UNIFORME : Autumn/Winter 2021-2021 collection “SLOW DOWN”

Though still a edgling brand, UNIFORME has already earned industry recognition for its ecologically sound, plastics-free approach to fashion design: in 2021 it was selected for the “Sustainable Style” initiative at Pitti Uomo 99 for the second consecutive year.

For its Fall-Winter 2021 collection, UNIFORME founders Hugues Fauchard and Rémi Bats transpose their ethos of conscious minimalism, uncompromising quality, and a flair for military-inflected tailoring to the Ivy League. The underlying idea: what if the world’s future leaders, graduates of these elite institutions, were required to study environmental protection?

College stripes lend distinctive air to a navy loden coat with white lining or lend an extra dash of character to cozy ribbed sweaters, while a cross on the breast pocket of a thick navy wool jacket evokes the fraternity life and patch elbows recall a hallmark of campus style.

Shirts are by turns fluid or boxy, in solid earth tones or checks. The rugby polo informs a versatile popover overshirt with tapered sleeves and a small, practical flap pocket in the back; a wax-coated Econyl shirt is designed
to take on the patina of time. Generously cut, pleated trousers include tobacco-colored chinos in cotton gabardine, forest green corduroys, and a workwear-inspired jeans/chino hybrid with deep cuffs. The brand’s signature shorts in double cotton weave, like its collared sleeveless sweater, call to mind vintage uniforms. A military-inspired dark navy overshirt in zero-emission Italian wool reflects the brand’s commitment to natural, small-batch sourcing, and proudly retains its original flecked aspect while also sporting savvy details like a beveled inner pocket.

Swinging by the natural sciences department, a special thematic grouping nods to the work of the American botanist John Ernest Weaver in the first half of the 20th century. A specialist in prairie fauna and the ecological relations of roots, the professor photographed his subjects extensively; on selected pieces, such as a revisited medical blouse and a hoodie in tailoring wool, his images now appear in positive and negative prints, a visual reminder of nature’s raw beauty. An oversized white mackintosh with side slits alludes to old-school lab coats.

Adding to the versatility of these looks are removable knit collars, scarves that do double duty as hoods, and striped grosgrain arm bands that give shirts an extra shot of color.

Also new this season is UNIFORME’s Golf derby made in collaboration with J.M. WESTON: crafted in black grained leather with a triple sole, this handsome neo-classic features an extra twist in contrasting o -white laces and Goodyear stitching.