“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

Yesterday, I mentioned that Karl Lagerfeld thinks that only thin people can pull off the Underwear as Outerwear Look that has seized every collection. I received a note from one of my lovely I Mean…What?!? readers. She goes by the name Marketing, and she referred to an old story I did, Underwear is the New Outerwear.  Marketing agrees with Karl Lagerfeld and also says, “Many stylish women are wearing more corsets, matched with skirts or pants. Sometimes they even wear one over a simple blouse.” Really? Naturally I was intrigued. My new, dear best friend, Marketing was kind enough to… Read More »

Men, we’ve come a long way since Fred Astaire and the Golden Age of Hollywood, when slicked-back hair, a clean-shaven face, spats, a top hat and tails were in vogue. Today that combination sounds more like a costume than a reality. Through the years our wardrobe has become much more casual, hair lengths went from the top of the ear down to the middle of the back, while beards and mustaches adorned our faces in countless variations. Fred was Elegant Chic and now we have Casual Chic, a term that is readily bandied about. This look could even be a… Read More »

It’s astonishing how unimportant Los Angeles Fashion Week is when you think about Hollywood once ruled, and how Adrian, Edith Head and Orry-Kelly and many others were major influences. Somehow, the Los Angeles fashion scene fell short and all the other major fashion cities excluding Madrid reference Old Hollywood all the time, as in the case of John Galliano’s amazing Spring 10 collection. By the time the last dress sashays down the runway in Paris, nobody wants to see another dress…like ever again…at least not until next season. But alas, there’s Los Angeles Fashion Week-let. And a sad little market… Read More »

It never ceases to amaze me how some people walk around, be it at events, or otherwise, in get ups that are just shockingly wrong. Doesn’t Own A Mirror could become a weekly column, seeing what weird taste people have. The focus is on those folks that should know better…like people that the media follows, who simply must know a stylist or a gay, to help them navigate the horrors of looking like…well…this…… Read More »

The competition is fierce between New York, Paris, London and Milan for “most important fashion week”. It is an ever evolving process as to which city owns the top spot. Surely Paris has to be the most influential due to it’s rich history and deep fashion roots. That plus the perception that if you can make it there you can make it anywhere. Yes, New York thinks that phrase only pertains to a New York state of mind. But I am here to tell you, that ain’t true…especially in reference to fashion. New York has been trying to hold on… Read More »

Now we see that there is a global consciousness to dressing manzies. Sure, I mean…what?!? may have been the one to coin that phrase, but let’s face it… designers have been hell bent on feminizing men for centuries. Look no further than the French courtesans. As London Fashion Week wound down, it was not easy to find a lot of menswear designers until thanks to Zimbio, boy did I find a doozie. The show was called Man…which was to promote Topman. Let me say here that I use that term loosely because ain’t no man I know gonna wear this… Read More »

OK kiddies. Gather round. Uncle Abe is going to tell you a story. It’s a fairy tale…because clearly, plenty of fairies are involved in this story. It is the story known as Madrid Fashion Week. Yes, some of this story is very scary. Like a horror movie. And other parts are really funny…because scary and funny make for a good story. Now, there not much else left for me to say because this is a picture-book story. So…once upon a time…in a land far away…there was a land called Spain. Spain is known for many things, like hot Latin men,… Read More »

As I started reading Tim Blanks‘ review of the Thom Browne collection on men.style.com, I thought I must have landed in the Fashion Twilight Zone. Having read the Women’s Wear Daily review and judging for myself based on the images, I thought, “What is Tim drinking backstage…Thom Browne Kool-Aid?” There is little to say. WWD wrote, “The clothes were ridiculous.” Whereas Tim Blanks says things like, “Browne’s clothes felt refreshed, confident, and as upbeat as the soundtrack of Beatles songs.” Or how’s this, “He just loves polka dots and Darth Vader.” Fotz. You judge for yourself. This is a bi-polar… Read More »

Wonders will never cease and change is not likely at The New York Times Sunday Styles. On several occasions I have been astonished at the out of touchness, the irrelevance, and some of the people they take to A Night Out With. It’s shoc…king! Yesterday we have three ditties that I found dubious at best. First off, there was a piece on the new Harvard Yard men’s collection. Excuse me, I reported on that over three weeks ago. Now granted, the Times Style is not a fashion rag and need not be as topical as would a fashion trade publication.… Read More »