Men’s Guide to Transeasonal Layering For 2015

Transeasonal layering is not so much a trend as a necessity in these in between months. As the temperature starts to drop, the days of simple dressing become obsolete and we start to strategically layer our outfits to battle the multiple seasons that one-day can bring us.

Every year this trend makes an appearance on the runway and the streets so considering that this isn’t a new trend, you will probably have the basics down pat. You start off with cotton basics, build it up with thicker pieces and top it off with heavy, often wind resistant layer. However, if all of that sounds like a completely foreign concept, see our guide to master the basics before you move on to the 2015 trends.

A general rule when it comes to layering in 2015—more is more! Forget hiding everything under one big jacket or coat instead, go all out making each layer a statement. If you wear a scarf make it a big one, instead of one jacket layer it with another, steer away from greys and blacks and build your look in camel tones. Play with patterns and different textures this season and never blend in.

The Cinch

In the colder months it is easy to hide under big coats and straight cut pieces but this season it is all about keeping your shape and cinching your outfits at the waist. This means tying your coast jacket up tight, putting layers under your suit jacket and then buttoning it up and picking items that come with a belt.

Textures

In the colder months you tend to stick to thicker fabrics, heavy materials and leather, so why not combine all three? Wear an overcoat over your leather jacket or wear a velvet suit jacket under tweed. As long as you compliment the colours in each piece you will be sure to make this fresh take stick. It will add depth to your look and leave you with a polished a defined outfit.

Camel

This season it is all about camel. Work this neutral tone into your wardrobe with a coat, a leather jacket, pants, anything! It is hot off the runway and the streets of Pitti Uomo. It is a versatile colour that can easily be worn in a tonal colour scheme or as a statement piece. In 2015 try to steer away from black because it is all about the earthy tones spiced up with a pop of bright colour.

Hats

Men it is time to invest in a hat. Channel that old world elegance by wearing a fedora, panama, flat cap, or bowler. A hat is always one of the final layers in the transeasonal styling and easy to forget but if you stick with it, it will add a final touch of class to your outfit.

Scarves

Scarves are not a new addition to the transeasonal but this year they are bigger and better. Forget small cotton or silk scarves in trend 2015 you want to be wearing chunky knits or blanket wraps. If you are not cold enough to wear something this heavy you can still make a statement with a bright colour or pattern. Regardless if you decide on a long or short one, your scarf is no longer just an accessory this year it is its own layer.

Your Guide to Styling the Grey Menswear Trend

Grey is quickly becoming one of the most popular colours for menswear this Autumn/Winter 2015. It may not sound like the most fashion-forward trend but grey has made a big impact on the runways. Designers across the boards have clearly drawn inspiration from this stormy hue and we have compiled the key pieces that you will need in your wardrobe this season.

Grey Suits

Grey feels most at home in tailoring and the colour is versatile, yet classic. Thanks to its versatility when it comes to choosing a grey suit all you really need to focus on is fit and colour — the best bet is a solid mid-grey colour.

If you’re looking for a suit with quality craftsmanship and detailing, Aquila may be your answer. Taking cues from European styling, Aquila suits comprise of timeless pieces including the Portland Slate pants, a slim fit cotton stretch chino, and the Portland Slate blazer, a smart notch lapel 2-button blazer, tailored with a single rear vent.

Layering is a key this season, so be sure to pick a suit that has a slim cut in the waist while still allowing for layering. This season we suggest styling your grey suit with either the classic shirt and wool tie combination, or a textured jumper and oversized scarf.

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Grey Knitted Tops

The impressive thing about grey is that there are many ways to adapt and layer this shade. When the cold weather creeps in you want a garment that promises unrivalled warmth — and knitted tops offer just that.

There are a large variety of knitted styles on offer now, ranging from the classic crewneck to the V-neck, and their greatest attribute is their versatility.  For evenings out you can wear your knitted top underneath a blazer or a coat, and on top of a classic collared shirt and woollen tie. If you are opting for a V-neck knit then be sure to pair it with a button-down collared shirt (leave the tie at home for a more casual look).

To stay on trend this season, pair your knitted top with an oversized coat, Zoot suits and large scarf. For more ideas draw some styling inspiration from the runways of Margaret Howell and Pringle, who prove just how well knitted tops work with layering.

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AQUILA TORIN GREY

4 Popular Men’s Hairstyle Trends To Try Now

This season men are looking to the 1950s and 60s for inspiration with hybrid looks making waves as styles embrace natural texture. Fades and undercuts are popular men’s hairstyle trends for 2015 and they are continuing to gain popularity with new varieties while the controversial man bun refuses to go away.

