LIMITED MAG AZINE - Raleigh Limited Menswear
Transcription
LIMITED MAG AZINE - Raleigh Limited Menswear
Raleigh L I M I T E D AU T U M N 0 8 & W I N T E R 0 9 • I S S U E 1 3 M A G A Z I N E A G AV E • A N G E L O N A R D E L L I • A R M A N I C O L L E Z I O N I • B R U N E L L O C U C I N E L L I • C A N A L I • C A S T E L B A J A C • C O R N E L I A N I • • ZANELLA P L I N E R • D O N A L D Z-ZEGNA • • • VERSACE Z E G N A COLLECTION • E R M E N E G I L D O C APALDI E TO N Sept 25 Gimo’s Le a t he r s • Oct 15/16 Armani Col l e z ioni • Oct obe r 16 • STEFANO • E T RO Ermenegi ldo Zegna • TRUNK SHOWS: Oct 17 Welcome to the fall 2008 edition of Raleigh Limited Magazine. Raleigh Limited would like to thank each and every one of our customers for your loyal patronage and support. • G A R D E U R SALZBURG • • F E R R AG A M O W Is a i a G E O R G SCHNEIDER’S • Another fall season is upon us. It’s time for a warm cup of coffee by the fireplace and crisp evenings out on the town. The kids are back in school and soon, football, soccer, and basketball practices will fill up the schedule. Summer is over, and it is certainly a time of change. Within our store, change is reflected by the new, rich shades of autumn found in our compelling blend of sportswear and clothing by the finest European and American collections available. • • STEFANO ROT H For the Raleigh man, modern clothes, both business and casual, remain a hallmark of the store. Our new selections exude luxury and refinement. Cashmere touches can be found in dressy suits, sport jackets, and sensual sweaters. Whether your leather jacket tastes lean toward chocolate brown and classic or contemporary and black, our new arrivals have been chosen for their distinctive style. SANTO • • G R A N D O E RO B E RT TA L B OT T G I M O ’ S We’re extremely excited about several new fall selections now available. An impeccable display of suits and jackets can be found in our very popular Versace collection. Founded by Giovanni and Giacomo Canali in 1934, Italy’s reknown Canali collection is the epitome of discreet elegance and grace. In addition, our vast selection of Ermenegildo Zegna suits, sport jackets, shirts, and ties is the most extensive in the city. Refined selections from Corneliani, Isaia, Polo, and Hickey Freeman give you plenty of wonderful options for business and play. • Raleigh Limited would like to offer a sincere thank you to the Conrad Hotel and the Capital Grille for the generous use of their elegant surroundings for our annual fall fashion shoot starting on page 40. We are very fortunate to have such a world class hotel and restaurant right here in Indianapolis. Please visit them soon. G R A N As always, we look forward to visiting with you in the store. Our dynamic new fall selections await you. H I C K E Y • ROBERT • GRAHAM S A S S O Warmest personal regards, Mark Koplow RAFFI • F R E E M A N • T H E F A S H I O N M A L L • K E Y S T O N E AT T H E C R O S S I N G • 3 1 7 8 4 4 1 1 4 8 H I LT L PRADA • • IKE BEHAR • ISAIA • ISAIAH CIARRAI • JHANE BARNES • KO LT E • LACOSTE • • MARIO VALENTE • MORIANO • N AT NAST • POLO • Raleigh LIMITED MENSWEAR THE FASHION MALL KEYSTONE AT THE CROSSING 317 844 1148 Left to Right ON THE COVER: Iriette Malone Paul and Shark sweater jacket 795 Nat Nast shirt 205 Corneliani ID wool stretch 5-pocket slacks 350 Ferragamo shoes 475 J.R. Miller Zegna unlined sport coat – Made to Measure 1,695 Armani gray trousers 395 Zegna tie 150 Borelli Dress shirt 325 Ken Ward Gimo’s wool lined leather jacket 2,095 Nat Nast stripe shirt 195 Hiltl corduroy five pocket slacks 185 Nat Nast ? zip cotton mock 175 Donald Pliner shoes 265 Allan Cohn Zegna green and blue windowpane sport coat 2,195 Zegna blue trousers 295 Brunello Cuccinelli cashmere sweater 575 Eton shirt 215 Zegna tie 160 Donald Pliner shoes 340 MODERN MENSWEAR 24 CONTENTS: 2 Welcome 4 Special Offer 6 Cara Fashion Show 8 Go Green and Go Fast! 14 Gimo’s for Women Todd Tufts Editor in Chief, Publisher 16 The Soft Touch Gary Wollenhaupt Editorial Director 22 Fashion Rules! Vence Vida Art Director Stephen R. Lewis Tom Stern Copy Editors Raleigh Limited Magazine is published by Tufts Communications, © 2008, Tufts Communications. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. For information on local advertising and available editorial profiling for local businesses, please contact, Todd Tufts: Tufts Communications 1201 E. 5th Street • Suite 1009 Anderson, IN 46012 Tel: 765-608-3081 Email: [email protected] 24 Modern Menswear 30 Philanthrocapitalism 34 Jet Setter 38 The Conrad Hotel 40 Raleigh Limited Fall Fashions 50 Tweed A U T U M N 0 8 & W I N T E R 0 9 • R A L E I G H L I M I T E D M AG A Z I N E 4/08 special offer isaia custom CLOTHING Thank you for reading Raleigh Limited Magazine. This gift certificate entitles you to a savings of $150 on any Made-To-Measure Isaia Custom suit purchased by December 15, 2008 $150 G I F T C E RT I F I C AT E OFFER EXPIRES END OF DAY december 15, 2008 6:11 PM Must present this certificate to receive credit. One certificate per customer. