A Plea to Fashion Designers ... Please Make Menswear Interesting!

Dear designers,

Most of the time I am bombarded with the same question from my male readers - why there is a lack of review on menswear? Seriously I don't try to be bias by giving more attention to the fairer sex in covering more female fashion trends but to tell you the truth, menswear are getting boring, disastrous and horrible. You may look at the current Spring/Summer lineup and all you can see is a bunch of redundant prints, silhouettes and mismatches.

Take DKNY Spring/Summer 2007 collection for instance. Windbreakers in neon colors? What is that? Something to illuminate your darkest closet? God forbids. A few years back, Jean Paul Gaultier introduces off-shoulder sweatshirts worn over tank tops on the runway stage. I appreciate his effort of giving menswear a little feminine touch and I always toyed on the idea of wearing off-shoulder sweaters to gym just like Jennifer Beals did in Flashdance or Jennifer Lopez in her video I'm Glad. Still, it doesn't look that much appealing to me or maybe to some metrosexuals out there.

Now lets move to accessories. Everybody knows that the wide and skinny belt plus the oversize shades are the in thing right now. My question is - how long should our skinny belts remained beyond our waists? I personally think that designers should try to reinvent a new concept in men's styling. For example, Karl Lagerfeld had his male model wearing medium-sized wide belt with intertwined "C" buckle above his waist around the Coco Chanel-inspired cardigan and that's totally chic. Complete it with an It bag, there you go, an evolution of menswear is born.

The same goes to shoes. Like other fashion fans, I am still toying with the idea high heels for men. I think it is time that men too should put on their heels for that extra height and confidence. Maybe Mr. Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo would answer it. Maybe three inches is enough as men are rather tall than women unless if he really needs a height boost then maybe the runway-only six inches heels can be another option.

So there goes my plea. I am hoping for a major change in the menswear scene. My dream look - Chanel tweed suit, black leather and tweed Camelia brooch worn on the lapel, a four inch heels and lots of pearls. Call me the male reincarnation of Coco Chanel will you? :D

Yours Truly,

Shaiful XOXO