OH, MISTER BROWNE...

Having to remind people every time that a collection drops that the runway is not Main Street is kind of par course here. Even though Thom Browne's tailorship is absolutely flawless, I somehow cannot see Bob rocking that petticoat (which btw would allow him more *ahem* space than that leather jock he promised to wear to the Farmer's Market) in the ice cream aisle at Trader Joe's. One thing is couture, another thing is Prêt-à-Porter. And they both influence what we're going to be wearing, like it or not. What we see at our local store (yeah, even the Men's Warehouse) is what trickles down to Main Street. A watered-down, stripped-down, dumbed-down version of what designers dream up. 

Fashion runways, IMHO are there to give an insight into the designer's mind. And they are meant to look as outlandish as they can. That's how the designer calls attention to his or her ideas. In Browne's case, a deconstructing and rebuilding of some very American staples in menswear. The craftsmanship and tailoring of his garments on the runway are fucking flawless, btw. They fit like an armor. Evern that HUGE crinoline. I also love that he fucks with any notions of gender (you sometimes cannot tell who are boys and who are the girls and I'm fine with that) and dresses both genders with equally incredible designs. 

I think that most people think they're protected by what they wear, when they low key try very hard not to stand out: it's a defense mechanism. It pays sometimes to wear dad jeans or cargo pants and a polo or button down. There's no way anybody would find any objections to those, right? But they are doing drag, at the end of the day. They're playing their part as much as that model with the bear attire is doing in Browne's show.  I, on the other hand, like to do the opposite: I try to show off my best features and cover the not-so-hot ones. My butt has still some good years left in it and I'm gonna work it for all its worth. I think that men keep their butts and legs fit for longer than women, so yeah. The midsection is the problem, gotta watch that chocolate. I hope I can get away with what I have for a few years more. I don't do trendy, though. Too expensive. 

What I'd love is to have the money to have at least one or two Thom Browne pieces, for real. The skirts,  handbags and jackets, especially. They are fucking dreamy. Once I read that a handmade, tailored-to-you jacket or suit could take up to a week of work to be ready after the second fitting. But the results are AMAZING. Really. Have you seen how Daniel Craig moves in the Bond movies? That's what excellent tailoring makes you look like.

XOXO

P.S. If you wanted to know how Thom Browne's ideas look on real people, take a look at some of his designs being worn by people to the Met Gala (remember the theme of the night):

@thombrowne

Thi is good.

I would wear Thom Browne shoes with this, but yeah.

Maddie? Is that you?

Ugh, he's so hot....would LOVE to undress him.

*faints*