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers. Not applicable to previous purchases or sale merchandise. Page 1 ermenegildo zegna custom CLOTHING Thank you for reading Raleigh Limited Magazine. This gift certificate entitles you to a savings of $150 on any Made-To-Measure Ermenegildo Zegna Custom suit purchased by December 15, 2008 The Fashion Mall Keystone at the Crossing 317 844 1148 $150 G I F T C E RT I F I C AT E OFFER EXPIRES END OF DAY december 15, 2008 8-08-2008 9:47:08 Must present this certificate to receive credit. One certificate per customer. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers. Not applicable to previous purchases or sale merchandise The Fashion Mall Keystone at the Crossing 317 844 1148 armani collezioni custom CLOTHING Thank you for reading Raleigh Limited Magazine. This gift certificate entitles you to a savings of $150 on any Made-To-Measure Armani Collezioni Custom suit purchased by December 15, 2008 $150 G I F T C E RT I F I C AT E OFFER EXPIRES END OF DAY december 15, 2008 Must present this certificate to receive credit. One certificate per customer. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers. Not applicable to previous purchases or sale merchandise. Corneliani custom CLOTHING Thank you for reading Raleigh Limited Magazine. This gift certificate entitles you to a savings of $150 on any Made-To-Measure Corneliani Custom suit purchased by December 15, 20078 The Fashion Mall Keystone at the Crossing 317 844 1148 $150 G I F T C E RT I F I C AT E OFFER EXPIRES END OF DAY december 15, 2008 Must present this certificate to receive credit. One certificate per customer. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers. Not applicable to previous purchases or sale merchandise. 4 raleigh limited magazine Y 10011 T. 212.209.3595 F.212.209.3795 The Fashion Mall Keystone at the Crossing 317 844 1148 The 27th Annual CARA Charities Fashion Show featuring Raleigh Limited Menswear Paris, London, Milan, New York….Indy? Yes, the hottest fashion show of 2008 on May 22nd featured a host of racers including two-time Indy 500 winner, Helio Castroneves. Indianapolis first lady, Winnie Ballard, presented Helio with the Key to the City after Indiana first lady, Cheri Daniels, proclaimed him as an honorary Hoosier. This year’s fashion show was presented in partnership with the Riley Children’s Foundation and the Cody Unser First Step Foundation. Raleigh Limited fashions were featured. The event was co-chaired by Judy Warren and Tanya Stuart-Overdorf. The fashion show host was Scott Swan, WTHR Anchor. Honored guests included Helio, Cody Unser, Lyn St. James and Janet Guthrie. 4 raleigh limited magazine auto TESLA Go Green ...and Go There Fast! T The eco-friendly Tesla Roadster just happens to be a blast to drive Talk about retro: Electric cars, popular around the turn of the last century, are making a comeback. Tesla Motors plans to deliver its first Roadster models in mid-2008 to early adopters and sports car enthusiasts. It’s only taken eighty years or so, but the automotive industry has come full circle. In 1899 and 1900, electric cars outsold all other types in America. The combination of electric starters for gasoline engines and poor range ultimately doomed electric cars, which all but disappeared by the 1920s. Fast forward to the late 2000s, and Tesla Motors has made great strides for the plug-in electric car in terms of operating range, ease of use, and perhaps most important, styling. by g a r y wol l enhaupt Rather than develop a new type of battery, Tesla’s designers decided to use existing lithium-ion batteries in a new way. Behind the cockpit of the Roadster lie nearly 6,831 lithium-ion cells, the same kind used for laptop batteries, which along with the metal case and cooling system weigh in at about half a ton. The battery pack is designed to last more than 100,000 miles and operate in weather extremes. With a 0-to-60 mph acceleration of Old is new again Back in the early 1900s, the average electric car had a range of 40 to 60 miles. The Tesla Roadster touts a range of 220 miles per charge, the mileage equivalent of 135 miles per gallon. Early electric cars were typically boxy affairs, ungainly even by the styling standards of the time. Lead-acid batteries were heavy, didn’t last long, and took too long to recharge. The quest to build a long-lasting powerful battery even bested America’s inventor, Thomas Edison, who gave up after working on batteries for a decade. Tesla Motors took a different approach. To start with, Tesla Motors is headquartered in Silicon Valley, the heartbeat of American high-tech innovation, instead of Detroit, where the automotive status quo reigns. 