

At this time of year, we’d typically be spending a great deal of time gazing out of the office window and daydreaming of our impending summer break. Things are a bit different this year, though. There’s no office, for a start, so no window to gaze out of. And that far-flung summer break? There’s no concrete guarantee that that’s going to happen, either.

Instead of looking forward, then, we decided to look back into the past and recall some of our favourite memories of summers gone by.

At this time of year, we’d typically be spending a great deal of time gazing out of the office window and daydreaming of our impending summer break. Things are a bit different this year, though. There’s no office, for a start, so no window to gaze out of. And that far-flung summer break? There’s no concrete guarantee that that’s going to happen, either.
Instead of looking forward, then, we decided to look back into the past and recall some of our favourite memories of summers gone by.


The MR PORTER team preview this season’s best swim shorts and recall their most memorable summer holidays. Read and shop now in The Journal

The Look: New Swimwear For Summer

New Swimwear That Inspires Memories Of Our Greatest Summers



“Why are you dressed so smart? You’re a _writer._” It’s Wednesday evening and my landlord is putting me in my place. He’s not wrong, I shouldn't_ _be dressed so lavishly as I cycle off to collect a takeaway. I’m in a grey sports jacket, dusty pink shirt buttoned to the top, light flowery tie, and navy chinos. I may look like I’m about to give a banging speech at a wedding, but I’m at the tail end of an important experiment: do I get more work done while dressed as formally as possible, or while dressed in my pyjamas?

“Why are you dressed so smart? You’re a writer.” It’s Wednesday evening and my landlord is putting me in my place. He’s not wrong, I shouldn't be dressed so lavishly as I cycle off to collect a takeaway. I’m in a grey sports jacket, dusty pink shirt buttoned to the top, light flowery tie, and navy chinos. I may look like I’m about to give a banging speech at a wedding, but I’m at the tail end of an important experiment: do I get more work done while dressed as formally as possible, or while dressed in my pyjamas?


One intrepid writer carries out an experiment: will pyjamas or smart-casual make him more productive while working from home?

The Report: Work-From-Home Style

Can A Shirt And Tie Make You More Productive? We Investigate



No category of watch is currently more idolised than the stainless-steel luxury sports watch – specifically those with a design that integrates case and bracelet in one continuous, coherent shape. Unlike the majority of design trends, which evolve over time, this concept sprang abruptly into being in 1972 with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, and was followed shortly by the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Vacheron Constantin 222, in 1976 and 1977 respectively. This holy trinity of “sports-luxe” watches laid the foundations for the Cartier Santos, Piaget Polo S, and many more, from the A. Lange &amp; Söhne Odysseus to the Zenith Defy.

No category of watch is currently more idolised than the stainless-steel luxury sports watch – specifically those with a design that integrates case and bracelet in one continuous, coherent shape. Unlike the majority of design trends, which evolve over time, this concept sprang abruptly into being in 1972 with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, and was followed shortly by the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Vacheron Constantin 222, in 1976 and 1977 respectively. This holy trinity of “sports-luxe” watches laid the foundations for the Cartier Santos, Piaget Polo S, and many more, from the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus to the Zenith Defy.


Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas has its roots in 1970s steel sports-luxe watch design, but there is one key motif that sets it apart from its peers

About Time: Vacheron Constantin Overseas

About Time: Design Secrets Of The Vacheron Constantin Overseas



While it might seem as though skate culture – or at least skate culture-inspired style – is omnipresent today, it hasn’t always been that way. Skateboarding was originally a rinky-dink children’s craze, and only got serious in the 1970s when LA surfers started pulling tricks in empty swimming pools when the waves were flat. By the 1990s, lighter, narrower freestyle boards with smaller, harder, faster wheels allowed for more speed and greater control, and street skateboarding began to dominate public spaces, turning entire city suburbs into sandbox skateparks. By the turn of the century, it was reported that more American teenagers skated than played basketball.

While it might seem as though skate culture – or at least skate culture-inspired style – is omnipresent today, it hasn’t always been that way. Skateboarding was originally a rinky-dink children’s craze, and only got serious in the 1970s when LA surfers started pulling tricks in empty swimming pools when the waves were flat. By the 1990s, lighter, narrower freestyle boards with smaller, harder, faster wheels allowed for more speed and greater control, and street skateboarding began to dominate public spaces, turning entire city suburbs into sandbox skateparks. By the turn of the century, it was reported that more American teenagers skated than played basketball.


