What is menswear today?
The men’s collections have become increasingly experimental over the last couple of seasons. As fluidity and queerness have become trending topics in pop culture (thanks in part to the stylish Harry Styles, Lil Nas X, Troye Sivan, and Bad Bunny) and as runways have started to feature non-binary and trans models in their castings, designers are redefining menswear for a world less interested in the usual shape of masculinity.
In come the experiments. It was a year ago that Fendi’s cropped jackets made the bare midriff a must for men. This time around, suiting got a style update with designers foregoing mid layers in favor of a casual, shirtless look, while revealing mesh-like tops and airy sweaters were the season’s go-to knits. Cropped tops, no tops, low rise pants, no pants! It’s all about skin for next spring.
Jonathan Anderson and the Prada duo leaned into childish innocence, with the first focusing on silliness and play and the latter on boyish proportions. Jeans went baggy and shorts went long as the likes of Fendi and Alyx looked to channel the coolness of ’90s California kids. Canadian tuxedos got trippy remixes, and stylists proved to be just as indecisive as customers as they layered jackets over jackets and pants over pants (I mean, why choose?). Patchwork, too, is on everyone’s minds.
Some went sporty. Martine Rose, Ahluwalia, and Emporio Armani showed tracksuits, and Marine Serre went all out with fitness gear. On that note, it’s worth mentioning that many popular athletes including Russell Westbrook, Dwayne Wade, and Kyle Kuzma sat front row at the shows. Make no mistake, the new shape of masculinity has not shifted its focus to a few, it’s grown to include all.
Tag along as we unpack the season’s top trends and make sense of menswear’s new look.
Child’s Play
The current state of the world has everyone longing for their youths. Ernest W. Baker, Hed Mayner, Egonlab, and Sacai explored school uniforms, while Jonathan Anderson got playful with bike handles and broken skateboards and Prada gave their logo a rickrack treatment over ginghams. Forget just listening to your inner child, it’s time to dress like them, too.
The Shirtless Suit
Every menswear season designers try to reinvent the suit. Fall was all about bulging shoulders and nipped waists, but spring is for leaving your shirt home. Double breasted jackets cut in relaxed shapes and styled sans-top dominated the runway this season, making their way into collections from Versace to Amiri, Ahluwalia to Moschino.
It’s a Tie!
Speaking of formal wear, neckties were the season’s surprise accessory. It seems like we’ve spent so much time running away from the classics that we’ve come around the other side. But these are not your dad’s ties. MSGM styled double ties on the runway, and KidSuper oversized theirs, while Hedi Slimane shrunk his at Celine.
The Baggier the Better
Bermuda shorts, roomy jeans, and cargo pants were the MVPs of the season as designers chased the ultimate ’90s Cali skater boy fantasy.
Let’s Get Physical
After all those at-home workouts, it’s clearly time to return to the gym. At least according to Marine Serre, Saul Nash, and Loewe, who all had fitness on their minds for spring.
All Meshed Up
Designers have loosened their gauges, and knitwear is getting airier and meshier. From true mesh at Celine and Amiri to netty knits at Lazoschmidl and Lukhanyo Mdingi, spring is the time to air things out.
Barely There
With rises going lower and tops getting cropped, this menswear season was one of the most naked ever. Related: the emergence of exposed underwear. From jockstraps to branded boxer briefs, every layer counts.
Patch Me If You Can
Sustainability is all of our minds, and patchwork has become a mainstay trend on and off the runways. From mismatched bandanas at Marine Serre and Children of the Discordance to overlaid patches at Kiko Kostadinov and Yohji Yamamoto, designers are making the old new again.
Seeing Double
You know when you simply can’t decide which jacket to wear or what pants go best with your top? Well now you don’t have to choose. At Hermès, Y/Project, Dior Men, and more, designers and stylists doubled things up this season, showing two times the jackets and two times the pants for a neo-layered look.
The Electric Kool-Aid Denim Trip
We all love a Canadian tuxedo. While head-to-toe denim was a hit last season, this time around it was all about the remix. Casablanca went Western with a cowboy shirt and chaps, while Glenn Martens deconstructed his at Y/Project and Hed Mayner blew his up.
This article was originally published on Vogue US.
