IN THE SPOTLIGHT:Three to keep an eye on in Tokyo.

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Knights InWhiteHits and misses from the Met ball. Page MW6

MEN OF THE WEEK

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Dress Coder Thomas Middleditch, leading geek in HBO’s satire of the California tech scene, “Silicon Valley,” dresses against type. For more, see pages MW4 and MW5.

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

MEN’S WEAR is in the midst of a dressy cycle.Driven by the Millennial customer and

embraced by more mature men as well, suits and sport coats continue to spark sales at department and specialty stores around the country. So it stands to reason that dress shirts and neckwear — the standard com-plement to tailored clothing — would also experience an uptick.

But young guys are notorious for break-ing the rules. Instead of wearing the “uni-form” embraced by their fathers and grand-fathers, they’re pairing a sport coat with skinny jeans or a bow tie with a sport shirt. As a result, dress shirt sales actually dipped in the 12 months ended in April 2014, falling 3 percent to $2.8 billion, according to The NPD Group. Tailored clothing sales rose 2 percent in the same period, with suits down 4 percent but separates up 10 percent and sport coats up 8 percent.

To buck the downward trend, retailers and manufacturers are stepping out of the box, offering new fits, patterns and models to capture more dollars. Hybrid shirts that bridge the gap between a dress and a sport shirt are among the strongest trends, al-though there’s a move toward sartorial luxe offerings as well.

“We’re definitely in a dressy cycle,” said Mitchell Lechner, president of the dress fur-nishings group at PVH Corp. “But dress is multifunctional today and it’s not tradition-al dress-up. Where it used to be a suit and tie, now it’s a great jacket with a tie, dark skinny jeans or a great outerwear piece. Young guys like to dress up, but it’s in their own distinct way.”

This requires manufacturers and retail-ers to evolve as well.

Lechner said the most successful mer-chants are those who recognize and embrace this reality and showcase shirts and ties in different ways in their stores. “They’re layer-ing things, they’re not stacking shirts in piles or putting ties on a table,” he said.

And they’re also open to offering trend-right merchandise. In dress shirts at PVH, this translates into textile innovations such as noniron or moisture-wicking shirts within the Van Heusen, Calvin Klein and Donald Trump brands; a push toward monochromat-ics: blacks and whites for those seeking a dressed-up option; a variety of tartans for a more casual look; cutaway collars; an array of blue tones, and a move toward berry shades.

Whether indigo, chambray, tartan or pure white, the fit of the shirts has also been updated. “Slim fit represents 50 percent of our business now,” Lechner revealed. “And that goes from traditional to contemporary.”

FOCUS ON FURNISHINGS

Younger Customer Alters LandscapeRetailers, brands embrace hybrid casual-dress models.

Calvin Klein Collection’s wool suit and Band of Outsiders’ shirt. Burberry

London tie; Bottega Veneta belt.

by PAULINA SZMYDKE

PARIS — Melinda Gloss is turning it up a notch. The buzzy French men’s wear label, known for its straightforward, masculine style, is setting up a flagship in Paris, its third unit in the French capital, to keep pace with its fast-growing business.

Slated to open in September, the venue is located on Boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire in the upper Marais district, which has recently established itself as a new mecca for men’s fashion.

“The neighborhood is moving very fast and so is our brand,” explained Mathieu de Ménonville, who cofounded the label with Rémi de Laquintane in 2010.

Speaking about the label’s appetite for expansion, the duo, who originally studied philosophy at the Sorbonne, described the flagship as an oppor-tunity to communicate the brand’s message and further close the gap between contemporary urban-wear and old-school luxury, its declared mission. “One of the things we have adopted from the luxury market is service. We want to offer the best ser-vice as a brand, because fash-ion is not just about buying clothes, but also about the experience that goes with it,” said de Ménonville.

At 1,200 square feet, nearly three times as large as the la-bel’s existing Marais store on Rue de Saintonge, the flagship is to feature a space dedicated to a bespoke offering that has grown 40 percent in the last year, according to the founders. The unit, designed by architect Franklin Azzi, who previously lent his talent to design-ers Isabel Marant and Christophe Lemaire, is to be “quite masculine, but cozy, not too cold — kind of like a boudoir for men,” explained de Ménonville.