8 raleigh limited magazine 3.9 seconds, a 13,000-rpm redline, and the fastest top gear acceleration of any production car tested by Car & Driver magazine in 2007, the Tesla Roadster provides super-car performance at twice the energy efficiency of the best hybrids. It takes about three-and-a-half hours to charge the Tesla’s batteries. The electricity costs about $4. 4 he Largest Local Bank in Greater Indianapolis Fourteen years ago, The National Bank of Indianapolis was founded on the principles of superior service, local ownership, and community involvement. Today, our vision has become reality. With 10 locations and more than $1 Billion in total assets, The National Bank of Indianapolis has become the largest locally-owned bank headquartered in Greater Indianapolis. ©2008 The National Bank of Indianapolis www.nbofi.com Member FDIC auto The Tesla Roadster is six times as efficient as the best sports cars while producing one-tenth of the pollution. Notice something missing? The Tesla Roadster has no tailpipe, because it produces zero emissions. The Roadster bears a family resemblance to the Lotus Elise, fitting because Lotus provides some components and assembly. The only parts that a Tesla and a Lotus share are the chassis, windshield, steering wheel, and instrument panel. Tesla’s building operation is an international affair. The battery cells come from Japan, the 248-horsepower motor arrives from Taiwan, chassis are made at Lotus’s factory in England, and final assembly takes place in California. More than six hundred buyers are waiting for the 2008 model after laying down a deposit ranging from $50,000 to the $109,000 sticker price for their new car. An additional three hundred are on the list for 2009 models. t he t esl a roads t er With the chassis by Lotus, the Tesla is a joy to drive. The instant acceleration gives it the feel of an amusement park ride on steroids. It’s a sports car first, which happens to be driven by electric motors. Save the planet, have a blast. Growing pains Like any new development in technology, the project encountered roadblocks and unanticipated expenses along the way. Redesigning the headlights to look less bugeyed cost more than $600,000. The door sills were dropped two inches lower than they are on a Lotus to make the car easier to enter and exit. The biggest hurdle, however, has been the transmission. Much time was spent trying to develop a two-speed transmission. Tesla engineers are going back to a singlespeed design for a less-complicated and smoother operation. As Jay Leno noted in his test drive of the Roadster, the big difference in an electric vehicle is the availability of full torque throughout the power band. It’s the reason freight locomotives use electric motors, driven by diesel-powered generators on board. An electric car pulls like a freight train from 0 mph all the way through its top end, giving it tremendous acceleration off the line. This is the precise opposite of the performance of a gasoline engine, which has very little torque at a low rpm and only reaches peak torque in a narrow rpm range. Variable torque forces the driver to make frequent gear changes to maintain a desired speed. 10 raleigh limited magazine The fun-first approach is the opposite tack of many green initiatives. Most environmental programs feel like making a child eat Brussels sprouts—they’re good for you, so just choke them down and forget about flavor. Tesla’s designers wisely targeted the enthusiast market, where many automotive advances begin and then trickle down to mass-produced vehicles. If an electric vehicle is seen as an exhilarating drive first of all, it will open the doors to wider adoption and further technological development. auto The Tesla Roadster is like eating dessert first Tesla’s founders see electric cars as agents of freedom, not simply from oil reliance, but from dependence on any specific power source. Electric power can be generated from natural gas, coal, solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear sources, or from a combination of all of them, without changing the design of the car. No matter how or when the world changes, the car adapts, making it immune from obsolescence. Before the Tesla Roadster, if you wanted a car with amazing gas mileage, you’d buy the leading hybrid; but when you pressed down the gas pedal to zip up a freeway onramp, you’d likely be a little disappointed—it takes over ten seconds to reach sixty miles per hour. On the other hand, if you demanded the 0-to-60 time of a $300,000 supercar, you’d wind up with an embarrassing nine miles to the gallon in the city. Is the Tesla Roadster the shape of things to come? Only