In a bar popular with journalists during last month’s Milan Fashion Week, a well-respected menswear correspondent (who shall remain nameless) was overheard comparing men’s clothing stores to “kindergarten cloakrooms”.
Harsh? A little. But he has a point.
Just look at some of the trends that have surfaced in the last few seasons. The ‘ugly’ sneaker. The oversized, primary-coloured puffa. Neon and flouro. There is, our correspondent continued, nothing terribly wrong with occasionally dressing like an overgrown toddler. It’s the sartorial equivalent of a triple-helping of ice cream.
But anything sweet turns sickly over time.
As it happened, the autumn collections previewed that week in Milan served up just the palate cleanser he was hoping for. The take-home message? ‘Elegance’ is the buzzword for a tailoring-driven movement that looks set to sweep the industry come September.
While plenty of men respond to the latest fashion trends, many have more classical tastes
But what if you can’t wait that long? Well, you can get started right now.
For Mr Porter’s latest campaign, we took a closer look at what men really want from their clothes, and while we found that plenty do respond to the latest fashion industry trends, there are just as many whose tastes are classical.
To satisfy this latter group, we’ve pulled together designers such as Brunello Cucinelli and Tom Ford, responsible for the shirt and wine-coloured suede jacket seen here, respectively. The white trousers come courtesy of MAN 1924, a Bilbao-based brand run by Carlos Castillo and Jorge Navares, two of the most consistently well-dressed chaps on the menswear scene.
It’s the sort of proper, grown-up clothing that would no doubt please our anonymous correspondent – not to mention those who prefer their fashion a little less “kindergarten cloakroom”.
For more info, see Mr Porter
