Dressed up menswear means suiting fabrics in pencil skirts and shorts, an easy pair of boyfriend jeans for the weekend and a bold pair of slippers, loafers or oxfords that are as comfortable as they are fashion forward.
Take a cue from his side of the closet come fall.
By Amanda Bedgood**
Friday, Sept. 7, 2012**
Dressed up menswear means suiting fabrics in pencil skirts and shorts, an easy pair of boyfriend jeans for the weekend and a bold pair of slippers, loafers or oxfords that are as comfortable as they are fashion forward.
There are rare moments in fashion when timeless and trend meet. When something you could wear five years from now and perhaps wore five years ago is more than simply wearable. It is en vogue.
Fashion is having just such a moment in menswear-inspired dressing, and in this month's IND Style we show you just how it's done properly. Sharp-dressed women should take a cue from the sharp-dressed men in their lives, and I have to admit that I've always had a soft spot for masculine-inspired pieces - vests, suiting fabrics and the high-waisted perfection of the Katherine Hepburn silhouette - and an even softer spot for September magazine issues. In the world of women's fashion magazines September is the pinnacle of coverage. The September issue is the thickest (and most beautiful) of the year. And it offers more trends than most of us have room in the closet for or money in the bank.
So, in this September issue we have narrowed down the best, most accessible options for pulling off this look.
Few trends offer the option of looking sexy without the skin like menswear does. And even fewer can be touted as truly ageless. And doable on any budget. Any piece in suiting fabric is perfection. Think houndstooth shorts or a pinstripe pencil skirt. Shoes of suiting fabrics are also spot on and pair perfectly with a solid suit - board room appropriate yet never boring. A fashion forward addition to dressed up menswear remains the fedora. A simple ribbon or slice of fabric from a men's silk tie above the brim brings a dash of color. And those giant watches we adore from Michael Kors? Keep wearing them. They're not going anywhere.
While business dressing lends itself naturally to menswear fabrics and shapes, weekend wear come fall will join the ranks. We're scouring his side of the closet for ideas - boyfriend jeans, loafers and oxfords, roomy cardigans. Pick one piece for a subtle nod to the masculine. Or throw in the whole kitchen sink. Menswear is that rare trend that allows for multiple pieces under one roof.
On an easy Saturday afternoon, I envision girly-hued loafers or leopard print Oxfords with a rolled up roomy boyfriend jean and simple v-neck T - effortlessly on trend and utterly comfortable. And isn't that what it's all about? Feeling good in our clothes and looking great. It's what this column is all about, and it's what you'll be seeing on the pages of IND Style in the months to come.
There are as many trends as there are opinions it seems. We're always looking to be the latest, the greatest, the one on the absolute edge of fashion. But, the truth is that being on trend is the easy part of this whole fashion thing - buy, wear, repeat. Making it your own - that's the true task. Taking what's now and pairing it with timeless pieces. Incorporating your personal style with what's in these pages, what's draped on mannequins, what's floating down the runway. Finding something to wear on the outside that accurately portrays what's on the inside is style done properly.