Androgynous – The way to go.

Menswear have never looked better... But when donned by the ladies, it brought statement to

veracity and personal character.

Floral prints, sleek gowns - never your thing? A tough chick like you aren’t just cut out for a

cocktail dress? For designer Jason Wu, he thrives on menswear-derived look but let the ladies

do the dressing. Indeed, that isn’t his only repertoire, having designed some of the most

exquisite gowns and evening wear. With a style for the broad shoulders and clean lines, his

designs for A/W 2011 integrate both elegance and hard-hitting in a single look.

Androgynous, beyond no detestations, has been a controversial look (more for the men) and

would be a pinnacle success if a fashion line manages to marry the cohesiveness of the

unclear femininity look.

With a fair share of both lady-like, flowy gowns and the hard construction of the men-2-

piece-look, Jason Wu’s Fall line was admirable. With a safer adaptation of the colour palette,

the coherent blend of neutral colours against black seem like an everyday style for modern

day men. Say no more, farewell to pink and yellow as the line welcomes with it the calm and

intriguing, eyebrow-raising looks. Long, clean lines with the exception of layering and hard,

tough textures, the looks were still luxuriant.

Arrayed by models with hair gelled and combed back, they had on a very clean simple almost

bare-faced-like look which is a must have if a men-style was the look to go for.

Complementing colours were adorned and accessorising was kept to basics and very minimal

– a slim belt of a decent colour and nothing too loud. What is a men’s look without a jacket

or a smart blazer? Either in shiny polished leather or tough, aged wool, garments paraded

down the aisle were a large range of jackets, either to give it a more completed professional

look or to stay true to a simple pantsuit silhouette.

Grey, everything grey. He just loves grey. Well for a lady, the mix of grey, black and a hint

of white may appear too dull, bland, unappealing and downright boring but what more could

you ask for if a men’s look is what you are after. Helmut Lang created by an Austrian-born

designer of the same name, black and white were a typical in their looks, drifting as far away

from ‘colourful’ and ‘vibrant’. Appropriate use of draping and layering, the looks were far

from being simple as you could tell them from the tailoring job, the looks were nowhere near

simple.

Raised and cinched hemlines and intricate designs were a common feature between the looks

and futuristic was by far the nearest relation for the look. These workmanship and tailoring

masterpieces gave off a rather tough and bad-ass exterior which translates into a post-

apocalyptic vibe – a popular style these days. The play on hard-on-hard textures, grounds the

look and exuberates a differing clarity on elegance and opulence. The women figure was

never undertaken and every look had even further enhanced the features; adding on to the

sophistication.

Androgynous look has become no stranger to the fashion world. Devastated by the

conflicting elegance and tough look, designers adopt this look with care. Restricting your

dress sense to what a men and women should wear has definitely been a thing of the past. But

approach with caution as you could either pull it off or it ends up being a turn off.