With the recent rise of low-carb regimes, over the last few years, the prevailing wisdom has become: the more protein the better. And as crucial as this amino acid building block is, if you eat too much of it you could end up with bad breath, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, dehydration, calci...

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If there was any man in the world who could pull it off (or had the balls to try) it’s A$AP Rocky.The American rapper was recently spotted at Paris Fashion Week rocking some seriously fitted leather snake pants. Given it was Paris Fashion Week where standing out is the name of the game, the cool look even made us question whether or not we could pull it off (the answer is ‘no’ by the way).Rocky paired the monochrome snakeskin leather pants with a self-branded black varsity jacket featuring Rocky’s own yellow motifs. This was worn over a luxurious white zip-up jacket for a very chic yet street aesthetic. Another piece worth noting is in Rocky’s hand. No, not the bling but the latest LV Keepall from Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton collection – retail price AU$4,950 if you were wondering.Rocky hasn’t been new to embracing more feminine wardrobe pieces into his wardrobe. Late last year he showed off his old lady flex at the 2018 LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles by wearing head-to-toe Gucci which included a silk headscarf and lots of sheen.Now the real question is: do you have the balls to rock snake leather pants?

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The post A$AP Rocky’s Pants Most Men Wouldn’t Dare To Wear appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Men's fashion, in comparison to women's, is relatively standard and simple.

In reality, we have less to play around with. So how do we work with what we've been given - a pant, a jacket, shirt and shoes - and not feel 'same-old'? The answer may already exist in your wardrobe. Looking for ways to...

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For most travellers it can be a simple case of ‘another day, another flight’. For those who have the privilege and bank balances to boot, it’s all about business class or first class. Obviously there’s no need to answer which class is better, but have you ever wondered what actually sets a business class lounge apart from a first class lounge – from a design perspective?

We hit up David Caon of Caon Studio to help us answer some of these often pondered questions. And for those who don’t know, Caon is one of Qantas‘ leading designers who’s had a hand in everything from the airline’s A380 cabin, to their tableware, to their plush lounges both at home and abroad.

Materials Make The Difference Between Lounges

If you’ve ever walked into Qantas’ Business or First lounge you’ll notice a clear difference in design.

“Typically, business lounges are larger, and so the materials have to cover more ground,” explains Caon. This criteria forces the design team to be smarter with how they use these finishes without compromising on overall quality. In Qantas’ Business Lounges specifically, there’s liberal use of more durable materials.

“Materials need to be more durable here as [business] lounges can be busy, so we use materials like polished concrete in Singapore and Hong Kong because they’re robust and beautiful.”

The Qantas First Lounge is where materials get a little fancier.

“You will typically find more extensive use of luxurious materials like Italian marble and solid timber in a first class lounge,” says Caon.

Luxurious materials are also used in Qantas’ Business Lounge but it’s executed more sparingly and only in key areas.

“The First Lounge is uncompromising from that perspective. It has to be a beautiful space that performs at the top level of its lifespan.”

Bespoke Furniture & Designer Classics

Explaining this area as a “difference” probably wouldn’t be entirely correct since Caon bespoke designs much of the furniture for both Qantas lounges. Designer classic furniture is also included in both lounges but it’s the ultra exclusive Chariman’s Lounge (by Qantas invite-only) which gets the most designer furniture appointments.

“In our Chairman’s Lounge in Brisbane we have included classic pieces by some of my favourite designers and artists,” says Caon.

“The lounge team has a fact sheet about those objects in case customers ask what something is. I love to share my passion for that stuff.”

Space, Lighting & Ergonomics

Passengers in just about any first class lounge can expect more space when compared to its business class counterpart. Caon says that this is a familiar format shared within the aircraft cabin. In the lighting department it’s all about creating ambience. Caon says that they want lounges to feel as comfortable as possible and work closely with lighting designers to ensure  the right outcome is achieved for both lounges. The difference here is minimal.

When it comes to defining the ergonomics between Business and First Lounge, every furniture piece must be tested.

