Colby McWilliams dishes on Neiman Marcus's men's trends

March 9, 4:13 PMSF Fashion ExaminerDino-Ray Ramos

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Fashion sneakers: one of six trends for the
season!
 

We all know that women are savvy to the trends of each season. If anything, it’s more of a religion to them – but what about the men?

Lucky for us, the men’s fashion director from Neiman Marcus, Colby McWilliams, stopped by San Francisco a couple of weeks ago to tell us all about the trends for the spring season. Dressed in Thom Browne and having a stylish drawl of a southern gentleman, he broke down six trends for the men:

Soft jackets: “I really like to focus on jackets when talking to customers,” says McWilliams. “So many people travel and I think everybody should travel with a great navy jacket, neutral jacket or something that’s very soft. You can wear it in so many different ways and it’s versatile for work and going out.”

I have a soft jacket, but I always carry some sort of murse with me – and it’s not always becoming of an outfit. You don’t want to go to a black tie event and show up with a sporty messenger bag strapped on your back. McWilliams says that soft functional jackets are the way to go. “There’s pockets to put your cell phone, Blackberry and all your stuff – that’s a great plus. Not everyone wants to carry a bag – especially at night. It can be any kind of jacket. It can be a soft, lightweight leather, military or sportswear.”

Fashion sneakers: I’m not a big fan of sneakers. Besides my failsafe classic white Jack Purcell Converse kicks and my gym shoes, I am always wearing a pair of dress shoes or boots – but McWilliams may have swayed my choice of footwear.

“There’s lots of examples in (the Neiman Marcus book) where we take sneakers and put it with different things,” points out McWilliams. “Put them with a suit – it’s very comfortable. It’s a cool way to dress.”

His personal favorites?  “I love the Prada and Gucci sneaker. The Gucci gives you a pop of color. The other from Prada is conservative.  It’s a dressier sneaker.”

Speaking of pops of color, that brings us to trends number three and four: color and neutral shades. McWilliams suggests that if you take your neutral shades like black, brown or khaki and add yellow, red, blue or something that “pops,” it gives you an individual style. “It’s very cool and comfortable for summer,” he says.

Colby knows fashion!
 

Going retro is definitely an in-vogue thing with the masses. For men, retro sunglasses (you can never go wrong with Gucci) are a must have. Ironically, something retro can make an old outfit look modern. “You can take something you already and update it with a pair of retro sunglasses,” says McWilliams. “It makes it look current.”

McWilliams also sees that the trouser silhouette is becoming slimmer, and in turn, straight-leg jeans is something that men should have in their closet.

“We go for something that’s more understandable for more men,” he says “Straight-leg denim –not slim denim. Straight-leg denim is something you can put in your wardrobe and it looks cool, new and modern – especially if you wear jeans all the time.”

…just be sure you don’t go too skinny.

“If you put them on and their so tight that you’re not comfortable, you’re going to be self-conscious,” he says. “I think people today are more exact when they shop about what they are buying, where they are going to wear it and how are they going to wear it with other things. I think it’s really important to think about what you are buying.”

McWilliams says there are a lot of Hollywood men that are templates of style for those guys who need a little inspiration. He loves how Brad Pitt has embraced Tom Ford and he likes the fact that the younger generation, like the Jonas Brothers are not outrageous, but understandable with their hip style.

As for modern-day icons, he thinks there’s one dude that guys should study. “Anytime you see George Clooney, he is the epitome of how real every man should look.”

These may be trends for 2009, but McWilliams stresses that there is one trend that will never go out of style.

“Most men don’t realize that clothes can make you younger and fitter if they are tailored properly,” he says.

He also says that there is a method for all those shopping-impaired men out there. “If you know where you’re going to go shopping, it’s important to let a sales associate that you are coming. It’s good to set an appointment with a professional that can take the time to spend with you. Give them ideas in what you need so they can put it together. You wouldn’t think about doing a portfolio plan with an investment company and not give them notice that you’re coming. It’s kind of the same thing.”

And for all those women out there who want to dress their stubborn significant others, McWilliams shares a good trick of the trade.

“Don’t tell them what you are putting on them,” he smiles. “Put something new on them. Don’t point out their wrongdoings. Show them how they would look in something more flattering. It works every time.”

For more on the six trends for men visit NeimanMarcus.com.