It’s the last Friday of the month again. Which means Vol. 2 of my N’East Illustrated for Well Spent series is now live on the WS site. Head over to check out illustrations of Choctaw Ridge, Schott x Supreme, Freeman Seattle, Billy Reid and a stylish older gentleman.
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I’ve been a huge fan of Billy Reid for the past few years. He continued to impress with his menswear, and his womenswear consistently gets better and better. This year’s fall collection is his best yet. Mr. Reid took inspiration from the southern gentleman or lady who had traveled through Europe (specifically Paris and London), and had combined all their experiences into one killer wardrobe. Traditional silhouettes with perfect tailoring and a European sensibility were shaken up with a little American nonchalant styling and ruggedness. Noah Emrich took some amazing shots of the runway (my favorites are above) and you can find head to toe shots of the whole collection here.
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One of my favorite designers this past year has been Billy Reid, for men and for women. My love for the latter was reinforced when I saw the Fall/Winter 2011 collection at (capsule) women’s trade show this past Monday. Reid has successfully created a women’s line that is genuinely inspired by menswear withouth just imitating it. Adopting a menswear silhouette and refining it for the female form without losing the tailoring of menswear is harder than it sounds (and many designers fail at it). But Reid has really excelled at this with his women’s F/W ’11 collection by incorporating feminine details and perfecting fit. Billy Reid’s New York store director Spencer Singer was very kind and let me take some pictures while we chatted about fishing and shark jaws (my business card with my jaw illustration sparked the conversation). Singer selected a few stand out pieces that he thought would be most appreciated by N’East Style readers and were my favorites. Of course no surprise there. If you live in New England, you can’t say no to a camel colored moleskin field jacket. I really fell in love with this piece because it reminds me of the jackets my grandfather used to wear. Usually down to the bone. The moleskin is amazingly soft and gorgeous and I’m sure it will age beautifully with wear. The button-front wool dress is tailored to perfection and I’ll bet money that it’s the dress that every woman will look amazing in come Fall. The maroon, navy, and cream printed silk lining is a Billy Reid original design to boot. I’m secretly hoping they make a blouse with this fabric as it’s stunning in person. Finally, as far as I’m concerned, every man and woman should own a navy peacoat. Especially one that is constructed well enough to last at least a decade. Reid has designed one with a more slim and elegant cut that will be more flattering for women than the average peacoat. I especially love the leather detail at the back collar. Not pictured is the trench coat which is predicted as the real best seller of the season. To see photos, check out We Are The Market’s coverage here. And while you’re there check out their Q & A with Singer. I’m really looking forward to stopping by the Billy Reid store on Bond Street in New York when this collections hits. I think I’ll have to try everything on!
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Today is a good day. Not only is it friday (hallelujah!), but Levi’s Workwear by Billy Reid is now up for grabs. The pieces are well thought out, exceptionally crafted, and entirely original. My personal favorite is the Twill Hunting Coat. It reminds me of my grandfather’s barn coat that he wore down to the bones before it was passed down to me. The addition of the blacksmiths’ apron is ingenious and proof of Reid’s ability to think of innovative ways to reinvent the classics with style and practicality in mind. Check out the website to get the unique details of each piece.
Old school charm and class is back this fall and winter with the return of the 50′s full skirt. A welcome come back after too many seasons of teeny weeny skirts and tiny winy shorts, this shape brings a bit of glamor and elegance to a young lady’s wardrobe. Billy Reid does a great knife pleat in chambray, the perfect material to take you from summer to fall. Jones New York offers a beautiful flared wool version, styled with an adorable cropped cardigan in Vogue’s August issue.
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