Playboy's Spring And Summer Fashion Forecast

Fashion is a lot like music these days: No one style dominates. And in the same way that many are stocking their record libraries with a cross section of music modes, it makes sense to think about stocking your wardrobe with a cross section of styles. Why should a taste for the classics preclude an appreciation of jazz, pop, rock, reggae or any other type you care to name? It will doubtless be to the despair of some if this turns out to be the eclectic Eighties (fads and trends become so much harder to predict and capitalize upon), but from our point of view, it is encouraging evidence of fashion sophistication. Ever since the so-called peacock revolution of the late Sixties, we have heralded the movement away from uniformity and championed individualism in dress. It seems to us that now there is a more mature attitude than rejecting the old (as in the aforementioned times when not just natural-shoulder but all suits were eschewed in favor of jeans) for the latest, new uniform. Today, more men are refusing to be typed by peer pressure or designer dictates. Rather, there is an open-minded willingness to examine and select styles from the multitude of directions that abound. Whether it's the natural-shoulder stylings of an Alexander Julian or a Jeffrey Banks or the more squared-off "European" suitings of a Macintosh or a Cardin, today's man is willing to consider them all for the mix of his wardrobe. In fact, if you take a close look at the seven outfits we've selected for our forecast, you will note that while the items range widely in levels of formality and attitude, there are an incredible number of outfits possible by interchanging their elements. And that is the key to men's fashion today: From a relatively small wardrobe (and the styles here could practically make up an entire summer selection), a much larger number of handsome looks can easily be put together. No more Johnny One Note.