YSL Spring 2009 Menswear

Stefano Pilati at YSL is becoming what Hedi Slimane was at Dior Homme in the late 90s when Slimane introduced his own “New(ish) Look” of manly skinny pants and coats. He’s innovative and reflective of the young fashion crowd just diving into the work world. But Pilati has skewed Slimane’s idea of skinny and man cutesy with his latest collection, one of the best of the season, by improving it with some familiar shapes and looks done freshly and with a LES sense of cool.

First of all the designer wisely streamlined his presentation with one model, pulling together weekend ease and that-cool-guy-at-the-office looks not just with the one boy but also with consistent, delicious themes: narrow trouser, muted palette, fabulous dress shoes throughout and, when the moment strikes, a cute jacket with some give in the shoulder. Thin is in, but the best designers are making stuff that work for those with carriage.

Look at those sweaters! Is that camel? Chenille? Just because some comfortable fabrics are “feminine” should no longer exclude them menswear. And another example how having some additional room to breathe can look interesting.

A bit of volume in the hip is super chic now, and makes me think of those pajamas everyone was showing, but this seems more right. Pilati worked with dark tweeds and also patchwork blues that looked like mismatch denim, but still everything had a sophistication that Armani’s from-the-bed lacked. YSL’s look looks nicer: a jodhpur reinvented! Can it be that simple?

After that amazing Prada coat, my favorite outwear from the shows is this deconstruced trench. Fuck the mid thigh! Take mine to the knees!

Sports jacket of the season? Suit of the year? It’s fabulous, it’s electric but not garish, it hugs and shines and snugs! Wrap me in YSL any day!