“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough” (Charles Dudley Warner 1829 – 1900).

There is an art to dressing that extends beyond simply seeing and buying. Good clothes become family; they mix together, new with old. They develop a personality, individually and collectively, with no discernable beginning or end and finally they are greater than the sum of the parts.

A good brand will always express your personality, not its own - no names needed.

True to our original values, the Racing Green Spring / Summer men’s collection encompasses that feeling.  Individually well thought out pieces come together to complete a perfect wardrobe. You add new garments, build a personal collection of favorite items, that feel more at home the more you wear them. Each piece is classic enough to keep, but thoughtfully cut and finished, so the personality is always contemporary.

The range cuts so many different ways that what results is just the right amount of everything - a wardrobe of clothes that work as your own personal collection.

Key product statements for SS12 are:

Clean laundered casual shirts

We have two stories in shirtings for SS12:

Our Laundered Classics take traditional and timeless oxford weave, end on end and poplin, worked into neatly styled and soft washed shirts, with fine stitching and subtle trims.

Checks feature strongly for the season, in both subtle and bold design, styled into clean, unfussy shapes with neat collars and others with western influenced yokes and pocket detail.

Chinos

The classic navy, stone and sand twills create the basis of our chino range, now in two fits. The regular fit has twin needle detail and a soft wash, whilst the slim fit has clean seams and a rinse wash that will develop your shape as you wear it.

Clean and smart denim

LiKe the chino, we have introduced two fits. Regular fit is available in both stonewash and rinsewash. Our slim fit is styled in dark wash coated denim, to work with the clean cut shirts.

Outerwear

Key seasonal pieces are a waxed cotton hooded coat, with leather trims and natural drawcord, a

Engineers jacket and a timeless zipped Harrington jacket. 

Footwear

The essential styles:

Stitched leather brogues in tan or black with a contrast stitched sole that works with both formal and casual parts of the range. A smart desert boot in brown and sand suede works perfectly with chinos.

Palette:

The range comprises core pieces that will run throughout the season, accented with four highlight themes:

• Classic summer Navy & White, highlighted with Red or Fresh Green
• Camel & Stone, is offered with both Aqua and Burnt Orange highlight 

The post overall’s style is a key trend for spring and our rendition will put a smile on workwear enthusiasts faces.

Classic Engineers jackets go back many years and have a long tradition of engineering students wearing them to show pride in the faculty. The jackets would come in different colours to show which faculty they belonged to and patches could be earned and then sewn onto them. In recent years, it’s a style of garment you’d expect to see on the back of a cobbler, carpenter or an artisan baker.

Our work jacket is 100% cotton and a modernised workwear classic. It comes in Sand and Charcoal and is robustly constructed, really comfortable and has the authentic functional details with a lightweight checked lining. Made from a washed down pigment dyed canvas material, the aged look of this jacket will continue to improve as it moulds to your shape. It sits really well with our casual shirts. Also wear with our reverse printed tee or nep stripe tee for a dressed down look.

This season we have introduced a summer parka in navy and sand into our outerwear casual jackets collection. The fabric has a light wax style coating that will soften as you wear it, but the crisp cotton material keeps its contemporary feel.

The word parka is derived from the Nenets language and in the Aleutian Islands the word simply means “animal skin”. It first entered the English written record in 1625.

In early history a parka was a type of heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of freezing temperatures and wind. This kind of garment originally made from caribou or seal was invented by the Eskimos of the Arctic region, who needed clothing that would protect them from wind chill and wetness while hunting and kayaking.

In 1951 the fishtail parka was introduced and began life in service to the US army. However, in 1960’s Britain the Fishtail Parka took on a whole new life and came to symbolise an entire era and lifestyle (Mod). The rise of the parka lay in its practicality, cheapness and availability. The army surplus coat was ideal for beating the elements either on a scooter, or on the way to a club. Its place in history was assured by the newspaper pictures of Mods during the Bank Holiday riots.

Nowadays the army’s reject supplies are rarely seen and more fitted options are readily available in terms of raincoats, jackets and overcoats which vaguely resemble the traditional parka. Our rendition is a lightweight, longer line summer parka jacket with a hood. It has adjustable drawcords at the hood and waist, a zip pocket at the chest and bigger pockets lower down. This jacket adds that something special to your wardrobe.

