Rugby Shorts Make The Grade

Men's shorts sure didn't change much in the 90's. Cargo shorts in khaki, cinnamon, brown, green and camo became the golden standard, and summer after summer, nobody seemed to come forward with a successor. Over the past few summers, J Crew and Brooks Brothers brought us preppy innovations: more traditional Bermuda shorts with repeating preppy symbols such as ship anchors, sailboats, and swordfish:

Once the cut was popularized, seersucker and love-it-or-hate-it Madras patchwork took the stage:

A great piece of innovation, though, is coming out of Rugby: the same preppy repeat-patterns done in waterproof fabric for swimwear (as evidenced by the blue pair on top):


What's the next men's shorts innovation?

Seriously?: Brooks Brothers Edition

The Brooks Brothers cotton plaid madras suit, presented without comment. Please do give us yours, however.

Fall 2008 Men's Reviews - Lanvin

Lanvin's current menswear designer, Lucas Ossendrijver, has come up with a fall collection that is sure to please both current Lanvin fans and those who have yet to discover the classic/cool line that stores like Barneys New York and MAC in San Francisco have been buying up. The look was charmingly carefree and clearly young-skewing, but it was also certainly appropriate for work. Ossendrijver offered a much better take on the recaptured youth concept that Thom Browne has often butchered. Foulards en soie made a keen appearance in place of ties, especially in the slick steel grey that feels so modern right now. Rich chocolate velvet didn't seem outdated, but felt pleasingly unexpected as a piped, double-breasted blazer. The blazer was surprisingly fresh paired with loosely-tailored navy trousers, an over-sized, winter-white blossom at the lapel, and a bow-tie worn with a crooked insouciance. Glossy shoes (a Lanvin signature) featured much thicker soles than in years past, a trend that more conceptual designers like Raf Simons to Miuccia Prada have also embraced. Even the most traditional of gentlemen will pine for the sleek jackets and coats, cut in a flattering silhouette, a perfect cross between boyishly boxy and European trim. My favorites from the collection are here, and the whole show can be found here.

Fall 2008 Men's Reviews - Yves Saint Laurent

Stefano Pilati's latest collection for Yves Saint Laurent featured two kinds of sublime dandyism. The first half of the collection featured an updated version of the late 60s, early 70s silhouette, with loose, slightly flared trousers serving as the perfect base for more timeless coats and jackets, all in relatively muted tones. The second mode was strikingly more modern, featuring rich shades of pure green and true blue, along with gently beautiful maya blue and velvety aubergine. Mixed with anorak-inspired black trenches or cropped trousers, the effect was deliriously of-the-moment. Dapper gentlemen around the world will certainly appreciate Pilati's increasingly recognizable take on classic French luxe. More of my favorites from the show here, and the whole collection here.

The New Versace Man - Dr. McDreamy?

A Versace ad from Spring 2007

Donatella Versace has quite the legacy of employing celebrities for their ad campaigns. On the women's side, everybody from Courtney Love and Christina Aguilera to Halle Berry and Demi Moore has taken a shot at portraying the modern Versace woman. Even Madonna gave it a whirl a few years ago. On the men's side, Tuki Brando (Marlon's grandson) was the face last season, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers filling the slot for the two seasons before that. Now, the word is that Patrick Dempsey, Dr. McDreamy himself, is going to star in the Spring/Summer 2008 campaign. It's certainly a much different image than the one given by 16 year-old, Tahitian-born Tuki. Will all the model-flipping confuse the customer? Probably not. The Versace man is generally really confident in their clothing choices (along the lines of a DSquared2 or Dolce & Gabbana man even) and these ads will probably attract a wider, more traditional client.

