Menswear Spring 2010

Menswear tends to disappoint me for many reasons. The collections tend to cater to men who won't spend money and the clothes they are selling, they tend to be to formal, they tend to always be designed for the wrong seasons, a lot of men, including myself, don't want to see another man in underwear on the runway when were looking at the collections, and most collections just lack in all aspects. The collections this season, like most menswear seasons, included a lot of looks that could be easily re-created for cheap. The obvious trends are monotone outfits, blues and oranges, nudes, bow ties, and oxford shoes. I salvaged through the garbage and chose my favorites for this latest season.
I didn't hate:

Calvin Klein:

He managed to use similar themes in one of my least favorite resort wear collections, and one of my most favorite menswear collections, which shows gender difference can define a theme. This collection managed to play with all of the things I like to see in menswear, color, pale tones, proper season, etc. There is a large amount of items I want in this collection. He made sheer clothing wearable for men and nude toned suits that I think I might have to get.

Alexander Mcqueen:

The majority of this collection, like Etro, could be recreated for much cheaper then Alexander's items cost. I loved the composition and it definitely gives inspiration, but almost all of it looks like either basics, D.I.Y., or vintage. I really enjoyed the creativity and suggestive finger painting, I really want to D.I.Y. that myself. One thing though that can't be copied are his unique prints and patterns that he uses.

Jean Paul Gaultier:

This goes with my general theme of not fully hating menswear. When you get passed all the fluff and ridiculous stuff that even the most fashion forward gentleman wouldn't think of wearing (Tube tops? C'mon Jean), there are solid items and themes in this collection. I liked the addition of color and the imaginative lines along the pants and composition, however I would've put things together differently, the majority of looks didn't have the flow you like to see in collections.

Etro:

Surprisingly one of my most favorite. I loved the conflicting patterns and colors, and I secretly enjoy the way a lot of the looks could be recreated with cheaper items. The composition is what I love most, and usually Etro doesn't come to mind when I think of designers I even like, let alone love. Certain items even reminded me of Luella's Spring 2009 collection. I really feel like re-creating a look from this with a bit of my personal touch. Also I will ad, bow ties are just the best.

Louis Vuitton:

The brand has always been a favorite of mine, you really never know what to expect from Marc when it comes to Vuitton, he's done classic, ethnic, futuristic, whimsical, disheveled, and more for the collections, and the risk almost always pays off. This season I like the way he included a lot of double-breasted looks, and trench-coats with shorts.

Comme Des Garçons:

At first glance, everything in this collection looks attractive but unwearable, but after examination I thought about it, and maybe a quarter of the items showcased I would love to own, and the ones I wouldn't want to own I would want framed. Rei always creates art in her collections, and its not always wearable, but I would love to own one of the amazing jackets in this collection. The composition is very appealing and interesting and I love the additions of the late 70's punk mixed in with the school boy inspired clothes, and if you look closely I even see some 50's inspiration in the sweaters and vests.

Bottega Veneta:

Veneta knows how to cater to all styles. The muted colors weren't my favorite, but the items in seclusion would work. Easily the coolest thing in this collection is the mix of the letterman's jacket and ethnic scarf in the first look. I loved the clean lines and vast appeal.

Jil Sander:

Last but not least, this collection defines immaculate to me. Its hard to describe or review something so simple, but I liked most of it. I will be honest, I can't say I loved it, but I will admit I was very pleased to see a designer not trying to get in everyones face with neon. It was very clean and safe. I enjoyed it.

Overall these were pretty great for menswear, Visit Style for closer views of all the collections.