My Favourite Things: A Look Forward to Spring 2009

I have never been an advocate for fashion slavery. Fashion can be quirky and surprising, even delightful but it’s an expensive pursuit for one to follow religiously. It also has the disadvantage of lacking permanence; the essence of fashion is that reliance on the idea of perpetual transition, continual evolution.

However, while I have long been a supporter of ‘sartorial allotments’; building and cultivating a long lasting personal style, fashion cycles are pleasantly diverting.
I was rather pleasantly surprised by some of the offerings at the Spring 2009 collections. There was a good deal of the yawn-factor; muted tones on tones, an overkill of chic-bohemia but there were some particularly pleasant individual ensembles and some aesthetically charming pairings.

Burberry Prorsum: Linen & Polish

The appeal of linen, about which I have written at length, is evident here and accentuated by the glorious colour and polish of the footwear. The contrast in texture and the aesthetic cut of the trousers is particularly appealing but the marriage of the shoe and the trouser is the real magic; fresh but somehow remarkably traditional.

Linen trousers are hardly anything new but most chaps wear them very casually – even unironed. Secondly, they are often worn with careless and dreary examples of footwear; this combination shows how outstanding a casual summer trouser can look.

Bottega Veneta: Neckscarves

The neckscarf is an excellent accessory for spring and summer; a dab of colour, a little formality, whimsy and, importantly, balance for ensembles. Some might view it as a little too ‘dandy’ and affected, but these examples from Bottega Veneta show how a rather ordinary outfit can be lifted by a little colour and pattern around the neck. The retro check is particularly attractive.

The Double Breasted Jacket

This appears to be making a comeback and it’s certainly long overdue. A stylish double-breasted jacket has been missing from high fashion, and consequently the adaptive (even plagiarising) chains on the high street; hopefully this means more affordable versions will follow. Its elegance lifts pedestrian and even lacklustre pieces to a fine level of nattiness.

Gucci Blues

Frida Giannini is evidently not ashamed of exploitation. The Gucci name, so powerful and influential that shoppers queue from the early hours on discount days to ‘grab a piece of the action’ as one Selfridge’s shopper aptly put it as she scrambled past the velvet ropes outside the concession in the sales. And Giannini knows this. Consequently, the Gucci runways do have a fair amount of branded tack, relevant for the materialist-glutton in the scowling Ferrari. Ms Giannini often throws a lot of very average and forgettable sportswear onto the runways, but she clearly has talent. The beginning of the Spring 2009 collection seems encouraging; pale and interesting summer suits, wacky floral shoes and a good deal of blue (it seems I frequently forget what a marvellous colour it is).

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A Mediterranean Summer

“The Med” an impatient acquaintance of mine once remarked “really is quite dead.” The remark was made during that very forgettable post-Beach period when everyone I knew was stampeding in the general direction of Thai Air; backpacks, boarding passes and bonhomie. Chums were desperate to corner a piece of the ‘Thailand action’; “It’s cheaper than Italy” chirped an optimistic friend; “The beaches are so perfect!” cooed another. Both remarks were arguably valid; it was cheaper than Italy and the beaches were the paradigm examples of how beaches should be. However, that has changed – largely due to the explosion in tourism.

To clothe yourself for such a trip requires little thought; large quantities of shorts, casual short sleeved shirts and polo shirts. The ‘look’ was that of a student cast adrift; a wanderer and amateur philosopher. This look even affected some of the hardy Meddites – those who clutched their cool cocktails on the Costa del Sol or the Riviera – whose holiday wardrobes seemed to belong among the palms and the temples of South East Asia. It was, and still is, an awkward sight; the juxtaposition of two contrasting world destinations, and indeed it would be equally jarring to see linen trouser chic and nautical flavours at Koh Samui. The question I am pondering is; is style geographically transferrable?

