Nautica Men’s SS2011: The Guests

For men in particular, a lot of sportswear seems to be aspirational. You can dream of that Slim Aarons way of life without stepping foot in many of the locales if you just dress the part. So the job of selling that dream to the public comes down to these editors, buyers and taste makers that attended the show.

Patrick McDonald may not seem like the prototypical coverboy for Nautica, but he has always had a flair for taking traditional menswear and giving it a spin that’s distinctly his own – here with a conservative three-piece suit mixed with purple suede shoes and an oversize gray fedora.

I am happy that men are rediscovering suits. Thanks, “Mad Men.”

On the right, love his American-Euro mashup of sportswear: gingham shirt and patched jeans mixed with velvet slippers and a monogrammed Goyard bag.

And of course, no trip to a Nautica show would be complete without nautical stripes – a fashion classic.

A great foray into color with this striped flared jacket. Also note the black loafers – these are going to be really big for fall, especially Alexander Wang’s version.

From what I could tell, this girl had no affiliation with the Nautica show – she was just parking her sweet Bianchi bike in Lincoln Plaza. But her look perfectly sums up their brand of casual American sportswear.

Shoes as the pop of color: it’s not just a trend for women. Love how he matches his blue suede shoes to the tie, too.

I die for this army-green featherweight cape. It’s part military trend, part French Lieutenant’s Woman.