Quirky Brit elegance suits American men

By JOSEPH V. AMODIO
Special to Newsday

Swell. Just what we need. Another Brit superstar.

Gone are the days when the box-office draws were Mel, Bruce, Ahhhnold or Sly, dressed in cargo pants (to hold the ammo) and a white tank (distressed and stained, no doubt, from the recent explosion and dive through a plate-glass window).

Today's movie marquees are cluttered with blokes named Jude and Clive and Orlando. And next year, Daniel (as in Daniel Craig, the gent that Sony Pictures has introduced to the world as the next James Bond).

What this means for American guys? Keep up with the dressing up.

"The idea of dressing up has vaguely feminine connotations for American men, but those are breaking down," says Souri Kim, fashion market director for Details magazine. He cites the usual shtick about how guys these days are more comfortable with grooming and caring about the way we look. But it's Hollywood, too.

"I think it says something that an actor like Jude Law is such a huge star," says Kim. "The ideal now is essentially British." Which is why guys are taking a few more minutes in the morning to tackle that Windsor knot. That's saying something, considering that the American style mantra is comfort, comfort, comfort. Remember, we're the ones who came up with the track suit as evening wear -- stroke of genius, that one.

The British trend has been coming on for a few seasons now, but last spring's flood of Carnaby striped shirts clinched it. And this season the Brit fit is still going strong: Shirt collars are spread; tie knots, fat; sweaters and jackets, all nubby wool and layered.

The folks at Saks Fifth Avenue are right in step. At the Manhattan flagship store, the newly revamped sixth- and seventh-floor menswear boast stand-alone shops for Paul Smith, Ted Baker, Burberry.

"Paul Smith is the granddaddy of the striped shirt," says Michael Macko, men's fashion director at Saks. "Just when you think you don't need another print, he'll do one more, and it's great." Wallpaper patterns, mini florals -- all to mix and match with plaids and tweed.

"If Paul Smith is quirky, Ted Baker is completely loony," Macko jokes, noting the subtle, surprise extras that often come standard on English attire: the rainbow linings on a Paul Smith suit, a fuchsia undercollar (no one knows it's there lest you pop the collar) on a Ted Baker chocolate velvet blazer, or a staid brown plaid jacket by Rufus hyped with bright red stitched button holes.

"It's that little quirkiness -- what I call the smile factor," notes Jerry Balest, vice president of men's fashion for Macy's.

This offbeat Brit sensibility was the inspiration behind ML/Material London, a new private label at Macy's, ranging from tees ($20) to slim-cut suits ($595). Though the line could loosen up a bit with color, the striped shirts and velvet blazers feel as good as they look.