History has a good number of representatives of the chameleonic school of style; Byron on his travels East, Mark Anthony on his sojourns to Egypt and TE Lawrence in his Arabian element. On the Grand Tour it was not considered out of the ordinary for wealthy travellers to adopt the local dress and style of the nation in which they were residing; the image that all wealthy Europeans stomped around the ancient palaces and ruins of Europe in Parisian fashions and London tailoring is slightly inaccurate – adopting certain modes and peculiarities of dress was part of the entertainment of travelling.

In these post-colonial days, the concept of dressing so frivolously ‘for the occasion’ is very much outdated. Even men who consider themselves to be conscientious both sartorially and culturally are likely to adopt only a few fashions of a local flavour. Many observers might also consider that the internationalisation of fashion has led to the establishment of a ‘world fashion’; where gentlemen of all nationalities might adopt very similar ensembles for different localities and different purposes – this is, of course, the inevitability of improved communication.

If I were travelling in Europe, or beyond, for the summer season I would be attempting what has been considered a ‘Mediterranean style’; soft, light coloured shoes, linens, cotton shirts; cliché casual chic, a la Dickie Greenleaf from The Talented Mr Ripley. It’s comfortable and really rather adaptable. And specifically, it is transferrable. The Mediterranean style is not homogenous or dull; it looks altogether organic and fresh but it is certainly less conspicuous than some of the more ‘dandy’ and historic summer styles that, while often beautiful and striking, really do belong on the creaking boulevards and in the faded glory of Old Europe.

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French Collars and Cuffs

“Men should only wear those” remarked an acquaintance “when they’re over forty.” He flicked his finger nonchalantly at a charming ‘French’ shirt (white collar and cuffs). I disagreed with him on the basis that youth is a perfectly acceptable, and often most appropriate, period in which to explore style to the fullest.

I very much like French collars and cuffs. I like the smart white ‘framing’ of the shirt colour or pattern; they are reassuringly formal. They are not all worn correctly. Some people have a tendency to buy an extremely large collar size and, due to the white accentuation, this has the rather sad effect of making a man look like a matchstick with a Polo mint; others wear them without jackets and while this look is largely inoffensive, it is not using the qualities of the shirt to best effect. A French shirt without jacket, billowing in the wind, can make the shirt cuffs look more like rigid manacles if it is the standard fit of shirt.

Another mistake which is made is to assume that this shirt is only for formal wear; for a wedding, or a terribly important meeting. Some men who purchase them retain them for such purposes and such purposes alone and, in doing so miss out on the fun (yes, fun) of wearing such a shirt on less formal occasions.

To open the French shirt at the neck is not the most traditional or conservative method. Most might prefer a tie but in fact, the French shirt, with the crisp white contrast is enough of a decoration in itself.

Wearing it with a neck scarf, of linen for summer perhaps and of silk for winter, is particularly eye-catching; the white collar and ruffles of a cravat appear made for each other, so natural is the harmony. While a mid to light blue is the most popular colour – a representation of two of the Tricolore – there are other colours and patterns, flattered by the ‘touch of white’ in the French shirt. Lilac, light pink and stripes are complemented very well in the context of a French shirt.

Although they are currently a fashion item, they are not as widely available as one might hope. Even Jermyn Street assistants stare at me blankly when I request examples of them. They are around and, increasingly, are manufactured without white cuffs – Hackett and Ralph Lauren examples found are all sans white cuff.

I discovered a curious blog article written, clearly with a sense of humour, denigrating the shirt as one worn by ‘assholes’; mentions were made of Gordon Gekko and Bill Lumbergh (from ‘Office Space’) as prime examples of the type of man, or monster, who would wear such an item; brash and feared rather than respected. The apparent connotations for the wearer are of disreputable and unpleasant characters; selfish, greedy, manipulative men epitomised, in the eyes of many, by the character of Patrick Bateman; the sick, greedy and lunatic serial killer creation of Bret Easton Ellis.

