10 Modern Ways To Wear Denim Jacket

You don’t have to be a haulier to get a lot of mileage out of a trucker. Or a cowboy. The jean jacket (as its founding fathers call it in US) has, like a lot of workwear staples, gone from being a beat-up old-reliable of menswear to a go-to for more dress codes than you’d imagine.

“A denim jacket is a fantastic option to have at your disposal for its versatility, especially at this time of the year,” says Daniel Rhone, stylist and personal shopper for a squad of top, top Premier League footballers – emphasis on ‘ballers’. “I like to layer one as a middle tier between my choice of outerwear and an underlayer of a tee or shirt. Particularly if I’ve underestimated the temperature outside.”

You don’t have to take his word for it, although you should, because he’s a very cool guy, even when he wraps up warm. But to drive the point home, here are 10 different ways to pardner a jean jacket so that you can keep on trucking down the road.

With Chinos

You’re effectively wearing jeans on your top half, and you know that double denim is dangerous territory. But so is going out half-naked. Enter chinos. They can be smart, with formalising features such as pleats, creases and a tab closure, but they can also be casual.

Their military history and typically utilitarian cotton-twill fabric nevertheless make them a dependable denim ally; the original khaki – technically a colour, not a style – is a classic pairing. Add a white T-shirt (see below) and you’re Don Draper at the weekend.

With A White T-shirt

This is another classic pairing enshrined in Americana. A crisp but fuss-free look, it’s not quite as easy as you might think.

Its success largely hinges on finding the perfect white tee, which can be a Goldilocks-ian quest: not too slim, not too baggy; not too translucent, not too bulletproof; not too “gunny”, not too modest; not too much like a dress, not too much like a crop-top; not so high on the neck so that it’s an undershirt-cum-garotte, not so low that it’s a clavicle-exposing deep-U.

Whoever called the white tee a basic was wrong.

With Black Jeans

Double denim can be doubly good even if you flagrantly transgress the ‘distinct shades’ rule: see Martin Sheen in Badlands. It can also be very, very bad: see Justin Timberlake in your nightmares. But for a fail-safe way to splice jeans, black and blue is hard to beat.

Other colours of jeans can do the same trick: grey, for one, and even white, although that presents its own pitfalls, not to mention impracticalities. But like Wesley Snipes having a cheeky flutter on the Rugby World Cup, always bet on black.

With Indigo Jeans

A shade more difficult than black jeans, but still not that hard, unwashed indigo denim will stand much less of a chance of optically bleeding into a lighter and/or distressed denim jacket than lighter and/or distressed jeans, for reasons that should hopefully be apparent from reading this sentence.

It’s not like double, indistinguishably dark denim can’t ever be done, mind: we seem to recall Ryan Gosling looking fairly badass in Drive. But that said, he is Canadian, so may possess a home country advantage.

With A Shirt And Tie

Yes, you can mix business with workwear. Make the partnership less what-the-hell by dialling down the dressiness of the other elements to bring them more in line with your decidedly casual trucker: a button-down Oxford instead of a stiff-coloured poplin; a knitted tie instead of woven silk; chinos instead of tailored trousers (although they can work too – see below).

N.B., even if your denim jacket isn’t overly faded, it’s still way more informal than any tailored equivalent, so may not be SFW at your place of employment.

With Tailored Trousers

Similar to the shirt and tie, it helps if you can minimise the seeming discord between your casual jacket and smart trousers. That could be by jacking your jacket up in smartness with an unwashed dark denim, plus minimal bells and whistles such as contrast stitching or rivets.

Likewise, you could pull your trousers down a notch in formality with a more substantial, nubby material that’s closer to denim on the spectrum. Or opt for a relaxed fit, a cropped length or turn-ups.

With Joggers

A denim jacket doesn’t exactly fall under the category of sportswear, unless you’re a rodeo rider. But it provides a degree of structure to offset the softness of your joggers, as well as more prosaically just not being another piece of jersey, thereby saving you from having to go full tracksuit or ‘Tesco tuxedo’.

This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule (there aren’t many of those left in menswear) but you’re probably best to steer clear of cowboy details on your denim jacket. Style historians don’t record athleisure as having been a key trend in the Old West.

