A Sneak Peek at Thom Browne's Lower-Priced Line

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

At the Thom Browne trunk show today at 100 Hudson Street, clients browsed the designer's signature take on the sophisticated American man's wardrobe (plus or minus a few the skirts). Cozy cardigans in everything from merino to Earl Grey cashmere lined the walls of the shop (with prices anywhere from $400 to upwards of $4,000). The other usual suspects were all there, too, including wrinkled casual and dress oxford shirts, v-neck sweaters, suits, and even a tuxedo or two. Oh, and the crisp leather shoes and oversized briefcases were nice complements to the variety of colors in his fall line. Red, white, and blue (as always) is Browne's mantra, and it's never looked better.

The real treat of the day was being escorted into the "back room" of the store to see the Thom Browne spring/summer collection, above. A super-chic distressed suit was a favorite, as well as a dapper Glen Plaid suit adorned with ticket pockets, which the sales associate informed us was a first for the designer. Plaid is also a common thread of the collection (no surprises there), appearing on some vintage-looking oxfords and a couple of other pieces.

Other quick peeks at the line showed a black sequined jacket and a strong focus on polka dots of all things, usually done with a monochromatic color palette. And we can't forget to mention the spring Fair Isle cardigan which was an unusual twist, but definitely a welcome one. (It's actually available for order at the trunk show until 7pm tomorrow.)

The best part of our visit, though, was a quick glance at an attention-grabbing but officially off-limits rack of Brown's lower-priced red/white/blue line. From what we could see—we couldn't snag any pictures—the line has European-looking tailoring, an awesome patent leather yellow PVC trench coat with ticket pockets (rectangular pockets with a black lining) and a polka dot military jacket that really stole the spotlight (without being too daring like the dresses seen on his runway earlier this season). It should be a big hit for Browne. No word on price range yet, but the designer certainly stayed true to his label by sacrificing neither style nor quality.—Phillip Picardi
· Thom Browne and Rag & Bone to Launch Lower-Priced Lines [The Cut]