In previous articles that appeared in Fashion Mannuscript, we discussed how men’s fashion may change, and I thought that future, large-scale changes would be a long time coming. However, I was wrong. Now it seems that every day in Vogue or other fashion magazines, there are new trends in menswear. Womenswear features outfits that are inspired by traditionally menswear styles, and menswear articles show outfits that are taking cues from women’s apparel. For men who want to dress to the current trends, the well-seasoned suit over a white or blue shirt with a tie are not being seen as much these days as they once were.
We can see these changes outlined in such publications including MR Magazine, Vogue and even the New York Times.
An article published in Vogue Runway highlighted Virgil Abloh of Off-White, who presented the Fall 2021 collection at a runway show in Paris in July 2021. The article said this about the show: “At the time the show, read as a statement of confidence and ambition … With the designer’s sudden passing in November, that show now acts as a sort of template for subsequent collections, the first of which is Spring 2022, appearing here. Off-White, as Abloh put it half a year ago, is “adjacent to streetwear,” but it’s not hemmed in by it. He was a restless spirit, prone to rebel against labels and the constraints of time.
“The world has changed profoundly for the Off-White design studio and the New Guards Group that produces the OW collections. Going forward, their job will be striking a balance between homage and honoring Abloh’s drive for constant forward movement. Designed before his passing, this collection makes good on the ‘more adult’ Off-White while also celebrating childhood and youthful games. The collection’s name is Sticks & Stones. If it were anybody else, that might sound like a post-mortem tweak of former detractors, but that’s not Abloh’s style. A brand rep described it as a ‘playful endorsement of doing your own thing.’”
An article from the New York Times focused on the return of the traditional suit shape for the post-pandemic fashion world and commented on men’s dressing. The article said: “So much for comfort dressing. All those predictions about elastic waists and leggings and flats and the way the pandemic had changed dressing forever turned out to have been not so true after all. When both Alessandro Michele of Gucci and Donatella Versace (not to mention Dolce & Gabbana and Ambush) open their shows with a suit — dark, tailored, slightly oversize — something clearly is going on. And it’s not the pivot to party mayhem that was once predicted. But then, the world is not such a comforting place at the moment.
Her comments about the suit are of interest to consider these developing menswear trends in both men’s fashion and women’s apparel: “The suit, with its associations with power, status, gender conformity and nonconformity, armor and protection (not to mention adulthood), that makes you feel immediately girded for the day, may be the garment best — well, suited, for the times.
“It began its runway emergence in New York last week and now appears to be reaching critical mass. It was the single most dominant garment at Gucci, a brand returning to the Milan catwalk after two years away with a show held against a set lined in fun house mirrors and lit by the flashing of strobes. Out of the dissonance came double-breasted suits in navy, sky-blue and chocolate brown. Suits with tuxedo lapels and cowhide trim. Suits covered in bristling spikes. Suits with skinny ties and big bags and kooky accessorizing. A suit for every personality!”
What changes in menswear styling can we expect tomorrow? Perhaps a return to what used to be considered more normal or typical stylings of the suit. However, there still is a “normal” when we consider what men are wearing to traditional business meetings, appearing in court rooms and attending formal dinner parties. It seems that tuxedos continue to remain in style for weddings and other formal occasions.
Benjamin S, Seigel is of counsel to the firm of G & B Law, LLP. He specializes in matters related to the textile and apparel industries. He can be reached at bseigel@gblawllp.com.
