The menswear trends to know

It’s high time we practise restraint. At the AW24 menswear shows in January, its biggest designers from Prada and Valentino to Fendi and Gucci welcomed a fuss-free wardrobe packed full of two-piece suits, shirts and neckties, tailored trousers and denim in all its many iterations.

Over the past few years, menswear identities have flouted between the slouch appeal of jogging bottoms during lockdown, then a much-needed ascent out of the pandemic via rave-ready clothing made for the dance floor. Last year, we saw an influx of minimal with the influence of “quiet luxury”, permeating all manner of clothing from sportswear to logo-less branding. Now, it seems we’re back to business as usual.

Though that’s not to say we’re retreating into hum-drum design. Clean and minimal the collections may have been, but there were still enough innovative design aspects to fast-forward your everyday wardrobe into something a little more exciting. While it seems we’ve hit pause on boundary-pushing, put it this way: at least these trends won’t frighten your nan next time you pay her a visit.

Be bold, be brave: menswear is set to explode with vibrant pops of colour. JW Anderson used vivid hues of red on oversized velvet blazers and plunging V-necks in a collection that riffed off the erotica of Stanley Kubrick’s cult classic Eyes Wide Shut. Prada brought pops of colour to its monochromatic suits with skull caps in sunset orange, crimson and canary yellow, a stretchy pair of trousers came in royal purple and colour blocking in baby blue and orangey red combos. At Gucci, oversized bags and leather gloves came in the house’s sumptuous signature Ancora red, while a floor-length cornflower blue coat and a lime green bomber jacket sliced through the darker, more demure black jackets and burgundy trenches. And edging towards playtime, Loewe offered a treasure trove of wild colours and clashing prints: a metallic green mac, acid-yellow trousers and the homoerotic prints of artist Richard Hawkings, who collaborated with creative director Jonathan Anderson. This winter, cut through the clouds and embrace your inner optimist.

Your biggest investment for the season is likely to start with a coat, and this season, it was all eyes on the classic British outerwear staple, the trench. Burberry took charge with a series of styles that took cues from its military heritage, with high, protective necks and sharp shoulders charging through the battlefield. Prada followed suit with a traditional sandy offering that, like much of its collection, pointed to a busy work schedule and a need for ease. Leave it to Dolce & Gabbana, masters of sex-appeal, then, who brought sensuality in an all-black number that nips in the waist and leaves the shoulders tall and proud. Finally, Dries Van Noten, who brought the denim trend (more on that later) one step further with, you guessed it, a denim trench.

Suits have been making a steady impact in menswear over the past few months, with new and emerging designers embracing the traditional two-piece in cool and casual ways. And these days, you’re likely to spot a suit worn with a beaten-up pair of Converse in a pub, club and street corner, by a generation finding endless influence in the Britpop styles of the ‘90s. Over on the runways, though, Prada sent down an army of 9-5-appropriate suits complete with sharp shoulders, slick tailored trousers and in colour palettes that didn’t stray too far from charcoal black and steely grey. Valentino, and similarly Gucci, followed suit (pardon the pun) with all-black attire complete with stark white shirts, while Loewe offered a casual take on a double-breasted suit complete with optional, but very encouraged, blood-red, shoulder-length hair.

Sure, suits are on the agenda for the upcoming season. But so is comfort in its many forms. Amongst the slew of sharp silhouettes were cosy collegiate-inspired track tops, bottoms and three-stripe zip-ups from Wales Bonner’s on-going collaboration with adidas Originals. Isabel Marant cut a smart-casual figure in a look book collection inspired by the ease and freedom of youth subcultures; textured oversized cardigans thrown over lightly coloured T-shirts, loose-cut suits made for daytime and practical utilitarian jackets loosely hanging off the body. Meanwhile, Kenzo offered varsity jackets and slouchy, loose trousers, Loewe sent down a pair of lilac lo-rise skate-influenced sneakers, and Givenchy took it one step further with a knitted poncho to wrap yourself in. How’s that for comfort?

Denim never really strays too far from the trends, but this year, we’ll be seeing it in many iterations at the forefront of men’s fashion, from rugged utility to even high-end Canadian tuxedos. Amongst the slick suiting at Prada was a denim suit, while Valentino took a darker turn in an indigo over-shirt and matching loose-fit tapered jeans. Ami Paris, meanwhile, went for a purple-blue denim shirt tucked into similarly shaded jeans, and Acne Studios, who presented its collection via a look book featuring transgressive musician Yves Tumor, reimagined its usual denim offering by cranking up the volume and overworking, printing and maxing out its pieces. From tailored denim jackets to everyday jeans, our trusty go-to has been fully embraced from top to bottom.

While the trends have by and large maintained a sense of sobriety, skorts emerged as a subversive trend to challenge notions of gender. AMI, Comme des Garçons and Fendi led the charge, incorporating skorts into their collections by reworking the traditional trouser suit. Blurring the lines between skirts and shorts, these styles are redefining masculinity in fashion, encouraging men to embrace fluidity and self-expression through their wardrobe choices. With bold prints, asymmetric silhouettes and luxurious fabrics, skorts are becoming a symbol of sartorial liberation, inviting men to embrace new perspectives in style – plus, they’re incredibly comfortable. For the more experimental, JW Anderson and MSGM took the trend one step further, opting to remove skirts, and shorts, from the equation, sending their models down in nothing but a T-shirt and pair of Y-fronts.

This year, one of the more surprising trends to have emerged are gloves. Kenzo took the humble accessory to new proportions, with an ultra-fluffy iteration, while Giorgio Armani took a similar turn in padded weather-proof leather, nodding to motocross. Fendi, meanwhile, went for green fingers in its collection that saluted the great outdoors, as well as versions in grey and light brown. Dries Van Noten took it up a notch, with knitted gloves that extended up to the bicep, and Paul Smith and Gucci took playful turns with a hit of lime green leather, to be worn with nothing but a simple black suit (see above). This year, don’t stand around with your hands in your pockets.