Fall 2013 Review | Tommy Hilfiger's Preppy Nerds

“From Savile Row to Harvard Yale, sartorial tradition meets all-American prep,” was Tommy Hilfiger’s brief narrative for his fall edition. Before judging his English tailoring techniques, he got saved by the bell when he included “all-American prep.” What does this mean?

Well, when you hear the words “Savile Row,” a street in Mayfair, central London immediately comes to mind. If you don’t know, this place is heaven for men seeking the perfect suit (bespoke tailoring in other words).

If you look closely, you’ll see the influence of Tommy’s preppy designs, but not much of refined tailoring. I am not trying to infer this was a horrible collection, because it wasn’t – it was all the opposite. The risk he took to engage in tailoring and convert into his cool preppy use was by far one of the best I have seen in his collections. It felt confident and grasped the trend that is happening right now in women’s fashion.

Patterns – Prince of Wales, houndstooth, and plaid checks were the main protagonist on the runway. They were either magnified or resized into smaller pieces to offer a more diverse outtake on outerwear. Some coats, such as the ones trimmed in shearling, were a favorite; preppy, youthful, and outgoing.Argyle (diamond patterns) also had a good insect on houndstooth pattern numbers. Suits, which came in navy and red pinstripes, marked Hilfiger’s point of interest.

Tommy Hilfiger Fall 2013 - leather, cable knit dresses

If patterns were cool, leather spoke Savile Row. The manner in which Tommy took his leather and converted it into an impeccable leather, cable knit dress was unlike anything I had seen before. It had a special effect I couldn’t get over. If anything, I would love to see Mr. Hilfiger incorporate more leather (in different techniques) from now on.