With A Roll Neck

Anywhere you can wear a shirt, you can rock a roll neck. Well, pretty much. But before you knit up, consider your denim jacket’s finish, whether pristine indigo or battered stonewash, and how that metaphorically stitches together with your jumper.

If the latter’s too sheer and sheeny, there might be a dissonance with the rough, tough denim; too chunky and your jacket might appear insubstantial by comparison. (Generally speaking, layers should get thicker the further away they get from your body, and vice versa.)

With A Hoodie

This combo is a fallback for any menswear blogger attempting to look vaguely urban. Don’t let that put you off. A hoodie is a natural sparring partner for a denim jacket because they’re both low-key, chuck-on weekend staples.

In that vein, don’t overdo it. Keep the colours neutral and don’t go too boxy with the fit of the hoodie. Avoid the brash logos of streetwear’s latest drops and stick to a navy or grey marl under a blue denim jacket.

With An Overcoat Or Topcoat

As with a tailored blazer, your denim jacket should be slim fitting if you want to wear it under an overcoat. You should just about be able to get two fingers down it when done up and it should be narrow-necked so it doesn’t compete with your coat’s lapels.

By its nature, even the smartest tailored outerwear has a degree of ruggedness so this is not as incongruous as you might think. Don’t be afraid to juxtapose, either: camel, which normally skews formal, can be a really nice combo. Bonus points if your jacket’s stitching matches the colour.

7 Simple Hacks for Men Hairs

Did you know that Kashmere is made from baby goat beards?

It’s true.

All those nice sweaters. All made from goat beards.

In case you’re not getting the hint, goat beards are really soft.

And it makes you wonder what goats do to make their beards so soft and desirable.

Oh, that’s just us? Roger that.

If you’d like hair so nice that people chase you around trying to shear your head in order to make sweater fabric, you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’ve got frizzy hair, curly hair, straight hair, or very little hair, we’ve got you covered.

If you have a goat beard for hair, you’re completely set and you shouldn’t be here.

Here are seven easy-to-apply hair styling tips for men.

Whether you’ve got frizzy hair, curly hair, straight hair, or very little hair, we’ve got you covered.

If you have a goat beard for hair, you’re completely set and you shouldn’t be here.

Here are seven easy-to-apply hair styling tips for men.

Paste, clay, and wax should be massaged into dry hair. Otherwise, they tend to clump the hair together.

They work best when finger-combed, giving you more of a casual look.

Creams and gels should be worked into wet hair. Not sopping wet, mind you, but towel-dried. You can either finger-comb creams and gels in, or you can use a standard plastic comb for a sleeker look.

With all products, gather up a dime-sized dollop and warm it up between your palms, then work it in from the roots. If you don’t warm it up and spread it out, you can end up with a sticky mess on the back of your head.

Not good, captain.

Our current pomade picks are Suavecito (solid general all-rounder pick)

2Less Shampoo

Do you think men washed their hair once a day 10,000 years ago? 

You know, sometime between hunting down breakfast and fending off an attack from the enemy tribe that finally learned how to cross that river?

Hell no.

Hair biologically can’t replenish its oils quick enough to justify washing every day.

Keep the shampooing to once every two to three days.

You can even push it further if you’d like, but just make sure you’re not turning into a grease ball in the name of getting back in touch with your caveman roots.

Other than that, simply rinse your hair with water in your morning shower and you should be fine.

For shampoo, the K + S is our pick if you’re on a budget :

3Adding Volume

This one is a need-to-know if you have thinning hair, or if you’re going for the pompadour look, ala:

The modern pompadour is often paired with a taper, or fade as in the above. For a rundown on the differences between a fade, taper, and taper fade, check out our piece here.

To add volume to your hair, use a blow dryer and a comb.

Keep combing your hair up and drying at the same time and you’ll find that it tends to stay up.

Another method is to blow dry your hair upside down. Let gravity do the work for you.

After all, it’s one of the fundamental forces of nature.

And take it from us—gravity is much safer than using electro-magnetism to add volume.

4Use Two Different Stylers

Having trouble finding the right product that gives you both the hold and the texture you want?

Try out different products that each individually gives you what you’re looking for.

Don’t worry, your head won’t light on fire (unless that’s what you’re looking for), nor will there be any noxious fumes.

5Clean Up Around the Edges

Grooming is all about maintenance, gentlemen.

