Interior designer Marc Janecki sees a change in the way Palm Beach men approach dressing.
"I think we've become less conservative and traditional when it comes to choosing our clothes," Janecki said before Friday's presentation on fall trends at Neiman Marcus. At the event, Colby McWilliams, the store's men's fashion director, handled the male side of the story and Beth Pine, general manager, discussed the season in women's fashion.
Janecki, as well as several other men and the women in the crowd, had come to the event principally to show his support for the programs of the Center for Creative Education at the behest of Neiman Marcus. For Janecki, who has been involved with the CCE for many years, the program's partial focus on men's fashions only doubled his pleasure in attending.
"I'm a fan of fashion and have seen an expansion in the offerings of men's fashion labels on the island, to the point where I don't have to go to Bal Harbour for Zegna and Etro.
"I'm hoping to get direction in terms of what I need to freshen up my wardrobe for fall," he said. "It's pretty rare when a store here does something related to men's fashion, so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing about what's new in menswear.
"I don't think I'm alone in saying that attitudes about fashion have loosened up here in Palm Beach," said Janecki. "We're finding that we can move beyond the blue blazer and still stay within the parameters of sophistication and good taste."
Banker Beau Breckenridge, who took a break from the world of finance for the luncheon and show, described himself as someone who isn't fashion-conscious at all, though his wife Jackie, overhearing his comment, scoffed when he made this statement, implying that her husband is less of a style rube than he wants to let on.
"I always need direction," Breckenridge said, anticipating that McWilliams would inform him about whether he should be wearing a three-button suit jacket, plain white shirts and square-toed shoes, particular styles he readily admits he dislikes.
"I try to keep up with fashion, try to look like I care and I like to know where fashion's headed, but as a banker, I can't be too outrageous," Breckenridge said.
"I can't imagine wearing a purple tie and I think, with the current crisis in the financial world, that men in the financial services industry will react by probably getting even more conservative in their dress."
During his portion of the style discussion, McWilliams showcased peak-lapel jackets, flat-front trousers and bursts of bright color that men's designers advocate for autumn.
"Color is an important trend," he said, citing Prada as the designer label that led the introduction of blues and reds into the men's palette, especially in the shoe category, three or four years ago.
"There's more to shoes than just black and brown," he said.
While bright accents and accessories are a major part of the fall look, gray tones are the major color story, McWilliams said.
"Gray is very important, but you can give it a pop with a shot of purple or lavender."
The power look is a gray suit worn with a white shirt and a purple tie, all in slimmer cuts, he said.
The fall silhouette is sleeker, McWilliams said. "It's trimmer all the way around.
"This trend all started with Thom Browne (the retro-innovative downtown Manhattan designer) and has just taken off with the advent of Mad Men," he said.
The retro cable TV series is set in the mid-1960s.
Jeans are even offered with a narrower cut leg, McWilliams said.
"Vests are worn a little shorter in order to show the belt. Trousers are hemmed shorter, without a break, to show the shoes."
Jackets remain an important element. "There are so many options," McWilliams said, explaining that dressy jackets, some with contrasting lapels and bodies, can be worn in the evening with dark denim jeans in lieu of traditional trousers and a printed shirt. "We're getting away from striped shirts for the moment," he said.
"Plaids are key," said McWilliams. "And it's OK to mix them together."
