Love brand designer at NYFW: Menswear for women

NEW YORK — Richard Chai opened up the closet doors and switched everything around for the fall collection he presented Thursday at New York Fashion Week.

He pulled out top coats, tweed jackets and pinstripe pants for the women wearing his Love brand, and retooled trousers in his men's clothes to be slimmer and shorter than most guys are used to.

Some of the best pieces were stadium and duffel coats, appealing to all sorts of customers.

The women looked powerful and put together in their mostly gray-and-black blazers and button-down shirts. There were flashes of femininity as Chai also offered some sheer layers and some pieces in pretty red floral print, a contrast to all the tailoring. A few of the dressier looks featured less-structured wide-leg pleated pants that played well into the overall mix. The more casual versions of a similar pant, however, were a little too slouchy.

Still, the boyfriend look on women is something that looks good to the collective eye. It might be harder to adjust to the idea of men heading down a path that could lead to leggings.

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