30
MSP Thread Trend Alert: Sept 2010
We graze the world of fashion for the latest and greatest in thread trends for men, gents and beat boys this week …
Street:
The street look for 2010 is cool, smooth and fulla’ attitude. It’s also a little less distressed and more laid back than previous iterations. In fact its positively spit polished. Which could mean that the street is preppy-ing up. Hmmm …
Legendary skater Stevie Williams teams up with New York City’s Alife on a signature make up of his favorite model, the Everybody High America. The sneaker is done in the colors of Stevie’s hometown baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Neighborhood presents the new releases for the month. There is lots of interesting stuff in the new drop, including collaborations with Dr. Martens on boots and with Lewis Leathers on two jackets and with Marmot on a down vest. Other nice pieces include new hats, a fur pencil case, some nice denim pieces and more.
ksubi 2011 all seeing eyewear range “eye, eye” sees mercenary heavy metal mesh, deserted island floral acetate and duty clerk optical combine for an industrial yet sculpted range. Modernising post war shapes with iconic pacific style the collection reflects an effortless complexity. Eleven sunglass and seven optical frames couple fashion versus function creating a collection of wearable statements.
High Street:
Military remains in fashion for both men and women in Autumn (Fall) / Winter 2010. But just as this trend has changed for women, so too has it evolved for men. And in exactly the same way. Taking more inspiration from early 20th Century military conflicts, the look takes in both army and air force motifs, with nautical trailing a distant third (that’s relegated more to a preppy trend).
A great jacket is key to pulling off the military look. And for that we can’t look no further than the granddaddy of the army trench … Burbs!
All black Sir! Reporting for duty Sir! Phillip Lam Fall 2010
Burberry’s 2010 Military Offensive!
Runway:
This fall winter season (Northern Hemisphere) is all about velvet … yessirs! Velvet is moving out of the drawing room and into the wide, wide open spaces. According to the trend soothsayers, the coming seasons are about making velvet one of your key statement pieces.
Says who? Says Fashioninsing.com. Whether you lean toward the young-classics or school boy attitude or towards confidence of a more masculine kind a la Tom Ford, velvet is the new wool/cotton/linen blend.
Burberry’s velvet musings
D&G’s interpretation of velvet
Try a black velvet jacket,for those the winter evenings but don’t feel that dark has to equal black. From navy to plum, the right colours will ooze confidence.
If full velvet suits and jackets aren’t for you then, fear not, there is a alternative: velvet lapels. Though an understated take on the suit and jacket element of the velvet trend, they can be as equally as eye catching as the full velvet look. Provided, of course, that they’re worn with the right lapel.
Can’t do the full velvette? Try velvet lapels …
And that part is simple: avoid a velvet lapel that is cut into a shawl or notched lapels and invest in a jacket that sports peaked velvet lapels. You’re looking for a dominant, eye catching peak, moreover, a peak that is firmly cut and finished. One that says alpha-male.
Accessories:
Nike! We love you! For their fall collection, Nike have released the Air Max Hyperfuse … sweet!
Converse has released their Jack Purcell Mid in a special version. The entire upper of the sneaker is made up of extremely aged thick leather, resulting in an interesting overall look and effect. The sneaker is now available from Flauge.
Swatch is back! Not that they ever went away … they’re releasing a new, super-sized version of their original classic Gent watch. The debut release comprises a number of toned down colors with simple styling – the tone on tone black and white being our favorites. A nice alternative to that brand that rhymes with Shmee-Shmock. Now on pre-order for a September 20, 2010 launch.
And finally … to celebrate their 35th anniversary, Converse releases their classic trainer once more … to plenty of applause ..
13
The Tie: Still hanging around.
The tie has been hanging around for many centuries. It all began when Croat soldiers from the Military in French service, wearing their traditional small, knotted neckerchiefs, aroused the interest of the Parisians. Due to the slight difference between the Croatian words for Croats, Hrvati, and the French word, Croates, the garment gained the name “Cravat”. The new article of clothing started a fashion craze in Europe where both men and women wore pieces of fabric around their necks.
Many a story has passed down the pike of how ties have evolved from a single piece of cloth hung around ones neck to where it is today. For example, The Royal Tank Corps takes its stripes from the brown mud, red blood and green fields of Flanders. The dark blue and magenta Brigade of Guards tie is intended to represent the blue blood of the Royal Family along with the red blood of the Brigade. Fascinating symbols of status and class.
