Classic, with a touch of the unexpected
Should you catch a glimpse of Frank Appleyard rushing through the airport to meet a flight, you wouldn’t be faulted for giving him a second look. He’d be the guy draped head-to-toe in vintage royal blue Adidas, just like English footballers used to wear back in the ’80s.
You might ask why. Why drape yourself in a retro polyester tracksuit? Why go so far as to seek one out? Well, for Appleyard, 31, the iconic warm-up suit evokes memories of growing up near Leeds, England, where soccer is entrenched in the collective psyche. And yes, the image of the Adidas-clad footballer was seared into his young brain, as well. Even now as an adult living in Hamilton. Oh yeah, and he has a matching backpack, too.
“Buying the full suit was something of an achievement,” says Appleyard, who co-owns Oh Sierra Creative and Branding with his partner, Xanthe Teller. “I finally had the means to spend money on something that was kind of silly and, kind of, was a sentimental desire more so than a practical one.”
With a background rooted in journalism, Appleyard infuses that sense of playfulness, with a keen respect for the history of an item or place, into most everything he touches. Whether he’s putting together a holiday outfit or crafting a social media post for The Other Bird restaurant group (where he worked for several years as the manager of communications), he manages to blend fun with fact.
He’s the guy who knows what a topcoat is called and why. He’s the one who has been on a yearslong hunt for a perfect full plaid, skinny suit (in red, green or grey). He likes gentlemanly pieces that feel a bit fancy. And he expresses his own personality by adding a pair of punchy socks, a vibrant print shirt or a neontrimmed cap.
Here, he wears a pair of khaki Gap chinos with a grey mock neck H&M sweater and blue denim Gap jacket. He accessorizes with tan Chelsea boots from Call It Spring, flamingo socks from Banana Republic and a Seiko 5 dive watch.
Most eye catching piece:
It’s a short-sleeved collared shirt, it’s black but it’s patterned with flamingos, lawn chairs and beach umbrellas. So, it’s the perfect summer shirt. (I wear it with) a khaki-coloured short, so something kind of plain.
Quirkiest wardrobe item:
An In-N-Out (Burger) hat that we bought on vacation in Las Vegas, and it is as bright and neon and outrageously designed as you can possibly get on a black hat. (It’s) black with pink neon
design and accents and the underneath of the hat is patterned with the In-N-Out logo.
Wardrobe must have:
Dark skinny jeans. I wear The Gap mostly, because of how they fit. But Gap and Levi’s are pretty much what I’ve worn for years.
Best purchase:
I have a full royal blue Adidas tracksuit with the white stripes down the side and the sleeves and the legs. (I found it) online. I specifically sought it out ... I’d always wanted one … Buying the full suit was something of an achievement. It was something I felt like I deserved in my life. I finally had the means to spend that money on something that was kind of silly and kind of was a sentimental desire more so than a practical one.
Regrets buying:
I always regret buying cheap shoes that fall apart within a few weeks, and it’s always a reminder to spend a little bit more money on a good pair of shoes.
Loves shopping at:
Adidas.ca ... I have a lot of staple items from The Gap. H&M I’ve been known to shop at; Frank and Oak, I’ve recently discovered, is a good source of stuff for me.
Ridding his closet of:
Boring plaid button-up shirt. It feels like every store is selling them to dads everywhere, and sometimes I bought them because, oh, they’re cheap and I can wear them to work. And then I wind up hating them and never wanting to wear them.
Splurges on:
The one thing I will splurge on is a good
watch — not an outrageously nice watch, but I like the automatic watches like the Seiko I have now. So, good quality without being crazy expensive … Beauty product he can’t live without:
I stopped buying grocery store products, so buying more pomades and creams from Shiner Gold and Layrite, either glossy or matte depending on what I prefer. I buy them through the Crow’s Nest Barbershop on Edinburgh Street.