With every designer from Roland Mouret to Carlos Miele entering the menswear market, you’d assume it’s one area that’s seemingly recession proof, or at least suffering on a smaller scale.

It looks like that may not be the case. If Men’s Vogue going under wasn’t the first indication of trouble on the menswear home front then Thom Browne might be the perfect warning to those considering suiting up the boys in the near future.

Browne’s known for his too-cool-for-school designs - outfits that look like you picked them up off your bedroom floor and suits practically built around bow-ties. But apparently investors just realized said suits cost about $5,000 a pop and they’re not holding their own on the rack. Which means canceled orders for Spring and Fall from small boutiques to big department stores and the possibility of bankruptcy.

It’s a bit of a surprise for two reasons:

1. Thom Browne has quickly become the fashion world’s sweetheart.
2. His multi-million dollar partnerships with Harry Winston, Moncler and Brooks Brother continue into 2011.

With that much established success and future potential, how could anyone not be surprised he’s flailing? Is this an omen for all the designers we previously assumed could ride this out and a warning to those trying to expand?

-CARSON GRIFFITH

In light of diamond prices taking a significant dip, Harry Winston’s made a big change. They’ve quietly launched an e-commerce site called the Harry Winston Online Salon.

It consists of only diamond jewelry, much of which is winter-themed (like at left), ranging anywhere from $6,000 for a pendant to $135,000 for a necklace.

Our first thought: Who the hell drops a mortgage payment online?

Our second thought: Well, it’s Harry Winston, so even though you lose all the magic of the glittering jewels in their boutiques, you definitely know what you’re getting, so the quality wouldn’t be any different than from jewelry bought there in person.

And yet, we still can’t help but feel like:

1. This comes dangerously close to diluting their brand image (Marilyn Monroe singing, the storied old house, etc) by placing their goods in the realm of shame shopping, which usually consists of bags and shoes.

2. Even though Harry Winston has famous standards, we still don’t see ourselves casually charging $20,000 to our Amex, even though it’s technically the same as doing it in the store (assuming you know what ten carats of bling look like on your ears.)

So many questions: Would you buy major jewels online? Or is that left for minor accessories - and should all major jewelry purchases be made in person? (Because, as much as we hate to admit it, we can’t imagine how we’d feel if we were on the receiving end of a major gift, and learned that the necklace/earrings/ring was purchased while watching television…)

Some facts:

1. American workers make up almost half of all diamond purchases worldwide. [Another somewhat related fact: There is exactly one diamond mine in the US (in Arkansas), and it’s not used for commercial sourcing.]

2. US joblessness just increased to 6.5%, the highest in 14 years. Translation: A lot of those American workers are out of jobs right now.

3. Almost 50% of all diamond purchases are made in the fourth quarter. Translation: They’re usually bought as holiday gifts, or in anticipation of a major bonus to buoy the cost, so most major diamond dealers (Harry Winston, Tiffany’s, Van Cleef, etc) haven’t even felt the full effect of our downward economy, and are just about to enter the time of year that usually carries their business.

So what does this all mean? Well, according to Bloomberg, the price of diamonds should fall at least 15% next year, which basically means that Harry Winston is going on sale - but does 15% off $30,000 really help? Well, for some..