You probably don’t know anything about Wodul! And I didn’t know anything about them until a few days ago either. I found this long-sleeve green t-shirt on YesStyle. I just loved the colour! And it also let me finally find out whether YesStyle was any cop, which I’ve been wondering about for a while.

This Hong Kong-based site offers a wide range of fashionable clothes and accessories at affordable prices (especially given the current dollar exchange rate). There are Korean brands such as Jbros, Mafia People, Npfeel, Portfranc and The Boys and Japanese brands Grace Hats and Scopy.

Among the clothes I ordered, I received this t-shirt. And I wasn’t disappointed by the colour and cut at all! It’s got a deep v-neck, so you can wear it either alone in a “look at my chest hair” style, or on top of another t-shirt as shown below.

As for the material, it’s just as I expected: really not thick at all! You can’t really tell that it’s supposed to be a jumper as the description would lead you to believe (“sweater”). However: at only €20, you can’t really complain.

Overall, YesStyle is like an Asian-style H&M: fashionable, but not great quality. Sort of disposable fashion! But it is definitely practical: you might not have enough money to spend more and for things like t-shirts it’s really rather good! More to come soon

$32 from YesStyle

This is the first part of our sunglasses special. Oliver Goldsmith is an English brand created in 1926 which saw its heyday in the 60s. At the time, it was represented by the actresses Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren.

In 2005, Clara Goldsmith, the founder’s granddaughter relaunched the brand using her grandfather’s artistic heritage. Around 30 models were re-released. And this new era came with new icons: Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Jude Law, Jessica Simpson and Gwyneth Paltrow all posed for Oliver Goldsmith.

And this year, the arrival of designer Brian McGinn (an Irishman? Yes sir!) aims to bring new styles whilst using the know-how and hand crafted 100% British style.

My favourite: the “Carl”, with its large acetate aviator frame. These are distinctly retro sunglasses available in tortoiseshell, black, transparent and green!

On sale at ESPLE, 40 rue Saint Sulpice Paris 6 (see the discount voucher below) and for non-Parisians from Men a la Mode (€198). Discover the rest of the collection on the Oliver Goldsmith site.

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: as promised, here’s the the latest installment in the hoodie special. And this week, all eyes are on Sixpack.

Created in 1998, it was one of the labels that were part of the street culture movment. Avant-garde and ambitious, this daring brand made waves. It launched unknown artists, constantly searching for new talent, a quest that eventually opened doors to the International stage. The label forged itself a name and an image, and the whole community welcomed it: from artists to DJs, graphic artists to writers, fans and newbies, everyone was interested.

And today its reputation is made, as you can see! The artwork is remarkable and so is the quality! Mainly known for its unusual t-shirts, the brand offers some styles as hoodies! And they’re rather good, worth a look…

They’re available from €115 from their online store, or from Lazy dog at the Citadium.

For many, watches are the best way for men to wear jewellery. Definitely a much better way than a bracelet, chain or pendant, signet ring or leather wristband.

However, choosing a nice watch is not the easiest of tasks. The range of products available is very wide, and this is a purchase that must be looked upon as an investment. Particularly for those who don’t want to, or can’t afford to buy several.

My aim is not to help you choose a nice watch but to give your wrists a breath of fresh air this summer. In order to do so, I will over you several selections over the coming days. However, I won’t tell you which watches not to buy, there are too many, and of course: it’s a question of taste!

I’ve deliberately decided to show you a few unusual styles, which aren’t necessarily tasteful or stylish, but that set themselves apart from the rest. As an introduction, and to make you wait a little:

Definitions: Watch

• 1. Box fitted with a face, containing a clock movement, that one wears to know the time. A definition that makes you think that dictionary compilers have strange habits, and wear watches in order to know the time.
• 2. Case worn by a person that contains a stored energy mechanism that propels a mechanism that measures time and shows the time as it passes. That’s more like it.

To be continued… (at the end I’ll give you a good adress, and we might talk about automatic watches).

Latest in the “you can sometimes get nice surprises from big brands” series, I went to have a look in Devred for the first time in…ages! And I found this little leather jacket:

-Hey, this jacket’s nice! Let’s take a closer look. Yeah, it’s really nice: I like the pocket design and the aviator style zip. Ok, I’ll try it on!

Here we go: one arm, the other…And the verdict in the mirror: perfect cut, it fits perfectly! And only costs €80!!! But what’s it made of?

Polyurethane. Of course, at that price, it’s no surprise that it’s synthetic, and not leather. However: it won’t wrinkle and doesn’t need looking after. And my last real leather jacket cost virtually 7 times the price!

So I bought it Ideal for mid-season wear. If you want to get your hands on one, hurry (a trusted source says there aren’t many left) and take care of it, because although it doesn’t need much looking after, it’s not the toughest of materials (hey, that’s the deal!) See Devred stores.

This is the latest installment in my adventure “on the trail of Men’s beauty parlours”, with a trip to “Il fait beau” at 51 rue des Archives, in the Marais (they have another salon at 57 rue des Peupliers à Boulogne). It opened two years ago, and offers a modern, stylish setting for beauty treatments using [comfort zone] products. [comfort zone] is an Italian brand that specialises in spa treatments.

On the menu: facial and body treatments, relaxation, hand and foot care and hair removal! For the latter, “il fait beau” also offer light pulse hair removal. My first test (undertaken in a beauty parlour 2 years ago) left me unconvinced, but according to the beautician, who was also sceptical at first, it works! I might try it out again sometime…

In the mean time, I tried another facial (the last one was a month ago, and once a month is a good frequency). This facial was carried out using [comfort zone] products. There is a wide range with around a hundred products to suit all skin types (dry, sensitive, mixed, oily etc). If you’re not sure about your skin type: a facial will always start with a test to determine which type it is! This allows the beautician to choose the right products, which will also help you choose your own.

