Sporting looks for spring surprises
If you were a geek who was relentlessly bullied in high school and had to eat lunch every day in a toilet cubicle, you might find yourself having unpleasant flashbacks when you look at the trends for spring. Yes, the all-American jock is the season's biggest news. Think Puck from TV show Glee with his varsity jacket and you get the idea.
The letterman jacket, the ultimate status symbol that signified the highest level of American high school life, is a spring must-have especially at Louis Vuitton where Paul Helbers showed grown up versions of the jacket, combining materials such as nylon and suede and using subdued tones. One version (right) in cream with patches of grey on the shoulders and collarbone was paired with shorts to drive home the athletic aesthetic. Similar styling was on a jacket in navy. At Bottega Veneta, there was a varsity-style jacket with a camel-coloured body and sleeves in white. It was also shown in a combination of chocolate brown and white (right). At Gucci, letterman style jackets were abundant although Frida Giannini gave them a sophisticated, almost rock'n'roll twist like the grey and black version with white and black diagonal panels with an attached hoodie.
When you talk of athleticism, youth and vigour, you cannot ignore the influences of Lacoste and DSquared2. Lacoste is entrenched in sports wear, with nylon windbreakers and zip-up jackets. At DSquared2, hoodies and shorts celebrate the look of the star athlete.
But if you wish to banish memories of high school, men's fashion is also paying homage to the nerds who have reinvented themselves into savvy entrepreneurs and big-shot CEOs. Double-breasted jackets, which have been slowly creeping back into the men's fashion lexicon for the past two seasons, have exploded and become the new height of cool. The timing is fitting with the release of Wall Street 2.
But don't go running to your closet to unearth your DB jacket from Giorgio Armani's heyday. The new DB jacket is slim, relaxed and does not reek of megalomania. And it is not limited to the matching trousers that come with it. You can pair a dark DB jacket with khakis or jeans a-la Bottega Veneta or with grey trousers as at Prada. The Prada DB jackets are single button, which gives the wearer the right silhouette without having to worry about looking like a grandfather. Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent also showed single-button DB jackets although his shapes were fuller and more pronounced. I must introduce this to my wardrobe, especially after seeing so many young guys in New York last September wearing a DB jacket with such confidence.
Brown is everywhere this spring. At D&G it came in shades of sand, camel and tan in beat up jeans or three-piece suits. Hermes too was awash in brown but in darker chocolate tones (seen in the blazers and some of the trousers) or earth - as seen on the waistcoats and shirts.
According to Pantone, the colour of 2010 is turquoise and while this is a hard colour to pull off without looking like a parrot or a bathroom tile or both, brands like Calvin Klein and Etro showed it in ample doses. At Calvin Klein (left) it was full-on - suit, shirt and tie. In real life, I'd advise against this. Instead, break it up. Wear the suit jacket with white pants or the shirt with black trousers. They showed turquoise at Etro as an accent in a scarf or an overnight bag or suede loafers. All in all it was nothing too blinding or shocking. Remember folks, just a hint goes a long way.
Shopping List
Bottega Veneta, The Landmark, Central, tel: 2973 0882
Louis Vuitton, The Landmark, Central, tel: 8100 1182
DSquared2, On Lan Street, Central, tel: 2524 3988
Gucci, The Landmark, Central, tel: 2524 4492
Prada, Alexandra House, Central, tel: 2522 2989
Lacoste, Central Building, Central, tel: 2530 2810
D&G, IFC Mall, Central, tel: 2805 0577
Hermes, Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay, tel: 2919 5770
Calvin Klein Collection from Harvey Nichols, The Landmark, Central, tel: 3695 3388
