Don Draper goes up against Paul Bunyan in the title match for top menswear trendsetter this fall.
“At one end of the spectrum, you’ve got guys who are dressing up not because their workplace requires it, but because looking your best is fun, period,” said Tyler Thoreson, editorial director for Gilt MAN (www.giltmanual.com).
“At the other end of the spectrum are the heritage obsessives, whose taste in clothes — not to mention food and drink — is driven by a desire for the real, the handmade, the tactile in a digital age,” he said. “It’s an outdoorsy, woodsy look, and if what you’re wearing isn’t made in America there better be a good excuse for it.”
These iconic looks have some ironic twists.
It is digital sources such as A Continuous Lean (acontinuouslean.com), run by Gilt MANual contributor Michael Williams, that have helped spread the “heritage” trend, Thoreson said.
And Europeans are among the most enthusiastic adopters of American heritage brands and workwear looks, said Tom Julian, a trend expert and author of the “Nordstrom Guide to Men’s Everyday Dressing” (Chronicle Books, $17.95).
As for “Mad Men’s” imprint on men’s style, “Draper gets all the attention, but Roger Sterling is actually far more stylish in his custom three-piece suits,” Thoreson pointed out — even if neither of these characters is at the top of his game at the office.
Terms and exclusions apply
Can a guy who’s not as big as an ox evoke Paul Bunyan?
Heavyweight sweaters and jackets can overpower a compact physique, Julian said, but “the sleeveless puff vest, the small-scale plaid shirt (flannel or cotton), the cord trousers can be worn by all.”
Arnold Zimberg’s brushed plaid shirts (arnoldzimberg.com) can be found in plaids of all scales for men of all sizes. The shirts, with a trademark velvet strip down the front placket, are shaped without being clingy, laidback without being sloppy. “The bottom line is our look crosses over,” Zimberg said.
At the opposite end, can a defensive lineman pull off (or, put on) a slim-cut suit?
“Every suit label is doing a leaner look — 3-inch lapel, flat-front trousers, shorter-length jacket,” Julian said. “Larger men need to make sure that they don’t do the tight fit but select an American relaxed silhouette,” from labels such as Joseph Abboud, Ralph Lauren and Hickey Freeman.
Also, “Mad Men” skinny isn’t the only silhouette out there for a brawnier guy. A double-breasted one suits Josh Brolin’s imposing frame in his role as Bretton James in “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.”
“It’s important to remember that you’re wearing the clothes; they’re not wearing you,” Thoreson said. “If it starts to look like a costume, like it’s not something organic to your own sense of style, forget it.”
Can one guy work elements of both looks into his presentation?
“It takes a pretty bold guy to pull it off,” Thoreson said. “That said, I’m a huge fan of undercutting the formality of a suit with a nicely beat-up pair of work boots. And nothing classes up a flannel or pair of vintage denim like a well-cut blazer.”
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Anatomy of the 2 looks
Don Draper style
A narrow-lapel, slim gray suit. “Skinny ties may well go out of style, but a well-tailored gray suit is a perennial,” Thoresen said.
Brands: Calvin Klein Collection, DKNY, Seize sur Vingt, Martin Greenfield.
Note: A thin tie with a tie clip makes the look even more literal. Whatever your dress code, gray should be in it. “The color acts as a foolproof addition to the closet, Julian said, mixing with everything from dark denim to flannel shirts to turtlenecks.
Paul Bunyan style
Levi’s and plaid. “Things like a pair of Levi’s or work boots you broke in yourself, or a rugged plaid flannel shirt may be very fall 2010, but those things never really go out of style,” Thoreson said. “What’s trendy is what’s timeless. That doesn’t happen too often.”
Brands: Billy Reid, Woolrich, Levi’s, Michael Bastian for Gant, Thom Browne, Tim Hamilton, Pendleton, Penfield, Rogues Gallery, L.L. Bean. (Look to L.L. Bean’s Canvas line for a leaner translation.)
Note: Other key items, Julian said, include khakis, Fair Isle
sweaters and desert boots. “We saw the resurgence
of boot brands like Timberland, Frye and
Red Wing this year and with it came a
newfound appreciation of men’s boots — military-inspired lace-up boots, buckled
biker boots and suede dress Chelsea
boots.”
SIDEBAR: 5 easy updates for fall
Tyler Thoreson of giltmanual.com offers five favorite finishing touches for men this fall.
1. “A groomed — but not too groomed — fall beard.” http://www.gilt.com/manual/2010/09/how-to-grow-a-proper-fall-beard/
2. “A well-made, sturdy pair of wingtips, which go equally well with jeans and a suit.” http://www.gilt.com/manual/2010/09/a-serious-pair-of-wingtips/
3. “Boldly colorful socks. They’re a great, and slightly stealthy way to show a little flash and modernize your ‘Mad Men’ suit.” http://www.gilt.com/manual/2010/09/a-collection-of-colorful-socks/
4. “A classic tweed jacket, preferably with elbow patches.” http://www.gilt.com/manual/2010/09/a-jacket-with-elbow-patches/
5. “Broken-in denim — that you broke in yourself.”
