It’s OK to dress down, but men can do it but still be fashionable

Men’s fashion this summer is all about fabrics and feeling, form and function.

Like women’s clothing as of late, fashion’s emphasis has been much on the way one feels when wearing clothes, and as such, is dependent on great fabrics and comfortable, functional cuts.

Men’s fashion, especially in Boulder County, is a bit of an oxymoron. Clothes and hip styles aren’t always of the utmost importance to the average local male who would rather wear Carhart brand anything, boots and all things baggy.

But there’s hope. Dressing down finally has become fashionable.

As local clothier of 25 years, Robert Schmidt, points out, “Dressing down has obviously been one of the more influential fashion trends in recent years.” But, adds Edward Kapsom, co-owner of Kinsley & Co., men are paying more attention to what they are wearing and how they look when they are dressed down.

In short, casual dress is quickly becoming Boulder’s, and the nation’s, preferred style of dress.

As both Schmidt and Kapsom pointed out, distinct, textured fabrics are of the utmost importance for today’s male shopper when he is choosing his vacation, weekend or after-hours look. Kapsom explains it as a “fabric-driven” season, complete with “high-end, beautiful fabrics with classic styling.”

Daphne Herrick, manager of Weekends clothing store on the Pearl Street Mall, concurs, adding that her average shopper looks for “higher quality things … that are funky, unique, different.”

High-end cotton, tencel, silk, man-made microfibers, linens and cotton blends are the must-have fabrics for men’s clothing this season.

The classic styling of two- or three-button sport coats in textured or “drapey” fabrics, and the contemporary, European-influenced four-button styling in a traditional, sleek fabric are what Boulder’s hip should be sporting this summer to the office, to happy-hour and to dinner.

All three locally owned boutiques note that their customers look for something “with a little pizzazz” that is still appropriate to wear on a daily basis. Their clientele are 25 to 55 years-old, more fashion-forward and financially secure. Prices for a shirt or pair of slacks range anywhere from $70 to $200, and a sport coat can cost anywhere from $150 to $2,000 (quite a large range, which helps ensure there is something for almost anyone).

In addition to sport coats and dress-cut khakis in soft, lightweight fabrics, silk T-shirts, cotton or tencel short-sleeve dress shirts, nubby textured sweaters and the ubiquitous Hawaiian shirt are also popular these days, and can go from the golf course, on a walk and to dinner with ease.

Fun print or solid shirts in bright colors such as royal blue are the perfect summer shirt for just about any occasion, when paired with a nice pair of silk pants for dinner or a cocktail party, or with jeans or khaki shorts to lunch or a barbecue. The shirt, in a relaxed cut, but an elegant fabric with a rich texture, is a good staple. Chosen in the right fabric, it will travel well and look current wherever he happens to find himself.

Color plays an important role this season, too, with the major pieces of clothing– such as jackets and pants — in soft, muted grays, tans, subtle greens and basic black. Accent pieces, like shirts, ties and socks, on the other hand, have taken on a whole new importance due to striking, vibrant color. Bright blues in all shades, as well as oranges, reds, greens and golds are popping up alone or paired in an exciting, eye-catching print.

Men’s fashion, it seems, finally has caught up with real men. It has become user-friendly. Designed in comfortable, casual-chic styles that can’t miss in any situation, today’s styles work with the busy man of the millennium. Through focusing the details of current men’s styles on the fabrics involved, designers are letting the clothes do what they were intended to do, that is, make the wearer comfortable and allow him to function easily and go about his daily routine.

On-the-go Boulder County men want to look and feel good, and now, thanks to a more “relaxed-formal” work and nightlife atmosphere, mixed with a renewed interest in personal style and textile technology, they can.

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