Mad about men

Linda Miller, Fashion Editor

Published: October 15, 2008

Blame it on "Mad Men," a television series about executives in the 1960s.

Menswear is shifting from baggy to slim, and most people agree that's a good thing.

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This fall, and looking ahead to spring, presents a big silhouette shift in tailored clothing and sportswear for men, said Tom Julian, president of Tom Julian Group, a brand consulting company in New York.

“Think ‘Mad Men.’ Streamlined, clean, lean, tapered,” he said.

If a man is living with three-button suits, pleated, draped pants, boxy polos and shirts, it’s time to buy anew, Julian said. Those pieces are tired, outdated and have been hanging around for a decade.

Today's newsmakers are two-button suits and jackets, tapered shirts, flat-front trousers and a long, lean shoe silhouette. “Not fitted, not body conscious, but clean,” he said.

“The great thing about ‘Mad Men” is that young cool dudes to dads to CEOs can pull it off in the TV show, so men of all shapes and sizes can too,” Julian said.

While a younger influence is helping ignite men’s renewed interest in clothes, fall isn’t just a one-trend season. Choices range from confident, informal, softer estate country looks to charismatic business and elegant formal, said Steven Giles, owner of Steven Giles Clothing.

Rich texture and soft tones bring even more sophistication. Tailoring reflects a slimmer European look and accents are refined with subtle stripes, checks and mini patterns, he said.

“This fall, better to be overdressed than under dressed, and business casual simply means you don’t have to wear a tie with your suit or sport coat,” Giles said.

While two-button, side-vent jackets, flat-front trousers and shirt jackets sell well, what’s on fire is the woven sport short business, and it has been for the last five years, said Steve Allton, owner of Allton's in Edmond. One brand that has Allton’s attention is Robert Graham.

“It’s the best sell through of anything I have in the store," he said.

He bought that shirt line to appeal to a younger customer, he said, "but I’m 48, and I’m selling more of them to guys my age than a youngster.”

Woven shirts offer men a different, modern look, one that also appeals to women.

“It’s something new in a guy’s closet," Allton said. " Women buy 60 to 75 percent of men’s sportswear. Women look better longer, and I don’t think they’re ready for their husbands to look old and tired.”

For more on fashion and beauty, go to Linda Miller's blog at blog.newsok.com/fashionmatters.

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