Men’s wear: mergers predicted

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 14

Men’s wear: mergers predicted

Paula Ryan

Probably the most important statement about men’s wear is that the division between formal and casual-wear (which during the last two or three seasons has become increasingly blurred) is now virtually non-existent. Tailored clothing this winter takes on a much more “laid-back,” nonformal attitude. On the other side of the coin, casual-wear becomes far more formal in feeling, borrowing freely from what could be considered formal, tailored clothing. For instance, the übiquitous blouson becomes replaced by the singlebreasted (usually threebutton) jacket or topper in heavier weight fabric. Lightly waisted or fitted suits Although the over-all

trend in the tailored clothing area is for suits to be cut closer to the body with a slightly “nipped-in” waist and extended shoulder line, the casual wear silhouette is for the most part still big; over-sized,

and loose. Swinging sixties For the younger segment of the market, one of the strongest trends to emerge for winter is the sixties look. Three-button single-breasted jackets, la-pel-less cardigan jackets, a la The Beatles, Nehru jackets, long drape-style jackets, turtleneck sweaters and woven shirts, drainpipe trousers, stirrup pants, bright psy-chedelic-type prints, all abounded. Many of the looks resemble Pierre Cardin’S 1960 s “Space Age” look. Folklore inspiration After Sixties, the other important trend is a defin-

ite folkloric feeling. This is most conspicuous in the knitwear category where ethnic-inspired patterns appear everywhere. It is also an important story for shirt prints. Designers have borrowed from every conceivable source. The favourite inspiration is American Indian, but then there are South American influences, primitive cave painting looks, Islamic carpet looks, Mayan Indian abstract geometries, South Pacific batiktype prints, even Celtic print and pattern stories. The English gentleman After these two important trends, the English Gentleman look with a definite aristocratic air appears, again and again

on both a trendy young designer level and also on a classic, up-dated traditional level. It is, all very county, NOT country. Pattern mix is still a major theme here, and if anything the handling has become even more flamboyant than ever. Prints, intricate jacquard patterns, neat country checks, tapestry looks brocades are all mixed together with near • wild abandon.

Very much a part of this whole aristocratic Englishman theme, are the equestrian-inspired looks. Waisted riding jackets, riding macs, jodhpurs, bright red fox hunting jackets with velvet collars, and Hermes-type prints are all there. American preppie Then there is the classic American preppie look, always a favourite with The French, and back for next winter in force. Baseball jackets, collegiate cardigans, twinsets, dufflecoats, carcoats, but-ton-down shirts and neat tapered trousers are all important items. It is a clean-cut, updated classic story that will undoubtedly be a huge commercial success. The big outdoors On the casual-wear scene, the rugged outdoors look is still a dominant force. Big, chunky, handknit cardigans and pullovers, aran knits, thick fisherman’s ribs, bulky blousons and parkas, warm blanket wools, lumberjack plaids, fur col-

lars, functional cabans and tons of corduroy, are all vitally important for next winter. Also, as in Italy, sheepskin outerwear is de rigueiir. Three-button jackets Item for item the most important new story to emerge is the comeback of the three-button, singlebreasted suit. The young designers treat it in an off-beat 1960 s way. But even the classic French designers like Dior and Lanvin show the new three-button suits and jackets. There are also an enormous number of very

long, drape-style jackets around.

Colour returns

After too many seasons of black and the monochromatic black and grey stories instigated by the Japanese designers, colour has swept back into the picture for next winter. Although black is still of prime importance, it is nearly always used with vibrant bright colours, so the over-all impression is no longer heavy or hopelessly sombre.d Rich, jewel brights — ruby, emerald, amethyst, jade, amber, sapphire, topaz, garnet and metallic tones bronze, silver and

deep gold — are favoured, being used on their own and with black. Brown keeps creeping in, in an attempt to dethrone black, but somehow it does not quite succeed. It is, however, becoming increasingly important. News in knits Texture (both stitch interest and textured yarns) are important. Intricate, exciting, fresh-looking jacquards and intarsia patterns abound. Again, for the most part, these generally favour rich jewel tones. Also, purple and bright green are favourite knitwear colours.