Trend Forecast: Jess

The Menswear trend that i think will be sticking around for a while is the men's workwear trend. I believe that the economy and job market issues will still be prominent in our culture 5 years from now. The "working class hero" will be more influential than P. Diddy. Maybe we'll be looking down upon celebrities with excess money and frivolous spending. We will be a lot more accepting of people with blue-collar jobs, working hard for the money.

The Oxford Forecast

What's going to be hot and different this fall 2011 is an old sole on the bottom of oxfords other than on the bottom of your workwear footwear. Rather thick and rubber soles have made a large appearance on the runway and with a more refined upper the regular oxford has just been updated and modernized to fit contemporary lifestyles of men.

Denim Forecast: Kelley

Typically, we see silhouettes in clothing go from one extreme to the other within a given period of time. For example, when we look at denim in the 90's we see oversized, baggy styles that gradually got slimmer in the years following leading up to where we are now; men's jeans in skinny styles that are just as slim as women's!

Levi's Skinny Jean
theurbangent.com

As the fall 2011 collections roll out we are seeing a more relaxed fit in men's pants.  This leads me to believe that we will see gradual movement back towards a loose fit, stove pipe jean.  It may take years to get back to that but I think it will happen eventually.

Wide Leg Jean
nifatextiles.com

Trend Forecast: Darcie

Androgyny has been a key trend in men's and women's wear for the last few seasons.  As work wear and casual wear define the times - through the economic and political climate - we'll see a return of gender roles in fashion.  Specifically menswear will become more masculine.

Silhouettes will become boxier, wider and more relaxed.  Pants and suits will be less fitted, overcoats and layering will define the looks.  Accessories will be key in identifying individual style and an emphasis on local manufacturing, hand-made products and quality materials will be most prevalent.

 Cerruti, 2011/12 Fall/Winter

via WGSN

 Ermanno Scervino, 2011/12 Fall/Winter

via WGSN

Urban Leisure: WGSN

A strong focus on rounded silhouettes and

t

echnical layers at the Paris shows drives an urban-feeling, engineered look for autumn/winter 2011/12.

Sportswear and tailoring influences overlap to combine ergonomic functionality, sophisticated fabrics, and pared-down detailing with sharp formalwear themes. The overall mood maintains a youthful edge because of the serviceable, yet smart appeal of the garments, and a muted palette shot through with neon brights. Soft lines and exaggerated scales are important - but in a structured, rather than slouchy way. Structured details include sharp lapels, shoulders, pockets and armholes.

http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Design_Files/Menswear/Autumn_Winter_2011/AW11_Mens_Catwalk_urbanleisure.html

What to buy in 2011...



Lanvin



One of the top trends in menswear we're seeing in stores right now is the use of bright primary colors; red, blue, and yellow. 

 

Palladium Boots



Khaki and olive mixed with grays and blacks 

are the neutral tones showing a

more casual cool look. 



Nike Tweed & Leather



High top shoes are everywhere for spring and will

continue through the fall/winter lines of 2011/12.

These high top styles look great with drop crotch,

tapered leg denim that we're seeing in stores.





Spring 2011 Runways





    

Ferguson



Leather details on jackets constructed of other materials like wool and cotton are emerging and the Letterman's style jacket is popping up everywhere.  Tweed will appear for fall and winter with updated detailing like camouflage. 

Four pocket utility jackets are continuing the military trend and will be present for another winter next year although expect a shift from the cargo style military to the bomber jacket in the future.

Anchor Letterman's Jacket

For fall 2011 we will see the nautical theme continue with updated deck shoes, stripes and more stripes, and Beck & Hersey will show a fisherman's jacket for fall paired with denim shirts for a utilitarian look.



Fisherman's Jacket & Denim Shirts





Must have colors that you will see in stores

this spring and summer that will be a safe

bet for the next couple seasons:



http://www.francoise-nielly.com/





Red

Blue

Gold & Mustard (deep yellows)

Grey

Black

Olive & Khaki

Spring 2011 Men’s Trends Most Preferred By Women

With five enticing categories to include the color pink, double breasted button downs and blazers, Sun-faded garments, Espadrilles and scarves surely there is something that men will love as much as women love men wearing them. Men can go pink wearing shorts, rolling up pants or finding a blazer with white pants for a more sophisticated look. Below is a perfect example of pink pants rolled up with a double breasted button down. As you can see it’s paired with the yellow belt and blue shoes as bright colors are in this spring. (Look was seen on the Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2011 Runway)



Fine, simple and no frills for men with these espadrilles that will be at large this spring for men, a cool alternative to wearing sandals. Espadrilles shown below are made by Aok and can be found at aoknyc.com.



