ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996                 TAG: 9603290020
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 13   EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: SPRING FASHION 
SOURCE: KAREN ADAMS STAFF WRITER

MENSWEAR: ELEGANT AND NATURAL WHETHER HE'S DRESSING FOR BUSINESS OR HIS OFF-HOURS, A MAN HAS MORE STYLE CHOICES THAN EVER BEFORE

The world of men's fashion, revolving slowly at its own deliberate pace, spins slightly faster these days.

The flattening of management hierarchies nationwide has dramatically affected the way men dress. There are now two basic extremes: elegant and natural.

When a workplace is so casual that everybody looks the same, the boss may need to dress differently to make that position clear. If this is the case, and the boss is a man, elegance is the order of the day.

``The elegant suit is very dressy, very classy,'' says Larry Davidson, president of Davidsons in downtown Roanoke. ``It's dark, often black, with pinstripes, even touches of gold. It's a power suit. This guy's dressed for business. You know he's in charge.''

The European influence is evident in this kind of dressing. And with the elegant suit come all its elegant trappings: woven silk neckties, collar bars, French cuffs, cuff links and spread or curved collars.

This year also heralds (quietly, of course, as befits the field) the return of the three-button suit. No longer strictly conservative, this handsome look is refreshing and traditional at the same time. The three-button look, combined with the classic tailored suit's narrowing torso and wider shoulders, is reminiscent of the golden days of Hollywood. Mitchell Hudson, co-owner of Mitchell Clothing in downtown Roanoke, says, ``History-makers wear clothes like this. They're very sophisticated.''

On the other end of the spectrum, the natural-looking suit is a neutral, comfortable, wear-anywhere ensemble that is extremely flexible. It comes in soft, neutral colors with earthy names like stone, putty, olive or wheat and can be dressed up or down. When life calls for something breezy, this is it.

In response to the confusion spawned by the ``corporate casual'' look, designers have come up with a helpful guideline. Essentially, a man who is properly dressed for the office should be able to go straight from work to dinner in a nice restaurant. What does he choose? The natural suit, most likely.

He can also wear a sport shirt with or without a collar, which can be topped with a jacket or sport coat for a finished look. He can blend in many kinds of shirts: tattersall, striped, checked, colored solids and prints. And the pants don't necessarily have to match the jacket. For example, he can wear black gabardine pants, a printed or colored sport shirt, and a neutral sport coat on top. ``Anything goes,'' Hudson says.

Two other words for this year's sartorial male are texture and fabric. There are plenty of both to hold his interest. ``Texture is exciting these days,'' Hudson says. ``It's progressive.''

Davidson adds, ``Weaves are more important than patterns. And fabrics, you have to feel them. They must be nice to the touch and comfortable.''

The discerning male consumer is also interested in quality workmanship. He wants things that are well-made, well-presented and durable. Fine, hand-tailored clothing means a lot to this man, and he is willing to pay good money for it.

``Suits are still the height of fashion, but now they can be worn in many ways," Hudson says. "It's the move toward more adult clothing.'' There are softer, narrower silhouettes, different trouser treatments, the blending of natural and synthetic fibers, the mixing and matching of everything in the closet.

Says Hudson, ``You should never be bored with men's clothing.''

LENGTH: Medium:   81 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. 1. Variety is key: James 
          (left in above photo) wears a casual shirt by Royal Robbins with 
          navy microfiber pants, both from John Norman. John's tan polyester 
          suit by Tailorman for John Norman is washable. Muyeria (left in left
          photo) shows off an embroidered linen vest, linen and rayon baggy 
          pants and Irish linen blouse with a straw hat from Talbot's at The 
          Forum and shoes from Montgomery Ward. 2. James wears a Riscatto 
          banded-collar shirt, tropical wool trousers and Canterbury leather 
          belt, all from Mitchell's. 3. James' (left) wool and silk sport 
          coat, linen-blend trousers and sport shirt are from Mitchell's. John
          wears a Teflon-coated wool suit from John Norman. Jennifer wears a 
          lace Worth suit and Hofheimer's sandals. 4. James shows off a 
          rainbow weave by St. Croix, available at Mitchell's. color.