Menswear is Boring | Subtle Moves (like a creep on a dance floor) | Your Valet Should Know

I spent this afternoon combing through the menswear sections of nearly all of Seattle's finest clothiers. You see, for research purposes (and because I need a job and am considering selling other designer's duds as a quick fix) I thought it would be a good idea to hit up Mario's, Butch Blum, Nordstrom, Macy's, David Lawrence, Brooks Brothers, Kenneth Cole and Barney's to see what they had on the racks. I found very little variety. Like I had feared, the color palette in the spaces rarely extended beyond grey and black were it not for rows of neckties and pocket squares, or the womenswear in my periphery.

Luckily, the things I fondled were beautifully made and proved once again that though the immediate hit of typical high end men's fashion rarely feels like a bold maneuver, it is in fact more solid in form, shape, structure and history than most women's clothing. Gents have had a solid approach that they trust, and I admire and appreciate that.

My brain immediately started projecting the embellishment and decoration of the women's pieces onto the men's...a certain aesthetic gender blending that seemed to, in my mind at least, make for more exciting pieces. But, now that I consider myself a designer, I suppose it makes sense that I'd be toting around this "I would do it differently" attitude.

But I need to know, boys: What do you want? Do you ever find yourselves jealous of the color and variety present in women's clothing? Would a well placed ruffle or embroidered piece ever have a home in your chest of drawers? What would you do with color if you had every tint and shade at your fingertips? What would your valet say if your skirted frock coat were now lavender and tailored to be fuller, with a bit more flounce?