Sometimes the story behind a tie is as colourful as the tie itself. One afternoon in the 1920s, for example, the actor Norman Forbes Robertson wore a salmon-and-cucumber number to lunch at London’s exclusive Garrick Club, joking that it was the official club tie. So many members wanted one that the club formally adopted it. The I Zingari Cricket Club boasts the colours black, red and gold, symbolizing the motto “Out of darkness, through fire, into light.” The orange, black, blue and yellow tie worn by the old boys of Wellington College takes its hues from the ribbon of the Crimean War medal. Then unfortunately, in the early 20th century, anti-necktie sentiment plagued offices as workers began to increase in the USA. Many such men and women were required to wear neckties, because it was perceived as improving work attitudes, morale, and sales. So it turned from a display of status to an obligation creating resentment.
Removing the necktie as a social and business requirement is a modern trend often attributed to the rise of popular culture. Although it was common as everyday wear as late as 1966, the necktie fell out of fashion almost everywhere, except where required. There was a short resurgence in the 1980s, but in the 1990s, ties again fell out of favour, with many technology-based companies having casual dress requirements, including Microsoft, Apple Inc, Amazon and Google.
I for one, love the tie. It’s a statement, it’s a a sign of membership, and it also shows that you’ve taken the time to present yourself. Whether it be formally or casually (which is ever increasing in youth culture) the tie with all its patterns and emblems is making yet again an emergence in the luxury fashion houses. Seen in the images below, I’m personally nodding my helmeted head to a tie made from feathers. Now I’ve seem armlets and head-dresses, shirts, and jackets made out of feathers, but not the tie – until now. And might I add that the only designer who could pull this off is the man, Galliano.
19
Top 10 men’s fashion brands … and why …
Which men’s fashion brands are the most popular in the world of style today? With a commitment to excellent design, tailoring and manufacturing, these leading menswear brands will give you a fashion fix for life.
1. Ralph Lauren
A luxury lifestyle brand like no other, Polo Ralph Lauren tops the men’s fashion brand charts (especially in the USA) in male wear. Ralph Rueben Lifshitz (aka Ralph Lauren) did not attend fashion school, but worked for Brooks Brothers as a salesman in the early sixties. In 1967, with the financial backing of a friend, Lauren opened a necktie store where he also sold ties of his own design, under the label “Polo.” In 1970, Ralph Lauren won the COTY Award for his menswear line. Around that same time he released a line of women’s suit that were tailored in a classic men’s style, which was when the first Polo emblem was seen. It was on the cuff of the women’s suit. Ralph Lauren, released Polo’s famous short sleeve mesh shirt with the Polo logo in 1972. It came out in 24 colors and soon became a classic. He also gained recognition for his design after he was contracted to provide clothing styles for the movie The Great Gatsby. The rest is history.
Today, Ralph Lauren is a US-based sought-out brand preferred by many men for its quality, design and chic, high-end fashion. In 2009, Ralph Lauren reportedly had a market value of $11 billion. www.ralphlauren.com.
2. Diesel
Vibrant, bred in Italy and a firm favorite with men around the world, Diesel’s clothing is aimed at the young adult market, particularly its jeans, but the brand can now be found on everything from underwear to fragrance. Diesel’s innovative approaches to fashion and art includes endorsing young creativity by sponsoring the Diesel-U-Music Contest and the Sundance Film Festival as well as being the first clothing company to market their clothing in video games. www.diesel.com/collection.
3. Calvin Klein
CK is a popular for its mad style amongst most fashion conscious guys. From sportswear, to denim and underwear, the CK brand is iconic and has made huge strides in the world of designer brands. Think of the fragrance line alone – ‘Eternity’, ‘Obsession’ and ‘CK One’ – each a stand-alone brand in itself. Calvin Klein’s underwear business, promoted in the 1990s with giant billboards showing images of pop singer “Marky Mark” – now actor Mark Warlberg – was so successful that the brand’s underpants became generally known as “Calvins” in everyday lexicon. As of 2008, Calvin Klein’s proceeds stood at $5.8 billion. www.calvinklein.com.
4. GUCCI
This Italian brand is a top men’s fashion luxury line which claims a wide share of the global market. The trademark striped webbing on their leather goods has been just one of many clever innovations that have come from the inspirational house of Gucci. Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, the brand has gone through a thousand and one evolutions, from fame to shame, from true design to fighting knock-offs and from family roots to deep rivalry. “In the 1960s and 1970s, Gucci had been at the pinnacle of chic, thanks to icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Onassis. But by the 1980s, Gucci had lost its appeal, becoming a tacky airport brand.” Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. However a turnaround of the company was devised in the late 1980s and has since made Gucci one of the world’s most influential fashion houses – it was recently named one of the best classic garment dealers in the world and sported an ample $4.5 billion in earnings in 2009.
* Useless fact – Guinness World Records cites Gucci’s “Genius Jeans” as the most expensive jeans in the world. A pair of Gucci jeans that had been distressed, ripped and covered with African beads, when they debuted in October 1998 in Milan, were priced at US $3,134. www.gucci.com.
5. Burberry Prorsum
Founded by 1856 by Thomas Burberry, a 21-year-old former draper’s apprentice, Burberry Prorsum is today a deluxe British-owned fashion corporation, popular for its clothing, fragrances and fashion accessories. The brand’s distinctive tartan pattern, a type of plaid pattern, has become one of its most widely copied trademarks of all time including the Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo with the Latin word “Prorsum”, (def: forwards) developed in 1901. In 1911 the brand became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica. A Burberry gabardine jacket was worn by George Mallory on his ill-fated attempt on Mount Everest in 1924. In 1914 Burberry was commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer’s coat to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in the “trench coat”. After the war, the trench coat became popular with civilians.
The iconic Burberry black, white, red and tan check was created in the 1920s and used as a lining in its trench coats. Today, the Burberry Prorsum brand is well-known for using British celebrities in its advertising, including models Kate Moss, and most recently actress Emma Watson, who was named the face of Burberry’s 2009 Fall/Winter campaign. Burberry accrued sales of $1.125 billion in 2009, 25% of which resulted from the American market. www.burberry.com.
6. Nike
According to Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess who personifies victory and today, the Nike “swoosh” logo is universally recognised as a symbol of “triumph”. Founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight, Nike is the world’s leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment with revenue in excess of $19.2 billion USD in the 2009 fiscal year .
Positioned as a premium-brand, selling well-designed and expensive products, Nike lures customers with a marketing strategy centered on a carefully protected “urban fashion” brand image popular in the youth, chav and hip hop cultures, and via sponsorship agreements with celebrity athletes, professional teams and college athletic teams. Nike’s brands include Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Skateboarding and subsidiaries including Cole Haan, Hurley International, Umbro and Converse. In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike also teamed up recently with Apple Inc. to produce the Nike+ product which monitors a runner’s performance via a radio device in the shoe which links to the iPod nano. www.nike.com.
7. True Religion
This fast growing, trend setting and street edgy American premium clothing line, was established in 2002 by Jeffrey Lubell and co-founder Kym Gold when it debuted denim products from their LA base.
Recognized for its t-shirts, western styled shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants all containing the western vintage feel, True Religion is a premium brand – its jeans can range between US$250–$300. Recently the company has begun branching into new products such as footwear, headwear, handbags, swimwear, eyewear, and fragrance and today they have around 900 branded boutiques and specialty stores in 50 countries on 6 continents. Their 2008 revenue figures came in at USD $270 million and in 2009, True Religion generated world net sales of $311 million. “I believe!! I believe!! Hallelujah, I believe!!” www.truereligionbrandjeans.com.
8. Abercrombie & Fitch
A US bred fashion brand, A&F is a booming men’s garment conglomerate that brought in $3.54 billion in 2009. The brand specifically focuses on casual wear and accessories for a target consumer ages of 18 through 22. With over 300 locations in the United States, the brand has embarked on international expansion throughout various world markets
The brand is today heavily promoted as a international near-luxury lifestyle concept. The company began cultivating an upscale image after the opening of its Fifth Avenue flagship store in 2005 alongside Prada and other upscale retailers, coming up with a fictional dictionary term – “Casual Luxury” – “[using] the finest cashmere, pima cottons, and highest quality leather to create the ultimate in casual, body conscious clothing,” and “implementing and/or incorporating time honored machinery …to produce the most exclusive denim…” This upscale image has allowed A&F to open stores in international locations concentrating on high-end retailing. To that effect, price points in international A&F stores are notoriously almost double the American pricing to promote an international upscale image. While the Casual Luxury “image” is continued, the trademark itself is not as widely used as before. CEO Mike Jeffries calls the A&F image a “movie” because of the “fantasy” that plays out instore. Even some of the A&F clothing is given a story: “You buy into the emotional experience of a movie,” Jeffries explains, “And that’s what we’re creating. Here I am walking into a movie, and I say, ‘What’s going to be [at] the box office today?’” (The Stylemeister: “Hmmm … sounds a bit cheeseball and try hard, Mr Jeffries.”) www.abercrombie.com.
