Margaret Howell Fall 2015 Menswear Collection

In these Tumblr times of no clear distinction between old and new, the clothes of Margaret Howell seem more at home than they did 10 years ago. What does it matter that she doesn’t present anything "new," when new is really just a case of what you’re aware of and what feels relevant at the moment? Some people might call this quality of Howell’s "timelessness," but clothes are seldom truly timeless. It’s more appropriate to see these garments as cultural artifacts, and as a continuing investigation into Britishness.

Yet there were movement and evolution here today; they were in the slightly tapered leg of a trouser, and in the sleeveless gray knit top with a carefully added white stripe in the small of the back. A chunky, tucked-in knit sweater with a blown-up argyle pattern in gray looked great, and like many other pieces, it was worn over another knit, in this case a turtleneck. The designer also used accent-color scarves or socks as a way to add energy to a somewhat dour palette (there was a lot of gray on gray). As always, Howell showed her staple white shirt; this season it had echoes of a tuxedo shirt, with a reinforced chest panel. The collection incorporated plenty of little details like that, such as the white shearling peeking out at the top of the buttoning of a coat, or the ’60s width of the suit jackets. Once you started looking, you saw. There is a quiet intelligence behind Howell’s construction, and she takes the wearer seriously.