Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche: The Tom Ford Style
By Michelle Taylor

PARIS, Jan 26, 2004/ FW/ --- Ford looked as fresh as the flowers attached to the lapels of his YSL suits as he took his final bow tonight at the YSL Rive Gauche show.

HE is the perfect YSL man, with more class than his models dressed to the nines.

Ford’s outfits are more than fabric; they exude inbred style. The Tom Ford goodbye to menswear for the Gucci Group is all about elegance and exclusivity.

French poodle walking gentlemen opened the show in three-piece suits with velvet vests, thin gloves and perfect leather square toed shoes.

There are no apologies for the conservativeness and snobbery of these YSL men in pinstripes and double breasted six button jackets that fall below the behind like formal wear out of a 1980’s bridal catalogue.

Where ties are absent there are silk foulards or alternatively the turtleneck sweater. Feather light silk shirts fall softly on the torso; the sweaters are delicate, even if a little fluffy and pastel, while knit cardigans are large and roomy, buttoned slightly to the side.

Luxurious are the full-length overcoats in fur or sheepskin that fall to the knee and the large crocodile bags.

Ford puts a slight spin on the collection as he incorporates fashionable sportive elements.

Mini jackets are made of fur and leather with white trousers, while the traditional bomber is reworked into a gorgeous leather and woollen version matched with black and white hounds tooth pants.

Little velvet versions of classic cut denim jackets come in a range of colours and are bound to become an indispensable exemplar in the first class world travellers’ wardrobe.

The male silhouette is as important as ever, appearing intriguingly under sober layers.

A colour palette made up of predominantly greys, browns and darks, but there are studied splashes of red, yellow and azure.

Evenings are reserved for bowties and minichecked shirts under handsome suits. The watermark black jacket or the all satin versions in total black and total white breath extra exclusivity for that extra special occasion.

This last show for Texan Tom Ford as the YSL menswear designer was more about himself than the historic label, a reflection of his tailoring skills and love for the elite.

Ford will give his final bows at the womenswear shows in Milan for Gucci and YSL in Paris in March of this year.

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche