Remember when the only men who wore capris were stylish Euros? Well, these days American guys are a lot more style-savvy. "I knew I was taking a risk with the capris," Perry Ellis creative director, John Crocco, said post-show. "But we had a few capri options for men in stores and they were selling really well, so I thought, Why not?" Cut cleanly in sand and white linen and ending a few inches below the knee, they were a nice companion to the salmon, mustardy ocher, and periwinkle jackets and knits. The colors were inspired by his recent travels to the Painted Desert in Arizona. "It s about the traveler, the road trip meets safari," Crocco explained.
With plenty of linen, cotton, and an intriguing chintz-linen blend, plus roomy uncomplicated cuts, there was a pleasant, airy feel to the collection. Crocco added some approachable tailoring touches, such as suit trousers that hit at the ankle and a handsome white-on-white seersucker sport coat. When he did venture deeper into trends—a couple of color-blocked sweaters might look cheekily right on a svelte downtowner, but you could see the potential for disaster in the wrong hands—it was with a likable, gentle nudge most shoppers will likely respond to.
