The main theme of the Dolce&Gabbana 2011 FW collection is eccentric tailoring. Traditional sartorial suits are spiced up by using unusual materials, while classic fabrics are fashioned into outfits with somewhat odd-looking dimensions. Below are Swide’s favourite pieces to bring the urban/classic dichotomy from runway to everyday.

Checks and tartan are heavy with significance in this trend. The traditional Scottish fabric with ancient roots traces its origins to classic and occasion wear, yet, throughout the decades tartan and checks have earned a subversive edge too. Fashioned into casual plaid coats or duffle coats, and matched with grungy accessories plaid has gone from Highland Fling to urban chic.

The leather jacket, a bastion of biker culture, of punk culture, of grunge, which has been high jacked by the classicists and has become a must have for every self respecting fashionable man. Wear with tailored trousers and a prim white shirt and tie, or give back to the leather jacket some pluck and wear it with tracksuit bottoms, work boots and studded leather cuffs.

The cave man wore his prey’s pelts to keep warm. The tribesman wore its enemies’ pelts to intimidate others and show his worth as a warrior.  The FW11 collection features a number of fur coats, with patchwork effects and mixes of wool and leather. A fur coat is a luxurious item which works with any look. Wear with traditional tailoring to give yourself an edge, and let your colleagues know that you’re a valiant warrior.

The pea coat is a classic item and a long-standing companion for men in the winter. For FW11, the Dolce&Gabbana collection offers a wide range of woollen pea coats, but with a difference: they’re actually knitted. Wear with corduroy and moleskin separates for a classic yet cool look.

The puffa- its an essential item for winter; warm, casual and multicoloured. The classic dawn coat is revisited in FW11 with multi coloured variants. Choose it in a bright colour to add an urban feel to a classic coat.

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Accessories are often key to finishing off any look, whether one prefers classic or urban. Here, traditional finishing touches like the trilby or the flat cap have been updated by using unusual materials, like tartan, which hare normally associated with ready to wear. Mix and match these items to accentuate your classic cool or urban chic predilection.

Styled by: Yuri Ahn

Written by: Valentina Zannoni

Credits: Dolce&Gabbana

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