This Creative Director has been doing a great deal of reading lately on sunny beaches and happened to be flipping through a friend’s copy of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell, first published by Little Brown in 2000. I am very interested in this concept of how certain trends (or ‘epidemics’ as the author calls them) find their way in our collective conscious.
The science of what makes something popular (or fashionable) in todays über-socially-linked society is as fascinating as it is mind-boggling. Take the unfortunate rise of the skinny jean on men for example. We know that Hedi Slimane in his former role as designer at DIOR Homme had a great deal to do with exposing this rock-inspired look into the mainstream of fashion, but I still cannot believe how acceptable it has become in most large cities to see men in what basically amounts to a pair of tights. I do not condone them on most men – unless you happen to be a rock star yourself (or Hedi Slimane). A word of caution to anyone over 100 lbs: don’t try it. There is something just wrong about men in ‘meggings’.
A more interesting menswear trend that I unconsciously adopted recently is the Rolled Up Trouser. I am not sure when exactly I decided to start rolling up my jeans this past spring, but I strangely just ‘felt like it’. I had visions of myself in the perfect pair of RRL ‘Ghurka’ coloured chinos, rolled four or five times paired with a smart loafer or even a beach friendly flip-flop and set about perfecting the scene. There is something so relaxed and sporty about this look and as a she designer, I naturally have a great footwear wardrobe to display – but were there outside influences at work here that I am unaware of or have I just been watching too many John Hughes movies lately?
The weather here in London this summer has been downright tropical and the Harrys Design Studio is not air-conditioned (The English cannot seem to justify the expense for a mere two week summer) so a fresh breeze on the old ankles has been nice.
The Creative Director in RRL and Harrys 'JAMES' loafer
Cut to the week of Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy. The greatest menswear brands in Europe were on display and the well dressed crowd of menswear buyers is legendary, but what I began to notice was how many men were rolling. As I became more aware of it – it appeared to have clearly reached epidemic proportions. Suffice to say, it’s a trend. How long it will last is anyone’s guess, but based on the last appearance of The Roll in the 80’s, I would give it about two years in the current juggernaut-state of online fashion. It bodes well for the shoe industry. The exposure is fantastic.
Now…if your considering trying this at home, a few notes of caution:
First: tanned ankles are a must – so that rules out most of the UK straight away. Nobody wants to see a couple of pale, pasty pegs on any man, chic loafer or not. Get some self-tanner or get thee to the beach pronto!
Second: Please avoid the skinny jean. I am seeing a outside movement towards a wider trouser lately on the Truly Fashionable, so Slightly-Older-Big-Guys like myself might want to adopt a more baggy ‘Workwear’ approach and leave the Breakfast Club look to the kids.
Good luck gents and enjoy the breeze.
HARRYS OF LONDON PROUDLY SUPPORTS
