A quick ask around the Jacamo office proved that you’re usually in one camp when it comes to suits – you either love them or hate them. But if you’re in the first camp as a lover
of suits you’ll probably get quite frustrated that you don’t get enough use out of it, especially when a decent suit is often an investment, it does actually seem like a waste sometimes.

So we’ve put together this Guy’s Guide that gives you loads of tips on how you can wear a suit casually by dressing it down and getting the most out of the money you’ve spent on it. Just because suits are traditionally classed as formal wear, it doesn’t mean they can’t be styled differently.

Whether you want to know how to style your suit for the office, a few drinks with friends or on a date, dressing down a suit is a great outfit option for those smart/casual occasions.

Wear your suit as separates

It might sound obvious, but the easiest way to get the most wear out of a suit and the simplest way to dress it down is to see it as two pieces of clothing rather than one – as trousers and a suit jacket.

Probably the most popular here is putting the trousers away and replacing them with some jeans of a similar fit. Pairing denim with a blazer is a big trend at the moment, it’s a great way to bring together a classic look with something a bit more fashionable. Make sure you stick to dark denim though, something simple with no fuss, and avoid baggy jeans too by opting for slim fitting styles.

Team with a casual item

The best item to go with here is a t-shirt, you can’t get much more casual than that. Graphic and printed t-shirts especially work well if you want a definite casual look, while t-shirts in warm shades like burgundy are really trendy right now. Invest in a few basic t-shirts in neutral colours, as well as a simple white v-neck, as this this will give you a base to work with when it comes to dressing down a suit.

Layer with knitwear

Knitwear is everywhere at the moment anyway and definitely a big favourite in the Jacamo office. If you’re wearing the full suit then opt for a lightweight jumper underneath that will create a more casual appeal.

But if you’re going for just one item from your suit then why not add a simple t-shirt and chunky cardigan with some tailored trousers?

Experiment with colour and patterns

Spring and summer are great months to mess around with a bit of colour anyway, so this is a great opportunity. Add some brighter and bolder colours or a cool print to a suit to make it look less serious.

For example, a floral or checked shirt will instantly add a more casual feel, while some fashionable beige, red or green chinos are always a winner when it comes to teaming a suit jacket for a more casual feel.

And here are some more tips on how to dress down a suit:

• Keep everything as fitted as possible to maintain some of that tailored look – always think streamlined
• Avoid anything chunky or bulky as that will create a sloppy look
• If you can’t mix up your outfit then get rid of the traditional suit accessories like your tie and belt

And there you go, our top tips on how you can wear a suit casually by simply making a few changes. Now you know how you can more wear out of your favourite suit, it makes that investment not seem as unnecessary now, doesn’t it? And perhaps if you weren’t already a fan of tailoring, you might be more swayed to wear yours more often.

Good for the economy:

Producing beer in a microbrewery is a craft, and by investing in that craft (i.e. buying a pint or two) you are supporting small businesses. So you can feel good while you’re getting merry. Read: drinking responsibly, of course.

Choice:

While you could stick to the well-travelled roads of mainstream beers, the bounties of microbreweries could open doors to all sorts of new tastes and strengths. Becoming familiar with just one microbrewery could broaden your beer horizons no end, so if it’s time you became more adventurous in life, this could be the perfect way.

But why stop there? According to the Campaign for Real Ale, in 2012 there were twice as many breweries in operation as there were just a decade before, and approximately one brewery for every 50 pubs. As AskMen notes: “never before have there been so many choices of flavourful, authentic beers handmade by locally owned companies in small batches”.

Quality:

Microbreweries strive to make a name for themselves by using quality ingredients to produce a quality beer; brewing on a smaller scale means they can invest more in the quality of ingredients they use, rather than getting the highest quantity they can for a lower price. Also, since these breweries produce smaller batches, they can control the quality of their output better. If one batch goes wrong it won’t be too many beers that suffer, and the next batch can be up to scratch again.

