Announcement: Ink & Leathers has moved

After six years of self hosted blogging through Blogger, I have finally purchased a domain name for my blog, and as a result I've moved to Wordpress and to a brand new URL.

You can now reach me at: www.inkandleathers.com

I am still in the process of getting the new site set up, but I will be blogging there from this point forward, and I would love for you to join me there. 

I will keep this Blogger account open for the time being, but I am hoping that those of you who still read this blog, or happen to stumble upon it, will join me in the next exciting incarnation of Ink & Leathers. I am so thankful to each and every person who stops by, and I am determined to continue to bring you new content from my new location.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you at www.inkandleathers.com

Daily Outfit: Mid-week Casual

We're currently in between two public holidays here in Canberra, and as a result my outfits have taken a turn for the casual. It is one thing to dress to the nines during a regular working week, but when half the office is empty with people having taken leave to make the most of this rare occurrence, and the weather outside is just so goddamned lovely, it is really difficult to be overly bothered with dressing 'appropriately' for work.

Daily Outfit: Bamboozeled

A few weeks back I (rather aggressively) entered a competition on Instagram for a new Australian company, Bambooz, to win a $150 store credit for their online store.

I really liked the style of the glasses, and the colours, but I wasn't sure how how they would look on me, or feel for that matter, and so I thought that the competition would be the perfect opportunity to experiment with a new style of glasses, without having to fork out for something that may very well not suit me. So, I entered the competition the maximum number of times allowed (five, fyi), and stalked the wesite, trying to decide which style I would purchase with my credit if I won.

And then, of course, I did win, and I chose something completely different.

Hustle & Scout: Style Scouted

Yesterday was the first birthday of the Hustle & Scout Markets here in Canberra, and I headed out to the gorgeous new location at Hangar 47 at Fairbairn to spend the afternoon Style Scouting the other attendees for the Hustle & Scout Facebook page.

I had a really great time at the markets, and I have to extend a huge congratulations to Tegan and her team for an amazing job well done. The space looked fantastic, the talent on display was phenomenal, and I truly cannot wait for the next market to come around.

Below is a selection of my favourite looks from the day, with very brief reasons as to why their looks caught my eye.

Daily Outfit: Fairbairn

This afternoon I headed out to Fairbairn to the Hustle & Scout markets, to check out the stalls from local designers and purveyors of Delicious foods.

I was also there to act as a Style Scout for the crowd, and I spent the majority of the afternoon stalking around looking for well dressed guys and gals to snap a picture of for the Hustle & Scout Facebook page. I'll have a blog post featuring my favourite menswear looks up at some stage tomorrow, and all of my Style Scouting images should be available on the Facebook page by tomorrow afternoon.

Daily Outfit: Hand-me-downs

A little over two weeks ago a friend of mine contacted me and said that he'd been cleaning out his wardrobe, and that he had a few things that I might be interested in. I of course said that I would be, and we arranged to  meet up for a drink the following week so that I could collect the clothes.

I was not expecting to receive close to my own body weight in clothes to sort through, but I've never been one to turn down an opportunity to expand my wardrobe, and so I took the bulging bag home and proceeded to sort through the clothes, hunting for pieces to expand my wardrobe.

Daily Outfit: Style Scouting for Hustle & Scout

Today I met up with Jiawa from Closet Voyage, and she kindly too my photo for the Hustle & Scout Twilight Fashion Markets Facebook page, to announce that I will be there on Saturday doing Style Scouting!

I'm really thrilled to be able to take part in the event, and to see who will be there and wearing what. The past two Hustle and Scout events that I have been to have been absolutely phenomenal, and I am really looking forward to this new Spring session in a beautiful new home at Hangar 47 in Fairbairn.

I'm really excited to check out the new location this Saturday, especially with the promise of 2,000 free car parks, ATMs,  and a magnificent view of the runway and lots of aircraft activity. 

Daily Outfit: Monday Lobsters

It is always good to kick the week off wearing something that you love.

Today I had the two-fold joy of wearing one of my coveted lobster neckties in a daily outfit that I'm actually really thrilled with. It wasn't even something that I consciously planned, outside of that I would wear these clothes together today, it just happened to be a look that I feel really worked well together and looks pretty great on me.

Getting to wear one of my lobster neckties was an added bonus.