9. Dolce&Gabbana
Recently celebrating 20 years of design, the original brand was founded by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, and is more formal and ‘timeless’ than it’s younger, more flamboyant little brother D&G – a slightly more casual line that follows an urban inspiration and attempts to set trends rather than follow them. The design house describes itself as “new luxury, authentic and unconventional – a style that expresses new forms of elegance, presenting itself as a modern classicism” and is known for its geometric and dark approach to fashion. www.dolcegabbana.com.
10. Armani
Ranked as one of the world’s leading menswear brands, Armani is an Italian luxury fashion which has a faithful male following who appreciate the clean, tailored lines of each collection. Giorgio Armani formed his company in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with the business making an annual turnover of $1.6 billion, and a Giorgio enjoying a personal fortune of $5.3 billion. Innovative and future forward, Armani was the first designer to ban models with a body mass index (BMI) under 18. The Armani Privé spring/summer 2007 fashion show was broadcast via MSN and Cingular cellular phones and after LG teamed with Prada to introduce the LG Prada phone, Samsung joined Armani to design the Giorgio Armani phone. Armani designed made-to-measure suits for Christian Bale’s character Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight. Soon, ads featuring “Giorgio Armani for Bruce Wayne” were released with pictures of Christian Bale wearing Armani suits. However, Bale later claimed in a GQ interview that the campaign was produced without his permission.
Armani has established approximately 2,000 stores worldwide with a yearly revenue of around $1 billion. www.emporioarmani.com.
Other mentionables not on the list are Prada Pour Homme, Harley Davidson Clothing and Ed Hardy – each iconic, each with a distinctive male offering. Get out there, check them ALL out for yourself, you won’t regret the investment.
______________________________________________________
Resources:
Annmicha Blugh, Break Studios Contributing Writer, www.mademan.com
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Investor Relations
Better Investing, The Leader in Investment Report: Nike
Burberry Brings Its Luxurious Brand
Fashion Design Schools: Giorgio Armani Profile
Market Research World
Harley Davidson Sets Lay-offs
University of Oregon Investment Group
True Religion Apparel Inc.
www.wikipedia.org
5
Rock contemporary style, contemporary man!
Are you a man who enjoys fashion forward clad, cool bits and bobs and pimped up footwear? Do you wear brands with a commitment to exceptional quality and do you follow independent designers with distinct visions?
Then you’re a contemporary man!
You’re a guy who sees himself as strong and fearless when he’s rocking trend driven luxe looks from edgy, cutting edge designers! Your wardrobe is filled with a mix of the good old staples and a complementary mix of indulgent and exciting brands like D&G, Mulberry, Ralph Lauren, Timex, Prada, Oakley, Marc Jacobs, G-Star Raw, Belstaff, Fred Perry, Hugo Boss and Vivienne Westwood.
And if it’s not and you long to look, be and breathe contemporary, then look no further. Get these essentials into your wardrobe:
21
D&G celebrates 20 years in Menswear at Milan 2010
A peek at the runway action
JUST IN: (MSP is a BIG fan of D&G, so whenever we can, we pump up their volume!!) Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the launch of their menswear line, fashion titans Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana hosted a most stylish party and exhibition in Milan’s city hall, Palazzo Marino, on Saturday 19 June. Outside, in the beautiful Piazza della Scala, four massive multi-media cubes featured slide shows of the menswear line and the city, as well as a sneak-peek video of an exhibition in the Palazzo about Dolce & Gabbana’s history and plans for the future.
The designers entertained some particularly notable friends and guests – see below. The presentation of the Men’s collections runs from 19 to 22 June 2010. Congratulations D&G for 20 years of outstanding and inherently male design. Love your work!
US actor Matthew McConaughey (R) and his girlfriend, Brazilian model Camila Alves (L) present creations by Dolce & Gabbana during the Spring/Summer 2011 Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, 19 June 2010.
Stefano Gabbana and Monica Bellucci attend the Dolce & Gabbana '20 Years of Menswear' Celebrations
Juliette Binoche, attends the celebration and brings with her ultra French chic!
Morgan Freeman rocks the red Turskish carpet, decked out in sub zero sunglasses and D&G suiting of course ...
Rachel Weisz shines for D&G
The venerable fashion titans Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Congratulations on 20 years of excellence!
5
Dolce & Gabbana Menswear – Spring Summer 2010
It is THE coup de foudre of this fashion season and probably the best ever collection to come from any one menswear designer in years.
Imagine solid colour accented with detailed trimming that is presented in a bold almost brash fashion. Imagine a collection where white becomes the new black and black is presented in new and ever inspiring shades of the hue that you’ve never ever imagined. Imagine bling and sparkles come alive in this the most masculine and geometric of designs to come from the genius minds of Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana.