On the pricier side for cotton lightweight scarf made for men at a cool $370 below made by Inca Yarazouel. Some scarves with prints can border on the girly side however printed and patterned are in this spring and women can thank the designer that makes the men wearing scarves thing cool for another season.

the classic modern

In the most recent issue of the NY Time's Style Magazine, four of the most appealing spring trends for men graced the pages: uniformly cool, boardshorts, chambray, and old but new.

The compelling looks are new adaptations of classic men's wear looks and can easily fit into the wardrobe of anyone from the individualist to the classic modern gent.

 

 

via nytimes.com T Magazine

'Uniformly Cool' pairs knits with blazers and jeans, and horizontal stripes use a cool color palette.  The look is clean, easy and comfortable.  "Boardshorts' offers the surfer look for spring, brighter colors, patterned knits and shorts for a classic beach look. 'Chambray' is a work wear look pairing vintage denim layers with blazers and vests - the classic tailored look, with the comfort and ease of denim. The final trend 'Old but New' combines roughed up denim and slacks with the tailored blazer and sweater to offer a refined yet casual appeal to menswear pieces.

What I especially like about the current trends in menswear is that you can mix and match all the pieces to create different looks and make your wardrobe accessible for any occasion.  Men's tailoring and well made pieces define the current trends, but can be paired effortlessly with classic tees, denim and mixed knits to change a look almost instantly.

Color is coming back as spring and summer come into the picture, I think we will continue to see more color accents and accessories over the next several years.

With an emphasis on individual style, comfort and quality, I think we'll see major changes in future trends in menswear silhouettes as women's wear becomes wider-legged and boxier.  Androgeny will shift to masculenity and looks will become boxier less more defined, and less slim.

Bread & Butter

Bread & Butter is a tradeshow for selected brands, held this year at the end of January named Absolute with a summer tradeshow coming in July from the 6th-8th. It has been held for the fourth time at the historic Berlin-Tempelhof Airport and will be again at that location this summer.

The tradeshow is the leading international fair for Street and Urban Wear and is positioned to market and promote for the brands, labels and designers who show. Unfortunately it is not open to the public and only registered visitors or accreditated jouralists will be enjoying what it has to offer.



Over 500 brands make up eight categories to include: Sport & Street, Street Fashion, FashionShow, Style Society, L.O.C.K., Denim Base, Urban Superior Women and Urban Superior Men. Known brands to us in the United States that made an appearance were True Religion, PRPS, Addidas, Diesel and FRYE. Other up and coming brands or designers we don't see as much included Crooks & Castles, Rubber Duck, Gourmet and Lotus Jeans.

California Cool

Check out this menswear trade show in Los Angeles that boasts a unique offering of styles:
http://vimeo.com/17620096

“CLASS was created as a reaction to the dullness and overwhelming lack of inspiration that exists at other industry trade shows,” says Jason Bates, the visionary creator of CLASS. “Vegas has become an overwhelming corporate behemoth that while important, lacks creative newness, stimulation and edginess of a true fashion leader. I feel that it is time to bring it all back home, to California, where it began.”

Some of the current trends represented at the Class trade show:

The Baseball Jacket: WeSC

The Denim Work Shirt: WeSC

This trend will appear for the fall collections of 2011 and into 2012 with subtle changes such as tailored silhouettes and elbow patches as well as colors like red and mustard.

The Military Jacket: WeSC

We've seen a lot of this military inspired style but it will continue to surface using different elements from the branches of the military.  For example, the Air Force jacket which is more of a bomber look without the cargo pockets and with a traditional collar.

Cool Neutral Tones: Gray, White, & Stone

Original Penguin 

Mixing grays will be big for fall and winter 2011/2012 and will have a washed look for spring collections.

 Farah

Slvdr (also incorporating tomato red color trend)

Color Trend: Tomato Red

Farah

The red pant is making a comeback for men and women and as it has in the past will likely be a trend that doesn't stick around long.  Expect to see it up until spring of 2012.

Create Build Destroy

A basic crew neck style is reminiscent of the 80's and will emerge but don't expect anyone to pack away their beloved hoodies and track jackets.

Huffer

A pop of red is always fresh with a neutral palette of grays and blacks; a red scarf will be an easy way to incorporate the tomato red trend. 



Magic in Vegas with S.L.A.T.E.

"S.L.A.T.E. is a juried assortment of eclectic and sophisticated brands that established themselves within the skate, surf and street communities and are steadily making their way into the mainstream with all the fashion and attitude of the hipsters, artists and musicians who’ve inspired them." - http://slate.magiconline.com/

Here is the link to the SLATE blog:http://slate.magiconline.com/press-releases/

http://player.theplatform.com/ps/player/pds/AVCYgaJP1X?pid=vN5CJuYCRt3jUa7Qa4kp6y41NF_zil2z

Stitch (without Lilu)

Stitch is a menswear trade show held in London, England at Earl's court. They include all menswear and accessories. It was recently held on Feb 13-15 2011. This past February Stitch joined up with Pure Spirit, which is a buying event for mens and womens clothing. They shared the same venue. Over 250 brands were offered, along with catwalk shows, trend presentations, business seminars, DJ’s and parties.

