The inevitability of progress stimulates, as when entering into the eclectic house of an artist. Never subject to rules, new aesthetics flow throughout the collection, conveying a feeling of unsentimental refined street dandyism.

SINGULARITY. An independent spirit and visible good taste epitomises the portrait of the cultured street dandy. A touch of irony and personal eccentricity is a visual device, not a way of life.

DESIGN. Sophisticated sharpness penetrates through the solid tailoring background. Street art prints harmoniously synthesise the aesthetic to create a refined urban backdrop. The ‘Giacca Doppia’ debuts for summer, reinventing tailoring with a deconstructed double layer.

SHAPE. Tall, lean and slender proportions are shaped to be graphically masculine. Raw edge tailcoats and sleeveless jackets with clean yet soft necklines are paired with narrow trousers elongating the silhouette. Jackets with multiple layered pockets and trench suits emphasise the waist and enhance the shoulder proportion.

MATERIALS. An invigorating thrill resonates through all the fabrics and materials, miraculously light and compact. Fresh touch cottons, tussah, translucent silks and oversize striped suitings portray a effortlessly breezy air. Kangaroo leathers, ultra-light suedes and linen satins are all strikingly weightless while conveying a sense of inner strength and fortitude.

COLORS. From modern painters to graffiti artists without yielding to any nostalgia. The palette playfully juxtaposes a mix of stripes and contrasting colors, with opaque and shiny finishes. Shades of blue reign supreme, from navy to ink to royal. Discrete tones of natural whites and concretes compact and blur into lilacs.

ACCESSORIES. Distressed raffia top hats give a mercurial twist to the aesthetic. Soft and romantic leather highlights uplift travel bags, belts and bi-color boots. Eccentric coin chains and revolutionary rever scarves confirm the intellectual and fun character of the collection.

“Derived from diverse street dandy sources, Z Zegna is an independent projection of style and look. A touch of personal eccentricity and refinement define the spirit of the Summer collection.”  Alessandro Sartori, Z Zegna Creative Director.

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Some people view shoes as practical necessities, while others have a shoe obsession. Most people probably land somewhere in between. This article provides some basic but useful rules for men to choose shoes.

General rules:

1. Try to pick a shoe that matches, or is darker than your pants.
2. Although it is a safe bet, socks do not need to match your shoes. Instead, think of your socks as you would a tie – an item that can bring bring the whole outfit together.
3. If wearing a belt, try to match your shoes to it, unless of course, your belt is some multi-colored striped thing.

Men’s Shoes for Jeans
You can wear almost any color or style of shoe with jeans, but avoid very shiny shoes that were obviously intended for more dressier outfits.  Boots, lug soles, sneakers, loafers and sandals all work great with jeans, so you may find it helpful to let the style of your shirt guide you.  For example, a sporty, polo shirt might work with a loafer; t-shirts go well with sneakers or retro-style shoes; long, artsy button-downs work well with sandals or contemporary styles.

Men’s Shoes for Casual Pants
Whether you call them Dockers, chinos, or khakis, there are a variety of loafers, oxford and other men’s shoes that work well with casual pants.  Let the ornamentation and style of the shoe guide you towards the look you’re trying to achieve.  For example, a tassle or a buckle is a little more on the dressy side, while a woven pattern or heavy stitching is a little more on the casual side.

Men’s Shoes for Dress Pants
With dress pants, shoot for the same type of shoe that you might wear with a suit. Shinier materials usually indicate a dressier shoe, as do less bulky heels and soles. Choose a shoe that is the same color or darker than your pants, and if wearing a belt, match your shoes to it.

Color Matching for Men’s Shoes

1. Black shoes work well with navy, grey or black pants.
2. Brown shoes are best suited to tan, brown, beige, greens, other darker earth tones.
3. Burgundy shoes work well with khaki, lighter browns, blue and grey.
4. Tan shoes look great with lighter earth tones, blue, beige, lighter tan or white.

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Ermenegildo Zegna, this Italian brand’s can make you like a real gentleman.  Cutting of their suits are so nice, and I deadly love them.  Men, consider it.

Here is the Zegna’s fashion show video:

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1. The Gray Suit

Think of it as the anchor of your business wardrobe—strong, elegant, and always appropriate, whether you’re interviewing for your first job or addressing the shareholders at your last. A gray suit looks sharp and clean with a white, soft blue, or light pink shirt but is versatile enough that it’ll go with just about anything. Any shade will do, but we recommend a medium gray, like the one this gentleman is wearing. Click on the NEXT button below for the season’s best gray suits, in three price points.

Suit, $1,705, by Jil Sander. Shirt, $250, and tie, $115, by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Shoes, $595, by J.M. Weston. Cuff links by Montblanc.

2. The Solid Navy Suit

You can’t go wrong here. A navy suit is always a safe, classic choice, and it travels seamlessly from the boardroom to an evening out. It lends itself well to almost any shirt-and-tie combination, but to up the elegance factor, pair it with a crisp white shirt, a dark solid tie, and a pocket square (think Cary Grant).