Since launching our competition with VisitScotland to win a 5-star luxury break and some of our amazing Scottish knitwear pieces we thought we would delve into the history of where in Scotland our knitwear is made.

Robert Mackie of Scotland was established in 1845 in Stewarton in Ayrshire where bonnet (hat) making can be traced back for over 400 years. Stewarton is still known as the “Bonnet Toun” but now Robert Mackie of Scotland is the only bonnet manufacturer remaining whereas in the 1700’s nearly the whole town was involved. The Company operates from its 25000 sq ft site at Holm Mill where over 50 employees are based.

They currently manufacture the traditional Scottish bonnets (Balmorals and Glengarries) which have been supplied to Scottish regiments, bands and Clan Associations throughout the world for many years.

For our Racing Green knitwear they have an extensive range of modern equipment and highly skilled staff producing designs of our styles of hat, gloves and scarves. 

This week we are mostly loving singer/songwriter Lisbee Stainton. If you haven’t heard this talented British artist sing before, you are missing something special.

We first heard Lisbee last year when she toured with Joan Armatrading and we instantly became fans of her addictive harmonic vocal style and lilting eight string guitar riffs. We could try to give you reference points and comparisons (the folk genre has so many wonderful precedents), but the fact is that Lisbee’s vocal style takes even her most classic progressions and makes them both desirable and satisfying. Implausible as it sounds, her music is simultaneously familiar and novel.

The other thing we like about Lisbee is that she understands that less can most definitely be more. To that effect she even went on a crazy “Living Room Tour” where she literally played to audiences of a dozen or so people in their own houses.  That simple philosophy also reflects in the super clean production of her new album “Go”.

Actually, we fell in love with Lisbee’s last album “Girl on an unmade bed”, which is an uplifting mix of playful familial lyrics and super close harmony. Her new offering “Go” points to a maturing soul, exploring of love and life, with sometimes melancholic reflection. But don’t mistake “Go” for a downbeat introspective, From the first (title) track; “Go” and the beautiful vocal hook and harmony of “Unsung” to the almost anthemic build up of “Find me here” this is a collection of music that portrays the glorious highs and lows of what it is to live and breathe.

You can buy both “Girl on an unmade bed” and “Go” albums directly from Lisbee’s website at www.lisbeestainton.com and follow this exceptional talent as she produces more amazing music.

STOP PRESS!

Lisbee is giving Racing Green followers a chance to win one of 5 signed copies of her cool “Go” album. 

To enter, you just need to go to www.lisbeestainton.com/racinggreen.html to enter the draw. Have a go and if you don’t win, buy it anyway. You won’t be disappointed.

Christkindelmarkt, Leeds is one of the most established German Christmas Markets in the UK, with traditional wooden stalls, Christmas carousel rides (slightly less festive bumper cars but still fun) and festive colourful lights all creating a unique German style christmas atmosphere in the heart of Leeds city centre.

This year marks the 10^th birthday of the Leeds location and is set in the stylish civic setting of the Millennium Square.

The market consists of over 40 wooden chalet stalls providing a wide range of seasonal gift ideas including handcrafted toys, jewellery, Christmas cards and traditional German delicacies such as gluhwein (Tip: Get the mulled wine with Amaretto), bratwurst sausages, goulash, soups, schnitzels and lots more!

The popular Frankfurter-Scheune festive hall is the place to be! Often this hall will come with a 1hr long entry queue unless you arrive before 5pm. This is because at 6pm the German music entertainment by ‘Mundy & Friends’ will have you singing along to songs with a 1 litre stein in hand!

If you’ve ever made the mistake of buying cheap shoes, you’ll know that it’s a false economy. A couple weeks and they look like you wore them to descend the Malay Peninsula. The same principle applies to a gentleman’s choice of winter coat. Never go cheap and cheerful…

By definition, an overcoat (or topcoat) is worn over your other finery when both the birds and temperature head south. Actually, although this is true, our Racing Green man sees yet another opportunity for dressing cleverly. We cut our coats so that you can either wear them over a full suit, or leave your suit jacket in the wardrobe, layer up with some fine gauge merino knitwear and step out with a scarf & gloves, looking well tailored.

