[Milan - Men's SS 2011] Gatsby, the Godfather & Grease

The NYT called it the season of the ornamental Gigolo and the rent-boy, or perhaps the feminized male. BofF called the pops of color and acoustic music a subtle, not but complete, subversion. I saw the presentations in Milan for the first Men’s fashion week of Spring/Summer 2011 as perhaps a little more masculine than all of that.

All of the shows presented more the laid-back vacation mind (and neutral tones) of Fitzgerald’s Gatsby but were peppered with the Italian confidence and challenge of the Godfather figure and the take-no-prisoners eager masculinity of John Travolta in Grease. The week seemed infused with the idea that men have accepted the fact that, sometimes, by the end of winter or even the end of the week, you just can’t make a suit look interesting and it’s easier to grab your Gucci power tote and head to the Cape or Paris for the weekend. Or, instead of feminizing the suit, as the NYT suggests, it’s more like they sexualized it (like women did ages ago with the pencil skirt), playing with undershirts and necklines.

Perhaps there weren’t as many “must-haves” that walked in Milan, but, as Stefano and Domenico of Dolce & Gabbana suggested in a recent WSJ interview, men aren’t about fashion, they are about style. With that in mind, there were several stylish ensembles on the runways for those that are adult classic but edgy minded.

For more on men’s fashion, head over to GQ or stayed tuned for Paris. For more on the idea of the return to the classic and adult, instead of teenage, persona, check out July’s Vogue.

Tagged as: burberry, dolce & gabbana, jil sander, men's fashion, milan, ss2011, zegna