Smarty Pants: Pants with Pleats Please

Over the past few season's the pant has been given quite the spotlight with designers churning out some of the best rethought & inventive takes, and we at Vnyc are more than happy to see options that aren't in the dark & skinny realm. While we like our jodhpurs, dhotti's, pajamas and what not, at the moment we're all about variations on the classic men's inspired pleated trouser. Worn with everything from t-shirts to ultra-femme chiffon & lace blouses, they instantly give the wearer a look that's put together, strong, and yet somehow relaxed. Belted, cuffed or layered, the beauty here is that there is a myriad of ways in which you can sport such a pant, from day into night. Here are some of our shop's favorite picks:

Take Armani's crisp navy wool knit trousers with delicate white Swiss dots, their pleated waist, graphic print and tapered leg happen to smartly channel this season's "It" pant while offering a chic way to beat the cold.

80's Girogio Armani Swiss-Dot Pleated Pants-$98(above)

Channel Hollywood's sartorially minded Rat-Pack with these 80's era Ralph Lauren trousers that have a wide leg and hidden suspender buttons.

80's Ralph Lauren Pleated Wide Leg Flannel Pants-$98

These 80's era Ralph Lauren moss green windowpaine plaid trousers with their high-waist and sumptuous wool composition are a smart way to add subtle color to drab winter blacks.

80's Ralph Lauren Moss Green Pleated Pants-$88

Oh Snap, Cold Snap? Fight Back Vnyc Style

With the U.S & Europe in the midst of painful & unrelenting cold snaps, Vnyc wanted to share some smart layering options to help you bundle up in style. The jackets, sweaters and layering pieces to combat the cold this winter:

You can blame it on climate change if you want, but one thing you must admit to yourself is that living in New York, you have to expect that it's going to rain at least once every week. To combat that in style comes this sweet 60's era nylon taffeta rain topper that has a beautiful cascading effect and prim sleeves.

60's Taffeta Nylon Rain Cape-$168

From the 80's come these crisp Giorgio Armani navy wool trousers with delicate white Swiss dots. Their pleated waist and full leg happen to smartly channel this seasons "It" pant while their sumptuous wool composition offers a smart way to beat the cold.

80's Giorgio Armani Navy Pleated Pants-$98

With capes, cloaks and what-have-you making major statements on all the runways to watch comes this chic 80's era voluminous tweed cocoon cape that boasts a louche 20's inspired shape and enough volume to allow plenty of layering.

80's Voluminous Tweed Cocoon Coat-$236

From Chloe comes this classic 60's inspired open knit cocoa wool sweater that's loaded with design details from front patch pockets to contrasting grosgrain trim and boasts a wide neckline.

Chloe Cocoa Cable Knit Sweater-$214

Beat the winter blacks with this decadent ladylike 60's era Geoffrey Beene tweed dolly dress that's composed in beautiful autumnal colors like rust, chocolate brown & cinnamon.

60's Geoffrey Beene Tweed Dolly Dress-$398

This supple black suede 80's era Issey Miyake pullover is one beautifully sculptural way to beat the cold thanks to it's origami like folded cowl-neck.

80's Issey Miyake Black Suede Pullover-$298

Look East, it's Hammer Time...

Since one could easily call this the most heavily revival filled decade to date, it's rather intriguing that the early 80's Japanese infused work of avant-garde pioneers like YOHJI YAMAMOTO, Rei Kawakubo of COMME DES GARCONS, KANSAI YAMAMOTO and ISSEY MIYAKE are finally getting some due attention in the mainstream.

From Japan they optimistically brought an arty, intellectual and quite challenging aesthetic to the world of fashion like never seen before, a reaction to the ultra-femme norms of society and a pre-cursor to the maximalist glamor of the Reagen era. Together they introduced the concepts of anti-fashion through austere deconstruction, materials were often draped around the body and featured frayed, unfinished edges along with holes and a general asymmetrical shape. And to us, most importantly, everything was black, something many ran away from at one time.

And with dropped crotch pants, deconstruction, and asymmetry seeming to feel like a runway norm these days, we wanted to take a moment and highlight some of our own finds inspired by this groundbreaking era in fashion. Take these fantastic early 80's YOHJI YAMAMOTO fluid black pants that have a dropped crotch and one leg that's more voluminous than the other, ultimately creating a soft, draped, poetic imbalance. And from a man known for his own take on Eastern-influenced ease, GIORGIO ARMANI, come these early 90's black drop-crotch pants that have a pleated dhoti drawstring waist and contrasting velvet cuffs. Both of these pieces beautifully highlight the considerable contributions of the Japanese invasion of the early 80's while at the same time having a very contemporary sensibilty to them.

Above- Early 80's YOHJI YAMAMOTO Dropped Crotch Draped Leg Pants-$454 Sorry this item has been SOLD

Below- 90's GIORGIO ARMANI Dropped Crotch Dhoti Pleated Pants-$276 Sorry this item has been SOLD