Still, the duo, which works only with a team of 10, intends to keep things sim-ple. “We don’t want to have a suiting fac-tory, but we feel that the old savoir-faire is something that is missing in the contempo-rary market,” said de Laquintane.

All its bespoke suits, starting at 900 euros, or $1,251 at current exchange, are manufactured in France in a small factory

in Limoges, while an artisanal collabora-tion with Holland & Sherry, the British textile producer, provides exclusive fab-rics. “What we like about bespoke is that you can’t cheat with it — you can’t make a good suit with a bad fabric,” explained de

Laquintane, who’s in charge of design, adding: “We want our fashion to last, not do flashy prints which the wearer

will get fed up with after four weeks.”For the last three seasons, the

label’s sales have increased by 50 percent, while its e-commerce business more than doubled be-tween 2012 and 2013.

Shirts retail starting at 150 euros, or $208, knitwear starts at 200 euros, or $278, and jackets go for about 500 euros, or $695.

With 95 points of sales worldwide, Melinda Gloss’

largest retail market is still France, “but in wholesale terms, Japan has taken the

lead,” de Ménonville noted. And with a new private investor on board — Alain Breau of Superga

Invest — who took a minority stake in the brand in April, the brand’s de-velopment is expected to take on ad-ditional steam. “It’s not an investment

group, obsessed with numbers, but a physical person with human feelings and

love for the brand,” de Laquintane said. “We feel that this is more suit-able for us at the moment.”

Within the next five years, a flagship in Japan or in the U.S., where the brand recently struck deals with Saks Fifth Avenue and American Rag, among others, is a likely step.

Meanwhile, the first Melinda Gloss ad-vertising campaign shot by Canadian pho-tographer Mark Peckmezian is to appear in September magazines.

Men’s WeekMW2 WWD THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

by DAVID YI

ON- AND OFFSCREEN, Patrick Dempsey is riding full speed ahead. When he’s not playing Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd on ABC’s 10th season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” he’s juggling daddy duty in Los Angeles along with being a professional sports-car road-racer for Dempsey Racing, which he founded in 2007.

Now the 48-year-old actor is adding watch designer to his résumé. Come June 15, Porsche Design will launch 50 Dempsey Racing Limited Edition timepieces. Each will retail for $6,250 and will be sold at Porsche Design Stores throughout North America.

“For men, the major piece of jewelry is a watch,” he said. “There’s always a fascina-tion with great movements and how intense the labor is that goes into it — and, of course, telling the time.” Which, Dempsey said, is essential on the racetrack. “Technically, you have to tell time all the time whether glanc-ing over while driving, or when you’re in the pits, or when you’re timing other cars. You’re always in an endurance race.”

The Porsche Design Dempsey Racing Limited Edition is a refined version of the Porsche Design Dashboard Automatic Chronograph. The watch — made from tita-nium — has a dial that is in a matte black, and comes with an easy grip crown and push buttons. Each will feature a colored Dempsey Racing crest between the numer-

als seven and eight, and “Racing Edition” at the 12 o’clock mark. The case will come in brushed titanium with a screwed-down titanium case back, which features non-reflective sapphire crystal and is water-resistant to 100 meters.

The collaboration came about earlier last year, Dempsey said, after driving with Porsche exclusively for competitions. After signing on for two more years with Porsche — with Dempsey driving the Porsche 911 GT America in an upcoming Tudor United

SportsCar Championship GTD race — Porsche Design approached Dempsey about collaborating.

After going back and forth between de-signs and colors, Dempsey was finally satis-fied with the outcome of the piece.

“I think the watch we created is for every-day as much as it is for racing and tracking speed,” he said. “It’s elegant enough for night, but really durable and precise when you use it on the track. Racing is all about time and balance — a great metaphor for life.”

Dempsey — who placed third at Circuit of The Americas — said he grew up admiring the sport. But it wasn’t until 10 years ago that he decided to devout himself professionally to it.

“I really love the team aspect of it,” he said. “Progressing with the team, get-ting deeper and deeper into it, I saw that there’s so much camaraderie and fellow-ship. It’s a team effort and the competition is highly emotional.”

