Perry Ellis Goes Relaxed for Spring / Summer 2017

Perry Ellis released their Spring / Summer 2017 collection in New York last week featuring a runway of looks ranging from Williamsburg street to Boca bridge club. It is an appropriate range for a brand that is synonymous with classic American menswear but in recent years has been pushing the envelope into more debonair territory, and I was happy to partner with them for NYFWM.

This season Perry Ellis envisioned a man that is laid back, unstressed, not in a rush to get anywhere. Maybe he’s basking in the golden years of retirement, reading the paper on his sun lounger dressed in the show’s final look: a blue polyester-looking leisure suit. Or maybe he’s one of the new young creative class, a digital nomad whose life affords a different kind of leisure: one where boxy shorts and a tropical printed satin bomber jacket are perfect for catching an overnight bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani.

Images via fashiontimes.com / courtesy of Elli Schmidt

Here is an array of looks that transcend age – this is about a mentality, a life style that values leisure above labor. Fit, especially in trousers and shorts, is relaxed – there’s nothing up tight about these looks. The tropical floral motifs, both as digital prints on shirting and as embroidered appliqué details on jackets inspire a sentiment of vacation. One model in a Sopranos-esque zip up nylon shirt actually carried a duffle –he could have been headed for a weekend at Big Sur.

Some of my favorite trend takeaways from this season were the drop crotch boxy shorts, which feel modern and new, shirts tied around the waist and espadrilles paired with everything.

I wore an iridescent waffle weave suit from their current signature collection that changes color depending on the light, subtly shifting from green to purple. The matching trousers are a wider fit than I typically wear, but one could easily get used to the extra room and movement they afford. In keeping with the casual vibe of the collection, I paired this suit with a luxe crew neck t-shirt and Birkenstocks for my take on laid back suiting.

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