If your commute involves a spell at either a train or bus stop, you will be delighted that you invested in the right good coat.  For example, our ¾ length Herringbone weave overcoat and luxurious Wool & Cashmere full length overcoat are single breasted classic fitting and perfectly tailored to protect you through the harsh winter months.

Rejoice! In preparation for the cold snap, we’re offering our range of smart Racing Green overcoats at a tempting 40% off so if, like us, you sense a change in the weather, now’s the time to invest in a coat that will not let you down!

With miles of dramatic coastline to explore, a surprising sporting history as the spiritual Home of Golf and award-winning restaurants, Fife is full of surprises!

Visit St Andrews’ former station master’s house, now the famous Jigger Inn, and relax amongst golfing greats whilst sampling some Jigger Ale!  Or perhaps you will take in the spectacular surroundings as you experience the Fife Coastal Path, spanning 150kms of Fife’s rugged coastline, and discover 6 out of 7 of Scotland’s world renowned Blue Flag beaches! 

Your prize for 2 adults includes:

2 nights’ stay at the 5-star Fairmont 

A full Scottish breakfast each morning at The Squire

A sumptuous evening meal at your choice of either The Squire or AA Rosette     winning Esperante

An indulgent spa treatment at the Spa at Fairmont St Andrews or a round of golf on one of the resort’s Championship, The Kittocks or The Torrance

A piece of Racing Green’s Scottish knitwear each

Up to £300 towards spending and travel

ENTER NOW for your chance to win!

The Winner of last months ‘£250 On Us’ competition was Rob Coles but don’t worry if you didn’t win because we are having another one this month!

Just click here to enter and invite your friends too! Competition closes 2nd December at 17:00

We have 5 copies of the new Senna DVD up for grabs!

You don’t need to know your oversteer from your understeer to be gripped by this DVD about the life of Ayrton Senna!

Put together from thousands of hours of Formula 1 footage this great documentary traces the Brazilian driver’s career, from the moment he came onto the scene at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1984 to his death on the San Marino circuit a decade later at the age of just 34.

To win a copy simply answer this question below and email the answer to racinggreengb@googlemail.com

“Which year was Senna born in?”

Our Racing Green HQ is based in Leeds and we often come across hidden gems and cool places all the time. Every now and again we will post a place, location or landmark in Leeds which deserves a mention whether for a family trip or a day out with friends.

The first place we love here at Racing Green is our local independent juice bar (a stones throw away) located just across the canal from our office called Out Of The Woods. Each time you walk in you can expect a huge smile from the friendly owners, quality coffee, great food (sandwich specials, cupcakes, soups, ice cream and a load more tasty treats), monthly art exhibitions and a mix of random background music ranging from The National to Pearl Jam.

Our new Henley shirts are now available to buy online! They are a versatile tee that can be used to layer under casual shirts or rugbys (or just worn on its own) and they feature our new Falcon logo embroidery too.

A ‘Henley shirt’ is basically just a collarless pullover shirt and resembles a collarless polo shirt.

The Henley gets its name because this particular style of shirt was the traditional uniform of rowers in Henley-on-Thames.

Menswear blog Good Clobber recently reviewed our Lambs wool Crew Neck knitted jumper. Check out a preview of the review below:

In a month of record breaking hot temperatures, it’s somewhat ironic that I’m reviewing a piece of clothing that is really designed for cold weather. Nonetheless, this is the British climate and it’s bound to change; it will be cold again soon and it’s always worth planning ahead. In fact, Christmas is less than one hundred days away and as much as I don’t want to think about it, the nightmare of Christmas shopping is only around the corner. The item that I’m reviewing today would make a good Christmas present for a lucky young man: a Lambswool Crew Neck Knitted jumper which is new for this season from British brand, Racing Green.

