Fashionable Men Are Loosening Up

On a sunny winter day, Tom Julian stood on the tailored grounds of the Dana Point Resort and decided that it would be the perfect setting for a photo shoot.

He liked the hotel’s Cape Cod feel. He liked the ocean. He liked the park. But most of all, he liked Orange County’s warm climate and clear skies.

As associate fashion director of the Men’s Fashion Assn. of America in New York, Julian helps assemble press kits of spring and fall menswear for newspapers and magazines across the country.

In March he arrived in Dana Point with four models, two photographers and a load of men’s clothing in tow for 10 days of intense shooting.

And then it rained.

“They say it’ll clear up tomorrow,” said Julian, on a dreary afternoon just two days before the end of shooting. “But they’ve been saying that for two days now.”

So they shot anyway under cloudy skies or inside the hotel, and when the sun did shine they hurried outside to photograph all of that rugged outdoor wear they had brought from the East.

“We did complete the shoot,” Julian said recently from his New York office. “But we were a little hurried at the end.”

Long before his trip West, Julian had polled members of the MFA, including manufacturers, designers and retailers in the menswear industry, about their views on clothing trends.

Their predictions will appear in the MFA press kits photographed in Dana Point and sent to editors at 650 publications across the country later this month and early June.

Each editor will receive 33 8-by-10 black-and-white photographs (color slides available) of the association’s fall preview. Good exposure for the MFA members. Good exposure for the Dana Point Resort.

“Our press kit isn’t the Bible. It’s just observations and feedback from our members,” Julian said.

If the MFA’s fashion forecast proves correct, men will don clothes with soft textures and relaxed silhouettes in warm, earthy colors, a definite departure from gray three-piece power suits.

“Men can get away from the slick, styled-up look of the ‘80s to the more casual, soft look of the ‘90s,” Julian said.

Fall wardrobes will have a comfortable feel, with a lot of quilted jackets, knit vests, flannel shirts and corduroy and brushed cotton pants, he said. Quilted fabrics, an especially strong treatment, appear on sportswear by Nautica, Ruff Hewn, Richard Mishaan and Mondo.

Sweaters will take on velvety textures and fun suede details. The association chose hand-loomed sweaters made of soft chenille by Marienbad with colorful suede accents--one with palm prints across the front and another festooned with over-size suede M & Ms.

Even denim jeans, the staple of men’s casual wear, will have a softer look. Instead of acid-washed, they’ll be “Pepper Used” by the Lee Co. so they look slightly faded, not harshly bleached.

Overcoats will come in plush blends of wool and cashmere with such functional features as pouch pockets and hoods.

“I see a lot of rugged wear,” Julian said. “People are becoming more environmentally concerned. President Bush loves to go fishing and boating, and that does influence the business.”

Thus, coats one could wear camping will be seen on city streets. The MFA took an oak-colored leather toggle coat with antler tips for fasteners, similar to the one William Hurt wore in “The Accidental Tourist,” and paired it with a gold corduroy shirt with leather detail and tooled leather boots with silver tips.

Earth tones not seen for years in men’s wardrobes will be strong, a carry-over from the heavy ethnic influence in women’s wear.

“Gold is really important for fall. So are all the spice and berry shades,” Julian said.

One model wore a yellow cotton cable-knit sweater with a flannel campfire plaid shirt, toast-colored pleated pants by Nautica made of brushed cotton, and an emerald and burgundy zip jacket with a hood and double-entry front pocket.

Men will be encouraged to mix and match contrasting colors and textures. More adventurous types will pair olive pants with a purple and gold sweater.

For the truly fashion-forward male, the MFA chose a single-breasted sports coat from A.B.S. that has contrasting panels in berry, gold and navy.

“We’re getting away from dress-for-success rules,” Julian said.

Conservative dressers will find plenty of double-breasted suits for their business wardrobes from manufacturers such as Botany 500, Alfred Dunhill, Palm Beach and Cecilia Metheny. The press kit will feature a navy pinstriped suit by Alfred Dunhill with peak lapels, wider shoulders and flap pockets. The suit will be shown with a white cotton shirt with blue and green pinstripes and a navy and white silk paisley tie.

Vests will come on strong in the fall, according to Julian, but not the kind that are cut from the same cloth as one’s suit. Instead, vests made of contrasting fabrics and patterns will be popular, such as the gray and navy knit vest with the textured brocade pattern.

“Vests are most successful with the MTV generation,” Julian said. “A corduroy shirt with a vest, denim jeans and boots is the look. You can wear it in L.A. and look fabulous.”

Suit silhouettes will be more relaxed, with fuller-cut, pleated pants and loose jackets.

“The shoulder treatment is wider than it used to be,” Julian said. “It’s now 18 inches across instead of 17 so it gives you a very relaxed, elegant look.”

For formal occasions, expect to see men wearing double-breasted tuxedos with shawl collars, “like the one Billy Crystal wore to the Academy Awards,” Julian said. To go with the tuxes, the industry is promoting rich tapestry suspenders, such as a red paisley weave.

Other accessories call for louder designs and patterns.

Socks, once limited to bland navy and gray solid knits, are stepping out. Patterned hosiery is making its way up the corporate ladder, with small white diamonds or a hound’s tooth print for conservatives and over-size paisleys or retro-style geometrics for the playful.

More daring dressers will find plenty of what Julian calls “conversational ties,” with loud, antique prints. His choice: a retro tie by Modules with a navy and berry pattern featuring dancing ballerinas.

“Men are starting to realize that rather than look like a guy in a navy suit, if they wear things like patterned hosiery or retro ties, they make an impression,” Julian said. “We don’t want to overpower our wives or girlfriends, but we do want to make a statement.”

Yet even Julian warned men not to be carried away by the latest fad.

“If a guy feels funny about wearing ballerinas around his neck, he shouldn’t do it,” he said. “He’s going to feel uncomfortable.”