The New Look of Dior Homme

Grey windowpane trousers are cropped above the ankle, perfect stage attire for hyper-stylish lead singers
Parachute pants: neither flattering nor desirable
A smart tuxedo was a safe bet for Van Assche
White tuxedo shirts with shrunken Peter Pan collars are sharp, but the parachute pants look like a skirt
More slim, gorgeous tuxedos, built to fly out of stores

Hedi Slimane has left the building. The man responsible for the reign of ultra-slim suits on ultra-slim boys has moved on. Taking his place? Former protégé Kris Van Assche, who has been making headlines of his own with his decidedly slick take on dressing the modern man, all with just a hint of retro silhouettes. How did he do on his first time around at Dior Homme? While Slimane was into a strict, hypermodern, rock-infused vision of a man (with inspiration ranging from The Matrix to Pete Doherty), his successor appears to have a somewhat less severe view of what the new Dior Homme man will add to his closet. Take the trouser silhouette. There is now variety, from the pin-thin silhouette that Slimane had favored so dearly, but Van Assche is now expanding the range to include traditional cuts, as well as less practical MC Hammer-style parachute pants. While the latter is vastly flamboyant and questionable for black-tie wear, there is no doubt that the promise of pants cut for those with more than a 30" waist is a very positive development. Other than that, Van Assche stayed in fairly conservative territory, concentrating on a palette of black, white and greys, shaped into sharp tuxedo shirts with shrunken Peter Pan collars, clean windowpane suits, and slick satin detailing applied to seams and lapels. It was a safe way to play, probably a good bet when making the transition after such a strong visionary like Slimane.

Men's Spring 2008 - Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen has apparently fallen in love with 1950s surf culture and Americana. That's a far cry from his past collections, which have been inspired by everything from World War II to Lord of the Flies. It's safe to say that this collection is a whole measure brighter and enlivened than many have come to expect from McQueen. On the whole, his concept came off beautifully. Without any ideological theme riding too heavily on the clothes, every look was lighter and more approachable than ever before, without losing that signature McQueen edginess. He continued the season's trend of shorter shorts and cropped pants, paired with lengthier coats and parkas in more assertive colors. Fabrics spanned the range from cotton suiting in shades of white polka-dot, to slicked and soaked black wool Men in Black looks, with hippie cotton "love" shirts, extra-long sock-hop cardigans, and Technicolor neoprene diving pants all in between. While that sounds like a maddening mix, McQueen deft hand and sharp editing kept it all under control. With pieces like shark-print and flower-embroidered t-shirts, down-to-earth plaid shorts, and a few easy trousers and trenches, this collection was also built to sell. It was a bright, wet delight that was filled with easy statement pieces that I'm quite sure men will want to start wearing now. But, alas, we have until 2008 to wait!

Five Men’s Brands To Watch

3.1 Phillip Lim

New York designer Phillip Lim already has a fledgling women’s line, stocked in virtually every upscale boutique and department store from Mercer to Mario’s. Now, men can get in on his modern design sensibility and upscale construction for prices that are a relatively good value for what you get. It’s the Marni man look for around half the price. From $145 for shirts to $875 for trenches, all prices approximate.

Available online at barneys.com and shopjake.com.

Band of Outsiders

Named after Jean-Luc Godard’s 1964 classic French Nouvelle Vague film, Band of Outsiders has been seen everywhere lately, from James Franco on the red carpet to Justin Long in the “Get a Mac” ads. Smart shirts and slick skinny ties give off a less severe version of the Dior Homme look, all at a more affordable price. From $170 to $300 for shirts, about $125 to $145 for ties, all prices approximate.

Available in Seattle at Blackbird and online at barneys.com, shopjake.com and others.

A.P.C.

A.P.C. (which stands for Ateliers de production et de Creation) has quietly gained a cult following among guys who love clean looks, free of labels and infused with just the right amount of French preppy cool. Their well-made, straight-leg dark denim has been extremely popular, often seen in GQ and Details, and their entire summer line is selling out online. Jeans from $140, t-shirts from $50, collection from about $125 to $450, all prices approximate.

Available in Seattle at Blackbird and online at apc.fr.

Helmut Lang

While Mr. Lang himself parted ways with the label that bears his name in 2005, the brand has recently relaunched under the helm of Michael and Nicole Colovos, the duo behind denim label Habitual. They’ve recreated Lang’s downtown cool, sleek and monochromatic aesthetic, now within the bridge price range (a step above contemporary, a step below designer). Expect modern, texturally intriguing fabrics and cuts, including filmy, bias-cut tees, gauzy, twisted seam sweaters, and well-made city parkas. Collection from $105 to $680, all prices approximate.

