gentlemen, i haven’t forgotten about you.
while i have only discussed women’s fashion up to now, the truth of the matter is, my heart’s true love is menswear. menswear had a constant weight and simplicity womens clothing seems to lack some seasons. gloria, you’ve got a shoe and handbag obsession you can’t possibly love menswear more than womens wear, you say. au contraire, mon cherie – i must point out that my shoe and bag obsession sprout from my love of leather; pebbled, stained, suede…everything goes except patent. i also love fur, and thick, heavy raw materials, like canvas, hemp, thick cotton and wool, and jute. these natural, bare materials along with clean lines and simple creasing and pleating are much more abundant in men’s clothing. of course, i love linen and seersucker and lightweight cotton on men as well – the point i’m trying to get across is menswear always has heft, or a feeling of substance and structure women’s clothing doesn’t always have, or even feels is important. i’ve only just begun checking out the menswear shows for s/s 2010, but i’m loving what i’ve seen so far…
first up, i die for bottega veneta’s menswear for spring/summer 2010. the neutrals, the layered browns, the cuffed pants…love. the browns are then paired with army greens and rich blues – such a rugged and easy look, yet also shows thought and effort. later on, the show gives way to shocks of color – a sharp black suit that nods to the 80’s with it’s double-breasted jacket and straight shoulders, segues into the same suit except sent down the runway in bright red, then orange. bright purples and red-shade ensembles are next, then transition to dark reds and rust colors. the show ends on dark browns and black leather. excellent, excellent show all around. while i personally don’t prefer to see men in “frou frou” colors like pink and purple, the tailoring and styling at bottega never made me question the sexuality of the model wearing the clothes; consistently masculine shapes, fabrics, and feel, regardless of color.
next, ermenegildo zegna menswear spring/summer 2010. first, this was classic zegna. the color palette was gorgeous – grays, whites, creams, and dusty roses, blues, and lavenders. contradictory to bottega (and as you’ll see later, jil sander), the cut of zegna, especially the pants, were loose and billowy, a very linen pant type cut; perfect summer pants, if you will. clean, airy, soothing – stupendous. love, love, loved the colors in this – country engineer makes it big and hits the city was the image that came to mind.
finally, my last favorite of what i’ve been able to ogle at so far: jil sander menswear spring/summer 2010. completely contrasting the two aformentioned designers, jil sander also presented a very “jil sander” show – minimalist, black and white, extremely simple and clean lines. the model’s close-cut, cropped hair mirrored the slim fit of the clothes. except for the odd picasso/renaissance-esque face print on several otherwise white shirts, the show was very plain and predictable, but undeniably classic. i also fell in lust with the white bucks in this show…i already own a pair of cream suede bucks, but i am now on the hunt for a pair of white ones. i loved the first look – so geek chic – and the 3 great dark suits that ended the show. definitely staples for the [man’s] wardrobe.
i also took a gander at gucci, versace, and burberry menswear lines for s/s 2010, but while they weren’t bad, nothing in them really caught my eye. interesting, since christopher bailey (designer for burberry) has done an excellent job with the women’s resort 2010, in my opinion. gucci did have beautiful white suits and to-die-for white leather driving loafers…i have white leather driving moccasins by minnetonka, but i don’t have white leather driving loafers, per say… i can’t believe even watching men’s fashion shows inspires me to shop. i have a hole in my pocket. next up on my list of designers and shows to check out for menswear s/s 2010: salvatore ferragamo, dsquared, and john varvatos.
gents: check out some videos, photos, and reviews of the shows yourselves, and get inspired and creative.
*photos courtesy of GQ and GQ – UK.
favorite looks from bottega veneta menswear s/s 2010.
favorite looks from ermenegildo zegna menswear s/s 2010.
favorite looks from jil sander menswear s/s 2010.
imunlisted 