Whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no escaping Black Friday. It’s the one day of the year (some retailers have week-long sales) where you can be guaranteed to score some absolute bargains on a wide range of goodies. END is getting in on the action this year, with 20 per cent off clothing, footwear, and accessories across an array of brands including Paul Smith, Lanvin and Balmain.

Based out of Newcastle, UK, the retailer has three physical stores in its home country, as well as a large online presence. It stocks the perfect combination of casual streetwear and high-end fashion and frequently collaborates with brands for a number of exclusive items. With over 25,000 items discounted for Black Friday, you’ll need to devote some time to scroll through everything on offer. Fortunately for you, we’ve found a few stand-out items to save you the hassle.

Our picks include an 80s-tastic Saint Laurent jacket $1,939 $1,551; a National Skateboard Co. x Stefan Marx deck that supports the Mind mental health charity $55 $44; an S.N.S Herning chunky knit cardigan $279 $223; a pair of minimalist runners from Rick Owens $635 $508; and a pair of Paul Smith swim shorts $99 $79.

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The post END's Big Designer Black Friday Sale Is Now Live…Here Are Our Top Picks appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When a frisky fresco and some steamy baths become available for public consumption in the same week it would appear to be cause for celebration. And, archaeologically, it is. However, the odd (or fitting, depending on how you look at it) combination of two attractions, which were uncovered last year during what experts are calling a “new golden age” for Pompeii, make for quite an uncomfortable tourism experience.

As The Lonely Planet put it last night: “For the first time tourists in Pompeii will be able to visit the biggest thermal baths in the city, as well as a newly-discovered fresco depicting an erotic scene from the Greek myth Leda and the Swan.”

“Pompeii’s Central Baths (Terme Centrali), which were under construction at the time of the Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD, have opened to the public for the first time.”

“Bigger and brighter than other baths in the city, the Central Baths were designed to meet the demands of the growing population with a large gymnasium, numerous baths, co-ed changing rooms and a ‘sudatorium’ (similar to a sauna),” The Lonely Planet continued.

“A newly-discovered fresco was also unveiled to the public this week in the ruins of a Pompeiian merchant’s townhouse in Via del Vesuvio. The remarkably well-preserved fresco depicts the Spartan queen Leda being seduced by a swan, an image that was fairly common in upper-class homes at the time of the city’s catastrophic demise.”

So far so historical. And it’s not like the mural is hanging over the baths – it is in a separate zone (Regio V) of Pompeii. That said, it is on the same tourist trail, and given western tourists’ erotica complex (which we reported on earlier this year), we’re predicting the baths might be less of a ~chill~ experience and more of a ~I can’t get Ledo out of my head~ type one.

It remains unclear whether the baths will ever be restored (like Wells in the UK) so that tourists will be able to bathe in them (or at least, bathe in the same water, but in a different complex, again, a la Wells), but given the precedent of other similar places, it seems like – even if that happened – you wouldn’t be allowed in naked. An insult to the gods, but salvation for your dad bod.

To cap it all off, as The Lonely Planet reported, “along with the Central Baths and Leda fresco, visitors can now access the newly-reopened House of Golden Cupids.” And it’s now (D’Marge) official: Pompeii is a great place to bring a romantic partner, but a supremely awkward place to visit with a friend.

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The post Tourists Can Now Visit Pompeii's Central Baths… But There's An Erotic Catch appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s not uncommon for guys to succumb to some sartorial slip-ups every once in a while. Whether it’s an unruly pair of trousers that don’t hang at the right length or a limp and lifeless collar, style errors are unforgivable.

But ill-fitting suits are a completely different kettle of fish. Pop singing sensation Shawn Mendes seems to think differently though, as he stepped out in a suit that takes ‘skinny’ style to a whole new level. Sauntering into the American Music Awards in LA on November the 24th, Mendes rocked a suit that wouldn’t look out of place on a Ken doll.

The suit in question is a custom Paul Smith design – a brand Mendes has worn on previous occasions – with the suit jacket being the focal point of the outfit; although crop top would be a better way of describing it. Despite being shorter than what we’re used to seeing on the red carpet, the Canadian singer – who won the award for best collaboration with Camila Cabello – rocks it with confidence, with the deep purple colour complementing the green shirt collar. Mendes teams the suit with YSL boots to complete the ultra-indie ensemble.

