Why I stopped wearing jeans , ( Too late ) , at 55.

Why ? Because most men , unless you're a Bon Jovi fan , a black guy who has a preppy style, or a member of the Rolling Stones , look awful in jeans over the age of half a century.

In the first case , please don't read this article as this page is not for you , ( anyone who was a Bon Jovi fan never had any taste anyway ); the second ,; somehow black guys can carry them off , (they just can ,) and lastly ,I was always Beatles over the Stones , and Mick could seemingly get away with first degree murder and no one would bat an eyelid . A faintly ridiculous but seemingly untouchable charisma , which few of us are graced with ,

But back to this later , dear reader .

'Sometimes you cannae beat a fillet of fish ".

I am ' in recovery' in Kings Cross after being somewhat humiliated. Badly needing a phone charger, I stumbled into an absolute tourist trap , while searching for Jerymn Street , in Piccadilly Circus , which , funnily enough felt like actually stepping into a real circus full of bright lights , and feeling strangely unreal .

"What phone have you got ?", 14 ? 15? .

"No "I stuttered out . " A seven ".

I don't think this guy could actually believe that anyone actually owned a seven , and while my face inexplicably turned a crimson hue , his supercilious smile got bigger . So big in fact that I felt like buying a cake , coming back and shoving it into , a la Janes Cagney in

' Public Enemy '. I say inexplicably because I am actually glad have an older Apple phone , and am not a slave to constantly getting the latest gadget, and reusing old refurbished phones and doing my bit , so to speak. And this of course chimes in with what this page is all about, looking good for less .

I need to mention as a nice offset to the I phone 7 debacle, earlier in the day being complemented by a lovely lady in Harrods , working in the John Lobb store, on my wingtip o bloods . Shown below with my wide fit 90s Gant cords , with cuffs , another e bay find , for all of 20.00 . The shoes as well were a pre owned buy shaving 120 quid of the new price at 80 .00 Also I wore my ever faithful black centenary cap (Daks) , ( 18.00) . and a black Barbour (38.00 ), with a white la coste (16) an m and s round neck crew in blue , the last item the only newly brought item in the whole outfit .

Ok back to the main subject ( this is being written in the beautiful KC station , watching the world go by with an expressio, the only coffee I drink .

First reason . Buying jeans as a young man was easy. But the older you got the more difficult it became . I will let you , dear reader work that one out . Think .

So simply put it was a relief to ' give up the ghost ' and hand it over , so to speak . And if you are the person who believes wear what you want when you want , move on please . this page is for the discerning reader .

Jeans ( and there was only really Levi's), started for me in 1985 . There was a terrific and mesmerising advert on our four channel telly . To the silky smooth , tones of Marvin Gayes ' I heard it on the grapevine' , the gorgeous male model ' Nick Kamen ' , the spit of a young Elvis , strips his Levi's off in a Lauderette , to the gasps of fellow customers, and they places them in the machine , leaving him standing in boxers and top . Turning the sexiest adverts of decades on its head , and up until then ( and still probably) the collect ad , I had ever seen . Transfixing .

Of course . They then became an absolute must have .

For some reason I remember them not being so easily available, which of course added to their allure , with the rumours of them being hard currency in Russia , when I finally got my hands on a pair at sixteen it was like opening my Christmas presents at six .

You went through all the arduous, but strangely very enjoyable routine, of the shrink to fit in the bath , and I even remember, ( rare as they were ) having at least one pair stolen from the washing line . Which since our garden in Birmingham backed on to and was surrounded by another three , could only have been the family at the end , with two light fingered girls , who we actually caught the bus to school with .

Buying Levi's in 85 became almost a ' family affair ' with my parents being only 20 years older than me , 36 to my 16 , and enjoying them just as much .

And then into my late teens , with the advent of double ( dark ) and later triple denim, the love affair continued .

The early 30s hit and although I had dabbled with other brands ( in particular' Diesel ' , the originals kept coming back , now really baggy and straight all the way down , with camper brown boots , and Ralph Lauren puffer jackets .

Mid to late 30s things started to become harder , low rise still at 38 ?? . I think at one stage , well if I am honest probably most of the 2000s I was having the typical' mid life ' crisis, which of course we never dare admit to ourselves at the time , and for the first time really , Levi's took second place to among others and I cringe to admit it ' Jack Jones ' !

This was around the 2000s , and my sense of style kind of took a back seat ,to partying , drinking, and desperately trying to avoid hitting my forties , wearing patch jeans , and pretty awful clothes ( t shirts with a beer belly was not a great look ) . I began to ' follow fashion' rather than find my own sense of style as I had done as a teenager. See top photo , at 19 in 1986 .

At 43 , I decided to stop drinking( and the partying ), and I went through a 'doctor Martin , 'semi boot boy ' look for a while, goodness knows what i was was thinking, I had done ' mod ' again at 35 , with parkas and s Vespa , so maybe it was a final hurrah to the past . Who knows? But the Levi's came back briefly and finally throwing away my last pair was like losing an old friend.

Into my late forties , early fifties, it became harder and harder to find the ' right ' jeans , As a young guy it was second nature .

But what jeans now ?

So , at 50 I decided to base my ' look ' on the great Steve McQueens last film ' The Hunter ' from 1983 .

Easy . A green MAI jacket , T shirts and ..... wait for it ,,,, gant jeans . Finished off with Kicker boots , which were another old favourite ( my first pair brought at 13 ) .

The jeans were lovely I have to add , mid colour, really nice to the touch , not low rise , not too skinny , but looking back , the silhouette was all wrong .

The jacket short but wide , the trousers not slim , but in proportion to the jacket looked skinny . And big boots on my feet . It was just unbalanced , and looked like I was trying too hard .

Finally at 55 , I knew I had to rethink my entire wardrobe. I remember the head chap at 'Red or Dead ' , stating he stopped wearing jeans at fifty , ad I thought, maybe this was not so bad an idea .

So I did .

And it was liberating!

And it made me think .

And it was interesting.

What now ?

So I took a step back . To replace jeans ?

Chinos , in the summer , cords in the winter .

So . Summer , casual , chinos neutral and light green , polos , docksiders , Harrington in blue and or burgundy. Smarter , chinos , shirts , ( shirt collar length being an important factor , button down , loafers or brouges . And desert boots in dark brown as an option .

Smarter , sports jacket , chinos brouges .

Hot , Polos , shorts , I discovered the wonderful ( madras cotton ) , and docksiders, when the heat really comes ( and yes it actually does in Edinburgh!) , esprilldrills , ( never sandals ) .

Autumn , Casual: Vintage suede golf style jacket brown , green and blue chinos . Crew neck , M and S sweater , black tassel loake Brighton loafers . Also black Vintage RL Suede Harrington jacket .

Late autumn. Now the cords come out . Flannel shirts, Rugby tops ( blues , reds and burgundy RL vintage ) , heavier docksiders, and vintage gillet .

Winter , lots of jumpers , still cords , the chinos were put away late autumn, flannel shirts , vintage pea coat and Gant leather vintage jacket . Scarfs , hats and gloves . I actually look forward to winter layers , ( If not the season , which by January in Edinburgh is absolutely dreadful, the one top of the year I would consider visiting the south of Spain . (Absolutely no other .)

And jeans ? They are like booze these days , something I don't even think about . I am not black , a soft metal fan or a member of the Rolling Stones .

But maybe, just maybe, when I am sixty four , I may , just try a pair of Levi's .

And see if the feeling returns .

The picture is of me in 1987 . Original Levi's . Gingham shirt from Paris , Cowboy belt . And worn DM shoes .