bravo, david colman. courage is a good thing.

the new york times men's style columnist
took a hearty swing at the bleak fall fashion landscape in a recent article,
pointing out what every guy who loves clothes knows all too well by now:
this recession, this economy, and the resulting buys at stores
have left us all
really cold.

it's blandsville out there,
a sea of conservative silhouettes
(and i'm not talking madmen, here)
and tonal colors.

i think the biggest surprise
was the lack of surprise.

and, interestingly, the retail sector is sucking wind right now,
no one is buying.

mr. colman posits that there is still a little bit of fascinating fashion out there,
and that the men who can afford it
are still reveling in it.

the accompanying examples of forward fashion are really well edited.  

but bravo to the columnist for championing not just the foreward fore-wearers,
but the need for them,
even in hard times.

click here for the STORY

and pics for those of you too lazy to read . . .

take me all the way home, baby.
rick owens fur headpiece,
thom browne jacket,
and ALL.

RUNWAY RUNDOWN : patrick ervell spring 09

our little american provocateur,
our raf simons redux,
our "yes please gold foil my poncho",
patrick ervell does spring:

and THAT is how you execute stripes a guy can wear.
and a hand beaded polo?
yes, please.

SHOW BOYS -

mmmm.
beef.
plus cake.

the show boys were back in force.

i'm not going to be all philosophical here.

the advent of male beauty may be the most radical aspect of all this fashion flurry of the last decade.

i'll go with it.

defining style -

from our friends over at valet,
how to pronounce a few designer names:

dior homme : dee - OAR OM   (it's right, but funny.  seeing it, at least.)

dolce & gabbana : dole -CHAY and gab-BON-a

dries van noten : dreeze van KNOW-ten  (actually a good breakdown.  impressed.)

givenchy : Zshee - VONshee   (yes, she is.)

hedi slimane : EDDY slim-AHN

and my favorite,

hermes : AIR-mehz

RUNWAY RUNDOWN : thom browne spring 09

ah sweet thom.

how you have changed our pant lengths.

even i struggle with the short cuffs.  flash backs to growing pains in jesuit school, and parents who didn't want to invest in new pants every month.  i got used to ankles.  now, i'm getting used to it again.

in addition, we thank mr. browne for tight jacket armholes,
and endless litanies from tim blanks about the emasculation of the modern male.

i DO love how much he pipes his clothing.
so you see piping, shorter lengths, tighter clothing . . .
all hitting the mainstream.

this collection included some dropped crotches,
and as much as everyone is swooning over the "mad men" phenomenon,
i find the look oddly clumsy.

even though i'd kill for a suit,
this runway leave me oddly cold.

even with scuba suits.   and tutus.

i get it.

i just don't know if i care.

from the mouths of BABES - anomaly is the goal :

"I think you would agree 

when I say this :  

landis is an anomaly."

-tom porter,

a boy-babe,

on my relationship with rules.

hey, you don't get to rule the world

by following the easiest path. 

IF I WERE GOD :

men's magazines,
GAY OR STRAIGHT,
would be forced to put more effort into their porn shots.

i all for the porn shots.

i just wish they would make some effort.
like french playboy did,
when they shot anouk lepere, the model:

check the panties.  check the shoes.  check the gloves.

now THAT'S erotica,
baby.

sidelines of the men's shows -

it's ok that i'm crushing on him, right?
and his yellow socks?
and his JAWLINE?

i've met the hamish.
in passing, at a party.
this expression is SO the hamish.

when seeing this, i kind of feel like they planned it.

and i want to hug them in thanks.

remember, i've been in a mall in l.a. recently.  i'm still recovering.

WORKING IT : the lanvin trainer (or sneaker. i'm affected. suprise!)

call them fetishes,
call them obsessions,
but i have historically latched onto certain items
by certain designers
and purchased, collected, even hoarded them
because
(and some of you will understand this)
they simply "click".

it started with the martin margiela
simple, beltless "tube" pant.

my friend david worked at barney's at the time,
and was wearing a pair.

they looked amazing:
simple, clean, yet somehow SEXY.
it was the blend of cut and fabric and sophistication
that,
after the first pair,
led to the immediate purchase of every other pair i found.

(imagine my chagrin when i lost fifty seven pounds,
and,
consequently,
my entire "collection".
the seamstress just laughed when i asked her to take them in,
and touched the two pockets over themselves to demonstrate the . . . futility.
i had to start from scratch.)

this led to a couple of rounds with hermes scarves,
(see the earlier posting)
jil sander blazers,
american apparel summer v-necks,
gold toe socks,
and . . . the lanvin trainer.
sneaker.

whatever.

when i first saw them on the runway, i hated them.
they were glorified sneakers.
they were ROUND toed, clunky, vivid.
they were trying too hard.

then, i was given a pair as a gift:

pink satin.  pink ballistic nylon.  pink suede.
(no, i'm sorry.  to quote a designer friend, not pink, cyclamen.)
it was OVER.

they became my "go-to" shoe.
they suddenly made the suit, modern.
the jean, chic.
the khaki, edgy.

perhaps it's the blends of patent and ballistic nylon, or satin and suede.
i've even seen them beaded.
perhaps it's the precise scale of sole to toe, weight to space.

whatever it is,
the fetish has become an obsession, and, if i could make it happen,
it might be
(gasp.  shudder.  don't quote me.)
the only shoe i  need.

remember,
i said not to quote me . . .

(they just keep making them so prettttty . . . )

from the mouths of BABES - my superpowers

 

your superpower?  

amazing design sense; 

good visual eye; 

cool wit; 

spending ludicrous amounts of money 

on small amounts of unique things; 

color coordination;  

you know the drill.

-evelyn lee,

while playing "what superpower would i have?"

HA (proof!) -

ok, remember all the clarification around the issue of deep v's?

i am in a store in l.a.

i see this guy:

yes. 

"affliction" style graphic v neck tee.  true religion jeans.  tons of chains.

and yes.  it came in a pair:

the mall is a good place to go get a dose of reality.

it both saddens, and inspires.

RUNWAY RUNDOWN : duckie brown spring 09

new york shows hit town,
and we learned a lot.

we learned that the little label duckie brown is fast becoming an edge inducing trend leader.
what started out with an experimental label full of color and over-the-top whimsy
is now leading the pack with looks that push the masculine edge out there.

what excited me?  affirmations.

the increased blend of formal and sport
was really well done here.
and without any need to throw in a "feminine" twist.  (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

also, please note the re-emergence of tights.  under shorts.
there is no denying this trend after the nyc shows,
but duckie brown executed it really well.

and following the silhouettes of tomas meier at bottega,
we see the volume in pants and tighter "chaplinesque" jacket.

all in all,
an amazing show.

and the first time this label made me sit up,
and take notes.

notes as in "i'll take that.  and that.  and that."

what landis wore : the outsidelands festival

seriously,
this is me,
out of my element.

what to wear to a massive
"hippie music in golden gate park that your really close friend is working backstage at and you want to go support him" thingie?

i went with:

(paul smith hat, varvatos sweatshirt, levi's capital E's, adidas tigers)

LORD,
i was out of my element:

and i lasted . . .
forty five minutes.