Not everyone is a fan of his latest outing though, with several people on Instagram leaving negative comments. Stylist Lauren Paterni said: “Once again doesn’t fit him well at all,” while another referenced the custom nature of the Paul Smith suit, saying: “How do you get a custom suit and it’s not even your size?”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5SfaQHA2Dc/

It’s certainly worlds apart from some of the other styles we’ve seen Mendes wearing. We’ve previously credited him with being the master of dressing down a suit, and he’s even got some clout when it comes to high-end wristwear.

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The post Shawn Mendes' 'Crop Top' Suit Could Be The Next Big Thing appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

In this day and age, the term ‘smart-casual’ is more blurry than ever. Does one dress closer to smart, or closer to casual? It truly is a difficult dress style to define and more often than not there is a broad spectrum of appropriate outfits. This begs the question, is there any item of clothing that is definitively smart-casual? Believe it or not, there is – the long sleeve, knitted polo and Artknit’s rendition of this ultimate smart-casual piece might be the best we’ve seen.

Constructed from a light Merino wool Artknit’s long sleeve polo is super comfortable and refined, combine this with a slim fit, horn buttons and a polo style collar and you’ve got yourself a shirt that is perfect for any smart-casual affair. Constructed in Italy from Italian materials, the shirt is the height of luxury and will last you for years to come. Pair it with some chinos, jeans or shorts with your shoes of preference and you’ll never have to think about another smart-casual outfit.

Priced at $159, Artknit’s knitted long sleeve polo is reasonably priced, considering its luxuriousness, quality and versatility. There you have it, smart-casual affairs are no longer a dilemma and you’ll always be the best-dressed person in the room.

Read next:

• The Polo Shirt Brands That Will Instantly Sharpen Any Smart Or Casual Look

The post This $159 Knitted Polo Is The Classy Piece Your Casual Wardrobe Needs appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

From “y’all still wearing jeans?” to “it’s 2018 and mfs still out here wearing shoes” Luka Sabbat has always liked to position himself ahead of the curve. And, as a 21-year-old model, actor and influencer, reared in the hypebeast era, why the hell not?

Well there is one reason not to, and that is – if you stray into luxury territory – you may melt some minds. Enter: Luka’s latest move, an outrageously unique Richard Mille RM 011 Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph “Black Kite,” which he appears to have worn to the Time Magazine studios.

Whether he was there for an interview or whether the photo was taken in a shopping mall with fake Time Magazine mirrors is irrelevant: what we’re here to focus on is the watch, which has – quite literally – a gaping hole where the face should be.

 

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TIME. @lukasabbat x @virgilabloh. #upscalehype #lukasabbat #virgilabloh

A post shared by UpscaleHype (@upscalehype) on Nov 26, 2019 at 7:58pm PST

He appears alongside designer Virgil Abloh, with the CEO of Milan-based label Off White snapping the mirror selfie as Luka strikes a timeless pose.

Commenters on Upscale Hype, the fashion blog that posted the image, guessed everything from “iluminati” to “Richard Mille with no face” (warmer) eventually settling on the watch being an RM 011 Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph… without the movement.

This “Black Kite” version of the Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph watch is one of Richard Mille’s most coveted creations (only 30 were ever made), built to honour his Richard’s good friend and race car driver Felipe Massa and the close of the 2012 season.

Encased in a matte black DLC titanium frame, 5N red gold details normally help this watch accentuate the skeletonized dial face. However, in Luka’s case, this face, along with its the 55-hour power reserve, automatic winding movement, annual calendar and 60-minute countdown timer are all irrelevant.

Who needs all that when you have a machine that shocks and sweats?

 

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I’m 22 today, and I want to thank everyone in my life that has given love and smiles, took this selfie because I’m running errands and working solo today. I’m blessed to be where I am and everyday is my birthday. Thanks everyone, love y’all

A post shared by Mr. Fallback (@lukasabbat) on Nov 26, 2019 at 1:33pm PST

Available exclusively at authorized Richard Mille retailers in North and South America… or wherever you can buy a close enough watch strap… this ‘timeless timepiece’ is sure to set watch nerds everywhere’s strap’s a flappin’.

