Tuesday, September 2, 2008

It's beanie a long time coming ...


As promised here's the update of our Beanie Hats situation ...

Atticus Hats including Beanie Hats, belts & buckles are now in!! and live on the website.

Goorin Hats have arrived at the warehouse and we're just updating the website as we speak. We're quite excited about the Goorin Beanie Hats particularly the Mens Hats ... there is a HUGE range, particularly in the Oversized Beanies range but also a few nifty Visor Beanies. "And for the ladies?" ... I here you cry!!, well Goorin Hats just keep raising the bar. The Goorin Womens Skull Beanies are simply sublime.

As always we have our staple lines from the New York Hat Company, these Mens and Womens Beanie Hats are always made to such a high standard that we have increased the range once again.

As much as we are introducing new Visor Beanies and Oversized Beanies it is actually the Peruvian Beanies that we are most excited about. Definately another watch-this-space!.

You may have already seen from the last post that we have just launched the Urban Excess UENews newsletter. And very proud we are of it too! If you don't already subscribe make sure you do! Simply click here to have a look and there is also a sneaky little 15% off everything for your troubles.

So as much as I know that you are waiting in anticipation for the next Beanie Hats update and can't wait for the new Visor Beanies, Oversized Beanies and particularly the Peruvian Beanies here is the Urban Excess UENews discount code simply because I love you UENEWS08

All the best,
Tom @ Urban Excess

My last post regarding the Urban Excess UENews from Urban Excess was a complete and utter shamples!! Sorry ...

I've enclosed a screen shot to the Urban Excess UENews Newsletter plus here's the 15% discount code for you all UENEWS08

All the best and hopefully see you soon ... Tom @ Urban Excess

Friday, August 29, 2008

It's a High life with Lowlife



EMO (from what I understand) is: the pursuit of relinquishing inner turmoil through outward expression vehicles including; fashion, music, poetry and music. I think if you asked a so called EMO Boy or EMO Girl they'd poopoo this statement with a torade of abuse ...


Although individuals, there definately does seem to be a dress code and certain cross-over in appearence and trends with other urban tribes!


This is why brands such as Lowlife have risen to fame.


With humble beginnings in the Skater/Rock scene, Lowlife find their Studded Belts adorning the waists of a multitude of groups and individuals, all of whom are looking for accessories with an obvious quality but also a distinct style.



Here at Urban Excess we've always supported Lowlife and increase our ranges every year.


With tie-ins with the likes of cult bands The Gallows and Enter Shikari they've received effortless celebrity endorsement without the marketing budget!!


Lowlife in particular transcends genre boundaries, and our website now stock the majority of the range of Lowlife Studded Belts simply because of the quality of build of these studded belts.

From the basic checker belt that shot Lowlife to fame they're now producing more and more studded belts with new and exciting colour ways.


And for the Autumn Winter 2008 season at Urban Excess our belt range is bulging at the seams with Lowlife products.


As well as the ubiquitous Checker studded belt, new Lowlifemens Belts including:
the new Armour studded belt colourway with the alternate directional studs ... and from our womens belt range the catfur number (no cats were harmed during the making of this belt!!!! )


To give you a little bit of history about Lowlife here's a little snippet from their website:



Born in London in 2001, Lowlife, set out to conquer an untouched market that brought the waistline to the forefront of fashion with a concise belt range.

Over time the collection has grown to include a full range of clothing and accessories, which has been embraced by an ever expanding family of musicians, artists, BMXers, skateboarders and tattooists. By absorbing these influences, flirting with pop culture and encouraging creative independence, Lowlife delivers clothing for an eclectic modern alternative lifestyle, whilst waving the rock‘n’roll flag to every misfit in tow.


The EMO accessory connection comes due to the rather visually aggressive studding and yet providing some functionality to the form. Studded Belts are firstly functional and secondly decorative.


This is not to say that Lowlfe are exclusively EMO or exclusively anything other than quality products.