Keep a small electric razor on hand so you can clean up around the edges of your hairline. The Norelco OneBlade is a solid option:

This keeps your hairstyle nice and tidy between haircuts.

After a little while, your hair will obviously start to regrow to the point where you’ll need another haircut. But using an electric razor for maintenance will save you both money and time.

Want more info? FashionBeans have put together this excellent article on how to make your haircut last longer. If you’re maintaining a beard for the first time, check out our beginner’s guide to beards.

6Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is awesome. Having a bottle around is particularly helpful if you’ve just had a late night with too many drinks and your eyes feel like fuzzy hamburgers.

Or you know, if you’re traveling.

It’s sort of like the deodorant of hair products. If you’re on the go (or again, too hungover to shower), a little dry shampoo will at least keep you from looking like a grease-ball.

Dry shampoo absorbs the grease in your hair and on your scalp, and it’s amazing what a little of the stuff can do to clean you up.

If you don’t have a bottle already, you can try talc powder, which achieves the same effect.

If you want to learn more about dry shampoo, check out this article from Men’s Health.

7Combat Humidity

Humidity is the mortal enemy of styled hair. The moisture in the air adds weight to your hair, causes it to frizz, and dilutes your hair product which lessens its hold.

If you live in a humid climate, here are some tips:

• Check the temperature before you go out. This is an obvious one, but information is power and all that
• Opt for an anti-humectant pomade such as this one from Aveda.
• Keep some product on hand when you’re traveling or at work. When your hair starts to frizz under the blistering sun, give yourself a spritz.
• If all else fails, wear your hair shorter. The shorter your hair, the less product you’ll need, and the less you’ll be affected by moisture in the air.

8Bonus:

This next one didn’t make our ‘simple’ list because it’s not all that simple. But it’s totally worth checking into if you’re looking for the perfect product and don’t want to spend all your money trying every brand.

Make Your Own Pomade at Home

It’s pretty easy making your own product at home, though it’s a little messy.

Look into buying some of these products in bulk: beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamin E oil, and coconut oil.

Add the beeswax, one of the butters (or both), and one of the oils (or both) to a small pot and heat it all up on the stove until it melts and blends together.

It may take a bit of trial and error to get the mixture right for what you’re looking for, but there are plenty of online recipes and tutorials for you to check out. Like this one:

Add an essential oil like sandalwood for a more earthy, manly scent.

A D.I.Y product like this has a couple of advantages. First, it’s much cheaper overall. The bulk ingredients are an investment, but you will have a year or more worth of hair product ready to be mixed.

And second, there are no harmful chemicals in it. This is satisfying to know since you’re rubbing the stuff on your scalp every single day.

---

So, there you have it. 

Follow these hairstyle tips and it won’t take long for covetous shearing maniacs to be chasing you down.

To steal your hair.

To make sweaters.

Yep, we went there again.

5 Boots you need in this Fall

Winter: a season of fun, family and festive cheer. On the downside, however, it’s also a time of ice-cold commutes, relentless rainfall and, as a result, freezing feet and ruined sneakers.

The canvas trainers and suede loafers that served you so well through the summer months have no place on the streets right now. They simply aren’t equipped to stave off the worst of the winter weather, making the temptation to sacrifice good looks for practicality all the more alluring.

But before you go obliterating any ounce of street cred you might have had by investing in a pair of goloshes, allow us to walk you through a few key footwear variations that combine stylishness and winter-friendly design in equal measures.

Together with Base London, a brand that knows more than a thing or two about what goes into making top-notch footwear, we’ve compiled a rundown of winter-friendly boots, shoes and sneakers to see you through every cold-weather scenario in style. Handpicked from Base London’s vast collection, these are the only winter stompers you need this year.

Big Boots For Cold Winter Walks

Unsurprisingly, winter walks in the park are a lot more enjoyable when you’re not worrying about losing a toe to frostbite. With a pair of sturdy leather boots at your disposal, this ceases to be a concern. Mud? No problem. Puddles? Easy. Cold? Not any more. They’re robust, grippy, versatile, and a good pair will look after you as long as you look after them.

There are a few things to consider before investing in a proper pair of winter boots, though. First off, the style. To get the most wear when the weather is less than tropical, you’ll want something with a thick tread and some decent height in the ankles to keep your lower legs wrapped up. Hikers or worker boots are a good place to start.