In any case, Gen Z’s “It Boy” will likely continue hanging in Los Angeles, playing a role of himself on Grown-ish, whilst remaining a New York “no fucks fashion” strutter (he was raised on the Lower East Side).

Chuck in his father’s fashion designer chops (which took the family to Paris when Sabbat was young) and his mother’s travail as a model booker and production assistant and it’s not hard to see how Luka Sabbat ended up in the provocative position he is now in.

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The post Luka Sabbat's Unique Richard Mille Watch May Just Break The Internet appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If Leonardo Di Caprio is the actor’s actor, Chris Hemsworth is Australia’s Australian. And fair enough: the 36-year-old has a People’s Sexiest Man Alive award to his name, Marvel in his back pocket, works with top directors and regularly cuts his own poppies.

Also, as Lili Anolik wrote in 2015 for Vanity Fair, “Hemsworth is the… best-looking” of Hollywood’s latest. “Yes, I realize that standards of beauty are highly subjective… But if Hemsworth isn’t the fairest of the male-ingénue set, who is?”

In other words: he’s real-world hot.

“Channing Tatum’s a hot young hunk raring to go, and in terms of sheer sexiness, just raw, straight-up, wham-bam appeal, he’s the winner, hands down,” Lili continued. “He also, however, has a beefcake quality.”

Meanwhile, she added, “Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal are, like Hemsworth, bona fide heartthrobs, except they’re an entirely different sub-species thereof – are less physically imposing, more sexually diffident, with an instinct for playing loners and oddballs.”

“Another point in Hemsworth’s favor: he looks better in person than he does on-screen.”

At the risk of over quoting, one final example from Lili’s Hemsworth encounter demonstrates this down to a (spilt) tea: “The hostess stand at Geoffrey’s faces the valet, and the girls manning it – L.A. girls, jaded girls, girls who can do blasé with both hands tied behind their backs… who make it their business… to be unimpressed – stopped breathing as he approached. When he got close, he smiled.”

“Let’s talk about this smile for a second… it’s killer, sure, highly trained assassin, white and broad and lustrous, but it’s also nice-guy. There’s a slightly abashed quality to it, too, as if he understands the impact his presence has on people and wants to soften the blow a little.”

This in mind, it’s no wonder Chris Hemsworth is the guy every Aussie man wants to be, and every Australian women wants full stop. However, in the years since the above (2015) Vanity Fair piece and now, Australia has gone beyond admiration for its homegrown star, and reached a fever pitch obsession with Chris Hemsworth’s every move, which came to a head earlier this week, as a 20 minute hotel room workout by Chris’ trainer dominated the news cycle for 48 hours.

A 20 minute hotel room workout by Chris’ trainer dominated the news cycle for 48 hours.

“Who is ready? I am. Let’s go. Booyah!”: Luke Zocchi, celebrity fitness trainer (and one of Chris Hemsworth’s best mates from school), says as he wraps up the video, after explaining to Escape writer Paul Ewart his 20-minute hotel room workout.

Zocchi’s workout video takes guests through 5 sets of exercises: The Hostage, Mountain Climb, Plank Walkout, Windmill Push-ups, and Burpees. And to be fair to Luke (and Chris) there’s zilch wrong with the workout: if you’re feeling sluggish at a hotel with no gym; it’s perfect.

What’s bizarre, and symbolic of Australia’s misguided obsession with ‘wellness,’ is that this two-minute video has garnered so much attention, being played across Escape, The Daily Telegraph, Adelaide Now, News.com.au, The Courier Mail, Inside Hook, The Daily Mail and even The Australian.

And that’s just page one of Google.

This also comes in a context where Hemsworth is Australia’s new (official) god of tourism and where politically minded publications like The Guardian have taken to writing articles like “How To Look Like Chris Hemsworth.”

Not to mention every time he drops a workout video the internet takes a collective moment to stick its tongue out and breathe heavily.

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The post Australia's Chris Hemsworth Obsession Has Officially Gone Too Far appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whilst there is some dispute as to whether the trench coat was invented during the first world war or earlier, there is no disputing the trench coats immense popularity some 100 years later. This long history has helped make the trenchcoat a wardrobe essential and...