At “il fait beau” there are several treatment rooms, which are all quite small (yes, like in most salons, they make the most of the space!). But that doesn’t really make a difference: you spend most of the hour with your eyes shut. And we’re off: cleanse, tone, and moisturise… And you leave feeling fresh as a daisy, with a new face! Once again: I feel good!

Bonus: the salon boasts a beauty parlour and a Power Plate® area on the same premises (for those you want to try it out at the same time). It costs €40 for an eye treatment (30 min) and €65 for a facial treatment (60min) including cleansing, oxygenating luminosity treatment, calming treatment or deep moisturising treatment.

As spring has been slow to arrive, how do you fancy a hoodie? I will show you a selection of a few good brands so you don’t catch a cold during this rather temperamental end-of-season weather. The first in the series is from American Apparel.

They’re well known for their basics and their premium quality, and American Apparel offer a wide range of products, from t-shirts to jeans, ladies’ tights and mens’ underwear. They offer a wide choice of quality stuff. Another unique point, not to be scoffed at either, is that all their products are made and produced in Los Angeles. A little slice of American class! As recognition of this, each garment is labelled “Made in downtown Los Angeles”!

As for their hoodies, there’s nothing too unusual, they’re a little thin, they’re neither too bling or too cheap looking, with a good balance of the subtle and the simple, using block colours and well-finished styles. Now all you need to do is to choose the right colour…from €45! Available from their stores or online.

More coming in the next few days… Stay tuned!

Let’s start with a non-trendy style, as it never goes out of fashion: the aviator, which has been present in every new collection since it was created by Ray Ban in 1936. This basic has once again formed the inspiration for many fashion houses (Dior, Cavalli, Tom Ford…) and designers (Berryl, Porsche Design…).

The main trend at the moment is without a doubt vintage. Ray Ban’s other bestseller, the Wayfarer, a 50’s model, was very popular last year, and this success continues this season.

This vintage trend also includes styles from the 60s, 70s and 80s. My favourites: The seventies revival with streamlined and chunky shapes. I love it! This year, there are more square, geometric styles.

But the most noticeable thing this season is the return of colour! If you like the 80s, you’ll be in your element: Bright colours and large frames are back with a vengeance! White, yellow, red or green, the emphasis is on fun!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll invite you to discover a selection of sunglasses from these different styles. A range that, I hope, will turn you into shades experts, if you aren’t already

Vichy was one of the pioneers for mens’ cosmetics with the launch of its basic range in 1988. It was rebranded Vichy Homme in 2001 with the white, grey and red packaging that you may be familiar with. We have talked about it before with a test of the Silicium-R treatment (article in French).

As we mentioned in the previous test, the main problem with Vichy Homme was the image we had of the brand! Which they must have realised, as they completely changed the range’s packaging last year (I’m a little late writing this article but I can assure you that I’ve had more than enough time to try out the range!)

The rebranding works well, as you can see below. Nice packaging is important to keep you bathroom looking good! The range is made up of 9 products split into 3 families (anti-ageing moisturisers, moisturisers for different skin types, and cleansing and shaving products).

• For sensitive skin, Vichy Homme offers an anti-irritation comfort balm(Sensi Baume Ca), a shaving foam and a shaving gel.
• For tired and dull skin, a 24h invigorating moisuriser (Hydra Mag C) and an eye firming stick (Hydra Mag stick yeux)
• For greasy and imperfection-prone skin: a moisturising liquid (Normactiv CG), a cleansing gel and a shaving foam.

The textures are really great, the range offers reknowned active ingredients such as vitamin A (Retinol), vitamine C, calcium and magnesium, and of course the famous Vichy thermal water (for its calming and boosting properties). A great range at a fair price: think €17 for the moisturiser (available in chemists and health and beauty stores since October 2007).

More info on Vichyhomme.fr

The first l’Eclaireur boutique opened in 1980 in the 28m² basement of the Galerie Marchande at number 84 on the Champs-Elysées. Upon its launch, Martine and Armand Hadida, showed a taste for discovery and decoration. They showcased young designers and, in particular, introduced Marithé and François Girbaud to their clients. They sold the first Timberlands (favoured by Canadian trappers), along with Hogans and Tod’s (Italian driving shoes).

1990 is an important step in their story: they open a second store, which was much larger (300m²), at the Rue des Rosiers (at the heart of the Marais which had barely become fashionable at the time). It was the first time a store married fashion, furniture, decoration and design. It was a great success. L’Eclaireur became an Internationally-known name, and a real stepping stone for stylists and designers.

In 2000, they opened another boutique right on its doorstep, totally dedicated to men. This was followed a year later by the opening of a 4^th store at 10 rue Hérold (Paris 1st district), and a 5^th in 2006 at 10 Rue Boissy d’Anglas (8^th district), for women’s fashion, decoration and a bar restaurant.

L’Eclaireur offers a range of designers such as Ann Demeulemeester, Comme des Garçons, Giorgio Brato, Martin Margiela, Dries van Noten, CP Company/Stone Island etc… You can find incredible pieces there such as Laura B. silver, copper and crocodile belts, or Tobias Wistingen crocodile-skin wallet chains. In the range of waxed jeans, you can find the Kohzo brand, that will not be part of our selection, because of the exceptional price.

As you may have realised, L’Eclaireur is an exclusive, top-of-the-range store, which won’t suit all budgets, but it’s definitely worth going to have a look, a treat for your senses and your sense of adventure. And who knows, you may just go there and splash out! (see our Fashion Guide in Paris)