Over coffee with Michael Kors, fashion designer

By Pamela Sitt
Seattle Times staff reporter

Forget your Friday Night Shirt: Michael Kors says grab a blazer and go out. From his new MICHAEL line: Houndstooth blazer ($248), V-neck sweater ($69.50), striped shirt ($79.50), houndstooth flat-front pant ($118).

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Michael Kors is wearing white pants after Labor Day. Unapologetically.

"I wear the same thing every day," says the famed fashion designer, who was in Seattle recently to promote his new, wallet-friendly MICHAEL Michael Kors line. "I always pack two black jackets, loads of black T-shirts, loads of white jeans. I feel a little fresh and glamorous and graphic."

Kors is too busy dressing the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Simpson to worry about his own wardrobe. Or so he might like you to think. In truth, Kors — in black loafers sans socks and packing a pair of gold-rimmed aviator sunglasses — is the picture of easy chic, comfortably ensconced in an armchair in the lobby of Seattle's Fairmount Olympic Hotel.

The New York designer, who created the Michael Kors label in 1981, quickly became a favorite of the Park Avenue set with his clean and luxurious classics. Now, like other high-profile names such as Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld, Kors is bringing his style to the masses. His MICHAEL line, which includes menswear, women's clothing and accessories, is available locally at Bon-Macy's.

That's welcome news for Seattle men, particularly the under-30 set, who frequently complain about the lack of options here. (Kenneth Cole, anyone?) So we asked Kors what guys should wear and how they should wear it. Read on for shopping tips — and how to make your boyfriend look like James Bond.

Q: Let's talk about men's fashion, because the guys in Seattle could use some help. What basics should every man have in his wardrobe?

	Also from the MICHAEL line: Camel bonded suede shearling vest ($498), wool cable front turtleneck $198, stretch flat-front pant ($69.50), belt ($45).

A: A great tropical (lightweight wool) suit you can wear year-round. A black cashmere turtleneck — you put it on and you're James Bond. A pair of jeans that you can wear with a blazer. I think everyone, especially in Seattle, needs a trench coat. ... Every guy needs a leather jacket. I don't care who you are. It could be brown, or it could be black.

Q: In Seattle, there exists a phenomenon known as the Friday Night Shirt. It would be a great service to men — and women — here if you could suggest some going-out options other than a blue pin-striped button-up shirt.

A: I like the idea of taking a blazer and wearing that out on a Friday night. Maybe he's wearing a suit with a cashmere sweater. Maybe he doesn't have socks on and he's feeling a little like he's Steve McQueen. I think it's gonna be a girl magnet.

If that freaks you out, put on a pair of jeans that fit and take that blue striped shirt, tuck it in and throw a jacket over it. ... You don't have to have a separate wardrobe for work and weekend. The same great jacket from your suit is going to look great with jeans and a V-neck sweater on the weekend.

Q: You're known for dressing society girls, the Palm Beach set, not to mention celebrities. Does that make you an unlikely candidate to create a line priced under $400?

A: The opposite. I understand what makes you look affluent and what feels good on the body. You can go to IKEA or Crate & Barrel and find great-looking things for your house that don't cost a lot of money. My objective is to give people that luxury in their wardrobes.

Q: So how will the sensibility of the Michael Kors collection translate to the MICHAEL line?

A: If we have a 12-ply cashmere sweater on collection, that's a precious sweater. You're not going to buy five of them. When you make that sweater in a cotton cashmere blend, you can buy five of those. It's not the exact fabric or lining, but it's pretty fabulously made. ... And I don't care who you are, you need a comfortable pair of pants that aren't $10,000.

Q: Can you share some shopping tips for men?

	THOMAS JAMES HURST / THE SEATTLE TIMES Kors was recently at the downtown Bon-Macy's to promote his new lower-priced line of clothing and accessories for men and women.

A: Guys, in their search for comfort, buy their clothes too big. It makes you look fat and it makes you look old. For men, a lot of it is, are you spending time with a tailor? The wrong shirt just makes a guy look like he melted.

Q: Should men always wear belts?

A: I don't think so at all. I never wear a belt. And never, ever tuck your shirt into shorts with a belt.

Q: You know how women say, "I feel naked without my lipstick"? What's the male equivalent?

A: A fabulous pair of sunglasses. It's immediate glamour and danger and spy-on-the-run.

Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or psitt@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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