Shopping Guide: The Best Men's Lightweight Jackets, Part I

Part I of Style Intelligence Report's guide to Men's Lightweight Jackets, brought to you by the request of Mat.

We're splitting up this article into two sections because of the large number of great jackets we saw out there while perusing the racks. In this post, Part I, we present the best Casual jackets. In Part II, we'll bring to you the best in semiformal jacket options. Happy shopping!

Nylon Fill Jacket | $125 at Banana Republic

The quintessential fall weather jacket, with versions found at BR, Gap, Express, etc. year after year after year. Basic, but functional. The selling point? It works with everything in your wardrobe.

CK Jeans Bomber Jacket | $98 at Macy's

What can we say, we just love the look of bomber jackets on men (and women, for that matter).

Canvas Safari Jacket | $145 at Armani Exchange

What's great about this jacket? The oversized pockets (good for storing your keys, wallet, iPod, cell phone..), the drawstring waistline, the stand collar, and the tailored seamlines.

Avant Zip Up Track Jacket | $89 at Ben Sherman USA

Track Jackets are the New hoodie, remember? They're great for a sporty, youthful look. Plus, they're comfortable. We like the contrast striping on the arms on this jacket--a nice alternative to the standard across-chest striping.

G Star Studs Twill Jacket | $190 at Urban Outfitters

We love the architectural look of this streamlined motorcycle jacket. The front zipper is slightly offset and the two side pocket zippers are intentionally uneven for a distinctive look. If your style is a little off the mainstream, this jacket is for you!

Paul Frank Bomber Jacket | $140 at Urban Outfitters

This jacket feels very 1970s chic, but in a good way. We appreciate the contrast collar, the shoulder yoke, and the color (we heart Green). And hey, quilted jackets are Hot right now.

Members Only Jacket | $59 at Urban Outfitters

Classic Americana, and it can be Yours for well under $100! This coat stays true to the original, with the tabbed collar, soft elastic at the cuffs, hem, and chest pocket, side slit pockets, epaulets, and of course, the Members Only logo patch.

Return of the Friday Fashion Hotlist | 10.28.05

No, we haven't forgotten about the Friday Fashion Hotlist, our weekly compilation of the cutest and coolest stuff Style Intelligence Report saw out there this week.

The falling temperatures make us long for a beautiful New England Autumn, and we're feeling particularly Prep School Chic this week.

For women...

Paige Zip-Up | $69.50 at Abercrombie and Fitch

Essentially a re-issue of a sweater Abercrombie designed for last Spring. Trisha owns this sweater in Heather Grey, but this time around, she's looking to buy the cream version. Or the chocolate brown. Or both. This sweater will help keep you warm during the Winter months, but it'll also be perfectly on-trend come Spring, what with its clean lines and neutral color.

And for men...

Tasty Waves Polo in Glengreen | $51.99 at Penguin Clothing

Let your inner nerd out! We love the tiny striping on this classic Penguin polo shirt. Remember, it's Good to be Nerdy. At least that's what Trisha told herself during Math Club meetings back in high school.

Cotton Inc. Fall/Winter 2007 Color Trends, Part Two

	Expression This color theme is inspired by the youth market. Think of chenilles, plaids, and chunky, textured knits.
Triumph Think of Track Suits of the 1970s (doesn't that sound like a bad documentary?). Bold prints and patterns. Quilted fabrics and double layered fabrics.
	Destination Earthy color palette. Think of modernized batik fabrics. Perfect for bottomweight fabrics (e.g. fabrics for pants and skirts) with a soft hand, or feel. All about Authentic, Natural color, possibly with a Natural Wrinkled look.

Happy Holidays, and Happy Decorating

For us at Style Intelligence Report, the holiday season is a time to celebrate...and a time to decorate.

As we're hosting a few holiday parties, we thought it was a good time to scout out some new additions to the apartment. So over the next couple of weeks, we're going to take a few "research" shopping trips to bring you the Best not only in fashion, but also in home decor!

Today, however, we have our rundown of the cutest and coolest home stuff at Anthropologie. See for yourself...

White Coral Lamp | $248 at Anthropologie

Just for the record, we loved coral Before it was a hot commodity among interior decorators.

Juldagen Cups | $32 at Anthropologie

We adore the old-fashioned shape of the cups, as well as the color scheme of the painted images.

Patisserie Candlestick | $28 at Anthropologie

We just love the elegant, sculpted lines creating the silhouette of this piece.

Gold Caspian (top) and Indochine Chrysanthemum (bottom) Pillows | $48 each at Anthropologie

Perfect as statement accent pieces for a neutral-colored chair or couch.