“We test and prototype everything we design,” says Caon. “Depending on where a seat is located, it may have different characteristics. It’s not really a differentiator between the two lounge types – apart from the available space and how that affects overall comfort levels.”

Creature Comforts & Creating ‘Identity’

“There are synergies throughout the design, dining and service of Qantas First Lounges, but each lounge has its own identity,” explains Caon.

As mentioned, passengers can expect more luxurious materials like marble and oak in all Qantas First
Lounges because this is an expectation. Customers here have also come to expect favourites like salt and pepper squid on each menu. And this is what forms the ‘identity’ of the lounge.

As an example Caon uses the new Qantas Singapore Lounge that incorporates local cuisine and architecture like greenery and neutral colours to create this identity.

“Dining in the First Lounges is à la carte, which passengers love and we’ve really expanded that in our Singapore design because dining is so important for that port.”

Alternatively, the transit lounge Caon designed in Perth for the Dreamliner flights has a yoga studio for passengers to help them prepare prior to flight.

“That could be viewed as less of a creature comfort and more of a necessity these days prior to flying 17 hours to London.”

So What’s The Overall Difference?

Whilst Caon can only speak for the design aspects of the two lounges which make up the product, a major part of it is also the service and the physical space on offer.

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We’ve all been so embedded in a task that we barely noticed the hours swoon. Unfortunately for your productivity goals, day to day this “flow state” is interrupted by inbox checking, Facebook scrolling and refreshing your Instagram feed more often than you re-visit your fridge on a hungover Sunday.Although the self-help gurus and career-bloggers of the world have smashed their keyboards silly on this topic, when you get past their VALUE-PROMISING!!! headlines they rarely offer anything more helpful than “crank up the espressos and get more organised.”So we put the LinkedIn ‘wisdom’ aside and hit up a real entrepreneur, Patrick Kidd, whose luxury hair salon Patricks went from startup to multinational brand quicker than you can say ‘mousse’ (well, not quite, but you get the picture).Fortunately for anyone who inspires to be more productive without sacrificing their personality and lifestyle, Patrick rejects the 4 am waking, oatmeal slurping ways of the “big dog” CEO’s of the world, proving each day that it’s possible to be successful without having the bedtime of an 8-year-old, the diet of a diabetic and a painstakingly serious persona.Here are his top tips.

Hit ‘Snooze’ Liberally

Contrary to the prevailing ‘productivity cult’ wisdom, it’s not worth waking up super early if it comes at the cost of your ‘eight a day’. Although Patrick admits this is “almost impossible with kids or a bingeable TV show,” if you want to perform at your peak you must get a good night’s sleep—by hook or crook.

Take ‘Special’ Showers

When it comes to insider tips for a productive day (divulged by mentalists psychologists upon their high net worth clients), you might expect to hear about magic pills and potions. Patrick, however, has a different method: “I saw a psychologist years ago who specialised in high-stress occupations and she got me onto a mindfulness technique that I still do everyday—I do this in the shower every morning.”

“Focus on the entire shower experience from start to finish, feeling the temperature of the tap, the temp of the water, feeling the water on your skin, look around, check out the drips on the wall—just really be in the moment, present and enjoy the shower! You’ll walk out like you have just been defraged, updated and reset.”

Do Some Exercise

How you sweat is up to you, but Patrick uses the “40 40 40” technique.

“I do this every morning before breakfast: 40 push-ups, 40 sit ups and 40 squats in sets of 20. It only takes about five minutes and makes you feel so much better! I do 60’s as well if I need it.”

Play Dress Up

“Get dressed even if you work from home; seems to get you in the zone somehow!”

If You Can’t Get In The Zone Mentally, Switch It Up Physically

“Working from a cool spot like Soho House or a Hotel lobby can often keep you moving in the right direction mentally; usually lots of aspirational figures kicking around in those types of places!”