1. Contemporary Quiffs

From ducktails to King sized quiffs the pompadour has maintained its popularity throughout the ages due to its versatility. The style suits all face shapes and all ages and can be easily modernised. Justin Timberlake and David Beckman are both fans of the reworked, contemporary quiff. For a slick result spray Kérastase Laque Couture hairspray over the hair. It will hold even the most outrageous quiff in place.

This season the look has been refined with men are opting for contrast between the scalp exposing sides and back, and volume on top. Alternatively, if you want to stay true to the Rockabilly nature of this look ask your hairdresser to keep some length on the back and sides. If you have fine hair then try Toni &Guy Label M Volume Foam. The product will enhance the hair without weighing it down and is perfect for those seeking an extra boost.

2. Fades

The Fade is defined by the gradual increase of hair length from the neck to the crown. It is low maintenance but finding a skilled barber is essential for achieving this style. Comb over fades are gaining popularity as side parts make a comeback but by far the most popular fade of the season is the lower fade. The low fade removes weight but still retains the clean cut look. Try Kevin Murphy’s Smooth Again leave-in treatment for a glossy, touchable finish without the grease. For those wanting a little more body to work with keep some length at the top just like Adam Levine, Brad Pitt and Zayn Malik. These men are all fans of the fade but prefer the added length to play around with, creating a messed up look full of body and texture.

3. Buns

If you prefer longer locks then don’t fret because the ever popular Jared Leto man bun is still on-trend. In fact, the look refuses to go away. The style is bohemian and the less effort you put into this look the sexier it is. Men with both straight and curly hair can wear this look; however, if you prefer a smoother finish start by passing a GHD Platinum Styler through your hair first. This style has been on the radar for a while now so if you are already a top knot-devotee then perhaps the undercut/knot fusion is the change you need this season. To give an edge to your buns, try the undercut man bun look where the hair is kept long at the top of the head while the rest is clipped short.

4. Undercut

The edgy alternative is to lose the bun and choose an undercut while still keeping length on top. This look takes its roots from the pompadour but the quiff is subtle compared to its traditional brother. To keep everything in its place try Kiehl’s Creative Cream Wax to mould the lengthy ends into your desired shape.

BETH DITTO MADE NO COMPROMISES TO LAUNCH HER U.S. MADE, PLUS-SIZE COLLECTION

Beth Ditto in her eponymous collection. Photo: Ezra Petronio/Beth Ditto

Beth Ditto understands the power of her words. It's a knowledge gained after a decade in the public eye as the singer of Gossip and as a fiercely outspoken advocate for LGBT causes and body positivity. When I met her on Monday in New York to talk about her new eponymous plus-size line, she was careful to avoid making generalizations about the plus-size industry, "fat activists" and even musicians turned designers. It was a refreshing humility from someone so confident both in person and on stage.

"'Flattering' is a hard word for me," she said, adding that she wasn't forbidding me from using it in this article. She prefers "accentuating." Ditto explained how a ruched seam along the back of a form-fitting skirt or dress emphasizes the butt and creates a "really good line" for the body. It's one of the many design elements she was careful to include in her new range that went live on BethDitto.com (and Selfridges in the UK) on Monday. 

The 11-piece collection is available in U.S. size 14 through 28 and is priced between $65 and $395. With the exception of a vintage embroidered denim jacket, every piece is made in New York. "Other [plus-size lines] exist... there's so much online, but I wanted to do something that wasn't already there, something that isn't trendy," said Ditto. "[Something] you can feel good about buying." This isn't her first foray into fashion, though her first with absolute control. She designed two capsule collections with High Street store Evans in 2009 and 2010. 

"I met with Torrid once and they never called me back, this was years ago, and I didn't want to order out of the catalogue, I didn't want to do that and I didn't have to with Evans," she said. "The team was amazing and all the intentions were great — it was really good fun." But she had to compromise, for example, when she wanted to put Miss Piggy on a shirt and the brand worried it would send the wrong message. "To me that's an incredible message, especially being a queer femme," she said. "To have to explain that was so strange, but that's where that was [at the time]." 

A look from Beth Ditto's collection. Photo: Ezra Petronio/Beth Ditto

About eight months ago, Ditto found herself with some downtime between tours and albums and got a small group of friends together to dive into this project. Most of what she usually wears is custom, so she had a very clear idea of what she wanted to design. "Almost everything has to be made for me because there's nothing else," she said. 

The plus-size fashion industry has advanced over the past few years, Ditto admitted, even though there still aren't enough options for plus-size customers. "We are marginalized," she said. "The more that fat people start to realize that they aren't unhealthy, lazy people like we've been told our whole f****ing lives... I think that's one of the big things. Being fat, to some people that's the worst thing in the world, but it's the best thing that ever happened to me — because it made me creative, resourceful, [it gave me] a sense of empathy for people or an otherness and it really grounds you."

