Short-Cut Jackets

Montreal-based designer Philippe Dubuc has been making men’s clothing since 1993. Dubuc’s collections, and his famous slim-fit suits in particular, have earned him international renown, a regular display spot at Paris Fashion Week, and a client list that includes David Bowie. Dubuc will be opening his first European boutique in Brussels in fall 2008.

AskMen.com sat down with Philippe Dubuc to discuss his upcoming collection and fashion tips for men.
Dubuc fall 2008 collection
I consider our collection to be ultra-modern. Nothing about it is retro; it’s very much modern and sleek. We’ve kept a silhouette that’s very thin and filiform, with lines that are very graphic but very refined. Our materials are very urban. The textures that we find in our materials are the textures that we find in the city landscape, textures that evoke rocks and minerals and excavated earth. I also work a lot on mixing my materials and working the fabrics -- twisting them, washing them so as to give them a worn-in feeling, without giving them the appearance of being used. There’s a way of working the material so as to make it look as if it has lived. And I think that lends a certain nonchalance to a style which is otherwise very precise.
2008 men's fashion
Even if I myself don’t work with a lot of color, I think that there are a lot of colors that are coming in the next season. We’re seeing a lot of it in women’s fashion right now, and often what happens in women’s fashion we can find recurring in men’s fashion. So I think there will be an explosion of color in men’s fashion coming.

I stay within a very neutral color palette, because working with neutral colors allows for a more creative style. You can’t style too creatively with wild colors because it gets to be too much. The creation of clothing is always a question of balance and proportion. You’re always asking yourself, “Is this enough?” or “Is this too much?”

In designing a collection, everything should blend together into a single look. If you look at our men’s collection, you’ll see a look that’s very urban and very architectural. If you look at another creator’s men’s collection, you’ll find a different spirit.

Another trend we see in men’s fashion is that there is a lot of creativity with materials. And there is a lot of cotton on the market now, and not just in sportswear. In the high-end, sophisticated collections we see cotton that moves with the body, that has its own life. These are clothes that we don’t just put on. They take our form -- like jeans.

We’re also seeing the infusion of sportswear into high-end, and that’s here to stay. That’s not going anywhere. Mixing suits and sportswear, like wearing a suit jacket with jeans, may be relatively new, but now it’s here to stay.

How about trends in suits specifically?

Suits have changed in the same way that men have changed. I don’t think that oversized suits will ever come back. Men today are proud to show their bodies; it wasn’t always like that. And when it comes to suits, that means ultra-slim. Of course, you have to be slim to wear an ultra-slim suit! And that’s a problem for some men.

There are two schools of thought regarding suits today, and two ensuing types of suits. There’s the very slick, graphic suit, and then there’s the slouchier suit. With the slouchier suits, the jackets are cut much longer, the materials are much more deconstructed and the pants are much more ample. This all lends the suit movement.

But in general, the new urban suit, the new “banker suit,” is a slim suit. It has narrow lapels, the pants are very slim, the shoulders are very cut with no padding, and a lot of attention has been paid to the details. It’s a very natural look, but one that follows a very straight line. And this is the silhouette that we favor at Dubuc.

Suits have come to be associated with a certain formality, but plenty of young men are now reacting against that. Today you’ll see guys going out directly from work for a cocktail in the evening without feeling the need to go home to change first.
Male fashion mistakes
What are the most common male fashion mistakes?

I think sometimes it’s just trying too hard. But this is a mistake that we see women making more than men -- trying too hard to be too fashionable. Women are very label-oriented.

For men, pants are worn much longer now, and too often I see men with pants hemmed too short. And that isn’t pretty to see; it has the effect of cutting the leg.

Another mistake that bigger men are guilty of is wearing oversized clothes in an attempt to camouflage their weight. I think this is a mistake. You shouldn’t try to augment the volume on you. Even if you’re big, you shouldn’t be scared of wearing a nice, fitted but relaxed suit.

Most important men's clothing item

What are the most important garments in a man’s wardrobe?

I’d say the most important garments for men to own are dark-denim jeans, a white shirt, a black suit, cuff links for the shirt, a black crewneck, and a black tie. This is my clothes package for the fashion beginner. And you need two pairs of shoes: a pair of slick, black leather shoes, and a running shoe.

This package will see you through a full week of travel, even business travel. Let’s say on day 1 you have a corporate meeting: You wear the black suit, the white shirt and the black tie. Day 2, you wear the white shirt, the jeans, and the running shoes. And that gives you a bit more of a contemporary look. Day 3, you’re going to wear the white shirt with the black shoes and the black pants. Day 4, you’re going to wear the jeans with the crewneck. Day 5, you can wear the white shirt with the jeans and the black suit jacket.

It’s OK to wear the shirt twice because you’re allowed to wear a white shirt twice. But after wearing it twice you have to have it cleaned.

Fashion resources

What are some resources that all guys can use to improve their fashion knowledge?

I think that designer stores and boutiques are important resources. For men who don’t know fashion well and aren’t very accustomed to shopping, I always suggest to go into a small, independent boutique store where they’ll find more specialized service. Going into a department store, you really need to know what you want. In department stores it’s more of an independent shopping experience because we’re usually left to ourselves. And sometimes this is fine; not all men want to go shopping in designer stores! But for those men who don’t know much about fashion, they can put trust in the professional salespeople that they’ll find in designer stores. The salespeople aren’t just there to sell or to hit a quota; they’re there to satisfy the customer.

Best fashion city

I think London is the best fashion city for men. Why London? Because I think the Savile Row look is a typically English one; because James Bond has been in men’s minds for a long time, and all men are a bit inspired by him; and because the British man has come to really represent elegance. London is also a very edgy city, and I think it’s easy to identify with the Brit pop look. I think everyone finds Brit pop cool.

Is there more variety in men’s fashion now?
Yes, there’s definitely more choice. We started Dubuc 12 years ago, and at that time, men’s fashion wasn’t at all what it is today. Today, men have much more choice. There has been a very recognizable evolution over the past 15 years, both in terms of the styles that men wear and in terms of a greater open-mindedness.

We see it often today, young men around 25 years of age who aren’t afraid of being very fashionable. There are more and more fashion ads for men and big cosmetics companies are really pushing masculine beauty. More men are going to the gym and more young men want to present a better appearance. It’s largely a question of rhythm. We become accustomed to seeing other men doing it, and we get more comfortable with it.

Best male fashion era

When was the best time for men’s fashion?

Today. I really like the influence of sportswear in today’s fashion. I really like today’s tendency to wear a classic garment in a nonchalant way. There is complete freedom of expression in today’s clothes. There’s no longer a single trend, like there was before, when there was one fashion trend that everybody followed. Today I think we are much more conscious of the idea that one’s style reflects their lifestyle.