time will tell, but high energy prices are sure to fuel advancements in electric vehicles for years to come. 12 raleigh limited magazine Still, we’ve been hearing about hydrogen-powered cars for years now. A few are even on the road. When will one occupy your garage? If you’re near retirement age, don’t put down a deposit. If you have teenagers, maybe by the time they finish grad school and move out. Unless you live in southern California, that is. Honda will debut its FCX Clarity with about five hundred people who live close to the few public hydrogen refueling stations there. The FCX is the first fuel-cell car to be certified for regular commercial use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and hydrogen It’s a gas. Hydrogen power makes its way into the marketplace The plug-in approach like the Tesla Roadster is one way to power an electric vehicle. Another method capturing major investments from automakers is the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. It’s actually a fuel-cell hybrid, using electricity generated from hydrogen to power electric motors. It’s a variation on the way gas-electric hybrids now on the market operate. A small gas engine powers the car and generates electricity when the batteries get low. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity by releasing energy from hydrogen atoms, with the only output being a small amount of water. Driving General Motor’s HydroGen 3 demonstrator was an eerily quiet experience. The minivan whirred away from a standstill as I gingerly applied pressure to the, well, juice pedal. I told the GM technician sitting in the passenger seat that they should build in fake engine acceleration sounds for us old guys used to driving by sound and feel as well as the gauges. We drove around for a few miles, proving to me that the fuel-cell concept works, unless, of course, there was a squad of hamsters in wheels under that hood and not the multimillion dollar fuel-cell stack the GM guy swore was there. The HydroGen3 is one example of the alternative fuel concepts on the horizon that could eliminate fossil fuels from the highway. Fuel-cell cars take the current hybrid concept one step further by eliminating gasoline altogether and using electricity to drive motors. It all sounds charmingly “green.” But a few questions and caveats remain, not the least of which concerns driving around with a pressurized tank of hydrogen, the explosive nature of which makes gasoline seem as dangerous as whipped topping. (Google “Hindenburg, 1937” for an eye-popping history lesson on hydrogen.) the California Air Resources Board, and the first leased to an individual retail customer. GM is pushing hard on hydrogen development as well but is a few steps behind the Japanese. 888.880.3462 zegna.com auto GM is pushing hard on hydrogen development as well but is a few steps behind the Japanese. The Cadillac Provoq concept car uses a hydrogen fuel-cell system to drive one electric motor in the front and small motors attached to each rear wheel. The rear motors give an extra boost when needed, such as passing or climbing a hill. The Provoq runs short distances on battery power alone, and the fuel cell kicks in to recharge the battery. BMW is taking a different tack. Rather than running on electric power, its Hydrogen 7 Mono-Fuel sedan uses hydrogen to run an internal combustion engine. The engine is so green it actually cleans the air as it drives, sucking in dirty outside air and burning up the impurities during combustion. Making the switch Most of the technological challenges for fuel-cell vehicles have been solved, or are a matter of engineering, not basic science, according to Lawrence D. Burns, vice president of research and development and strategic planning for GM. He thinks it will take a combination of government support and good old marketing to convert large numbers of American motorists to the hydrogen economy. “It will take cooperation to assure auto companies that the required hydrogen infrastructure will be in place when we deploy our next generation of fuel-cell electric vehicles,” Burns told the U.S. Hydrogen Conference. One of the main impediments is whether the petroleum-based energy companies will make the switch to hydrogen. Producing hydrogen takes energy, whether it’s natural gas or electricity from fossil fuels or renewable sources such as wind farms or hydroelectric dams. Consumer demand for fuel cells and other alternative energy sources will play the biggest role in speeding up the timetable. If they build it, will you drive it? Please join us at our special Women’s Gimo’s Leather Made to Order Event October 15th & 16th. Please call for an appointment. MODELS: MEGAN JEX, DEBORAH TUFTS, TRISH REGAN AND PATTI HARNEY fashion by l esl i e c. smi t h the soft touch Fall