I have really taken to sketching out menswear ideas in black and white – it gives such a great, retro look.

Right now I am a huge fan of this very vintage-inspired look. The cut of the coat and the new-looking materials keep the look updated, while incorporating some classic elements (double-breasted coat, and the oversized briefcase-that’s-more-of-a-bag) to make it fairly conservative. If I were to wear this, I realized I’d actually want the coat about two to three inches longer than I drew it. I am not a huge fan of guys wearing things cropped – even for girls, that look is way overdone – on guys, it’s just funny. I guess this doesn’t count as cropped, but it’s still a touch too short.

Another item I’m fascinated by right now is dirty white or off-white denim. It’s great to wear during the winter, and if it has the right vintage appeal, you can roll up the cuffs and wear the pants right through the warmer months. The key is to get thick (or thick-looking) denim, and get it a dirty, faded white colour. This looks great with both black and dark brown coats/shoes/bags, and the ‘off-’ in ‘off-white’ translates into ‘less cleaning hassle’. Small water/slush/mud stains at the bottoms will go unnoticed – but not if the pants are like neon white.

As for the cut, get them straight leg or slightly boot – not flared, not too short. Make sure there’s just enough denim at the bottom for a small crease or two. I like the look of demin that has to be wrinkled up a bit to stay at shoe-level. Don’t get huge baggy white jeans, but nothing really tight-fitting, either. Something in between, erring on the side of tight because the look is VINTAGE, not 1990s. (…. jeeze). Wear with leather shoes, and a nice big black bag or briefcase. See my earlier post on what bag to wear… I like the black doctor’s bag with white jeans, or you could even go for a little square briefcase – Make sure it comes with a shoulder strap so you can sling it over the opposite shoulder when you get sick of carrying it around by hand (this is the voice of experience talking… my black Puma duffel did NOT come with a shoulder strap. That’s what I get for outlet shopping.)

Anyway, invest in a pair of off-white jeans if you haven’t already (it’s already the start of the season and if you wait any longer you’ll miss out on this!) over and out!

-FH.

This is definitely one of the creepier sketches I have done. It is inspired by retro movie posters, and 70s/80s horror cult movies. I think the puffed-up hair is so cool! That, and the red dress. Despite their drawbacks (read: ridiculously high-waisted pants, strange patterns, and sad attempts at grunge), the 70s and 80s are a wellspring of fashion and cultural inspiration. I know I’m against the whole ‘re-using things that were done in the past’ movement .. But I like drawing inspiration and ideas from eras gone by, and re-using the ideas to for m completely new things. Ok, I admit this one is pretty much taken right out of the past – though the pic has a weird, sexually charged nature about it. I don’t think girl-on-girl horrorshow scenes this erotic would have ever made it into the mainstream in the past. Now I’m just digging myself into a hole, and not doing a very good job of defending why this sketch looks like the damn 80s!!! (though I am certainly making myself look like some sort of horrorshow fanatic…)

Anyway, without further ado. Over and out!

-FH

The mens’ cape is undoubtedly one of the coolest pieces of clothing ever invented. It’s been around since the middle ages in Europe, when knights would wear them into the battlefield. The utility of the heavy cloak (a very long cape) was rediscovered in the 19th century, when they were worn to keep out rain and snow. “gas capes” were used in the World Wars – enormous bulky pieces that could cover the gas masks and other apparel of soldiers in the trenches. Tons of anime characters wear them. Dante, my idol from Devil May Cry, wears a cape (and has that platinum-white hair!!! But that’s getting off-topic.) If this isn’t an article of clothing that reeks of valour, machismo, and awesome style, I don’t know what is.

The versatility of cape material is great. It’s not a stretch to use materials as diverse as fur, vinyl, leather, pleather, canvas, plastic, or velvet… All to great and differing effect. My question to the world is WHY DON’T YOU SEE PEOPLE WEARING CAPES?!? Except for really strange people. They seem to have no problem wearing them. In an era overly concerned with ‘fitting in’ and looking like other people, I think it’s time we collectively grow some balls and start wearing capes. Come on, Superman wore one!

