Gentlemen's relish
Granted, womenswear has always enjoyed greater variety and design. But while it seems menswear seldom changes, a closer look merits a different story. A recent return to luxury tailoring and classic elegance is taking place, while new labels and fashion-forward designs all offer the discerning gentleman wider wardrobe choice than ever.
Catwalk collections for men have been getting savvier as the seasons go by, with designers like Raf Simons, Alexander McQueen and Comme des Garcons continuously pushing design possibilities forward.
Autumn/winter catwalks saw waves of grey sweep across them, from charcoal and slate to pallid, British-sky grey. Fabrics were varied and layered, rich and sumptuous, from country tweeds and tartans to cosy, chunky knits and even the ironically favoured granddad Christmas-print cardi.
The country bumpkin look is alive and kicking at both Paul Smith and Ralph Lauren in Westbourne Grove. The former offers a delectable collection of checks in autumnal colours. Chequered jackets are teamed on top of striped waistcoats and shirts, all worn with skinny jeans or slim-cut trousers for a modern look. At Lauren, a similar English gentleman, heritage look is modernised with unexpected injections of colour and print and slim silhouettes.
Luxe dressing, no longer solely for girls, means labels up and down the market scale have chic looks for the everyday man. H&M has turned budget into boutique with a design-led range bridging the high street to catwalk gap without the wallet damage.
New label FORM, based in South Kensington, has translated the glamour and panache from bygone eras on the racing track into a super-styled range for the modern man. The driving force behind the range, Petra Eccelestone, who is indeed Formula One’s number one girl, says it made sense to design menswear. “People are often surprised but as a woman, I know how I would like a man to dress so it made sense to create a product appealing to them.” This, combined with years surrounded by racing’s greatest and most glamorous heroes, lends the range an esteemed touch.
Key elements aimed to fill the niche between casual and formalwear include structured coats, streamlined silhouettes, cashmeres and a favourite of Petra’s, a dramatically cowl-necked, yam wool cardigan, inspired by 70s driver suits. FORM tailoring is designed in collaboration with Saville Row specialist Edward Sexton (a favourite of her father, Bernie Ecclestone) to ensure the finer details are not overlooked.
Fine dressing for men also extends to accessories, just as fashionable for boys as for girls. Classic shoe styles like the loafer are popular again, with labels like Hudson nodding to the past and mixing things up with modern fabrics and leathers. And finally, the man-bag, a soon-to-be-staple for today’s city man, with stylish pickings at French Connection and Marks and Spencer. So with men catching up with women in the style stakes, soon it’ll be their wardrobes we raid: after all, androgynous chic is so in right now.
Stockists:
Paul Smith, 122 Kensington Park Road W11 020 7727 3553
Ralph Lauren, 233-235 Westbourne Grove W2 020 7313 7950
FORM available exclusively at Harrods, 020 7730 1234
Katana by Hudson