Men’s Fashion Special: Retro Street Style

Are you inspired by the city-slickness of the cast of Mad Men? The press has long been telling us that sharply cut suits, club ties and brogues are making a comeback – and retailers have strongly bought into this trend. But men’s streetwear at London Fashion Week (surely an indication of what is to come) told a somewhat different story…

A few weeks ago, Mahlerman mentioned The Sartorialist – a blog specializing in street fashion photography. RetroProgressive has rustled up a few of its own streetstyle shots of some of the fashion students, stylists and bloggers attending London Fashion Week:

Influences from the 1970s, glam rock, punk and the new romantic movement were very much in evidence…As well as vintage accessories like bow ties, scarves and oversized sunglasses. Old fashioned layering and colourful Kenzo style jacquards seemed to be popular with the arty Far Eastern set.

Looking back in time, what’s the most flamboyant outfit you’ve ever worn? And if you could go back again, is there a piece of clothing you wish you hadn’t thrown away?

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About Author Profile: Susan Muncey

Trend consultant Susan Muncey, is Editor of Visuology Magazine. In 2008, she founded online curiosity shop, ShopCurious.com. She writes on style and trends for several blogs, including Visuology.com, ShopCuriousMag.com and The Dabbler. She previously owned cult West London boutique, Fashion Gallery, one of the first concept stores in the world. Susan graduated in geography from Cambridge University and is also an Associate Member of the CFA Institute. She lives in London with her husband.

6 thoughts on “Men’s Fashion Special: Retro Street Style

  1. Wormstir@gmail.com'
    Worm
    March 24, 2012 at 17:54

    Interrsting chap above with the painted eyebrows..not sure if that’ll catch on in a big way!

    Luckily or unluckily for me they dont make fashion clothes in my size so I dont think I’ve ever worn a really daft item of clothing, apart from the trendy acid yellow sweater I bought this winter on the instruction of my wife, that actually made me look like big bird from sesame street.

  2. george.jansen55@gmail.com'
    George
    March 24, 2012 at 20:26

    Back in the late 1970s I had a a bright plaid (well, gaudy plaid) sports jacket. Combined with the flared trousers then popular, and no doubt an orlon shirt, I must have been a sight.

    This is yet another reason I’m glad to have lived my single days before the advances in telephone technology–women wishing to complain about me to their friends could not do so on public transportation, for one; and anybody wishing to take a picture to record my lack of fashion sense had to use something that was recognizably a camera. Fortunately, by the time mobile phones had come along and grown cameras, I was married, and to a woman who took over selection of my wardrobe.

  3. Gaw
    March 25, 2012 at 10:33

    Back in the day I was a rude boy then a (revival) mod. Street wear for boys who want to look nice for their mums. Though she did object to the white socks.

  4. nigeandrew@gmail.com'
    March 25, 2012 at 15:44

    Ah Susan, of the wardrobe of my misspent youth I most wish I still had a fine long overcoat in a big Prince of Wales check on yellowish-brown ground, very tight-fitting, cinched at the waist, with structured shoulders and a big collar. It was a struggle getting into it even in my ultrathin days and you couldn’t wear much underneath it – but, with the turquoise velvet trousers tucked into the calf-length boots and something silky and flowing round the neck, it was the business…

  5. Brit
    March 25, 2012 at 19:47

    I’ve always been mostly sartorially conservative though at university I did buy an indescribably garish and blousy shirt with a sort of vivid art nouveau print all over it. I brazenly sported it in nightclubs and at the more radical cafe-bars before girlfriend banned it and though I cannot explain the abberation I still have the shirt hidden somewhere – good dressing-up box fodder for the kids as there’s no way it’ll fit now alas.

  6. info@shopcurious.com'
    March 26, 2012 at 11:27

    Most of the items you’ve mentioned sound like they’d be much sought after as vintage gems – especially Orlon shirts, George – and turquoise velvet trousers, Nige! I’m not sure about your acid yellow number though, Worm – doesn’t quite score on the timeless factor.

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