Archive for February 4th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Designer John Bartlett gives us a taste of good ol’ American clothing that is more suitable for the mature professional man who doesn’t want to look like he stepped out of an L.L. Bean catalog. He contrasts aesthetic knits with sleek leather and splashes a reasonable amount of panache where needed. Not necessarily “fashion forward,†but it does keep up with the times (i.e. shoulder hugging long-sleeved henleys).
Color Palette: Rich earth tones are complimented by not-so-loud splashes of oranges, blues and yellows.
Silhouettes: Slim-fit pants that include subtle plaid prints and classic slacks. Sweaters range from flattering V-necks and striped sweaters that adhere to the man’s “Adonis†form and dispel those horrifying rumors of the dreaded horizontal stripe.
Accessories Report: Murses (man purses) are coming into the forefront! Also making an appearance for Fall 2006 are long, chunky nostalgically knitted scarves – just like grandma used to make.
What’s Wearable: Bartlett continues the trend of layering admirably – mostly with his alteration of the “hoodie with blazer†look. He goes a step further and utilizes a college professor tweed blazer and combines it with a street-style hoodie. Sounds a bit old-looking, but it works. The coats included in his collection are definite stand-outs – leathers, warm knits and pea coat-esque outerwear – stylish, yet mature.
What’s Not Wearable: Two words: leather pants. Unless you’re Ricky Martin, don’t go there. We also saw a button-down shirt accessorized by this gun holster looking thing. It was as if an extra from “Young Guns IV†made an appearance on the runway.
February 4th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: A leather belt with a square buckle (in black and brown), worn above the waist on the ribcage, showed up on numerous pieces: a black loose dress, a black trench coat with fur, a blue chiffon dress, a brown short-sleeved coat, a sparkly black dress, a black chiffon layered mini-dress, a grey and black patterned silk dress. Dresses of all sorts – both streamlined and loose-fitting – also dominated the collection.
Color Palette: Black, grey, brown, goldish yellow, blue, and some white.
Silhouettes: Baggy was common theme. It influenced the dresses, trousers, skirts, and coats.
Accessories Report: Thin black headbands worn with a ponytail, long scarves.
What’s Wearable: There were far more wearable items than not. We could see the dresses and military-style jackets at fancy soirées.
What’s Not Wearable: MC-Hammer-esque puffy trousers are better left on…MC Hammer. And though we can all appreciate some fur, one all-fur jacket with a high collar looked more grizzly than girly.
February 4th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: Tights, tights, and more tights. Black opaque tights were paired with dresses, pants, and even open-toed heels.
Color Palette: Can we say black overload? A brown bow (on a black dress) and a white chiffon turtleneck (under a black jacket) were in sight.
Silhouettes: Loose dresses, skinny trousers, and cropped jackets with quarter-length sleeves.
What’s Wearable: Cropped jackets, chiffon turtlenecks, a black tube dress with a brown bow, a black lace dress.
What’s Not Wearable: Nothing Too unwearable here. This piece hardly qualifies as un-wearable to many, but women who don’t like to dress like their men might not like the white button-down shirt with tuxedo stripes.
February 4th, 2006
Photo Credit: NY Metro
Key Takeaways: The trenchcoat is back but it no longer screams “Inspector Gadget†or “Columbine.†Instead, these men’s and women’s coats with high popped up collars, fur, and quality textures shout “Aviator,†“Military,†and most importantly, “Chic!â€
Color Palette: Heavy emphasis on grey and black, but some mustard yellows, browns, navy blues, and military greens showed their hues.
Silhouettes: Long and cropped coats, A-line skirts, slim trousers, and a few loose chiffon dresses.
Accessories Report: No jewels were in sight, but handbags were prominent. For women, we saw maroon, grey, and black wristlet clutches and jumbo leather satchels. One man carried a weekend black leather satchel resembling a bowling ball bag. Possible trend alert here.
What’s Wearable: Almost everything. Kenneth Cole did a wonderful job of designing real clothing for real people (Did he steal our Omiru concept?!). Especially wearable are sophisticated skirt suits, heavy coats, and loose sweaters.
What’s Not Wearable: I can’t imagine a non-military man sporting the half suede, half leather green and black boots.
February 4th, 2006