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The post Score $800 Off This ‘Made In NYC’ Men’s Reversible Trench Coat appeared first on D'MARGE.

We recently penned a piece explaining why the Japanese will never tell you you’re an asshole to your face. What we forgot to mention, however, is that when it comes to hotel reviews, many tourists are much the same: we’ll smile through our teeth and say thank you, then write a truly dirty review.Arigato gozaimasu very much indeed.Another unfortunate insight one gleans from Tokyo’s capsule hotel reviews is that there is a gaping chasm between tourists’ expectations and the reality of staying in a keyhole hotel in Japan – one of the cultural differences that keeps us from having a good time in the city of konichiwa and kramped accomodation.Namely: space is a premium. And just because something is small, unlike many other world cities (New York, for instance), it’s not inherently bad.

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A post shared by Krystian Krepa (@krystian_krepa) on Nov 25, 2019 at 2:59pm PST

Unfortunately, there are a number of tourists who don’t understand this. Case in point: Elvis (name changed for privacy), a middle-aged man from Israel, who wrote a scathing review of his capsule hotel because it was “so small you can’t get dressed.”“Took it for one night to have the experience of a capsule hotel. Not clean, shower area has no comfortable place to get dressed or undressed. Designed like a construction site. Gives a homo-erotic feeling with everything so squeezed-in together, looking at everyone and everyone looking at you. Lockers are not comfortable and the entire place is weird,” he wrote on Tripadvisor.

“Sleeping capsules are not comfortable and sleep quality is poor. Been there, done that, next.”

Other reviews of the same accommodation by more experienced travellers, however, such as Manuel A, a Tripadvisor user with 770 contributions and 192 helpful upvotes, paint a different picture: “Convenient, centrally located. Only about 5 minute was from the train station, this capsule hotel was a good catch.”

“Price was very competitive. Service was excellent and capsules were very clean. Showers were clean too. Highly recommended and will be back for sure.”

Reviews of similar establishment Capsule Value Kanda reveal a similar story, with some guests calling it a “fun and fair experience” and others getting their best ‘critic’ hat on…“Capsule was too hot. Ventilation needs to be improved,” one man wrote. “Length was just barely fitting as I’m 6’1.”The takeaway? If you’re significantly taller than the average Japanese person, consider booking a normal hotel (or make like Sam Bentley and look on the bright side).

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One of the funnest experiences I had in Tokyo was staying in a capsule hotel! As soon as you walk in you see a bunch of dudes wearing these brown overalls and it’s like “oh damn we’re joining a cult!”. But no these were just comfy outfits they give you to help keep the environment clean and to get you all cosy. There are about 100 capsules on each floor, each with a TV, power socket and air con. Other than being able to hear the occasional snore I actually had the best night’s sleep there. You also feel incredibly safe in Japan which was one of my favourite things about Tokyo. The biggest no-go for me personally was the shower sitch. From what my brave buddy in this expedition @_benkeys told me, the showers are located in the same room as the bathing area and you HAVE to be naked to go in. So if you want to shower, prepare to have an audience. I didn’t fancy making eye contact with some random naked guy whilst I’m scrubbing away down there so I passed on the showering. If anyone’s interested we stayed at the Anshin Oyado Capsule Hotel (if you can read Japanese that’s what my location tag says.. I think.) It was mens-only, though you can find mixed capsule hotels and women-only too, and it was probably on the more expensive side of capsule hotels though we booked late (around $60/£48 per night) but it’s definitely a must-do if you’re visiting Tokyo! The real question is, would you be brave enough to shower there?

A post shared by SAM BENTLEY | England (@sambentley) on Jul 10, 2019 at 1:16pm PDT

The best review, in our eyes, came from a man called Rafael, who has 139 Tripadvisor contributions and 86 helpful votes. Rafael hit the nail on the head, writing, “Let´s be fair, it´s a capsule where you sleep because either you lost your train or because you want to have Japan capsule experience, the second is my case.”

“Very noisy, people talking disregarding the others are sleeping, too many people for only one bath place and one toilet per floor. It´s cheap! yes 2000 yens per night in Tokyo, what else do want, even tough recommend for the experience. It´s not easy to find, out o kanda station, make sure you ask before adventuring yourself!”