Colour-wise, black and brown are the obvious choices, offering maximum wearability. However, if you fancy something a little different, details like broguing and burnished leather can keep things interesting while maintaining versatility. Wear them with other cold-weather staples like a parka coat, heavy-gauge knitwear and a fisherman beanie for best results.

Sturdy-Soled Shoes For Cold, Wet Commutes

Thin, low-profile soles may look stylish and elegant, but you certainly won’t when you inevitably slip on a patch of ice in them and spill your morning coffee all over your clean work clothes. The solution: go commando.

Obviously, there’s nothing to be gained in this particular scenario from removing your underwear, but that’s not what we mean. We’re talking about selecting footwear with a thick, sturdy sole, capable of holding its own on those slippery winter sidewalks.

Practicality isn’t the only thing these heavy-duty workhorses have going for them. Commando-soled shoes are also trending hard at the moment in menswear, favoured for the contemporary edge they can lend to classic silhouettes like a Derby or an Oxford brogue.

When it comes to styling, bear in mind that a chunky sole gives shoes a casual feel. This considered, if you’re going to do tailoring, keep it laid-back, unstructured and seasonally appropriate. Otherwise, we’d suggest wearing them alongside similarly rugged winter favourites like heavy indigo denim, a thick flannel shirt and a chore coat.

Dapper Styles For Party Season

They don’t call December party season for nothing. In just four short weeks there are more office drinks, family get-togethers and general frivolities than in the rest of the year combined. Naturally, it can begin to take its toll, but don’t let subpar party footwear be the reason why. Leave that up to the ill-advised school-night outings and endless spending.

Party-appropriate footwear is an absolute must-have for anyone looking to give their shoe rack a winter restock. These aren’t your day-to-day Derbies or formal Oxfords. Instead, they’re shoes with character. Something that adds a touch of personality to an outfit, but that wouldn’t look out of place around the office if you had to go straight from desk to dancefloor on a Friday evening. Think loafers or monk straps.

These styles are fairly versatile, but come into their own with contemporary tailoring. Try layering a blazer over a fine-gauge roll neck, with contrasting cropped trousers below. Go for earthy autumnal shades like burnt orange and burgundy if you’re thinking colourful, or subtle neutral tones for something more low-key.

Sturdy Boots For Winter Weekends

Evenings out, last-minute Christmas shopping, Sunday strolls. Wherever your weekends take you this winter, a pair of casual boots will stomp through all of them in style. This is footwear that can be dressed up and down to cover every conceivable downtime eventuality, from impromptu dates to a weekend of life admin.

Chilled-out styles like Chelsea boots and leather chukkas work well here. They’re smart without being formal and relaxed without being sloppy. Think of them as your go-to winter all-rounders. Something you can throw on every weekend without a second thought, safe in the knowledge they’ll look the part with whatever you happen to be wearing.

Try dressing your new winter-weekend boots up with a pair of chinos, an Oxford button-down shirt and a wool overcoat. Or style things down with a nice thick flannel, a down gilet and some mid-wash denim.

Go-Anywhere Sneakers

When the rain is pouring and the wind is howling, it’s tempting to rule out sneakers as a viable footwear option. Don’t do that to yourself. Sneakers are still on the menu for winter. In fact, they actually make an excellent everyday shoe. You just need to be a little more savvy about how you approach them.

First off: material. Keep suede and mesh to a minimum and prioritise the more practical leather. Not only does this give your sneakers added smartness, but it also offers some protection from the elements.

Styling-wise, anything goes, but a dark, muted palette will go with anything and everything, making them the perfect does-it-all option. From dress pants and a shirt on evenings out, to sweatpants and a crewneck on afternoons in. There’s nothing a pair of these can’t do.

The Art of Wearing Clothes: (15 Rules Should Know)

There are enough rules in life as it is. Some, however, are there to help. Like the rules that govern how to dress well. Of course, every man or woman that has an opinion on such things speaks from personal experience – and no doubt what works for one doesn’t always work for another; or what works for one is considered too pedestrian or too avant-garde by another. So, when it comes to dressing, they always have to be taken at face value. They’re solid suggestions rather than the last word on style.

But good advice is never to be sniffed at, and, as menswear becomes ever more rich and varied, ever more experimental and abundant, ever more trend-aware, in moments of confusion and self-doubt, it can help to have a valuable fall-back position that cuts through the clutter.

