under fire with calls for sustainability in the clothing industry to be introduced, and most fast fashion brands now have a sustainable fashion range which some think is just greenwashing.

What is consumerism?

Consumerism is society’s preoccupation with buying consumer goods, often influenced by advertising, social media or celebrity endorsement. It’s the marketing idea that the consumer needs the products in their lives to improve their happiness.

In the ultimate consumerism, now you can get clothing delivered the same day as pushing a button on your keyboard, ready to wear for a night out.

And lets be clear, this is not just the fast fashion business model, this is reflective of the global fashion industry in general where marketing companies are constantly pushing must have trendy clothing.

What is the history of fast fashion?

The fashion industry accelerated in the swinging sixties with the increased demand for styles made popular on pop stars, models and actors/actresses on the wave of the sexual revolution and civil rights movement. The decade reacted to the dramatic changes in society with spontaneous fashion for mass appeal and would influence the future of womenswear by pushing boundaries now seen as the norm.

But in a consumerist sense, it was the new century that saw an increasing demand in the latest fashion at a bargain price. And as detailed in our history of streetwear article, the emergence of the internet opened up new levels of research and buying clothes. Prior to that, knock-off garments were often sold on market stalls and by dodgy-looking blokes in pubs. High-end names at high-street prices, a wardrobe staple highlighted by our spending habits on Black Friday. The ultimate in Champagne lifestyle on an Aldi Prosecco price tag.

The fashion houses knew people were happy to buy fakes with no regard for the fabric quality, so decided to improve their own manufacturing process for quicker turnarounds and lower price points. And it worked, the fashion industry was booming with its mass production straight to the willing and eager consumer.

These fast fashion companies are known as SPAs (speciality retailer of private label apparel) who manage the complete supply chain distribution channel, and everyone was winning. But the impacts on the environments came under the spotlight with the world focusing on climate change and cancel culture targeted fast fashion retailers in their sights. Disposable fashion meant a quick turnaround from the catwalk, to the shops, and then ultimately to landfill.

Couple that with the human rights working conditions and low minimum wage for garment workers, and the revolution for ethical fashion with low textile waste is on.

The impact of fast fashion on the environment

Due to humans pesky need to breathe oxygen and the unfortunate bodily function of exhaling carbon dioxide, we all have a reliance on anything that does the reverse. As such, trees with their handy photosynthesis are literally a life-saver. And we need about 7-8 each to produce enough oxygen to breathe.

So it’s no surprise that some people who plan to live on the planet in any sort of future, value oxygen and other life-critical things like food and water over clothes. Apparel factories produce roughly 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming.

So why are clothing brands distancing themselves from being referred to as fast fashion?

Cancel culture and many articles on which fast fashion brands to avoid hits profits. And naturally, these companies have the mantra “here for a good time and not a long time” and aim to make as much money as they can before they retire in the sunshine. In the ultimate fashion trend, they are now moving to sustainable fashion, promising they will do better in a bid to increase sales. In fairness, perhaps they do care about the environment, although there are many accusations of greenwashing.

So what is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when a fashion brand spends more time and money on marketing themselves as sustainable or environmentally friendly, than on actually doing it. It’s purely to give the impression to consumers to increase sales in that target demographic. The issue with this, is the clothes are still not made to last.

It’s more commonplace with the oil companies of the ’80s, while simultaneously polluting the earth with wilful abandonment. In short, labelling something as eco-friendly when it isn’t, is greenwashing.

But why are you called Fast Fashion News then if you are so against it?

Because we deliver fashion news fast obviously, although it was an intentional play on the term. Slow fashion news would have suggested that we sit about procrastinating, which in fairness is accurate.

This quick and affordable manufacturing philosophy transformed the high street with retailers such as Topshop, New Look, H&M, River Island, Zara, and the ultimate bargain clothing of Primark bringing out cheap items matching current fashion trends. Suddenly online shopping was able to offer the consumer dresses for £15 that they could buy for a night out and leave in the bottom of the wardrobe. It became cheaper to buy new socks rather than wash them. 

It also opened up opportunities for big logo bedroom brands like Sik Silk and Scar Tissue Clothing to enter the affordable designer clothing market tailored to the younger generation on the back on Geordie Shore stars influencing. Boohoo and Missguided took it to a whole new level targeting the devoted Love Island crowd, snapping up the Reality stars for exclusive promotions.

What’s Wrong with Fast Fashion?