A hobby:

Home breweries have also surged in popularity, which has fostered a real interest in everything to do with less mainstream brewing. Since there are over 1,000 microbreweries in the UK alone, sampling the produce of as many as possible can become a real hobby. It’s also a hobby that you seemingly won’t be forced to give up when hard times hit: Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide, said last year that the double dip recession did nothing to halt the surge in the number of brewers coming on stream, making the small brewing sector among the most remarkable UK industry success stories of the last decade. Well, if no one else is giving beer up in the name of frugality…

In conclusion:

Microbreweries are a means to bring a massive variety of beers to the UK people, more than ever before in fact, and they’re also good for the local community. We’re all for trying new things, so we can’t see why anyone wouldn’t embrace the trend for microbreweries!  What do you think? Are you always on the hunt for that perfectly-crafted pint?

So here is our list of our top 10 Scottish funny men and comedians.

Billy Connolly

Quite possibly the king of Scottish comedy, Billy Connolly had to be the first comedian who came into our heads. It’s hard to put him into one genre given that he’s known his comedy, music performances and acting roles, but it’s probably his stand up career that sets him apart from everyone else - he was also voted as the greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4′s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007 and 2010. His on-stage attire is also one to be noted, since the 1980s, Connolly has worn a custom-made black T-shirt with a shirt tail as part of his act.

Frankie Boyle

Known for his controversial sense of humour, Frankie Boyle is often in the limelight for his close to the line jokes. Best known for his appearances on various popular panel quiz shows like Mock The Week and 8 Out Of 10 Cats. He also has various stand up tours and his own comedy series on his list of achievements.

Rory Bremner

Having contributed to Spitting Image and Week Ending, Rory Bremner was already fairly well known when he went on to work on Brember, Bird and Fortune, which he has won numerous awards for. Rory Brember has also made appearances on panel shows Who’s Line Is It Anyway and Mock The Week.

Ronnie Corbett

Part of The Two Ronnies with fellow comedian Ronnie Barker, Corbett rose to fame during the 1960s while starring in The Frost Report. But it was his work for the BBC as The Two Ronnies between 1971 and 1987 that he’s best known for, with various sketches and musical numbers alongside Ronnie Barker. In more recent years he’s made various small appearances, often as himself, in different sketch shows and entertainment programmes.

The Krankies

Although this Scottish funny man is part of a duo with his wife, we couldn’t leave The Krankies off the list. Compromising of wife and husband team Ian and Janette Tough as a schoolboy and father act, this Scottish comedy duo enjoyed huge success as a cabaret act in the 1970s before being given a spot on the Royal Variety Performance in 1978 and moving into television in the 1980s with their own TV show.

Kevin Bridges

Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges made his name doing the stand up circuit including Edinburgh Fringe Festival (selling out his entire 25 night run) and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow. He also went on to be nominated for the 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Awards  in the best newcomer category. He also has two stand up DVDs to his name and is a regular comedian on various stand up comedy series.

Danny Bhoy

Although best known for his work in Australia, Canada and United States in the past few years, Danny Bhoy started out in the late 1990s and after just a year working in the industry he won The Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award, Britain’s biggest competition for comedy newcomers. Then in 2001, he had his first solo show at the Edinburgh Festival which sold out within a week.

Jerry Sadowitz

Controversial comedian Jerry Sadowitz is both a stand up comedian and card magician, voted as the 15th greatest stand up comic on Channel 4′s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007 and as 33rd in the 2010 list. He is also acclaimed as one of the best close up magicians in the world and his controversial style of comedy has influenced a generation of comedians.

Gregor Fisher

You might not immediately recognise this name, but as soon as we say Rab C Nesbitt you definitely will do! Starring as the main character in the show, Gregor Fisher played the unemployed and alcoholic role of Rab C Nesbitt which started back in 1988 and continued for seven more series with various one off specials.

