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Sunday, February 6, 2011

i saw sinners making music and i dreamt of that sound

As promised, J. Crew and Prada SS11 Menswear! If you've read this blog at all, you would know that I adore preppy, so it's not surprising that my favorite looks from J. Crew were, almost all of them, and Prada, every the collared shirt, tie and sweater combo.

I love J. Crew. But I have not always loved J. Crew. My mother has always loved J. Crew. She tells me this every time we reminisce about my middle school and early high school style. I think it's safe to say I began to appreciate J. Crew at the end of my sophomore year of high school and have had a steady love affair with the brand ever since. I anticipate holding a part-time job there in addition to my future career, just so I can keep my discount. I promise that I am getting to the menswear part. But first I have to list what I love about J. Crew. I think my absolute favorite part about the brand is the customer's ability to buy a couture wedding gown and a $25 v-neck in the same store. How many retailers can do that? And J. Crew is preppy, but not overbearingly so. Jenna Lyons does a great job incorporating current trends (oxford booties) with timeless classics (cashmere crewcut sweaters) to create modern masterpieces. I love a guy that can sport J. Crew head-to-toe. It's not easy, but when done correctly, it's incredibly attractive to me. I love the splashes of color and especially those white pants. Brightly colored chinos are such a preppy staple, and I love them in the spring. And I know it's not just J. Crew doing this, but I think the almost-too-short pants are adorable with Sperrys or MacAlisters. This collection makes me miss the East Coast and want to re-read The Official Preppy Handbook.

My favorite look of Prada's is the orange blazer and shorts. Like previously mentioned, I'm a sucker for bright colors on guys in the spring. I think it exudes confidence when a guy is brave enough to wear an obnoxious color. However, there is a fine line between Nantucket reds and pastel/neon screen tees. So for spring, I love the khaki suit. I've already decided that the men in my wedding will be wearing tan suits. I really love the light grey of the second suit and the sweater and shirt underneath. Also practical if it's still a little chilly. The majority of this collection was ugly though. You know how collections have an overall theme and a repeated look that the designer sends down over and over in different colors and textures? So for Prada men it was scrubs. I wish I was joking. But literally, v-neck scrub tops in denim (puke, puke, puke) and emergency room green. And denim kilts. And scrub kilts. So gross. The looks I picked really don't encompass what this collection was about. Oops.
WHAT UP SAM BEAM? New Iron & Wine was released on January 25. Iron & Wine is my favorite and my #1 show to see before I die. Its release and the reactions to it remind me of Sufjan's The Age of Adz release. So many people were upset at how different Age of Adz was compared to all of Sufjan's other work. A lot of people said 'it wasn't Sufjan anymore' and all that. Well obviously it is Sufjan. People change. Artists change. Music changes. I hate when loyal fans get upset when their favorite artist decides to branch out. I say, if you're a real fan, you'll go along with the ride. You may not love it, but don't rule it out completely. Kiss Each Other Clean (isn't that the best album title you've heard in a while?) is different than any other Iron & Wine album, but I really like it. Favorite song by far is "Walking Far From Home." He sings the words "little babies" and that pretty much sold it for me. Haha but seriously. I think it's a great album. Not on the same level as Creek Drank the Cradle, but still iTunes library-worthy.

6 comments:

  1. wow you have a great blog :D

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  2. If I were a boy;O). Love your header too. Thanks for sharing the photos and drop by me too when you have time.

    Ciao.

    ReplyDelete
  3. great post!
    xoxo


    townofstyle.blogspot.com

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  4. this is a great post on menswear--inspiring!

    pepperandchips.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete