A certain sticky union between two London brands has got us a bit tight in the underwear department: menswear label Blood Brother has stripped off and jumped into bed with Baron, the lip-bitingly erotic magazine for filth enthusiasts, to create a one-off collection of tees and sweatshirts. Showcasing the work of three artists – Viktor Hachmang, Eva Stenram and London filmmaker and photographer Tyrone LeBon, and Baron founder Jonathan Baron – via illustrated threesomes, surveillance photographs and saucy phone box calling card prints, the collection is available at Blood Brother’s Shoreditch store, Selfridges, and online at Oki-Ni.com. A creepy, underground car park shoot and short film accompanies the collaboration, with steamed-up windows, leather car interiors, and gratuitous pant-flashing. In other words, NSFW. We’re blushing. Dan Jones

 For more info, see Blood-Brother.co.uk.

Editor-at-large Alexi Duggins is at your mercy. Decide what London experience you’d like him to have. This week: he attempts to dress like a gent…

Kudos to male life-coaching company The Perfect Gentleman. Their courses aim ‘to make the world a more respectful, stylish and gentlemanly place… one man at a time’. Manners-wise, it’s a lovely ethos. After all, London could definitely do with more politeness.

But, for some reason, they seem to think this requires you to dress like an extra in ‘Downton Abbey’. ‘You can never be overdressed,’ enthuses ‘First Gentleman’ Zacchary Falconer-Barfield, pocket square standing erect as he steps into my bedroom and rifles through my wardrobe, as part of his ‘Stylish Gentleman’consultation. He skips my sweatshirts, pounces on the formal wear and announces: ‘You should always wear a suit on a date.’ Really? But what if you’re just going for a couple of drinks? ‘Well, you should at least wear a blazer.’

Then a baseball cap derails Zacchary’s train of thought. ‘This hip hop stuff might last for a while, but real style is timeless.’ I agree with him wholeheartedly, and produce a fashion classic: a 1989 Tony the Tiger shirt (RRP 20 tokens from Frosties packets). ‘Actually, I quite like that,’ he concedes, though he’s less enthused by my ’80s-style American football jacket. ‘People will think you’re a gangster. I’m not saying that’s what I think, just what society thinks.’ He has me try on my jackets to check I know how to buy clothes that fit (I do), lists the suits, shirts, V-neck jumpers and leather shoes that are wardrobe basics, and then we go shopping.

‘Style needn’t be expensive,’ says Zach,as we delve into TM Lewin’s range of £600 suits. Soon I’m clad in a dark blue two-piece and voluminous cravat, feeling like I’ve undergone the sartorial equivalent of being fasttracked to a safe Tory seat in middle England. As I try to fasten my belt at the side, Zach stops me. ‘That’s ungentlemanly. That’s how gangsters do their belts, because they don’t know how to do them.’

Sensing my discomfort, he insists that women will go wild for this look. I change back into jeans and leave unconvinced. With reason, it turns out. One emailed photo to my female colleagues later, and my inbox is full of reactions like ‘It screams young Tory bed-wetter’ and ‘The date you’d wear it for, is it a murder mystery?’ But I’m not sure it matters. Isn’t London’s beauty its celebration of nonconformity? That society doesn’t ostracise you for how you dress? Paying money (£250-£1,500) to be told you can’t wear clothes you like flies in the face of all that’s best about our city.

TPG’s courses on manners sound better. But surely it’s meant to be fashion forwards, not backwards?

For info, see theperfectgentleman.tv. Read more of Alexi’s exploits and suggest Alexi’s next task @Alexiduggins.

So ladies, which one do you prefer?

