A lot of colour for a Browne

A few months ago I touched on the, er, adventurous foray into meggings (the aptly named male legging), with a few off hand comments made about the "dangers" of feminizing men's fashion in such an absurdest ways that I never thought I'd meet a rebuttal in the form of anything less than Eddie Izzard.

Ah, but for the plans of mice, men and meggings, there are designers like Thom Browne.

A designer by way of his early days with Club Monaco, themselves under the monolith of respectable menswear, Ralph Lauren, and deservedly celebrated, Browne has made a name for himself by redefining the art of casual class. His latest project though is far afield, as seen this October with the release of his imaginative 2010 collection.

Bridging the age old gap between mens and womens style has always been a leap of faith into a dark pit for the male, where we can't see the other side, and the ledge we're jumping for may actually be in the next chasm over (unlike women, who had the foresight to bring a few flashlights and a collapsable footbridge). A heaping pile of misdirection have been required for anyone setting this particular scene in the past, such as Glam and Hair rock's macho posturing in eyeliner and jaguar tights, two examples of "fuck you-ship" that rather than being met with shock and disapproval, would today run up against a mighty wall of "so?" and "who cares?", among other comments.

The modern world requires a subtle touch for such a crossing to work.

Vanguard of the revolution against the convenience of pockets

Mssr. Browne, to his credit, has created a whole new look. I'm just not sure if mature-male-as-school-girl is necessary whatsoever. And that's the best design out of the collection. The rest serves up a steady helping of operatic polkadot pant suits glittery beach caps with built in night vision goggles.

Not that it's all bad. Lose the cap and that's not a bad cardigan and tie combination, and you've gotta dig the leather jacket and reds (sans lips) our friend in the skort is wearing.

If only someone would get him some pants.

Images care of Fabulon

Freddie Face Warmers

Anyone with the fortune to walk by an American Apparel daily knows that they serve as the epitome of "win some, lose some". While one month, a display may feature very stylish and, most importantly, wearable outfits for the us lowly commoners with an interest in stretchy fabric, another month may see blinding electric neon clothes made only for those residing in the negative-sizes with a power outlet somewhere up their butt.

The following fits snugly in the "lost it" category.

Behold, the Unisex Mustache Mask

As a Canuck, I really do understand the appeal of the hood, or balaclava, or the ski mask, or the face-bag as one friend in elementary school used to call them. A frozen face is never a pretty sight. I also understand the desire to not make the wearer look like they're going to take hostages. My disappointment with these Mustachios is two pronged. First, they look like they were drawn on by a stockboy at the behest of their overstressed boss, rushing around the store muttering something about "liquidation"... unsure if they mean stock or staff.

Second, it's been done better.

They even come with mix-n-match mustaches.

Many Happy Returns

How better to celebrate the return to the airwaves of the pop-satire brilliance that is The Venture Bros. than with this month's Auxiliary Magazine's interview with co-creator, writer, artist and fashion fanboy Doc Hammer?

"I like to spread myself thin in the arts. I think it's good to suck at as many disciplines as ya can" - Doc Hammer

Getting to read it for free at AuxiliaryMagazine.com of course!

Hammer talks shop, show, style, and about his band Weep's first album, Never Ever.

Well Dressed Words: Mark Twain

The Versatile Vest

Yep, the seasons are changing here in North America, and that means it's time to pull out your long-sleeves and head to H&M to grab a new pair of denim. While you're out, you might keep in mind that there's no better time to invest in... a vest! Seriously–a vest is just the thing to keep you looking snappy and up-to-date. And no, we're not talking about that kind of vest, as classy as it may be.

A well-fitted suit vest (or "waistcoat," as our friends in Great Britain refer to it) that can be worn with a variety of outfits is a wardrobe essential. What we're going for here is a herringbone pattern, or perhaps a fine pinstripe. As far as color goes, a subtle grey/brown blend or an in-between grey, so that it'll go with those great brown Mike-Konos Oxfords you picked up last weekend. Versatility is the name of the game here, because if you can wear it with jeans, slacks, and a full-blown suit, you've just tripled your investment.

And just like that, you've already taken a step to turn the economy around. Sort of.

Indie Spotlight: Optics

Are you lucky enough to be endowed with imperfect eyesight? If so, you should seriously consider checking out SALT. Optics for your next pair of specs.

SALT. Optics is a relatively young company, hailing from Southern Cali since 2006. Their dedicated, experienced team designs and assembles their eyewear in-house, using impeccable style and craftsmanship. In the collection you can find everything from Tortoise-Shell Acetate frames to classic Aviators, and their designs are spot-on.

The WAYNE frame / Black Rain color combination is a personal favorite, especially with fade-tint lenses.

Find them at your local independent eyewear specialist.

(and yes, the company name is suffixed with a period.)

Image/Product Page: saltoptics.com

Burn your pants

Back from summer vacation sporting the hottest red sun burn orbiting a star can give, only to find that all bets are off

"Meggings" have returned.

And doesn't he look excited to be wearing them?

Fascinatingly, although a google search drew up a great many opinions about meggings, not one helped in finding somewhere to buy a pair (a fate worse than death for one who can't even sew a button).

Indeed, meggings hold a peculiar mystique in the world of men's fashion, residing in the same uncanny valley as kilts... pretty cool for an idea, but a bit too fem for the average dude. Anyone who's seen the grey concrete of a side walk would find themselves surprisingly familiar with meggings already, as the multitude of joggers and cyclists passing in "why so tight?" athletic wear seem to increase exponentially every summer. But confined to sport, they have a reason for invading the world of guys, as easy to explain away as swimmers shaving their legs.

Removed from this masculine logic, they become a stylish Bermuda Triangle, intriguing and seductive, but mysterious and deadly, luring young lads in with the promise of being years a head of the trend game, only to slam shut at the last second, forever lost to a world of Cosmanics, like manscara and beard gloss, never to drink beer and play full contact football in stripclubs again.

Image care of the beautiful people at Style Sightings