These ‘rules’ tend to be founded in history – they’ve worked for generations, so might well be assumed to work well today too. And they tend to be founded in the obvious, so obvious they’re often overlooked: a preference for a good fit, high quality, versatility, good value, lack of extremes and keeping it sober.

There are certainly many other rules out there than are presented here. Some of these you may have already discovered for yourself. That, after all, is part of the pleasure of clothing, which no rule should hamper: trying new kit out, seeing if it suits you, seeing how it makes you feel. But, these rules have stood the test of time and, when used in conjunction, act as a failsafe guide on how to dress well today.

1. Wear A Suit Well

The key to a suit looking good is fit. If you’re buying off-the-peg, focus on the fit across the shoulders because getting the chest and waist altered is a relatively easy job according to Davide Taub, head of bespoke suits at Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes. “Be cautious about wearing a period suit unless you’re pursuing a total period look because in isolation the suit starts to look like a novelty,” he adds. Classic is best and most useful – dark, two-button, single-breasted, moderate in details. “It’s not boring. A suit is a uniform. The idea is to think of this suit as a canvas to build different ideas of individuality around. It’s the way you wear it, not the label inside, that impresses.”

Gieves & Hawkes

2. Invest Wisely In A Watch

“A watch is like a piece of art,” argues Don Cochrane, managing director of British watch brand Vertex. “Choose it because you love it, not because you think it might make money. Watches are personal, it marks your passage through time. But you also have to be practical.” Aesthetically, functional, rugged sports models go with anything and can take the hard knocks of everyday wear. Yet, a watch still has to fit you. It should feel comfortable and be right in terms of size and depth relative to your wrist as well – 40mm is considered the ‘Goldilocks’ size.

Vertex

3. Don’t Shy Away From Colour

Whether it’s on casualwear or formalwear, indulge in a bit of colour. “Most men are unjustly scared of it – they’re intimidated by anything that isn’t navy or grey,” says menswear designer Oliver Spencer. “But colour can be timeless too.” A green suit, for example, can look particularly rakish, while Spencer also recommends pinks, greens, mustard and brighter shades of blue as especially versatile year-round shades that will lift your entire outfit. But he adds that, when it comes to colour, less is still more: “You just need a bit of it, in one garment.”

4. Wear In Your Jeans Until They Are Yours

The all-time most useful cut of the world’s most popular garment, according to Alex Mir, co-owner of Sheffield-based label LinkText, is ‘slim-tapered’. “It’s wider in the thigh, so it’s comfortable, but narrows, so it works with either smart shoes or sneakers,” he advises. “It’s the best year-round, wear-with-anything, dress up or down style.” The wise will wear dark, raw denim too and give the pre-distressed a wide berth. “The whole pleasure of denim is that it ages with the way you wear it. Why miss out on that?”

5. Look After Your Appearance

It’s the kind of advice your mother might offer, but if you’ve invested money and thought in your clothing, look after it. Use wooden hangers for shirts and shoe trees for your best shoes; have your suit dry-cleaned and pressed; wash your clothes regularly and, ideally, don’t tumble dry them (it can degrade the fabric); and polish your shoes. Equally, it’s not just the skin of your leather jacket that you need to care for, the same goes for the one you wear everyday. Establish a simple, but no less solid, grooming regime, brush your hair and cut your nails. After all, the devil resides in the details.

6. Keep Your Underwear Simple

Style isn’t only what everyone else can see. When it comes to men’s underwear, there are two rules to follow. One, novelty prints are not for grown men – “your underwear is not the place to express your ‘personality’,” as shirt and underwear-maker Emma Willis notes. And, two, heavily-branded underwear lacks sophistication. “Of all places where you might have the confidence not to have branding, your underwear should be it,” adds Willis. The style that has best stood the test of time, of course, is the cotton boxer short, likely because (as is the case with linen) they take repeated washing, breath well and are comfortable against your skin.

7. Spend Money On Shoes

“Timelessness is about simple design and all the more so with shoes,” argues Tim Little, owner of heritage shoe brand Grenson. “The colour, the pattern, the sole – you don’t want it fussy. Anything fussy may look good now but will look strange very quickly.” Quality shoes — the gold standard being re-soleable Goodyear welted examples — are the kind of investment that should last 15 years or more. Opt for classic styles such as brogues, loafers, or a plain, dark, five-eyelet Derby on a round-toe last. “It’s the shape of the toe that really counts – and round never goes out of fashion,” says Little. “It’s pointy toes or square toes that look obviously impractical. Nobody has feet shaped like that.”