Clothing Designed to Feel as Comfortable as It Looks W Warm colors, gentled lines, malleable hides, and cushy materials. Are the stylesetters trying to tell us something this season? Such as, men don’t have to be so hard-edged all the time; that they are permitted to occasionally show a softer side? There’s evidence aplenty in fall–winter designer collections to back up this mellow assertion. However, as always, you must judge the matter for yourself. Today’s hoodies and sweatpants are often made from precious fibers, such as cashmere, and boast tailored touches that raise them above the louche garments favored by discount shoppers. They are also intended to be worn with other casual pieces, lay- Wooly thinking It’s no surprise that knitwear is being offered for fall 2008. Knitwear is offered every fall, but rarely does it dominate casual clothing to today’s extent. Close examination of the sample ensembles presented this season indicate that almost without exception each featured at least one knitted piece. This could be as simple as a wool toque perched atop a model’s head, like the innumerable versions seen in New York, London, Paris, and Milan. Or it could be as complex as Dolce & Gabbana’s big round-neck angora sweater paired with what might be considered the ultimate in relaxed decadence, gray cashmere sweatpants. Refined sweat bottoms such as these, could be termed “stealth” knits. Sweats, machine-made from thick cotton or woolen fibers, resemble cloth fabric in their ability to drape down the body and be cut and sewn in sections, yet they remain knits at heart. Once, their wardrobe access was limited strictly to the gym, but over the past several decades, sweatpants and their accompanying hooded sweatshirts have crept into our casual dress lexicon until at present they appear to be rivaling denim in their street credibility. 16 raleigh limited magazine photo courtesy of new man ered over tees or open-necked shirts and under pullovers or cardigans, right up to and including successful teaming with a relaxed-fit sport coat. Continuing the soft knit theme for fall are three veteran musketeers of menswear: cardigans, V-neck pulls, and funnel-neck sweaters. These too slide easily into this season’s insatiable demand for layers, with cards in particular often used in place of a sport coat and thinner gauge cards and Vnecks doubling as vests under a sport coat. The ubiquitous funnel apparently has an all-access pass—it’s free to go everywhere and with everything. fashion All your marbles Mottles, gray striations, splashes of white on dark. The marbled pattern trend was most noticeable—and most noticeably over the top—at the Jil Sander show, where male models resembled not so much Greek statues as kitchen countertops. Then there were the snakeskin-like gray-and-white cardigans at Alexander McQueen and similar colored effects, as well as enlarged gray-and-white paisleys, on Burberrry Prorsum’s shirts and scarves. Reduce it all down for the real world and that means a big thumbs up for the quiet marled beauty found in gray-and-white tweed. Most commonly used for sport coats, gray tweed offers a loftier, softer appearance to tailored lines, as well as providing a warmer, more inviting environ for accompanying knitwear. Because of this, the trousers worn with a tweed jacket require enough fabric heft—a plush twill or corduroy, say—for correct visual balance. Somehow, jeans don’t seem to cut it. Of course, you can always cut right to the chase by forgoing the sport coat altogether and selecting a pair of grey tweed trousers. These too will work perfectly with any one (or two or three) of this season’s top knit picks. Or you might opt for the sweater itself in a gray-and-white marled knit. The more fashion-forward could invest in a pair of gray tweed sock-boots, like those shown at Emporio Armani. But for most men, tweed should retain its relative dignity, sticking mainly to still fashionable tailored pieces, such as trousers, sport coats and topcoats. The Velvet Underground Only one type of man can get away with wearing velvet. He must be at once a sensualist—someone who loves brushing his hand over the soft, raised pile of the material—and an iconoclast, a person unafraid of donning a plum velvet tuxedo jacket, such as those exhibited at Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry Prorsum, when the mood calls for it. On a more practical note, he also must not own a fur-shedding pet or be a martyr to dandruff. In a way, it’s a shame that velvet should be restricted to only a select few males. After all, this cushy fabric is ideal for cold weather and dyes wonderfully, offering a great depth of color. Velvet possesses as well a rich and varied history dating back to the thirteenth century, and it can be styled into anything one fancies: coats, trousers, suits, even shirts and the aforementioned tuxedo jackets. One must face facts, however. And the fact is, no matter how warm and fuzzy designers want to be this fall, all their proffered velvet pieces are not enough to convince most men that this fabric won’t somehow sissify them. It doesn’t help matters, either, when stylists like Kris Van Assche start parading around such icky things as a black velvet jumpsuit. So for everybody but a small handful of rule-bending, balding, non-cat-owning sensualists, the soft fabric of choice this season will not be velvet but corduroy, that manly—one might even call it ultramasculine—material whose vertical wales are cut straight from (didn’t you photo courtesy of hiltl Cold comfort Fur coats are a likewise dicey issue. They share velvet’s warmth and cushy hand, and also its suspiciously feminine connotations, rather like the bad rap poodles have been given all these years. Then, too, there is the matter whether the use of fur is morally justified. Should we be encouraged to wear the skins of other creatures? The answer to that question would be remarkably different depending on whether you lived in Miami or Toronto. But we do tend to feel friendlier toward just a touch of fur trim on our outerwear— on the collar of an overcoat or leather jacket, say, or around a parka hood. After all, this is functional fur. It is performing a role in helping us maintain proper upper body temperature, protecting otherwise exposed skin and retaining physical warmth. Yes, it does happen to be very in at the moment, but that’s of secondary importance, isn’t it? 18 raleigh limited magazine know?) velvet cloth. Introducing a Lexus supercar the likes of which the world has never witnessed: the ISF. 416-hp V8 engine, 19” BBS® forged-aluminum samurai sword wheels, massive Brembo® brakes, and the world’s first 8-speed sport direct shift. Visit Tom Wood Lexus and be the first to experience a moment of unadulterated adrenaline. 4610 EAST 96TH STREET INDIANAPOLIS, IN 888-774-7738 wwww.lexustomwood.com fashion t he sof t t ouch Shear logic Nearly as useful, just as beautiful in its own right, and certainly a lot less controversial, is shearling. A renewable fashion resource, sheep’s pelt is great for lining outerwear jackets and plumping up their collars. It also carries with it the he-man bonus of a long association with gear for barnstorming pilots and warplane bombardiers alike. So, despite its soft, comfy nature—and despite the fact that it is more or less identical to poodle hair—shearling ranks high on the masculity meter, which is just as well, because although you may be able to side-step fur, there really is no way to avoid being sheepish this season. The curly wool was on view everywhere at Milan’s fashion runways for fall, from the sublime, fully lined knee-length leather coats to a ridiculous shaggy knee-length poncho. One design house displayed a gigantic shearling overcoat paired with leather shearling jeans. There were rubber-footed, shearling-topped boots, shearling interior boots, and shearling Sherpa hats at numerous shows. All of this means that if you feel like indulging your inner need for something warm and welcoming this year, you simply can’t go wrong with following shear logic. Bag it up If you think leather has been forgotten in this slew of tactile materials, think again. Bombers and hip-length jackets, predominantly in silky, butter-soft black hides, are current outerwear kings and likely will remain so for the long haul. As for hauling things around, there is only one real carrier to contend with this season. Every style-maker (save for Gucci and Lanvan, who decided that clutch purses were the way for men to go) outfitted their models with large, soft leather satchels. These bags, long on the handles and big on accompanying shoulder straps, are flexible in more than just their bodies. Besides being able to hold gym clothes, a book or three, plus a half-dozen necessities and still have room left over for a laptop, their very suppleness provides the perfect complement to today’s softened up wardrobes. Like the rest of fall 2008 menswear, the only hard thing about them will be in trying to resist their allure. fashion by g a r y wol l enhaupt Fashion Rules! It’s oh so easy to play by the rules at work. Here are ten to live by... No. 1 Always keep a dress shirt at the office. You never know when you’re going to get caught in the rain or sweat on an unexpected walk in the heat of summer, or after an overnight stint in the airport and delayed flights, be faced with the dilemma of going home to change and risk missing the meeting or showing up in a rumpled shirt. A white dress shirt is best, as it should go with anything you may be wearing on the day you need it most. A spare tie will come in handy one day