"Stitch Menswear 2011 is the Uk's only dedicated menswear & accessory trade show, a key meeting point for brands, buyers, press and retailers. Stitch's ethos is to provide a platform for brands and those looking to break into the UK market has allowed us to host a wonderful selection of exciting brands."

http://www.stitchmenswear.com/Stitch11/website/Default.aspx?refer=1

Some of the exhibitors include:

Dickies
Fruit of the Loom
Common People
SWEAR
Split star

and many.....many....MANY more.
It is hard to find any videos or info about the recent Stitch event, but they have a video on their main site (link above).
The next show is August 7-8 2011 also to be held at Earl's Court. It is not yet known if they will collaborate again with Pure Spirit.

On the Agenda

For designers and buyers, Agenda focuses on brands that have a unique level of design and aesthetic. ‘With a strong emphasis in style, art, music and culture, the Agenda experience is as much a lesson as it is a tool.’

via agendashow.com

One of Agenda’s co-founders, Aaron Levante, first got involved in streetwear and streetculture in LA in 1989. Agenda was founded in 2003 as a way for buyers and designers of streetwear apparel and accessories to gain recognition and do business. Today Agenda has replaced well known tradeshows like ASR, and provides the biggest streetwear and streetculture trade show on the west coast.

Agenda has 6 shows over the course of a year, 2 in New York, 2 in Tokyo and 2 in California – the next is this July in New York City, then August in Huntington Beach.

Re-cap from Agenda Anaheim, January 2011

via Agenda Tradeshow

Originally set out to exhibit streetwear – a small niche market – Agenda has become not just an alternative show, but also one that continues to grow steadily as the market continues to expand.

Before Magic’s S.L.A.T.E exhibit for streetwear, trade shows didn’t capture the essence of the market. Agenda brought culture, lifestyle and art to the forefront.

As resources continue to be put on reserve and marketing budgets get cut, we’ll see a growing emphasis on the concentration of tradeshows, for instance, S.L.A.T.E. at Magic, and the elimination of ASR. As Agenda has made a place for itself, not only representing the west coast, but also internationally, I think we’ll continue to see it as a place for creative brands to come together. I think we’ll also see more culture, lifestyle and art becoming a part of other trade shows, as it can easily make a difference in the number of businesses that find it worth it to attend.

For more information on Agenda:
Agenda Website
Aaron Levante: The Tradeshow Grind Part 1 
Aaron Levante: The Tradeshow Grind Part 2

The Good Husbands

Hey guys, so i'm from a very small town called Friday Harbor. My graduating class of 2005 was one of the smallest (apx 75 students) but consisted of some seriously creative and talented individuals. Case in point, The Good Husbands. Check out their video below and stay tuned for more to come from the Husbands.

The Good Husbands - Heyy Yaa

Globalisation: When fashion kills

Silicosis and Denim Sandblasting: H&M and Levi's take a stand.

Sandblasting is one of several techniques that apparel manufacturers use to create the worn denim look. The process has existed since at least the 1870s, and typically involves sand, or silica: sodium bicarbonate and other minerals like kieserite.

H&M’s and Levi’s Strauss & Co’s executives believe that a move to eliminate sandblasting as an industry practice will encourage other manufacturers to do the same. Effective immediately, both firms will no longer place new orders for sandblasted clothing, and after the end of this year, both firms promise that no active production using the technique will exist in their

The ban is important because no matter how rigorously workers may protect themselves, the threat of respiratory diseases like silicosis and other health threats are a reality. Many emerging economies like Turkey, India, and of course, China have seen the garment industry as a steppingstone to the building of wealth—and workers often pay the price.

To read more of this article go to http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/levi-straus-hennes-mauritz-ban-sandblasting-denim-jeans/

100% Wierd Science

The future of textiles is looking more like science fiction.  Check out the innovative design of Suzanne Lee, creative director of Biocouture.  She’s using bacteria to grow fabric.  The bacteria produce a microfiber that entangles and intertwines to form a gelatin like membrane.  Drying the membrane yields a sheet of material that can be cut, manipulated, and sewn together like traditional fabric.  A nontraditional feature of the garments would be their tendency to absorb and hold water.  Scientists are working on manipulating the bacteria further to prevent this problem. 

There are advantages to this microbial cellulose as opposed to plant cellulose.  Plant cellulose is the substance used to make paper, cloth, etc. from natural resources.  The microbial cellulose has a longer fiber length which makes it stronger, it can be grown to virtually any shape, and it’s easy to produce.  Some disadvantages are that it’s more expensive to produce commercially and there’s less capacity for large scale production.