If you think these belts are your bag then make sure you visit Urban Excess for our full range of mens belts,womens belts,leather belts,belt buckles and Canvas belts.


All the best,


Tom @ Urban Excess

Beanie Hat Update

Just as an update it has been brought to my attention here at Urban Excess that Visor Beanies,Oversized Beanies and Peruvian Beanie Hats and Peruvian Beanies are the must have accessory for AutumnWinter 2008.

And to celebrate this fact we have just taken stock of a massive range of Visor Beanies in a HUGE range of colours with the Oversized Beanies and Peruvian Hats and Peruvian Beanies to follow soon. This is in addition to our bulging Mens hats and Womens Hat range.

Highlights Visor Beanies,Oversized Beanies and Peruvian Hats and Peruvian Beanies will be posted here soon so keep an eye out!!!

All the best,

Tom @ Urban Excess

Friday, August 22, 2008

Goorin Logo


We've a great range of brands here at Urban Excess but one of our fav's has to be Goorin Brothers ... we've been stocking Goorin Hats for about 3 seasons and every year we happily increase the range.



This is just a quick post to maybe educate you guys on a brand that, although forward looking, has it's roots firmly in heritage.



Here's a little snippet from the Goorin website:



Since 1895, four generations of Goorins have been advancing the art of hatmaking. Growing the business mainly by underground word of mouth, the Goorins have kept the artistic integrity of their products and the purity of their techniques intact by choosing not to mass market their wares. For over a century, each generation of Goorin brothers has elected instead to cater to individuals who are not swayed by trends, but inspired by timeless tradition and authentic quality. Because, at Goorin, we know style isn’t something you see in a magazine. It’s something you make on your own.



Goorin Brothers is bringing back the hat with vigor and purpose, appealing to a very special class in society. The New Royal Class, as Goorin sees it, is comprised of those creative, unique individuals found in every walk of life who blaze their own trails. These original thinkers thrive in an atmosphere of underground inspiration and want a hat that will help them express their distinctive spirit. Wear a Goorin hat and you can tell your story without ever having to say a word…



Like you, perhaps, a Goorin hat is full of contradictions: It is timeless and timely, grounded and groundbreaking. Rooted in tradition, yet calling for change. You are defined by the hat you wear.


Viva la Revolution!



And here at Urban Excess ... well we agree! The statement above is exactly the reason we keep coming back for more.



Just to give you a quick run down of what we stock in the Goorin range here's out top-picks:

Goorin Bookie Trilby Hat

This is an absolutely stunning Trilby Hat and a great example of why we stock Goorin. The Public School tie around this Trilby Hat offsets the dark black felt. The Bookie Trilby Hat is just one of many Trilby Hats that we stock from Goorin.


Other Goorin Trilby Hats include:



The Goorin Catalina Straw Trilby Hat

The Goorin Harris Perforated Trilby Hat in Black

The Goorin Di Marco trilby Hat



Goorin Heathcliffe Flat Cap

There's no messing about with this Flat Cap. The Goorin Heathcliffe Flat Cap is made from a traditional block and delivers all the detailing you'd expect from a heritage brand such as Goorin.



Other Goorin Flat Caps include:



The Goorin Herringbone Flat Cap

The Goorin Sleepy John Flat Cap



Goorin Aperture Military Cap

Goorin display here their ability to embrace the contemporary styles that flood our streets. The Goorin Aperture is a combination of new styling on an old military cap block with new fabrics based on an old colourway. Here at Urban Excess we love it and we stock masses of military caps from Goorin.



Other Goorin Military Caps include:



The Goorin Black Awol Military Cap

The Goorin Matt Res Military Cap

The Goorin Private Military Cap



All the best

Tom @ Urban Excess

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Trilby

Goorin Catalina Straw Hat

Today the Trilby Hat is still in vogue, and particularly popular as worn by Men, but Women still enjoy wearing them too. Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau sported a Trilby Hats in most of the Pink Panther films.