too. No. 2 Even though athletes, rock stars, and rising film actors may show you otherwise, stick with the traditional two or threebutton suits. Never button more than one button on a jacket, though do button when you’ll be standing for a more than a few minutes or walking. It makes you look serious, and it takes twenty pounds off your silhouette. No. 6 If you’re going to wear jeans to the office, make sure they’re a dark wash, rip- and tear-free, and paired with a blazer and a beautifully tailored dress shirt. Metal studs, ornately stitched back pockets, and holes are often frowned upon. No. 7 The only thing that belongs on the back of your chair is your back. Jackets should hang on a hanger. Keep a wooden hanger on the hook on the back of your office door or hanging from the wall of your cubicle. If the company doesn’t provide a coat hook, buy one yourself. It’s just that important. No. 3 No. 5 Show some cuff. That means never let your suit Certain articles of casual sleeves reach beyond your shirt sleeves. clothing may rise to the occasion, Experts disagree by how much. It can vary taking on a higher level of style that by the length of your sleeve and the cut of allows you make do in an emergency the jacket. But somewhere between oneNo. 8 or conform to a group of people. For quarter and one inch of fabric shirt should You can’t go wrong with the traditional example, you can dress up polo shirts, show. That sliver of fabric provides a white dress shirt. However, it won’t kill you khaki shorts, blue jeans, white sneakers, much-needed contrast to the uniformity of to mix things up every once in a while. and, for Texans, cowboy hats and boots. the suit fabric. It shows you pay attention On the other hand, there are also articles Pinstripe shirts are good. Windowpanes to the details. You know what you want and work well too. that you can never dress up: sports know how to get it, or at least know how to jerseys, track pants, white tank-tops take good advice from the smart people. No. 9 T-shirts, Birkenstocks, and Chalk stripe suits say “heavy hitter” like few flip-flops. other clothing choices. Chalk is not the same as No. 4 pinstripe; it has broader vertical lines woven into charGo casual with grace. Nobody likes a guy who wears a coal flannel with the soft, dusty look of tailor’s chalk. Watch for suit to casual work events. There’s a line between being bossit on a host of commentators during election season. ily stylish and being uptight. Show some leadership and be one of the gang on occasion. It will be all the more memorable for its No. 10 rarity, like your Karaoke rendition of “Mama Mia.” Loosen up and Looking for your own personal style? Relax. Know yourself and pair some wool or cotton trousers with a sport jacket, a sweater, know what you like. That will be your signature. or both, and lose the tie. 22 raleigh limited magazine fashion by ba rba r a e. cohen Hywel Davies graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London, in 1998 with a degree in fashion communication. He has written for many prestigious international fashion magazines and newspapers, and he works as a style and trend consultant for contemporary fashion brands. His first book, Modern Menswear, was published in February 2008, and his second publication, 100 New Fashion Designers, will be released this fall. Mr. Davies sat down with Raleigh Limited for a chat about the fashion designers and clothes profiled in Modern Menswear. MODERN MENSWEAR An exclusive interview with Hywel Davies 24 raleigh limited magazine fashion t he mode r n m an Q: What is “modern” about the menswear surveyed in Modern Menswear? Hywel Davies:The book looks at contemporary menswear designers who are challenging pre-organized ideas and conventions about men’s clothing. It is not a trend indicator or an advice book for men on how to dress. It is primarily concerned with communicating and highlighting contemporary, high-end menswear fashion. It does not focus on tradition or historical costume, but it’s a modern snapshot of international fashion designers and the processes that fuel their design ideas. Q: Men seem to crave rules for proper dressing, so what’s wrong with a little conformity if it ensures a man is always appropriately dressed for the office, sports, a date or relaxing with friends? HD: There is nothing wrong with conformity, but modern fashion, and not just menswear, is about expressing individuality and distinct style. The globalization of fashion has meant that most people look the same, and this is now considered rather bland. Without these visionary menswear designers, everyone will continue to look the same and fashion will not move on. We have moved past the “Gap” concept of uniformity. Davies offers a hip take on the “new guard” in men’s fashion Q: With boundaries between