Get Everything Out Of Your Head

“Sounds stupid, but when there are a million things to do and I don’t really know where to start, I just write a list! Get one thing at a time done; before you know it you’re flowing!”

Permit Yourself Some Quality ‘Wind Down’ Time

According to Patrick, decompressing after a busy day is crucial to set yourself up for the next one. How you do this is personal, but for him, nothing beats some quality cinema: “I watch a lot of movies in the late hours of the night, kind of a cool escapism and helps me cool the jets, which is especially important when you run a start-up and everything big or small has a massive effect on the future.”

Indulge In A Near Death Experience…

In business, perspective is key. But rather than taking stock of your company (or perhaps, as well as that), for Patrick, there’s nothing quite like surfing to recalibrate: “Taking a 6ft bomb on the head always clears the mind!”

Don’t Neglect Family Time

Not only will ignoring your family make you feel guilty (thus reducing your productivity), Patrick says hanging out with your kids can help you find inspiration for that next idea, or come up with a more creative solution to a problem: “Hanging with my 4-year-old daughter; she has an evil little sense of humour and a kid’s perspective on life!” Also: as long as they don’t wind up cutting each others hair and drawing on each other’s faces, it can be a great way to de-stress…

Pump The Tunes

Whilst a study just came out showing listening to music “significantly impairs” creativity, if you have a mindless task to get done, listening to music can whisk you along. Patrick says, “I use music to really get in the zone.”

“My weapon of choice when I need to tap the keys for a few hours is usually Metallica, headphones in and volume up helps me smash out whatever I’m working on.”

Don’t Force It

When it comes to the elusive “flow state,” Patrick told us this: “Usually, I’m not super aware of it, I seem to just be ‘chasing the business dragon’ and then kind of wake up from the state and be like, ‘Wow!’ You’ll feel it when you’re being super productive, clarity will usually come, as will the results!”

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• The Most Useful Language For An Entrepreneur To Learn 
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The name might evade you but make no mistake, Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn is one of Hollywood’s most prominent villains today. And now he can add stylishly sharp chap to his list of achievements.Having appeared in films such as the bad seed in The Dark Knight Rises, Star Wars: Rogue One and more, the actor recently took up a role in Marvel’s latest entry and turned up to its world premiere in sartorial style. The release of Captain Marvel in Los Angeles also saw a host of Marvel’s most prominent names including Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg. Mendelsohn was a standout though, opting for a classic pinstripe wool suit paired with a black tire, monochrome pocket square and black lace-ups.Standard suiting fair, right? Not quite. Look closely and you’ll notice a third button on Mendelsohn’s suit. It’s an older style of suit not often seen in today’s menswear scene but get the fit right and follow a few rules and you’ll look damn sharp just like Mendelsohn did.The first rule is of course suit fitment. Whilst a necessity for any good suit, this is a point that is paramount in a three button suit. Notice how the extra top button means the jacket hugs Mendelsohn’s torso. Get the fitment wrong on a three button suit and you could be the subject of unsightly bulges or odd creases if you’re skinny.The second rule which actually spills into three pertains to how the buttons are done up. The same rule always applies for the last button – it remains undone. The middle button must always be done and the top button depends purely on the lapel crossover. If the lapel isn’t flat and rolls over the top button, it’s okay to leave it undone. In Mendelsohn’s case it’s a flat lapel so the top button gets done.So is the traditional thinking man’s suit back? It’s a hard call to make but if it looks as good as it does on Mendelsohn, we’ll be happy to see more of them on the suiting scene.

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The post Ben Mendelsohn Is Proof That You Can Look Damn Sharp In A Three Button Suit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="217204" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://www.backcountry.com/twin-six-soloist-jersey-mens-short-sleeve?skid=TWI00BE-BL-XL&ti=UExQIENhdDpNZW4ncyBCaWtlIEplcnNleXM6NTo2OmJjLW1lbnMtYmlrZS1qZXJz...

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It’s no state secret that guys are pretty hopeless at looking after their clothes.