So then, on to the review… First up, it goes without saying that this jumper is very well made. It looks and feels of good quality. The stitching on the wool is tight and the wool isn’t ‘hairy’ it is very soft; there aren’t any obtuse strands sticking out all over the place. The joins between the arm, shoulders, cuffs, waist and collar feel very strong. Importantly, this jumper is not itchy. Wearing it over a short-sleeved t-shirt is very comfy; no abrasion or irritation.

Along with the colour variation on the cuffs, neck and waistband there are some other really nice details to this jumper. There’s a very subtle piece of branding on the lower left of the garment: a tiny metal clasp is nicely sewn into the wool and displays ‘Racing Green’ in a classic typeface.

All in all, this jumper is an all-round sound choice: It’s well made, warm, comfortable and very elegant. It’s not the cheapest jumper available out there, but you will be paying for quality at £65. You can find this jumper and variations in other colourways at the Racing Green website here.

Menswear blog Dapper Dude Mens Designer Clothing recently reviewed our Racing Green Belted Wax Jacket which received a well deserved 9/10 score! Read the review below:

It’s review time again folks, and this time we have an absolute belter for you, courtesy of those nice people over at Racing Green.

They sent us through this pretty nifty looking Belted Mock Wax Jacket, so, Dog and all, we headed off to Pugneys Country Park near Wakefield to put it through its paces!

Straight out of the box you can see that this is a serious piece of kit, a great looking jacket which just oozes style and quality. The mock wax finish and belt combine to give it a very Barbour-esque look but with a much more appealing price point.

To the front the jacket has four pockets, one zipped and three with Racing Green branded press-stud fastenings,a full metal zip up front with press-stud fastening storm flap with the added benefit of a buckle fastening to the neck. Each of the sleeves features a rugged elbow patch and the cuffs are adjustable but way of press-studs, again Racing Green branded.

Internally the jacket features a half Tartan/half Brown corduroy lining with two zipped internal pockets and toggle adjustable waistband, the inside of the collar is also finished in the same Brown corduroy offering a nice finishing touch.

Anyway, those of you with good memories will remember that prior to all my waffle we had set off on a walk around Pugneys Country Park to put the jacket through its paces. So, how did it get on??

Well, those of you who may know Pugneys, will vouch for me that it can be pretty inhospitable place about half way around that Lake on a blustery day, but with the Mock Waxed Jacket belted and buckled up against the cold I never even felt the chill. Even the Dog was shivvering by the time we had made it around, but not me, my Jacket had served me well!

The Belted Mock Wax Jacket is available from www.racinggreen.co.uk in sizes Small through to XXLarge and at just £129.00 looks to offer exceptional value for money.

Dapper Dude Rating : 9/10

This year has been great for Chinos and the trend is set to continue for this season. Guys who usually mix up the usual jeans and a jumper in autumn will be donning different shades of Chinos for a smarter casual look. What’s even better is chinos get the ‘ok’ at work for the majority too so those days where you’re not in your suit these are the obvious choice.

Chinos are good for creating new looks to your existing garments. Wearing Chinos rather than Jeans for example with a Rugby can give two completely different looks.

Our collection includes the popular slim fit and for extra comfort the regular fit. For a modern twist give them a roll once or twice from the ankle and wear with a pair of Desert boots or brogues.

In essence our Chinos are very comfortable and will give your casual look an edge no matter what you wear on the top half.

Click here to shop our new Chinos!

With the Rugby World Cup underway now is the time to be wearing one of our new season Rugbys! You’ve probably caught up with a few games over the past week and seen Rugby Shirts of different colours and styles from all over the world from the unusually black England shirt to the green and gold South Africa shirt.

The Rugby shirt has taken a different shape over recent years, traditionally Rugby shirts were made out of cotton and had a buttoned opening in a similar style to a polo shirt but made with a much stiffer collar. They also had rubber buttons so that they would, if pulled in a tackle, come undone rather than pop off (ingenious!).

Our Rugbys take more of the shape of the historic rugby shirt with a classic fit and feature cotton heavy jersey, authentic twill or cord collars, buttoned openings and side vents.

Click here to take a look at our new autumn winter Rugby collection.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tennis chaps wore “tennis whites” which were long-sleeved white button-up shirts and as you can imagine this wasn’t the most comfortable attire to wear for a game of tennis (If you want to test this for yourself, wear your work shirt next time your hitting a few down the park with your mates).

