What's Not

WHAT'S NOT
The flared cuff. The expensive statement jean with the silly fancy back pocket details. The super bright shirt in a gelato colour with a generous too stiff "Saturday Night Fever" collar. The seer sucker suit. The super pale (dryclean only) palette...OK, basically anything that confers class and status and country club pretensions on the wearer.

That's all for the mothballs this summer because of the distinct lack of angst. So just when Australian men got cultural clearance to wear candy striped brights and cashmere in Manhattan Auction House shades of pale lime and cinnabar yellow, the polo lounge moment for summer has passed. But don't fret the same subversive feminine elements are popping up in other, more electric, contexts. Do read on brave males...

WHAT'S, EVER SO, HOT
Dust off your thirty year old copies of NME and rent the monochrome movie CONTROL, cos' right now it's all about the duffel, the skinny black trouser leg or skinny black tie and the stranger mutations of punk and new wave sartorial perversion. At Dior Homme, models wore kooky Devo shades, narrow suits, lots of black and white with slashes of electric blue and the occasional super shocking item like a hot pink leather bomber jacket or a fluoro orange belt. Fashion wise this is the equivalent of men in blue eyeliner, and that's probably hot now too.

At GUCCI it was also "London Calling" but updated to an early 90's moment where OASIS wore bomber jackets and big duffles. Being Gucci though the duffels were sprouting embroidered flowers. But not in a Lenny Kravitz Woodstock way. This signals a return to ornament for shirts and ties that will probably filter into winter but for now the only clothes you reeally need are a great skinny cut black suit and the perfect white suit. The rest you can essentially steal form your girlfriend.

This was strongly suggested by Burberry Prorsum who presented a collection of droopy soft trench coats, super low-cut soft knits and floppy tuxedo pants. All of which seemed to look like the entire runway had slept at Kate Moss's gaff and stolen all her best gear. The homage to Pete Doherty was obvious in all the village idiot hats pulled low over the eyes and THAT is a look I don't want to be hot...but of course it will be. After the trilby will come the homeless shelter shapeless felt hat and you either have to be a rock star or a complete wanker to make it look hip. Lucky for Pete!