Paul Smith: Color, Fabric, Silhouette Color: Muted

¶ … Paul Smith: Color, fabric, silhouette

Color: Muted tones

Paul Smith offers consumers an image of clean, relaxed Americana. Although he is a British designer, he could be described in his approach as a more youthful Ralph Lauren with a slight 'edge.' Smith's upcoming spring and summer season's clothing for sale has a blended palate of clean, yet faded colors and features styles such as long swim trunks and sweeping capes. The colors are both timeless and complementary -- yet also suggest another era. The colors look as if they are viewed through the sepia hue of an old camera.

Smith's upcoming fall collection features grays, muted tans, and cool, understated shades of blue. The desire not to be ostentatiously fashionable and engage in conspicuous consumption, even amongst trend-setters, is manifested in Smith's color tones. Even on his website, there is a slightly sober aura, despite the photographs picturing teenagers engaging in fun, beachside play. The colors give the pictures a slightly nostalgic quality. The jeans collection is faded. Even the Paul Smith junior collection, which showcases 'cute' children posing beside a bright car in the promotional web photographs do not use primary colors -- blues, light floral prints, and greens dominate.

Fabric: Classics

Paul Smith's return to the classics in his collection is also manifested in his choices of fabrics. Different textures and weights of wool dominate all of his collections. Wool is a timeless, natural fabric, and meshes nicely with the drive to get 'back to basics' today. A lack of synthetics and a drive for authenticity are both manifest. This is reflected in the emphasis on wool and other classic fabrics. Fabrics like wool and cotton cling lightly to the models' frames without being body-hugging, and underline Smith's desire to combine ease and comfort as a designer.

Silhouette: Simplicity

One of the most striking aspects of Smith's collection is its emphasis on unadorned styles. His models are neither bony nor curvy nor muscular. They have gentle, relatively athletic but not overly 'built' frames that showcase the core, foundational garments of the collections -- men's shirts (for men, women, and children), trousers, jeans and classic coats that feature capes or peacoats in their styling. The accessories on the models, when playful (such as unusual hair) are relatively modest. Functionality and a lack of fussiness are evident throughout the Smith lines. These clothes look like a wardrobe that could easily be thrown together on a busy work morning and still enable the wearer to look fabulous. Also, the similarity of design and color means that a prospective buyer can select a few items and create an entire working wardrobe.