My New Favorite Shoes!

I have a deep and abiding love affair with menswear. Dude duds have appealed to me since my early teens when I grabbed a shirt from my dad’s closet and wore it until it was threadbare. Cuff links, button down shirts with a vest and tie--I wear them all. In the 1990s I had a thrift store tuxedo tailored to fit me. Although the occasions to wear it were few, it was the sexiest suit I ever owned.

For the past few seasons I’ve been obsessed with women’s brogues, particularly wild for wingtips. I trolled the Internet like a hungry man looking for a club sandwich, and drooled when I found them in Schiaparelli pink patent leather, midnight blue suede, and silver leather with purple soles. Those shoes came with price tags that seemed to increase exponentially with number of letters in the designer’s name (Yohji Yamamoto and Fratelli Rosetti were more expensive than Bass), so I deferred purchase.

I was in London's Greenwich Market recently when Cupid’s arrow nicked my ankle as I passed a merchant featuring affordable women’s brogues in luscious, colorful leathers. I fell in love with every shoe on display, and bought a pair of adorable saddle tan and navy brogues that I’ll wear forever. Check them out!

Peacocks

Most guys are comfortable in shades of brown, grey, and black.  Dark suits with uninspired pastel shirts for business and varied shades of grey with dark denim for weekends.  Not especially resplendent or memorable.  However, there is an trend that is turning traditional men’s looks on its pointy little head.  In Italy today uomini are wearing summer pants as vivid as the season’s favorite flowers.  They aren’t embarrassed or ashamed to wear pants in bright pink or bold lavender. 

Urban American men have long strutted in Technicolor finery.  Consider R&B performers in the 1950s, 60s and 70s--The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Spinners, and Chi-Lites--who were always suited up in flamboyant outfits in teal, baby blue, or cherry red.  You may remember how everyday dudes from the car wash showed up at the club on Saturday nights in Easter egg-colored pimp daddy suits, or matchy-matchy ensembles in purple, royal blue, and sunset orange.

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Contemporary urban summer menswear is drenched in color.  Brothers in peach, lavender, and lemon yellow shorts with matching shirts are a typical sight.  These displays of color may appear less than masculine, but its lineage can be found in ancient civilizations where the colors and styles of clothing worn were indicative of one’s social status. 

Menswear designers are stepping deep into the Crayola box and playing with sticks of dazzling color.  Check out this link for more on the trend.  In a recent NY Times “On The Street” montage photographer Bill Cunningham stated that “The mirror of our age is not on women’s fashion--it’s on men’s….”  From everything I’m seeing on blogs and other media, he’s right. This trend will continue in 2013.

Males in full plumage--strutting, preening.  Captivating, colorful trend setters. 

Do you think the men in your life will adapt this style?  Would your dad or boyfriend wear a rose colored suit to work?