£3 20 — Sunday, June 14, 1992 — Nort wy ns MEN’S SUMMER fashions display clothing cuts that still run on the large size, but only large we dod h Shore News Er Summer menswear Look for easy comfort in the fashions for men this season encugh for comfortable movement. Variety of colors and fabrics seen HERE IS a sample of what some well-known menswear labels are showing this season: Hugo Boss is going refined and natural-looking in its suiting, in “non-colors’’? such as browned blue, black and off-white, black and brown, and yellow with grey. Boss also shows brighter shades such as fisherman green, cold yellow and ink blue. There is lots of texture on the surface of the fabrics, which look slightly wiry in what it calls tropical wool, wool and viscose blends and _ linen crepe. Some fabrics have a slight sheen. Bill Robinson is focusing on relaxed suits featuring longer jackets with extended shoulders and draped fabrics. His chosen fabrics are viscose, both coarse and fine linen, silks and silk blends and glazed (shiny) cotton. Warm-blooded colors include saffron (orange-yellow), ox-blood (deep red), cornflower (blue), salmon and maize (yellow). Con- trasting colors of indigo blue and white or midnight blue and white are shown in the summer collec- tion, too. Yves Saint Laurent is a little less serious this summer, showing Marrakesh blue and earth-toned suits which slip polo shirts under jackets. And chic weekend wear featur- ing overalls worn with shirts and jackets in a ‘‘gardening’’ floral print. Full pants, which he calls clown pants, in bright colors are also shown with rich shirts. Steiimann Menswear continues the trend toward more body- conscious shapes in suits and a natural shoulder fine. Four-button double-breasted jackets are cut longer for a very tailored look and’ have a closer fit around the neck and a slightly slimmer sleeve. Blues, mints and other greens are business colors and more for- ward styles are cut in red, mauve, yellow, wine and light natural shades. In Wear's menswear lines, called Matinique and Part Two, include relaxed pieces inspired by the col- ors and motifs of the Sahara Des- ert, African jungle and the Carib- bean. There are lots of bold strips and prints on linen, cotton, madras plaid and jacquard fabrics. (These have a slight texture on the sur- face in the same color which has definite shapes.) -Boston Traders has shirts with three artist themes including Matisse, in rich jewel colors; Picasso, in dusiy pastel colors; and Gauguin, in bright colors. Lots of different plaids are featured in cotton and rayon, as well as light fiower patterns and abstract prints. Knitted tops are popuiar in crisp cotton and jersey (T-shirt knit). Espirit Men shows denim and more denim. It teams it with spor- ty two-button cotton jackets, striped T-shirts and crisp cotton polo shirts. Its summer line is fun, with cit- rus fruit prints over stripes on See Good page 24 FASHION STATEMENTS EASE. THAT’S a _ word that the menswear industry is using: a lot to describe sportswear this summer. These clothes are comfortable first and foremost. This means the emphasis is on natural fibres. Cotton, linen, rayon and sand- washed silk are blended together or stand on their own in super- soft fabrics which drape. Clean is another important word in menswear. If refers to the cut of the clothes, which this pleats down the front, similar to jeans. And unmatched jackets and trousers are making a strong * comeback. Businesswear relies heavily on cool wool for a sophisticated im- age in addition to silk and linen in high-quality clothing. Viscose (which wavers between natural and synthetic since it is man-made with natural cellulose fibres) is showing up everywhere. It is blended with wool, cotton, linen and silk. Patterns are subdued and minimal. Layered-on soild fabrics or micro patterns (very small prints) are your safest bet. Checks and over checks (one check print on top of another) are also shown. There are two sides to the color story in men’s suits. One is hot aad lively and the other is’ soft and subdued. Environmental hues of green are in cool aqua, olive and forest, and all tones in between. Natural shades include soft yellow tones called ecru, straw and maize. Brights don’t get too bright; but are warm in oranges, rose and mauves. SPORTSWEAR: The most important features in casual men’s fashion are pull-on pants, longer boxer shorts and 44 Men have decided that they have the ‘right to wear color whenever they like, including during work or off-hours. season is designed to gently mould to your frame. The cut is_ siill running large, but only enough to allow the wearer room to move. In other words, there is enough material for comfort, but not so much that you trip over it. Men have decided that they have the right to wear color whenever they like, including dur- ing work or off-hours. As testi- mony to this fact, designers offer a wide range of colors from which to choose. The range includes warm, subdued pastels to en- vironmentally inspired earth tones to bold brights. It is often the use of color which distinguishes the latest clothing from that of past seasons. Designers may use solid brights or combine brights with earth tones which result in an in- teresting contrast within an item of clothing. The following are the trends in menswear according to one of the largest menswear trade expositions to influence Western Canadian fashion. It is called Salon Interna- tional Mode Masculine (SIMM), and it was held in Montreal. BUSINESS: . City wear shows a toning down of the silhouette, similar to the trend toward a toned, slimmer physique. Jackets are very lightly constructed or even un- constructed, and appear in longer lengths. Shoulders are still accentuated, but are rounder and more natural. The waist is slightly fitted. Single-breasted jackets dominate, especially in two-button and three-button styles. Pants remain generously cut and comfortable with pleat detail- ing (even three or four pleats on each side), In more fashion-for- ward styles, some pants have no Bermudas. Wide, long shirts should find their way into every man’s wardrobe with lots of dif- . ferent detailing in strizes, madras plaid, overprinis, checks and novelty patterns. Longer coiton jackets and unstructured, lightweight versions of the safari jacket and field jacket are big items. Jeans are a hit, especially in fabrics other than denim. The five-pocket, semi-fitted style has taken over in fabrics including cotton jersey (T-shirt knit). Cotton is the favored fabric. Washed, worn.and faded looks in plain fabrics is an important trend. Thick fabrics take over where denim left off, especially canvas and burlap-type fabrics: Linen, viscose and sandwashed silk become more casual. . Bright colors in casual wear are a given, but this season they take their inspiration from famous painters such as Matisse and Gauguin. Influences also come from hot climates including Africa and South America and their cultures. There are bold primary colors (reds, blues and yeliows} but they are either mixed with, or over- shadowed by, washed-out, faded, bright colors. Earth gzeens and blues dominate sportswear, as well as business wear. Other colors us- ed include time, aqua, olive, chive, jungle, turquoise and petrol blue. The citrus colors orange, lemon, time and grapefruit show up, as do grape and mauve. Prints run the gamut. Tiny prints which are all over the fabric and big bold prints are equally popular. Madras plaids and wide Stripes, checks on checks, over- prints (prints on top of checked backgrounds) and fancy textured weaves are shown.