On changing appearances

I've always been big.  If I were being blunt, I'd even say fat.  I was as a child, I was as a teenager, I was at University.  But in the last 18 months or so I've lost the thick end of six stone through a combination of gym, exercise and eating less junk, and I feel a lot healthier and a lot better.  I've still got another couple of stone to go I reckon, and I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much I've lost, but I am starting to feel a little bit more confident.  Combined with switching back to contact lenses and shaving off my beard (even though E says she liked it) I apparently look ten years younger.

And all without having to go anywhere near a psychopathic South African on channel four.

But I'm not entirely sure what to do with the new, smaller, me because men's fashion at the minute is a bit, well, crap.  I've spent so long wearing dark colours and hiding away I want to be brighter but clothes in the high street seem to either be beige or florid now.  I want to be brighter but I don't want to look like a sex pest.  I also don't mind slim fit stuff but I'm never going to be narrow (my shoulders are mostly muscle and mostly not going anywhere now) and the emo/Russell Brand school of sartorial elegance just looks ridiculous on me.

I bought a three-piece suit from Matalan (of all places) following persuasion from E and I think it looks pretty good, especially with a nice bright shirt.

This is all well and good when I'm "dressed to impress" but not really so good for swanning about town on Saturday mornings with Sod Baby. 

I like the idea of a nice graphic t-shirt together with some good jeans and a linen jacket, a graphic t-shirt of this style:

I can't help but feel that this is just a bit bland, though.  I'd sooner be bland than florid, but I just want something a bit more interesting.  E is a proper vintage girl, as anyone who sees her knows and comments.  I don't want to wear something straight out of the pages of The Chap but I don't want to be drab next to someone so colourful.  I need ideas and inspiration and, to be honest, I'm just not getting that from the high street.

Excuse me for a while whilst I go and stroke my satchel from Karina Hesketh.  I'm getting there.