Cotton Inc. Fall/Winter 2007 Color Trends, Part One

	Intrigue This color theme is all about neutrals, with an added element of mystery. Think of James Bond and high tech finishes on fabrics. But these colors can also be found in classic fabrics such as textured tweeds.
Provocateur This color palette has strong red and yellow undertones, with a dark chocolate brown as a background accent color. Think of a return to Romance. The textured fabrics inspired by this palette will include pointelles, loose knits, jacquards, tweeds, and perhaps even fabrics with a polyurethane finish.
	Muse This color palette is soft and neutral. Fabrics will be heavily textured to make up for the neutral palette. Look for textured yarns with slubs, luxury blends of cotton-wool and cotton-silk, corduroy with wide wales (striping), pointelles, crochet knits, and metallic linings.

Autumn/Winter 2006 Color and Fabric

Out of LA Textile comes four major trends for color and fabric:

Tundra

Colors: Greyed out colors, browns, blues.
Textures: Silky smooth fabrics, metallic finishes, brushed cottons and wools for a frosted look, botanical and crystal motifs for fabric prints.

Winter Blooms

Colors: Apple and emerald green, combined with blues and both light and dark purple tones.
Textures: Boucles and tweeds, especially in wool/silk and wool/mohair fabrications. Paper-like cutouts are achieved through laser cutting. Appliqués are botanical inspired, with leaves and flowers.

Indian Summer

Colors: Rich, autumnal tones of reds, golds, oranges, and leafy yellows are juxtaposed against dark smoky blues.
Textures: Folkloric prints are color yarn-dyed, patterned, and ombred with stripes. Patchworks and wood block prints will be seen along with subtly pinstriped denim and oversized lumberjack checks.

Woodland

Colors: Dark greens and blues combine with teal, ash grey, and a warm bronze.
Textures: Spongy surfaces reminiscent of moss, botanical-inspired fabric irregularities, and veining reminiscent of leaves, bark or wood grain show up in prints. Velvet is huge.

SF Int'l Fashion Week Cancelled?

We're disappointed to report that SF International Fashion Week shows have been cancelled for today and tomorrow--only a small selection of shows will be held on Sunday.

Upon arrival at Terra Gallery, the new venue after the shows were moved from Fort Mason, we discovered that all Friday and Saturday shows had been cancelled. A man was handing out flyers with the updated event schedule for Sunday, with little explanation for what happened. We did, however, hear though the grapevine that the planning for the event was last minute--the model selection for Saturday's shows, for instance, was scheduled for today. Hearsay, but we wanted to pass along as much info as we could get.

On Sunday, six fashion shows are scheduled, with an afterparty sponsored by Haamonii Smooth, Blavod Black Vodka, Player's Xtreme, Rock Star Energy Drink, Selona Beauty, Factio Magazine, BlackBook Magazine, and TheAList.org.

We hope that we get to see the results of the designers' hard work...

Event Schedule | Sunday, October 23
1pm: Doors Open
2pm: Emerging Artists
3pm: Cari Borja
4pm: Joseph Domingo
5pm: Paul Monroe
6pm: Black Coffee
7pm: Anu Mahal
8pm: Afterparty

Carlin International Menswear Fall/Winter 2006 Report

Carlin International's It list for menswear included:

Jackets with shawl collars,

Cropped blazers,

Faux T-shirt over button-down shirt layering,

Fancy jogging pants (really?),

Woven shirts with front knit panels,

Silkscreening on finished goods, such as sweaters and t-shirts, and

Corduroy jackets with utility detailing.

Carlin's menswear accessories report predicts:

Multipocket across-shoulder bags,

Cloth (especially woolen) messenger bags,

Fancy oxford shoes,

Fedoras with ribbon detailing,

Knit caps (we called this one!),

Hooded scarves, and

Poofy newsboy caps.

Coming Attractions

We're back from LA Textile, where we got the scoop on upcoming trends, color forecasts, silhouettes, and more! There's exciting stuff in the works here...and *ahem* it's not limited to content.

Upcoming on Style Intelligence Report:

• Carlin International's Menswear Trend Forecast for Fall/Winter 2006-2007.
• Promostyl's Womenswear Trend Forecast for Fall/Winter 2006-2007.
• Cotton Inc.'s Color Trends for Fall/Winter 2006-2007.
  
• LA StreetStyle: Third Street Promenade. A warning--a preliminary lookover shows that the pictures are grainy-chic, the result of poor lighting from bad weather. Great trend info though, so we wanted to share.

Also--San Francisco International Fashion Week starts on Friday. Style Intelligence Report will be there, front and center, to give you the rundown from the runway!

Spring 2006 Trend: Hardware Detailing

Hardware at United Bamboo, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Dolce and Gabbana Menswear.
Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium.