BEFORE

AFTER

East end brothers Keith and Alan Freedman created Brutus in 1966, a London fashion brand of shirts, tees and jeans so tight they’d less hold and hoist, more squish and squeeze. In its heyday, Brutus was known for its out-there ad campaigns, David Bailey-shot TV commercials, and the ‘Trimfit’ men’s shirt – in the late ‘60s and ‘70s this icon of swinging London sold in the millions. After 30 years off the shelves, Keith’s son Jonathan has recently re-established the family business, and Brutus is back. To celebrate, he’s asked 30 emerging British artists to re-work the Trimfit, each drawing their designs onto the shirt itself. The finished pieces are all on show this week in deepest, darkest Soho – with archive Brutus ads and David Bailey images – at Walkers Court, the saucy cut-through between Wardour Street and Berwick Street, until Jan 22. Dan Jones

For info, see brutus-trimfit.com.

Watch this David Bailey advert below:

It’s London Collections: Men this week – the manly version of Fashion Week – with all manner of brogue-wearing fashion editors, buyers and bloggers clogging up the streets of the capital. After more than 60 shows and presentations over three days, a whirlwind of luxe sportswear, crumpets and an ill-timed dog poo, it all winds up tonight with a few messy parties and a posh dinner hosted by GQ editor Dylan Jones, Tinie Tempah and Sir Paul Smith (our ticket must be in the post). 

We loved the packed-out shows of London-based brands YMC and Christopher Shannon, the super slick Jonathan Saunders presentation, and discovering  ToBeFrank by Frank Phillips – a brand that manufactures in England using  traditional suppliers (including Yorkshire shepherdess Sue Wiles who creates ToBeFrank’s chunky jumpers using wool from her own herd of sheep). MAN, the group show of new designers, and usually the epicentre of fashion week weirdness, didn’t disappoint with Astrid Andersen’s bombastic sportswear, Craig Green’s creepy DIY-take on style, and Agi & Sam’s eye-popping pop prints. Online store Mr Porter’s special presentation had models hanging out in bright red telephone boxes at the Alison Jacques gallery on Berners Street (with a tea and crumpet van parked outside). With the other shows and presentations previewing what we’ll be wearing in six months or so, Mr Porter cleverly presented stuff you can buy right now – exclusive pieces from Katy Eary, Richard Nicoll, Matthew Miller and oddball knit brand Sibling.

Here’s a round-up of the best bits: 

Best shows: London brand YMC’s brilliant ‘Dead Inside’ show with washed-out tartan, pink suede brothel creepers and beret flat caps; Christopher Shannon’s very grown-up and sexed-up sportswear; Aitor Throup’s Kings Cross installation of humanoid chicken-wire mannequins wearing his clothing and accessories line (you had to be there); Topman Design’s explorer parkas and accessories; Agi & Sam’s upbeat country gent dressing.

Best use of planks: Craig Green’s barnstorming wooden headpieces at the MAN show.

Best snacks: Scotch eggs and mustard at the Jonathan Saunders presentation (FYI it’s quite hard to look stylish and eat a boiled egg at the same time).

Best beard-and-Basset-hound combination: Agi & Sam’s casting featured some impressive wizardy bearded models and a wonderfully droopy-looking Basset hound.

Best music: Christopher Shannon’s hi-NRG remix of Gabrielle’s ‘Dreams’ and slow soul version of KLF’s ‘Justified and Ancient’; YMC’s finale to The B-52s.

Best use of London icons: the Mr Porter installation with its red telephone boxes, umbrellas and a tea and crumpet van.

Best moment: A pug squeezing one out on the floor at the Nicole Farhi show. Total fashion realness.

Dan Jones 

Read more about the London Collections: Men and get more wisdom from Dan Jones at jonestownlondon.com.

New year, new nights out. Our pals at LondOntheInside are forgetting all about giving up booze and fun times and leaping headfirst into 2013. Here are a few things they’ll be getting up to this January…

Dalston Nites, Tipsy Basement Bar, Jan 18
‘We’ve been looking forward to announcing this for so long and it’s finally here, London On The Inside are launching their very own Rock ‘n’ Roll club night on the 3rd Friday of every month at Tipsy’s vintage-inspired basement bar in Dalston. It’s going to be wild! It’s free in, open from 9pm till 2am and tunes range from old-fashioned gems to tomorrow’s hottest emerging bands. Dalston Nites will fry your little brains.’