Alun Cochrane

Another comedian who found success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Alun Cochrane was nominated for the Best Newcomer award at the Perrier Awards for his first fringe festival appearance in 2004. He also went on to be nominated for Best Compere and Best Breakthrough Act at the 2005 Chortle Awards. Cochrane has also made appearances on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, and as a panellist on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Mock The Week.

Do you agree with our top list? Or have we missed your favourite out? Comment below and tell us

Brut

‘Splash it all over’ was the tagline and, with icons like heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper, motorcycle racer Barry Sheene and footballer Kevin Keegan fronting the campaigns during the 70s, splash it all over we did! Marketed more recently as ‘The Essence of a Man’ and ‘Brut Man Up’, the fragrance still endeavours to be manliness personified.

What it smells like: A masculine blend of oakmoss, sandalwood, lavender and jasmine.

Fun fact: Elvis used to use it.

Old spice

The first Old Spice product for men was introduced in 1938 and thanks to consistent marketing its nautical-themed packaging – just like the scent – is still just as instantly recognisable today as it was when it first started making waves in the 30s. Old Spice’s slogan was ‘The Mark of a Man’, and they’ve stayed true to their image, with undeniably manly endorsers such as former NFL players Terry Crews and Isaiah Mustafa.

What it smells like: Spicy – as you’d imagine! It also has notes of sage, cinnamon, cedarwood and musk.

Fun fact: Old Spice Classic shower gel (which has the same scent as the original aftershave) is sold using the slogan ‘The original. If your grandfather hadn’t worn it, you wouldn’t exist.’

Aramis

When this aftershave appeared in 1964, it was upheld as the first prestige fragrance for men, and because it is dedicated to men who like a traditional, ‘classic’ scent, it’s remained relevant ever since. Aramis claims to “provide the man who chooses it with a level of sophistication” while also reflecting his charm and self-confidence. Strong stuff. One of the few modern scents that still contains strong notes of leather, it’s a scent that’s concerned with gentlemanly virtues rather than the raw power of manliness, as the modern tagline, ‘Aramis, All A Man Is’ indicates.

What it smells like: Woody notes mixed with a splash of tree moss scent, hit with spicy patchouli, clove and sandalwood, topped with leather.

Fun fact: Estee Lauder lifted the Aramis name from one of the lead characters in Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel The Three Musketeers, which is about as manly as it gets.

Jacamo stocks all the aftershaves mentioned, click here to take a look

Firstly, it’s important to note that it’s not just the moustache proper that’s enjoying centre-stage, nor is the trend limited to men alone: as The Oklahoma Daily noted recently, you can quite easily get your hands on bandages, nail varnish, pillows, coffee mugs, posters, buttons, books, bikini bottoms, iPhone cases and the like, all emblazoned with the gentlemanly motif.

Its prominence continues: far from being upheld solely as a sign of masculine refrain and formality, the moustache is also bringing humour and wit into popular society. Posters bearing variations of the play on words “I moustache you a question” are two a penny.

However, the hype is still firmly grounded in the very modern obsession with men’s facial hair, so to really embrace this trend there’s only one move to make and that’s away from the razor. The website How to Grow A Moustache champions Moustache May, so what better time to give the hair growth a go? If you need help choosing a style to suit you, or convincing that it’s a beneficial choice, take a look at our quick guide:

1)      Check out your features

A moustache can become the perfect tool to balance out larger or smaller features. For example, if you have a large nose, a good thick top lip’s-worth could be the way to go. Having a small smattering of hairs will only emphasise the prominence of your other features in comparison. On the other hand, if you’ve a small nose, don’t overwhelm your face with too much ‘tash.

2)      Compliment your face shape

You can balance out a rounder face with a more angled moustache, while a square jaw can be softened slightly with a gentle curve.

3)      Be inspired

With all the inspiration around today, you’d be mad not to check out plenty of photos before you choose your own style – you’ll get a better idea of exactly what type of ‘tash to go for this way.

