Neil Barrett S/S 12
Say houndstooth and what do you think of? Prince Charles? Savile Row? A stiff upper lip? As fabrics go, this duotone textile pattern is one of the most proper and traditional, perfect for gentlemanly suits.
That’s why you most often see it either old photos of suave individuals like Nat King and Cary Grant or modern tailoring at its most faithful to the craft. Hell, even James Bond saved it for the most sombre and serious of occasions.
An illustration by Laurence Fellows, Nat King Cole and writer Evelyn Waugh all in houndstooth
Which is why it’s pretty refreshing to see British born, Milan based designer
Neil Barrett sending it down the catwalk in the form of bold, attention grabbing shorts, styled with an air of urban casualness.
Barrett is known for mixing the meticulous perfection of English tailoring with the sharpness of Italian style, and both are present here, in the immaculate of the houndstooth shorts – they’re in even in the traditional twill weave woollen cloth of the Scottish lowlands, where the fabric was first created. But those few key inches chopped off the bottom make all the difference, adding a sense of fun and rebelliousness. Its fashion’s way of telling everyone to kick back, roll up your trousers and enjoy the Summer. Well, that what we like to think anyway!