Canberra: VIP at Lucky's Local Fashion Trail

My look for the night. Photo by Closet Voyage.

On Thursday evening last week I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Lucky's Local Fashion Trail event at Lucky's Speakeasy in the new QT Canberra Hotel.

The evening was full of delicious cocktails from the Lucky's menu, bite-sized snacks, and of course the very best on offer from some of Canberra's most interesting boutiques. 

Daily Outfit: Saturday Casual

Today was all about getting ready for the week ahead. 

Most people, I imagine, use their weekends to relax and rewind and not to run around like a madman getting their lives sorted for the following week. I am unfortunately not such a person, and while I did find time today for one or two moments of relaxation, the majority of my time was spent running errands, doing chores, and generally getting my life sorted out for the following six days.

I didn't really get a chance to stop until I headed out to dinner tonight with the boyfriend.

Daily Outfit: Dressed But Not Impressive

I am counting my lucky stars that I wore this outfit today, as I had a surprise meeting concerning a job that I had applied for, and it could have been significantly uncomfortable had I been wearing some of my less-corporate clothing.

Daily Outfit: Professor Salmon

It was probably a little ambitious, in hindsight, to try and ease myself into wearing the very collegiate/preppy material, tweed; while simmultaneously trying to get my money's worth from a shirt I hate.

All I got all day were Professor Salmon vibes.

Daily Outfit: Intergalactic

I want to get back into the swing of kicking off the week with a bang in the sartorial sense, and so I decided I’d go a little intergalactic with this daily outfit.

This beautiful necklace is by the incredibly talented Alicia Hannah Naomi, and has been a staple of mine since I purchased it a few years back. It never fails to draw attention to itself, and it is a supremely satisfying thought to have a nebula strung about your neck while you do you day to day business.

Daily Outfit: Dark Lines

I am having such a serious love-affair with the stripe, that I didn't even realise that it was happening.

I've always been much more inclined towards checks, loving the various styles and sizes of the grids that they make. Lately however I find that my eye is drawn towards lines upon lines upon lines. I am dreaming of a wardrobe of shirts in blue and white lines of all lengths and widths. I want to dress in an outfit made up of striped garments, every piece a different celebration of the humble stripe.

Daily Outfit: Boy, Man or Kiddult?

I sometimes feel like I am a boy in men's clothing.

It's not that I feel young, but more that I feel like I look ridiculous in clothes that I have always thought as menswear. A suit, for example, or a shirt and tie. These are garments that are in fact gender and age neutral, but which I have labelled in my mind as men's clothing, and when I wear them I sometimes feel like a little kid playing dress-ups with his dad's clothes. I'm not really an adult, even at twenty-eight years of age, and I feel like a bit of a fraud turning up to work dressed like one.

Daily Outfit: Uniformity

Uniforms are something that get a lot of reference in fashion, over and over again.

It is sort of hysterical when you consider the fact that for those that have to wear a uniform, be it for school, for work or for a sport; it tends to have very negative connotations. A polo shirt, for example, is something that I have been loath to wear until very recently, because as soon as I put one on I remember either high school, or working retail.

Neither are experiences that I am in any way interested in reliving as an adult, which likely explains my aversion to wearing them.

Daily Outfit: A Winning Combination

There is a 60-70% probability that I have worn this exact daily outfit in recent history. I’m almost certain of it in fact. And while I could look back through the Blog archives to confirm this point, I suppose, I don’t want to tarnish my feelings towards this winning combination.

Daily Outfit: Monday Morning Battle Armour

Today, being the first day of the week, I decided to put a little extra effort in and build myself a formidable Monday morning outfit, to fight off any traces of Monday-itis, and to ensure myself a solid week ahead.

However, life seems to have missed the memo about dressing for the week you want, because despite my "Grant-means-business" get up and my spirit animal keeping me safe from my necktie; I still managed to have a fairly average-to-awful Monday. I've been in a sulk all afternoon, and my poor boyfriend has had to deal with veritable storm-clouds brewing around my head.

Daily Outfit: Homeward Bound

This weekend I'm back in my home-town of Bega, NSW, to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday with our families.

