After the casual cord suits and leisurely sport duds that dominate the summer wardrobe, there is a certain satisfaction felt by the urban man in crawling into town clothes again. Used to be that colors for town stuck pretty close to dark grays and blues, which are still OK, to be sure, but this year brown very definitely steps into the forefront of town fashion news.
It's a new brown, however; not the rusty, rustic brown of bucolic autumns, but rather a series of shadings with a burnished look: rich combinations of brown mixed with varying proportions of black. No matter what you call them -- burnished browns, earth tones, deep tones, or just plain (concluded on page 103) Brown for Town (continued from page 44) mud -- they're goodlooking and correct for both business and pleasure in the city.
Fabrics run the gamut: from cheviots, worsteds, wools, gabardines, on up to silks and cashmeres. Natural fibers combined with synthetics are, of course, available too.
The suits are essentially restrained in cut and character, and even where there is pattern interest -- stripes, checks or herringbones -- the patterns are muted. This means that the overall tone is deep, but far from dead. There is also a real richness of good accessory colors that work remarkably well with the new brown tones.
Lighter and brighter ties provide just the right color accent, and these include brass, copper and gold tones. Because the new hues in brown are essentially dark and conservative, the tie can be used to highlight the whole suit. This doesn't mean the tie should dominate the scene, but it should harmonize with it.
In the matter of shirts, patterned and colored jobs are proper for any daytime occasion, though generally you should stick to solid white after six. Select your daytime shirt in a coordinating tone -- sand, beige, putty -- or achieve contrast by using soft greens or grays. Stripes of varying widths can be interesting, too. And don't be stodgy about your collar style: the buttondown may be your old standby -- and a good-looking one indeed -- but you should own a range of styles including the short point collar, the round collar and the tab.
Whether you choose your suit in the natural Ivy model or the fast-rising Continental suit (generally the latter is dressier than the former), it is important to remember that trousers are being cut shorter than they were yesteryear, and this focuses additional attention on both shoes and socks. As a rule, if your suit has more brown in it than black, wear brown socks; if it has more black in it than brown, choose black socks. Ditto with your shoes: many pairs of burnished brown are now on the market (see Playboy, Fashion Afoot, March 1959).
In addition to the two suits shown on pages 44-45, there are other excellent choices of brown tones available. Above are suits that really point up brown as a new force for town wear, and some accessorizing suggestions as well.
Above: fine for a late-evening date with a chorine from New York's Copacabana is our guy's deep-brown worsted American Continental suit with peaked lapels, by Groshire, $85. His double-cuffed, eyelet-collared shirt is cotton broadcloth, by Excello, $5.95, and his silk tie is by Countess Mara, $12.50.
Right: just as fine for a less-formal luncheon date at Michael's Pub is his dark-brown wool and cashmere Ivy herringbone suit, by Gramercy Park, $70. His Truval oxford shirt, $5, is worn with a pin-stripe tie by Bronzini, $7.50. His narrow snap-brim hat has a black band, by Dobbs, $13.50.
