Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 11, 1994 TAG: 9409120030
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JEAN PATTESON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``Men's fashion is being driven by a new attitude at the office. The Generation Xers are entering the workplace. They have a different outlook than the baby boomers or the old-boy network. They're more questioning of the old standard,'' said David Laliberte, a spokesman for The Fashion Association, a trade group in New York that forecasts men's fashion trends each spring and fall.
Young men are ``more loose, relaxed,'' Laliberte said. ``They're looking for comfort, function, ways to express their individuality.''
Manufacturers and retailers are responding by offering jackets with the softness of sweaters, shirts and pants that are dressy enough for the office but casual enough for weekend wear, shoes that combine elements of formal and funky style, brighter colors and fabrics with interesting textures.
``We've been talking for quite a while about menswear offering more options, the way women's wear does. Well, we're finally there,'' Laliberte said.
But if we're talking options for the office, how come the suit is making a comeback? And if we're talking ease and self-expression, how come men are clamoring again for an item that is the epitome of stiff uniformity?
``Today's suit is not the super-structured power suit we saw in the '80s. And it's not the casual, slouchy suit that surfaced in the early '90s. It's more like a combination of the two. It's soft, but it also has shape and elegance. It can be dressed up or dressed down,'' Laliberte said.
Of all the individual items having an impact on fashion this fall, ``I'd have to say the suit is at the top of the list,'' Laliberte said.
``The new suits are striving to bridge the gap between leisure and business attire,'' said Massimo Iacoboni, fashion director for The Fashion Association.
So what does this new suit look like?
In general, the shoulders are softer, the coats are a little longer and narrower and the trousers are softly draped but not overly full. Blues and grays are still the dominant colors, although browns and greens are gaining ground.
But the biggest change, Iacoboni said, is the widespread acceptance of the three-button jacket. Most American men resisted this narrower, higher-buttoning style when it was introduced by the more avant garde designers a few years ago. But this year a more moderate version (not too long, narrow or high-buttoning) is enjoying a surge in popularity and accounts for at least 20 percent of the suit market.
It is not likely to replace two-button or double-breasted styles, ``but it has become a viable option,'' Iacoboni said.
Most new sport coats come in strong colors, bold plaids and rough-hewn textures. Many are styled with a vent on each side, rather than the single back vent or ventless looks that have been in vogue for the past several years.
A new ``dress-casual'' category of shirts, ties, pants and shoes gives new meaning to the term ``cross dressing.'' These items are dressy enough for the office but casual enough for after-hours and weekend activities.
Some shirt styles, such as the band-collar, are designed to be worn without a tie. Others, such as the blue denim workshirt (now a staple in white-collar settings) are a natural match for expressive ``conversational'' ties.
Shoemakers are also producing innovative designs that blend elements of the classic cap-toe business shoe with those of leisure styles such as the boat shoe and hiking boot.
For the man with little interest in clothes, the new hybrid style simplifies dressing by giving him garments and accessories that suit a variety of situations. It saves him money, too, when all he needs is a single, multipurpose wardrobe instead of two specialized wardrobes - one for work and one for play.
For the clotheshorse, on the other hand, it offers more options and opportunities for creativity.
by CNB