We stopped on the side of the road on the way down this evening to take the photos of my daily outfit. I'll be taking my outfit photos for the upcoming week while I am down here, but I wanted to take the opportunity to snap something in my favourite area if the country, the Monaro.

Daily Outfit: The Old Man and the Tweed

I have been tweed curious for a long time now, and the idea of finding a tweed jacket or Blazer that doesn’t have me looking like an escapee from a retirement home has become something of a passion.

With this in mind, when my mother told me she would be going on a thrifting excursion in a large country town, I asked her to look for a tweed jacket for me in a shade of blue.

Daily Outfit: Dressed-down

Something that I have noticed recently is just how much more attention, and how many more compliments I get on my clothes, when I dress corporately. 

I'm not sure if it is because I spent 12-months wearing nothing but t-shirts and jeans to work, or if it is because people actually notice me when I'm dressed up and don't when I'm dressed down, but I can remember five different people remarking on my outfit yesterday, and today I don't think that a single person mention my clothes. I mean, I'm not dressing so that people at the office will stop and talk to me about my clothes; but it is interesting how the different outfits draw different attention.

And, sometimes it is fun to dress it down in the middles of the week, just to see if anyone will notice.

Daily Outfit: Tuesday Prep

Today I went for a slightly more preppy look than I ordinarily would, and I really think that it paid off in spades. 

I loved the look of this daily outfit, and I had several compliments as the day wore on. It's not overly fancy or really all that out-there, but I think that the conbination of colours really pulled together to make this outfit a winner.

Daily Outfit: Unintentional Edward Cullen Cosplay

A combination of the lighting and time of the day, and the colours of this thrown-together outfit, have left me feeling like I have tricked myself into Edward Cullen cosplay.

I am not ashamed to admit that I devoured the Twilight books very rapidly when they were given to me by one of my amazing girlfriends for a birthday present several years ago. I love the books to this day, for all their flaws. And, while I've always had fan-boy tendencies, but my my Twilight obsession was on a whole other level. If the books had come out when I was in High School, I am fairly certain I would have come to grips with my sexuality a whole lot sooner.

Daily Outfit: ASOS and Abyss

While placing an order for the boyfriend's birthday present recently, I decided to splurge and grabbed myself a few items at the same time. Two birds, one stone and all that.

I'd had my eyes on this perforated sweater from ASOS for a little while now, and despite the fact that I knew it wouldn't look anywhere near as good on me as it did on the ASOS model, I knew that I wanted to add it to my wardrobe. And I'm already thrilled that I did, because it's is going to be the perfect trans-seasonal piece as we move from winter into spring here in the ACT.

Daily Outfit: Rococo Underpass

I've been wearing my chinos to work a lot lately, and to be perfectly honest with you, it's got me missing my jeans.

I decided to bust out one of my least-often worn pairs of jeans today, and to pair it with a bit more of a luxe/dressed-up look on top. I love a good juxtaposition, and I'll happily make jeans the basis of just about any outfit. The shirt and necktie are both completely over-the-top patterns, and the double-breasted blazer adds a certain level of the dramatic to the look. 

Daily Outfit: Blue Jeans, White Shirt

This is my first real experiment with wearing coloured denim, and also my a very rare occasion, as they're skinny coloured jeans at that!

I bought these jeans recently from ASOS, when I was buying the boyfriend his requested birthday chinos. I was actually looking for some more chinos for myself too, but I chanced upon these guys and decided to give them a go, given that they're a really nice blue, and they were insanely cheap.

Daily Outfit: Aggressive Salmon

I was bullied a lot growing up, mostly because I have always been obviously gay. Occasionally I realise just what an effect this has had on the way that I am today, and in often in really strange ways.

One of the key tips that I was given by teachers growing up to avoid being bullied, was to be less noticeable. One teacher went so far as to suggest that I stop wearing bright or patterned clothing, and only wear dull colours. It was as though she genuinely believed that the other children were not drawn to the fact that I was gay and therefore different, but rather like little T-Rex’s; they were drawn to the bright colours I was wearing.

Daily Outfit: Blue Aesthetics

When I see myself in outfits like the one I am wearing today, I feel like living my life in only shades of blue really isn’t a challenge at all.

I really respect people who have made dedicated themselves to a particular style aesthetic, as I have said many times before, and I find the wardrobes and daily style of these people infinitely more inspiring than those who will happily wear any and everything.

