Return to Classics ~Part I

With a new year and decade, new hope springs eternal. Recently I was perusing my monthly required reading to ensure I wasn't missing anything the "mainstream" fashion elite were saying. One snipit I came across was from InStyle magazine. They had a poll asking, "Your goal is to create a wardrobe that's more...?". Very interesting results. 14% answered "Trendy", 15% "Sexy", 17% "Unique" and 53% answered "Classic". Ahah! I like that.

Aside from the "Classic" wardrobe response, a truly classic wardrobe could also well be considered "sexy", "unique" and even "trendy" compared to what we've seen in recent years. Are we returning to our roots? Perhaps its the bad economy and the disdain many have, or pretend to have against conspicuous consumption. The Madmen effect? Maybe people are coming to their senses both sartorially and economically. Afterall, it's a better investment to purchase high quality classical styles that last longer than 6 months. But then again, they could have just misunderstood the question or the poll was terribly flawed. On the other hand, another poll says Jackie Kennedy was  the most fashionable First Lady of all-time. Maybe there's something here in this classical thing.

Nevertheless, I'll take the result and run with it. While basking in thought of a return to elegance, just what is considered classic? A good place to start would be what is considered the Golden Age of Couture.  This so-called Golden Age would be roughly between the mid-1940's and 50's. At that time, names that have withstood the test of time were in full-form. The fashion houses and designers Chanel, Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Lanvin and Nina Ricci were in full form and the period provided experience and influence for countless other designers.

To gain a grasp of this period, its important to understand the context surrounding it. Leading to and during this period of time, Paris was the center of the fashion universe. The rest of the world came to Paris to get their inspiration and see the latest styles. Relatively speaking, high fashion in Paris was well organized. Starting in 1868, Haute Couture houses were qualified as such and organized initially to work together to stop designs from being copied. From my daily walk from Tribeca to Soho, I can see on Canal Street they're still working on that issue. Although the organization has undergone several shifts in management and title, to this day it still falls under the French Ministry for Industry.

"Haute Couture" is actually a legally protected name in France that fashion houses must qualify for by meeting certain standards. The English translation of "Haute Couture" is somewhere between "high dressmaking" and "high sewing" and in practical terms means custom-tailored, hand-made, high quality garments. The connotation over time has come to symbolize the highest of high fashion.

Among the requirements for a fashion house to legally say they are Haute Couture, they must design made-to-order garments for private clients with at least one fitting and have a workshop in Paris that employs a minimum number of employees. Another requirement to become Haute Couture is notable for how it has influenced and led the way for the fashion industry we know today. Each Haute Couture house must present its collection for the season to the Paris press with at least 35 runs presenting both evening and daytime wear. As a result, the numerous required shows of Press Week has since become what we now know as Paris Fashion Week. Since then, the major Fashion Weeks of New York, London and Milan as well as countless other regional shows have emulated and developed to join Paris in becoming the bedrocks of the fashion industry we know today.

An interesting side-note is that the earliest form of New York Fashion Week started in 1943. What's notable about 1943? Paris had a German occupation problem and haute couture was not a war-time priority. Germany wanted to move the fashion capital to Berlin and fortunately never had the chance. American designers until that point had taken a backseat to Paris and while the designs were generally accepted as good, they designed for private labels of department stores and other retailers. Designers were largely ignored by the American fashion media such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, the attitude being that fashionable inspiration and design was Parisian-centric.

With Paris occupied and a void in high fashion, New York organized a series of shows around the City with each designer hosting their own event. When the venues proved to be sub-par and even dangerous with large groups, they finally agreed to hold the "Press Week" event at Bryant Park. As a result, American designers were finally able to show their designs without the long shadow of French influence to the American fashion press, show they were able to create excellent designs without inspiration from the French, were mentioned by name with their designs and designers such as Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta came into their own.

Paris was occupied by Nazi Germany from May 1940 through December 1944. Coming out of WWII in 1945, Paris as well as the rest of the world was exhausted and in shambles. Out of necessity during the war, woman became much more active in supporting the war effort and filling the voids left by the men serving on the battlefield. As a result, fashion mirrored the more androgynous role woman had taken. Boxy shoulders, straight lines, muted colors, heavier shoes, the femininity of woman's fashion had been diluted. The world needed to be put back on its proper course. Fortunately, in 1947 the right designer with the right idea was ready help point Paris and the rest of the world in the right direction. We were ready for a "New Look". We were ready for Christian Dior.