The actor once said he’d go full-time into professional racing if he could. When asked if it still rang true, Dempsey responded: “I don’t want to walk away completely from act-ing, but I do want to take more time for the racing season,” which, he said, went for the entire year.

“I enjoy doing both,” he said. “But on my downtime, I do like developing new cars, or constantly working on sponsorships, part-ners, certain obligations — oh, and training.”

An aspect he said that most people weren’t aware of.

“Racing is an actual sport,” he said. “There’s a misconception that you’re not an athlete with racing, but it’s very physical.”

To train, he said, he goes through intense core, neck, shoulder and arm exercises, along with cardio.

“You don’t have to be bulky, but you do have to be very fit.”

And for those who have an interest in racing, Dempsey had a few words of advice: “Start out go-karting.”

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

ADD WRANGLER to the list of companies with an eye to attracting the Millennial customer.

The jeanswear powerhouse, one of VF Corp.’s stable of five “billion-dollar brands,” on Thursday will introduce Wrangler Jeans Co. Red, a new assortment of jeans and sport shirts targeted at the younger man.

“It breaks the mold of what consumers expect from Wrangler,” said Craig Errington, vice president of marketing communication for VF Jeanswear. “It’s for fashion-forward men who are looking for relevant product but who are brand-conscious and value-driv-en. They want the look [of a designer jean], but they’re not willing or able to invest $80 on jeans or $60 on a shirt.”

Wrangler Red will retail for $21.97.The denim will be available in four fits —

skinny, slim, straight and boot-cut — and the collection also features khaki or gray stretch twill in a straight fit or black or olive in a slim model. There will also be six long-sleeve, but-ton-down shirts in plaid, twill and chambray.

The pants will feature oversize hardware; red stitching on the zipper fly, pockets and interior, and the brand name and fit will be screen-printed on the inside of the waistband.

Wrangler Red will be tested in mass-market retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. beginning this fall with a plan to roll out nationally in 2015. “It’ll also be available online this fall and that should give us a great read on what styles people are buying,” Errington said.

Millennials shop in the mass market more often than most people realize. “One in five jeans in the mass market are bought by Millennials,” he said. “In a lot of cases, they’ve just gotten out of school or are start-ing their careers and they don’t have a lot of disposable income.”

To reach these consumers with the mes-sage about Red, Wrangler will focus primar-ily on digital and social media efforts. “Two-thirds of the marketing spend for our core customer is on TV and national print, but with Red, 75 to 80 percent will go into very geo-tar-geted e-mails and digital ads,” he explained.

At the same time, Wrangler is not forget-ting its core shopper, the 40- to 60-year-old man. After extensive consumer research, the brand will also introduce Wrangler Advanced Comfort for fall.

“Comfort is the number-one purchase driver and, for fall, we’re taking comfort to

the next level,” Errington said.Wrangler Advanced Comfort offers jeans

with four-way flex denim that “moves with you,” but the fibers boast 20 percent more durability. There is 1 percent Lycra span-dex in the fabric and a waist that gives up to two inches. The jeans will be offered in regular and relaxed fits and will retail for about $20 at mass-market retailers includ-ing Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target.

Errington said Wrangler will be “putting big marketing dollars behind it” in stores, where signage will call out the key benefits. In addition, the company has enlisted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees to be the face of the brand. The ad campaign will start in the middle of August and have a “heavy run” in the third and fourth quar-ters, Errington said.

As part of a strategy of parent company VF Corp. to hold and expand market share through innovation, the launch of Advanced Comfort and Red mark the first significant product introductions by Wrangler in the last decade.

“They’re meant to grow the brand in a relevant way,” Errington said. “We have to make sure Wrangler is around for another 70 years.”

Patrick Dempsey, Porsche Collaborate on Timepiece Collection

Melinda Gloss to Open Paris Flagship

A Dempsey Racing Limited Edition watch.

Patrick Dempsey

A look from the Wrangler Jeans Co. Red assortment.

Thinking Young, Wrangler Sees Red

Rémi de Laquintane and Mathieu de Ménonville

A look from Melinda Gloss.

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Z Zegna wool suit and Emporio Armani’s cotton shirt and tie. Bottega Veneta belt.