A good friend of mine recently asked me why I draw only ladies fashion. Good question..? The end result of the conversation was that I should start drawing fashion for men, because it would be cool (and give some ideas for men on how to dress.) Aside from the generic ‘how to dress’ sketches I do from time to time, I haven’t really done anything conceptual for men. So now, here’s one of my first tries in recent memory. Influenced by those sexy black-and-white Armani ads, crossed with 80s retro glam, here’s to… MY MENSWEAR PINUP!!!

..yeah. cool hm? There’s a lot more where that came from… I’m now collaborating with my buddy to get some more ideas. Keep posted!

-FH

PS. Sorry about the cropping and black edge issues. I’ll get them *shakes fist*

The bad news: I didn’t update for quite awhile. The good news: My scanner works again! I resurrected the software. Sort of. That means tons of sketches will be uploaded to my blog from now on. I did this sketch in class and coloured it at home.. Not much to say. I love the era-gone-by look of this girl, though! Especially how her shawl wraps all around her heard and neck. Cool stuff. Also, I’m a big fan of those oversized vintage-looking clutches you see everyone carrying lately. Who cares if it’s a fad — looks cool to me! Ladies, pick yourselves up a nice big clutch. Just make sure to carry it with some sort of flowy dress that draws on the mid-century for inspiration.

The 1920s were years of change across the world – particularly for women. Women began to embrace all things modern and stylish, without regard to the stricter conventions of bygone eras, with this trend peaking around 1926-1928, the years of the Flappers. These daring women wore short limb-revealing dresses, lots of makeup and jewelry, and embraced a long cylindrical form of figure. They would accentuate this shape on their own bodies by wearing dresses lacking in waistline or with a dropped waistline, that were loose enough to make their chests appear flatter.

Hairstyles were worn much shorter, and with the invention of cloche hats it was necessary for ladies to crop their hair short – it was impossible to get a tightly-fitting cloche hat on your head if your hair wasn’t cut completely short and flat! This coupled with the coveted skinny, curve-less figure led to girls idolizing the look of a typical fifteen-year-old boy. Ladies clothing was also becoming more mannish, with an eye more to comfort than to cinching the waist with a corset.

For more trendy silhouette outlines from the roaring 20s, click on the pic at the top of the post – the site is awesome. The one at right is my own sketch … not particularly great anatomy but interesting nonetheless. That’s all for now!

-FH.

So, this post is about how to wear your shirts. Herein lies a set of tips on shirt cut and fit that will help you to look your best.

Fashion Tip: Torso Fit. Depending on the look you’re going for, you may want your shirt to be a bit looser, or a bit tighter. For example, if the rest of your clothing is of a relaxed fit, you will probably want your shirt to be the same. However, most of the time you want your shirt to be as fitted to your torso as possible. You should be able to pinch no more than 1 inch of fabric on either side of the shirt, for the entire trunk of your body.

-If you are slimmer, buy shirts that are advertised as ‘slim fit’ or possibly ‘vintage fit’ (?? doesn’t make sense, but I’ve seen it used before). For t-shirts, American Apparel carries many well-fitted basics, and H&M, Zara, and Tristan&America all carry well-fitted dressier numbers (as well as some casual threads).

- If you have a more muscular build or a “V” shape, you may be fine buying a Large or XL fitted or semi-fitted shirt. However, in extreme cases you may have to buy a regular or ‘standard fit’ shirt, and have it tailored to your body. This isn’t cheap, but get it done for your dress shirts. You’ll look much sharper this way.

-If you have a larger figure, chances are you’ll want a standard fit shirt. For dress shirts, Banana Republic, Club Monaco, and Tommy Hilfiger all carry shirts that will fit even some of the largest frames out there. Even if you have a big frame, you don’t want the shirt to be hanging off of you. Make sure it fits reasonably well around the torso, maybe giving yourself up to 2 inches of fabric that you can grab on each side of the shirt.

Fashion Tip: Sleeve Length. When wearing a dress shirt, sleeve length isvery important. Ideally, a sleeve should fall far enough past your wrist that it can be seen with a jacket on (more on jackets to be posted), without covering your hand.

-When your hand is relaxed at your side, the cuff of the sleeve should extend up to one half-inch past your wrist, but no more. You can get away with shorter – as long as the cuff comes down to your wrist, you’ll be fine.

