to lead and image theywant to project, agreesEric Jennings, vice presi-dent and fashion directorof menswear for SaksFifth Avenue. Shoppingand, even worse, tryingthings on are necessaryevils to get there.

They go to stores on amission and like to get itaccomplished, he says.They’ll come in knowingexactly what they wantand will buy in multiples.But, he adds, the moderncustomer is buying abroader range of productsand sees a value in havingknowledge about them.

Paul Grangaard, CEOof shoe brand Allen Ed-monds, says when itcomes to fashion, men arehunters and women aregatherers. Different meth-ods, different mentalities,but both can end up withfull closets, he says.

loyal than women.Call shopping “enter-

tainment” and they’re notbuying it, but describing itas a “hobby” is somethingelse, he says.

Men can “geek out”when it comes to construc-tion and even minutiae ofa garment. “I’m not justtalking about a ‘fashionguy.’ For many men, yourwardrobe is part of yourprogram of discernment.They’ll learn about it like acar or a wine or a watch,”Thoreson says. “Guys canbe busting each other’schops in one breath andtalking about soft con-struction on the shoulderof a suit in the next. Theylove construction, specs.It’s about what’s under thehood.”

You now see men dress-ing for the life they want

“Shopping is not aman’s favorite when it’sabout waiting for women.It’s not a leisure activity.Shopping for their ownclothing isn’t their favor-ite place, either, but thereis a renaissance — it’ssmall but steady — as menare interested in an up-grade,” Jennings says.“Coming out of the reces-sion, they know they haveto take appearance moreseriously. It can be thatthing for a new job or apromotion.”

And, he adds, if they’redressing well during theweek, it’s likely to becomea habit on weekends.

“Men travel in herds,and when it’s OK in yourfriendship group to careabout how you look on theweekends, it spreads pret-ty quickly,” observesGrangaard. “Since therecession of 2008, you’realways networking. Mendress better for midweekcoffees and lunches andon weekends because younever know who you’ll runinto where. You alwayswant to look secure, stableand reliable.”

It’s hard to do that inbeat-up jeans and runningshoes.

Thoreson says he looksaround midtown Manhat-tan and quite literally seesthe change. You see men— creative types andhipsters, not just bankers,he stresses — voluntarilywearing ties. On Gilt’supscale Park & Bond web-site, for example, neck-wear sales increased 33percent in 2011 over theprevious year. “They’rewearing ties because theywant to, not because theyhave to.”

Other booming itemsare pocket squares, Con-verse sneakers, tie barsand rope bracelets.

Suiting was the overallbest-seller on Gilt for menin the second quarter ofthe current fiscal year,Thoreson says, and 85percent of its customerswere doing their ownshopping. (They’ll stillleave cuff links and sweat-ers to the women in theirlives to buy.)

Suits are selling betterwith unexpected custom-ers, from DJs to hoteliers,notes Saks’ Jennings, butthey’re not necessarilywearing them every day.It might be a suit one ortwo days a week, a sport-

coat another and dressed-up denim the other days atthe office, he says. “Itused to be that you were asuit guy or a businesscasual guy in khakis and apolo, or jeans and a T-shirt. Those days areover.”

Back to that pack men-tality, Jennings saysgroups of friends andcolleagues often dress insimilar styles. Many mendon’t want to ask for styleadvice from wives, friendsor salespeople — the waythey don’t ask for direc-tions — and even compli-ments are few, but, hesays, they ask peers, “Whomakes that suit?” or“Where did you get that?”

Fashion might evenstart to appeal to a man’ssense of friendly competi-tion, Thoreson says with alaugh. “You want to knowmore than the guy next toyou. The guys who wereobsessing over types ofdenim a few years ago arenow obsessing over Nea-politan tailoring. … Nowyou hear guys talk aboutthis stuff. There’s no fearand all enthusiasm, andthere can be some one-upmanship of droppingthe lingo and that’s part ofthe fun.”

Fashion insiderssay men aretaking a keeninterest in howthey dress.AP/PARK & BOND

GUYS: Men are finding fashion smarts a good fitContinued from Page D1

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APRIL 26 - DERBY EVE

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OPEN WEEKDAYS 11am-11pm SATURDAY 7:30am-11pm SUNDAY 1pm-11pm

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9pm RhythmFest featuringGeorge Clinton &Parliament Funkadelic

Wild Wednesday Wed, May 211am-2pm Battle of the Bounce

6pm Great Steamboat Race7pm WFPK Presents

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D2 | TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012 | THE COURIER-JOURNAL FEATURES | courier-journal.com/features KY

The Wight-Meyer Vineyard andWinery entered 13 wines in thisyear’s competition and won 13medals, including three gold,adding to the dozens of medalswon in national and interna-tional competitions over thelast five years.

