May 12, 2011
Nothing shouts urban-causal louder than CAT, and for a brand that has been known mainly for its footwear for (unfairly) a bit too long, the label is breaking tradition and pushing hard with its SS11 collection of colour-block tees and plaid over shirts.
CAT for me has always been about the boots: rough, ready and practical in often a range of beiges, browns and blacks. So it’s a little bit surprising that the brand name have gone all retro; they’re shying away from the neutrals and diving headfirst into a rainbow of bold and brash colours.
Lime greens, piercing sky blues, purples and peachy reds take the forefront and the brand is still staying true to its urban-casual roots with straight-fit tees, pullover hoodies and heavyweight caps. Not in the signature series is also a range of plaid shirts that remind me of when Superdry made good ones – sturdy, attractive, not overly-patterned and ideal for rolling up the sleeves on a hot day…
All round a good (bright!) show and I think I’ll be thinking of CAT Apparel when I’m scouting new wardrobe additions – for me it’s like I’ve discovered a new brand because in all honesty – and ashamedly – CAT have never been on my list of ‘known’ clothing designers, let alone favourite.
Still one of the undoubted kings of footwear, CAT are doing a good job of making casual-urban their own and it’s nice to see a bit of history on the racks instead of all this interactive, science-inspired fashion.