A Tripadvisor review from an English backpacker, however, brings us back to the absurd, however, with a lady called Helen writing about her hellish time in a capsule hotel: “My boyfriend and I wanted to experience a night in a capsule hotel so we booked this hotel.”“Understandably, we were on separate floors as this is Japanese culture and were were fine with that. You cannot check in until 4pm and it is quite difficult to find. On arrival, we were given our keys and assigned a capsule.” So far so mildly aggrieved.

“We were given pyjamas wear but they are clearly not designed for western women who are taller and have boobs! I opted not to wear mine.”

“My boyfriend and I went to our allocated floors and found our capsule which was small but clean. The powder room is lovely with showers and many toilets. There is a mixed floor which has a tv and seating etc,” she continued.

“Despite all of the above, I have rated this hotel poor because there is no door to your capsule which means you hear EVERYTHING and the main light is always on so you can’t sleep! There are signs that tell people to be quiet but people don’t adhere to them. At one point, some ladies decided to use the hair dryer in the bathroom for about 2 hours AND AT 2AM!!!!”

“The number of times I told people to be quiet was ridiculous! Needless to say, awful night sleep. The next morning, my boyfriend told me he had also slept badly due to noise and also the capsule was not big enough as he is 6’2 and his feet were hanging out! His lack of sleep was however made up by the men having access to a sauna/big hot bath etc!!!!!” Helen added.

“Whilst I understand that capsule hotels were designed to accommodate the Japanese businessmen who work late and are a bolthole to sleep, I didn’t enjoy my stay and would never stay again.”

While Helen acknowledges that the capsule hotel was not built for her, she forgets that – if you want an authentic experience – you don’t stay in a place that was designed for you. And if you want a comfortable experience, you either adjust your expectations or don’t stay in a capsule hotel (or go for one of the more luxurious iterations).

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With its unique look, 9h nine hours Asakusa has attracted a lot of fans from the architectural field. The building, designed by Akihisa Hirata, has 9 floors with 183 sleeping pods and on the ground floor, the famous FUGLEN Asakusa offers Oslo-inspired coffee and breakfast, day-time cocktails and selected local beers. Thank you @joniilow for sharing your superb photo!

A post shared by 9h nine hours (@ninehours9h) on Aug 12, 2019 at 6:31pm PDT

The bitter, exaggerated review, which takes the cake, however, can be found on Quora, with one indignant traveller writing: “Most capsule hotels excel at being awful, stinking little branches hell. It is hard to find which one is the worst there.”Not done there, he then said, “When it comes to the ‘normal’ hotels, look into Haginochaya area and around there in Osaka. It’s a super seedy place with many hotels whose main clientele are homeless guys. Perhaps the worst hotels you may imagine in Japan?”

“Some love hotels are very well into this ranking too. While most are quite interesting, eclectic castles of sensation, some have remarkably with stinky, smoked rooms, sticky pretty much any surface, blackened mirrors, flooding showers, non working electronics, secret taping of you in the bed and what not.”

Whilst he does make a couple of good points, he also appears a teensy bit biased, most likely by some bad experiences of his own.The one word of warning we would give to travellers is that – though you will have to adjust your claustrophobia expectations before booking a capsule hotel – the one thing you can control is booking in a nice area, or at least as area you are comfortable staying in, as the following review of the Capsule Hotel Shinjuku 510 reveals.“What a joke. Worst experience I’ve ever had. AVOID! What a strange, dingy, shocking hotel. This place is stinking, smoke everywhere, the capsule door is a see through mat and it stinks. Lots of strange men wondering and you cannot wait to leave,” our reviewer exclaims.

“When you wake up the next morning (if you got any sleep), you realise you are bang in the middle of a seedy sex district. Its cheap for a reason and I wish we had read the reviews before going.”

So: don’t hold out hope for space, but do demand cleanliness, and pick the right location. And above all: do your research.

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The post One Big Expectation Tourists Need To Leave Behind When Visiting Japan appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Chelsea boots might not be everyone's cup of tea and to be fair there are a lot of shabby examples out which typically aren't styled so well. The two styles that have become increasingly popular of late are R.M. Williams and the Bottega Venetta's that are favoured...

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