But treating your clothes with reckless abandon comes with a price – one that most guys will have to pay at least once in a lifetime of buying and thrashing clothes. A man’s wardrobe isn’t sacred, but time, money, and satisfaction come pretty close.

So, if you’re finding your clothes crap themselves prematurely or are beginning to look a bit long in the tooth, this guide will help you rediscover your nurturing self and treat your clothing with the unconditional love, care, and affection that they deserve.

Don’t Wear Them All The Time

Everyone has that favourite shirt, suit, or pair of kicks they like to wear all the time. Unfortunately, the things we love hurt us the most, and overuse can kill your favourite wardrobe pieces well before their expiry date.

Natural fibres need time to breathe and recover after use. This important downtime lets the garment recover and regain some semblance of its original shape. You might look awesome in that shirt or that suit, but even the best bits of your wardrobe deserves a break. Learn to savour the favourites.

Always Invest In Quality Clothes & Garments

As seductive as fifty or sixty percent off can be, it’s likely these clothes are so cheap because, well, they’re cheap (and nasty). Even in today’s market of fast fashion, you can still buy once, and buy right, saving you frustration and money in the future.

Look to purchase clothes made from natural fibres, as far from a sweatshop as possible, with a transparent and accessible chain of production. You don’t need to find the most exclusive boutique in town. But a shrewd investment here and there will prevent you from going back to the shops for returns or replacements, when you clearly have better things to do.

Know The Clothes To Fold Or Hang

Not all clothes are stored equally. Some need to be hung up, some folded. There’s no real witchcraft here, just a couple of basic rules to ensure your clothes retain their shape over time and don’t end up resembling what you came home in after the work Christmas function. Sweaters, knits, and cardigans should generally be folded, not hung. This keeps their shape and stops the neckline from warping and general stretching. We’d recommend the same for t-shirts, especially if you burn through a few during the week.

Tailored kit – suits, trousers, coats – and dress shirts should be hung up, and not on the nasty plastic hangers you got at the shop. Use cedar hangers instead. Moths hate these bad boys so get around them. Linen garments, in particular, should be hung as linen is a fragile fabric which can break with long term ironing and folding on the same crease line.

Plan Your Long Term Storage For Seasonal Clothes

There comes a time in our lives where certain parts of our wardrobe don’t see as much love as the rest. You’re not going to wear a trench coat in summer (we certainly hope) and a boozy backpacking trek through the seedier parts of Western Europe doesn’t ask for much more than a few staples (that you’re happy to lose).

For long term storage, you need to put your smart man cap on and invest in sensible options like vacuum-sealed garment bags. These bad boys thwart intrusions from nasty critters and mould. You can leave expensive items for weeks at a time and not know the difference. They’re also cheap AF, especially for the certainty that you won’t come back to a wardrobe that’s been plundered by insects, mould, or disreputable housemates.

Keeping Your Room Clean Actually Helps 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a guy, and if so, you probably can’t keep the house tidy to save your life. But a filthy bedroom that cockroaches would be terrified to plunder will endanger the long-term durability of your clothes.

Making sure your wardrobe gets a bit of air every now and then, dusting the shelves and cupboards, and letting fresh air in will keep the moths, dust, smells and mould at bay. Your room doesn’t need to look like a cute spread from Better Homes and Gardens, but a little clean here and there will keep your clothes in wearable condition for longer.

Dry Clean With Caution

We’re not ones to advocate the downturn of local businesses. But when it comes to dry cleaners, we’re pretty happy for you to take your coin and spend it almost anywhere else. Dry cleaning is the nuclear option for garment care. It uses chemical solutions and heat to remove stains but it’s about as precise as using a chainsaw to conduct brain surgery.

Even if it produces results, dry cleaning can discolour your clothes and do nasty things to the internal lining and construction. Like we said, scorched earth. If dry cleaning is the only option, minimise its frequency as much as you can and use more natural methods like hanging it out in the sun to remove odours. For stains you might not have a choice but frequency will be your saving grace.

