Girl talking on Menswear: Fall 2012

I have to accept I'm not all screams and excitement when it comes to menswear runways. Don't know why, I've never appreciated men's clothing until now. Why this sudden change? Well, when your hubby asks you for style advice, as the fashion mogul you are, and you have no clue about menswear THEN you know you need to know. That, and the immaculate Givenchy suit he was wearing the other day with a Calvin Klein black cravat made me snap (I would show you a picture but he might kill me...).

So, I decided I was going to immerse myself in these season's menswear shows as much as I could. So far we've seen Pitti Uomo and the first two days from Milan Fashion Week with two more to go. If I had to tell you, instinctively, about the overall mood of the Fall 2012, I would name it "Menswear Evolution Throughout Time" or "History in Menswear Revisited". Somehow, it seems that every brand has inspired each of their garments in past decades, taking inspiration in communism, English dandys, Futurism and a glimpse of reinterpretation in modern luxury.

The Gentleman, or Mary Poppin's impersonators, as ShowStudio calls them, were the main motif in Christopher's Baileys take on fall's menswear. The 101 on layering and the very core of Brit style result in a collection among perfection. ¿My favorite piece? The double breasted wool coat in grey, though the velvet suits also made it to my top ten.

At first, I thought Dolce & Gabbana's collection was the perfect symbol of menswear luxury attires. Then, it suddenly shifted to wool caps and low crotch pants with baroque ornate in pants, jackets and coats. Then, the appearance of the bow tie, the pajama suits and the velvet suits (that last one is a sure trend) made it just more confusing. Not sure what was the intended mood in this one, but I can tell you I would love a man in one of the first suits, with lapels in black velvet.

When I read in GQ that “Raf Simons must have swallowed the red pill based on the procession of Agent Smith clones at Jil Sander this season" I was laughing out loud. Truth is, it is one of my favorite menswear collections so far. The long leather coats along with the suits of the same nature were a fresh and futurist construal of menswear. And it was about time; women have been ravishing about leather for the last years with leather sweatshirts and tight dresses. Even if we might not get to see anyone pull off the head to toe leather ensemble, any of this pieces are going to be worth watching in the street style round ups of next season.

Last but not least, Prada. I'm starting to believe there is an enchantment in Miuccia's creations, or that the head of Publicity and Public Relations department is a mere god. As if the collection by itself, a reality where Victorian clothing meets Napoleon meets Cold War, wasn't enough, the models had not to be models. At least not all of them. With the Awards season taking place at the same time, it was only a matter of time a designer would choose actors to model. Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, Emile Hirsch, Jamie Bell and Jared Hedlund sported long coats with fur and leather lapels, military silhouettes, and round Lennon like sunglasses through the red carpet, ironically. With that cast in those clothes, it was hard not to think about a movie where power and political motives may be the main theme.

Images: GQ & Selectism