Maybe I’m a little biased, but I’ve always believed men get the short end of the stick when it comes to fashion. In saying that, I don’t mean to reiterate that tired, sexist, antiquated notion that fifty percent of the population somehow lacks a gene for style to match their Y chromosome (whereas, or so the equally false assumption goes, fashion is somehow some innate gift of the feminine mystique). What I mean is that men are generally without the diverse possibilities and wide options afforded to women: you girls get to try out all the latest trends, be bold and brazen, sometimes show a little skin, and generally push the proverbial envelope if it tickles your fashion fancy. Alas, that same playfulness just isn’t afforded to men, unless of course, that man is lip syncing to “Like a Virgin” as the live entertainment on a cruise ship. Think about it: you don’t see paparazzi flashing camera bulbs at the male stars during movie premieres and Hollywood award shows. Who needs shots of a flock of identical penguins when, I don’t know, Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing some wonky bow on her head, or has a grandfather clock around her neck, or is walking down the red carpet on stilts, or whatever.
So imagine my surprise, while attending the Rouleau for Women reception at the InterContinental Boston on Tuesday night, when I realized how deprived women have been of the custom designs and tailoring that Alan Rouleau has been bringing to Boston men for 22 years now. The invitation-only reception introduced Rouleau’s first custom tailored line of clothing for women, and it was obvious that his female clients will benefit from the same detail-oriented craftsmanship and classy style that the boys enjoy. Although there was no proper fashion show in the reception’s 12th floor suite, a clothes rack displayed an assortment of crisp women’s shirts in a small sampling of the fabrics, cuts, colors and patterns available; a half-dozen models also circulated throughout the room to better show them off. Rouleau told me that one of the greatest challenges in creating tailored women’s shirts was maintaining a sense of femininity, but these creations certainly did: they arrived in pink, blue, and soft orange hues, and their lines hugged at the models’ waists even as their unbuttoned collars were frequently splayed wide to give a little show of neck. (See? There was a little something in store for the gentlemen guests, after all.)
But most exciting was the level of customization that now awaits women visitors to Rouleau’s Newbury Street showroom. Starting at $250, women of every size (or at least, 2 through 14) can select from 14 cuts, a bevy of a selection of cuff and collar styles, and as many as 80 different fabrics. The seemingly infinite number of possible permutations allows clients to assemble - under Rouleau’s guidance, of course – a custom designed and tailored shirt that is, quite literally, one of a kind. Although I enjoyed briefly chatting with Rouleau, given the absence of a show I think this debut for his women’s tailoring would have benefited from at least some kind of formal introduction, however brief (unless I missed some kind of glass-clinking, crowd-quieting, pitch speech by needing to duck out just before the reception’s final hour). But most of the guests seemed perfectly content to sip on Sensi wine, Cold River vodka, and nosh on passed hors d’oeuvres. It seemed the inspired but low key evening was, appropriately enough, tailored to their taste.