I think it rather a shame that this is such a popular opinion. The heritage of the shirt itself is more apparent from the French shirt. It is a reminder of the past; that collars used to be detachable – an era of delightful prim and fuss. To me it speaks not of boozy brokers and sleazy executives but of an old world charm: of high starch and clean Edwardian lines. White adds sparkle and a sense of cleanliness marvellously well, while at the same time enriching and ennobling the colour juxtaposed.

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Why the fuss: Abercrombie & Fitch

Walking up to Regent Street is a regular activity of mine. I walk across St James Park, up the Duke of York steps wedged beneath the clotted cream Nash Carlton House Terrace, and up Lower Regent Street towards Piccadilly Circus. I tend to avoid the Circus due to the high concentration of people congregating; taking pictures, loitering, pointing, pushing and shoving. If I were a tourist I could tolerate it. However, seeing it everyday is rather distressing.

What I used to do was take the route up Swallow Street. Until I realised that I saved even more time avoiding the throng by walking up Sackville and turning right down Vigo Street. However, I have recently had to avoid this route on particular days and resort back to Swallow and even Air Street to access Regent; my favourite shopping street. The reason? Well, it has nothing to do with the quiet establishments of Sackville Street – an ‘always empty’ travel agency, a stockbrokers, a couple of tailors, a book and printshop and Jasper Conran. No, even Vigo – despite the arrival of Napket and Starbucks – is not the reason for the consistent waves of people moving to and from Regent Street. At the end of Vigo, as you come to the corner of Gieves & Hawkes on Savile Row, you see the veritable ‘ants nest’; the line of dashing people can be traced back to a large and handsome building that sits on the corner of Burlington Gardens and Savile Row.

The steady stream of humanity moving in and out of this building would give the impression to the passer by that this is a structure of great importance. Is it a museum? Or perhaps an important royal residence?

However, passing by the building, from the strong shower-gel-perfume they seem to inject into the atmosphere to the low thud of vocal techno, you soon realise that this is no attraction of culture. The topless man, shining in oil, at the entrance to the store makes you think it could be some bizarre club; but it is only the bags that are carried out of the building that expose it as a shopping emporium.

Abercrombie & Fitch, although new to the area – an area of discreet art galleries, luxury goods and smart Italian restaurants – is easily the biggest, and noisiest, draw. Shoppers alien to the quiet Mayfair streets sit outside disconsolately, guarding their Bruce Weber-photograph bags full of booty. But what sort of booty is it?

The little I knew of the brand came from word of mouth and popular culture. I remember listening to the song ‘Summer Girls’ by the Lyte Funky Ones, when I was a school lad, in which the lyrics confessed a partiality for girls that wear Abercrombie attire. A&F was one of those American brands that was generally unavailable in the UK and this hard-to-get-hold-of aspect only heightened the curiosity. Since then, it has made numerous appearances, and received many a mention, in many Californian drama series to which, naturally, the youth of the UK have become rather addicted.

Though a born sceptic, I gave the store the benefit of the doubt and paid a visit to see what all the excitement was about. When I walked in I almost stumbled into inanimate objects for, much to my bewilderment, the store is completely devoid of natural light. It’s rather like walking into one of those Disney ‘rides’; I half expected a robotic pirate to thrust a sword at me from the shadows. In the dim light I was approached by a good number of muscular Narcissi who were helpful, but conspicuously so. I spotted racks, piled extraordinarily high, with colour and so I made my way over for examination.

The incredible thing about Abercrombie & Fitch clothing is that it is the least interesting thing in the shop, or I should say, the least distracting. Apart from a couple of pleasantly striped but poorly constructed shirts, most of the clothing looked like it had washed up on a beach in Thailand; the flotsam from a backpacker’s cruise across the waters of South East Asia. The branding was prominent and repetitive; A&F stamps on polo shirts, t-shirts and even shorts. I looked for clothing more suited to a cooler environment, but could find none; it appears it is always summer in the Abercrombie world or, at least, ‘Forever California.’