-Should you get hot while you’re out and about (or in a stuffy board meeting), you can roll up your sleeves and fasten the cuffs at the elbow. This still looks stylish, but is also practical.

Fashion Tip: Buttons. As long as you’re reasonably young, reasonably attractive, and have reasonably tame chest hair, there is no reason you can’t undo the top buttons of any button-down shirt, creating a small “v”. This is inadvisable, however, for more formal situations. If you’re going to the bar, out with friends, or in a semi-formal situation the undone button makes you look and feel a lot more relaxed. Not to mention stylish. However. If your chest hair is out of control, you must trim it or get rid of it completely before you even think about undoing that top button.

Well, that’s about it for shirts. Stay tuned for what to wear over them. Oh, by the way…. Who wants a cape?!? I WANT A CAPE! (see the last sketch. How cool would that be.) Over and out!

-Fashion Hobo.

It was inevitable – eventually, I’d have to forgo lecturing ladies on what to wear, and give some thought to all the would-be male fashionistas out there. So, I’ve decided to do a series of entries on Fashion Tips for Men – that’s right gents, you’re not off the hook! In fact, there may be much more for you to learn than there is for the ladies.

Fashion for Men has always been highly traditional and rule-bound. It can be intimidating at first – After perusing my first male fashion magazine, it made me want to slouch back into my blissful high school world of hoodies and jeans. However, all is not lost!!! (In fact, you can get away with wearing hoodies and jeans from time to time. You just have to do it right.)

Fashion for Men is really simple. We have much less variety of clothing than do the ladies, meaning if you throw on something random, there’s a higher chance of matching (wait WAIT don’t do it! wait. ok.) Er. What I mean is, you just have to choose something from all applicable categories, make sure all articles go together, fit properly, and you will look like you know your style.

Fashion Tip for Men #1 – How to wear your Pants

Major male faux pas (especially on the part of us North American breeds): wearing oversized clothing. I’m not saying you have to dress in skin-tight pants to look fashionable, but the following tips should be taken into account.

Pants come in a variety of cuts – most of us are accustomed to the ‘relaxed’ baggier cut of pant, with a loose thigh and low-cut waist. The classic ‘boot cut’ is fitted above the knee, but has a small flare at the base to accomodate shoes that rise above the ankle. A rising trend are ‘straight-legged’ (slimmer fitting pants that do not flare at the base, but otherwise similar to boot cut) and ‘skinny’ (the name says it all… there is almost no room in these ones).

- fashion tip: Length. When standing, your pants should fall to your ankle, buckle once above your shoe, and come to rest just above the sole of the shoe. This rule may be bent for jeans, but is a must for dress pants. The looser the cut, the longer your pants may fall.

-fashion tip: Play to your strengths. If you’re a big guy, skinny jeans may not flatter you (or possibly cause people to run away). Instead of following trends, wear a cut of pant that suits your body:

-slim, smaller thighs: Wear skinny and straight-legged cuts. Avoid anything too baggy. Don’t wear your pants too long – you may want to err on the shorter side if wearing these slim cuts of pants. If you’re going to wear boot cut pants, make sure they are fitted around the upper leg.

-average legs: Straight-legged is ok, but skinny pencil pants may be pushing it. You have the best of both worlds – you can wear the classic boot cut, or even a somewhat baggier pant… but if you need to look professional and well-tailored for a special occasion, you may opt for something slimmer-fitting.

-larger thighs, larger legs: You do not want to wear anything but the average-to-looser cuts. This means no skinny jeans. Ever. If you want to make your legs look toned (and you want to look well-put-together) I recommend a boot cut with more room in the thighs. You don’t want them to look like girls’ jeans. If you choose to wear the relaxed fitting ‘skater’-look pants, make sure they aren’t too big… or else your legs will look completely shapeless.  Make sure to get the length of your pans spot-on if you fall into this category:  if you wear them too long or too short, your thighs will really be emphasized.

I myself have had to work the the latter 2 categories my entire life, so I know what I’m talking about. You can hide short, stout legs with the right cut of pants.

