The clever people over at Getkempt ran an interesting article about the battle of the Atlantic mounting and no more apparent are the two ideologies more apparent than in Tom Ford and Thom Browne. DNR thinks the differences in aesthetic between these two nations could turn into a full blown war - "Menswear is in the midst of a British-American crossover, and nowhere is the transatlantic trend more evident than in the contrasting assortment of fall furnishings." If a war was to break out whose side would you be on?
On the Thom Browne camp Gillian Koenig of DNR states - "Designers like Thom Browne are leading the way in laid-back American sensibility, injecting the dress shirt with a casual-chic, slightly preppy demeanor." The man behind the shrunken suit is certainly a showman and has always been his own best advertisement—literally. A Hollywood actor-turned-superstar tailor, he presents his high-concept menswear in overtly theatrical fashion shows. Most people have fallen in love with Browne’s slim lapels and slightly cropped, skinny trousers in the wake of the disheveled “business casual” trend that has swept menswear in recent years. I love the way that he has tweaked a very Brooks brothers aesthetic, exaggerating it to great effect and then sell it back to them. Claudio Del Vecchio, Chairman and CEO of Brooks Brothers, felt that “Thom Browne’s brilliant eye, his ability to foreshadow the market and offer a special look will bring a new dimension to Brooks Brothers.” Here are Browne's Rules For Wearing Suits which makes for an interesting read. All In all Browne’s aesthetic is extreme which leads to it striking a chord with people...good or bad. You either love the cropped pants or you hate them. You adore the shrunken jacket or you despise it. I'm a fan of the later but not really the former....
Stylish Swedes pop punks The Hives have traded in their Vegas lounge act look and are channeling Thom Browne for their recent effort, The Black and White AlbumOn Tom Ford's camp Koenig states "Dramatic dress shirts featuring British cutaway collars and large checks in bold colors are becoming fashionable at the hands of designers such as Tom Ford". Tom Ford might have dressed Bond but surely he is his best model. Ford’s clothes come across so well, precisely because they’ve been road tested and perfected by the man himself, who just happens to be one of the most stylish men out there. Tom Ford is all about personalized luxury, reinvented age old tailoring for the modern man. Suits, shirts, and shoes may be made to measure. Leather goods are crafted in small workshops, and finished according to the owner's needs. Knitwear, evening clothing, and even sporting wear can be commissioned in personalized colour and fit. What Tom Ford does best are timeless, classic looks combined with a dash of modern reinvention and rejuvenation. For an interesting article on Mr Ford I would suggest checking out SavoirVivre New York's musing on the subject...he put the matter far better than I could.
Tom Ford stylishly relaxing
Which one of these two heavywights are you standing behind? I'm going to be like Switzerland on this one and perch myself on the fence as you lot fight it out....
4 comments:
100% TF. The pendulum has to swing back to masculinity sometime soon and thankfully we have a designer who knows men look better than "guys" or men who look like they are wearing children's clothes.
Well, it's really trendy vs classic and classic always wins, but that's not always the way one wants to dress.
I'm totally behind Thom Browne. Yes I know his clothes smell of Peter Pan and eternal youth syndrome, but there's something special about the man who tries to develop (even revolutionize) mens' wardrobe. It's not that Tom Ford isn't great, it's just a feeling I have that TF times are really going to be over. To be honest, it all ended in 2004 whether we want to admit it or not. People tend to get older. So does the whole image of that thing.
The debate can certainly be reduced to trendy vs classic and I agree that we don't always wnat to dress classically...the world would be such a dull place if we did. Interesting point dudblankpathetic, Tom Ford probably has enjoyed his peak and it has to be said he is seemingly spreading himself thin, opening outlets all over the world. We have to acknowledge the efforts of these two men to take menswear forward.
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