Menswear Spring/Summer 2006

 

Forget about those bright primary’s that dominated the men’s catwalks this time last year. The new mood of the moment, well Spring/Summer 2006, is pale and interesting – all muted shades and clean lines. Inspiration ranged from literary sources such as ‘The Lord of the Flies’ at Alexander McQueen to ‘The Great Gatsby’ at Gucci. On a grungier note the likes of Dior Homme and Dolce & Gabbana cited bad boy Pete Doherty and his band the Babyshambles as their reference points for this season.

 

All White Now

 

 

White is on fire, practically every designer included the white stuff in their collections for Spring/Summer 2006. From clean white single-breasted suits at Kris Van Assche, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana to white denim jeans as seen at DSquared and Alessandro Dell’Acqua. While some went white from head to toe others mixed it up with chalky or sandy shades, natural leather belts broke up the silhouette and detailing was left to a minimum.

 

 A Dash of Rock

 

 

For all those rebels out there, fear not, there’s still plenty to choose from when it comes to style with a bit of grit. Number 9 provided full-on rock star glamour that looked very much based on the style of Axl Rose. One of the most recurring themes, however, involved pork pie hats, skinny black denims and waistcoats over whites tees, how very Pete Doherty. There were rumours of the very man turning up to model at Dior Homme, but no, only his look prevailed. Dolce & Gabbana provided more rock staples by way of ripped jeans, open shirts, dark shades and cross pendants. Meanwhile, Comme Des Garcons looked to a more established band – the Rolling Stones’ and their iconic lickin’ lips for some in-your-face print inspiration.    

 

Sports ‘n’ Stripes

 

 

Inspired by the clean whites of cricket and tennis this seasons sportswear looks preppy and fresh. At Bottega Veneta white polo shirts, V-necks and trousers were emblazoned with stripes of colour. Shorts remain a staple along with polo shirts and softly pleated trousers. In keeping with the public-school boy vibe crisp white shirts are worn under sweaters and belts feature a bold stripe or two. For more Sports ‘n’ Stripes inspiration take a peek at Missoni, Louis Vuitton and Issey Miyake.

 

Nautical but Nice

 

 

Not to be taken too literally this season’s nautical is all in the detailing. Getting in the ‘I’m off for a spot of yachting mood’ was Jil Sander, all neat polos, cropped trousers and plimsoles. Sonia Rykiel teamed nautical jackets with bold navy and white stripe sweaters while the feet were clad in espadrilles, yes espadrilles, another popular footwear choice for the fashion conscious man next summer. Anchor motifs could be seen at Alexander McQueen, meanwhile, Christopher Bailey looked up the Burberry of old, check out his military and aristocratic references, along with his double-breasted naval suits complete with brass buttons.

 

Relaxed Retro Tailoring

 

 

Almost as popular as white this season the relaxed tailored suit emerged from many a catwalk. King of the casual suit has to be Giorgio Armani and relaxed elegance featured in both of his collections from loose unstructured jackets to smart drawstring pants. Over at Gucci ‘The Great Gatsby’ mood was the order of the day with pleated slouchy trousers and beige unstructured jackets. Elsewhere, the smart/casual theme could be found at Etro, Prada, Miu Miu and Kris Van Assche.

 

Get Shorty

 

 

From smart knee-length versions to slouchy denims – shorts have been confirmed as the summer season staple. Check out Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Paul Smith for crisp, well-cut varieties in ice-cream shades. Valentino gets sporty with his white tennis shorts, while low-cut, loose numbers arrive courtesy of D&G and Yves Saint Laurent.

 

Key Colours:

 

• Bright white

 

• Neutral tones: cream, sand, beige, tan, soft grey, coffee, vintage brown

 

• Chalky shades: pastel pink, blue, lilac, pistachio

 

• Accent colours: red, navy, black

 

• Black

 

 

By JoJo Iles