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Men’s Week WWD THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 MW5

by JESSICA IREDALE

AFTER A SOLID MORNING dressed in suits by Prada, Calvin Klein and Z Zegna for a photo shoot, Thomas Middleditch changed back into his flannel shirt, khakis and skate sneakers, an outfit more appropriate for TechCrunch Disrupt at the Manhattan Center in New York City, where he was due for a midday panel Q&A. It was Middleditch’s first time at the tech conference, though he experienced it on a make-believe basis when its San Francisco chapter was re-created in meticulous detail on the set of “Silicon Valley,” the HBO series in which he stars.

“They had all the apps set up and everybody peddling their wares,” said Middleditch of the fictional TechCrunch. “Some of them were made up, but some were just what they were and they were equally as funny. You couldn’t tell the real ones from the joke ones at times. I think that’s a good exam-ple of what happens throughout the show.”

Created by Mike Judge, known for such acerbic takes on American banality as “Beavis and Butt-Head,” “King of the Hill” and “Office Space,” the show skewers the clichés of the tech promised land, which is particularly prime for parody at the moment. Judge minds the details. The insider technical references, such as coding, are managed by an on-

set tech guru, so that Middleditch likens the script to a doc-tor drama. In one episode, a stripper accepts payment via Square. Extras wear running shoes with articulated toes. One imagines the wardrobe trailers to be stocked with un-limited hoodies.

“Silicon Valley” has been renewed for a second season. Being cast as Richard, a nervous, soft-spoken computer pro-grammer whose start-up lands in the well-funded crosshairs of two rival billionaire tech moguls, ranks as “easily one of the top three things I’ve wanted to do,” said Middleditch. The other two are working with Wes Anderson and “being best friends with Jim Carrey.” So far, only HBO has happened.

The 32-year-old actor grew up in Nelson, British Columbia, where he was introduced to performing via the eighth grade play. After dropping out of theater school, he moved to Toronto to pursue comedy because “I wanted to be like ‘Kids in the Hall,’ like every young Canadian did at that time,” said Middleditch, who lives in Los Angeles, where “Silicon Valley” is filmed. He’s had big parts in small movies, and small parts in big movies, like “The Wolf of Wall Street,” in which he’s credited as “Stratton Broker in a Bowtie.”

Next up for Middleditch is “Search Party,” a big R-rated comedy currently slated for September, also starring his “Silicon Valley” cast mate T.J. Miller. The plot follows two friends on a road trip to find their buddy who is stranded in Mexico. For the part, Middleditch was required to engage in full-frontal nudity, covered in cocaine. Presumably the drugs were fake, but the anatomy was his own.

“It’s not sexy nudity,” he said. “It’s more, like, ‘Haha, look at that guy’s d--k.’”

NO HOODIE REQUIRED

“EASILY ONE OF THE TOP THREE THINGS I’VE WANTED TO DO.”

–THOMAS MIDDLEDITCH, ON BEING CAST AS RICHARD,

A NERVOUS, SOFT-SPOKEN COMPUTER PROGRAMMER

Prada’s mohair suit and Burberry London’s cotton shirt. Burberry Prorsum tie; Bottega Veneta belt.

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Men’s WeekMW6 WWD THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

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The white-tie dress code for the annual Met ball was taken to heart by some and taken apart by others.

When the guys stuck to the rules and executed, it was a sight to behold. Old-school grandeur at its finest — and the added white glove is always a nice touch.

While some painted outside the lines, when done well all is forgiven. Whether with an on-trend white blazer with black tie or a younger, fashion-forward take on the classic, these fellows pulled it off.

Be it a poorly put-together non-traditional look or pushing the envelope into cartoonish territory, the no-no’s abounded. Sure, it’s fashion, but don’t take it so far guys!

