Raf Simons' pack of cards

Though it's easy to summon our memories of the classic The Invasion of the Body Snatchers to help make sense of these shrugs in knit, neoprene, and other hi-tech fabrics seemingly taking over the sartorially strict suits of Raf Simons' Fall 2009 collection, I would rather focus on their exaggerated silhouettes.

Sometimes the subtext is not at all engaging, and introspection can get way over our heads.



Alice in Wonderland was the first thing that came to mind, and the boxy minions of the Queen of Hearts.



The shrugs look like the armory of soldiers getting ready for an absurd battle, or trial, in the case of Alice who was about to lose her own head.





I just wanted to ask you which way I ought to go.





Well, that depends on where you want to get to.





Oh it really doesn't matter...





Then it really doesn't matter which way you go.



Does this silhouette bring fashion forward? Or is it simply part of a pack of commercial cards?



Perhaps these two-tone coats and suits are more viable, with style that is more ironclad.





They look strong and believable, and beautifully period.





With a toned down silhouette, these suits hold the promise of real direction for fashion.







The color binaries take on subtlety in leather gloves, a camel coat with flannel lapels, and a flannel coat with camel sleeves.





Now these single and double breasted suits and coats are more like it.





An unintrusive shrug.



No sharing?





Though I really still don't understand the armory. A black and white Dick Tracy yes, but not an Iron Man suit that can be assembled.

Of camels and editorials

From Details. CAMEL COATED: Photographs by Thomas Schenk

Suit and shirt by CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION. Tie by MISSONI. Shoes by CHURCH'S.

Camel hair clothing or camel-colored apparel comprise two editorials, respectively, from the August 2008 issue of Details and the Fall/Winter release of Fantastic Man. Notice the difference not only in the styling and photography, but also in the language of the text.



Jacket by TOMMY HILFIGER. Scarf by APC.



Clothing by POLO RALPH LAUREN. Belt by YVES SAINT LAUREN.



Clothing by BOSS SELECTION. Shoes by CHURCH'S.



MISSONI.



ISAAC MIZRAHI.



GIORGIO ARMANI.



Clothing by VALENTINO. Shoes by CHURCH'S.

Styling by Paul Stura, hair by Johnnie Sapong using Aveda Men, makeup by Charlotte Day for See Management.



From Fantastic Man. CAMEL GALORE: The multi-layered allure of a neck-to-toe camel outfit, edited by Jodie Barnes and photographed by Paul Wetherell.

Who knew there were this many shades of camel? There is so much green in the TOM FORD cashmere camel double-breasted coat to almost slip it off the camel chart. Here, it's worn on top of a brown-ish GIORGIO ARMANI herringbone suit jacket, a more oatmeal POLO RALPH LAUREN camel cashmere poloneck and a reddish camel silk scarf by LANVIN, which is tied here as a cravat. Meanwhile the gold in these POLO RALPH LAUREN camel trousers really shines through.



Wow, look at the orange of those JUNYA WATANABE camel cords! They are part of a look that is more modern man than (its) neighbor (on top). The CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION wool coat is treated with plastic and has a narrower lapel, while the classic camel suit-jacket by LANVIN is of a short length. Underneath, the caramel coloured poloneck is by BOSS BLACK, while the gold CARTIER watch is as close to camel as you can get in a timepiece.


Details only succeeds in one outfit: the one with Polo Ralph Lauren denim. In an effort to tone down the camel hair, the other combinations have only become slack and boring. Fantastic Man conquers the fabric with panache.

This is also what I mean when I said that Fantastic Man is more personal. Though the approach is conceptual - hence the color scheme - it welcomes the reader, while the images from Details appear more like shopfront installations that have the potential to assault passersby.

The absence of the model's personality allows room for the reader to project himself into the clothes, and the accompanying text offers usable information, and yes, even insight.

Wow indeed.