FALL 2009: THE MENS REPORT

It’s odd for me to be writing about Fall/Winter 2009. As a fashionista I’m already on to the Spring 2010 shows. But here’s the thing, the big trends from Fall/Winter 2009 have spilled over into Spring 2010. As an exciting aside, the “Men Dressing Like Men” trend has also crept into Womenswear. It seems all the designers want you to do one thing: Man Up. Men.Style.com says it best! It’s time to leave your boyhood behind. Look to AMC’s hit show Mad Men for your style cues! Shine your shoes, don a pocket square, button that collar and put on a tie!

And no, it doesn’t mean dressing like your dad! The cuts are lean and mean so hit the gym. The silhouette is slim. It’s not dandy or overdone. In a word it’s ELEGANT. Understated class with elements of bespoke tailoring. And it’s infected the girls too! Nothing is hotter right now and into Spring than a “boyfriend blazer” tossed over just about anything. Throw a belt around it ladies to give it fantastic shape. Roll the sleeves up to make it super au courant!

Fall/Winter 09 is a gorgeous season for shopping. All the designers seem to have put their best brogue covered foot forward. I’ve never seen such wearable, salable clothes. There is truly something for everyone. At Calvin Klein and Micheal Kors there are gorgeous suits coats and suits of Donegal tweed. If you are a suit boy (like I am) head to Band of Outsiders for relaxed or Jil Sander for minimalist perfection.

And a special note: Dolce & Gabbana produced the collection of their epic career. The evening looks are to die for. There are boldly colored evening jackets and they even, somehow managed to make a quilted tuxedo jacket cravable. And let’s not even talk about the models chosen to show the collection. The most beautiful men on the planet. Especially my current crush Noah Mills, but D&G where were the Black men?

My fave collection of the season comes from Raf Simons. Yes he’s one of the Belgian geniuses (like Anne Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten) who have been pushing fashion forward with their clean, pure aesthetic for decades now. Raf is also the current designer of Jil Sander (one of my favorite brands ever). His namesake collection hit all the right marks for Fall/Winter 2009 and Spring 2010: expert tailoring with very little frills. When an outfit looks this right it doesn’t need bells and whistles! Raf Simons let’s the clothes speak for themselves!

So that is it dear readers! I’m just back from Greece shooting a fantastic new show, E! Network’s Perfect Catch and plotting how to spend every dime I made on Fall/Winter 2009. I want a new Rolex, the Raf Simons camel coat, a new double breasted suit from Ralph Lauren and I must have the grain leather Eaton duffle from Jack Spade. Hey a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do! M*