Men's Second Style

OK, let’s just pretend that I’ve written and you’ve read a couple of paragraphs of playful banter about my being on holiday and the sun and sand on the beach. I’m too eager to cut to the chase: Look at the way the light plays on the bunched cloth! No one can do this like Shai Delacroix. (As usual, click the picture to see the full-size image.)

Other designers’ clothes have well-drawn, even artistic, wrinkles; only Casa del Shai’s clothes have laugh lines.

We’ve seen what Shai Delacroix can do with light when she uses the large canvas of men’s suits: see the Alfonso or the Nehru. With the recent release of Mallory Shirt, Shai has given us an exquisite miniature. There is so much personality and character packed into a relatively small amount of clothing. Instantly recognizable, a Casa del Shai garment sparkles with mirth and playful irony. Look at the way the jacket button pulls on Southern Comfort, or its slouchie trouser cuffs — I dare you not to smile. Some of that ‘cheekiness’ is built into Mallory’s folds and ‘hang’, too. It will remind you of its older brother, Poco.

Mallory is a jacket-layer garment ready for layering with tanks and tatoos — go simple, though, you won’t want to distract from Mallory. Also be aware that it’s so gauzy and light-weight that the colour of anything you wear underneath will show through lightly in places — here I’m wearing some old freebie t-shirts from Shai in pink and blue underneath the same Mallory in blue.

Yeah, yeah, it’s summer in the northern hemisphere and time to buy holiday clothing for trips to the pool and so on. Tell you what — the release of such a vintage piece of artwork from Shai is itself enough reason to take the day off and head to the beach. Drop whatever you’re doing and buy these on your way to the airport!

Available now at Casa del Shai (150, 100, 691), Mallory Shirt by Shai Delacroix is available in four colours. As well as the Claret, Blue and Olive you see here, there is a Driftwood version. Great art isn’t usually inexpensive, but these are only L$150 each. I’m also wearing Alain Swim Trunks in the Roses design, also from Casa del Shai for L$250.

Photos taken at the Casa del Shai and at Arka Bahce Beach Island (176, 226, 22).