Men’s Fashion Month came to a close this week with its final stop in New York City.
The fashion shows started in London with designers such as Topman, Oliver Spencer and Vivienne Westwood showing men’s collections.
After London, the men’s shows hit Milan, where Giorgio Armani, Prada and Diesel Black Gold presented their new men’s designs. Paris was next, and the usual suspects, Balenciaga, Valentino and Hermés, did not disappoint.
Finally, in New York City, the creations of Boss, Ralph Lauren and Matthew Adams Dolan upheld their impressive reputations.
Hugo Boss is a world-renowned fashion label that has taken some heat in the past few years when it comes to the quality and construction of his suits. According to sophomore business major Matthew Menne, Boss’ suit quality is not up to standard from a product standpoint.
“Hugo Boss suits are just not up to par when it comes to quality,” Menne said. “They are fused, as opposed to canvassed, which makes the fit a lot stiffer. They just do not form to your body as well. Essentially, all you are paying for is the brand name.”
As fashion fans saw in the women’s pre-fall collections denim is making a huge comeback in 2017. Diesel Black Gold and Matthew Adams Dolan were only a few designers whose creations proved to agree with the return.
Dolan showed indigo-heavy overalls, jeans and flare jumpsuits. Diesel showed a whole denim outfit, including a button-down shirt and loosely fitted trousers.
Another trend from the women’s shows that carried over into the men’s were oversized outerwear and knitwear. This trend appears a lot in Diesel’s collection with many oversized jackets and fur coats.
Prada’s fall 2017 collection appeared to be an ode to the 1980s because it contains a variety of suede and bright colored garments. The fashion house also chose to accessorize most of its models with berets — a nice touch for a fashion show in Italy.
Aside from the men’s runway shows, I was also interested in what the men’s fashion and style is like here on IU’s campus.
Sophomore Donnie Brooks, another business major, explained that his style depends on the occasion. To class, he likes to wear a pair of 7 For All Mankind jeans, a classic Polo v-neck, a Marc Jacobs winter coat and either L.L. Bean boots or Chukka boots depending on the weather.
When it comes to the release of new men’s fashions, Brooks is not a fan.
“Personally, I hate new men’s fashion releases right now,” Brooks said. “It seems like all the new designs that they are coming out with is weird, retro stuff.”
When asked about his suit preferences and style, he said it depends on fit and that unless it goes to a tailor, it doesn’t have a chance. He said he goes to Nordstrom, Saks and Joseph A. Banks to buy his suits.
“Personally, I’m a fan of the modern two-piece slim fit suit for anything business-related,” Brooks said. “It is important to have a navy, grey and black suit in your closet so you are prepared for all occasions. When it comes to going out at night with friends though, it is a good idea to have a few blazers in your closet that show some more personality.”
No matter what suit or style you prefer, we can all agree that blavying — mixing black and navy — is never acceptable.
sbunes@indiana.edu
@sambunesIDS
