Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Kens Eye View: Spring/Summer 2022 Menswear Trends Part 2

 

Following along with the women's trends, menswear trends for next spring summer season focuses on classic, easy-to-wear, COMFORTABLE styles. For part 2 of my Ken's Eye View Report, I used only three main patterns: classic shirt, trousers and blazer. But, as I learned.....simple is anything but easy to pull off a super stylish look! When I thought I had finished the clothes for this report, I discovered everything looked almost the same. And unless you are only interested in making basics for your guys (not a bad idea), the way to make each garment a little bit different lies in your choice of fabric, adjustment of proportions and even one or two tiny details. So I went back to the drawing board and remade or restyled a few of the looks below.

Quiet Storm

Nothing extravagant, just simple elements combined for an easy way to get through the day. Neutrals reign while the look is as simple as a shirt tucked into a pair of bermudas or a chocolate or navy blazer teamed up with white trousers. But notice the palette... lots of summer darks and in some cases worn over white.
This is simply a shirt-jacket, a top and a pair of shorts. But....I struggled to keep the look from falling into the doldrums of mediocrity. After much reflection I figured out that to successfully pull off this look, each black item should be a different texture. His shirt-jack was cut from crinkled taffeta, the top made from a semi-sheer striped nylon (from a sock), and the shorts are a simple broadcloth. It's not so apparent in the photo, but in person, you can best appreciate the subtle differences which make the look so compelling.
This is simply a black silk shirt and a pair of cream white linen shorts. At first I did the black over brown palette and tried it on several of my guys to no avail. It was so....ho-hum! Since we already have a dark toned shorts-set, I thought the contrast of dark shirt-white shorts was lots more interesting and looked more "summer." It's a quick and easy way to get your guys in tune with next summer!

Chalk It Up!
A key color for next summer: Chalk White! Whether it's shorts, full trousers, short jackets or coats...if you are limited in what you can make for your dude doll....make it in white. Again, notice how simple and easy each and every one of these looks are!

A big, new trend for next spring....loose trousers! This takes a bit getting used to because they tend to resemble your grandfather's pants! But.....trends are favoring looks that are COMFORTABLE. For Loic's look, I cut the jacket out of linen to give it more structure and keep the look from dissolving into sloppiness. On the contrary, for his trousers, I used a very soft cotton (my old bed sheets) and used a pleated pant pattern instead of the ones with drawstrings. 

Sahara
We're off to the dessert where the habitat influences the the color palette. Think safran, sand dunes, or even a golden sunset. Keep the trousers loose and opt for a classic safari look or a sleek variation.
I admit, I do have a penchant for safari jackets. Rob gave me a good excuse to cut a new one just for him. It's a basic square shirt-jacket with four pockets and flaps and a drawstring waistband. We wanted something a little different for the pants, so we paired this jacket with a pair that also features a drawstring waist and is gathered at the ankles.

Short Story

With the weather patterns a-changing and summers hotter than ever, it's no wonder that monsieur is opting for shorts. Here is a good variety of looks at lengths we think works best. But again, notice how the palette favors neutral tones of chalk, putty, light blue and pale grey. The key word here is COOL.

This is a look that takes a little while to get used to. And I admit...the first time I saw a guy wearing shorts with a suit jacket, it looked a little weird. But... My guy Kim, has just the kind of edgy look and attitude to pull it off. The "tailored" jacket is elongated and worn over bermuda length shorts. There's a pocket for his pen on the collar and another pocket on one sleeve. But there is also something you can't see here. For Kim's suit, I used a dress fabric. Men's summer suits are usually made of very light wool and I figured that the lightness of the dress material was about right for a 1/6 scale summer suit for Mr. Doll. When constructing the jacket, I used an interfacing to structure the front. The fabric was very easy to work with and when I was finished, I was very delighted with the results! 

Take a look at the model in the middle. When I first saw this photo, I assumed the shirt/shorts set was made from a crisp cotton. Carlos, my guy on the right is wearing the set I made from a soft cotton with a shadow stripe. It's nice and looks good on Carlos, but when I finished, it looked too much like everything else I made for this post. When I took another look at the original outfit, I realized that it wasn't made from cotton but rather....silk! That inspired me to make the set again....this time using a fancy silk jacquard. I thought it would be a very interesting outfit for a formal summer evening event. The jewelry detail....an earring that extends to the button on the jacket--is an idea borrowed from the next image.

Royal Flush
My dear friend Richard brought this photo to my attention. We both agreed it was fashion forward worthy. I loved elegance of the satin jacket with the brooch immediately caught my eye, but the trousers were a little to wide and long for my taste.
For Atsushi, I created this version. I used a satin, though not quite as "soft" as in the original photo. Soft fabrics are usually the quality for womenswear and not menswear, though I know those "norms" have changed. Still, I used a heavier satin for Atsushi's jacket so that it would have structure. The length could have been a tad bit longer, but because the doll has slightly different proportions than the human, often calculating length and volume is a hit or miss thing. (Ideally, making the design in cotton muslin would allow you to see this and make changes to the patterns in advance.) For the trousers, I used a softer satin which I feel is ideal. The original jacket has a classic collar/lapel which is closed around the neck of the model. I chose to simplify my jacket by incorporating a funnel collar. Underneath it all, I wrapped Atsushi's neck with a cream chiffon scarf. 

As I've said before...it's not easy to do simplicity well...which is exactly what menswear (or shall I say "Kenswear,") requires.  I have made much progress since my initial tutorials on basic Ken fashions several years ago. However, this post allowed me the opportunity to perfect those basic garments. I have a few more tweaks to make and then I'll share the results (and my patterns) with you soon.


