Welcome to the first edition of SM. In our weekly article, we’ll delve into current trends for the man on the go and try to discern what’s going to be still wearable 6 months past it’s purchase point. My goal is to focus on recent shows and review what might be of interest to my readers. I will work to avoid a holier than thou fashion status purchases that seems to at times permeate hard core clothes hounds as well as commercial high end retailers. I like nice stuff too, but running around with a stick up ones posterior about it doesn’t make it any nicer. Taste & class don’t always go hand in hand.

All righty, let’s start with Giorgio Armani Fall Show 2008:

Shows are already looking at Spring 2009...but for practicality purposes we’ll back track a bit and do some catching up on collections that we have yet to enjoy at our local retailer.

I’ve been a Armani fan and collector since the 1980’s. While he has weaved in and out of being a critics’ darling over the years, I have yet to find any one season that there wasn’t something to marvel at. I grew up in a world where my father fell at the altar of all things Brooks Brothers. To him, Brooks Brothers was the Mecca of taste and arrival. My pop passed many years ago, but I can still see him laying on his bed at night reviewing the latest magazines on weightlifting, Guns & Ammo and clothing catalogues. Eclectic yes, but he had his own style. My mom used to say that he had Brooks Brothers taste and ghetto money. We were always broke, but dammed if he didn’t have a monogrammed Golden Fleece on every shirt. To me, Armani has represented what Brooks Brother could have morphed into had it not remained unflinchingly chained to its reputation as the bastion of all things conservative. While I still love the Brooks Brothers, Armani is what I’m going to look at first.

Armani’s Fall show 2008 was reminiscent of his design work on the Untouchables. Can one pay a homage to himself? Perhaps at a certain level. Keith Richards has written the same song since the early 1980’s….so why not Armani. This year’s collection involved a twist on the Roaring 20’s complete with Fedora’s. With his love of textures and subtle but rich patterns he continues to move forward on his infatuation of meshing conservative menswear with avant-garde flourishes. Even his heavy use of gray and charcoal black themes did not wear thin. This collection seemed more about going straight to the street as opposed to a fashion art statement. It’s not to say that it didn’t have its art moments. At heart, I’m pragmatic about my choices in clothing. I will not buy or wear his Neo-Nazi love boots, his snake themed embroidered jacket that reminded me of my mom’s old cooking mitt, nor will I wear those fashion theater in traction collars. However, there are many pants, sports coats and trench coats that I would gladly run someone over to get first dibs on.

We’ll give this collection a SM - A.

Shopping Tip of the Week

While we are dying from the heat, retailers are dying a slow and agonizing death with slow product sales during our economic free fall. Look at the 50-75% discount racks (25% is a waste of your shopping time) at your local favorite retailer (Nordstrom’s, Dillard’s, Macy’s, etc) and take your time rummaging through the racks. Great buys are to be had. Most things are shoved back onto the rack without regard to size. Circle the rack with eye towards what you like as opposed to just what size section it’s in. You’ll be surprised how many XL’s and L ‘s get shoved into the Small section. Another thing is always take time to try it on. Because it says “your” size doesn’t mean it will fit you that way. It also may not look as good on you as it did on the rack….and that’s OK too. Honesty with yourself leads to a better purchase, more wears in the future and more money to buy clothes that truly work for you.

Yours in fashion,

The StyleMunky