-fashion tip: How to wear the Seat. When buying your pants, keep in mind that the higher the pocket is, the more the pants will show off your rear. This may not seem like something a guy should worry about, but trust me, ladies love it when mens pants betray a hint of a toned butt beneath. If you’re wearing skinny pants, it’s pretty much guaranteed the pockets will ride low on your butt (probably on your thigh). This is why I don’t really recommend them .. they make it look like you have no butt. Heroin chic, anyone?

Boot cut pants should have their pockets planted firmly on your butt, and anything baggier should hand down just a tiny bit. There’s nothing worse than a tightly-fitted pant seat that plunges into gaping, billowing, sail thighs. This will make you look like you’re 80.

-fashion tip: Tailoring. If you find a pair of pants that is otherwise perfect but has one minor flaw (usually length), I strongly recommend coughing up the extra $6 to $10 to get them hemmed. If you’re going to be wearing thesepants 50 to 100 times, it’s a matter of pennies per wear, and you will look and feel that much better. Tailors are gifted judges of how your pants should fit to best suit you, and you won’t regret shelling out for alterations.

Well, that’s all for pants. Coming up next… How to wear your shirts, guys! Over and out!

-Fashion Hobo.

As you’ve probably realized by now, I’m really feeling the vibe of retro futurism right now. It’s so funky! Picture an era when countries were scrambling o be the first to land a man on the moon, or where nuclear power was being perfected. An exciting time, when the eyes of the world were turned to the future – what was going to come next? The fashions of this time reflect this excitement, as designers sent space boots and futuristic materials down the runway.

The anticipation of the future is something of which our modern culture seems to have lost track. Everywhere you turn, people are reminiscing about previous ages, whether through their choices of style in art, music, fashion, or architecture. I don’t begrudge the world its nostalgia (I have mine, obviously), we all need something familiar and comforting in times of great change. *I* just want to see more excitement with regards to the future! Designers, stop thinking about what was; why not imagine what would be, what will be? One of my biggest retrospections focuses on the 50s and 60s.. Oh, the good old days. People used to embrace the future and its supposed culture. What a notion.

Fresh from my sketchbook, I have two new works rendered in monochromatic marker and ink (These markers are great.. I love the metallic effects you can achieve using them. I’m going to experiment more with them soon). Note the metallic, sculpted look of the dresses, they wear like corsets. Paired with the long space boots and the retro hairdos, these ladies have an avant-garde futurism feel with undertones of bygone age.

The wild hat was inspired by Hussein Chalayan (see my previous post). The other lady was inspired by the quintessential ’50s pinup waitress – Long boots, miniskirt outfit, puffy sleeves. She’s supposed to be leaning against some sort of (fashionably futuristic-looking) bar. There was originally a space helmet, but it was poorly drawn so I got rid of it.

Anyway, next time I plan to do an article on retro, futurism, and vintage style accessiories and how to wear them.. No promises, because I might change my mind. I’ve got my sketchpad out already.. Over and out!

FH.

Here are a couple of sketches I did as a throwback to the earlier decades of the 20th century.

I am a big fan (as many of you are) of 1920s fashion. I love the cloche hats and unique silhouettes of this era – also, the beautiful dresses (not as bulky as their predecessors) and coats (nice and flowy, without being overdone). Throw in a string of pearls and maybe a handbag… You’ve got the ’20s. I also tried to add in some 1940s/1950s flair with the three-button coat’s shape & collar, as well as the flat shoes and riding pants. While this is not the only look from this era, I think it lends itself the best to being paired with other vintage looks.

If you’re trying to master this look, you need to pay attention to materials. Reasonably neutral colour palettes, and solid wood or brass buttons give your outfit a feel of bygone eras. Buy a nice pair of low-rise pumps (they’re well worth it, this isn’t the only look they’ll complement) and some knee-high stockings. For the autumn, a trench coat is a must.

Oh…and I cannot emphasize this enough…. Don’t over-accessorize!!! One is enough… 2 is pushing it. Yes, handbags count asaccessorization. If you over-accressorize, you will look like you’ve visited one vintage store too many. The 1920s were all about the style of the garment itself, and not about wearing too many gaudy accessories (if you really want to over-accessorize, try the 80s). That’s all for now. Over and out!

FH.