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Colin Firth

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Johnny Depp

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NAME: Yoshio KuboHISTORY: This 39-year-old Osaka native stud-ied fashion design at Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (today Philadelphia University) and worked with Robert Danes for four years be-fore returning to Japan and starting his own brand 10 years ago.DESIGN PHILOSOPHY: “Each time, I think of things like creating com-binations that people can’t imagine. I use concepts that people would nor-mally never approach,” Kubo said, referring to his men’s take on a Chanel jacket and a seemingly abstract graphic print he developed for fall from a photo of basketball players.KEY ITEMS FOR FALL: Jackets with detachable skirtlike panels, baseball jackets with jacquard sleeves, puffer vests and a toggle coat trimmed in bright aqua fur.PRICE POINTS: In Japan, retail prices range from 10,000 yen for a T-shirt to 55,000 yen for a jacket. U.S. prices for the same items run from about $170 to $900.DISTRIBUTION: Opening Ceremony in Tokyo, Joyce in Hong Kong, Anma in Saudi Arabia, Just One Eye in Los Angeles and Space Mue in Seoul.KEY TAKEAWAY FOR THE SEASON: Kubo and hairstylist Shinji Konishi developed a series of helmetlike wigs for the brand’s fall show, tapping into the collection’s sporty theme. “When I do my fashion shows in Tokyo, I show a rhythm — a kind of timing — just like a theatrical company would. I think that’s the reason for having a fashion show,” he said.

NAME: 99%ISHISTORY: South Korean Bajowoo — he goes by the single moniker — was un-able to find punk-inspired clothes in his conserva-tive home country so he started making them for himself and later for local bands. After dropping out of Esmod Seoul, he worked at a leather facto-ry, served in the army and bummed around London for six months. Bajowoo, now 29, launched his own line two years ago while a student at Sugino Gakuen, a fashion school in Tokyo. He graduated in March.DESIGN PHILOSOPHY: Bajowoo’s connection to the punk world anchors his creative direction. The brand name refer-ences the fact that society marginalizes punks as 1 percent of the population, but at the same time punks consider their own culture to define 99 percent of themselves, he explained.KEY ITEMS FOR FALL: Four coats done in collaboration with Mackintosh, motorcycle jackets, slim zippered utility pants, thick-soled shoes made with George Cox and an apron loaded with so many safety pins that it resembles medieval chain mail.PRICE POINTS: In Japan, a sweatshirt sells for 29,000 yen, or about $284 at average exchange. Coats range from about 135,000 yen, or $1,321, to 245,000 yen, or $2,398.DISTRIBUTION: Trading Museum Comme des Garçons in Tokyo, H. Lorenzo in Los Angeles, 10 Corso Como in Seoul, Opening Ceremony in New York and I.T in Hong Kong.KEY TAKEAWAY FOR THE SEASON: Bajowoo is still nurs-ing a sore arm. “I attach the studs by hand myself, and up until now I’ve done about 480,000 or 500,000 of them. I’m going to the hospital now because of that,” he said with a laugh.

NAME: Still by HandHISTORY: This brand was started in 2000 by London Institute (now University of the Arts London) gradu-ate Yusuke Yanagi, when he was working as a free-lance designer. Now 37 years old, he took full con-trol of the brand’s sales and business activities when he established his own company in 2008.DESIGN PHILOSOPHY: “Rather than taking inspi-ration from something and then making things based on that, I make clothes by thinking how I want them to feel when they’re com-pleted. Then, in order to materialize that, I use my own know-how.”KEY ITEMS FOR FALL: Ankle-length pin-striped pants and fine wale cor-duroys, waffle-knit sweaters in subtle two-tone color con-trasts, nylon-cotton blend raincoats, collarless shirts and reversible quilted vests.PRICE POINTS: In Japan, prices range from 15,000 yen, or about $147, for a checked shirt, to 26,000 yen, or about $254, for a raincoat.DISTRIBUTION: Revolver in San Francisco, Blue Button Shop in Toronto and Steven Alan in Tokyo KEY TAKEAWAY FOR THE SEASON: “I really think a lot about the use of color in my clothes,” Yanagi said, pointing to a navy blue raincoat that looks almost iridescent in the light due to the contrasting ways the fibers take to the dye.

In the SPOTLIGHT

Yusuke Yanagi

Bajowoo Yoshio Kubo

A look from Still by Hand.

A look from 99%IS.

A look by Yoshio Kubo.

FOR MORE IMAGES, SEE

WWD.com/menswear-news.

FT’S NEW FASHION SCRIBE: The Financial Times has tapped Jo Ellison, features director of British Vogue, as its new fashion editor. Ellison, who will start her new gig in August, succeeds Vanessa Friedman, who departed FT in March for The New York Times, where she now serves as fashion director and chief fashion critic.