Wearability Factor: Medium High.

How to Wear It: Grommets, metal zippers, D rings, snaps, and buckles have found their way to traditional garments ranging from dresses, sweaters, and blouses to pants and skirts. The hardware look gives a bit of an edge to otherwise conservative (read: normal) looks, and really turns up the heat on more risqué garments.

For maximum wearability, keep the metal pieces small and on sections of the body that you want to highlight. If you have a great waistline, for example, wear metal on your belt. And if you love your shoulderline, look for hardware trimmings on or near the shoulder area. For a fresh look, try D rings and buckles in unexpected places.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: This trend has been bubbling up for at least a year. We even made note of hardware detailing at Armani Exchange back in April. And hardware studded bags were a ubiquitous accessory this past season. Look for this trend to continue as a counter to the pretty, overly feminine look dominating the runways.

Boston StreetStyle | Harvard Square Bag Report

Trend Alert: Printed Bags

Trend Alert: Oversized Bags

Trend Alert: Mini Messenger Bags

Trend Alert: Man Messenger Bags and Oversized Bags for Women

Trend Alert: Hardware Detailing on Bags

Boston StreetStyle | Harvard Square Accessories Report

Trend Report: Plaid Shoes, Oversized Bags, and Colorful Umbrellas

Trend Report: Fedora Hats and Belts with Hardware Detailing

Trend Report: Sport Sneakers and Belts with Hardware Detailing

Boston StreetStyle | Harvard Square Trend Report

Trend Alert: Printed Fabrics

Trend Alert: Shorts (Huge on the Spring 06 Runways)

Trend Alert: Natural, Neutral Colors

Trend Alert: Knee-length Skirts (especially in White!)

Trend Alert: Cropped Pants and Oversized Bags

Spring 2006 Trend: Knit Caps

Knit Caps at Burberry, Duckie Brown, and L.A.M.B.
Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium.

Wearability Factor: Medium.

How to Wear It: This season’s knit cap goes beyond the traditional urbanwear beanie. With detailing such as an oversized shape, and bills in contrast fabrications, the knit cap exemplifies Spring 2006’s focus on eclecticism.

Show your individuality by pairing your urban-styled knit cap with something other than casualwear—perhaps an uber-feminine outfit.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: Early. Knit caps are a basic part of one’s wardrobe, but this season’s more eclectic styles merit a trend classification of their own.

Spring 2006 Trend: Fedora Hats

Fedora Hats at Behnaz Sarafpour, L.A.M.B., and Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium.

Wearability Factor: Medium.

How to Wear It: The menswear-inspired fedora hat provides a nice counterpart to the predominantly pretty, feminine looks out on the runway. And for men, it provides a gentlemanly accessory for otherwise casual outfits. On the streets, we’ve seen a few Fedora Fashion Formulas for women that we adore:

Fashion Formula 1: Fedora + Cropped Sweater + Tank + Shorts.

Fashion Formula 2: Fedora + Lacy Camisole + Pinstriped Pants.

Fashion Formula 3: Fedora + Ruffled Blouse + Embellished Belt + Jeans.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: Early. This season’s focus on eclecticism has spurred a renewed interest in accessories, and fedora hats are one of fashion’s hottest hat styles.

Designer Denim: What's it worth?

We got a question from a reader named Steph: At what dollar amount are there are diminishing returns on having your butt look great in a pair of jeans?



Susannah thinks that there are diminishing returns after $200 or $250, but she notes that this figure is at once completely arbitrary and wholly personal. Trisha places her personal estimate at a slightly lower figure--maybe $175 to 200ish.

We could go all Econ 101 on this and talk about percentages of disposable income, because where diminishing returns hit would vary with household income level. Maybe for you a pair of designer jeans is worth 5% of your monthly paycheck. Maybe it's 10%. Or maybe it's 2%.

But does this help? It's true that it's a very personal question, and where these diminishing returns hit depends on many factors, a few of which could be: household income, affinity for luxury, and how difficult it is for you to find a pair of jeans with an excellent fit. One person may say $225 is the limit, another person, $500...and yet another person may value designer denim to the price tag of $1000.

Our rule of thumb, though, is that a pair of jeans is too expensive when a glance at the price tag brings a frown to your face.

Your thoughts?

Spring 2006 Trend: Trenchcoats

Trenchcoats at Doo Ri, Tuleh, and Michael Kors.
Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium.

Wearability Factor: Medium High.

How to Wear It: As we noted for double breasted styles, the petite, the full figured, the curvy, the broad shouldered, and those with a full bust should wear trenchcoats with caution. Oversized lapels can overwhelm small frames and emphasize width in the shoulder area.