Although all of the excellent, inexpensive finds might seem easy on your budget, the world is paying a high price for fast fashion purchases. Some streetwear brands like Hera and Gym King even purposely make their products so cheaply they don’t last long before needing to be binned, going from influencer to the landfill in record time.

The number of clothes bought in the EU between 1996 and 2012 went up by 40%. Sustainable clothing brands usually offer to recycle and build their clothes to last, avoiding landfill. And if your clothes last longer, does that also mean better value for money?

Environmentally Detrimental

Prints, vibrant colours and fabrics are the latest appeal of most fashion garments today, yet so many of these effects are achieved through the use of toxic chemicals. The dyes used to colour such materials is the second largest water polluter globally, not far behind agriculture.

Polyester is the most popular fabric used by fast fashion brands. When these polyester garments are washed in washing machines, tiny microfibres come loose and end up adding to the increasing levels of plastic in our waterways. These microfibres are so small that they easily pass through any water treatment plants and aren’t biodegradable; posing a severe threat to aquatic life.

A 2019 European Parliament report of the textile and clothing industry impact on the environment showed the fashion industry as one of the world’s leading polluters. Clothing accounted for 2%-10% of the environmental impact of EU consumption.

According to the environmental group Extinction Rebellion, it takes 2,720 litres of water to make a T-shirt, the equivalent of 3 years of drinking water. They state the carbon emissions from the fashion industry create 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emission to be the second-largest cause of global greenhouse gas emissions. And modern recycling technology cannot help the fast fashion industry, estimating it would take 12 years to recycle what is created in just 48 hours. Eco friendly clothing aims to manufacture in a more efficient way, with clothes built to last or to recycle the fabrics.

Exploits Overseas Workers

In order to produce clothes so quickly and keep up with a two-week turnover, fast fashion brands subcontract manufacturing overseas to the lowest bidder to countries that have the leanest production costs on earth. Rather than having long term relationships with such countries, fast fashion brands are comfortable with abrupt breakups – so if they want something done faster, the factories have to keep up or lose their contracts.

The non-profit Fashion Revolution state that in Guangdong, China, workers face 150 hours of overtime each month. In Bangladesh, India, garment workers earn a quarter of the living wage, at £44 per month. The Rana Plaza in Bangladesh saw the deadliest garment-related accident in world history when it collapsed in 2013 killing at least 1,132 people and injuring more than 2,500. The price for your garment may be a lot more than on the swing-tag.

The Pressures On!

The fast fashion industry reflects the demand for speed in retail trading. Over the past three years, the movement of styles from fashion shows to consumers has increased by 21%. There has been a noticeable consumer shift to affordable non fast fashion brands. And most importantly consumers want to make a difference.

As the demand for sustainability continues to grow, fast fashion brands have started putting ethical practices in place in their supply chain working conditions.

PrettyLittleThing has introduced a clothing range made from recycled materials and fabrics. The popular online womenswear retailer will launch 151 products in the new range, which will include cycling shorts, joggers, crop tops and skirts.

ASOS have created their own vintage line from unusual finds and recycled products, as well as sourcing their favourite items from vintage stores around the world.

Businesses are also beginning to renew their packaging methods to come up with more sustainable choices. Using paper and card over plastic, or plant based packaging. Brands are looking at sustainable sourced options like organic cotton, bamboo and pineapple leather.

Cosmetic brands have begun thinking about ways they can reduce plastic waste pollution. Biodegradable cosmetic glitter is a popular trend amongst the beauty world this year, particularly as it comes into holiday and festival season. Such glitter is made from cellulose which is entirely compostable and breaks down naturally after use, so you don’t have to worry about holiday back on the sparkle.

What Can Shoppers Do?

There are always ways that shoppers can choose eco-friendly fabrics, but there are pros and cons to different fibre types. Some garments, which are labelled as being made of natural fibres, are not always more beneficial than synthetic fibres, although this only makes up one part of a complex cycle. But affordable ethical clothing is out there, and sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing should not be a wild dream.

When shipping products, companies emit lots of damaging gases into the air and waste natural resources. If you buy products that were made or harvested locally, you can eliminate this issue which will have a significantly positive impact on the environment.

Whenever possible, try to buy products that are in recycled packaging as this will decrease the demand for the production of harmful packaging manufactures.

You can also buy second-hand or pre-loved clothing to help refresh your wardrobe on a budget and help make the fast fashion industry more sustainable.

In a nutshell, the most that shoppers and brands can do is to buy smarter, care and repair items where necessary and keep using our clothing for longer.