Menswear Made for Women

For many years one trend has stood the test of time: menswear as womenswear.

Starting in the 1920s, Coco Chanel revolutionized the way women dressed, giving them a new freedom to wear things besides petticoats and skirts. Women started to wear pants and other things that were considered manly in that decade of prim and proper fashion.

Since then designers have even further made staples such as jackets even more “manly”. The trend seems to be ever popular now, with many models adopting the trend as a permanent style, many magazines featuring menswear themed editorials almost every month, and it seems that designers can’t get enough of the trend either. Many shows are fully influenced by it, or at least have a few things deducted from menswear.

It seems that the trend has been unstoppable in 2009, and it leaves me wondering one thing: when will it end?! I don’t think that it will come to a halt any time soon, because there is a huge bunch of people loving the it. I for one, however, don’t really care for it. Let’s girls be girls, and boys be boys. But only when it’s done in a ultra cool way à la Isabel Marant or Givenchy, I’ll let it slide.

What do you think?

[Images: Marcio Madeira, Hedi Slimane, and The Sartorialist]

VMan #17 – "The Outsiders" by Collier Schorr

It’s about time the Spring 2010 collections hit print now, no?

On stands come February, photographer Collier Schorr and Victorinox-designer Pierre-Henri Mattout use the freshest faces out on the market to showcase how this season’s elite-yet-edgy man dresses. Including a cast that features one of the finalists of Vman’s model search last year, AJ Abualrub. Who has be certainly blazing a path down runways and steaming up eds all throughout 09.

Now it is only a matter of time before Prada mesh takes the place of Prada studs in 2010’s coming editorials. Brace yourself.

The Editorial / click shots for full view

Models: Paolo Anchisi, AJ Abualrub (Ford NY), Vladimir Ivanov, Giorgios Tsetis (Wilhelmina), Jerome Wyvekens, Steffen Weng (DNA)
Photographer: Collier Schorr
Styling: Pierre-Henri Mattout
Grooming: Kristin Gallegos for La Mer
Photo Assistant: Hibbard Nash
Lighting Director: Toe Tomcho
Production: Monika Condrea (C/S Studio)
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The Latest Addition to The Family

Howdy y’all! No I’m not actually from Texas, but I am from a place that is even more lame, and will stay unmentioned. This post is for you readers to get to know me – the newest contributor to Homme Times.

First and foremost, I am a die-hard women’s fashion lover. I am relatively new to menswear, but I am continuing to learn. Though I’m not new to blogging.

My favorite male models, as of late, are Patrick Kafka and Ryan Koning. Both equally stunning. Currently, my favorite men’s magazines are Numéro Homme and L’Officiel Hommes. Both providing sleek fashion imagery. I love Lanvin and Dior Homme, with or without Heidi Slimane. Both cool, easy to wear, and interesting brands. My dislikes include overly buff male models, the Karl + Baptiste love connection (get married already), and this blog…just kidding.

I look forward to learning so much about the men’s fashion industry and writing for all of you!
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Chanel Paris-Shanghai Pre-Fall 2010

Sticking to his current formula of Baptiste Giabiconi + Freja Beha Erichsen + mega platform/host city = absolute perfection, this Pre-Fall 2010, Karl Lagerfeld gives you everything that you would normally expect from a Chanel collection and a little more. All of which displayed by the great kaiser’s current boy-toy Baptiste (as expected). Only this time using China’s largest city, Shanghai, as the season’s added extra.

As cars zoomed by and building lights flourished in the night, Shanghai’s modern skyline played up a bit of extra contrast to Lagerfeld’s revamped traditional Chinese ensembles and basic essential colors. Last season the Chanel man was introduced to high-waisted jeans. This season he is now re-introduced to the long military style double-breasted coats that we saw back in the house’s Pars-Moscou show and the leprechaun greens of Fall 2009. Though this time Spring 2010’s deliberate dust marks are now metallic and Pre-Fall 2009’s coats have a buttons for days and a chic Asian flair.

What city/model shall Karl conquer next?

Click for Full-Size HQs
[Images: Courtesy of Chanel]

Shop The Shows – Henrik Vibskov Fall 2009 Acid Tiger Sweater

Have you ever fallen in love with something that you’ve seen come down a runway, only to later develop an extreme urge to have it? Well worry no more. Seeing that the virtual shelves of our favorite online stores are constantly being restocked with the latest in all (most) of your runway delights, I’ve decided to keep track.

Show: Henrik Vibskov Fall 2009
Item: Acid Tiger Sweater
Price: $ 332.00 | £ 194,00 |196.00
Features:Multi-coloured knit boxy jumper from Henrik Vibskov . The crew neck jumper is dip-dyed black on the bottom half. 100% wool.”

Where to Buy: Farfetch.com

[Runway Images: Courtesy of Henrik Vibskov & Sacha Maric]

160g Dec/January: Oscar Spendrup by Greg Gex – "The Erotic Issue"

Now online, the December/January issue of 160g Magazine marks a turn to everything erotic in the appropriately titled, “Erotic Issue”.

Shot by photographer Greg Gex, two covers perfectly display the “no hold barred” idea of the inner contents of the magazine. With Maike Ludembach in a lusty Prada Fall 2009 number being the one of the two covers, Oscar Spendrup takes to the second in a black wool/cotton suit jacket and black stretch wool “bandage” knit, All Givenchy Fall 2009. Including the matching black wool shorts as presented in the house’s January show a few months back.

Whether or not Spendrup donned the over the knee bandage boots remains unseen. Sadly.

[Runway Image: Marcio Madeira]