If the world is going to hell in a handbasket, which is entirely plausible given the state of the euro and the unemployment numbers here at home, well, at least we can look back at late-seventies/early-eighties Manchester, England, and see a silver lining around the present gloom. At the time, Manchester was proper grim—and it was that grimness that helped foment the creation of the transcendently despondent band Joy Division, and the rise of the Madchester scene that came in its wake.
That was the moment the Fayed and Goncalves brothers behind Bespoken referenced for their latest collection. Their riff on Madchester looked pretty dead-on—lank gray suits, fine-spun cardigans, skinny button-downs, a Harrington-style jacket made from waterproof Italian wool. Taking their cue from Factory Records graphics man Peter Saville, the brothers Bespoken developed subtly deconstructed plaid prints for shirting, and played with muted color-blocking. The latter showed up in an appealing dark gray suit that featured a block of navy on its jacket; that was one of the more fashion-forward items here. This wasn't an edgy or outré collection, but it was a fine showcase of what Bespoken does best, which is well-tailored suits in smart, beautiful fabrics that ring up at a reasonable price. The soft tailoring here was especially fine, and fit the inspiration well—there was a slightly rumpled, shrugged-on quality to items like a double-breasted shorts suit. So cheer up! Even if the future looks terrible, at least you don't have to.
