THIS autumn, the fashion message for men is tres simple : chill out, fellas. No one has to be a fashion slave. And no one has to toss out his wardrobe to look with-it.
Add a vest, a bomber jacket or a half-coat for those chilly trips to Beijing, say a handful of designers, who realise the grunge look will never replace Savile Row in the boardroom.
While CEOs may not be ready or willing for a Versace colour fix at the annual shareholders' meeting, there is room for improvement in the casual wear.
''Some Hong Kong men are well-dressed. But a lot of them still have an old mind,'' believes Eldy Pang. ''They spend a lot on a tailored suit to show off their 'high-class look'. But they consider anything trendy or casual not a good investment. They dress pretty dull.'' Pang hopes to change the mind-set with a loose-cut, cotton or linen jacket in earthy tones worn over worker jeans.
For inspiration, another designer looks to the classics. ''This is my third year doing the bomber jacket. But why not? It's a classic,'' says Mickey Lee.
This year he has updated it by changing the fabric to fit Hong Kong's climate and lifestyle.
''Since the weather isn't cold, I've used a quilted nylon twill [a combination of nylon and cotton] in black. Black is always a saleable colour and it goes great with denim.'' Twill also travels well, a factor important to his clients. ''Travellers need something light, but warm, especially businessmen going to China.'' His unisex bomber jacket features a thick front zipper, ribbed collar and cuffs. Pockets are zippered or flap style. ''I prefer zippered ones,'' continues Lee. ''Since men don't carry hand-bags, you can put keys, wallets and small items in there and feelsafe. '' The retail range of the jacket for Puma is between $450 to $500.