Ditto's collection celebrates larger bodies by catering to them specifically with pieces such as the aforementioned ruched seams, a very high-waisted legging and a versatile caftan. "All of it has good give and is really well-built," she said. For the look book, Ditto enlisted longtime friend and supporter Katie Grand to style her and models Barbie Ferreria and Philomena Kwao. 

It was Grand who orchestrated Ditto's runway appearance at Marc Jacobs's spring 2016 show as well. "She's always been 110% amazing to me," said Ditto, adding she was particularly excited to walk for Jacobs because the brand didn't ask her to perform — they just wanted her to model. "I think a lot of people would be like, 'What's it like to be fat and do that?'" she said. "But at the same time we're all people. And it was really fun and funny because I'm so short compared to those girls." Ditto followed it up with an appearance in the label's spring campaign, too. 

So will Ditto be staging a runway show of her own in the future? "I'm so excited about the next [collection]," she said, implying this release is just the beginning. I suggested branching out into bridal in the future, but she responded that a big dream would be to tackle prom wear — a particularly underserved plus-size market. "I don't consider myself a part of fashion," she said. Looks like that's about to change. a

ZAC POSEN MAKES AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT BY CASTING MODELS OF COLOR ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY

The fight for more diversity on Fashion Week runways, led by former modelBethann Hardison and voiced by many others, has been a long one; and year after year, the improvements made are marginal at best. Maybe a designer casts a couple of non-white models instead of zero.

But this season, with some exceptions of course, we've noticed an actual change. The mostly black casting — including OG supermodels Naomi Campbell and Veronica Webb — was probably the best thing about Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 show, and Rihanna, Sophie Theallet and Chromat's Becca McCharen have all contributed to an increase in non-white models on the runways at New York Fashion Week. But the strongest statement so far was made by Zac Posen, whose model lineup on Monday night was comprised almost entirely of gorgeous models of color like Aya Jones, Aamito Lagum, Cindy Bruna, Riley Montana and Grace Bol.

Interestingly, the show was cast by Maida & Rami, an agency that has been criticized in the past for the lack of diversity in its model choices on big name runways like Jil Sander, Christian Dior and Raf Simons.

Posen was inspired by Princess Elizabeth of Toro, a Ugandan lawyer who became the first East African woman to be admitted to the English bar. She was also a successful model and covered American Vogue in 1968, and was briefly the foreign minister of Uganda in the 1970s. Black or white, she was an accomplished and beautiful woman — a perfect point of inspiration for a fashion designer. In his show notes, Posen noted her "kind nature, stunning appearance and exceptional intellect."

A look from Zac Posen's fall 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree

Otherwise, there was no mention of the casting decision — just an explanation of the "study of couture geometrics of the 1930's" that was Posen's starting point for the clothes, made up of bias-cut dresses in embroidered cotton, and jewel tones with grays and saturated blues mixed in. The collection was lovely and, thanks to Posen's use of more lightweight fabrics in looser silhouettes, more casual than last season's eveningwear — but no less timeless.

The casting part of the equation felt more like a statement than a publicity stunt, and we hope it inspires Posen's fellow designers to follow suit. Non-white models are out there, and they deserve to be cast. And one could argue that as Fashion Week becomes more consumer-facing, it's even more important for a more diverse assortment of races, ages and body types to be represented.

LOTTIE MOSS LANDS FIRST MAGAZINE COVER FOR 'L'OFFICIEL'

L'Officiel March 2016 issue. Photo: Bryan Adams/L'Officiel

Here on Fashion, we've covered every one of 18-year-old Lottie Moss's fashion career milestones: there was her first fashion editorial, her first runway appearance and her first major campaign; and of course we're here to bring you her latest one: her first glossy cover. Or, covers, rather, for the March issue of L'Officiel Netherlands. They grow up so fast, don't they?

Photographed by Bryan Adams, Kate Moss's younger half-sister appears on three covers — one of which features the Gucci dress that's become ubiquitous on spring glossies. She wears Prada and Dior in the other two, styled with low-key hair and a piercing gaze.

L'Officiel obviously asked Moss about her supermodel relative, and Moss obviously insisted that she's her own person: "I am who I am and I do what I want, whether that is modelling or anything else," she tells the magazine, according to The Daily Mail. "The success of my sister does not affect me in my choices. I feel no pressure in that respect."

Given that we're only halfway through February and she's already landed aVogue editorial, a Botkier contract and now this, it's shaping up to be a productive 2016 for Lottie Moss. See all three covers in the gallery below.

MANSUR GAVRIEL INTRODUCES NEW BAG AND SHOE STYLES AT FASHION WEEK

A model sits alongside Mansur Gavriel's new Sun bag in a pair of matching slipper heels. Photo: Mansur Gavriel

Mansur Gavriel, maker of the famous — and still hard to find — minimalist bucket bag, held its second New York Fashion Week presentation in downtown Manhattan Monday, where designers Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel introduced two new bag shapes and five new shoe styles that are bound to get loyal followers panting.