To be continued...

2009... Out With The Old (We Hope!)

In the majority of my editorials I focus on what I like and what works. As 2009 comes to a close and we're ushering in 2010 and a new decade, there are a few things I just assume leave behind.

For a decade that has been completely out of proportion in a variety of ways, sartorially it seems we've had the same problem.

Perhaps it was Kate Moss and the "heroin-chic" look ushering us into the current decade that made everyone start looking at everything as if they were gazing into a fun-house mirror.

The Thom Browne label began in 2001 and not long after took the runways my storm with his shrunken suits that made a full-grown man look as if he's wearing 12-year old's clothes. The proportions are miniature. The jacket buttons near the sternum and the pants didn't cover the ankles. Oh, and the sleeves were- you guessed it, short. How did the Fashion Elite react? Just beside themselves in adoration and awards! Menswear Designer of the Year in 2006 by the Fashion Designer's of America and GQ's Designer of the Year in 2008. Ahem. We'll remind the CFDA and GQ in 10 years of that choice.

Men's pants have gotten shorter and tighter. Many now rolling up the cuff to show the ankles. Ties, fittingly, have become pencil thin and the traditional standard of 3 3/8"- 3 5/8" width is frowned upon as clown-attire by the fashion-forward types.

Proportions have come to a point that even Burberry has shortened the coats and trenches that made them famous for over 100 years. Short of special-order, a full-length Burberry is not in the offering. Sad when the venerable classic English apparel maker caves to temporary fashion whimsy and follows the herd. In a related note, the Thom Browne label is now rumored to be bordering on bankruptcy, having only netted $5 million in sales last year.

Men's magazines, former masculine staples such as GQ and Esquire seemed to have become more, well, feminine in the past decade. Heterosexual men wonder if some of what they're reading is satire. Are they serious? They've clearly gotten away from their old base. Looking at male models on the runway and print, they've become as feminine as many of the designs. Sadly, the designers have insisted that the female models follow the "heroin-chic" look and have bodies of 16-year old boys. In reviewing the Spring 2010 Menswear lines from the Fall shows, it was striking how similar the bodies were of the men and woman models- they seemed androgynously interchangeable.

This loss of the feminine look (i.e., curves) became very striking in the preparation of the recent Kim Alexis editorial. Kim having been in 6 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues in the 80's, I took an SI tour from 1979 (Christie Brinkley cover) to the present. What was striking was the shapelessness our current designers demand of our models compared to the days of Christie, Kim, Paulina, Elle, Kathy Ireland, etc.. Could there be any correlation with dwindling apparel revenues? I think we need some real men and real woman to step up and take control of the fashion world to redefine the sexes to what they're supposed to be.

In the December issue of InStyle, one of their predictions was that the gladiator sandal was here to stay for 2010. Please, tell me it's not so. I will say, 1 out of 10 designs are good but that one good design doesn't make up for how terrible the other nine look.

Since I've probably offended everyone at some point so far, just in case... let's talk woman's hip-hugging jeans. The derriere is a wonderful asset and best if not obscured by a low hanging waistband and a seat that sags down the upper thigh; thus making that God-given wonderful attraction no form or attention whatsoever. Hip-huggers are not sexy. The proportions are poor and they're not flattering. Ever. There, I said it.

I would have an endless list of styles I wish would come back. More classical. More masculine for men. More feminine for woman. More elegant. Classical lines that withstand the test of time and not the whims of designers rolling the dice to try and stand out. The masses actually caring how they dress. No, I shouldn't hold my breath this year either.

Putting My Hands Outside The Box

The definition of sartorial is: of or relating to the quality of tailoring or the quality of dress. As a sartorialist, it's implied that I specialize, adhere, advocate and editorialize about the quality of tailoring or quality of dress.

Wow. Put that way, I don't think I'm making enough for this work... at least I enjoy it.

I prefaced this editorial out of recognition I'm stepping a little outside the box here.

Here in the Northeast, Winter has come with a fury. Already a large snow storm, temperatures struggling to reach the freezing mark; the days of soaking up the rays of a warm summer sun seem so near yet so far away. I'm not a fan of winter. After the first snow the novelty's gone. Living in New York you have to take the bad with the good, so it goes with the territory.

One of the worst things about winter I've always encountered has been my hands getting so dried out they would inevitably split on the fingertips. Over the years, I tried many different lotions to prevent dryness but either they didn't work or left my hands feeling so greasy, I dreaded putting it on again.

