Menswear on The Move
The SS26 menswear collections have just wrapped up in Paris, marking the cycle of new Spring/Summer collections previewed for buyers at this time of year. Kicking off with Pitti Uomo in Florence, each season showcases the new collections from all the big global menswear brands. Menswear definitely evolves slowly over seasons, and whilst the majority of Clients may not ever be aware of the slow evolution over time our Personal Stylists are informed to answer any questions some of our more fashion-forward Clients may have.
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I am still reviewing some of my favorite shows this season, and you too may have seen some snippets pop up on your social feed. Undoubtedly, the big show of the season by far was Johnathan Anderson’s debut collection at Dior Homme, showcasing his new quirky take on the historic French house. The editors are calling it “opposites attract” with a nod towards gender breakdowns, which JA has pioneered as designer over the last ten years. He showed a collection of bleached denim worn with tailoring, uniforms, and sneakers or vests with big baggy shorts.
If LMVH is entrusting him with this important role for their most valued brand, then this isn’t a whimsical bet but rather a long-planned and strategic move that marks the zeitgeist of global fashion. The overall mood of the collection was remarkably approachable, with clothes that captured both the house’s heritage and the things young guys want to wear. I chose a few of the more understandable looks to share here, but it made me realize that the trickle-down effect for menswear is shifting more and more towards remixing the good pieces of a man’s wardrobe with a couple of re-inventions along the way.
The silhouette of the wider pant and softer tailoring continues to prevail across most collections; even the big box brands are currently beginning to favor wider pants over skinny ones. We are introducing our own “relaxed chino” for Fall, featuring soft pleats, a wide leg, and a higher waist, designed for those more fashion-forward J.Hilburn Clients. The new casual style sits alongside our tailored Fashion Pant, which we introduced quietly to our assortment a few seasons ago. The Fall season will feature other re-editions such as our tailored vest, as both a stand-alone piece or worn back to tailoring, chore jacket styling, and ultra-lightweight outerwear, to mention a few. |
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One of the more recent styling go-tos we have seen and adopted over the last few seasons has been the T-shirt worn under tailoring. I personally attribute it to the same high/low trend I mentioned above. I also attribute it to the idea of a lux “heavy weight” tee that editors have been focusing on after the TV series The Bear and the actor Jeremy Allen White wearing iconic white tees so well. He simply borrowed from James Dean and Marlon Brando to mention a couple, who knew that the tee, immediately symbolizes anti-establishment, non-cooperative style in the ilk of sneakers, denim, and no neckwear – all of which sound familiar to us as simply how a modern guy dresses today.
The truth is, the new tee shirt focus is not about your Hanes or Fruit of the Loom basic, but rather a luxe cotton, tailored and simple that, under a tailored sportscoat, looks effortless and stylish, similar to how we have seen sneakers worn with suits of late. No matter how you feel about it, undeniably, our own custom-made tee in interlock, Albini Flex, or our Italian Tech knits all make us a prime supplier to our Clients for this timeless must-have of every stylish gent. |
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If you want to learn more about the latest men’s runway, please use this link to GQ. https://www.gq.com/about/paris-fashion-week |