Wardrobe Stories: Stretch Wool Travel Jacket

On Saturday morning last week I went to a Church Fete with some of my favourite Canberran Style Bloggers, to check out what sorts of pre-loved treasure we could find.

To be frank, there wasn’t a great deal on offer, and I had all but given up on finding anything for myself, poking fun at garments instead; and this is how I found it.

The garment in question is a dull navy ‘blazer’ shaped thing, in an unidentified material. I’d picked it up to make fun of the truly ghastly feeling material, but Jiawa and Albert saw a potential that I did not, and insisted that I try it on.

Daily Outfit: Bright Taupe

I'm starting to realise just how much adding a garment in a colour other than blue really livens up some of my daily outfits.

Case in point, these taupe chinos. I mean, taupe is hardly a bright colour now is it? It's pretty staid and boring really, and yet when 90% of your wardrobe is the one colour, adding a piece to an outfit in a different colour really elevates the whole outfit.

Daily Outfit: Rough and Tough

I feel like I’ve unintentionally dressed for the part of a 1950’s High School tough today. I know that I don’t look like it at all, but that’s just the feeling I get from this denim jacket.

There’s something about the cut of the jacket, I think. It’s a very retro look, and not like anything that you’d buy now; which is to say that the style is for the most part out of date. Still, there is something about it that is quite classic, and I think that it looks quite good.

Daily Outfit: Travel Jacket Trial-run

This morning the boyfriend and I braved the dreary wet conditions Canberra was experiencing, and headed to Chatterbox in Belconnen for breakfast.

I was excited because not only did I get to eat a delicious breakfast, but I also got to give this blazer that I picked up at a church fete yesterday, its first trail run. I was really skeptical about the blazer at first, and in fact I picked it up to laugh at it. However, Jiawa from Cloaset Voyage and Albert both saw something in it, and suggested that I give it a go.

I'm really glad that I listened to them now.

Blogging: The first day of the rest of your Blog's life...

Recently, I applied for part-time hours at work, so that I could take one day a fortnight off from my 9-5 Public Service job, to focus on my Blog and to work towards making a career for myself as a professional Blogger.

Today was my first Friday off work.

My plan is to trial this for 3-6 months and to see where I am then, and potentially drop to eight days a fortnight then. Ultimately, I am hoping to leave the Public Service within two years, and to be professionally Blogging and making a decent income. That's my current plan and dream, in any event; and today I've taken my first steps towards realising it.

Daily Outfit: Ink & Leathers and the temple of Sky Space

I didn't realise this, even after people had pointed it out to me, until I got home and looked at what I was wearing, and where I took my daily outfit shots.  But it seems that, completely unintentionally I can assure you, I have taken a few style cues from Indiana Jones and his ilk of silver-screen adventurers with today's daily outfit post.

Granted, the floral scarf and giant Prada sunglasses detract somewhat from the adventurer aesthetic, and I'm too Rubenesque to be taken seriously as someone who runs around tombs and snatching artifacts for a living; but the influence is undeniably there.

Daily Outfit: Simple, Stupid

There's something to be said for keeping it simple.

Today's outfit was an exercise in just that, and while it isn't overly exciting and I certainly won't be winning any awards for this one, it was exactly what I needed today. I like dressing up and I'm certainly a fan of peacocking and getting creative with my outfits; but sometimes I really just want to blend into the scenery of the work place. Today's outfit was perfect for that.

Daily Outfit: Stepped-up Blues

I decided to step things up a little, being a Monday, and my daily outfit today was really channeling my Blue Goth aesthetic more than I have in recent weeks. 

I really like how this outfit turned out and frankly I'm surprised I haven't thought to layer this cardigan, which I have had for years, before. It dresses-down the look, but without making it too casual, which jeans really would have.

Daily Outfit: Lucky

I'm feeling really lucky lately.

I'm naturally a bit of a realist, even a pessimist, and at times I think that this comes across as me being a bit of an ingrate. And while I'm entirely aware of just how lucky I am, I don't often express my gratitude. 

So, it seems appropriate to just take a moment to express how thankful I am that I am so goddamned lucky. I won't go into specifics here, or bore you to death with a sappy listing of my feels about being lucky; but I just want it on public record: I, Grant Heino, acknowledge that I am lucky, and I am thankful for this every day, even if I am a snarky bitch about it most of the time.

