Now when we say ‘hot’, we don’t mean the climate. We’re talking about the hottest places, as in the coolest places!

Not that we’re trying to confuse anyone here, but the hottest places to be are reserved for the cool kids only. Consider yourself to be a bit cool? A little bit trendy? Fenchurch jackets come from a family unlike any other – it’s not the traditional family unit with 2.5 children and dinner on the table by 6pm. The Fenchurch brand was created from a family of skater kids who wanted to offer designs that skaters could identify with.

The result of some late night sessions from these cool kids back in 2000 has resulted in a funky brand with an array of modern subcultures spiralling out from their stylish range. If you love Fenchurch jackets, we deduct that you are probably pretty darn funky. So here are some of the hottest places in Europe, loved by the brains behind the brand…

• 1900 Bar, Grenoble – this French watering hole is just like its owner. Fab. That being the owner’s name (yes, Fab!), the bar has inherited his big character! A great friend of Fenchurch and a superb little social location if you ever happen to be in France…
• Mint Lounge, Manchester – once a famous burlesque bar, it has now evolved into one of the hippest places to sip on Martinis and JDs in Manchester. The guys at Mint say, “Mint is a unique place, where each night takes on its own flavour.” The guys at Fenchurch seem to agree, so it’s worth popping in.
• The Players, London – held on Tuesday nights, this clubbing philosophy is a ‘we-don’t-care-it’s-a-school-night’ attitude. What better place to be seen wearing our Fenchurch jackets?

Give these places a visit… but first shop online with us for the latest Fenchurch jackets!

Let’s face it, when Europeans say “typically British”, they probably mean straight-laced and diffident…

We can’t deny it. As Brits, we can be a little too refined at times. But Full Circle jackets and jeans can give make us British with a capital ‘E’ – E for Edgy, E for Enigmatic, and E for Excellent! This is why we love our online range of Full Circle jackets, t-shirts and accessories here at Stand-Out. After all, it’s all about standing out and being different.

The Full Circle brand has created quirky collections since 1996, and every single piece has been inspired by the British nation (ie, you and me!)

Being British is all about fish and chips, Friday night pub sessions, tea and biscuits, visits to the seaside, Yorkshire puds, rainy weather and dressing to impress. Our collection of Full Circle jackets, t-shirts, polo shirts, knitwear and accessories can help ignite that inner British gentleman (come on, he’s in there somewhere!)

What we really love about Full Circle is that they don’t have a robot factory. They make eccentric clothing for unique characters who love to be quirky while upholding a true British style. Straight-laced and diffident? Pah! Full Circle knitwear, jackets and polo shirts are all about embracing the true Brit form. Whatever our background, social status or salary, we can all relate to Full Circle.

Jackets are essential with our unpredictable English weather, so shop online today. Browse our collection of Full Circle clothing for men and you can be British with a capital ‘E’.

At a glance, you might think that I’m talking about a daytrip OAP couple clinging onto their rock n roll youth…

You’re wrong – Albert as in Albert Hammond, the legendary Strokes guitarist and Agyness as in supermodel Agyness Deyn of course! If you knew who I was talking about all along then you’re a well-deserved Converse High Tops owner!

This trendy, neo-punk couple (on/off, but who isn’t these days!) have proved that they are rock ‘n’ roll through and through after being spotted out and about wearing identical Converse High Tops.

As if they weren’t being cosy enough (Yuk!), they even had to make sure that their matching Converse High Tops were bright red so the world could see their orchestrated foot fashion. Cute? Not really – but at least they’re keeping up the garage rock revival with coordinated post-punk footwear. As two of the most influential people in modern music and fashion culture, their romantic little outing has fortified the reputation and prominence of a classic shoe.

Past to Present…

The Converse brand has long been intertwined with musical legends of our time such as AC/DC, Metallica and The Clash, as well as marrying up to the world of skaters, punks and extreme sports kids – and of course, we can’t forget the original launch of Converse High Tops for the world’s best basketball players, including Chuck Taylor.

