Newcastle Falcons star goes for smart-casual
Newcastle Falcons star goes for smart-casual
Posted: 11 Oct 2009
He's got the look
By Anne Graham
Smart-casual is a great concept in theory, but a hard one to get right in practice. Newcastle Falcons’ Alex Gray – also England Under 18s captain – shows you how.
Fashion-conscious guys who care about clothes are catered for these days as never before.
That’s particularly true in the North East where men like to make an effort to look good when they go out on the town.
Many of the region’s celebrities – especially its sports stars – make a beeline for one small and exclusive group of boutiques, Van Mildert, to get kitted out.
With a flagship store in Durham and branches in York, Darlington and the Gateshead Metro Centre, it has some of the most cutting-edge gear for men with style. The Durham store also has women’s clothing.
Van Mildert’s Reece Hutton says: ‘Men are becoming more aware of fashion. The high street is now imposing itself more heavily and forcing men to think twice about how they look.
‘At one time the choice was nearly non-existent, but what is on offer now gives men more choice and develops a more forward-thinking approach.
‘We stock in-demand luxury goods and work with collections that the high street aspires to and imitates, so we attract customers who want to take their look a step further and trade up to something more exclusive.
‘Men’s and women’s spending habits will always be different. Women seem more comfortable and confident in their choices as the acceptance of mixing things up allows them to take more risks.
‘This sees women’s fashion moving at a much quicker pace: looks change more often and trends happen overnight.
‘Men tend to take less risk. They know what they want and know where to get it. They like to have a selection of designers or types of product that they are comfortable with and stick with that, although they do move on as these looks or brands develop.’
Within just two years of opening, Van Mildert won the Drapers independent fashion retailer of the year award in 1997 and 1998 and, with its eclectic mix of international fashion labels, has been drawing customers from all over the UK.
These include the Pet Shop Boys and Vic Reeves and many top-flight sportsmen such as footballers and cricketers.
- Van Mildert's flagship store is at 19-21 Elvet Bridge, Durham DH1 3AA (0191 384 8500) and also at 21 Skinnergate, Darlington DL3 7NW (01325 466446), 19-21 Blake Street, York YO1 8QJ and in the Metro Centre's Yellow Mall (0191-460 4747).
His outfit:
CP Company dark grey blazer jacket, £235
CP Company white 3-button v-neck tee shirt, £80
Dries Van Noten beige drawstring trousers, £162
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