From Mr Tony Hawk to Mr Christian Slater, how 1990s skate culture set the template for the modern wardrobe – and the style lessons we can learn today

Style Lessons: 1990s Skate Punk Trend

What 1990s Skate Punks Can Teach Us About 2020 Style



If your post-supermarket ritual now involves some frenzied handwashing – like Mr Burns’ “excellent”, but with more soap and panic – you’re not alone. Washing your mitts every time you so much as think about going outside takes its toll, and by now your hands have probably seen better, certainly less lizard-like, days.

It’s very likely that you’re washing your hands a lot more than normal at the moment. Here are the hand creams to rescue them

The Edit: Hand Creams For Men

Five Of The Best Hand Creams For Dry Skin



Under normal circumstances, we don’t give a great deal of thought to the clothes we wear at home. We much prefer to spend our time (and money) improving the parts of our wardrobe that people are likely to see. It’s hardly surprising, then, that loungewear has a reputation for being scruffy, dishevelled and somewhat lacking in the style department. Gentlemen: it doesn’t have to be this way. If the last few months of being stuck indoors have taught us anything, it’s that we can still have fun getting dressed up – even when we’ve got nowhere to go.

In MR PORTER’s latest photo story, which was shot by the models themselves on disposable point-and-click cameras, we explore the untapped potential of the domestic wardrobe.

Under normal circumstances, we don’t give a great deal of thought to the clothes we wear at home. We much prefer to spend our time (and money) improving the parts of our wardrobe that people are likely to see. It’s hardly surprising, then, that loungewear has a reputation for being scruffy, dishevelled and somewhat lacking in the style department. Gentlemen: it doesn’t have to be this way. If the last few months of being stuck indoors have taught us anything, it’s that we can still have fun getting dressed up – even when we’ve got nowhere to go.
In MR PORTER’s latest photo story, which was shot by the models themselves on disposable point-and-click cameras, we explore the untapped potential of the domestic wardrobe.


Four models, 12 disposable cameras and a lot of loungewear. Find out what happened next

The Look: Loungewear At Home

In The New Age Of Loungewear, Style (Rather Than Comfort) Is King

Highlights



Everything you need to know to elevate your grooming routine.

An A-Z Of Men’s Grooming



While many of our favourite neighbourhood wine bars, bottle shops and restaurants have temporarily shuttered their doors to the public, this doesn’t mean they’re closed for business. Folks are getting creative about how to keep their customers happy, and keep their independent businesses alive. Wine merchants in both London and New York City are offering everything from kerbside pick-ups to virtual winemaking talks. _Above Sea Level_ founder Ms Aimee Hartley shortlists some of the finest vinous haunts and wine delivery services that are still – creatively – serving up the good stuff.

While many of our favourite neighbourhood wine bars, bottle shops and restaurants have temporarily shuttered their doors to the public, this doesn’t mean they’re closed for business. Folks are getting creative about how to keep their customers happy, and keep their independent businesses alive. Wine merchants in both London and New York City are offering everything from kerbside pick-ups to virtual winemaking talks. Above Sea Level founder Ms Aimee Hartley shortlists some of the finest vinous haunts and wine delivery services that are still – creatively – serving up the good stuff.


If you find yourself in need of a tipple more than usual lately, you’re not alone. Here are eight wine stores, shops and off-licences that will bring a bottle to your door

Mr Porter Drinks: Wine Delivery In London And NY

Eight Independent Natural Wine Deliveries In London And New York



Good grooming, first and foremost, is about looking after one’s self. And while it’s all well and good to slap on a face mask and hope for the best, it’s also worth looking a little deeper. Or, at least, looking to the brands that are doing so. Science-based heavyweights such as 111Skin, Dr. Barbara Sturm or Augustinus Bader are less interested in formulating products that simply give skin a temporary boost. Instead, they want to go right down to a cellular level, focusing on ingredients and technology that encourage skin to support itself from within.

Grooming goes under the microscope – here’s why big brands are focusing on optimising our skin cells to reduce premature ageing 

MR PORTER

THE JOURNAL

New Swimwear That Inspires Memories Of Our Greatest Summers

Highlights

Discover More

An A-Z Of Men’s Grooming

Eight Independent Natural Wine Deliveries In London And New York

Grooming Hacks: How Cellular Science Can Help Your Skin To Care For Itself