burberry prorsum - men's spring/summer 2009

perhaps the reason for the remarkable success of christopher bailey at the house of burberry is his ability to add a little bit of english eccentricity, a dab of english dandy, and a spoon full of english charm and use them like seasonings to a dish. add that with the obvious commitment he has for the brand and it becomes the ingredient that makes his collections so full of flavour and at the same time so commercially appealing. his most recent menswear collection was in many ways a continuation of last fall/winter's ideas. whereas last season there was a more pronounced focus on tailoring, for spring bailey adapted the same shapes but loosened them up a bit by adding a bit of volume and using fabrics that draped languidly. the nature of how the fabric fell allowed for the nonchalant feel of the clothes. loosely buttoned cardigans thrown over t-shirts with the collar cut so low the collar bone was practically exposed on every exit. there was a "worn in" quality about this collection that made it quite endearing in a way. wrinkled fabrics were cut into everything from pants to jackets and the way the pieces were layered felt like as air. since bailey started designing for the house, the burberry man has acquired a certain vagabond personality. there is this new sense of freedom in the clothes. like it was made for a man who enjoys beauty but is not controlled by it. a man who because is not preoccupied by it, becomes beautiful.



photo: men.style.com