New York Fashion Week Spring 2011: Men’s Trend Report

Written By: Sachin Bhola
Written For: AskMen.com

For the average guy, stumbling upon the latest trends from New York Fashion Week Spring 2011 is about as relevant as hearing about the latest boutique hotel opening in Rio — sure, there’s an audience for it somewhere, but it’s just not him. And after seeing leather shorts, socks worn with sandals and embroidered paisley tops walk down the runway, we too channeled our inner Nelson — ha-ha.

But here’s the thing: Instead of dismissing this news as comical, we recognize the takeaway value in plugging into what Mayor Bloomberg estimated to generate more than $385 million for the city’s economy.

Whether it’s saving money next spring by identifying carryover trends or avoiding the dreaded feeling of walking into a mass retailer not knowing what to look for, AskMen’s done the homework for you. Here’s what you need to know from New York Fashion Week Spring 2011.

New York Fashion Week Fall 2010: Men’s Major Trends

Globe-Trotter

Remember when Captain Cook set sail on the Pacific Ocean to explore faraway lands? Well, the designers did. From the golden age of travel to East-meets-West references, this Spring 2011 trend played with the idea of clothing as storytelling — pieces that follow you in your adventures around the world.

Gilded Age: Stefan Miljanic cited Pan American World Airways and clipper ships as inspiration. Um, translation? He showed shirts made of fabrics that looked aged by the sun, and featured a selection of utilitarian details that would be fitting for a budding world explorer: multi-pocket field jackets, epaulettes and drawstrings at the waist.

Duckie Brown: “We wanted to do a collection where every single piece is a different fabrication. Every piece is a different print, texture or color,” says Daniel Silver about the Duckie Brown Spring 2011 collection. Judging by the last grouping of the show, you feel like you’re looking at the dress code of dive-bar hipsters in Thailand. The eccentric mix of color, pattern and proportion (like a bug-print long shirt worn with tartan trousers) created an idiosyncratic East-meets-West look.

Billy Reid: Billy Reid looked to his birth state of Louisiana — perhaps the most accessible passage for the American globe-trotter. He showed pieces with heritage, like heirloom buckled belts and hand-tailored patchwork madras jackets — the kind of pieces that evoke a sense of history and that hold special value (you know, the kind you buy when you’re, say, traveling).

What to look for: Button-downs with sleeve tabs, lived-in lightweight leather jackets, field jackets with multiple patch pockets, epaulettes, sun-aged fabrics, leather travel bags, vintage prints, awning stripes, handcrafted detailing, and patchwork.

Marine Life

American menswear often references the great outdoors, but at New York Fashion Week Spring 2011, there was a clear nod to the aquatics: scuba diving, fishing or just the ease of beach life.

Michael Bastian: Bastian cited Jacques Cousteau’s boat and the Navy SEALs as inspiration, showing neoprene scuba tops and bottoms, camo-print flip-flops (courtesy of the upcoming Havaianas + Michael Bastian collection), neons, and featuring the IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000 on models.

Richard Chai: One of the few collections this week that actually read as a spring collection (vs. fall or transition), Chai blended military and fishing themes: sleeveless oversize cargo parkas, net/ribbed sweaters, fishing hats, and seaweed green jackets.

Michael Kors: After a long day of deep-sea fishing, the Spring 2011 man can relish in the marine life courtesy of Michael Kors’ take on beach life. Using hemp, linen and rope, and a decidedly neutral color palette of white and cream, we liked how wearable and clear the collection was — these are the pieces that aren’t complicated and can easily upgrade your style.

What to look for: Camouflage prints, lightweight parkas, marine-inspired watches, neon color accents, rope cardigans, white linen trousers.

New York Fashion Week Fall 2010: Men’s Carryover Trend
In case you were wondering, a carryover trend is one that appeared in previous seasons that we’re seeing reemerge this season. No, it’s not our way of calling out a designer’s lack of creativity; it’s our way of helping you save a few bucks. Why spend money on something you’ve already invested in? Here’s the scoop for Spring 2011:

Military

“Spring 2011 is very much a continuation of Fall 2010… Whilst the overarching look of the show is extremely British and has strong military dress undertones, outerwear plays a more significant role this season. Flyweight trench coats and parkas are set among horizontal-striped suits and glove suede military jackets,” explains Simon Spurr.

Military references were seen across the board. Rag & Bone showed stone suede military boots, Richard Chai showed army green cotton canvas, and Michael Bastian made the camo print modern. To pull this off next spring, be sure to stick to lightweight fabrics, and keep your all-year parkas, army green cotton shirts and combat boots on reserve.