Fashion

Gone are the days when a toothbrush, toothpaste and a bar of soap were all that the average man needed to clean up. In fact, nowadays, many men use as many personal care products as the average woman and they spend a lot more time and money on looking, feeling and smelling good. We have a look below at some of the essential bathrooms items for the modern man.

An electric toothbrush

All that effort to manually brush your teeth and you still clean only 50% of it properly – invest in an electric toothbrush to ensure that your teeth are cleaned more thoroughly in the same time and with even less effort. Modern electric toothbrushes have pressure sensors to make sure you are not putting too much pressure on your teeth and gums, causing damage, as well as longer-lasting batteries compared to previous generations.

Fluoride-free natural toothpaste

To complement the electric toothbrush use a natural toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride, which supposedly does more harm to our bodies and the natural environment than good. There are many kinds of toothpaste out there that are made from natural ingredients and aren’t as harsh on your teeth. The modern man should care just as much about the environment as his own body.

A long-lasting deodorant

No one wants smelly pits or stains under their underarms on their shirts and a good deodorant will help prevent this. Deodorants will only mask the smell, while an antiperspirant will also prevent sweating. There are many great smelling options at all price levels from Lynx to Hugo Boss deodorants, meaning you should never head out without underarm protection.

High-quality aftershave

Aside from looking good, smelling good is almost as important. As with a long-lasting deodorant, a high-quality aftershave will also contribute to smelling good. A high-quality aftershave will have a higher amount of oils in them, meaning it should last longer on the body. Even with close contact frowned upon during the covid pandemic, there is no excuse not to ensure you are smelling good at all times.

Facial scrub

The bar of soap you also use for the rest of your body is no longer enough to maintain good skin. A facial scrub should be used prior to washing your face in order to help exfoliate, remove dead skin cells and oil from your pores. You don’t need to use this every time you wash your face as it can become too abrasive on the skin over time, but twice a week should suffice.

These are some of the essential items all men should have ready in their bathroom. Looking after ourselves physically will benefit us mentally and have us looking and feeling more confident.

Nowadays, many of the previous barriers to entry to starting your own clothing company have been completely broken down. With just a quick search online, you can make contact with an abundance of garment manufacturers around the world, who are ready and willing to create whatever you want to your exact specifications. The hard part now is narrowing down what fits into your criteria in terms of quality, communication and reliability, amongst others. Below are some of the things you will need to consider when choosing your manufacturer.

At home or abroad?

If you live in a western country, the chances are that you won’t be manufacturing your product at home. Unless it is a luxury product that can command a high price, it will likely not be feasible to manufacture at home; the cost of labour is high and so are the raw materials. For that reason, many prospective clothing companies look to the Far East; mainly China, Vietnam and Taiwan thanks to their low cost and expertise. For example, while it may be easier to communicate with a rain jacket manufacturer in the UK, the pros of outsourcing to China will usually outweigh the cons. Not only can you also get a rain jacket of high quality from there, but the total cost of manufacturing and delivery can literally be only 30% of the cost compared to if you decided to manufacture locally. This is usually more than enough of a reason for a business to outsource their work abroad.

Where to find manufacturers

After you have decided where to have your clothes made, now it is time to find a manufacturer. Websites such as Alibaba and Taobao have a plethora of wholesalers and product manufacturers you can contact easily and safely, whilst also taking into account their past transactions with others by reading their reviews.

Networking events can prove a valuable place to create business relationships between you and potential manufacturers. Search online for networking events for those in the clothing and manufacturing industry and this is a great way to start building a network of not only manufacturers, but potential suppliers and customers.

Facebook is also a great place not only to advertise your product in the future, but also to network and search for potential manufacturers. Do your research and find groups for like-minded businesses. It is generally a helpful environment, especially if you have many questions as a newbie in the industry.

Choosing a manufacturer

Now that you’ve decided where to manufacture your garments and you have a shortlist of potential options, it is time to choose which one to go with. There are a few criteria that your chosen one should meet:

1. Price – You will have a budget and you should choose the option that not only offers quality, but is aligned with your budget. As the saying goes – you get what you pay for. Attempt to skimp on quality and the repercussions financially and reputation-wise may prove costlier.

• Quality – Again, going in line with your pricing, choose a manufacturer that can produce the standard of quality you are happy with and can afford.

• Lead times – If they are too busy and unable to fulfil or deliver your orders on time, then they should not be an option. The same goes for shipping times, and this is crucial especially if they are coming from abroad and could potentially get stuck at customs.

• Communication – The ideal manufacturer should have excellent communication. From being able to understand your needs and fulfilling them, to being responsive to any questions you have, all of these are essential to consider.

So here we have a brief breakdown of the steps anyone will need to go through when planning to create their own clothing. Follow these steps to ensure a smoother experience on your way to creating awesome garments!

Due to the rise of e-commerce, many bricks and mortar stores have gone out of business, especially those unable to react quickly enough to changing customer habits. Think of the demise of businesses that were once household names such as Sears and Blockbuster, who failed to react fast enough to the consumer shift to online shopping and streaming. However, there are some stores that are bucking the trend such as fast-fashion retailer Primark in the UK, who are exclusively physical store based and are thriving. We will look at some of the best places for women to get a wardrobe update.

1. Online stores

Once I started ordering from online stores, be it clothing or electronics, I was hooked. It was so convenient and has become even more so over the past few years with many stores offering free returns if the products don’t fit. Orders can even be delivered to local “pick-up points” such as the post office or convenience stores so there are no delivery problems if you are out of the house. While there have been a few issues with sizing and styles which I may have not had had I bought in-store, the usually lower prices and quick delivery are enough to sway my decision. Searching for raincoats for women online is a lot more convenient than braving bad weather in search for one!

• Thrift stores

The amount of quality clothing that is disposed of just because they are out of season is unbelievable. Apparently, some couture brands even go as far as incinerating old season products to stop them circulating and saturating the market. Talk about a waste of resources! If you are not familiar with thrift stores, or may be sceptical about purchasing used clothing, you may be genuinely surprised at what you can find, and honestly, the image of it being for those with a lower income couldn’t be further from the truth. Many beautiful dresses and accessories that are donated or disposed of, are still in great condition and can be bought for a fraction of the cost new, so I believe thrift stores are a great option for purchasing womens clothing.

• Malls

Consider malls as more or less a scaled down physical version of online shopping. How convenient is it to have a plethora of clothing stores all under one roof and being able to try on the clothing before purchasing? This is one area that I highly doubt online shopping could ever replicate, and this makes malls a great place to buy womens clothing. Savvy shoppers may do their research on pieces online beforehand so they know what to look for, try them on in-store and possibly make the purchase online after to make use of the many discount codes online.

Not only do malls have many options, but they are also ideal for after-purchase care for faulty items or if you change your mind. This is much faster than mailing an item to return and waiting for a refund!

Calendars will tell you spring has sprung, but in a lot of places, the weather is in that awkward stage where it keeps switching between warm, cold, and rainy. It seems like no matter how often you check the forecasts, you never really know what you’re going to get until you step outside.

1. Find out if a pair of jeans fits without a trip to the dressing room.

Ready for a mind-blowing fashion hack? According to Lauren Edelstein, Style Director at Shopbop, all you need to do to determine whether or not a pair of jeans will fit is to wrap the waist around your neck — if the ends meet without overlapping (or stretching), they’ll fit your waist. “The neck trick is one I was skeptical about, but it really works!”