Converse All Star Chuck-It - My Favourite Shoes Ever!

This post is indeed, as the title states, about my favourite shoes ever - the Converse All Star Chuck It from the Chuck Taylor collection. Although the Air Jordan 6 in black that i had when i was 15 come very close, these Converse are simply amazing!

For those that have probably been on another planet for the past few years, Converse certainly have made a comeback recently. With recent fashion trends relying heavily on retro looks, it was a great opportunity for Converse to hit hard with their signature pumps and canvas shoes from the eighties. The eighties was a very memorable decade for me and i just love anything to do with it - music, clothes, food and drink. So luckily for me, Converse canvas coming back in fashion and discovering Chuck It is, i must say, one of the highlights of my life when it comes to fashion.

Here are my trusty comfy footwear -

The reason i love them so much is their weight. Hands down the lightest shoes i've ever come across in my lifetime! Another reason is that although they are canvas and from the Chuck Taylor collection, they stand out from the other All Stars. The base is different and the All Star label on the heel back is smaller. They also don't have the white rubber bit at the front above the toes either which i'm not that too keen on. I much prefer the cleaner look on the Chuck It.
I must admit though when i first got them, they did hurt my feet quite a bit whilst i was wear into them. However, i'm pretty sure this was because i modified them. What i did was add laces to them. The original Chuck It shoes are laceless because they were designed as pump slip ons without laces and there is an elasticated attachment from the tongue to the sides so they stay attached to the wearers feet. I prefer it much better with laces so i added them myself by punching holes because there none.

My request - if anyone reads this post and know of any places that still sell these shoes, please get in touch or comment on this post and let me know. As mine are wearing out a bit now and i'd hate to have to go back to wearing heavy shoes, i would love to buy another two or even three pairs.

Seriously guys, if you are a fan of the Converse Chuck Taylor series, then you need to check these out! You would not believe how light they are.

My Attempt at Shrinking a Ralph Lauren Polo Hoodie

So i've had this hooded sweater by Ralph Lauren for about a year now. When i first bought it from TK Maxx it seemed to fit well but as time passed for some reason it has started to become frumpy and sleeves seemed to have miraculously got longer.
What probably happened was though that whilst i was trying it on, because i was too keen i probably didn't pay much attention and went with my impulse buying.
It's a rare coral colour for the Polo brand and it caught my attention straight away. With it being summer at the time and the colour suited it perfectly, i must have just rushed it.
So anyway, i really like this top and want it to be more fitted so i started performing a few searches on Google. I mainly looked at ways of shrinking cotton. Majority of sources indicated that cotton will shrink with extreme heat. This top is 80% cotton and 20% polyester and i found that polyester doesn't shrink as well.
I decided to test it.

Does A Ralph Lauren Polo Hoody Shrink?

Let's find out.
The most effective way is to apply constant heat to it by boiling it, tumble drying etc. My washing machine is out of the question and i don't have a pot large enough to put the top in with water for me to boil on the stove.
So my next option was to use my bath tub and soak it with boiling water. Here goes...

This is the hoody -

As you can see, it's a Large size. Damn it, i should have bought a Medium one.

My plan was to get the water boiling using my kettle, a few pots and pans so i can utilise the hot water as much as possible before it cools. I also ran the bath with hottest water from the tap - 

Please excuse the dirty bath sealants, i've cleaned it since that photo was taken. Anyway the kettle boiled a few times, water in pots on stove also boiled a few times and the water in the bath was ready.  In goes the hoodie.

I must have left it in there for a good 30 minutes whilst still topping up the bath with boiling water from the kettle.

So after drying, what was the result?

Nothing. Absolutely no skrinkage what so ever.

Luckily my girlfriend works in clothing and design. What i  ended up doing was begging her to take in the sleeves to make them shorter. That's the main issue really. Because the sleeves are so long i had to roll them up twice and it looked a bit daft.

So here's some advice - don't always trust impulse buying and take your time trying on clothes properly. Also shrinking your clothes in bath tubs with boiling water does not work!

However, just because my experiment didn't work, it doesn't mean that the hoody definitely won't shrink. I think with constant heat applied to it, it should work.

 

 

Looking To Buy Ralph Lauren Polo Hoodie?

If you're looking to buy a Polo hoodie online then check out these deals from Amazon available to order today!

Ralph Lauren Polo Fleece Hoodie Long Sleeve - Navy Blue

	- Full front zip - Draw string hood - Thermal lining - 84% polyester and 16% cotton £79.99 + Free UK Delivery

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Ralph Lauren Polo Fleece Hoodie Long Sleeve - Black

	- Full front zip - Draw string hood - Thermal lining - 84% polyester and 16% cotton £69.99

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Ralph Lauren Polo Fleece Hoodie Long Sleeve - Grey

	- Full front zip - Draw string hood - Thermal lining - 84% polyester and 16% cotton From £83.99

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Ralph Lauren Polo Fleece Hoodie Long Sleeve - Royal Blue

	- Full front zip - Draw string hood - Thermal lining - 84% polyester and 16% cotton £69.99

Fight The Flower Power

Hey guys! It's spring and i've already enjoyed a couple of sunny weekends out and about. Now in the UK, that's a real treat!

Starting to get my wardrobe ready for the summer. Floral patterns are in as always for girls. It seems you can't really go wrong with flower prints on dresses every single summer and i just wish we'd move away from it. Some dresses can look good and depends on the figure of the wearer.

Here are some floral dresses that i dig.

Now for guys. I've seen a few patterned and floral shirts (which are in now by the way for guys) from Next. Not really my cup of tea but i can see why they are popular.

These are all decent, in trend and fashionable pieces but come one guys. Lets not let the high street dictate our fashion this summer. Be yourself and represent yourself through your own style.