Dressing up for the winter
A style guide for men who want to keep trendy in the not-so-far-off cooler months.
ISLAMABAD:
While the summers make it all too easy to pull off the easy-going charm of a well-weathered tee, jeans and dark wayfarers, our man of winter is forced to pay attention to his sartorial choices — finding the right coat, blazer and appropriate layering are difficult feats to accomplish without the right kind of guidance.
The mainstream man faults when he turns to the de-facto ‘lumberjack’ look, so popular amongst the fashion phobic, and takes to the streets in chronic plaid, sweaters from high school and loose-fitting jacket/coats. This woodsman’s wardrobe may work on a moose ranch somewhere in Canada but, please, its 2011: the urban man no longer has an excuse to look drab or fashion-illiterate; he dresses appropriately for his city’s ever-evolving modish sensibilities.
Machismo is no longer primitive; but rather has been transposed onto a classier and trimmer playing field. Old school and antiquated elegance is all the rage this year.
For fall/winter 2011-12, designers have showcased a genteel and cultivated look: the man is understated and suave, swathed in neutral palettes, sporting dominating greys. In fact, the unifying trend off the ramps this year is the must-have gray jacket or coat, ideally double-breasted and well fitted.
Locally, Republic by Omar Farooq is a good reference point. The grey double-breasted fur coat from Farooq’s Autumn 2011 ramp collection at the Sunsilk PFDC Fashion Week typifies the rage this year.
Internationally, the trend goes even further and oscillates between Anglo-Saxon textures and the pomp of private school a la fitted blazers with emblazoned breast pockets.
The designer label Miharay-asuhiro channels the romanticism of Oscar Wilde in his winter collection, conjuring grey, genre-bending felted blazers accompanied by the scruff of un-ironed and loose shirts (for the debonair Casanova). Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) has also done a novel take on all things grey and double-breasted, a typically fifties offshoot accentuated with the Dickensonian flavour of coarser fabrics — all rendered acceptable by contemporary and experimental standards (not everyone wants to look like an extra from HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”) vis-a-vis a clever interplay of grey, mature tones with vivid chromes. Turtlenecks have taken an experimental turn this season — the infusion of jewel-tones and glossy veneers evince quite the detour from the age-old and safe black or navy high-neck (ultimately, it’s difficult to look bad in even these).
Closer to home, one waits with a bated breath to see what our local royals will be pulling out of the hat this winter. Given the prevailing trends from Paris, New York and Milan, will Pakistan also see an influx of gray and classic revivals? Our sapling of menswear (western) will have to be complete with subtle palettes and ingenious renditions of Harris Tweed, and thematically experimental concepts that have already set the bar very high. It’s not exactly fallacious to assume that Omar Farooq — with his eye for market trends, attention to cut, detail and the impeccable (European imported) fabrics he works with-will take the lead.
Additionally, both Tayyab Bombal and Munib Nawaz may emerge from the upcoming bout of fashion week brouhaha as strong contenders. The former’s expectantly avant-garde line of attack should turn heads while the latter should have an easier time keeping up with this year’s criteria as his current collection of jackets and frayed grey turtleneck sweaters, though a little bulkier where the current fad leans towards slim fits, serve as ideal kindling for a fresh take on what it means to be suave and svelte this winter.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2011.
While the summers make it all too easy to pull off the easy-going charm of a well-weathered tee, jeans and dark wayfarers, our man of winter is forced to pay attention to his sartorial choices — finding the right coat, blazer and appropriate layering are difficult feats to accomplish without the right kind of guidance.
The mainstream man faults when he turns to the de-facto ‘lumberjack’ look, so popular amongst the fashion phobic, and takes to the streets in chronic plaid, sweaters from high school and loose-fitting jacket/coats. This woodsman’s wardrobe may work on a moose ranch somewhere in Canada but, please, its 2011: the urban man no longer has an excuse to look drab or fashion-illiterate; he dresses appropriately for his city’s ever-evolving modish sensibilities.
Machismo is no longer primitive; but rather has been transposed onto a classier and trimmer playing field. Old school and antiquated elegance is all the rage this year.
For fall/winter 2011-12, designers have showcased a genteel and cultivated look: the man is understated and suave, swathed in neutral palettes, sporting dominating greys. In fact, the unifying trend off the ramps this year is the must-have gray jacket or coat, ideally double-breasted and well fitted.
Locally, Republic by Omar Farooq is a good reference point. The grey double-breasted fur coat from Farooq’s Autumn 2011 ramp collection at the Sunsilk PFDC Fashion Week typifies the rage this year.
Internationally, the trend goes even further and oscillates between Anglo-Saxon textures and the pomp of private school a la fitted blazers with emblazoned breast pockets.
The designer label Miharay-asuhiro channels the romanticism of Oscar Wilde in his winter collection, conjuring grey, genre-bending felted blazers accompanied by the scruff of un-ironed and loose shirts (for the debonair Casanova). Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) has also done a novel take on all things grey and double-breasted, a typically fifties offshoot accentuated with the Dickensonian flavour of coarser fabrics — all rendered acceptable by contemporary and experimental standards (not everyone wants to look like an extra from HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”) vis-a-vis a clever interplay of grey, mature tones with vivid chromes. Turtlenecks have taken an experimental turn this season — the infusion of jewel-tones and glossy veneers evince quite the detour from the age-old and safe black or navy high-neck (ultimately, it’s difficult to look bad in even these).
Closer to home, one waits with a bated breath to see what our local royals will be pulling out of the hat this winter. Given the prevailing trends from Paris, New York and Milan, will Pakistan also see an influx of gray and classic revivals? Our sapling of menswear (western) will have to be complete with subtle palettes and ingenious renditions of Harris Tweed, and thematically experimental concepts that have already set the bar very high. It’s not exactly fallacious to assume that Omar Farooq — with his eye for market trends, attention to cut, detail and the impeccable (European imported) fabrics he works with-will take the lead.
Additionally, both Tayyab Bombal and Munib Nawaz may emerge from the upcoming bout of fashion week brouhaha as strong contenders. The former’s expectantly avant-garde line of attack should turn heads while the latter should have an easier time keeping up with this year’s criteria as his current collection of jackets and frayed grey turtleneck sweaters, though a little bulkier where the current fad leans towards slim fits, serve as ideal kindling for a fresh take on what it means to be suave and svelte this winter.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2011.