Novesta Star Master in Beige Canvas

Novesta Star Master in Beige Canvas

Many of my dear readers might wonder why on the cusp of winter, I might choose to make a review of what is clearly a summer shoe.  The reason is quite simple, I had bought these shoes very nearly one year ago, and after a year of great service, I feel it is high time to share my thoughts.

Last year I had been shopping for a traditional pair of plimsolls and had run through a number of brands with various price points when I hit upon these great looks tennis shoes from Novesta.  The Novesta Star Master in beige canvas with a natural rubber sole is about as traditional a tennis as one could hope to find  - after all they have been making canvas and vulcanized rubber tennis shoes in Slovakia since 1939.  I take great interest in learning about the 80-year tradition of this company. 

I purchased mine from End Clothing, which is a great UK based retailer who has consistently given me wonderful service and great pricing over the years.

The unboxing:

Of course, Novesta makes a myriad selection of this shoe with different canvas colors as well as great-looking Corduroy and Suede options, many of which I find very tempting and do expect to enlarge my collection with in the future.  But to begin, I wanted to get a classic white shoe.  This particular canvas is a natural Ecru color cotton, which I think really accentuates the vintage nature of this plimsoles and makes for extremely easy matching.  Honestly, initially, I had planned to use these mainly as house shoes, pairing them with classic sweat pants from Kent & Curwen for a comfortable home/lounge outfit.  But, I came to love them so much, I couldn't resist incorporating them into my summer wardrobe.

On Court Performance:
I have actually used them for tennis play, wearing them at my local clay tennis courts and the performed remarkably well considering that we're looking at 1930s sports shoe technology.  One reason is the rather hard rubber sole with a very sharp edge corner, which really helps the fast lateral movements.  They really do work well as court shoes, although obviously, I would not want to run a mile in them.  And they looked great while doing it fitting the part with a classic wooden racket and Lacoste shirt.

Here are just a few of the many summertime outfits I've incorporated them into:

Cordings Piccadilly - Autumn Shirt Promotion!!

What-ho Gents!  Cordings of Piccadilly is running their Autumn shirt promotion again this year and I wanted to give all my readers and followers the head-up to go check it out.  The Deal is 3 shirts for £120, which represents a substantial savings of £29 per shirt!  This includes all their shirts in stock including cotton flannels, a wide selection of Tattersalls, needle corduroy shirts and even their classic linen shirts.  I'm getting 3 more this year as soon as I can decide which!

Last year, at their promotion I bought 3 shirts, which featured in a blog post back in February (one tattersall and 2 herringbone weave cotton flannels).  I had never purchase Cording shirts before and I was concerned that they had described their cut as follows:

'Our shirts have a traditional generous cut; we haven't skimped on cloth, ensuring ease of movement.'

I had mistakenly read into this description that their shirts were going to be billowy and oversized, but that (happily) turned out NOT be the case at all. While not what I would describe as super-slim, the cut was I think a nice medium slim and the main difference is that their shirts are cut very long so that they will remain in place and not become untucked throughout the day.

The overall quality is really outstanding.  Made with Mother of pearl buttons!   Of nicely weighted cloths and well stitched with double fold-over seams throughout. These shirts will certainly not bust a seam while in the field on peg!  The Tattersall is a cotton and merino wool blend for extra warmth  - perfect for the colder months here in Bavaria.  The Sky Blue and Olive Herringbone shirts are beautiful brushed cotton and again are cozy warm when the temps drop.  These shirts having a brushed texture finish don't take crisp ironing like a standard cotton or linen shirt, but they also don't generally hold wrinkles either, which is nice of all-day wear.

These photos were taken today.  I think these shirts still look great and have held up well even after a year in my rotation (Although admittedly, they were stored away over the Summer months):

I tend to pair mine with knitwear and tweed as the temps drop and they, as one would expect, do so with aplomb.

Merkur Safety Razer from Solingen Germany

Having made the switch in January this year from my old Gillett Mach whatever razors (which I had used as long as I can remember) after Gillett's publication of the Anti-man SJW diatribe of a commercial about 10 months ago (I could link to that hateful and racist Commerical here, but I'll not give them any more additional publicity).  My Instagram quote at the time was:

'Due to all the SJW nonsense from the latest Gillett commercial, I've taken the decision to chuck my Mach3, which I have used for many years and take up the traditional wet shave with a safety razor (my grandfather used one). From one of the many heritage razor manufacturers right here in Deutschland, this Merkur model 23C safety razor has had many great reviews and here.  Having ordered it with a set of Platinum blades, delivery took only a couple of days directly from the Merkur website.  The shave is very fine, as while it requires a bit more attention and finesse than my old Mach 3, I think the results and pretty great.  Score 1 against man-hating SJWs!'

Suffice to say that my feelings about my former razer company have not softened over the intervening months, but my love of using a safety razor has only deepened.  This Merkur safety razor has performed fantastically and has been a real pleasure.  Indeed, it makes shaving whether at the washroom basin or in my bath a real event and a true pleasure.  The Merkur 23C is a closed comb razor, which offers less contact with the skin and is considered 'Safer' than an open comb razor for a review of both an open and closed comb razor follow this link.  As a beginner to shaving with a safety razor, I had no desire to butcher myself, so I went with the less aggressive style closed razor.  This razor is solidly made and engineered as one would expect from a German product.  Although this is not what I would call a 'Luxury' razor made with fancy handle or materials - just chrome covered steel, with a longer handle than usual and is a great starting razor for new users of a safety razor.  Having carefully cleaned and inspected the razor after 10months of use, I can find no evidence of rust or other corrosion whatsoever, which is good, because I do hope to be using it for many years to come.

As a natural collector, I have considered buying a couple of more fancy razor handles but frankly, I have found no need to go there yet. 

Would I recommend the switch?  Yes, yes I would - not only is the shaving experience generally improved, but I've saved a lot of money over the past 10 months or so from switching away from the old cartridge system razors.  

Me after a close shave!