The collection is sheer manliness; it screams elegant masculinity from the rolled up trouser cuffs (a 20s trend making a truly inspired comeback) to the erstwhile rough and tumble yet elegant jean designs that have become synonymous with D&G and blocky black single button suit jackets that are visual sex on tap.
And we can’t go past the finale – the striped bling-shine, crackin’, fitted tuxedo suit that would certainly leave any James Bond fan and character breathless.
The MSP team is extremely thrilled with this amped, spiffy, cray cray, hoppin’, off da heezie, tight, kick in the pants collection!! Enjoy and if you can afford it get some of these pieces into your wardrobe; namely – a pair of the slim black casual trousers (roll em up for the best effect), a crisp white shirt and white trimmed jacket, a striped suit and that HOT tuxedo jacket. And don’t forget those sleek dress shoes … a must have for any self respecting gentleman!
29
Loose fitting clothes – art or deception?
There are reasons why men wear what they wear. And at Style Power we have looked into the psyche of why we do such a thing. Men will usually wear what they are use to or have seen. But they also wear clothes to purposely look good or bad. (I see you’re perplexed) In this instance, loose fitting clothes are to hide something, and in most cases it’s a body that men don’t feel good in. And this is the reason why in our e-book we unpack the archetypes of men as well as disclosing 3 key body shapes to educate you in what will really look good on you, and more importantly make you feel good.
In a word loose fitting clothes represent, sloppy. Eek. (Unless of course you are a rapper). Choose clothes that fit your body. This might take some experimentation by mixing and matching certain cuts and styles until you find the right fit for your body that is flattering; but it is worth the time.
11
Giddy Up Cowboy
The Best Western!
The image of a cowboy in men’s fashion often drove herds of women to one’s paddock. In modern society, nothing’s changed. Gone with the Wind and Thelma and Louise are still strong movie moments of hard yakka men kicking up some dust on a far west farm. Now these themes in the fashion business are far from new, but D&G (pictured) won’t be the last label this season to go down this dusty track. D&G have executed a look that is commercial and perfectly shaped. Personally I’ve never seen a more ‘perfect’ suit in colour and tailoring. The finishing touch is what sets it apart. Detail is retail my friends! Nothing beats it, in value or premium.
Fashion tip – shades of tan and blues are a perfect combination.
6
Looking for Simple, Elegant and Original Style Advice?
What do Singapore, The Philippines, Malaysia, India and the United Arab Emirates have in common besides exotic food and culture?
Here’s a clue: what would the citizens of a fast emerging market be looking for with their growing wealth? Well … what else but the “look”, the right “image” …. STYLE.
Relatively sheltered from the 2008/09 credit crisis, Asia and the Middle East account for the majority of new and upcoming style disciples on the world stage.
They don’t need to go much further. Welcome to MenStylePower.
We’re your one-stop shop and guide if you’re looking for simple, elegant and original style advice that won’t break your bank account.
Avidly followed by The Savile Row Company, George Dunhill, Men Style Today, Ben Sherman Bondi, FHM Australia, The Yard (Harvard Yard), the Style Gent and many other leading men’s fashion industry heavyweights, MenStylePower.com is the ultimate men’s style website that presents men’s style with a cutting edge flava!
MenStylePower.com offers men the A-Z of Style – from tip to toe, then inside and out – discussing the power of a great suit alongside the appeal of a great attitude and gentlemanly spirit; unveiling the secrets of a diverse wardrobe on the same page as the importance of mateship, faith, integrity and chivalry. From high street to high fashion, the MenStylePower approach is fun, easy and to the point; designed and written to help the everyday guy stand out from the pack!! “True style is defined not just by the clothes you’re in, but the man in you. So sit back, read, engage and be empowered, to look like the handsome, intelligent man you are!”
About the Team: In 2008, two fashion savvy friends decided to unveil the secrets of the most suitable fashion for the everyday man. With 20 years combined experience working in the entertainment, fashion and media world, the MenStylePower team has styled, produced and worked for fashion brands like the General Pants Group Colette Dinnigan, Seduce Fashion as well as some of the hottest campaigns for EMI Music, Sony BMG, and Lexus, Toyota, Ideaworks, OmniLab Productions, and TV broadcasters such as the ABC, SBS, Network Ten, Network Seven, … the list goes on … while their passion for men’s fashion and style endures.
tweet: twitter.com/style101formen
“Elegance is a question of personality, more than one’s clothing.”
Jean-Paul Gaultier
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Men's Street Style - SEPT 2010