Biocouture "Denim" Jacket

 Currently the medical field is using this futuristic textile for wound dressings and research is being done on using it for artificial blood vessels and soft tissue replacement.  Another end use for the product, not medically related: Sony used it as an acoustic membrane in high end ear phones.

Biocouture button down

The adoption of this type of textile will be a slow process.  The cool factor is already in place with the fabric but the garments will have to perform and more research/adjustments will have to be made to get to that point.  As more and more people across the globe decide that sustainability of our planet is more important than saving a few bucks we will see a continuation of this kind of product development.  Until then, we will probably not be seeing this on the fashion runways of Paris, Milan, London, and New York.



Biocouture Shoe



Hats and more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zGYmClj9Qo

Fedora is making a comeback, which is really awesome! I have always liked the classics. It amazes me how they are made, and it impresses me that a lot of them are still pretty much made in the U.S.




Even with the hat industry taking off, other branches of the fashion world are still having some issues.
This link shows specific fabrics that are being requested by buyers because they cannot get them right now, and most of them involve cotton.
http://www.fabricstockexchange.com//index.php?page=sub_page&ID=51

One of the manufacturing companies that works with this same fabric supplier is MonaLisa Fashions, Inc. They are a U.S based manufacturer that makes every single type of clothing.
I just thought it was really awesome because they are based here, instead of outsourcing.
http://www.monalisamfg.com/aboutus.html

From the Break to the Beginning

It was in 1980 that Ron Gregg a physicist and dedicated mountaineer found himself in an unexpected situation on Alaska’s Denali. His climbing partner was suffering from extreme frostbite due in part to poorly designed gaiters, snow was pushed between the gaiter and boot making the situation even worse. After his friend was airlifted to safety the physicist took the experience and began designing and manufacturing a functional, insulated gaiter, the X-gaiter. The following year Outdoor Research was born.

The goals of Ron remain dedicated to creating tools and solutions that outdoor enthusiasts needed to be successful in the backcountry. Still today his company is manufacturing the Water Bottle Parka that keeps water from freezing in cold places as well as OR soft pack medical kits created over thirty years ago first ever in medical kit history.

RE-use

Patagonia is redefining the way we manufacture apparel by re-using old clothing items. For most Patagonia enthusiasts this is not new news, Patagonia has long established recycling old fleece material into polyester fibers.

Patagonia textile recycling program
photos via patagonia.com &WGSN

According to WGSN’s article, “Patagonia: environmental update” by autumn 2011 they will take back more than just fleeces. All of their products will go be recycled, re-used or Repair.

According to Isabelle Susini, Patagonia’s environment manager “Anything that has gone through the first three Rs, we will take back and look for the best way to recycle it. We could either turn it back into the original fiber or give it to a company that works with old garments for use in other projects, for example a car manufacturer. We want our customers to understand that a textile product shouldn’t end up in an incinerator or a landfill.”

Patagonia is also changing it’s message to customers, adding a 4th‘R’ into the picture. “We are trying to reduce our consumption and our resources, and we are telling our customers to consume less,” Susini said. “The message is: buy only if you really need it.”

Projecting to future trends, I can see more companies recycling fabrics to make new fibers based on rising costs of fibers and textiles.


via WGSN: "Patagonia: environmental update"
By Andrew Jobling, WGSN, 24 February 2011
http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Business_Strategy/Business_Insight/2011/February/patagonia_environmentalupdate.html

chop it up

Deli is a men's clothing store in dowtown Seattle. Their window displays are always pretty much the same, with one window having the two (headless) male mannequins and the only thing that changes is the clothes, and the other always having appliances that you would find in a deli shop, like a meat cutter. They are relatively small, but have managed to stand out among the masses of small Seattle shops.

Their name causes much confusion, especially with tourist, who are always coming in to find a bite to eat. Besides that, they have managed to concoct an interesting story line around their current and old store ( the butcher shop). They make short films that are posted on youtube, on their website, and are sometimes played over and over again in the store. Each video follows a story line.

Saks Fifth Ave Representing Menswear

Saks Fifth Avenue has been all about menswear in the last year and a half, it was the fall of 2009 that they represented Viktor & Rolf, Simon Spurr and Michael Bastians collection for Gant. A total of seven windows were used to represent an up and coming rise of menswear in fashion! Until now we were used to seeing only women’s fashion in store fronts.

Ever since the Viktor and Rolf window display back in 2009 at it’s become much more accessible for buying. Aside from the occasional piece on the shelf at Bloomingdales men are now able to find multiple sizes of their favorites from the line to include glorious prints, luxury knits and color trimmed tuxedos, let’s not forgot about the mustache decorated tee shown in the above picture on the right!