I don't know if you've seen it on the news, or read about it in the papers, but it's snowing. Our green and pleasant lands are covered in a carpet of snow and, what with this being the start of spring and all, people have noted such an occurrence is unusual - it's so unusual that a quick look on any social media channel would uncover entry after entry of individuals declaring updates on the climate (over and over). It's like my Twitter feed has been taken over by a gang of easily confounded amateur meteorologists.

   The snow, in turn, gives people the chance to combine two very English obsessions - a love of proclaiming banalities about incremental changes to the weather and utilising any possible excuse to have a good complain. If it wasn't snowing now, there'd be people who were complaining it was too hot or that we didn't get enough snow in the winter. Personally, I am glad of the snow and the reason is obvious - I've noted before that I'm dreading the summer coming (how is it possible to stay smart in the heat) and that I have an enduring love of accessories. So, despite the muted view out of the window, let's take a look on the bright side here! As far as I'm concerned, the elongated winter allows us to wear scarves and hats for longer and this can only be a good thing!

   First things first, when it comes to men's clothing a staple of their wardrobe should always be knitwear. You name me a person who says men don't look at their best when be-decked in a cardigan or a woolen jumper, and I'll name you a person who doesn't understand the aesthetic intricacies of male fashion. Come the summer, the time of the year when most men are in a mad dash to remove as much clothing as possible with the desired look for many consisting of nothing more than a pair of shorts and trainers, it's impossible to sport smart knitwear so let's make the most of it whilst we can.

   Ditto accessories. If the sun's full blast encourages us to remove as many layers as possible, then the cold snow has the opposite effect - it encourages us to layer together as many different items as possible of designer menswear . Whilst ladies can accessorise all year round with clutch bags, earrings and jewelry, we men folk only have a limited window of opportunity to add scarves, gloves and wool hats to ours. So, whilst the miserable weather outdoors may not be ideal in some respects, at least it gives us a little longer to dress to the best of our capabilities before the season changes and leaves us with no choice but to remove as many layers as we can.

   So, whilst I'm not overly concerned now about the lack of respite in this elongated winter of discontent, the main thing that I'm concerned about is the return of summer. Not just as I have no idea (as I've mentioned) about what clothes I should wear, but mainly because I'll become the very stereotype I highlighted earlier on in this post: the Englishman complaining about the weather.

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