Lets Get Slouchy in Style ... Spring/Summer 2009 Menswear

Spring/summer 2008 pieces are yet to be culled from the boutique racks, but Milan has already staged its upcoming offering for the same season next year.

Recently, hundreds of privileged fashionistas as well as esteemed fashion editors and buyers gathered in the Italian style capital for Milan’s Menswear Fashion Week 2008.

Playing host to shows for the big boys of the industry such as Emporio Armani, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, and Roberto Cavalli to name a few, audiences were treated to an array of quintessential style pieces to be load into the wardrobes of style- and fashion-forward men.

BURBERRY PRORSUM

At Burberry Prorsum, the mood is all about being lazy in the summer and slouching at the Hyde’s Park benches with “everyday is weekend” mindset played in mind for the first half of 2009.

To make the Burberry men’s spring/summer 2009 style look much more convincing and so alive, just add some dry tousled and uncombed hair into the look with a touch of weary face as if it was pressed by the pillows during one of the accidental sleepovers. Add the gardener’s hat for simple detail.

Daily style staples like grey suits, tank tops with plummeting neck, and straight-cut trousers are made in totally relaxed style with predominant presence of creases. Colours that successfully made their spot on Christopher Bailey’s working palette are typical shades of grey, black, and some bright cheery hue like sunny yellow sported in this knit V-neck jumper.

EMPORIO ARMANI

Like most Italian fashion labels, spring/summer collection, either for women or men, will never be complete without baring flesh on stage and that is what one could expect from Emporio Armani’s upcoming spring/summer 2009 line.

Mixing the best of sartorial chic with über sexiness and sporty, the show started with a lineup of cool tailored pieces. Relaxed suits and vests, paired with linen or cotton working shirts as well as printed skinny ties (what?) are expected to top the lists of every style-forward working men worldwide.

Now, that is for working but what about play? Well, if you don’t mind flaunting that hard-earned chiselled abs and muscular pecs that could make every single woman drooling, then look no further for Emporio Armani’s lineup of cool vests and tops. My pick from Mr. Armani’s collezionne? Printed neoprene top with dot matrix image of sexy chiseled torso and paired with a cool three-quarter cargo shorts with drawstring hems. Isn’t that cool?

DOLCE & GABBANA

At a first glance, I bet I have seen this concept on last year’s runway by Dolce and Gabbana. Wait, were they running out of ideas, prompting them to reuse last year’s idea again?

Well, hell with idea recycling because I saw clones of Clark Kent, Buddy Holly and even the late Yves Saint Laurent on Dolce & Gabbana’s menswear stage. All donning Dolce & Gabbana and all were oh-god so sexy? Again, another question – is this coincidence or is it a tribute to all the men who look damn sexy with their glasses on?

Whatever the probability is, once again the duo came out with another spring/summer collection to boot. I love the body-fitting shirt with cuffed long sleeves and bow tie (reminds me of Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, but slightly beefier and tanned than the real man himself), paired with drawstring pants. But guys, this printed blazer in classic Oriental print, as seen here, is the perfect blazer to elevate your status from mere fashion follower to an authentic style God!

PRADA

A touch of menswear in women’s collection may be too damn common, right? Now, would it be acceptable to see elements of womenswear being incorporated into menswear? Well boys, Miuccia Prada did make it happen.

Held in an unconventional venue, the upcoming menswear line by Prada seems to run away from the stiff conventionality that is common in men’s clothing. Not totally but just a few percent. For Prada’s spring/summer 2009 menswear line, celebrated fashion visionary Miuccia Prada has injected a bit of womenswear element and feel into its menswear collection.

Starting with an off-shoulder jacket with halter neck hanging on the hind of the neck, followed by tie-dye long-sleeve top in contrasting hue of purple and indigo with wide neck and hemline that’s a bit navel-baring and truncated (purposely perhaps), these are the perfect and stylish pieces for men who has the radical chic within and unashamed to flaunt it.

VERSACE

The Versace spring/summer 2009 show opened with a Johnny Depp-esque look, which was a pinstripe suit in light grey (I wonder why menswear have to sport sombre tones, as if every day is a funeral?), tousled hair and matching shirt with a lavender criss-cross flip-flops.

Though 2009 style could be best described as much more relaxed and not so tense compared to its current menswear collection, where everything seemed to have sharp features and precise tailoring style.

And like this last year’s collection, graphic print elements still exist on some of the casual pieces but thank God, the colour scheme has been toned down to subtle pastel hues.

Other than Patrick Dempsey-styled suits (Oh God, I hate the current ad campaign featuring Mr. McDreamy. He’s not a Versace material at all!), the casual lots are the one to watch out because they are so laidback and perfect for work and play.

You want an example? Well, I have one. Did you see a black sweater with gauzy patch on the left shoulder paired tailored loose trousers (pic,left)? Now that’s what I call relax and take deep breath in Versace style!

The spring/summer 2009 menswear collection featured above will be available at their respective boutiques or selected multi-brand stores or leading fine departmental stores worldwide as early as February next year.

*Photos by Marcio Madeira for Style.com/VOGUE

Burberry – Level 2 and 3, Couture Pavilion, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; Ground Floor, Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.

Emporio Armani – 2nd Floor, Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang, 50088, Kuala Lumpur; 2nd Floor, Couture Pavilion, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Dolce & Gabbana – 02-39, Hilton Shopping Gallery, Singapore Hilton Hotel, 581 Orchard Road, Singapore.

Prada – 2nd and 3rd Floor, Couture Pavilion, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; Ground Floor, Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.

Versace – 2nd and 3rd Floor, Couture Pavilion, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; Ground Floor, Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur (opening soon); Satellite A, Passenger Level (International Departure), Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang.