There was a time when designers isolated themselves in their studios and created fashions that were gobbled up by their adoring followers.
But not anymore. We're living in the 1990s when the fashion- and quality-conscious consumer wants his say in determining the trends. And designers cannot ignore them - that is, if they want to stay in business.Granted, there are still designers of women's fashions who frolic in a world of frivolity. Their creations are titillating. But the see-through fabrics and hot pants dominating the New York fashion shows have to be lined and revamped before being shipped in the stores.
On the other hand, men's designers have a firm grip on reality. And their collections testified to that fact during The Fashion Association's preview of menswear fashions for spring '94. Held from Jan. 19-22 inside Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, TFA (previously the Men's Fashion Association, MFA), showed cool, casual and comfortable fashions designed to delight men as well as lighten up their attitudes.
These fashions are partially a result of surveys across the country to determine what the American male really wants to wear. And the results have been translated into clothing, styles, fabrics and colors.
Before the the spring '94 fashions were viewed by the press, retailers - both national and international - had placed their orders. Hopefully they, too, had their fingers on the pulse of men's fashion trends and ordered clothing and accessories that will prove to be top sellers this spring.
One of TFA's runway shows spotlighted some of these "best sellers." Included were Haggar's blue denim shirt and cotton, wrinkle-resistant pants; Mondo di Marco's linen jackets and linen/silk pants; Jhane Barnes' light-weight cotton heather baby boucle sweater; Corbin's relaxed-looking tailored clothing; and Pronto Uomo's mix of designs and patterns - a diamond patterned V-neck sweater, a striped vest and check pants.
Also Pendelton showed off its non-wool spring collection including a cotton twill plaid shirt and poplin plain front slack; two models for Bass Shirts sported a white-collared, blue/white striped cotton shirt with a print tie and a blue denim shirt with a colorful floral print tie.
According to TFA fashion director Tom Julian, "Menswear is lightening up for spring because men are lightening up in their approach to fashion." He said that an integral part of these fashions are new fibers, textiles and surface treatments; newer construction methods that reduce bulkiness and extraneous padding; and a fresh infusion of color and ethnic influences.
And Joe Sapienza, director of merchandise development for the JC Penney men's division, says, "Young or old, men want to be comfortable, so when it comes to silhouette, bigger continues to be better."
- Neutral territory
During the spring '94 press preview, neutral colors dominated the runways. We're talking a palette of fresh, clean, tones such as sand, stone, oatmeal, creme, ash and taupe.
When it comes to fabric, linen leads the way, followed by homespun cottons and raw silks. Fine-gauge knits help make sweaters lightweight enough to be an integral part of the spring wardrobe.
- Moody blues
Although neutral colors dominate, a full spectrum of blue shades will play off them. Colors ranging from deep indigos to dusty Wedgwood will be seen in popular denims, chambrays and cotton and linen blends.
And we're not talking about solids, but checks, stripes and plaids.
- Wrinkle-resistant wrap-up
Men across the country have fallen in love with wrinkle-resistant cotton slacks. And Haggar has lead the way - with 73 percent of the market share.
Other companies are determined not to be left in the dust. Farah Clothing Company has made a total commitment to its "No Wrinkles" cotton pants program.
Although manufacturing no-wrinkle, cotton slacks, the Bugle Boy offers pants "both ways." The company doesn't want to lose customers who like the natural, casual look.
The mature man tends to go for the non-wrinkle slacks, while youth generally prefer the natural or grunge look - when it comes to wrinkles, the more the merrier.
But both groups have one thing in common; they want to stay far away from the iron.
During the menswear preview, Van Heusen Company alerted the press that it is launching a line of wrinkle-free dress shirts. And other companies are poised to make the similar announcements
Also, wrinkle-resistant cotton shorts will be soon on the market.
You can rest assured there will be an abundance of all-cotton, wrinkle-resistant apparel on the market for Father's Day.
- Global input
Many designers have taken a close look at motifs and color-mixes from countries around the globe. As a result, you'll be confronted with influences from Mexico, Morocco, India, Indonesia, Australia and other countries. These brightly colored ethnic patterns, mosaic prints and batiks will appear even brighter when played against neutral colors.
- Unconstructed separates
Also in focus for spring is on soft, easy, unconstructed separates.
"You couldn't take a crisply cut, padded suit jacket and pair it up with contrasting trousers," says Jack Herschlag, executive director of the National Association of Men's Sportswear Buyers. "It simply would look like a mismatch. Soft construction has made men's separates possible."
So men will have fun mixing and matching separates - sport coats, vests and trousers.
Also, sport coats will be featuring a three-button silhouette, rather than the standard two-button. In fact, some designers have also moved to four - and even five - buttons.
- Lingering layering
The layering trend so popular during fall/winter '93 continue into spring. Since clothes are less constructed, men can add lightweight styles for cool mornings and evenings - such as wearing a band collar shirt over a T-shirt and then topping them with a vest, shirt jacket and sweater. When temperatures rise, it's easy to pare down.
- Other trends:
- The band collar shirt surfaced frequently during the runway shows, helping to capture spring's casual message.
- The vest is back in full force. According to Julian, it "has in the past years gone from a fashion item to a trend to practically a way of life."
- Denim appears to never go out of style. You'll see an abundance of denim pants, dresses, vests, shirts, etc. Incidentally, Bass and Geoffrey Beene are both coming out with relaxed dress shirts in light-weight denim.
Also popular this spring: Comfortable work boots that appeal not only to industrial workers but to hikers and bikers (Harley-Davidson by IXSPA 2000, Wolverine by Hush Puppies); Indiglo watches by Timex and Guess; conversational ties by WEMCO and Ralph Marlin; baseball caps by Hyp; and new fragrances for men, including DNA by Bijan of Beverly Hills and Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren.
These are only a few of the options for spring, so keep your eyes open when you enter your favorite department and men's clothing stores.
It won't be long before you're making a personal fashion statement while sitting back and relaxing in your cool, comfortable, carefree spring wardrobe.