Bread and Butter autumn 11

This time a year ago, Berlin was besieged with snow, ice and the sort of sub-zero temperatures that only a down-filled puffa and a skin-full of the saloon’s finest Pilsner could insulate against.
This week though, while the weather was far milder, the key items on show at street and casualwear show Bread and Butter were not so very different from those that turned heads in the icy January of 2010.
The Sport and Street halls were dripping with varsity inspired looks with the Letterman jacket once again the standout item. Crew necked sweats, gilets and chinos completed the lineup of looks that perfectly recalled the styling of X-Factor twinkies One Direction. Those chinos came in twisted, tapered and cuffed silhouettes that
meant footwear now simply has to be considered a key part of any silhouette. And though simple canvas pumps are still on the radar, the high-top trainer and distressed work boot team well with the cinched hems.
At a more mature style point, the ankle defining looks take in brogues and perhaps most directional, hiking boots. Moccasin-toe work boots add a frontiersman edge and duck boots return it to a function driven feel.
Which brings us to the checklist of trends in the LOCK hall. At the other extreme of the mile long Templehof airport looks rooted to a far more premium take on casualwear. Heritage and history continues to imbue fashion –and particularly menswear – with niche expertise. Shetland and Nordic knits, Cowichan cardigans and Breton jumpers are all in the mix. Four pocket utility coats take the podium for outerwear, while parkas and down-filled puffas add a seriously functional element. Casting further forward, technical expertise looks set to justify some scientifically pitched price points on detail rich outerwear with hermetically sealed seams and other utility edged
sci-fi creations.
At the simpler end of the production scale, sweats proliferated to an extent that even the biggest fashion snob will have to admit that fleecy pants and crew neck sweaters have had a chav-ectomoy and now appeal across a wider range of customers than just the traditionally youthful crowd. And did we mention checks? On shirts and - more importantly now - those Hudson Bay style jackets and bags, checks are still deeply relevant.
Watch out also for wool shirts, the re-emergence of corduroy (on trims and trousers), quilted nylons and plenty of tweed, especially on jackets.
A relatively predictable roll call of looks? Sure. Lacking in excitement? Not at all. There’s scope yet for preppy, collegiate, rock-inspired and historic items to ring cash tills for some time yet.
Picture updates will follow every day this week.Source URL: http://icip2idayusof.blogspot.com/2011/01/bread-and-butter-autumn-11.html
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