Now you know what a moustache can do for your face, are you going to get on board with the trend?

At first glance, it would be easy to commend The Dude – played by Jeff Bridges – for dressing solely for comfort. Loosely-fitting raglan T-shirts, elasticated waistbands and a melancholy rainbow of faded colours make up his attire – and that’s when he’s not setting out to the supermarket in a dressing gown. But there’s more to admire The Dude for than his dedication to self-comfort.

He stays true to his style

As Clothes on Film’s ‘Dual Analysis: The Big Lebowski’ suggests, The Dude’s character is defined by how he looks, so his clothes reflect his personality. Like his character, his style stays consistent. “He starts out in the story as bone idle and ends as bone idle”, the article says, and his style is as endearingly laid-back in the last is it is in the first scenes. When you’ve hit upon a style that expresses who you are, why change it?

He rethinks items

While you may not go the whole hog and opt for a bathrobe as outerwear, we’re inspired by The Dude’s confidence to take pieces from one situation and make it work – or not care that it doesn’t work – in another situation. We’re thinking this approach could work to mix up outfits on a less drastic scale – wearing a formal belt unexpectedly with a casual outfit, for example, or throwing a sporty jacket over a semi-tailored outfit.

He blends his influences

The Dude’s look is heavily influenced by seventies hippy-style, but there’s a strong early nineties influence there, too. Taking inspiration from the current trends (the film was set in the nineties) as well as looking to decades gone by for ways of mixing it up is a real recipe for success.

With his relaxed style and assured attitude, this is one guy we can truly be inspired by as we track down the styles that suit us, and stick with them.

Nintendocore

One of a ridiculously long list of ‘cores’, Nintendocore gives geeks all the ear-bashing associated with rock music blended with the sounds of playing Nintendo, but without any of the visual pleasure of gaming or actual fun. Wikipedia names Metalcore group Horse the Band as responsible for coining the genre’s name, but salvages the music makers’ rep ever so slightly by adding that it was a joke. This blend of aggressive modern rock and video game music has also been wreaked upon the world by groups The Advantage and Minibosses, among others. What’s next? Washing Machinecore? Music that sounds like clothes going round but you get no clean socks at the end of it? We ask you!

Electrofolk

We don’t really mind the fact that some music genres just sound like screaming. We can shrug off the fact that some people are unexplainably into tracks that sound like two beeps on repeat. What bugs us is that some genres don’t even seem to know what they are. Electrofolk, for example. This sub-genre samples a symphony of stringed instruments and whacks a hip hop beat over it. Also known as Folktronica, it might be described as the genre where folk meets electro, but this is a rendezvous we never fancy seeing. When, exactly, would you be in the mood for this? And can you imagine the dance? We’re picturing gangster-style moves on the top half while your legs busy themselves with a jaunty jig; not pretty.

Spacesynth

This took off in the mid-80s, and we can’t understand why it didn’t come crashing back down there and then. A cheddar blend of synth instrumental sounds with plenty of sci-fi influences, this genre is characterised by pretentiously futuristic track names and album covers predominately focused on outer space.

Lowercase

How this genre has become a genre is beyond us. The music is characterized by long periods of silence for heaven’s sake. Yes, there are some sounds in there, but they’re eerily quiet. It may be relaxing, but if what you look for in your music is silence, we can think of a better solution for you.

So to celebrate we’ve got a fantastic Star Wars themed competition. We’re giving away the Star Wars Complete Saga on Blu-ray to one lucky winner, plus 3 runners up will get a Star Wars novelty mug too.

So get your entries in, the closing date is 25th May which marks 30 years since Return Of The Jedi was released…it’s all about Star Wars this month!

To enter, head over to our Facebook page, answer the simple question and fill in your details – good luck.

So here is a lists of our Top 10 Irish Funny Men And Irish Comedians as decided by the guys in the Jacamo office.