The WSET Gin Ramble, London Distilleries, Feb 1
‘OK, this one isn’t happening until February, but you will need to buy your tickets this month, not only because it’s focused around gin which is currently in-vogue but also because it’s taking place for one day only. The Gin Ramble includes a tour and tasting at four gin distilleries, three of which don’t usually open to the public, lunch from the boys at The Street Kitchen (which will be cracking!) and cocktails from one of the city’s best mixologists Ryan Chetiyawardana.’

Seven Dials Presents, Seven Dials, Jan 7-16
‘Let’s face it, men have a harder time than girls when it comes to fashion, so we’re always happy to hear of events plugging menswear. Coinciding with London Collections: Men, the store will be showcasing products from some of the best new emerging British designers including Alex Mattson, Bobby Abley and Jenny Schwarz to name but a few. A one stop shop to have you suited and booted.’

Burger and Lobster, Bread Street, Jan 9
‘One of London’s most popular restaurants is opening up yet another branch only this time it’s heading for the city. Located next to St Paul’s, the new joint is not actually that far from the chains last opening in Farringdon and like its siblings it’ll be offering burger & chips or lobster & chips for £20. Just think: the more they open the shorter the queues, plus if you can’t get in one it won’t take you too long to walk to the next.’

The XFM – X-Posure All Dayer, Camden Barfly, Jan 26
‘The XFM – X-Posure All Dayer is back and the first one for this year has made us do a little wee with excitement. Mr John Kennedy has picked an unbelievable line up of emerging artists, one of which we’re backing for big things this year – Luls. The band’s state of the art widescreen pop promises to quickly establish them amongst an exciting new wave of British guitar music. There are some other awesome bands in the line up, but Luls make it a must for us.’

Get more top tips from Jules and Ben at London on the Inside, on their page on Facebook or on Twitter.

Looking to assimilate with the natives this summer? Here’s our failsafe guide to recreating the city’s stand-out styles. Today ‘s look: the Media Man.

His natural habitat is the editing suites of Soho, the ad agencies of Shoreditch and the genius bar of the Apple store. He is rarely out of jeans and trainers – but don’t be fooled into thinking that means his outfit is effortless. A glimpse of expensive selvedge detail at the ankle reveals those jeans cost more than an iPad (of course he has one of those too), and that inconspicuous rucksack is of Swedish design and in a considered Farrow & Ball shade of puce. The key to his dressing is expensive anti-ostentation. Boastful branding is out, stealth wealth is in, so shoes are limited-edition £40 Vans rather than souped up Nikes, worn with logo-free bags, sleek cagoul and modern sunnies with clean lines, not gaudy Versace medusa heads on the arms. Reimagine your wardrobe as if Apple designed it for you – sleek, full of clever details and in need of a complete update every season.

Clothing:
Jeans APC, £110
Jacket Folk, £130
Helvetica T-shirt, American Apparel, £22
Shoes Simpson limited-edition Vans, vintage, £40 at time of purchase Ebay.
Backpack Fjallraven, £55
Headphones Aiaiai, £160

Grooming:
Haircut Murdock, £42.50

This week sees the opening of Topman’s second General Store – this time bringing its high street store disguised as expensive boutique concept to Covent Garden. The first General Store opened in Spitalfields last year, selling the finest of the Arcadia menswear chain’s apparel alongside handpicked pieces of designer and niche labels like Pendleton and Happy Socks. The Topman team made an inspired decision to remove nearly all of their branding, and dress the shop up like an Albam, or APC store- with only the mini price tags to indicate you were in fact shopping from a P-Greeny establishment. The WC1 outpost has had the same treatment, and you could easily walk past this store mistaking its Scandi appearance and high fashion product for a different kind of shop altogether. Fear not, readers, the beautifully chosen selection of pastel chinos, denim shirts and manbags is far, far cheaper than it looks. Not often we get to say that. Katie Dailey

Head to 36-38 Earlham St, WC2H 9LA.

For info, see mensfile.com. 

Available online at mrporter.com and hentschman.com.

For info, see our guide to London Fashion Week.