The Trend
One of the simplest pleasures about menswear is its consistency. We don't suffer the trendy ups and downs inflicted on the fairer sex. Sure, styles evolve, suits become slimmer, but a shirt is still very much a shirt. Though every once and a while, a true trend emerges. And this fall, it's hard to deny the graphic Navajo prints popping up in everything from outerwear to accessories.
Arbiter of cool Opening Ceremony went straight to the source for their take—a collaboration with 120-year-old Pendleton, which got its start by making the geometric pattern blankets for Native Americans. OC's barn jacket design is based off a jacquard blanket given to President Harding in 1923 by Cayuse and Umatilla chiefs when he and his wife made their first trip out West.
Penfield, the New England outfitter loved by snowboarders, was looking West when they crafted a messenger from cloth woven like a traditional Navajo rug. Some of the most interesting pieces are the staples that have gone native, like April 77's wool motorcycle jacket or a reversible puffer vest from the Olsen's debut men's collection for Elizabeth and James.
And while the bold patterns might not be as easy to pull off as a simple plaid, that doesn't mean you should be afraid to give at least one piece a go. After all, women do this every season, right?
Above:
Elizabeth and James chieftain vest, $565, at Barneys; Pendleton meets Opening Ceremony barn jacket, $640
Below:
April 77 wool motorcylce jacket, $630, at Bergdorf Goodman; Penfield Oxon messenger, $110; Woolrich chamois-lined shirt jacket, $74
Navajo water blanket by Pendleton, $275
Proceeds from sales benefit Pendleton's American Indian College Fund, which raises money for 32 tribal colleges and serves more than 250 native tribes.
- The Navajo people are the second largest Native American tribe in the United States. Using an upright loom, they wove blankets and robes and rose to prominence making decorative rugs for trade.
Fall Buying Guide: The Series
Week 1
Retro gray sweats. The easiest trend to try this fall.
Week 2
Meet the new man behind Jack Spade's clothing line.
Week 3
Navajo patterns pop up everywhere.
Week 4
The duffle coat, a prep school favorite from the '60s, is everywhere this fall.