michael kors

I chose not to review the Thom Browne show because to me the spectacle he presents is so laughable and bloated with big ideas that I have no words for what he calls "fashion." I like him less season after to season because his clothes are revolutionary in how the modern, fashion learned man wants to dress, but he distracts with the over the top histrionics. He is consistent in his tailoring and adoration of midcentury Americana. Another American designer known for slight theatrics and a twinkle in his eye, interpreted this same idea but did it better and more on target with the kind of clothes that a real man would want to wear. Enter Michael Kors and his mashup of Hitchcock and AMC's "Mad Men." I'm surprised most menswear designers didn't go into this direction for fall. It's a hot new show that is known and praised for its style and canonization of early '60s pomp. This period has been referenced to death, but it's refreshing in contemporary American men's fashion when a designer wants men to look like Men.

Every decade eventually comes back into the fashion conscious and Kors used a time period that is specific in its tailoring, attitude, and flair. One could argue that perhaps Kors is drawing parallels from that time and our current state of affairs. The early '60s had promise and change on the horizon, which not far off from where America stands now. However, judging from the glee that Kors's designs typically exude, this collection wasn't about heady issues plaguing the world, but instead dressing really well. These clothes look like something you would wear for martinis after work or for escorting a bright young thing to a deb ball. Impeccably chic and slightly nebbish with their thick glasses, this is a working man for the times. Never slovenly or disheveled, each look was more pristine and polished in its execution. Warm turtlenecks in shades of moss and purple, great coats, and of course, lacquered shoes minus socks painted the picture of the established man. The use of gray was my favorite. The gray topper with black top lapel, the gray pinstripe suit, and the gray cardigan are all pieces you want to wear for fall. The finale of Cary Grant-esque tuxedos looked super masculine and cool. Man-boys and androgynes need not apply.

All of this sheen and love affair of a time gone by is enthused optimism. Times are dour as is, so leave it to Kors to uplift and reminds us what it means to look fix up and look sharp.