Let’s face it: I’m a pretty jaded old queen. I’ve seen it all and then some, right? And I’m pretty confident that I know my fashion history. I keep up with ‘in’ folk and I’m down with the do-ers and say-ers and scenesters and taste-makers. And for the most part, let me just say there’s not a lot of new ideas in men’s fashion these days. It’s all just retro this and classic that nonsense. No sense of going forward. Now, paying occasional homage to old-school fashion icons is fine and all, but at a certain point you have to say: Stop referencing other people, and make your own statement, damnit! I was in New York last week and noticed an alarming number of hipsters wearing pleated pants, and that shocked me for a moment. I thought: Well, that’s new. But then I came across this, THIS! – yes – MY GOD – THIS! and realized PLEATED PANTS ARE NOT NEW! THEY ARE NOT SUBVERSIVE! This layout- entitled “Batty Boy” in the summer/autumn issue of ARENA Homme magazine, is, however, truly groundbreaking. Why, it nearly knocked me over. I was stunned spitless to see that someone had a TRULY ORIGINAL THOUGHT and, behold, a new silhouette was born out of it, and there is now a whole new paradigm for reference-challenged fashionistas to reference. It was photographed by Solve Sundsho and styled by Katie Grand. The queen in question was Gareth wearing football shoulder pads by MH-UK underneath oversize menswear and an assortment of Stephen Jones hats. Who among the three is responsible for this look, I have no idea. But it’s FABULOUS by God!

And then, after the jump, a few ideas of my own to take fashion into the fall.

– James St. James