It has been a strange year for the entire world to witness and, of course, this has had a considerable impact on fashion and above all, on designers’ inspirations. However, there is a common misconception that religiously adhering to trends equates to good dressing. This is not the case. Blindly following each and every seasonal trend is a recipe for poor style, not to mention an easy way to bankrupt yourself.
The key to retaining your sartorial self-respect lies in the ability to successfully differentiate between fleeting fads and future classics. To nudge you in the right direction, here are a carefully selected edit of menswear movements worth incorporating into your wardrobe this year.
Florals
A return to the 1970s has been one of the overarching trends of the last five years and it shows no sign of slowing down in 2021. It manifests itself as a floral of grandma’s curtains for the summer season, which is actually a lot more wearable than it sounds.
Everyone from Tom Ford to Burberry has been at it, splashing bold florals onto shorts, vacation shirts and tailoring, amongst others. However, we would suggest keeping it to one statement piece per outfit and as always, ensuring the rest of your look is nice and muted.
Bermuda Shorts
Who likes short shorts? Well, not Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and a plethora of other taste-making high-fashion houses. However, this season we will be seeing the return of longer, wider shorts, echoing a broader shift that has been taking place across all areas of menswear for some time now.
The key to nailing it is making sure you get the length just right. Aim for a couple of inches above the top of the kneecap and opt for tailored styles that can be paired with either casual or smarter pieces with ease.
Vertical Stripes
The reasons for embracing the vertical stripe trend are twofold: firstly, it looks great and presents a simple, refined way to experiment with prints; secondly, it has the nice added bonus of shaving a few pounds off your appearance, making you appear taller and slimmer.
For bonus points, opt for styles with stripes of varying width. Or simply stick to classic stripes or even seersucker if you prefer to keep things subtle.
Get Nautical
Menswear has long been looking to the sea for inspiration. You only need to look at the peacoat for evidence of that. However, this year it will go to the next level as fisherman beanies, Breton tops and dock-worker staples creep further into mainstream men’s fashion.
It is a sub-genre of workwear that fashion journalists are already cringingly referring to as “shipster”. But while you may not want to dress in it from head to toe, a couple of its key pieces here and there is an excellent way to bring your wardrobe up to speed.
All White
One of this summer’s biggest men’s fashion trends is a tricky one to pull off. Despite the risks, going all white is one of the best men’s style moves you can make. It is also a sure-fire way to keep cool in the heat. Try pairing a crisp white T-shirt with matching chino shorts and a pair of tonal leather sneakers. If it is all looking too much, throw a navy overshirt on top to tone it down.
Leather
Due to its good looks, ruggedness and timeless appeal, leather will continue to be a trend, winter after winter. A quality bomber jacket made from the stuff will probably be one of the soundest style investments you are ever likely t make. It won’t come cheap but it will last a lifetime. If you haven’t already added one to your collection, this coming winter is the time to do it.
Checks
Checks are always trending in some way, shape or form but for the colder months of 2021, it is Black Watch tartan, buffalo and windowpane that are the ones to watch.
There are countless ways to work these patterns into your daily wardrobe but one of the simplest is in the medium of a flannel shirt.
Let us know in the comment section how you choose your outfits to look your best.