“Jo is a hugely talented writer with deep experience in the fashion industry and a sharp eye for style and detail,” said FT editor Lionel Barber. “She joins the FT at an important time of growth in our luxury portfolio, and will make a valuable contribution to our talented team.”

Last month, FT indicated that it would expand its How to Spend It magazine with an Italian edition that launches in September. It will also continue to build on its lucrative annual Luxury Summit.

Ellison, who joined British Vogue in 2005, has written and assigned the title’s main features and interviews. She also penned “Vogue Gowns,” a book that will be published in the fall that provides an overview of evening dresses in British Vogue over the last century. Prior to working at the glossy, Ellison served as features editor at The Independent. — ALEXANDRA STEIGRAD

LOOKING SHARP: Call it Esquire’s version of the man cave. Starting Saturday, the magazine and Esquire Network will host Sharp, The Man Event, a pop-up shop in

Manhattan for men to discover new brands in fashion and grooming. There will be complimentary services including haircuts and trims from Harry’s grooming stations, skin-care demos from Birchbox, shoe shines from Allen Edmonds, leather sewing and monogramming via David Lane Design and beverages provided by Intelligentsia Coffee.

“There’s an upswell of interest in men’s wear right now, so we thought this was the perfect time to launch an event like this,” said Jill Meenaghan, Esquire’s associate publisher and group marketing director.

The shop, at 82 Mercer Street, will be more than 1,000 square feet. Created by Adam Eisenhut, who previously worked at trade show MRket, the event will feature brands including Ernest Alexander, Cockpit USA, Cadet, W.R.K, Goorin Bros. and Autodromo. “These pop-ups give guys a chance to learn about these brands in more than just a space with racks in a room,” said Eisenhut. “It’s a weekend event that’s a destination hangout to discover brands without that pretentious feeling.”

The long-term goal, Eisenhut said, is to set up such events biannually and in other cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.

For Esquire, the shop is more than just a service for readers: it’s strategic to marketing the brand and staying competitive among other men’s publications. “This commitment to elevate the visibility of fashion coverage and point of view is very important to us,” said Meenaghan. “We haven’t put it out as forward as we could have or as early as we should have.” — DAVID YI

casual” — are also worth the investment.“Everybody is looking to satisfy the

Millennial or the Millennial-minded guy,” Levy said. “Retailers have to romance what’s on the floor to create new and inter-esting stories.”

Dean Gomilsek-Cole, the new head of de-sign for Turnbull & Asser, looked back at the brand’s archives for inspiration for his first collection, which will be offered for fall. “We’re leaning on the archives but not pla-giarizing them,” he said. “We’re using new fibers and weave techniques that weren’t available back in the day. And we’re working to perfect the white shirt.”

The brand offers ready-to-wear and bespoke models and Gomilsek-Cole said more and more con-sumers are seek-ing custom shirts. “We’re seeing a big increase in orders from younger people,” he said. “It’s the perfect opportunity for them to play designer.” He said customers often start slowly with white or blue and then get “more adventurous” as they become more comfortable with the process.

Even so, he said Turnbull generally “swims against the tide when it comes to trends,” he said, noting that when the brand pushes too far to be fashion-forward, “it doesn’t resonate with our consumer.”

So instead of embracing the skinny tie, Turnbull will be offering a wider, more tradi-tional neckwear assortment. “And for spring, we’re going to go bonkers and reintroduce the kipper tie from the 1970s,” he said. “It’s our reaction to the skinny. And it’ll have a couple of show-stopping features.”

However, the company will offer a slim-mer fit for fall in the ready-to-wear collec-tion — the Slim St. Jim — as well as more contemporary collar shapes. “The most popular collar is a subtle cutaway, but the more severe cutaway is getting more popu-lar. And the white collar and cuff are com-ing back,” he said.

The Thomas Pink customer is also seek-ing multifunctional pieces in his ward-robe, according to Alyssa Mishcon, U.S.

president. “They’re wearing a shirt and tie with jeans or just an open-collar shirt. And they’re looking to us for that versatility.”

