Monday, September 12, 2011

Billy Reid S/S 2012

Billy Reid’s work over the last few years has done a brilliant job bringing together several facets of contemporary menswear.  There are pieces in every collection that appeal to men who seek style, to men who just want comfortable, well-made clothes, and to men who want functional garments in which to work or hunt.  With his most recent collection for the upcoming Spring/Summer season, Reid again caters to a wide audience.

Reid, who is based in Florence, Alabama, is keenly interested in vintage-inspired Americana and the Southern prep aesthetic, and he mingles the two styles with great success.  The double-breasted suit in khaki cotton is perfect—slightly cropped and ready for the city or the country club.  Truncated linen sport coats, including some in plaid, are paired with patchwork shorts and sneakers.  Suede shoes anchor crinkled linen suits.  A bone-colored, double-breasted cotton trench is the outerwear highlight.  For the woodsman, Western-inspired chambray work shirts and unbuttoned henleys in ring-spun cotton are casually layered. 

As solid as the men’s offerings are, it’s Reid’s development as a designer of women’s clothes that stands out in this collection.  Simple, flowing dresses and skirts convey the easy essence of summer, while sheer, billowy pants and trim blazers are effortlessly cool.  

The interconnectedness between Reid’s men and women is evident in the neutral color spectrum, which includes browns, grays, and whites, and in several patterns and fabrics. In all the looks, there’s an easy-going, breezy air, and in keeping with his previous seasons, Billy Reid’s most recent work does not appear to take itself too seriously.



Photos: GQ.

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