The great thing about the men’s collections is that they not only show us where menswear is heading, they remind us that the Haute couture collections are a few short weeks away.

[*And this time around, we can’t wait to see what Raf Simons will deliver for his first Christian Dior collection, which happens to  also be his first-ever foray into the world of haute couture.]

London Men's Fashion Week

If Paris is the Mecca for womenswear, London is its menswear counterpart! For all those [including us] who sometimes cringe at the sartorial choices of the female Royals, few –if any– ever complain about the male royals. Those Windsor boys may not be fashion-forward, but they do dress impeccably. More than a few Princes of Wales over the past 250 years have influenced the world at large with their pointed sartorial flair.

In 1982, the late HRH Princess Diana, Princess of Wales was listed as one of the “10 Worst Dressed Women” by a London newspaper.

Fashion disaster and guilty pleasure - Princess Eugenie and Beatrice attended the Royal Wedding

The ever dapper Duke of Windsor putting on his coat as he leaves the White House.

H.R.H. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit the Canadian Pavilion at the World's Fair.

Prince Charles slipped off his Panama (Lock & Co) and unbuttoned his Turnbull & Asser jacket to cut a celebratory rug during a visit to the Amazon rainforest in central Brazil during a 2009 visit.

Prince William 'busting a move' during the Jubilee

George Bryan “Beau” Brummell was, and will always be, an inspiration. A dandy’s “less-is-more” ideal suggests a lack of ornamentations and details; dressing “natural” is the name of this game. Brummell helped London to modernize and to transition the menswear of his day, helping it drop the superfluous 18^th Century regalia of powdered wigs, rouge makeup and silk breeches for the seemingly simpler 19^th century jacket and pants suit.

Late in the 18th century, an establishment called the Macaroni Club was formed wherein a London dandy could nosh on pasta, strut his affected airs, and in general, be fabulous

Drawings of Georgian Men's Coats - The Macaroni

King George IV (1762-1830)

Menswear fashion icon - Beau Brummell

The many elements that make Beau Brummell

Menswear is currently experiencing an equal transition as witnessed by shifts of the past few years. As subtle as the men’s collections look compared to the women’s collections, they are still managing to introduce a few surprises… bending conventions from color choices to garment types… even starting to borrow items from womenswear! The ‘objectification of the male’ and his sartorial choices are in full swing, and from the look of it, the “boys” don’t seem to mind it a bit.

Burberry men's live stream. Photo REX

Nicole Farhi - London Men's Fashion Week S/S 2013

Richard James - London Men's Fashion Week S/S 2013

For fur this can only mean good news. More silhouettes, more creative adaptations, more fur looks appealing to a broader male audience. We look forward to the Fall 2013 men’s collections to see just how far things move!