My Seconds Love

My mainstay go-to brand is Robert Geller, whose clothes I've been wearing since he started his eponymous brand in 2007 (which was covered here first, in my blog), but even before that when I caught a glimpse of his talent back in his days as a partner at Cloak back when I bought near-entire collections in 2003. But while he and I have become friends, it has no bearing on the fact that I love his clothing. I normally just buy from the main line but the secondary line, aptly called Robert Geller Seconds, has beguiled me this past season.

Comprised mostly of basics like tees, tanks and athletic wear, Seconds may look fairly simple but the details are still very much in keeping with the Robert Geller aesthetic. With clean lines but interesting details and fresh proportions, these are wardrobe staples that look fairly nondescript until you put them on. Tank tops are fluid and skim the body in ways that no Hanes garment will, shorts are more like plus fours re-purposed for leisurewear, and interesting details like articulated knees make the track pants equally at home underneath a blazer as they will on a rugby field. I don't like too many logos or tricksy details, but I do like design that enhances and sets clothing apart from the norm, as Geller has done with these not-quite-basics. They're perfect for fashionable layering.

After last year's obsession with prints and patterns, I found myself wanting a new sartorial austerity... blame it on the fact that mainstream fashion caught up to what I was doing, and when I see it on editorials and store mannequins ad nauseum, I'm over it. Whereas last Fall I put together complex outfits involving carefully blended leopard prints, plaids and colors, this year I only wanted solid blacks and neutrals in clean, simple shapes. But that doesn't mean I want to sacrifice good design, and which is why the RG Seconds pieces brought the perfect punctuation to my wardrobe simplification this year. I'm particularly taken by the training pants, which feature complex seams on the knees and a fashion-forward carrot fit. Perfect at the gym, they also provide the ideal casual counterpoint to blazers and sweaters, especially with the popularity of sweatpants as a fashion trend this season.



Try not to go by how these items look on the models some retailers use to show this line, as they take on a more fashion-forward look on lean silhouettes versus the more active body types. The Robert Geller Seconds line is available at many retailers, but Revolve Clothing currently has them on sale, and are priced depending on the pieces. Get the Fall 2011 versions here now before they sell out.