A Classic Gent’s Key Fashion Takeaways from Spring Summer 2018 Menswear Brands We Love

Fashion Takeaway 3: Black will always be in vogue

Well, black will always be an eternally fashionable colour for many reasons. First of all, it’s a slimming colour, and always makes one appear to be thinner because it doesn’t show the shadows made by the lumps and fat that one may have.

From left: Ermenegildo Zegna, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana menswear ss18

Most notable designers from Karl Lagerfeld to Tom Ford choose black because creative individuals prefer to use their creativity on their work rather than their wardrobes. Don’t take it from me, take it from these world renowned designers:

Gianni Versace: “Black is the quintessence of simplicity and elegance.”
Yves Saint Laurent: “Black symbolizes the liaison between art and fashion.”
Karl Lagerfeld: “Black is the colour that suits everybody. With black you are safe.”

“A wise friend once told me, ‘Don’t wear what fashion designers tell you to wear. Wear what they wear.” – Tina Fey

Black is neutral and easier to find other items of clothing to match with. You don’t have to worry about complementary colours and unlike technical colour blocking, all black is probably the only acceptable solid colour outfit – funereal but elegant, its versatility is what makes it the most anointed colour in fashion.

Fashion Takeaway 4: Best to know what sort of headgear is best suited for you

  A man can wear many hats and look really stylish. From baseball cap or a broad-rimmed fedora (Hello Indiana Jones), the hat arguably either makes an unforgettable first impression or a regrettable anecdote for someone’s cocktail conversations. While I do prefer classic styles, a panama hat isn’t in my repertoire because I lack the requisite confidence to wear one and this is key.

From Left: Versace, Ermenegildo Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana

From Left: Versace, Ermenegildo Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana

A hat has to be worn confidently. Anything less and the hat wears you, you end up looking like your choice of headgear has chosen to take a ride on you, so if you must wear a hat, don’t be timid about it, rock it. Things to consider: pick a hat which suits you – rule of thumb, big hats look better on big heads. The reverse is true – small hats, smaller heads. Your hat is meant to frame your face and draw attention to your eyes, if your hat sends attention to your ears instead, might want to re-think it. Also, not all hat styles will be suitable for you. Very few people in the world can rock a crown, if you must, at least marry into royalty first.

Fashion Takeaway 5: Some brands can REALLY do athleisure, case in point Z Zegna

Zegna’s Alessandro Sartori is a godly designer. In 2003, he became Creative Director of the newly created “Z Zegna” at Ermenegildo Zegna. By 2011 he was appointed as artistic director at Berluti where he choreographed not just the style but lifestyle of Berluti by having cocktails in posh urban apartments with a gathering with friends for a bout of midnight shoe-polishing using Dom Pérignon as the shining agent – it got everyone talking about how seriously people were treating Berluti. Then, in early 2016, Sartori resigned and returned to Zegna.

Z Zegna menswear spring summer 2018

Z Zegna menswear spring summer 2018

At Zegna, Sartori oversees all product lines and with that oversight, he has managed to build upon the brand’s heritage and provenance and parlayed it into something undeniably authentic beyond the shallowness of the current “athleisure” trend. This is athleisure for men, no yoga pants or denim joggers can be found here, instead Zegna’s reputation for true Italian tailoring joins the company’s history with supporting reggattas in Portofino for the better part of 40 years. Currently, Z Zegna sponsors the high tech Maserati Multi70 and this capsule collection makes one feel mightily nautical, and most importantly, unabashedly masculine. This is athleisure for classic gents.

Fashion Takeaway 6: (Screw memorial day) Wear white any time you want

A white suit isn’t a business suit but it is dressy. No, you’re not going to channel Colonel Sanders and if you don’t pop your shirt collars out like a man hooked on That 70s Show re-runs, no one is going to mistake you for Mr. Saturday Night Fever either. Dress it down, dress it insouciantly  – that is to say messy and wrinkled; and you’d effortless channel a literary (think Tom Wolfe or Mark Twain), intellectual demeanor. Wear it with a v-neck tee for drinks on the beach or wear the blazer with dark denims for dinner – the white suit is the ultimate informal suit for formal occasions.

From left: Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna

From left: Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna

Bonus Fashion Takeaway: How the heck do I pull off Kenzo Spring Summer 2018 menswear?

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