The first ever performance Converse shoe shaped the sport of basketball in the early 1900s, and as the shoe travelled the long and winding timeline, it picked up plenty of people along the way; the badminton star, the classic rocker, legendary metal musicians, the 70s punk, the skateboarder – and this all started from a game of basketball.

Today, Converse High Tops can say whatever you want them to say. The long history gives us the freedom to create our own styles. Get a pair of Converse like Agyness and Albert…

Saucy and finger licking good, the new Amplified Pin Up themed range has just launched on the Stand-Out website.

The range includes a number of steamy designs featuring some seriously hot ladies… So lads get ready to make your mates and girlfriends jealous!

View this amazingly hot collection of Amplified here.

The new Zoo magazine got our attention in the Stand-Out offices this week! Of course the sexy pictures of Carl Froch’s missus, Rachael, first caught our eye – have you seen the cover, she is hot!

But that wasn’t the only thing that we liked in the mag, I quickly flicked through to the fashion page (of course I looked at the pages with Rachael on first!) and happy to see 2 of our watches featured on their watch special. Both are still available to buy on the website, Casio G-Shock Limited Edition Watch and Numlock Psycho Watch.

Here at Stand-Out we like to think we are growing every week – and the number of brands now available shows just that! With recent additions from Lamundane, MQT Jeans, Espadrilles, French Connection and Boxfresh.

We also continue to add the latest styles to our already popular brands like Franklin and Marshall, Gio Goi, Zanerobe, Farah Vintage, Religion and many more.

The full list of brands available at Stand-Out:

The days when hoodies were reserved for street gangs only, are gone, and since the birth of ‘the posh hoodie’, inspired by Franklin and Marshall clothing, there’s nothing sexier than a man in a hooded top.

Women love men in hoodies. Brands such as Franklin and Marshall Clothing have turned the once hoodlum-styled hooded top into something… rather posh. Ooo-er!

So how did ‘the posh hoodie’ come of age? Did retailers just up their prices (certainly not!) or did the brands behind the retailers do something spectacular and reshape the fashion world forever? The truth is the latter. Influential ranges such as Franklin and Marshall clothing have shone a brand new light on the notoriously bad hooded top, making it a little more angelic than before.

Now the posh kids are sporting hoodies and that’s what we like about fashion. Things are always changing…

Franklin and Marshall Clothing is an Italian range inspired by the American Vintage College Spirit. The F&M College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania is a liberal arts college and the designer brand aims to bring back the preppy student look. Could this be where the hoodie made its return? Collections such as UCLA and Franklin and Marshall Clothing have made a positive association between higher education and hooded tops, and this could be the reason behind such a popular fashion homecoming. Just like a pair of good quality designer jeans, hoodies have now become a staple item in anybody’s wardrobe, regardless of age, gender or occupation.

Hoodies personify comfort, style, Sundays, relaxing, shopping, a few quiet pints on a Saturday afternoon, watching TV in bed, fashion, and all four seasons of the year. The hooded top has evolved into ‘the posh hoodie’ and you will find a stylish selection with Franklin and Marshall clothing.

Shop online with StandOut.Net for a wide range of Franklin and Marshall clothing…

If you’re a fan of the StandOut blogs (which of course you are), you’ll know that Henleys Jeans are famed for their association with meat and fish – now I’d like to introduce you to the Henleys Grocer Jeans, in ‘carrot fit’.

Henleys jeans are creatively named after our favourite steaks and seafood, and I always knew that the day would come when vegetables got involved. But apparently, this day came a long time ago – we just never managed to put 2 and 2 together! The Henleys Grocer Jeans, just like our other Henleys jeans and clothing, have been a favourite on the StandOut website, and is ever popular with all StandOut shoppers. Very recently, somebody enquired about ‘carrot fit’ denim – and then the dormant light bulb came on.

The carrot fit Henleys jeans, quite appropriately named Grocer, are much more than just the jeans you’d wear for your weekend grocery shopping. Carrot fit is one of the biggest shapes of 2010, and a perfect compromise between skinny and loose fit. Comfortably baggy at the top and tapered at the ankle, this style give so much depth and shape to your body, and is already a highly popular cut for this year. They can add length where there isn’t any, and a bit of volume where you are lacking. If you are looking for the perfect pair of carrot fit denims, shop online in our Henleys jeans section.