Belted trenchcoats can work wonders on boyish figures, as they help give the waistline some definition. Those with narrow shoulders will also be flattered by the trenchcoat's horizontal emphasis at the shoulder.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: Early. Last Spring, cropped jackets and single-breasted styles were all the rage. Now it’s time for the double-breasted trenchcoat to shine.

Spring 2006 Trend: Multi Tiered Styles

Multi Tiered Styles at Derek Lam, Doo Ri, and Jenni Kayne.

Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium High.

Wearability Factor: High.

How to Wear It: This season’s take on tiered styles is less voluminous—it’s less of the peasant skirt look and more of a modern take on the dresses of the 1920s. Furthermore, this season, tiers can be found not only on skirts, but also on tops. Indeed, the multi-tiered look appears fresher on tops, as evidenced by Doo Ri’s tiered halter (above, center).

Tiers are extremely wearable, as evidenced by their massive popularity earlier this year. Tiered tops can cover up a larger tummy, and voluminous tiered skirts are almost universally flattering. This season’s thinner tiered skirt silhouette, however, works best on tall women and those without extremely wide hips.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: Late. Tiered skirts were all the rage for Spring and Summer 2005. We’re a little tired of the look, to be completely honest.

Spring 2006 Trend: Horizontal Stripes

Horizontal Stripes at Tuleh, Carolina Herrera, and Ralph Lauren.

Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium High.

Wearability Factor: Medium High.

How to Wear It: Horizontal stripes are showing up on the runways as a remnant of Spring 2005's Nautical trend. Avoid wide horizontal stripes that cut your body into sections, making you look shorter and/or wider than you actually are. For maximum figure flattery, opt for thin horizontal striping. Excellent for visual interest, and the small scale of the print doesn't actually make you look any wider.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: Like Neutral Colors, the Nautical influence behind the Horizontal Stripe trend is more of a classic than a true trend. Horizontal stripes have been big on the fashion scene for a couple of years now--think of Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw in "An American Girl in Paris."

Spring 2006 Trend: Double Breasted Styles

Double Breasted Styles at Bill Blass, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs.
Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium.

Wearability Factor: Medium.

How to Wear It: For the petite, the full figured, the curvy, the broad shouldered, and those with a full bust, steer clear of double breasted styles. Their strong horizontal detailing emphasizes the shoulderline and can make you look wider (and shorter) than you actually are.

Double breasted styles, however, can work for boyish figures, as they echo the straight up-and-down frame. Those with narrow shoulders will also find double breasted styles flattering, as they visually widen the shoulderline.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: Double breasted styles are experiencing a resurgence in popularity, likely due to the influence of the Peacoat, a key look from Fall 2005. It's definitely not new, but we should be seeing this style in various incarnations on the runways for seasons to come.

Spring 2006 Trend: Belts

Belts at BCBG, Michael Kors, and Bill Blass.

Photo Credit: NY Metro

Trend Importance Factor: Medium High.

Wearability Factor: Medium High.

How to Wear It: Belts are a great way to give your waist some extra definition--key if you have a boyish figure or have an undefined waistline. However, steer clear of belts if you want to direct attention away from your midsection. Those that are full figured or have a tummy will want to opt for beltless styles, despite the trendiness of the look.

Where in Trend Lifecycle: With the return to higher waisted styles, belts are back in fashion. Another reason for the resurgence of the belt is the individuality it affords the wearer--fashion's emphasis on eclecticism favors accessories. The movement towards belted styles is still relatively new this season, so expect to see more of them in the next few seasons.

Shopping Guide: The Best Men's Peacoats

As the ultimate fall translation of last spring's nautical trend, the peacoat is as fashionable for men as it is for women.

Though we searched high and low to find the Best peacoats for men, we ended up finding all our favorites from one retailer. Yoox, a purveyor of international designer fashions, gave us everything from the classic mid-length minimalist peacoat to a trendy embroidered and printed version.

Costume National Homme Peacoat | $644 at Yoox

The Classic: Mid-length fitted silhouette, wide lapel, and slanted welt pockets on the torso. Perfect for the man with timeless taste.

Diesel Peacoat | $131 at Yoox

The Individualist: Gabardine jacket with padded interior and print and embroidery detailing.

Emporio Armani Peacoat | $508 at Yoox

The Formal: Straight silhouette, minimalist detailing.

R.E.D. Valentino Peacoat | $342 at Yoox

The Fashion-Forward: Mid-length straight silhouette, shaped yoke, mock neckline with button fastenings.

D&G Peacoat | $402 at Yoox

The Gentleman: Fitted silhouette with center rear vent and classic three pocket detailing.