The brand is answering the call with a more casual offering that can double as a dress or sport shirt. “We’re mixing it up,” she said. In July, the company will intro-duce The Independent, a new shirt with a

collar that stands up without a tie. “It’s the perfect tie-less shirt,” she said. At

the same time, the company is add-ing some Thomas Pink quirkiness to more traditional styles for fall,

such as a Prince of Wales pattern but with bright

pops of pink and blue, and updated

versions of the puppytooth.

N e c k w e a r, pocket squares and socks are also being modernized with bright colors and new patterns and prints. “We’re coming at it from a heritage British dress shirt brand, but we’re seeing younger customers more inter-ested and looking to us for that,” she said.

John Minahan, president of Gitman Bros., said business has “been very good for the last three months. Gitman Vintage, [the company’s more modern offering] is on fire and regular Gitman also had solid growth last year. We’re enjoying the ben-efits of a made in America product and classic American shirts are now a fashion statement around the world. Fourteen per-cent of our business is exports now, and it was nothing five years ago.”

In terms of trends, Minahan identified two main focuses for this season: patterned shirts such as checks, ginghams and tattersalls “that can be worn with coats, but not necessarily ties,” as well as a “completely sartorial” movement such as a “really dressy” spread-collar white shirt.

Collar stances have also been modernized. “Spread is still our biggest collar, but cutaways are popular for the very updated customer, as are smaller button-tab closures.”

In neckwear, solid ties are “very strong,” he added, and he’s seen “an uptick in season-al neckwear” such as linen blends or knit op-tions. At the same time, Lechner said acces-sories such as pocket squares and lapel pins, also embraced by the younger customer, have “been terrific.

“The older guys look to the younger guys for trends,” Lechner added.

Eric Jennings, men’s fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue, said the upscale customer is also looking for updated op-tions in dress furnishings.

“Since tailored clothing is closer to the body, nobody wants a voluminous dress shirt underneath it, so those fits are closer now, too,” he said.

But even when worn with a suit, the overall aesthetic of the dress shirt market is becoming more casual, he said. “Shirts are more multifunctional today and they’re being worn as a sport shirt or dress shirt. We’ve seen a big infusion of patterns and prints such as dob-bys, micro-geometics and neats. We’ve moved past the stripe and gingham phase.” Jennings pointed to Canali and Zegna as among the brands that are providing some of the most updated patterns.

In neckwear, Jennings said it’s all about “the return of the solid,” whether in a traditional knit or textured knit grenadines. “For Father’s Day, we’re going to be offering 60 different solid colors

from Charvet,” he revealed. Widths will vary, from slightly wider for the more classic cus-tomer to a narrow option for the “modern guy.”

Pocket squares continue to do well, he noted, and represent “a significant percent” of the dress furnishings business. “Five years ago, that business was nonexistent,” Jennings said. Etro and local artist Barbara Campbell are among the store’s bestsellers in pocket squares, he said.

Allison Levy, market analyst for men’s wear at the Doneger Group, said offering up-dated product is essential to boost sales of dress furnishings.

“In dress shirts, we had some starts and stops since right before Christmas,” she

said. “We can’t say that the business is growing — people are now more in a ‘maintain’ mind-set,” but there are some hot buttons that retailers can push to spark sales.

In shirts, “seasonal items are work-ing,” she said, “and there’s been a shift

in the size and scale of the patterns — they’re cleaner. Then there’s the whole

range of blues, everything on the spectrum. Grays are also popular

and coordinate well with textured neckwear in silver or charcoal.” There’s also the whole black-and-white story, as well as the growing importance of wine and berry colors and green.

“These unexpected pops of color give customers a reason to buy be-cause they don’t already own it,” Levy

said. “But they’re all men’s wear colors so it’s nothing that he won’t understand.”

Technical features are also important, she added, whether that’s easy-care, stretch or moisture management. Dress shirts that are more sporty — or what Doneger is calling “refined

Tallia Orange, John Varvatos andCalvin Klein ties.

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Young Guys Spark Dress Furnishings Evolution {Continued from page MW1}

MEMO PAD

Men’s WeekMW8 WWD THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Two cotton and polyester shirts by Geofrrey Beene and Tommy Hilfiger’s cotton shirt (center).

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WWD.com/menswear-news.