Sometimes I like to compare past trends, it gives me a stylistic look of designer's and people's mood from then to now. The Urban Gentleman has been around for almost 3 years now (come June/July 2011) so I figured, let's take a quick look back at the Men's trends from 2008-2011 (Fall and Winter trends).
Click on the header links below to open the different years in different tabs/windows to most effectively compare the trends by year.
2008-2009 Men's Fall Winter Trends:
The Blue-Collar Worker
College Cool
Eastern Inspiration
Geometric Retro Nerd (a favorite of many of the original Urban Gent fans)
Classically Simple
Jacket Fanatic
2009-2010 Men's Fall Winter Trends:
Conservative Dapper (our favorite last year)
Hard-Studded
Assorted Swank (voted your favorite last year)
It's a Man's World
2010-2011 Men's Fall Winter Trends:
All-American Workwear
The Schoolyard Kid aka The Prep
90s Steez
Plaid & Selvedge
Urbane Wanderer
CLICK BELOW TO READ MORE and for TREND ANALYSIS…
Okay, we have something more to hold you guys over until our, well, "surprise."
Selvedge Denim: Everywhere I go, I find myself getting into "deep" conversations about selvedge denim… people are obsessed, some are a bit too passionate (usually the newbies), but it's understandable. Be sure to invest in atleast one pair of selvedge denim.
MINI Lesson on Selvedge Denim: "What is Selvedge/Selvage Denim?"
Selvedge denim is basically premium denim, its the crème de la crème of the denim family. "Selvedge" describes the way the fabric is produced. The denim is made on a shorter loom, making the time to create them longer. In a pair of selvedge jeans you can actually see where the weaving stops and is finished by the loom… long story short: if you flip a pair of selvedge jeans inside out you can see the production and "self-edged" finish. The quality is higher, the fabric is heavier and more durable, and more thread is used to create them. Some companies mark their jeans on the selvedge with a woven stitch in a certain color. Some even mark the inside selvedge line with their company's name.
What folks love most about selvedge denim is that you can "wear them in" yourself- so no fake wear marks (even though these days some companies will scuff em a bit). Within 6 months of wearing them the jeans will customized to your body… some will argue longer times, many people wear their's for a year without washing to "completely" break them in… honestly the "breaking in" time all depends on how often you wear them.
Classic Boots: Whether it's vintage or workwear inspired, you must have a pair of quality classic boots. Some may go with duck boots, others may opt for chukkas, while the manliest will be keen on rugged utility boots. Choose your favorite brand and style in a color that fits your wardrobe and make it your staple. Or choose several to increase your fall and winter footwear options.
Canvas: Whether you sport a canvas backpack, watch, or jacket… its the chosen material for so many stylish things these days.
Stay Tuned for the Complete Guide.
Like we do in school, let's outline the article:
I: Summary
A: Checklist- the contents of an urban gentleman's wardrobe
B: Trends- the latest men fashion trends
II: Clothing, Shoes, Accessories (separate post)
A: Sales and Deals- the best deals from around the internet for men's clothing
III: Example Photos (separate post)
A: Urban Gentleman Kanayo King gives us examples of looks for The School Yard wardrobe
The Urban Gentleman has made "a hint of fatigue" very official, ever since we featured it I've seen an increase all around town– whether it's a fatigue bandanna in the back pocket , fatigue shoe-strings, or jacket.
Plaid is just going to be in until we're all just done with it. But I mean, how many more patterns are there– gingham, paisley, stripes… the point is– adding a little more plaid won't hurt you.
Monochromatic hues are still a favorite, and we're going to properly explore that over the next year. There's not alot of it on the streets because most people don't quite know how to do it, so we'll re-tackle that at some point over the next few months.
Not-so-skinny jeans are being happily received by those who thought jeans would just keep getting tighter– nah, we had to nip that in the bud. "Skinny" (or more like slim-fit) is still a yes, but skinny-as-hell is a no (basically bulge should not be seen, lol).
Boots all year round in different types and materials.
Jean jackets and jean on jean.
Era themed– whether it's 50s, 60s, 80s, or 90s.
And you guys can peruse through last year's fall/winter trends and this years spring/summer trends for the rest…
And while looking at these trends remember our motto, "We Collect Fashion, We Create Style". Think about how you can integrate these trends into your own personal style; adapt the trends to your style, don't let the trends change your style.
Next up, we'll have a list of sales and deals from around the internet to purchase clothing, shoes, accessories. For now, you can look through last year's Back to School Wardrobe List.
Urban Gentleman Kanayo King
(shirt: Ralph Lauren, vest: vintage, jeans: RL, shoes: Converse)
We’ve combined a few trends to get this look: colorized, shades of blue, summer layers, and well, jean. Basically we’ve jeaned up urban gent Kanayo King, threw in some ‘characterized’ classic chucks, classic frames, and beaded accessories to top it all off.
Detailed Notes: These days when you opt for monochromatic or colorized, you can either keep it classic 80s with everything matching exactly or you can update it and add depth by varying the shade of the color you’re wearing… we did the latter. We also mixed jean textures: chambray shirt, hard denim vest, and soft denim jeans– this adds a sort of visual interest to the look and it gives it a bit of stylish ruggedness. (PS: The vest is actually a vintage jean jacket with the sleeves cut off).
Get the look:
(taken by Tommy Ton.)
www.jakandjil.com/blog
looked on the show. (It was taken with my phone, lol)
Pocket square by Jack Spade. Sunglasses by Ray-Ban.
More on the jean shirt here.
