Photo: Patrick McMullan

The Times "Styles" section has a lovely piece today about why men are going gaga for Michael Bastian's line. The ex–Bergdorf-men's-fashion director, you see, cuts a pair of men's khaki bottoms — shorts, pants, what have you — in a way that is not gay, yet is slim enough to make men feel fashionable. However those awesome-fitting pants are not cheap. The Times wrote two weeks ago about Bastian's $540 khaki shorts with boxer briefs sewn inside. This week, Bastian confesses that his prices are absurd. “It’s crazy,” he said. “I can’t even afford my clothes.” Finally, a designer who says what we're all thinking! Bastian hopes to cut his prices by 30 percent. His dress shirts can cost $425, his pants $550, and his sport coats $1,150. However, if he does cut prices, Italian luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli might not be able to make his line anymore, which means Bastian probably wouldn't be able to use the same fine Italian materials. “Right now, it hurts a little too much,” Bastian said of his prices. “It should hurt a little, but it shouldn’t kill ’em. That’s the law of designer clothes.” Then again if men are so in love with his stuff (his line is in 54 stores and turned $3 million in sales last year), maybe he doesn't need to lower prices. Sweet of him to care, though.

Michael Bastian: That Thing He Does [NYT]
Related: Designer Men's Shorts Are Ridiculously Overpriced