Menswear and the Cabana Suit | EP 51

Oh, Pool Boy! We are talking summer menswear this week, and we have one burning question: Is the Cabana Suit back? What the hell is a cabana suit, anyway?

Jump into the deep end with us, as we unpack the recent resurrection of retro, mid-century era matching short sets for men. Why you say? Well, we don’t really know, except that they are showing up on men everywhere, from Bruno Mars to NBA stars and beyond.

The Wall Street Journal recently covered this phenomenon in a recent article called “Cabana Suits: The Summer Outfit of Choice for NBA Stars and Honeymooners,” where the first line threw us for a loop:

“Guys are suiting up in quirkily printed cabana sets to inject some summer frivolity into their warm-weather wardrobes.”

We dive into the Who, What, Where and WHYYYYYY?

Picture James Bond with his toned and tanned manly figure in a wildly printed or striped short-sleeve camp shirt (unbuttoned all the way, of course) over matching swim shorts. He has a martini in his hand on a boat in the French Riviera, and DAMMIT, he is sexy!

Hop forward half a century, and we are not so sure it works for today’s man. We’ve posted photos on social so you can join in on the debate: Hot or Not? 

We swim all around the styles men should and should not wear this summer. It’s a Summer Hot Mess Express, and you need to jump on.

Did Nolan really say he’d be up for wearing an Orlebar Brown terrycloth man romper? Yes, yes he did. He also notes, again, that spending $300 on a men’s bathing suit makes him CRAZY! No matter how beautiful they are.  

Of course, the debate goes off track entirely to discuss a men’s Balmain pea coat, just because Holly and Nolan fell in love with one. From summer wardrobes and winter coats to recent fashion finds at Bergdorf, and to whether or not Nolan can truly commit to the Cabana Suit - it’s a swimmingly good time on the Fashion Crimes Podcast this week! 

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:54] “Hey, hey, hey everyone what is going on? Thank you for tuning in to the Fashion Crimes Podcast. I am your favorite personal stylist Holly Katz, and I'm here with you today. We are discussing men's wear today. And of course, this is certainly an area of expertise for my stylist, my bestie, my confidant, my rock, personal stylist, celebrity stylist, end all, be all, best gay: Mr. Nolan Meader!”

[1:57] “And I just want to say that, you know, if your husband looks bad, I always say that's your fault, not your fault, but the wives’ fault, because they don't know how to guide their husbands.”

[3:29] “When you're dressing in dad mode: khaki pants, cargo shorts, fucking Crocs, Berks, Converse, you know, whacked-out polos that, you know, polos that with the rib collar? Just no, you know what I'm saying?”

[5:09] “On the topic of the… what are they? What are you calling them? Oh, anyway, I've seen the Dior ones and they're like monogram oblique print and it's all silk. And I'm like, why would you want it to be total silk? No, I don't feel like anybody looks good and silk. Really? Unless you're six foot tall, blonde, Russian girl!”

[6:14] “So I know this is like a Bruno Mars thing because he's been wearing these for years. But like he can pull it off. Right? I think it's like if you're a celebrity, you know, you can pull it off. But I just think it's interesting because it's actually a style from the 60s that's coming back.”

[6:32] “But in the old days, I think it's Orlebar Brown did all the bathing suits for James Bond movies. And, they brought back a thing, there was a man romper. Essentially, one of them from the 60s, it was like a terry cloth, beachy-thing, and they just brought it back and did a reissue of it, which was actually very cute.”

[12:56] “Anyway, I don't put money in like, a (swim) suit. I don't give a shit about putting money in a bathing suit.”

[15:59] “I was in Bergdorf Goodman last week with a couple of friends. And, you know, we had a couple of drinks. You know, we boarded the martini train, as I like to say, and we go to the Chanel department.”

[17:54] “But, what is so interesting about it, is it's the cut of it. It is very, I mean, it's kind-of tailored, but the way the lapels are, they're very square. And then at the top, they're very sharp and the top cuts across the chest and goes into a black hood. It's like a slouchy hood, like Gucci hood. So it's a super tailored fabulous jacket, with this like slouchy, mushy like hood. I'm into it. It's a fabulous coat.”

[26:23] “It's undecided if I find one, I mean actually no, quick side note, Louis Vuitton did friends in New York and one came in a cabana suit. He was wearing the watercolor shirt from the cabana suit and I literally ripped it off of his body and wore it for like an hour and a half.”

[27:37] “So, what IS the shoe of choice to wear to the pool, for men?

[30:06] “Thank you so much for listening. If you have any menswear questions, hit us up. If your husband looks like ass, let us know. If you know someone who needs help - your brother, your cousin, your neighbor - hit us up. We're full of useless information.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Many men’s brands, at various price points, have brought back retro matching short sets for men. The upside of the new trend? They are colorful, a bit dressy, and fun addition to your wardrobe. The downside? Many are made of silk, which makes no sense for summer weather, and some designs are too outrageous (and pricey!) for anyone other than celebrities and sports stars. 
• Even though summer weather is hot and sticky, men do not need to dress like slobs. Skip the cargo shorts and old shirts. Cool, comfortable and stylish alternatives for updating your wardrobe are easy and simple to find. 
• Our co-hosts (and professional stylists) are truly here to offer a variety of helpful fashion insights on the dos and don’ts of what to wear – in the most lovingly way possible! But we can’t promise they won’t roll their eyes, or use lots of swear words.

Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/matching-sets-why-zany-patterned-shirts-and-shorts-are-everywhere-11626803565

Orlebar Brown: https://www.orlebarbrown.com/us/?gclid=CjwKCAjwo4mIBhBsEiwAKgzXOEWasZv1YRDXJ4wfMvOTFfi_WC64ZTsFFyM0jT_3nJPVEh2dqNgWgxoC780QAvD_BwE

Louis Vuitton: https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/products/multicolor-watercolor-shirt-nvprod2790069v

Balmain: https://www.balmain.com/gb/ready-to-wear-coat-black-wool-hooded-pea-coat-with-double-breasted-silver-tone-buttoned-fastening_cod12520272iq.html?dept=ctstrwr

SWIMS: https://swims.com/collections/sneakers

 

QUOTES:

“But it just really means that you're dressing too old. And it's because you don't know what to do, and you don't care enough to try to figure it out.” – Holly Katz

"I mean, Nolan, to see you in a terry cloth man romper? I would love that. That would give me life. I'm just saying: That. Would. Give. Me. Life!” – Holly Katz

“If you're someone my age, right, I don't have unlimited income to buy whatever I want all the time. So, my thought is, I need to put my money into things that I get the most enjoyment out of, which for me, are bags and shoes, and coats. For you, that’s shoes. Shoes are your kryptonite.” – Nolan Meader