New Wave darlings The Waitresses said it best– “I know what boys like/ I know what guys want”! M.I.S.S is bringing you the exclusive preview of the hottest upcoming Menswear lines, so pay close attention ladies because there are plenty of hot items you can gift to your man this fall.

Amongst Friends Fall Preview

First up is the preppy-inspired line Amongst Friends. Now in it’s 4th season, the brand (which is a hit at golf expos across the country) presented a slew of L.L. bean-esque staples perfect for upgrading your man’s regular streetwear to the next level. Vests with pocket stripe detailing, bicycle-print grosgrain ribbon belts, and crisp button ups were part of the fall line-up. What really hit the collection out of the part was the selection of T’s, featuring graphics of the members of the Rat Pack and other sleek men of style and grace. Definitely cop one of those for your man to bring a little GQ to his wardrobe!

Still Life Fall 09 Previ

If your man’s lacking in the accessories department, NYC based hat designer Still Life might be the answer. The super-dope collection of fedoras, bowlers, and driving caps were stitched in a variety of heavyweight winter fabrics. The Fall lineup also features the brand’s first leather caps, a good look for the colder months. Still Life’s hats are all unisex, so if your man balks at the $300+ price tag on some of these babies, just gently remind him that you’re more than willing to share a fedora or two with him, just so he gets his money’s worth.

Bellum Conceptcs

Last but definitely most amazing was the preview from lifestyle brand Bellum Concepts. Developed by two cousins, the brand set out on a mission a few years ago to refurbish vintage watches (most of which were owned by their Dads). The result is a beautiful collection of hand-etched, vintage Rolexes, pocket watches, and other blinged-out watches. For fall, the lineup is centered around mostly blacked-out watches with white floral etchings on the wristbands. The company is also working on a line of lifestyle transportation items, such as vintage refubished BMX and low-rider style Schwinns (look for an art exhibit featuring these bikes sometime late fall!). Most impressive was their refurbished motorcyle built from the ground up - read the full story to see more photos.

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When Diane Keaton came in for her first meeting with the wardrobe lady on the set of Annie Hall in 1975, her layered, mannish look was so off-putting that the costumer slyly told Woody Allen “Tell her not to wear that. She can’t wear that. It’s so crazy”. Not one to shy away from eccentricities, Allen defended Keaton’s kookie garb, shooting back, “She’s a genius. Just leave her alone! Let her wear what she wants!” Little did the costume department know that Keaton’s look in the Oscar nominated film would set off fashion trends still followed today…

The story of a young, Midwestern woman trying to carve out a creative, and romantic, identity for herself in New York City during the mid 70s, Woody Allen created the character specifically for Keaton, his girlfriend at the time. In fact, most of the film is loosely based around their relationship, and the idea that love doesn’t always last forever.

Besides the Oscar winning film’s unique visual style - characters often break the “fourth wall” to address the audience directly, and takes are often long and focus less on action and more on talking - it also went to great lengths to portray the new, emerging woman of the time. This wasn’t the woman of the 1950s households who stayed home and baked cookies for her husband! Hell no, the new woman of the 70s was one who had been exposed to the wild and crazy free lovin’ of the 1960s, and enlightened by the Feminist movement at the same time. She wasn’t perfect, nor did she feel the need to pretend she was. She was smart, fierce, and free spirited, in control of her destiny and the world around her. Keaton’s Annie Hall is the perfect example of that. Lovable, quirky, eccentric, and interested in a million-and-one different things, female audiences fell in love with her Bohemian independence and stylish, androgynous threads.

Slouchy, widelegged chinos and tailored waistcoat vests were staples of Annie’s menswear-chic. Just as scattered as her speech was her layering of mens’ oxford shirts, ties, fringed scarves, and dresses n’ sweaters, that really set her apart from the average All-American look at the time. With her collar popped and an oversized blazer perched on her shoulders, Annie reached for her floppy bowler hat, laced up her vintage wingtip flats, and set out to tackle the world. Check out the lobster scene below, and you’ll quickly pick up on the fact that Annie was never afraid to be who she was! Log on to today’s hottest fashion hot-or-not sites, like lookbook.nu, and you’ll see about a hundred Annie-look-alikes keeping the spirit of the vintage-esque, masculine layered look that Keaton and Allen captured so brilliantly in Annie Hall, alive and kickin’!

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While in NY for fashion week, I visited the Victoria’s Secret Suite at the Bryant Park Hotel. When I arrived, I was greeted by a Victoria’s Secret PR representative who walked me through the current Fall ‘08 and upcoming Holiday collections. Victoria’s Secret lingerie tends to cater to mainstream mall tastes and can be a bit “frou frou.” No longer! I was happy and excited to find that the new collections were focusing on a sophisticated, romantic sex-appeal - one that is more fashion forward and finds its influences from fashion trends.

See more, read more after the jump!

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This Spring we are expecting to see you ladies a bit more dolled up than usual! Adding a bit of high-class attitude to your looks by including a dressy element whether it be lady-like gloves, fancy-pants suspenders or trading-up your “59Fifty” for an old-world fedora. Here we’ve put together some key elements to “Puttin’ On the Ritz” this season. This phrase, “Puttin’ On the Ritz”, dates back to the 20’s/30’s and means to ‘dress very fashionably’. So let’s break-out the tulle trimmed hats, add a pair of spats to your look or a bow-tie to your hair and strut your stuff girl! Here’s a sneak peak…see the whole story after the jump!

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