The loss of the coat-and-tie uniform in the last fifty years has meant more than the loss of formality. It’s made it harder for men to know how to dress. The brilliance of traditional tailoring is that anyone can look good in a suit – provided you have a reliable tailor and are willing to follow some simple rules. But as dress codes have broken down and people everywhere are dressing more casually, it’s become harder and harder to wear tailored clothing. The New York Times tells us that we live in a more liberated world where people can dress however they want – swapping clothes in and out as freely as their emotions swing – but I’ve argued that things are nearly just as constrictive as they were in the 1960s. It’s just that instead of hard written dress codes, we have softly coded dress norms – things that define how men should dress, but are never spoken of and can only be understood through inference.
I think this is why so many men have a hard time figuring out what they want to wear. They find suits and sport coats too formal; Americana and workwear too rugged; designers such as Dries and Margiela too avant-garde. Yet, they also know that an oxford button-down worn alone with flat front chinos lacks verve. Casualwear can be frustrating because it’s nebulous – it’s more about dressing according to emotions, rather than rules, and a lot depends on your personality and lifestyle.
In the last few years, however, I’ve noticed a new space emerge for guys who want a more casual version of classic style. I think of it as reinvented Italian sportswear. Think of Stoffa’s made-to-measure bomber jackets, which are designed to be worn with tailored trousers in lieu of a sport coat. Or Eidos’ range of textured Arans with interesting necklines, unconstructed topcoats, and lounge-y cardigans. Similarly, Camoshita has remixed Italian style and Ivy classics for men who want something contemporary, refined, and smart.
Christian Kimber has also long worked in this space. He’s a young designer in his early 30s, born and bred in the south of England, but now living as a transplant in Australia. Over the last couple of years, he’s grown his ready-to-wear brand from a bedroom operation to a brick-and-mortar shop in Melbourne (at a time when everyone says B&Ms are dead). And just a couple of weeks ago, he debuted his first full menswear collection through a fashion show. As he puts it, it’s been sort of like “running a food truck in order to build up to a restaurant.”
Christian describes his line as being Australian in sensibility. “People think everyone here is walking around in board shorts and flip flops, but in the cities, you’ll find many people in contemporary casualwear. It’s clothes for going to brunch or the museum, for hanging out with friends,” he says. “I’ve tried to design for that lifestyle. I think of it as refined casualwear. It’s not t-shirt and jeans, but it’s also not a suit and tie. It’s for guys who work in creative industries and very casual offices. Or guys who wear suits during the workweek and want something for the weekend.”
Design wise, that’s meant tuning down the formality of some things, while playing up the dressier elements of others. For his first collection, Christian has a military field jacket made from a water-resistant glen plaid fabric (the design is based off a vintage original he picked up at a Florentine flea market). Sport coats are completely unconstructed and made from washed fabrics; topcoats constructed from interestingly textured wools. Christian is also excited about his pique cotton polo shirts. “It took five tries to get that collar right,” he says. “I made the points a little longer and put in a fusing so that it wouldn’t collapse so easily under a jacket.” The result is something a little closer to Gianni Agnelli, a little further from Chevy Chase in Caddyshack.
Much of the emphasis here has been on playing with the silhouettes, while retaining an easy fitting vibe. Christian says he’s done with overly slim fitting clothes. “I don’t like pants that feel like they’re going to rip when I bend over to pick up my keys.” His chinos, for example, are cut in a more comfortable carrot shape, with a roomier thigh that gently tapers to the cuff. There are also slightly slimmer trousers with a higher rise, as well as fuller fitting, drawstring cargo pants (an anathema to traditionalists, but I think looks good styled below). The outerwear is cut a little slouchier; the shirts sit somewhere between slim and regular. I particularly like how the clothes look on Christian himself (although, as a size 38 chest, he often takes a medium in tops, so it’ll naturally look a bit more relaxed. Maybe inspiration for readers to size up in other lines as well).
Some of the clothes here will appeal more to younger readers. One of the problems with casualwear is that you can’t make a statement while at the same time appealing to everyone. But the thing that strikes me is how well the clothes could fit into an everyday guy’s wardrobe. They’re made to be lightweight and breathable, aimed at Australia’s warm climate but suitable for any place in the world that’s temperate. The clothes are slightly looser fitting, unstructured, and casual. They take after classics without being formal. And they’re reasonably priced (as far as fashion goes).
Christian says he designed the collection with a few references in mind. “There’s a bit of streetwear through the sneakers and hoodies, but also classic men’s tailoring with the sport coats and workwear in terms of looser fit. But when I set out to design a collection that meets the needs of our clients, these references came together in a really organic way. I think there’s a gap in the market for modern minded guys who love classics, but want to dress in a casual and easy manner. Hopefully this achieves that.”
Readers can find the entire collection on Christian Kimber’s website in the coming weeks. No Man Walks Alone, a sponsor on this site, also has some older season pieces on sale. I bought this spring scarf a while ago and absolutely love it. The specific shade of brown, which is better captured here, goes really well with navy and olive outerwear. Christian also has some terrifically designed pocket squares that fuse modern design with traditional style – much like his first full menswear collection.