Last week, news broke that Patagonia will no longer accept bulk orders from certain corporations. It’s shifting its priorities to companies that are committed to outdoor sports, sustainability, or charitable endeavors—meaning hedge funds and tech start-ups that want to outfit their teams in logo’d “Frat-agonia” fleece vests might have to shop elsewhere. Cue the Wall Street outrage!
Guys needn’t panic, though; plenty of designers have been making their own (arguably more stylish) versions of fleece and micro-puff vests. Perry Ellis creative director Michael Maccari designed a lightly quilted vest in a beige suiting check for his Fall 2019 collection, for instance. He styled it over a navy sweatshirt and joggers, something of a “weekend look” for the “finance bro.” Come Monday, he might prefer it with Maccari’s more familiar lightweight button-downs and slim, wrinkle-proof chinos.
Uncanny timing aside, the vest summed up Maccari’s vision for the Fall 2019 collection nicely. It bridged the gap between “old” and “new” Perry Ellis with its suiting check: Back in the ’80s, Perry Ellis the man liked to use suiting fabrics in unconventional ways. He also created prints by breaking apart and abstracting plaids and foulards, which appeared elsewhere in this collection. The graphic “plaid” shirts nodded to the ’80s while also looking vaguely tech-y, like a motherboard. Maccari is hoping the circa-2019 Perry Ellis customer mixes it with pinstriped trousers for a subtle pattern clash. That might feel downright daring to some guys, ditto the new three-piece suit. In the label’s bestselling burgundy shade, it might just convince young bankers to add a different kind of vest to their repertoire.
