Early in the sixties, a coterie of European designers--led by France's Pierre Cardin--fashioned the explosive styles that eventually jolted American males out of their sartorial slumber. Today, of course, Stateside clothing trends are still strongly influenced by what's being showcased in European boutiques and designers' salons. In order to ascertain what prevailing fashion winds are blowing across the Atlantic toward our shores, we recently took off for a fact-finding tour of the Continent and England that included extensive stopovers in Paris. St.-Tropez, London and Rome.
Checking out ateliers in the French capital, we discovered there hasn't been so much emphasis on knitting since Madame Defarge. Christian Dior, for example, has got down to the real knitty-gritty with a knit jump suit that can be worn with a polished metal belt. Yves Saint Laurent, on the other hand, has taken a styling cue from the armed forces with a cotton duck belted bush-jacket suit à la the French Foreign Legion. France's emperor of elegance, Pierre Cardin, continues to create attention-getting attire that ranges from zippered and belted outer-space tunics to conservative single-breasted flannels and tweeds in both suits and sports jackets.
Next summer, at St.-Tropez and other strands in the south of France, expect casualwear to reflect an increased air of studied insouciance. Indian silk tunics, crushed-velvet slacks and tight body shirts open to the waist will be the coming sun season's fashion fillips--and expect that similar gear will show up on au courant sons of beaches over here.
In London, the best single style to catch our eye was the fresh use of madras--a material that garnered collegiate kudos in our country a decade ago and then gradually faded away. We predict that an increasing number of colorful and contemporary madras suits will be worn throughout the United Kingdom as well as in the colonies; England, it seems, lost India but has regained madras.
Three Italian designers--Massimo Datti, Bruno Piatelli and Carlo Palazzi-- have taken off in a totally different direction and arrived at a coordinated look that either couples the shirt color with the shade of a suit or combines matching shirt and slacks with a different-hued jacket. Fellow countryman Valentino chooses to create suits, tunics and overcoats (some of the last trimmed with fur) tailored along slim uncluttered lines. All Italian designers, incidentally, have been influenced by the "tube" silhouette--a flattering long, narrow look that imparts a sense of increased height.
Now that you've got the word on what U.S. boutiques will soon be stocking, take an additional preview look at some of the specific patterns, tones and tailoring details by perusing the on-location photos on this and the preceding pages.