8. Keep Accessorising To A Minimum

Accessories like ties and pocket squares bring individuality to classic clothing, but be careful how you use them. “It’s best to harmonise them with what you’re wearing by picking out a colour or two. Or even to juxtapose them entirely,” says Michael Hill, creative director of men’s accessories brand Drake’s. “What you don’t want is to match them up.” When it comes to curating shirt and tie combinations, wear your tie or pocket square in a darker shade than your jacket. And don’t overdo the accessories either – if in doubt, think less is more and take one element away. “You’re aiming for an air of nonchalance,” adds Hill. “You just need one point of interest.”

9. Know Thyself

There’s are few things less stylish than a man dressed as he thinks he should dress rather than in what he genuinely feels suits who he is. There are caveats to that, of course: there are no prizes for dressing like a rodeo clown unless indeed you are one. But whatever you’re wearing, you have to own it. Genuine style icons are those who go their own way with a self-confidence that comes from their clothes being a second skin, not a costume.

10. Dress For The Setting

Style is not merely about self-expression; it’s also about being dressed appropriately for your environment. Think of clothes as being codes: you need the right combination to work with the setting you’re in – and that’s whether it’s a formal dinner or a lazy Sunday in the pub. The worst style is one which is out of place. Is this a kind of conformity? No, as one of Tom Ford’s oft trotted out fashion quotes explains, it’s a mark of respect for others. And about feeling comfortable in yourself. When in doubt, overdress.

11. Don’t Skimp On Glasses

Invest time into finding the right spectacles for you. “People spend an average of seven minutes picking a pair that will define them for the next three or more years,” notes eyewear designer Tom Davies. “Poor choice and poor fit are why so many people learn to hate their glasses.” Buy what you feel good in, taking into account your face shape but considering the top line of the frames’ relation to your eyebrow shape – team straight with straight, curved with curved – and your hairstyle. Buy wisely too, says Davies: there’s no point buying cheap frames and being up-sold on expensive lenses because the frames will look tatty soon enough anyway.

12. Choose Versatile Outerwear

The temptation may be to wear a classic style, but modern technical fabrics in darker shades and easy cuts are making coats what they should be – lightweight and breathable but also properly protective. “Changes in seasonality, the climate and buying habits are making heavy wool coats seem out of keeping now,” suggests Adam Cameron, owner of outerwear specialist The Workers’ Club. “Think of a coat instead as being your final layer – one you can wear as much or as little under as required.” A field or bomber jacket jacket is a good all-rounder but if you need to dress up, go for a short mac.

13. Buy A Dinner Suit, Never Hire

Occasions for the height of formal dressing may be rare, but they’re all the more exacting for that. So, while it feels like an extravagance, owning a dinner suit that fits you rather than hiring one makes more sense after years of use. “With hiring, there’s always the risk of the wearer looking almost childlike while dressed in some oversized, boxy ensemble,” warns Toby Lamb, design director of contemporary tailoring label Richard James. Own as classic a dinner suit as possible: in midnight blue, single-breasted, with satin lapels and trousers seams. And it goes without saying you should learn how to tie a bow-tie yourself.

14. With Shirts, Stick To The Classics

“It sounds silly,” says James Cook, head of bespoke shirtmaking for Turnbull & Asser, “but any men’s shirt can be made to look expensive if it’s well-pressed.” All the same, Cook is particular about the details. Strike a middle line, he recommends: avoid bold styles unless you think you can carry it off, and, for a collar that works with or without a tie, and that always sits properly under a jacket, opt for a semi-cutaway.

Turnbull & Asser

15. Know When To Break The Rules

Know when to adhere to dress codes such as black tie and know when to break them. Some are there for a good reason, typically because the occasion demands it or some higher authority – your boss, perhaps – expects it. But, likewise, as Drakes’ Hill notes, “we can get too hung up about rules as well, and there’s always a case for ripping them up”. That, after all, is how style advances, little by little. “Enjoy the freedom there is now to make mistakes.”