Fashion Down Under
Picture source: Reuteurs
I am starting to wonder how long Australia will stay in this fashion rut. I mean for the last few years there hasn’t been too much of a difference in menswear. Sure, trends have changed and every year women get new designs. Yet for men there doesn’t seem to be much variety.
A couple of years back I was lamenting the fact that there wasn’t enough colour and interesting cuts to clothes. And don’t get me started about the whole cargo pants trend. Now men in Australia are wearing anything from pink polo tops to flaired checkered dress pants.
Though slowly most shops have started to stock the same designs. Well that’s what I personally think. Not that I don’t like some of them but it’s annoying when half the population are wearing the same style of clothes.
I remember a time - in the days of Daimaru - when there was a distinction in what you could purchase at the downtown boutiques, department stores and suburban chain stores. For European classic cuts and styles you’d go to Myer and David Jones. Daimaru also had some very unique clothes not too mention other products (though very expensive). Then there were the popular teen stores like Just Jeans, WESTCO and other new players in the youth sector. Kmart and Target…erm they were a little bland, but affordable.
At least Target started to focus on edgier designs both for men and women. Then there were one of a kind urban wear style shops with punky, retro fashions. Or you could go to your local op-shop and scour it for one of a kind t-shirts and other items from some bygone decade.
Speaking of Target here is what Target’s senior buyer for young men, Gary Hastie has to say;
At the moment, Target customers are roughly split in two a “city dressing” group that Hastie says would shop for labels such as Politix and Calibre and favours a slimmer block, slightly flared trousers and double-cuffed shirts. The other segment has more casual tastes, would customarily hit Mooks, or Chapel Street to shop, and prefers distressed and destroyed denim, Asian graphic T-shirt designs and easy-fit items that enhance a muscular, well-built look, and an “urban survival” combat look that’s similar to a theme in the US store, Fred Segal.
He also thinks that “In a lot of ways, we’re ahead. In areas like Piping Hot (surfwear carried by Target) for instance, I know American buyers come over to look at what we’re doing in surfwear.”
Err sorry Gary but I think we’ve had enough of that ‘Home n Away’ look (even though there’s an actual fashion label for that TV soap being introduced around Australia).
But, more odd-ball catwalk trends do leak down to the racks at Myer and Kmart than most blokes probably realise. It’s just that, by the time, say, very tiny resort shorts are racked at Target in a choice of daffodil, sky and primrose two or three years from now, most blokes will have forgotten how ridiculous they looked on the catwalks.
That sure is true, so many of the styles that I was nervous about trying out are the norm now. But that’s the problem not enough variety and conformity everywhere you look. I am especially starting to hate the polo’s with the upturned collar and trucker caps (ok I love mine cause it’s the only cap that looks nice on my head hehe).
Those above quotes were taken from an article in The Age newspaper back in 2003. Here in the present I guess a few things have changed. Though Myer is starting too look a bit too much like Target in the young men’s fashion stakes. And those boutiques previously serving up unique clothes are starting too all look the same.
Sure there seems to be an ‘alternative’ style, maybe some might call it emo/punk/preppy or combinations etc.
I just try and be myself though it’s harder to find something that isn’t spray painted with some ‘urban’ design/lettering or ripped. The only other option is the bland ‘men-over-40-section’ at Target and Kmart.
I wonder how long till the “Tight pants, tailored skirts, sissy-pink trousers and filmy shirts” become the new vogue. I’m not too sure about the skirts, though those campy designers seem to like their tartan kilts. 
(There’s a funny thread at inthemix about which trends for menswear are best)