Incredibly, though Abercrombie & Fitch clothing cannot boast design or uniqueness, it comes at a hefty price. The polo shirts, ‘custom washed’ – and blighted by hideous white ‘stamping’ – were as expensive as Ralph Lauren’s, a minute’s walk away.
Everything in the shop was exorbitantly priced; I imagined poor parents shuffling through with their children, being asked to purchase shirts and shorts, of dubious value, for more than the cost of their hotel. Nothing I touched reassured me of there being any fair worth in the shop. There were no special materials; no silk or cashmere, nothing that had taken work or craftsmanship. Nothing that required more than a squiggle of a pencil from an infant.

My understanding of A&F is that they are selling a ‘lifestyle’; the ‘Californian dream.’ When I compare this ‘ideal’ with the, oh let’s say the more ‘East Coast’ ideal of Ralph Lauren down the road, it’s difficult to believe you are talking about products and ideology from the same nation. Ralph Lauren’s shop has a focus on design classicism; cut, material and quality of finish. Abercrombie, though comparatively priced, offers none of this. It merely offers the purchaser a simple garment and the ‘privilege’ of wearing the Abercrombie name across the chest, thigh or any other area of the body broad enough to emblazon a logo. Ralph used to do this – Polo Sport was an offender - and a few of his items have overly generous references to the designer. However, I am always reassured that items from his store, though certainly symbols of status, have many more additional qualities to recommend them.

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Summer Cardigans

The strange thing that many seem to forget about summer is how much time you actually spend outside because of the pleasant weather. Dining al fresco is common at this time of year. As is drinking in street cafes, late walks through the park, barbecues and picnics; there is a much greater emphasis on spending time outside, even when the sun has long set. Naturally, at warmer times, people are prepared to wear clothing to suit the climate. It’s sensible not to be overdressed; sweating away in multiple layers is ill advised. But so, I would argue, is leaving the casual knitwear at home to shiver with cold in the surprising cool of an evening. No matter how warm the day, perching yourself outside for an extended duration as the evening draws in and the temperature falls is inadvisable unless you have suitable clothing to keep you warm.

One of the most sensible items to take with you is a cardigan. A cardigan is a smart addition to an outfit if you happen to be wearing shorts and it is rather a happy medium between the ever so casual jumper and the much more formal jacket. They are fantastically versatile for the summer as well. I have a strange habit of getting cold upper arms when the shock cool of a summer evening arrives and I can slip on a cardigan, unbuttoned, and rejoice in the pleasant and subtle warmth. The question is; what type of cardigan is most appropriate and why.

1. The thicker cardigan

Thicker and heavier cardigans are better when you are more exposed to the elements. They can feel a little bulky for very warm days, even when worn undone but they can still look appropriate and stylish with most ensembles. Some of the best colours for such cardigans are navy blue, white and red; simple and classic colours, adaptable and masculine. They are particularly suitable, and befitting, for extended visits to the coast where the cool breeze over the sea can really chill a summer night. One of the key elements of this type is the attractive shawl collar, a feature of comforting elegance that can be turned up for increased protection from the cold.

2. The silk-cashmere cardigan

The silk-cashmere cardigan is indispensible in the summertime. Elegant in the glorious ripple of material, the pleasant texture and wonderful touch against the skin, it remains beautifully casual when open, falling gracefully at the sides of the torso. If it cools up later on, it can be buttoned and if it is really punishingly hot in the middle of the day, it can be artfully draped over the shoulders. Black and white are fantastic colours, again for reasons of versatility. Pima cotton is an acceptable alternative if silk-cashmere is considered too extravagant but the material will pill with extensive use.

3. The cable cardigan

It’s rather like ‘the thicker cardigan’ in construction, but the cable cardigan is a little special; the cabling and subtle off white colour are perfect for summertime and it is an excellent option for more traditional outfits. Whether worn with a favourite pair of shorts or some elegant chinos, it will give you an aura of an Edwardian sportsman; genteel with a good punch of nostalgia, and this ‘sporty’ aspect to the garment is appropriate for family picnics with a quick game of cricket (or indeed baseball).

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