Morris Stockholm - What a Life

Brands are notorious for trying to promote a lifestyle, but most of them come across as ridiculous or outrageous.  Abercrombie comes to mind, they promote a lifestyle with their clothing but it's a life of washboard abs, shirtless escapades and homoerotic games of tackle football.  This is not exactly a life I can relate to or I would call aspirational.

But someone like Morris Stockholm, they promote a lifestyle with their clothes.  A lifestyle that includes refined elegance and an ellusion of filled bank account and a long tradition of taking the yacht out or trips to Wimbledon.  The Morris Stockholm lifestyle is one that I can support, and for some reason feels attainable, if I just have the right sweater or the right red socks.

Take a look at the inspiring Morris Stockholm collection and journey with me to the world of jaunts to the Swiss Alps and overnight excursions to Venice, Italy.  It certainly helps that the clothes are spectacularly gorgeous and the colors juxapositions are eccentric yet attainable.

Subtle Sprezzatura - Color

I wanted to utilize the Morris Stockholm Spring/Summer 2010 collection to overemphasize the use of colors in a wardrobe.  Colors can add artful dishevelment to an outfit, a bold carelessness that makes an outfit pop.  Mixing non-matching colors in a seemingly nonchalant fashion, is exactly what sprezzatura is all about.  It is making the planned look unplanned, careless and artful.  While Morris Stockholm's use of color is anything but subtle, the lessons are easily learned for one's own wardrobe to use subtly or boldly.

Mismatching colors, textures and styles is often all it takes for an outfit to have that sprezzatura element it needs.  While mixing and mismatching colors takes a strong personal style, it is incredibly powerful and easily makes an outfit a standout.  The outfit above pairs bold red F-You pants with a classic light blue summer blazer.  This is worn over a white rugby shirt with a pink shirt underneath.  It is finished with a blue belt and a navy tie.  Essentially, the outfit is only two colors: the red family (pink & red) and the blue family (light blue, blue & navy) with a neutral white to balance the outfit.  Initially this outfit looks thrown together and the colors look mismatched, but instead they are two complimenting color family, used boldly.

Lets take a look at another Morris Stockholm color juxtaposition.  Here the dark green shoes compliment the sea green shirt while the salmon cardigan adds an additional pop on the outfit, off setting the match and adding depth to the outfit and color palate.  Like the white above, the khakis are used as a neutral that completes the look.  The bold green shoes are an unexpected pop of color for the outfit and they don't directly match the rest of the outfit, while still being complimenting.

With this summer mix, we can see that again Morris Stockholm use colors to add nonchalance to the outfit.  The pink & blue sweater vest, purple shirt, red pants and red pocket square all match, but non of them directly and obviously.  Like above, this outfit is made up of the red color family and the blue color family, which includes purple.  This outfit looks artfully disheveled and unorganized, but instead it is carefully crafted to look just the opposite.

Morris Stockholm continues to use these color principles through out the Spring/Summer 2010 Collection.  Notice how masterfully the colors subtly match and initially look mismatched.  Remember to keep to the color families and have fun mismatching colors in your own wardrobe.

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

  

 

Morris Stockholm: Fall 2009 Collection

Morris Stockholm called their Fall 2009 collection, Preppy Autumn.  An apropos name for the feel and look of the Fall collection.  I have become a fan of the Morris Stockholm look.  A look that is preppy, sprezzatura, carefree, classic and modern.

Morris Stockholm utilizes the classic F' 'em pants in the both their Spring and Fall collections.  Appropriately, the Fall collection are strong classic colors, base colors; red, blue & green.  The Spring F' 'em pants are in pink, pastel blue & pastel green.  Each season the color pallet changes and this is well recognized in the collections.  Heavy usage of colors, but the appropriate colors for each season.

A classic corduroy blazer, with elbow patches and leather buttons in a modern slim fit.  The sleeves are trim, which make the blazer look quite trim.  Navy patterned tie and patterned v-neck sweater, worn over a blue oxford shirt.  This is a nice combination of colors and patterns.  I also like the combination of wheat colored coat with gray slacks.  A mix of colors that is quite fall.

The lines on this outfit are very modern: slim, trim and clean.  The jacket is beautifully cut and in loud and broad colors in a great plaid pattern, this jacket will certainly stand out in the crowd.  I also love the tan shoes, both color and cut. 

The clean cut blazer in this outfit is gorgeous.  It is elegant, classic and has a modern cut, a great mix of two worlds.  The purple socks are an amazing touch with this outfit.  They are a pop of color that is otherwise not in the outfit.  That is the definition of artful dishevelment, sprezzatura.

I love the red flannel lining the underside of the jackets collar.  It adds a great unique element to an otherwise classic jacket.  And with this kind of jacket, you should actually be wearing it with the collar popped.  On overcoats, it is okay, on polos, it is a disgrace to your entire family.

Red plaid shirts are quite popular right now.  They are being worn in a variety of ways, but paired with tan/wheat colored corduroy pants it is not seen that often.  It is a great way to wear the shirt without channeling lumberjacks or farmers.  The oilcloth jacket is nice as well.

The story here is the red scarf with an otherwise purple outfit.  This is a beautiful mix of colors, but a very unusual one.  The addition of a red scarf takes this outfit to another level, something to remember when picking out a scarf in the future.

If a red scarf is the story in the last outfit, the red belt is the story in this outfit.  Once again the outfit is trim and modern in the fit.  Which makes the classic pairing look young and modern.  Add a bright red belt, as the sprezzatura element on the outfit, and you have an amazing outfit.

More bright colored F' 'em pants cut in a modern slim fit.  I personally would opt for a charcoal jacket, instead of the black featured here.  I actually think it would help make the whole outfit more cohesive.

Enjoy the weekend.

Morris Stockholm: Spring 2010 Collection

In this cold weather, what better to look at then Spring clothing?  Morris Stockholm released their Spring 2010 Collection, which is below.

I enjoy the bright colors and color combinations that Morris Stockholm present.  The pastel color pattern is full use.  I admire the bright pastel F' 'em pants, they are slim straight and modern cut.  I also like the lavender tennis sweater.  I always enjoy tennis sweaters and this one is a great representation of the sweater.

The tan cotton suit has a modern silhouette.  The addition of the green driving moccasins is a nice addition to the slim silhouette one button suit.  I personally do not enjoy the dark shirt paired with the suit.

More of the same, high contrast colors.  Rolled pants and sockless shoes, seems to be consistent heading into the new season.  I enjoy the red fabric belt used in this outfit.  The mix of orange, red, pink, pastel green and kelly green in one outfit is very inspiring.  The reasons those colors work, is because the greens are in the same family and the orange, pink and red are in the same family, which means it is essentially only a mix of two color families.

More brightly colored F' 'em pants, which look great.  The pink shirt balances the fuchsia pants well.  The blue tie with pink and white stripes is a classic color combination.  For a sprezzatura flair to the outfit, the green belt is a great addition to this preppy outfit.  This is a look that I can see Chuck Bass rocking, for sure.

Well, at least the girl in this picture is pretty.  Not much more to say about the it.