the suit-and-tie crowd and the T-shirt-and-jeans crowd blurring, can a modern man express himself seriously through clothing without being taken as a drudge, a dandy, or worse, a buffoon? HD: I am not sure if there are boundaries anymore. Men choose to wear different clothes at different times. A lot of how men choose to dress comes down to their own personal style and attitude. Men can still dress badly in a suit and look modern and fashionable in jeans and a T-shirt and vice versa. People dress differently for different occasions, and everyone should aim to dress appropriately for whatever occasion. Q: If a businessman wants to start expanding his wardrobe, where should he begin? What do you recommend for our clients transitioning from the traditional “perfect 10 items” wardrobe mentality to the new eclecticism? HD: It is very difficult to advise men as a whole about which designers they should look to. Men should choose the designers they find interesting personally. I’m really against the idea of dictating what anybody should wear. Modern menswear is about choice. If you were being specific to a businessman’s wardrobe, then he could adopt a contemporary suit—contemporary in terms of cut and fabric. He can also introduce the idea of a three-piece suit, which is now inherently modern. Modern Menswear is not focused on tailored clothing or suits, but for the best suits, men should choose bespoke suits, which are made individually to fit the wearer. Cut, silhouettes, quality, and fabric are the keys to a good suit. Q: In the same light, can you recommend one new trend every businessman should embrace immediately, in his casual if not his business wardrobe? HD: A tie with a matching handkerchief in the suit pocket is a small detail that is modern, and patent leather shoes have been regarded as contemporary for a few seasons now. Q: How can a middle-aged businessman adopt the hipper styles without appearing to be youth-obsessed or being labeled as going through a midlife crisis? Do the youth trends sit better in some industries than others? HD: Classic menswear is not about following trends. It is about choosing quality clothing and an individual style that is right for you as a wearer. 26 raleigh limited magazine MODERN MENSWEAR TOP 5 RULES: 1. Choose quality fabrics. 2. Ensure clothes fit you properly. 3. Dress appropriately for the occasion. 4. Don’t live by trends. 5. Choose neutral colors. 888.880.3462 zegna.com fashion Q: Given the blurred lines, can you still define sportswear as separate from business casual? Aren’t the new hybrids just a new set of rules? HD: If you look at Modern Menswear, many of the designers mix casual with formal, street wear with suits and so forth. Being modern is about creating interesting combinations that suit you as an individual. Q: Are men now showing their style by the designers they select? If so, which designers are most favored in specific kinds of work environments? Which are most suitable to business, which better confined to weekend wear? HD: Fortunately, none of the designers in the book subscribe to the smart/casual, work/weekend-wear rules. Their focus is to create clothes that transcend old ideas of when specific clothes should be worn. Q: In your view, what’s the biggest problem men face in finding stylish clothing today? HD: I don’t think there should be any problem with men finding stylish clothing. Everything is essentially available to anyone no matter where you live. The biggest obstacle is old-fashioned attitudes of what can be worn and when. If there was one issue, I think it would be cost, and quality clothing will always cost more. Q: Who do you see emerging to take center stage in the next five years? HD: Raf Simons is really emerging as a fashion force for his unrivalled vision and contemporary use of fabrics and cut. Q: Many of the clothes in the photographs in Modern Menswear are witty. In a serious business setting, what place does wit having in clothing? HD: None at all. Nothing at all should detract from business. Q: When does clothing with wit become “costume” rather than “fashion”? HD: When it is no longer practical. Q: If a man still favors wearing a suit, how can he assert his individuality beyond the tie or colored shirt? HD: A top-quality suit with beautiful shoes. Q: For someone who can’t see himself in a white jacket with red polka dots and blue-and-white striped pants, how do you get that reader to open the book and find the nuggets of information that speak to him? HD: People who pick up the book will hopefully be inspired by the aesthetic.The book is not a “How to be stylish” guide or “How to pick up on trends.” If the reader wants that, they should buy Details. The book can best be viewed as a documentary of contemporary international menswear. 28 raleigh limited magazine