Boyz Will Be Boyz fashion story by Photographer Jayme Thornton and stylist Izzy Ruiz shot at WXOU Bar, NYC.
At some point every man has to accept it’s time to grow up. Family, career, first homes, it’s a lot to turn a man grey. But we all know underneath it all boys will be boys and if you’re a fan of fashion you know the clothes make the man. But this spring show your inner child by mixing cool contemporary suiting with some of the coolest jean trends to appear on the scene. Runways from New York to Milan continue to embrace colors, prints and diverse fabrics, taking the blazer – once ubiquitous with conservative dressing – and making it modern and youthful. And it opens the market for more options for a man to define his personality and his look on his own terms. Not afraid to make bold choices, NY-based designed Marlon Goebel has been known to take chances that make his collections standout. I’m immensely in love with his florescent yellow mesh Areonylon blazer. The color, amazing! Obviously, if you want to be noticed, come and get it. But what I love most is how it’s cut. His tailoring is perfection. The blazer frames the body like a pair of Fratelli Orsini driving gloves. And always on trend, Gobel employs a mesh fabrication that gives the jacket structure while keeping its weight light and the look modern. For gentleman looking to keep it chill, then gravitate towards fresh prints. SoCal native, Jade Howe combines his surf and skate background with English mod cool to inspire his eponymous menswear brand Howe. His slim tailoring gets a punk remake with subtle camo jacquard prints. It’s his youth driven aesthetic that allows a modern guy to add his own street swag to the classic blazer. If camo isn’t your thing, Danish brand, Sand, offers chic European styles. Classic windowpane will appear from Spring through Fall. But to make it boyish and edgy, they’re trending toward shorter and trimmer cuts and moving towards softer and lighter construction to give their pieces a more natural look. The Ringo blazer is made of lightweight linen and half lined to keep the structure loose, but it’s coated in black resin giving it a sexy sheen to take the jacket from day to night. This Danish brand also bases their design studios in Italy, which inspires their edgier pieces such as the Cobra leather shawl lapel dinner jacket or reptile print silver metal-coating jacket. It’s rock n roll and hella sexy. When it comes to denim the options are endless, but most importantly when it comes to denim, it’s all about fit, and to get the right fit you have to know your body. Designers approach denim design from less of a utilitarian point of view and more from an aesthetic point of view. Denim is no longer the workman’s uniform; it’s a creative outlet from to the seams to the wash. You can appreciate that effort in some of my fave new brands. One of them is BPD Washhouse. A boutique brand knew to the market, they can create almost any look you can imagine in their studios in New Jersey. From wash, to pigmenting, resin coating, and handmade 3D effects, they are truly a denim couturier. What’s even better is how your body is transformed in their jeans. Their cuts accentuate the backside, while pleated whiskers in front give that extra oomph where it counts. They’re like a fantastic pair of Italian shoes. You break them in and rather than falling apart they mold to you. That’s what makes a man look sexy in jeans, they way they effortlessly hang on his every stride. This season they’re going for heavier selvedge denim, which is actually a throwback to classic denim guidelines. This allows for deeper tones of indigo and allows the jeans to last longer. Their Exciter jean has a masculine athletic fit in aggressive dark washes. That dark wash is what you want to take your denim into an evening look when paired with a blazer. And what’s brilliant is you won’t be paying $300 for their jeans, which are available at Bloomingdales, NYC. One new look I started rocking with my Washhouse jeans are to wear the 34 inseams – mind you I’m 5’8, — and roll a super tall cuff to show off that iconic red and white selvedge seam over my Converse. If I want to add a bit of dandy flare I create the tall cuff but then do a second shorter cuff to create a double fold. That allows me to show off any of my insane print socks from Ozone, or wear a mini sock so I show a little ankle and the look all of a sudden becomes about the shoe. So to tell you what the trends are would to put you in a box and that’s not what fashion is about. As Giorgio Armani says, “Jeans represent democracy in fashion.” Make it your own. Just have fun with it, add a variety of fits in your closet and definitely include a few stretch fabrications. Take the time to shop, which we all know most men don’t like doing. But jeans are an investment. A great pair of jeans should last you years. I’m still wearing a pair of Diesel jeans I bought 10 years ago. And be fearless with dressing them up. Don’t let the blazer box you into that conservative look if you’re more of a rocker. Surprise yourself with how electrifying it is to try something new. Who wants to look like everybody else anyway? How pedestrian. –Words by Izzy Ruiz.
Credits
Photographed by Jayme Thornton
Styled by Izzy Ruiz
Makeup and Grooming by Akira Flume-Smith
Casting by Edward Agir for Trew Productions
Featuring:
Brandon Gomes, Click Model Management
Dylan Armstrong, New York Models
Pedro B., RE:Quest Model Management
Stephen Davis
Ariel De Ment
Assisted by Victoria Martinez, Precious Shider, Danielle Ugo
Shot at WXOU Radio Bar, NYC with special thanks to Chris.