In present day, you might see pop artists like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, or Jason Mraz wearing this interesting hat.



The top of the hat, the crown, is especially identifiable because of its deep creasing, either on the sides, or occasionally on the top. The Trilby Hat is flexible, and early styles were made of rabbit hair felt. Wool felt trilby hats replaced rabbit hair, and now you may find trilbies in straw, canvas, or the still traditional wool or wool tweed.



The hat is often compared to the fedora, since the crowns of the two hats are so similar. What makes the Trilby Hat different is its brim. The brim is much shorter than that of a fedora, and many people wear the hat with the back of the brim folded upward, though it can be worn with the back brim out too. The flexibility of the Trilby Hat can lead to several different ways of wearing the hat, and durability of fabric tends to mean this hat is easily reshaped if it is bent.



Trilby Hats have been in and out of style for both men and women since 1895. For Women, the Trilby Hat might have decoration at the brim, but usually not overbearing decoration. A small feather trilby or ribbon around the hatband was common.
Men's Hats tended to come in neutral colour's, with tan, black and grey being most common. Currently, there are many permutations of the
Trilby Hat, and almost anything goes in terms of colour and fabric. They can be sedate and stylish or outrageous and challenging.



Interesting points Wisegeek! Although the Trilby was traditionally the preserve of the rich (due namely to the use of furs), here at Urban Excess we find that the Straw Trilbies are becoming increasing popular thanks to their rise in fame from celebrity A to Z listers advocates.

Designed predominantly as fashion items, Trilby & Fedora hats do actually serve a purpose, especially in climates or times in the year when the sun is at its peak in the sky.

More contemporary variations have included the Stingy Brim trilby hats from the likes of Goorin Brothers and Brixton Hats the popularity, trends, colour ways and fabrics are only set to increase due to the versatility and applications of Trilby Hats.
“What would you like madam/sir? A slouchy beanie, oversized beanie, skull beanies, Peruvian beanies visor cuffless beanie or maybe a Cuffed visor beanie we’ve got the lot!”


“oh! And what colour would you like red, olive green, purple, baby blue? The fabrics … THE FABRICS!!!! Well we’ve 100% acrylic oversized beanies … perfect for your pocket, the cable rib oversized beanie, a distressed look oversized beanie …. etc etc etc


For the past 3 seasons here at Urban Excess, we’ve constantly had to update our range of beanies and in particular the ubiquitous oversized beanies. For hat’s that have their deep roots firmly embedded in a relatively poor background, beanie hats are truly en vogue and are set to be so for Autumn/Winter 2008.



Being a Northern boy, I’d love to think that beanie hats had their historic creation from the now defunct coalmines that pepper the North East of England. However I think the development of what we now consider a standard beanie hat is simply from a piece of cloth worn on the head to keep either the sun or cold at bay.


Due to the masses of heat lost through the cranium, beanie hats offer a stylish and feasible alternative to wearing a jumper on your ponce. I think the points above are highlighted in the Peruvian beanie hats


Colour and style wise, I’ve enclosed a couple of piccys of our favs (particularly from Goorin) … have a look and if you want one; either click on the photo, visit www.UrbanExcess.com or alternatively drop me a mail and I’ll personally help you!!!


All the best,


Tom

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

And so it has arrived ... the long awaited launch is upon us!

Testing, testing ... 1,2,3 ...

or maybe 5,4,3,2, ... 1 ... lift-off?!

Either is good for me. I'm just elated that the day has come and the new look Urban Excess website is launched. Finally we have a site worthy of our credentials as one of UK's foremost Urban streetwear specialists

We're currently firing up the new products as we speak. Including some awesome new Brixton straw trilby hats and interesting soft weave Goorin specialities that will happily adorn the heads of many-a-festival-goer this summer season!

Anyway ... check it out ... www.urbanexcess.com

See you soon,

Tom