Bottega Veneta Spring 09……………………………………………Dries VanNoten Spring 09

Many of the silhouettes for Menswear Spring 09 in Europe had that Great Gatsby era style to it, but more modern. One designer, Dries VanNoten, said, “I want him to be dapper, not dandy.” Mission accomplished.

Prada Spring 09…………………..Junya Watanabe Spring 09

At the same time, designers played with proportions in the length of the pant, the size of the jacket, additional volume mostly with the pants but also with some jackets, socks are an important accessory and up to the knees (as well as argyle), and then this year designers took a page out of women’s collections and gussied up the shoes to match the jacket, the shirt, or the sweater through all manner of technique.

John Galliano Spring 09

The sum total of it all for me was that men will, though serious as always, be letting their fun side show this spring.

Moschino Spring 09

I don’t know if this means designers are planning for the recession to be over or for men to be needing some other form of self expression because let’s face it, the world-wide economic situation will have taken its mighty toll by Spring 09. Perhaps it’s just that men will finally let their hair down, and wear their pants up, or something like that.

Whatever the case may be, it’s cool, man, real cool.

Bottega Veneta Spring 09…………Versace Spring 09

Denis Semachev Spring 09

all images Style.com except Denis Semachev, International Herald Tribute.

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Loved these shoes and had to post the image as well as reference you to the New York Times article, Smooth Translations, and their slide show on some of their yummy finds on the genre. Have you found any you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you: send your image to me to post an I’ll be sure your name is listed with it and whatever the source of the image is.

Shoes, $350.00, from Opening Ceremony, NYC.

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According to New York Times fashion critic, Cathy Horyn, and “On the Runway” blog fame, Bill Blass once said you should dress for the room you will be in.

I’ve been pondering that sentiment for awhile now and finally needed to blog on it. Like what would the room look like that would match one of Balenciaga’s Spring 2008 pieces from the catwalks of Paris?

And I decided this room would work with that color composition. It had to be at the very least contemporary….and white.

But this room would work as well:

How about you? Do you wear clothes that match the rooms you’ll be in?

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Some combination of Asian, tribal and Victorian, designer Mei Hui Lui, makes reconstructed garments with raw finishes in which she uses Victorian lace and antique trimmings to make limited edition or one-off garments. Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Mei Lui is 32 years of age and is now based in London where she recently opened her own boutique, Respiro.

The whole look including the henna type tattoos on the face matching the lace is such an inspired look; so much so it’s quickly become one of my favs. From Surface Magazine.

So, when I came across these…….

I couldn’t help but think how above girl and etched patterned glass lamps matched.

Outdoor hanging etched glass lighting holds pillar candles that lights gently for hours. From Domino online, look for a World Market store nearest to you @ worldmarket.com.

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