StageLabel Model Casting at Lucky's:

This afternoon Jiawa from Closet Voyage and I took a late-lunch and headed over to Lucky's Speakeasy, not for a liquid lunch, but to check out the Model Casting for Melbourne-based crowd-funded fashion house StageLabel.

Daily Outfit: Neutrality

I have to be wearing the least amount of blue in today’s Daily Outfit post that I have worn in over six months now.

Since I started trying to cull every colour other than blue from my wardrobe I have never really had a moment where I’ve thought to myself “God, this is really difficult.” Or “Man, I just wish I could wear some bright yellow.” Granted, I’m not being particularly gung-ho about the Blue Goth look, but I do actively try to wear only shades of blue.

Daily Outfit: Stripes on Stripes

I'm quite proud of this stripes-on-stripes outfit that I threw together this morning as I was rushing to get out the door. 

Ordinarily I am very organised, and have my daily outfits planned at least a week, if not two weeks in advance. However, after my shocking week last week, I spent the weekend sulking, and didn't bother to plan what I was going to wear at all, or to take my daily outfit photos.

Daily Outfit: Cold and Colder

I was out of the office all day today, but knowing I was going to be at a venue my work often uses for training exercises, and how cold that venue is, I opted for a daily outfit on the warmer side. The jacket I am wearing today actually came with matching running tights, and I was very tempted to wear them under my jeans for the sake of the extra warmth!

Blogging: Blog Hop - Why do I write?

The lovely Erin from Mouthless Mutters asked if she could tag me in to a meme that's being passed around the Canberra Bloggosphere at the moment. 

It just so happens to have come at a time where I am doing some contemplation and self assessment with regards to my Blogging, so I happily agreed to take up the tag and to answer the four little questions myself.

Daily Outfit: Lazy Lakeside Sunday

I spent the morning of this lazy Sunday lakeside, enjoying the beautiful crisp and clear day here in Canberra.

The Boyfriend and I decided to make the most of it and headed into Belconnen for breakfast at Ha Ha Bar, which is on the foreshore of Lake Giniderra. We had a relaxed breakfast, our first time for breakfast at Ha Ha Bar, and then after a brief stop at Bunnings for Blog supplies of all things, we headed home to enjoy the rest of our lazy Sunday.

Daily Outfit: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane...

It’s Superman!

On my necktie and my sneakers, that is. I decided to get a little matchy-matchy with my Friday Daily Outfit, so I’m wearing the two accessories that I own which feature the Superhero I have had a crush on since I was a kid.

Daily Outfit: Workplace Blues

To be perfectly honest, I am having an awful week.

I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that my current working environment has lead to my spending more than a little time this week seriously considering the logistics of a relocation to a small fishing village somewhere on the north-east coast of American where I could reinvent myself as a waiter at an Oyster Bar...

Daily Outfit: Hi-Vis High Style?

“You’re looking very hi-vis today Grant.”

These words came from a senior member of staff at work who, frankly speaking, terrifies me. Not only is she an incredibly impressive individual, but she’s also remarkably well dressed, and occasionally assesses my daily outfits in a few words in passing so succinctly that I'm often left completely unaware if she approves or disapproves of whatever it is that I happen to be wearing. I can’t even deal with it.

Daily Outfit: Lost and Found

I had forgotten all about this lovely sweater until I found it in the wardrobe of my bedroom at my parent’s house over this last weekend.

My mum is actually the one who noticed it on sale at Myer a few years back, and suggested that I should buy it. I remember being hesitant, though I’m not sure why now, because I absolutely love it.

Luxury: Braddon Tailors Trunk Show

On Thursday evening past I headed to the Braddon Tailors' studio in Canberra's CBD for their new-season Trunk Show, held in conjunction with Henry Carter neckwear and accessories.

Daily Outfit: Sweats at Work

Today I am headed down to my parent's farm on the far-south coast for their annual Finnish Independence Day celebration; so I wanted a daily outfit that translated well into three hours in the car.

For transparency, I feel like I must say that I wasn't brave enough to wear the track pants to work in the end, even on 'Casual Friday', so I wound up changing them out for a pair of dark jeans.