This year’s winners will beavailable for tasting at the Ken-tucky Derby Festival’s Wine-Fest, held today and Wednesdayon the Belvedere in downtownLouisville. Now in its sixth year,the WineFest will have a record20 wineries from Kentucky andIndiana represented.

“It really has turned into asuccess story,” said event chair-man Mike Ziemianski. “I thinkthe first year we had 11 win-eries, and it’s grown eversince.”

Think of WineFest as anupscale Chow Wagon. For $35,you get 15 drink tickets, a com-memorative wine glass, pro-gram and your fill of fingerfood. Wine-friendly food willalso be for sale.

Jim Wight loves the eventand has been setting up a tablefor four years. The exposurehas helped get the Shepherd-sville winery more attentionfrom drinkers and wholesalers;in the Louisville area, you canfind it at Liquor Barn.

“It’s just unreal,” Wight saidof the event. “It’s mostly wom-en who come to wine tastings,and when they find one theylike, they’ll tell everybody. It’snot unusual for us to be 10 peo-ple wide and 10 deep. It’s some-thing else.”

Wight began in 1996 with 53

vines, enough to play aroundwith, and just kept planting inthe fertile Bullitt County soil.By 2002, he was up to 2.5 acresand in 2003 began doing well incompetitions. The pivotal mo-ment came in 2005, when thecompany Sandy worked forclosed, marking the third timein five years that she foundherself out of work.

“She said, ‘You know, I reallydon’t want to go back to work

for somebody else. Let’s open awinery,’ ” Jim Wight said. “Isaid, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ”

The Wights are continuing atradition not normally associat-ed with Kentucky.

In 1799, Swiss immigrantJohn James Dufour openedNorth America’s first commer-cial vineyard and winery inJessamine County, appropri-ately called First Vineyard. Itclosed in the early 1800s after a

debilitating freeze, and themajority of Kentucky’s latervineyards were destroyed dur-ing the Civil War. Efforts tore-establish the industry inKentucky were then stifled byProhibition, leading to a shifttoward tobacco.

First Vineyard is again oper-ating and will open its firsttasting room later this month.Kentucky now boasts more than50 wineries, according to Ken-

tuckyWine.com, and Indianahas 60. They come in all sizes,and Wight-Meyer is considereda boutique winery, producingaround 2,000 cases per year.

“We have no intentions ofgetting big,” Jim Wight said.“We just want to be the best.That’s all I’ve ever caredabout.”

Reporter Jeffrey Lee Puckett can bereached at (502) 582-4160.

WINE: GrowthContinued from Page D1

Jim Wight examines a wine made from Norton grapes at Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery in Bullitt County. The winery is one of 20participating in this year’s WineFest. Wight loves the event and has been setting up a table for four years. 2007 FILE PHOTO

Howard Vogt, president and owner of Rodeson Brownsboro Road, agrees.

“Men are allowing themselves to have funwith their clothing. They are allowing themselvesto enjoy fashion,” he said. “When a guy dresseslike that, women love it.”

When it comes to Derby dressing, Jim Porter,the men’s buyer at Rodes, said that it’s “all aboutdressing up. Great suits and really great sportcoats with ties.”

Bayersdorfer said that bow ties are hotterthan ever this year at The Fash-ion Post.

“We’re selling a ton of bowties. They’re very popular.They’re very Southern-inspired,and they just work very well atthe races or parties,” he said.

When it comes to neckwear,Bayersdorfer says Derby-themed styles, embellished witheverything from horses andhorseshoes to mint julep cups,have especially been in demand.

“Anything like that on a tiehas been very popular.”

Chic chapeaus aren’t just for the female track-goers either anymore.

“Men can always wear a hat to Derby or Oaks.It is a very appropriate accessory for the track,”Porter said. “Straw hats are trending now withdifferent size brims. A smaller brim like a fedora,or even a hat with a larger brim, works great.”

Color is also a must for spring and Derbystyle, especially “all shades of blue and purple,”Porter said. “You also see splashes of red, orange,yellow and pink.”

Reporter Christa Ritchie can be reached at (502) 582-4144.

DERBY: Dress sharpContinued from Page D1

“Greatsuits andreallygreatsportcoats.”JIM PORTER,RODES

Time: 04-30-2012 19:49 User: mstockwell PubDate: 05-01-2012 Zone: KY Edition: 1 Page Name: D 2 Color: CyanMagentaYellowBlack