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NY Fashion Week: John Varvatos
by PJ Gach
EDGE Style Contributor
Tuesday Feb 7, 2006
| It’s easy to see why John Varvatos’ clothes are a favorite with
Ryan Adams and other A-listers; instead of mimicking trends, he smartly combines the best ideas from a variety of eras and
styles and creates a completely iconic look that subtly emphasizes his keen eye for detail and tailoring. When you wear his
clothing, you ooze testosterone.
Like Bartlett, some of Varvatos’ clothing was military inspired –question-
is fashion a barometer for the American psyche? We are seeing on the street and on the runways military look more and more-
does this mean we are becoming a militaristic society? Or does this mean we just like a man in uniform?
It’s
those shearling bomber jackets. They’re hip length and looser, not like the billowy waist length ones that you see in
WWII movies. There’s the ubiquitous Norfolk jacket (I guess this will be a fall ‘must have”), pea coats,
and details like webbed straps, metal buttons and military style belting on some of the casual wear. But don’t think
it was all “hail to the chief.” Ripped jeans were paired with striped jerseys and down vests in shades of tomato
and brown. Suits were pinstripes, tweeds and solid colors. The pants were sharply defined; slim legs, low-waisted and flat
fronted. Jeans were appropriately beat up and patched. And the suits, slim, razor sharp outlined and rocker- elegant.
Accessories
were fat newsboy caps and scarves, lots of scarves. Scarves ran the gamut from narrow pleated silk, to chunky wool, all the
way to a wide ombre wrap.
And oh the fabric! Dip dyed Harris Tweed, merino wool, lambskin, cashmere and cotton. Aged
leather showed up in coats and jackets, looking comfortable and worn in.
Varvatos showcased his new line of limited
edition Chuck Taylor kicks, and some models carried his leather overnighters and backpacks.
The overall look was sexy
as hell. His narrow silhouettes showcase a body, but they don’t constrict it to the point of having to make mincing
steps to get around. They’re modern (even when he’s making a nod to the classic English scholar look) with a twist
of luxury, not austerity. His Fall/Winter collection is very lean, very male. Could you wear these clothes to work and beyond?
Yes, but be in shape. There’s nothing sexy about an overweight man in body conscious clothing. You don’t look
hot, you look like sausage casing.
Fuckability Factor: Incredibly off the scale. Men who wear Varvatos will be naked
in seconds.
Goodie Bag: an invite to his after party at Cain and a full size bottle of Face Wash, from his new line
of skin care.
PJ Gach is a Contributing Writer for the Style Section of the EDGE
group of publications. She’s a Manhattanite, a proud dog owner, gal about town and freelance writer. Some of the publications
her pieces have appeared in are The New York Post, Rolling Stone (web & mag), Ingenue Magazine and Drill magazine. In
her spare time, she rescues orphaned shoes.
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