A Suitable Occasion

So.

Today I went shopping with a couple of chaps.

The goal of said shopping trip was to acquire a suit for a particular occasion (a fashion show), and return with something appropriate, but versatile for later use.

Whilst leaning against a display table and watching a sales associate attempt to ensnare my friend in some sort of dated color/fabric suit combination, it suddenly dawned on me how little information men receive from the outside world on how to wear a suit not only with style and grace, but with a hint of personal quirkiness.

My friend who needed the suit is a generally fashion sensitive sort of bloke, who has managed not to succumb to the psychological plague that currently affects many American men. Said concept is expressed through the following equation:

Fashion Ignorance = masculinity so therefore Fashion Appreciation = femininity. Thus fashion avoidance is achieved to preserve their facsimile of masculinity.

Despite his casual style, he still seemed to have difficulty with choosing a suit style. I'm sensing that this is the same for many men. So to combat this, I'm going to start off with introducing some trends that are hot off the runway:

Complete Suits



A hybrid between nautical pieces and modern Italian tailoring

Pairing greys with earthy textured pastels.

Monochromatic shades: playing with different shades of the same color

Sleek shiny fitted fabrics.


Sneakers with suits.

Classic Double breasted business suits (last popular in the mid 90's on Wall street)

Military Inspired.

Vests

Large pockets and metal buttons.

Long Torso.

Persian Inspired ( probably due to the new Prince of Persia movie. Seriously.)

Pants

Drop waist ( balanced out by the high cut on the ankle)

Voluminous

Sweatpants inspired.

Shorts.

Revamped pleated pants ( modernized by the length)

Geometric inspired pants in thick sturdy fabrics.

culottes.

Just to show that the impossible may be done, here are some real life examples of young men who have found their niche and personalized their suit.

Modern Professor.

Dapper pastels.

Shades of grey.

Fresh spring take on the casual suit/jeans combination.

Nautical foppishness.

A throwback to the eighties ( made digestible by the the neutrality of black)

New School Prep.

French Connection.

Rockabilly

Womenswear as Menswear.

Art student fashion awareness just seeps out of this.

I'll have to call it "neo-beatnik "

A nod to Harold and Maude.

All of these suits are appropriate for any occasion where a suit is required. Yet they still manage to suit the person's individual style

This generation has broken the mold quite effectively in the Dress Clothing department.

In the end my friend left the store with something appropriate for the occasion,which was great because I love watching men shop and what he purchased fit him almost like it was tailored for him.

Sorry for the slight change in format, but I felt as though the situation should be described before all the lovely pictures( photo credit to WGSN.com).

love,

Kayla

P.S. While riding over to the store today we listened to some coolish music that reminded me of my favorite ambient band: Tycho.

Check it out, you might be utterly smitten.