Clean Your Clothes According To The Instructions

They’re there for a reason, gentlemen. If the label says to machine wash your garment in cold water with like colours, inside out, and never to tumble dry or apply an iron – listen to it.

Don’t think you can outsmart the label otherwise, you’ll end up with heartbreak and the most expensive rag ever. Ideally, you should read the label prior to purchasing a garment. If you’re not up to the task of caring for it in the recommended manner, don’t buy it. This is usually the case for fine merino knit and cashmere pieces.

Learn To Sew A Hem

Don’t tell your tailor this, but you can handle hemming at home. At a basic level, at least. There’s no substitute for professional work when you want a really outstanding job, but in a pinch you can adjust the length of a garment yourself. Start by ironing out any creases or bumps so that the hemline you create will be accurate.

You can also use the iron to measure the hemline to the width you’d like the new hem to be, if you don’t have pins or chalk available to mark it. There are lots of different stitches you can use, with varying degrees of difficulty, but always begin on the wrong side of the hem and knot the thread at the end. 

Treat Stains Immediately

Stains should be treated immediately. The procedure for removal will depend on what caused the stain and what fabric you’re removing it from, but the rule of immediacy stays the same. Get on it ASAP for best results. Leaving stain removal detergents to dry on a shirt collar can completely destroy it (we’re speaking from experience).

For an added degree of caution, test any stain removal method on a hidden seam or other inconspicuous spots before applying the treatment to the full area. Avoid direct heat, which typically speeds up most types of stains’ bonding, and avoid applying solvents with too much pressure or forceful scrubbing.

Learn To Sew A Button

Many garments come with extra buttons, saving you the task of having to find a passable replacement. The only other tools you need are a needle, thread and a cutting device (your teeth will do in an emergency).

Start by threading the needle and knotting the end. Then, starting at the backside of the fabric, create a small X to anchor the button.

Place the button over the X and begin the attachment process. Keep a sewing kit and any extra buttons or thread that came with your clothing in one place for easy retrieval when needed.

Remove Lingering Smells

As with stains, the kind of treatment required for odours depends on the smell in question, but baking soda or vinegar is frequently a safe bet. Clingy smoke smells can be removed by soaking clothes in a baking soda/water or vinegar/water solution, as can sweat.

Read Next

• The Correct Way To Clean & Care For Your Suits
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The post How To Care For Men’s Clothes So They Last appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Did you see this coming? You should have.

The latest wealth report from Knight Frank’s Luxury Investment Index has revealed that rare whisky is now the most lucrative investment in the luxury asset space.

The latest data reveals that over a ten year period, rare whisky reached a return on investment of almost 600 percent. That staggering figure was enough to put it ahead of more familiar investments like cars, watches and jewellery. In 2018 alone, rare whisky saw a 40 percent jump in value.

Bradley Woolfe who runs WhiskyDirect, an online retailer specialising in premium Japanese and ultra rare whisky says that this statistic can be attributed to the strong growth in demand from Asian countries, particularly China, which has seen sustained economic growth.

“A large number of Chinese individuals now have extremely high levels of disposable income and a preference for purchasing luxury items, including high end whisky,” he says.

“This exponential growth in market demand coupled with the limited supply of whisky, particularly ultra-aged and limited releases has seen prices skyrocket in recent years.”

Woolfe explains that another aspect to consider is the proliferation of sales on the secondary market, namely auctions. Buyers here often dictate what they are willing to pay for a bottle irrespective of the original price set by the distillery. The result? A high-rollers game of who’s got the bigger bank vault.

Regardless of all the hype that is engulfing the rare whisky market, Woolfe believes there’s still plenty of opportunities for newcomers to make calculated risks with emerging distilleries.

“It only takes a whisky to win one of several awards around the world to quickly see the price increase three-fold or more,” he explains.

“The clearest examples of this are numerous Japanese whiskies including the now famous Yamazaki Sherry Cask releases and our very own Sullivan’s Cove single casks.”

Read Next

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