Are you ready for the 'male twinset'?
In the teeth of the UK’s temperamental weather, it might seem a tad early to be recognising one of the key summer trends, but the arrival of the blouson into even the most risk-averse male wardrobe is a multi-layered moment, both figuratively and practically.
Because whatever the dress code czars of the City might think, ‘gardening leave’ garb - or whatever else stands in place for properly ‘dressed down’ distinction these days - will no longer suffice.
Instead, it’s time for a return to ‘smart-casual’, albeit 21st century style. Here, the idea isn’t merely to relax the silhouette and entertain a few more brightly coloured elements, it’s to rethink what the ‘smart’ element really can be. And it’s evident from the catwalks that, in the clearest possible terms, the blouson is now a piece of fashion-forward tailoring to be re-purposed at will.
Close-fitting at the throat, waist and sometimes the wrists, the classic blouson grew out (as did much menswear) of military apparel – specifically the bomber jacket, an item that migrated post-war from lumbering, fur-lined examples in brown leather to the black nylon Ma-1 models beloved of Eighties B-boys and beyond.
Today, shorn of its lambswool collar and faux epaulettes, the bomber has taken off, even shedding its mod-era cotton construction to embrace luxe suede and cashmere.
Everyone from Veronique Nichanian at Hermès to Berluti’s Kris Van Assche has anointed the zip-up with high-fashion kudos, Ralph Lauren stylistically ‘staying home’ with a renewed focus on the related but sportier variant, the varsity jacket.
But Oliver Spencer has made perhaps the boldest leap forward in blouson terms with plush velvet examples to be worn with this season’s roomier, pleated trousers. Tight up top, tidily voluminous below, it’s a striking yet perfectly plausible silhouette with which to reinvigorate a sartorial stalwart.
Thus de-humbled, the state-of-the-art blouson is the new-season must-have – particularly when teamed with the all-conquering ‘sports dress’ crossover, the roll-neck, or, when and if in warmer climes, a buttoned-up polo. I’d wager when worn in either configuration, this particular outfit will shortly be dubbed the ‘male twinset’, so simple and yet appealing is this close-cropped yet relaxed approach to mid-season layering.
And don’t be put off by any legacy issues either: together, svelte knitwear and a cannily-sized blouson (strong across the shoulders but nipped tight and high at the waist) represents an attractive alternative to traditionally tailored options.
Bill Prince is the deputy editor of British GQ
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