Dermot Morgan

He doesn’t need much of an introduction, his role as the legendary Father Ted is enough to make Dermot Morgan the top of this list. But he’d also made various other appearances including comedy Irish radio show Scrap Saturday. Sadly, Dermot Morgan passed away in 1998.

Dara O’Briain

Probably best known for his appearances as the host on popular comedy panel show Mock The Week, Dara O’Briain also has various stand up DVDs and taken part in different TV series including Three Men In A Boat and Through Hell And High Water for Comic Relief.

Ed Byrne

A observational comedian, Ed Byrne is an Edinburgh Fringe Festival success with six sell out shows at the event, as well as three UK sell out tours. In his earlier career he made small appearances in a variety of shows including Father Ted before establishing himself on various panel shows as well as starring in Three Men Go To Scotland.

Graham Norton

One of the most recognisable Irish accents on our TVs, Graham Norton is known for his more flamboyant comedy performances  He has appeared in a variety of TV programmes and numerous stand up tours, but his most notable work is on his own chat show – The Graham Norton Show – which was given the premier spot on a Friday night after Friday Night With Jonathan Ross ended on BBC1.

Ardal O’Hanlon

With his role as Dougal in Father Ted to thank for his rise in main stream comedy, Ardal O’Hanlon moved onto appearing as the main character in My Hero for five series as well as three stand up DVDs. He’s since gone on to make numerous appearances on TV panel shows and programmes.

Dylan Moran

You’ve probably seen Dylan Moran in UK sitcom Black Books which he co-wrote and starred in, while he’s also known for his work with Simon Pegg on Shaun Of The Dead and Run Fatboy Run. He’s a regular on the stand up scene and appears in various comedy festivals worldwide and was voted as the 14th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4′s 100
Greatest Stand-Ups in 2010.

Brendan O’Carroll

Take a closer look, yes that’s Agnes Brown from Mrs Brown’s Boys. But that’s not all Brendan O’Carroll has to his name, you’ll probably recognise him from quite a few TV programmes like Max And Paddy’s Road To Nowhere and more recently in Security Men. He’s also impressively wrote seven novels.

David O’Doherty

A big name on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival circuit which he has won two awards for, David O’Doherty is known for combining his quirky stand up comedy performances with tunes on an electric keyboard, usually around rather unusual topics.

Jimeoin

Popular in Australia, Jimeoin first came to attention in the UK during a tour which was filmed by BBC Northern Ireland. He has made various comedy appearances on different programmes and also a frequent performer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

What do you think to our list? Have we miss someone out? Comment and let us know your thoughts!

To get started, you’re going to have to either get your hands on an emulator like DOSBox – a quick search in Google will give you all the information you need to know – or choose games that have been created for contemporary computers but have the graphics and gameplay features of older games.

Next up, revisit the retro classics! We’ve hand-picked some of the best games from tech information site Tom’s Guide, so you can exercise those fingertips and let the memories come flooding back.

DHTML Lemmings

Remember this puzzle game? You guide the lovable but stupid creatures safely across a couple of danger spots to reach the exit, assigning special tasks to a specific lemming for the sake of the group’s survival. It first came out in 1991, and thanks to its true-to-the-original port into HTML5. You can see for yourself that this game is just as blissfully infuriating and addictive as it was all those years ago.

Flashback

Born in 1992, this platformer was known for its smooth movements and strong plot. The colourful game was rich in detail and good to look at and, with a storyline featuring a galactic investigator and aliens disguised as members of the government, who could not love this game?

FreeSynd – The Remake of Syndicate

Syndicate saw gamers fight in a world controlled by corrupt megacorporations, enjoying frenzied realtime gameplay as they sought to gain access to weapons and knowledge that took characters to new capabilities. The premise of the game involves commanding a team of cyborgs who battle through a plethora of cities from the future. We would say they don’t make them like this anymore but wait – FreeSynd is the modern remake that lets us enjoy a blast from the past.