Boys fashion : Time to copy Mr Cowell?
It was interesting at the end of the last year to watch as new trousers shapes began to emerge in the style pages of various fashion magazines. After the seemingly insuperable dominance of the skinny silhouette, men are now, if anything, being challenged to do the complete opposite. Formal trousers, for example, can be slouchy or even rolled up and worn without socks, while the carrot-fit shape is slowly transforming itself into this season’s skinny. But by far and the most unexpected and, indeed, exigent is the return of trousers cut high on the waist. After all, who can forget the rough time Simon Cowell gave this shape when he regularly belted his bootcuts around his larynx? It was only after years of media scrutiny that the X Factor mogul finally looked at a picture of himself and admitted: “Christ, I look ridiculous.” But even that wasn’t enough to taint the look’s status with the masses. On Facebook, for instance, a well-supported group is calling on the government to make wearing a pair “a recognised and punishable offence”. The offender, they claim, is simply “doing a Cowell”. The members of ‘All Men Wearing High Waisted Trousers – Seek Medical Attention Immediately’ should, however, cast their minds back to a time before talent shows – or simply go and buy a Mad Men box set. After all, it’s 1960s tailoring – a razor sharp cut and period details, fit enough for the boardroom – that categorises the majority of high-waist trousers that have made it from the catwalk to the High Street this season. Both Mjolk and Carolyn Massey’s autumn-winter collections evoke the spirit of Don Draper, albeit in Massey’s case with a slightly narrower militant silhouette. And that’s something that’s also evident in Haversack’s line, which is based on blocks and patterns from traditional military uniforms. It’s perhaps no surprise, therefore, that a pair of high-waist trousers work best when coupled with a tucked-in granddad or a smart dress shirt and jacket, although there are more casual options to be found. Of course, it remains to be seen how many of us -myself included – will take the plunge into a pair this season. For many the looming memory of Simon Cowell may prove just too much. But with fashion’s current feeling of détente towards anything other than skinny, it’s at least worth a try.