The first polo shirt came from a guy called René, the French 7-time Grand Slam tennis champion. He didn’t like the stiff tennis attire and often said it was far too uncomfortable.

In 1920, Lewis Lacey, an Argentine Irish haberdasher and polo player, began producing a shirt that was embroidered with the logo of a polo player, a design originated at the Hurlingham Polo Club near Buenos Aires. The term “polo shirt”, which previously only had referred to the long-sleeved buttoned-down shirts traditionally used in polo, soon became the name for the “tennis shirt”. Indeed, tennis players often would refer to their shirt as a “polo shirt”, even though their sport had used it long before polo did.

So now you know the history, why not take a look at our new polo shirt (Or tennis shirt to be correct) collection which features our new Falcon logo embroidery and are designed on the classic fit.

Click Here to browse now

Introducing our Racing Green AW11 Collection. As well as a new range of men’s casual and formal clothes and accessories you’ll notice another important change to Racing Green.

Over the last six months we’ve been constructing a new site, to make it easier to navigate and simpler to shop from us. When you click on the homepage you can select either formal or casual departments, or for some inspiration, browse our new Stylebook, where you can see outfits and accessories put together as we designed them. More below…

The new collection is simpler, more understated and we’ve introduced a slimmer fit to some parts of the range, including the tailoring, where you’ll find our regular classic fit and also some styles with slimmer, shorter jackets and narrower trousers. We’ve also introduced some essential footwear styles for Autumn, including a desert boot, still on trend for Autumn and available now. Coming in September we’ve got a leather brogue that you can use with your suit or your casual chinos or jeans. If you only buy one pair of smart shoes this winter, make it this brogue. Just click the box on the product page and we’ll let you know as soon as they arrive.

NEW STYLE BOOK…

The style book is divided into two sections…the ‘Formal book’ and the ‘Casual book. You can browse it like looking into a virtual wardrobe and either pick out a complete look or find something to add to what you already own. Our style and fit is pretty timeless, so you can be confident that what you select will take you through to Spring and still look good.

Definitely worth a look is the new collection of Rugby Shirts. Now’s the perfect time to invest in one. As the nights start to get cooler, this is the perfect garment for evenings and weekends and our heavier weight cotton body and woven twill collar & placket is just right for the transition into Autumn, until it’s time to break out your sweater. (We’ve got some great sweaters too) We’ve got six new Rugby styles in the Casual Shop.

Please take a look at the site and let us know what you think. We would like to hear about any feedback you have…just drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter.

OUR BRAND…

Some people have asked about the logo with the bird, that features on our new Polo range. It’s a Peregrine Falcon. To us it represents a lot about the combination of form and function. In flight it’s everything you’d expect; understated, soaring and graceful, but when it dives it goes like a bat out of hell, reaching over 200mph when swooping. It’s the fastest of all birds of prey. This combination of grace and perfect evolution means that the Peregrine Falcon can be found almost all over the globe. We also think it looks pretty good on our new stuff.

NEW COLLECTION…

Our Autumn/Winter collection has a new feel, that you can see, when you browse the Stylebook. We’ve got a couple of great outerwear styles for when the winter nights start to set in. A super practical quilted jacket with cord trim in two colours and a really classy waxed belted motorcycle jacket. Both are perfect for the weekend, but smart enough to take to the office. We believe that simplicity and versatility is the key to getting great use out of your clothes. The Stylebook can give you some pointers.

LAUNCH OFFER

We’d like you to join in with our celebration this month by giving you up to 25% off to enjoy on your first order when you subscribe to our mailing list!

When you sign up to our email list we will simply shoot an email your way with a 20% promo code inside which can be used on everything online. When you subscribe you will notice our ‘refer a friend’ button, where you can recommend a friend and in reward you (and your friend) will be given a 25% off code to use if they sign up!

Each week you will receive our new Racing Green e-newsletter which will include blog features, articles, outfits of the week, new arrivals, exclusive offers, competitions and more.

So as the last few weekends of summer come and go, there’s nothing to be down about – It’s an excuse to get some new Winter kit. Roll on Winter!