Available in Seattle at Barneys New York and online at barneys.com.

Theory

Recently acquired by Japanese investors, Theory has long been synonymous with subtle, understated cool. They made their name on their precision-cut trousers in modern fabrics, such as cotton-polyamide-lycra weaves. They’ve expanded their collection to include a variety of shirts, sweaters, and jackets appropriate for any occasion both uptown and downtown, on a business trip or in Easthampton. Trousers about $225, collection from $65 for t-shirts to $875 for leather jackets, all prices approximate.

Available in Seattle at Barneys New York and Nordstrom Downtown and online.

Directory

Barneys New York
Downtown Seattle on 5^th Avenue in City Centre
New location in Pacific Place opening June 29
barneys.com
206.622.6300

Blackbird
Ballard
helloblackbird.blogspot.com
206.547.2524

Jake
Chicago
shopjake.com
773.271.5253

Nordstrom
Downtown Seattle
nordstrom.com
206.628.2111

Tom Ford's Manhattan Diggs

Tom Ford of Gucci fame has just opened his own store in Manhattan. The iconic designer personally netted over $250 million while masterminding the legendary turnarounds at Gucci and Yves Saint-Laurent (both owned by French luxury powerhouse PPR) and has put some of that cash to work by striking out on his own. Mr. Ford sure has his eccentricities about him: he had an orange tractor at his New Mexico property spray-painted black because he couldn’t stand the color, it takes half an hour to drive from the gate to his house (15,000-square-feet!), and he's hired a half-dozen young models dressed as French maids and butlers in gray suits and white gloves just to stand against the walls of his Manhattan boutique trying to blend in. For the rest of the craziness that is Tom Form, peep the article:

New York Magazine Article
Tom Ford Website

Banana Republic Men's: Summer Outlook

As stated in an earlier article, Banana Republic is arguably the only thread left holding Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) together. Here is a look into some of the products featured in the Banana Republic Men's summer lineup.



For the most part we were bearish on the casual wear, and neutral on most of the business-casual wear. Distressed polo shirts seem to have not caught on in the past with brands like Lacoste, which Nordstrom(NYSE: JWN) began carrying a few months ago in their Rail section. We think that the Banana Republic consumer will not be looking for such an extreme fashion statement and will stick to the more traditional looks. This also goes for the ruffled shirts which we think are too fashion-forward to be casual wear.

In The Spotlight: Tailorbyrd

Launched in 2002 to critical acclaim, upscale shirtmaker Tailorbyrd has prospered with their button-ups, serving a sport-casual niche with bright colors and refined cuts. Tailorbyrd’s sport shirts all share thick, high quality fabrics, double-barreled cuffs, and a quintessentially British spread collar. To add flavor, some pieces sport colorful patterned trim inside the cuffs and collar. We like Tailorbyrd’s direction; it’s been spot-on with trends since its inception and it spices up the dress shirt just as much as necessary without being over-elaborate. Sr. VP Michael Sheinfield gave us the low-down on their plans:

TFI: Is your firm privately-held? Where are you based?
MS: "Yes, we’re privately-held, based out of New York and Seattle.”
TFI: What are Tailorbyrd's plans for the future?
MS: "Our goal hasn't changed: use the best materials possible. We won't waver-that's the mindset."
TFI: What are your plans for expanding your current line-up?
MS: "We've got boys sport shirts available now, women's shirts, swimsuits, even t-shirts and golf wear. Our women’s line is expanding into dresses and jackets. That's not to say that we're losing our focus; you won't be seeing any Tailorbyrd bicycles anytime soon. We've been all over...we even did specialty vests at one point. We're selling online now, and a boutique store is something we'd consider-no idea is off the table."
TFI: How’s the business doing?
MS: “I won’t go into specifics-let’s just say that each and every growth target is met and exceeded.”

Link: TAILORBYRD Website

Thick Stitching

True Religion (NASDAQ: TRLG) has released a new line of jeans featuring a bold new stitching direction. I think this direction could salvage their lag in new innovation and distinguish their branding in the high-end denim market.