In his first official foray into menswear, Thakoon Panichgul collaborated with Aloha Rag to create this plaid cardigan. Thakoon is best known for his modern, sophisticated womenswear that counts power women Michelle Obama and Anna Wintour as fans.
Thakoon told WWD, “I’m dying to do men’s wear…I think it would be so fun. I always have guys asking me when I’m going to start. I think maybe in a year. Maybe.”
If the cardigan–which is made of cashmere and set to retail at $850–is any indication, I’m not as confidant in Thakoon’s menswear design sensibilities. Thick tartan patterns strike me as curmudgeonly and only exacerbate the grandfatherly feel of a cardigan. Maybe I am biased because I am almost certain that my grandfather has a cardigan that looks exactly like this one and I know he didn’t pay anywhere near $850. Hell, he probably bought it for $8.50 shortly after the depression. If that.
