I have really taken to sketching out menswear ideas in black and white – it gives such a great, retro look.
Right now I am a huge fan of this very vintage-inspired look. The cut of the coat and the new-looking materials keep the look updated, while incorporating some classic elements (double-breasted coat, and the oversized briefcase-that’s-more-of-a-bag) to make it fairly conservative. If I were to wear this, I realized I’d actually want the coat about two to three inches longer than I drew it. I am not a huge fan of guys wearing things cropped – even for girls, that look is way overdone – on guys, it’s just funny. I guess this doesn’t count as cropped, but it’s still a touch too short.
Another item I’m fascinated by right now is dirty white or off-white denim. It’s great to wear during the winter, and if it has the right vintage appeal, you can roll up the cuffs and wear the pants right through the warmer months. The key is to get thick (or thick-looking) denim, and get it a dirty, faded white colour. This looks great with both black and dark brown coats/shoes/bags, and the ‘off-’ in ‘off-white’ translates into ‘less cleaning hassle’. Small water/slush/mud stains at the bottoms will go unnoticed – but not if the pants are like neon white.
As for the cut, get them straight leg or slightly boot – not flared, not too short. Make sure there’s just enough denim at the bottom for a small crease or two. I like the look of demin that has to be wrinkled up a bit to stay at shoe-level. Don’t get huge baggy white jeans, but nothing really tight-fitting, either. Something in between, erring on the side of tight because the look is VINTAGE, not 1990s. (…. jeeze). Wear with leather shoes, and a nice big black bag or briefcase. See my earlier post on what bag to wear… I like the black doctor’s bag with white jeans, or you could even go for a little square briefcase – Make sure it comes with a shoulder strap so you can sling it over the opposite shoulder when you get sick of carrying it around by hand (this is the voice of experience talking… my black Puma duffel did NOT come with a shoulder strap. That’s what I get for outlet shopping.)
Anyway, invest in a pair of off-white jeans if you haven’t already (it’s already the start of the season and if you wait any longer you’ll miss out on this!) over and out!
-FH.
