You might not be a trend chaser, but you like to have one or two items in your wardrobe that are fashion-forward. In fact, this is exactly what most stylists recommend for both men and women: maintaining a closet of mostly basics and staples with a few rotating pieces that fit the currently dominant aesthetic.
However, not everyone can stay plugged into the various fashion weeks to know exactly what styles are up-and-coming for the next season. If you missed the most recent runway shows, here are a few of the menswear trends you should consider keeping up with for the fall season:
Purple
Arguably the hardest color for anyone to pull off — regardless of gender — purple is not frequently seen in high fashion looks as few designers are willing to risk introducing a hue that could clash with the rest of their palette. However, a particular shade of vibrant purple was seen all over Paris during the most recent fashion week, which suggests that it will become a common sight on the streets in the coming months.
Called Cadbury purple, after the British chocolate brand recognizable for its unique shade of purple packaging, this particular purple is deep and slightly bluer in tone. You can incorporate it into your wardrobe in any way you are comfortable, be it a purple track suit, purple velvet blazer, purple polo shirt or purple leather pants.
Grunge
Perhaps in response to the flowy and feminine styles of the ‘60s and ‘70s that have been dominant in recent runways, designers have recently pivoted to drawing inspiration from the grunge aesthetic of the early ‘90s. Clothing that suits grungecore tends to look dirty (without actually being soiled) and is almost always distressed, with stains, tears, holes and patches.
If you like the look of grunge, you should fill your closet with all sorts of plaid shirts, rinse-washed denim and small beanie hats for the fall season.
Collars
Collared shirts are staples of men’s clothing, but the collars we saw on Paris runways were not exactly what you might expect. Instead of the simple, straightforward collars you likely have on various button-ups and polos in your closet, the collars coming into vogue are massive, more akin to accessories than components of the clothing itself.
What’s more, collars are receiving embellishments, like special patterns or textures that are absent from the rest of the shirt or coat. Though this men’s trend isn’t necessarily for everyone, you might look for a shirt or two with an ostentatious collar if you appreciate a more distinctive style.
Overcoats
Outerwear is essential in most regions during the fall season, and most men have at least one trench coat in their closets. However, to stay on trend, you might consider acquiring another outerwear layer: the overcoat.
Extending all the way to the ground and swishing dramatically with movement, the overcoats walking the runway were almost villainous in their appearance. You should stick to stately black and opt for a boxy and billowing silhouette — and you might even go so far as to pair your overcoat with some black leather gloves and dark sunglasses to drive the baddie look home.
Deconstruction
There’s no improving on the classic men’s suit, right? Well, designers on this season’s runways firmly disagreed. Deconstructing the suit was a popular choice, removing unnecessary details like extra buttons, pockets and even lapels to produce a streamlined silhouette that is especially clean and sharp.
If you only have one or two suits in your closet, you might skip this trend, but if you like to look cutting-edge with your formalwear, you might need to pick up one of these minimalist, sci-fi-esq deconstructed suits.
Skirts
Gender is a social construct, and designers are further demonstrating this fact by successfully outfitting their male models in what has widely been considered a feminine article of clothing: the skirt. So-called dude skirts are everywhere these days, with many celebrities integrating them into their wardrobes publicly and privately.
If you want to make a statement with your fall fashion, you should think about picking up a skirt that suits your personal style. You can find men’s skirts that are straight, pleated, flowy, leather, cotton, tulle and everything in between, and you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment to find the skirt that’s right for you.
Fall is upon us, but it isn’t too late to choose a few trendy pieces to add to your wardrobe. Whether that’s a fuzzy purple jacket or an asymmetrical jean skirt is up to you.
