By Alicia Roache, Staff ReporterFOR A long time, men's fashions have resided on the back burner of the fashion range, comfortable in obscurity, conceding the limelight to the more showy and often more interesting female flair. The reasons for this, some would have us believe, are that women are more interested in the changing trends in the fashion marketplace, as well as female fashion is generally more fun and interesting to look at and wear.
The time for change, however, has come. Men, today is the day to show the women that you too are slaves to retail and the manufacturers' vision of how they want the world to look! Stand up for your right to be considered part of the pack! Now is the time to be en vogue!
Perhaps because it has been relegated to obscurity and regarded with such apathy for so long, male fashion is not as interesting, varied and transient as female fashion. Whatever shifts there are in styles are usually subtle and, unless you look closely, they might escape you.
There was once a dramatic shift from wearing tailor-made pants to going for those right off the rack. Since that time, the Dockers era has reigned supreme. What styles such as Dockers are to formal and semi-formal wear, are what jeans are to casual-wear. According to Mr. Vassel from House of Style, Montego Bay; Sharon Clarke from Angel's fashions, Barry Street; Chris Bobb from Lee's Fifth Avenue's Men's division, and Michael Ammar from Ammars' King Street, these are staple products for men, in and out of season.
But while the Dockers have remained staid, the jeans have taken on a new flair. Today's style features a 'vintage colour', according to Bobb. These jeans are a more sophisticated version of the acid-washed jeans of yesteryear. The colour difference is evident in only certain areas of the jeans, such as around the thigh and leg areas. With men, comfort is always in. As Ammar suggests, the 'relaxed fit' with jeans is the hit nowadays. In effect they must be, 'not baggy and not tight'. "Gone are the days when men used to wear jeans at the waist," says Bobb. So Levi's, the current brand of choice, came up with the idea of the hipsters men's jeans. The fashion aware man can rest assured that he will no longer be forced to wear his pants with that baggy look in the posterior region.
Of course the latest style features a boot cut or a wide leg design to accommodate those large shoes. Following Levi's as the brand to 'be caught dead in' are Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Jordache is a 'middle brand' according to Bobb, that you can also rock.
Shirts have also taken on a new look. There has been a shift from the candy stripes of last season to the pinstripes today. They are worn in both long and short sleeves. Plus, plaid is back, but it is accompanied by shirts with solid colours for the men who are a bit shy of too much pattern.
Shirt tails have also changed a bit. According to Bobb, they have gone from round to square. This is to facilitate the new need to wear them outside the pants. For that elegantly casual look, try the 'cheese cloth', 'crinkly cotton' long-sleeved shirts worn with or without hood. A lot of older men, especially the ones with a round girth and that secret bulge to hide at the hip, will look dapper in the shirts that have a cotton-linen blend. It is cool, has texture and is not season specific.
