Guest Post: Mikelle Street

For a few collections now unless you had the emorexic or entirely ripped body, your body type was not in for menswear. I, sadly, don’t fit into any of those categories. At a size 30 in the waist, I’m not big in the least, but as a former dancer/soccer player, my legs do not resemble twigs. So, when the fad of skinny jeans hit, I sighed. And when shorts started to hit around mid thigh, I shook my head. Although since that time I have just learned to come to terms with my body, I find that the collections shown for menswear in 2011 have come to terms with it as well.

The first name that I wish to bring to your attention is Raf Simons. Raf is known for creating silhouettes for men when no one else really pays attention to them. This season he brings the elephant trunk leg to the forefront. With each leg hidden, one can rarely tell whether my legs resemble twigs or… elephant trunks. It gives a very professional yet fashion forward look to the male, while covering any insecurities. Of course the pants could just as well be worn by women. 🙂

Songzio is also a line that carried with it pieces that covered some parts and flaunted others. For example, some bottoms were very baggy around the thighs, but clung like tights at the calf. With calfs of a sprinter, I love these pieces. They show off what I’m confident about while hiding what I’m not so comfortable with. With a boxer like influence, many of their pieces may be baggy in places like the arms, while showing off the chest (this may not be as acceptable for women lol).

Whereas a lot collections did show; those lines when they emerge may be out of our price ranges. They will undoubtedly filter down to us. These are just a few things that I will definitely keep in mind while searching for pieces to add to my wardrobe. A good investment piece is one that I can use to flatter what I like, while hide what I do not.

Photos are from The Fashionisto and Style.com