I had been wondering about the inspiration behind the quirky design of the Engineered Garments Mac jacket ever since it was first introduced in the FW08 collection. The straps on the shoulders and pocket in the back led me to believe that it was meant for rock climbing, but it turns out I was very wrong – its true history is in seafaring.
While browsing around some Japanese sites this morning, I randomly came across these very similar looking parkas being sold under the label of Mighty Mac.
Mighty Mac was originally based out of Gloucester, Massachusetts and up until the late 80’s produced popular sportswear and clothing for boating (they seemed to be also responsible for those signal flag jackets). For reasons I couldn’t find out, the company closed down around 1989-1990.
The arctic weather in Europe may be the simple answer, or perhaps it’s something deeper, but for some reason everybody at the Pitti Immagine Uomo trade fair in Florence, Italy, which closed today, was dressed like a mountaineer. On the runways and on the Renaissance streets, the default look comprised hiking boots, heavy felted, checked-wool puffed coats and scarves as wide as king-size bedspreads.
Fashion rarely follows function or logic, but the fallout from the crumbling financial markets may also be responsible for this back-to-nature escapism. The Japanese have been forecasting this nature-bound, anti-urban trend for a few seasons and avant-garde Tokyo brands and boutiques have gone crazy for original plaid, snow boots and hunting gear of every kind, in the process re-energizing staid American mountain classics like Timberland, Pendleton, Woolrich, Filson, L.L. Bean and Red Wing. Last season at Pitti, Undercover showed a mix of tech and country styles that may have influenced the general mood.
Corneliani’s show, in particular, seemed to be well received by buyers and press alike.
A forest of tall trees, each with a different texture to the bark, created a striking background for tactile menswear.
As the models, in thick woolens and body-conscious tailoring, walked through the “woods” — tree trunks that will be recycled into furniture — the Corneliani show expressed the spirit of modern men’s fashion.
Rather than cutting back on quality to keep prices at bay, many brands will hold on to loyal clients by amping up the craftsmanship and detail in their garments. It’s a surefooted measure meant to nstripes and plaids that match at the seams with more than two hours of handcater to those that understand that value doesn’t always carry the lowest price tag. Oxxford Clothes just introduced the new Highest Quality collection. With an opening price point of $4,000, the suit line boasts tailoring touches like cape lined jackets, pi workmanship just on the waist of the trousers.
And here is a set of pictures from Très Bien, who visited most of the designers I was interested in (Engineered Garments, Nigel Cabourn, Post Overalls, Yuketen, the usual). Read on to see more.
Mr. Hackett, the self-styled “Mr. Classic” who has published a book of whimsical comments on the British male’s sartorial habits, is the prime example of the latest trend in menswear: inventing heritage.
“Most people think the business was built by my grandfather or father,” he says. “For heritage, people believe you had to be around for 100 years.”
Hackett, the purveyor of stylish men’s clothes designed not to frighten the horses, upset a boss or alarm a bank manager, was founded in 1983 by Jeremy Hackett and Ashley Lloyd-Jennings, whose day jobs were as salesmen in Savile Row, London’s tailoring mecca.
In today’s WSJ there is an article on the manufacturing of high end dress shirts and it provides some insights into Charvet and fabric production. The accompanying interview with Lucas Ossendrijver, head of menswear design at Lanvin is also worth a read.
Shirt-making is a serious business — and the devil is entirely in the details. Jean-Claude Colban, who runs the French clothier and shirt-maker Charvet with his sister Anne-Marie, spends several weeks a year at his computer terminal, creating a few hundred unique color swatches — shifting the scale of stripes, slightly changing the color relationships. Even a white shirt has both overtones and undertones, after all, and the hue of a blue yarn changes, for instance, when set beside another color. Mr. Colban registers each color combination he creates, so that Charvet holds the sole rights to it.
“We do not just develop patterns to show to stores,” Mr. Colban says, noting that he not only markets Charvet’s shirts, but designs them as well. “We are like wine merchants…growing their own vines.”
Engineered Garments did a last minute run of red chambray workshirts for this season and only a few retailers will have them. Drinkwater’s is nearly sold out, but you might still have a chance to get one when Odin and the Bureau receive their shipments.
Brooks Brothers sent out a mailer today pointing to a new section on their site for information on their shoes, Peal and Co, and a flash diagram showing the basic anatomy of an Alden shell cordovan shoe. If you’re still unfamiliar with basic terminology and shoe care, it’s a good page to check out.