In a two-tiered room painted Mansur Gavriel's signature pale pink, models swathed in soft camel walked about examining the styles on display, and lounging over bowls of fruit and couches the same delicate color as their clothes. In their hands were the two new bag shapes for fall 2016. The first of these, the Sun, is a top-handled bag threaded with a leather tie that comes in large, medium and mini sizes — in its largest incantation, it reads like a more modern, minimalist take on the Birkin, and would work well as a bag to tote to and from work. It comes in a lush suede as well as both calf and patent leather — the latter two materials are a first for the label. Other models carried a squarish, more vintage-inspired bag called the Elegant, featuring both a top-handle and a clasp, suitable for more formal occasions.

The Elegant bag in pink calf. Photo: Mansur Gavriel

On their feet models wore matching shoes in five new styles: a Venetian loafer (in heel heights of 10mm and 30mm), a classic flat loafer, a pointed heel, a backless "heel slipper," a ballerina (in flat and 40mm) and, the most novel, a suede ankle boot lined with thick shearling, which ranged in heel height from flat to 90mm, with the taller styles featuring a platform sole. In light-colored suede, it may not be the most practical winter option, but it's certainly a very luxe and chic one. "We just wanted a really cozy winter boot that felt wearable," Mansur said before the show. "The boot we always wished we could have," Gavriel added.

Mansur and Gavriel have been especially busy as of late, supervising the delivery of their spring 2016 collection — the first to feature shoes — and designing this one. The company now has 18 employees, but all of the design and production is still handled entirely by the two of them. "It's getting challenging, we need to build that team," Mansur said. As for the promised ready-to-wear line? They're still working on finding the right partners.

The Sun bag and ankle boots on display. Photo: Mansur Gavriel

For those of you hoping to get your hands on spring '16 shoes: Net-a-Porter has already received several styles, and will be receiving more over the next two weeks. A selection of other top-tier retailers — Opening Ceremony, Bergdorf Goodman, Dover Street Market, Colette, Steven Alan Tribeca and Lane Crawford — are scheduled to receive deliveries around the same time, with the label's own e-commerce site to follow.

For a closer look at the fall 2016 collection, check out the slideshow below.

13 LOOKS WE LOVED FROM NEW YORK FASHION WEEK: DAY 5

From left to right: Maiyet. Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images; Carolina Herrera. Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images; The Row. Photo: The Row; Rosie Assoulin. Photo: Rosie Assoulin

It’s New York Fashion Week, which means the Fashionista team is running around town like crazy to bring you the best of what's new from the city's brightest designers. Read on for the looks we loved from the runways, and click here for even more reviews.

3.1 PHILLIP LIM

A look from 3.1 Phillip Lim's fall/winter 2016 show. Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

I'm very into the combination of textures and patterns on this asymmetrical tunic dress. — Chantal Fernandez

CAROLINA HERRERA

A look from Carolina Herrera's fall/winter 2016 show. Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images

This seafoam green skirt is like a smoke cloud of prettiness. It also had a slight bounce to it as Lily Aldridge walked. — Chantal Fernandez

KAREN WALKER

A look from Karen Walker's fall/winter 2016 show. Photo: Imaxtree

This poppy red coat with a grid pattern and balloon sleeves is just the type of statement piece that can easily brighten up any woman's fall wardrobe. I love how it's styled with a belt to accentuate the waist, and the fact that it can likely be layered dozens of different ways. — Alyssa Vingan Klein

JI OH

A look from Ji Oh's fall/winter 2016 show. Photo: Imaxtree

Designer Ji Oh designs with the city girl in mind, and when I saw her fall presentation, I thought she found a way inside my own brain, too. I can easily see myself stomping through the New York streets in this cocoon-like ensemble. (See now, buy now, please?) The indented sleeves and heavy stripes are interesting updates to a classic crew neck and pair of culottes. —Maria Bobila

A look from Ji Oh's fall/winter 2016 show. Photo: Imaxtree

Oh used faux fur to accent a number of her looks — as pockets on shirts, an oversized varsity jacket and a smock-like tunic over a dress, to name a few. This was my favorite idea because it elevated the top's "cold shoulder" silhouette, but was seamlessly balanced with an asymmetrical panel skirt and creeper booties. — Maria Bobila

MAIYET

A look from Maiyet's fall/winter 2016 show. Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

It's kind of hard to tell in this picture, but this Maiyet dress has a green sparkly embroidery all over the top. It's a simple silhouette with beautiful details. — Chantal Fernandez 

RAG & BONE

A look from Rag & Bone's fall/winter 2016 show. Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images

I love the way this masculine shirt dress still accentuates the hips. — Chantal Fernandez