The thought occurred to me recently, "what do you do when American sportswear fails you?" Before you cry treason, let me explain! The unofficial male American uniform for Spring has long consisted of boat shoes, khaki bottoms, button-downs repurposed for days-off, nautical stripes that scream of the coast and perhaps the quintessential polo shirt-cargo short-flipflop trifecta. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but perhaps I'm appealing to those men that think there is something wrong with that or in other words, those cosmopolitan gents that want an evolving perspective. The current epiphany that is infecting menswear from the gender-bending fluidity at Gucci to the vintage odd logo-driven sportswear at Rubchinskiy is refreshingly bizarre. Menswear has essentially become womenswear with its flightiness, feats of fancy, myriad of options and trends for days. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, since it was high time that menswear buyer's were forced to dig deeper to keep up with the attuned and informed modern male consumer. This is the consumer who knows the difference between made-to-measure and bespoke and who desires to slim down their dad's vintage Saint Laurent tie to rock with their trim Lim trousers.
It's this same idea of taking the ingredients of the familiar and running it through the modern blender that have always seemed to drive the collections of Band Of Outsiders. Actually with this brand, it's run through the blender then seasoned with a bit of whimsy, but the outcome is always appealing. For their Spring/Summer 2018 Menswear presentation at the Liberty Fairs/Capsule trade-shows they showed a concise collection of eclectic seasonal pieces peppered with reinterpreted Americana signifiers. Identifiable staples like the micro-checker picnic table blouson jacket, 'screeching cat' embroidered balmacaan raincoat and linear printed loose camp shirts all showcased the brand's cache for coolly carrying on the American sportswear verve. Meanwhile, specialty items like a cheeky navy 'shark' sweater, a remixed white & Sunkist Orange pair of leisure jackets and a monogrammed hunter green coated cotton rain jacket all lived up to the fresh Band Of Outsiders aesthetic.
It's that aesthetic that leaves one slightly connect with the familiar without the connection being so literal that they become averse to it. That's the balance of one aspect of successful modern menswear that will continue to thrive and carry on since it hits a welcomed note of at least one piece being quite covetable with a diverse cross-section of customers. If that fails you then perhaps you're better off sticking to your navy suit A and charcoal suit B format. Well maybe not better off...but just, off.