A few years ago, I was reading another editorial and a suggestion was made about this Jack Black "Industrial Strength" Hand Healer. The recommendation sounded good and the name was catchy for what I had always gone through with my hands. Jack Black sounds like a pretty tough dude. "Industrial Strength" was heavy-duty and sounded a level above traditional civilian use. Hand Healer... yes, please!?

I bit. I bought. I'm still using it. I'm swearing by this stuff after a couple years of using it. It works great. Put it on in the morning and it typically can go all day. It's non-greasy which is a must. Put it on, rub it in, forget about it. That's what I had in mind! Finally.

It's been battle-tested. As some of you know, I've played competitive golf since I was 7, junior golf, college and professionally. Just play for glory now and not much of that these days. Couple of years ago, U.S Open qualifying was at the TPC of Boston. Open qualifying always held in early May, it's very hit or miss in the Northeast for weather. That year was a miss. Raw is the only way to put it. Cold, windy, damp and a long day. The kind of day that my hands would have been killing me. It's hard to swing a golf club moving 120 MPH when your hands are either greasy or hurting. Put on the Hand Healer before I went out and I was good for the day. Doesn't get any better in my book.

Jack Black is actually a men's product line but I see no reason why woman couldn't use the Hand Healer as well. It's in most good department stores, specialty stores and I recently saw it in Sephora. If all else fails you can order it online. Trust me, I'm not getting any kick-backs from the Jack Black guy for suggesting it. It just works and if one person is spared from that miserable winter dryness, then I've done good. For the rest, hopefully I've mildly entertained you.

Sartorial? Strictly speaking, no. However, as a matter of style I would rather my hands be as presentable as the clothes I'm wearing. As Cary Grant said, "It takes 500 small details to make a favorable impression", at least we're not going to miss on this one and I'm freed up to concern myself with things less painful.

Who Says You Can't Have It All?

This would make most men's heads swivel, and many woman as well. Dr. Shireen Fernandez looks radiant in her sleeveless Bebe top, Prada skirt with a sexy slit and her Chanel bag. What gives this look the prize are the leopard print BCBG heels. What was already stunning, the shoes brought that little extra bit of magic. A great look!

The Dr. isn't only good looks. Of Indian and Portuguese descent, she had lived around the world and while living in Bombay was a radio show host, had her own television show, was an actress and and worked as a print model. This after graduating with degrees in Chemistry and Psychology. Whew.

Not to slow down any, she then went to Med school and graduated last year. She's now in Residency training to be a Neurologist at NY Presbyterian.

Good grief, I was lucky to make it through Undergrad.

Who says you can't have it all? All of us guys can't get too excited, she's taken. Shireen, her boyfriend Alex Harris and close friend Bonnie Snyder created a group and Foundation called Society's Choice. Society's Choice's mission is to provide a venue for people to both socialize and make business connections outside of their normal circle, all while giving back to society through the Foundation. It's a wonderful group with tremendous warmth that serves a great purpose.

EDITOR NOTE: SINCE TIME OF PUBLICATION, CERTAIN STATEMENTS OF FACT HAVE COME INTO QUESTION BY THE AUTHOR. WE ARE CURRENTLY CONSIDERING A FULL RETRACTION.

Kim Alexis: Still Going Strong

Seen on Tuesday evening at the Stefano Marcantonio Launch Party was Kim Alexis, one of the top supermodels of the 80's and still ranked among the all-time greatest.

Kim looked gorgeous in her simple but elegant sleeveless black dress and her timeless and classical natural  features.

Twenty-five years after the middle of a career that put her on over 500 magazine covers and in a half-dozen SI swimsuit issues, her beauty hasn't faded.

Looking back at the stunning images from that period, the contrast from todays "supermodels" was striking. Kim, as well as other top models at the time like Christie Brinkley had beautiful hourglass figures. Yes, I'm getting on my soapbox now. Today, what would they say if an 18-year old Kim Alexis showed up again? Tell her to lose weight or just turn her away?

 I honestly don't understand the rationale of this thin and less shapely trend. No one I know finds the current look more attractive. Yes, woman have hips. Yes, it's attractive. Yes, it makes the clothes look better.

Ahhh. The good old days. A little closer to when woman were woman, men were men and supermodels weren't forced to have measurements of 16-year old boys. At least we can go back and look at Kim Alexis.

Former NHL hockey great and Kim Alexis' husband, Ron Duguay, The New York Sartorialist and Kim Alexis.