We have been proudly stocking Henleys jeans, t shirts, hoodies, knitwear and accessories for a long time, and we would love you to check out the Grocer jeans for that up-to-the-minute carrot fit style. The Grocer Henleys jeans feature knee patches with a worn effect, branding on front pockets, a synch back detail, and sophisticated dark blue denim.

So who suits this kind of shape? The loose fitting top combined with the tapered ankle can give the illusion of height and length. So short men, start an orderly queue now. The Grocer Henleys jeans are in stock (and on sale, shhh!)

Carrot fit jeans are huge for 2010 and will continue to be popular in 2011. Shop at StandOut.Net for Henleys jean, Henleys t-shirts, Henleys hoodies, knitwear, accessories and more…

Leather is back and we’re loving the latest Goi Goi Jackets, but how can you pull it off without looking like a Hells Angel, just escaped from a Dutch prison?

Just in case there are any big and hairy Hells Angels reading this all the way from Holland, we have nothing against your unique look. It’s pretty awesome in fact. We just don’t feel it’s going to get us very far with the ladies in the pub on a Friday night. Apparently, British women are partial to the sensitive male. So if you want to pull off the leather jacket, you’d better get in touch with your feminine side some other way. The Gio Goi Biker Jacket is made from tough, manly leather (grrr!), but its soft edges means that you can still wear it with your mum’s knitted scarf… don’t pretend that you don’t have one.

The Gio Goi Jacket is crafted from the most luxurious Napa leather and featuring perforated sides, collars and arms, the jacket is simply a fine piece of work from the people over at Gio Goi HQ. Here at StandOut, we’re loving the leathery return but pulling it off is another story.

So how should you wear the Gio Goi Biker Jacket?

1. Don’t do head-to-toe leather – If you match the Gio Goi Biker Jacket with David Hasselhoff leather pants then you need to rethink your fashion sense. Leather is not to be matched with more leather – unless we’re talking about your leather watch or shoes – that is fine.
2. Mix with denim – denim and leather go hand in hand and if you want to add a touch of casualness to the Gio Goi leather jacket, choose some lovely dark denims from our great jeans section.
3. Do accessorise! With a leather jacket, it’s all about accessories so trendy scarves, brightly coloured polo shirts, and poser sunglasses always go down a treat.

Leather is well and truly back and if you find good quality leather, it’s definitely worth investing in. Shop online at StandOut.Net for Gio Goi Jackets and leather jackets…

“Write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing” – the words of Benjamin Franklin, the inspiration behind the college of Franklin and Marshall.

Polos, t shirts, hoodies, sweat pants – all covered by the US inspired Italian designer label, but there’s so much more to this clothing brand than just clothes. And while some people already know that the style of Franklin and Marshall polos and sweats are inspired by the old school American college, there is yet, still so much more to it, including Benjamin Franklin’s wise words:

“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” These inspiring words from one of America’s most influential men is exactly what has been trickled down through generations of young, impressionable students over the years at the Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And the Franklin and Marshall polos, tops and t shirts that we wear today were designed to bring the Americanised academic look back into mainstream fashion all over the world.

America has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin. For his wise words, for his inventions, for his philosophy, his science, his music and his work as a statesman and economist, the Pennsylvanian college stands today to pay tribute to his vigour for life, and doing things worth remembering. Do you wish not to be forgotten? In the style of your Franklin and Marshall polos and sweats, make sure you do something spectacular.

Today, Americans honour Benjamin Franklin as one of the founding fathers of their country. Not only can his name be remembered by his national memorial, his science museum and the college in Lancaster, but his philosophies can live on through Franklin and Marshall polos, shirts and hoodies. So every time you put on your Franklin and Marshall polo, ready for a few drinks at your local, we hope you remember Ben’s wise words…

Shop online for Franklin and Marshall clothing now.