SELECTIONS from UR OUT | MAY 2008 | archives: last issue
FASHION FORWARD
Local trendsetters help gays bring their A-game
by Don Baiocchi
Brace yourself, gay men of Chicago: Sartorially speaking, we are not living up to our potential. "I feel like gay men in Chicago are constantly trying to emulate the jocks who tortured them in high school. Enough with the bad baseball hats and Abercrombie outfits," explains Lance Lawson, co-owner of popular boutique Jake (3720 N. Southport, 773-929-5253; 939 N. Rush, 312-664-5553). "Gay men are considered creative icons, and you would never know it glancing around the bars in Boystown. I wish our community here could find its fashion identity."
Ouch. But before you slam down this mag in a huff, know that if tough love can work for Britney, it can work for us, too. We talked to Lawson and other local menswear trendsetters on new summer trends.
Lighten up
Dark-wash denim is still stylish, but it can feel too heavy for summer. "This season our guy is loving lighter, beach-washed jeans," Lawson explains. Brad Habansky, owner of Guise|Chic (2128 N. Halsted, 773-929-6101), agrees. "Light jeans [are in]," he says. "Simon Miller does great light washes."
Embrace the brighter side
"This summer, bright colors are in more than ever," says Habansky. "I think everyone is sick of wearing black and gray." Ralph Fasano, co-owner of His Stuff (3162 N. Broadway, 773-281-6111; 5314 N. Clark, 773-989-9111), has suggestions for those of us who'd rather not don unflattering colors just to be seasonal. "If you look better in cool blues, army greens or burgundies, these all come in sun-bleached pastel colors for the summer," he explains.
Mix it up
Men's clothing options don't vary too much, but try to expand beyond T-shirts and cargos. Habansky has two suggestions: "Dress shorts [with a slimmer leg] are nice enough to wear out at night with a nice shirt. [They're] a replacement for dress pants," he explains. "And a dress sweatshirt or hoodie has nicer fabric, a slimmer cut and is dressy enough to wear over a button-down shirt."
Simplify, simplify, simplify
Keep accessories easy. "If I had to pick one thing gay men do more than straight men,
I would say they over-accessorize and tend to over-do their outfits," says Habansky. Instead, he suggests dog tags and rugged messenger bags such as those by Property Of. "Thick leather wristbands are out," advises Fasano. Lawson agrees with a minimalist approach. "Key accessories
for men are cool sunglasses, the best
watch your budget allows and a chic bag," he notes.
Don't clock out when clocking in
It's easy to settle into a rut of dress pants and blue button-downs, but summer
offers a chance to update classics with modern twists. Fasano recommends trying a short-sleeved, tapered button-down
or Hugo Boss's new part denim-part linen pants. Habansky recommends khaki suits, blue pants (try Rag & Bone) or khaki
linen pants. "There is a return to a great khaki with a bit of a wide leg and luxe fabrication," Lawson says.
Accept the cargo embargo
Cargo shorts are unanimously over. "So two years ago," Fasano says. "A dead trend," Lawson agrees. "No more cargos!" Habansky pleads. Plaid, striped or checked shorts are in. Jean shorts, however, inspire extreme reactions. Fasano is all for them, but Habansky and Lawson do not mince words. "‘Cool jean shorts' is an oxymoron," Habansky says. "I can't think of an instance where jean shorts look anything less than totally tragic," Lawson adds. Point taken.
So maybe Chicago gays have been slacking off in the past (not you, you're fine, we're talking about other guys). With a
little extra effort, this summer we can show just how hot we are.
This is a sampling from the section in the current magazine - to read it all, download a PDF or pick up a hard copy of UR Chicago
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