Suit, $945, by D&G. Shirt, $295, by Versace Collection. Tie, $98, by Emporio Armani. Shoes, $595, by Tod’s. Watch by Rolex.

3. The Solid Black Suit

It used to be that a black suit wasn’t a safe choice for the office, but these days it’s a staple. Just make sure yours is cut on the slim side and fits correctly. (However you feel about your job, you don’t want to look like you work in a funeral home.)  Anyway, black suit is the most common one in Hong Kong.

Suit, $3,295, by Giorgio Armani. Shirt, $475, by Giorgio Armani. Tie, $125, by Band of Outsiders.

4. The Pin-Striped Navy Suit

A cool classic that exudes confidence. You can anchor it with a solid shirt and tie or get adventurous— mixed it with a striped shirt and a striped tie. Just keep the components within one basic-color family and make sure that the stripes of the suit, shirt, and tie aren’t too close in scale; one of the patterns should be bold and the other two more muted.

Suit, $1,590, by Etro. Shirt, $59, by Tommy Hilfiger. Tie, $98, by Emporio Armani.

5. The Khaki Cotton Suit

A business wardrobe might consist mostly of dark suits, but spring and summer give you the chance to lighten up (literally). Do it in style with a khaki cotton suit. Pair it with a solid (blue, white, or pink) shirt and a dark tie for the office, then loosen it up (e.g., lose the tie and socks) for an evening out.

Suit, $1,550, by Dolce & Gabbana. Shirt, $355, by Dsquared. Tie, $100, by Burberry London. Shoes, $895, by Martin Dingman. Watch by Rolex.

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Emporio Armani hosted 2010 Men fashion show in Milan on Jan 16, 2010.  Following are the fashion show’s’ video.  It also has Emporio Armani’s ladies fashion show video.

Men Fashion Show Part 1:

Men Fashion Show Part 2:

Ladies Fashion Show:

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Fashion always involves some investment. Fortunately, it’s not an expense that you have to incur very frequently, especially if you subscribe to the quality over quantity principle. 2010 is bound to bring with it a whole year’s worth of new trends in men’s style, which likely means a purchase or two down the road. Spotting these trends ahead, however, lets you buy all the key items early on, before they’re so popular, and so expensive.

Plastic Watch
Since men’s fashion is all about heritage, tradition and quality, it might seem strange that plastic would get recommended for an item that’s usually done in precious metals. This year, however, you just might be seeing a shift in public attitudes toward plastic watches.

Plastic timepieces are largely restricted to a young, prepubescent audience that’s fond of bright colors and cheap goods. Your segment of the market, however, isn’t always averse to such things; it looks like bright colors will be an upcoming trend in the spring, while few men are against buying inexpensive fashion. Plastic watches might not be a long term commitment, but they’re worth buying for the next year or so.

What’s not to like about them (besides the material)? They’re functional. They’re fun. And with manufacturers like Nixon selling them for less than $100 a pop, they offer pretty good value for money. If you want a quick style piece that adds a jolt of color, this is it. Throw it on over any casual outfit or to give shock value to your usual office attire.

Structured Leather Bag
Men’s luggage is one segment of the market that’s been changing quite a lot these past couple of years – fairly rapid, all things considered. From artisanal leather to outdoorsy canvas, trends in bags have been coming hard and fast. The next movement looks like it’s in the direction of luxurious leather bags that have some structure to them.

As financial problems forced everyone – including the fashion industry – to go back to the basics, so did the design perspective on bags. But since there’s a near consensus on how stuffy the traditional old briefcase is, a less rigid (but still structured) replacement was in order. Look for ones that have a defined rectangular shape, but aren’t necessarily rigid all throughout so that you avoid the look of the ancestral briefcase.

Choose it like you would any other item for work. That is, minimize external detailing and prioritize function over form. Aim for a bag that’s as simple as possible, yet can accommodate all of the things you need for work at the same time.

Three-Piece Suit
A new year might not seem like significant cause to buy yourself a new suit, but a three-piece job is always a good buy – regardless of the time of year – if you don’t already have one. It’s an even better idea now that it’s turning out to be such a major fashion trend.

Throwing a vest into the standard two-piece mix has its advantages. First of all, it adds some definition and shape to your midsection, thanks to the support of the vest. From a practical standpoint, it lets you look sharp and dapper even when you’ve ditched your jacket – something you’re wont to do anyway. At the same time, you get to adopt a much more mature and traditional look, without necessarily looking stuffy if the suit’s cut right.

A three-piece suit in black can seem much too imposing even for the highest officers in the office. Pick one up in navy or gray instead so that you don’t end up like you meant to dress up for an opera gala. Chalk or pin stripes should also help lighten the mood of your suit. Wear it like you would your two piece suit, only make an extra effort to pick a tie that stands out to balance the visual real estate of the suit itself.

Quality should be a constant factor in all your fashion purchases. Remember that these are investments and not mere expenses, so you’ve also got to think about whether the items can last at least a few years of service.

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