Men clothing blog

So the other day we were in Bergdorf Goodman and found ourselves in the Thom Browne department. After seeing his recent shows the past few seasons we wanted to see how Browne translates his aesthetic for the retail level, where artistic expression must translate into monetary value. Much has been said and felt over the man who is on a mission to save the suit from going the way of the dodo. And he’s employing his own method to do so. It pretty much boils down to two camps:

Those who vehemently hate his clothing.Those who fervidly love his clothing.

There’s little room in between. Thom Browne’s aesthetic is so extreme that it strikes a chord with people whether good or bad. You either love the cropped pants or you hate them. You dig the shrunken jacket or you despise it.

Browne pushes the envelope in his runway shows in terms of what men can and can’t wear. He presents stories and ideas on his runway which are filtered and toned down on the retail floor.

Love him or hate him he is one of the most influential menswear designers right now. His unconventional cuts and signature style of narrow jacket and fitted pants are much talked about. And his rules (i.e.-no ironing oxford shirts after washing and no socks with shoes) are just as much against the grain.

So how do Thom Browne’s clothes translate into the wardrobe of the average male?

Well surprisingly the collection is wearable. Granted not everything will suit everyone but there are a good amount of sweaters, coats and accessories that are wearable and covetous. Take note that many men are surprised how flattering the suits actually are when they get inside one.
What you see on the runway is usually very filtered by time it gets to the store. Even Browne himself admits most guys won’t embrace the floods which is why he sells them unhemmed. He lets the customer choose how much or how little to embrace the trend.

He is a directional label and his artistic expression comes through on the runway. Even his collection for Brooks Brothers was outlandish on the runway. But the actual Black Fleece in Brooks Brothers stores is wearable.

While his full aesthetic may not be a hit with many men, his influence can be seen across the retail landscape as suits move toward a slimmer fit in general.

What do you think?

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