In which we discuss: what is modernity and how do we express it through our sartorial choices, suiting elements in particular since suiting is the crux of the matter in Western menswear?
This post started gestating in my mind when I noticed the recurrence of pinstripes in the AW13 menswear collections, particularly as imagined at
J.W. Anderson in the form of an oversized coat with some sort of ruffled wellie action going on. We saw a really similar silhouette for AW13 at
Stella McCartney, so long story short: we should all wear pinstriped overcoats with nothing underneath and some sort of rubbery boot for fall. Got it? Good.
The simple stripe got its most disorienting conceptualization in the hands of
Rei Kawakubo, who sent pinstriped "suits" down the runway (below) that looked like maybe the model had summoned fabric scraps onto herself for some sort of abstracted woodland nymph interview process performance art piece. You know, the usual.
Kawakubo's designs brought to mind the work of
Alan Taylor (
above; click image for source), whose "four-dimensional" collection combines textures such as tweed and mesh in unique constructions that challenge the static ideation of a suit. This brand of full-throttle modernity appeals because it provides hope that we're working towards a more diversified portfolio of suiting options, maybe not for every man, but possibly for a man who works at a seriously progressive law firm or in arts insurance.
Speaking of diversity in menswear, my friend
Abby asked about this via Twitter last week - why men's fashion tends to lack options. I would say that the
history of men's
fashions is just as diverse and varied as anything women have ever been offered. But when we come to post-WWII
conventions, yes - #menswear gets a bit more stagnant, and then we devolve to contemporary times. The reactionary resurgence of the "dandy" over the last decade, though it seems to be on the decline at this point, may have been born of the socioeconomic stability of the nineties and a resultant collective laziness. Who needs to dress up when you're on top of the world? Not our workforce during the Clinton administrations. As we've faced hardship and financial duress, it seems people want to put their best face forward again and can find it in themselves to embrace Mad Men chic. They want style that harkens back to a time when the world felt smaller, more understandable and easier to control.
I like to think of men's style in a cross-cultural historical sense. Kimonos, turbans, skirts, what have you - yes, we've seen them done for women (at Prada), but you can find them for menfolk, too, if you look East and North and South and everywhere in between.
This taxi driver's outfit is a good example of an unexpected sartorial "option" that has its roots in a specific culture; that kind of layering is now cropping up on Western menswear designers' runways.
{lefthand picture, The Sartorialist; righthand picture, my own. All runway photos via Style.com}
On the other hand, one of my favorite movies,
The Conformist (which I screencapped
here), showcases the kind of Savile Row elegance that I think men were opposed to for a time, and with which a lot of male bloggers and fashion writers have really sought to reacquaint the average man (and themselves) in recent years. Which brings me to
E. Tautz, whose AW13 collection was very much influenced by vintage silhouettes, but still felt truly modern and relevant. The photos pretty well speak for themselves, in this instance.
Seeing as the suit plays such an important role in a man's life, but has always played a less pivotal part in the female wardrobe, I've thrown together an unprecedented
three outfit posts this week that combine a pinstriped item with a simple suiting palette of black or gray, navy and white. I want to answer the question: how can we play with suiting conventions? What does modern masculinity look like? And, most importantly, how can I be fashion forward for almost $0?
What are your feelings re: suiting? Is "dandyism" dead for you?