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19 comments:

  1. Hello April, thank you for the follow-up you are giving us.
    I really like all of your models for men.
    One element in particular struck me these are the small chest pockets. Your finish is beautiful on all your models, we do not see any seams. I am all the more impressed by the smallness to sew them. ´
    I saw that you sewn several shorts with jackets, but under some jackets I see other tops. I would have liked to see them, are they long sleeves, short sleeves or sleeveless?
    My favorite jacket is the Zegna model. I like the fabrics, the color, the style, the pockets ....

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    1. Thank you Shasarignis for your very kind comment. When I started making clothes for men, a male friend of mine alerted me to the fact that men's jackets always have a "vest pocket" which is why you see them on my clothing here. Yes they are quite tiny, but I have a shortcut to creating them. I had not thought to remove the jackets to show off the tops, but in the future, I'll be sure to add extra photos to show them off. For the most part, I use sleeveless tops or short sleeve shirts so as to avoid bulk. I have made so much progress with my menswear since my first posts and tutorial back in 2013 when the only reference to 1/6 scale men's clothes were from the Ken doll's wardrobe. In the near future, I plan to do an update to my basic menswear tutorials. Thank you again, for your compliments and kind words. Bisous

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  2. Ohhh you have sooo amazing dolls. I look at them always and feel like I'm staying in a beautiful dream, created by an amazing artist <3 :-)

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    1. Thank you Aya. I absolutely LOVE my collection. I don't have so many male dolls, but when I see that is interesting, I try to bring him home. The dolls are wonderful sources of inspiration. Big hugs. April

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  3. I don't know---about the shorts. Here in Chicago---it's cold, and some guys showed up in January in shorts and sandals---not fashion statements but an IQ pronouncement on their collective brain power. But your jackets are really cool..., loose and comfortable and very classy.

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    1. LOL!!! Thank you Sandi. This part of the menswear report was more challenging than the first. I had to assemble looks that could really be boring and proportions that seemed a tad bit strange to my eye....and that includes the suit worn with Bermuda shorts instead of trousers. But like everything else... the eye adjusts. This particular exercise encouraged me to work on perfecting my technique for creating men's garments. I still have a ways to go, but I'm pretty happy with these results at this point.

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    1. Thank you so much Dlubaniny. I'm happy you enjoyed this post. Who knows, I might do more men's fashions in the coming months! Big hugs.

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  5. I read this post yesterday, got sidetracked and forgot to leave a comment. Overall, I did like the trends you shared on the previous post more, but I do like the all black look with different textures. With those shoes, he kind of reminds me of David Rose from Schitt's Creek, a character known for almost exclusively dressing in black and white colors. Your recreations are fabulous and spot on, as usual.

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    1. Thank you MonsterCrafts. Now you understand why I divided this trend report in two parts. The first part with "younger" styles is always fun but not everybody's taste. And this part is more classic but less "exciting" or new. With the last report, if I made a mistake somewhere, it simply adds to the fun of look. But for this part, the challenge was to make them well but try to keep them from looking totally boring. But at the end of the day, the classic clothes are the ones most people will make for their dolls. So I am perfecting my technique in making a really great shirt, trousers and jacket...because everything is based on those elements. Thank you again for your kind words.

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  6. Thank you Linda, so much. I really worked hard on this report....right down to those teeny weeny, itty, bitty vest pockets. LOL!!! In the process, I learned a few things....like how fabric meant for a dress works well for my mini-men's summer suits. The wider trousers, on the other hand, took some getting used to for me. They look like my father's trousers. But in an effort to get as close to the original garment as possible...I made those pleated trousers my guys. Thank you again for your kind words. Big hugs. April

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  7. I missed quite a few posts, looks like you gathered a fine army of men here! Rob is my favourite model, as for the outfits I prefer the one on Kim. I welcome "fashion forward" clothes, my dream is to live in a world where people can wear leggings as trousers, shorts with uggs and leopard print everything without anyone ridiculing them for it. I'm still waiting for mainstream acceptance of man skirts. By the way, did you the shoes too? They look great.

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    1. Good to see you back here again, BlackKitty. Rob is a amazing. It was love at first site and I searched until I found him at a not too outrageous price! However....his muscles presented a challenge because, once clothed, he tends to look a bit "heavy" as the case with most male athletes. The edgier fashions for guys is a bit easier to make because if you go off on the proportions or details, well...you can say it's part of the look. The clothes in this, part 2, were much more difficult to do because, the construction and details have to be just so. And then making something that one can get a little excited about, is not easy. As far as leggings, shorts, uggs and leopard prints in menswear...it's already all over the catwalks. The problem is, most men (even my gay friends) are not comfortable wearing briefs over trousers, or tops cut from fluid fabrics. There's been a lot of this on the catwalks over the past several years and frankly, it comes across as circus wear. For me, I'm not opposed to something different but edgy in menswear has to be clever and easy to wear. In the past, when I've done menswear, I've made leggings for men worn under bermudas, and leopard coats with matching shoes. Speaking of which... thank you. With a few exceptions, I did make the shoes.

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  8. I love everything. Your guys look so stylish in your amazing creations. Such talent!❤️

    dbg

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    1. Thank you Debbie. In the beginning it was not my intention to collect male fashion dolls. I was warned that making clothes for them would be too difficult and the result disappointing. I took things little by little and eventually my male doll fashion is beginning to get on par with my female fashion. Happy you enjoyed this post.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. And...welcome to my blog.

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  10. Well, you did a great job, I love your creations.
    But to be truth - I'm waiting for ladies' fashion. ;)

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    1. LOL!!! Thank you Kamelia. Fashion month (for the ladies) is in progress!!! Stay tuned!

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