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Issue Date: September 20, 2009
Fashion has lost its bling
Even rappers like 50 Cent have shed the gangsta look, for dressier duds.
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Nattiness is the new bling thing. For men, three-piece suits, fedoras and Italian loafers have replaced chunks of chains, boxer-exposing baggy jeans and sloppy, untied sneakers.
"The look has gone from sloppy gangsta to sleek mogul chic,'' says fashion authority and author Sam Saboura. The new 'tude has transformed even high-profile rappers, including Common and 50 Cent, into relative bankers in slim-cut suits worthy of London's stylish Savile Row. Fitting for fall's economy, the palette is stormy: charcoal, black and burnt brown.
"The current generation is very conscious of fit,'' says Durand Guion, Macy's vice president and men's fashion director. "Everything is slimmer, dressier and toned down now. We're looking back to when menswear was chic and times were simpler. It's reassuring.''
Given the rough economy, it's "insensitive to be flashy now,'' says Alison Sokolove, Tobe Report fashion editor. So men are opting to add polish discreetly with, for example, Bespoken's skinny ties and Miguel Antoinne's single-button vest. For the final flourish, try slipping on Kenneth Cole's tie bar, Croft & Barrow's silver-hued cuff links, Patek Philippe's alligator-strapped timepieces and Boss Black's fedoras.
The new spiffy dress code is "about moving away from 'disposable' clothing and starting to purchase 'investment' pieces,'' Sokolove says. "In these precarious times, men are looking more professional. That defines today's aspirational dressing -- it's not conspicuous consumption."
-- Michele Meyer
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