Trends in Menswear

Menswear is an important and growing part of fashion. It’s a highly creative and specialized field that requires vision, creativity, and formidable hands-on technical skills.

This season saw the return of sophisticated, tailored silhouettes. Long, oversized coats—particularly when belted—and wide pants were key looks alongside refined boots and monochromatic full looks.

The 1950s

The ’50s were a decade of style rebirth and experimentation. After the war couture designers like Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy returned to the fashion scene.

Shirt colors were bold, but mellowed toward the end of the decade into more pastel and less extreme. Casual shirts began to feature stripes, plaids and geometric patterns, and fabrics like corduroy in a fine-wale cord made an appearance.

Even the suits of the era were more casual, with shorter jackets that reached below the waist and wider skirts than the fitted styles of previous decades. The sack dress, which was a type of unfitted princess-style dress, also gained popularity at this time.

The 1960s

Menswear grew bolder in the 1960s. As a result of moving past conservative norms and upsets in long-held beliefs about race and gender, young people began to experiment with fashion.

In the early part of the decade, fashion reflected First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s put-together style. Skirt suits, Menswear coordinating accessories and sheath and A-line minidresses were popular silhouettes.

Trousers were lowered to belly button height and could be worn with suspenders or with belts. They were available in a wide range of wild patterns and colors, including pastel shades and flecked designs.

Synthetic fabrics exploded in popularity, allowing designers like Pierre Cardin and Andre Courreges to create clothes that looked futuristic with their plastic texture. Bold prints, asymmetry and geometric shapes became fashion hallmarks of this time.

The 1970s

During the 1970s, people started to embrace a laid-back lifestyle. This reflected in fashion, and women’s dresses went down to the floor – with a paisley pattern or peasant blouse, which featured long sleeves with an oversized cuff at the wrist.

Pantsuits made an appearance, and Yves Saint Laurent’s le smoking tuxedo was a statement of men’s liberation, with lapels designed to allow any ash from cigarettes to slip off. Diane von Furstenberg’s jersey wrap dress was also a popular option.

Young people had more disposable income than ever before, and wanted to look like adults – hence the introduction of Mary Quant and Biba. Designers incorporated beautiful materials and embroidery into their clothing, and embroidered t-shirts became popular with women. Polyester was a major fabric of the decade and this was what gave the 1970s their nickname of the polyester decade.

The 1980s

Norma Kamali, Donna Karan and Azzedeine Alaia created collections of jersey & lycra fabrics that shaped the body. The fullness of these pieces gave them a sporty look and a youthful exuberance that contrasted with the increasingly conservative styles of 1987. Mini skirts became the dominant form of women’s fashion, with brightly colored designs and eye-catching prints a popular choice. Many t-shirts displayed graphic slogans. Athletic-licensed clothing was also popular as people clamored for apparel with the logos of their favorite teams.

As disposable incomes rose, people began to focus on brand names as a way of expressing their personal style and lifestyle. A new generation of consumers, known as yuppies, developed with an iconoclastic glee, flouting the gentler assumptions of the era that demanded prudish spending and tasteful clothes.

The 1990s

It’s been over 30 years since the ’90s first hit, but all those throwback trends you grew up with (or covet while binge-watching old sitcoms) are back and even more stylish than ever. From denim on denim to velvet, ’90s style is everywhere again.

LL Cool J, Tupac and other hip-hop artists popularized baggy jeans and oversized jackets. Singers from Destiny’s Child and TLC also favored the trend.

The 1990s saw the rise of khaki pants as a casual chic alternative to jeans. These pants can be worn with a blazer and dress shirt for a hybrid formal look. The decade saw the rise of the “punk” style that incorporated bright colors, black leather and choker necklaces. This look was worn by actresses like Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The 2000s

In the 2000s, people dressed in styles influenced by music. The emo music genre was particularly influential. Guys who listened to emo usually wore black clothes. They often paired their outfits with studded belts and band t-shirts. They also wore Vans shoes and had choppy hairstyles.

Women also embraced the music style of the 2000s. Some wore a style called Menswear gothic fashion. They wore black clothes and incorporated one bright geometric pattern into their outfits.

Other women wore a style known as hip-hop. They wore a shirt with a metallic geographical design and paired it with low-profile sneakers. Many also wore baggy pants that unzipped at the knee. They sometimes paired these pants with a long tee. Many also wore durags and grillz on their heads.

The 2010s

The 2010s saw menswear get casual, with a resurgence of comfort fueled by the wellness movement and 24/7 access to just about everyone. The decade also saw the emergence of a new generation of designers who leaned toward minimalism and stripped down silhouettes, led by Phoebe Philo’s debut collection for Celine.

Trends from the early 2010s are now making a comeback, including animal print (with Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner frequently rocking the look), neon colors, and cold-shoulder silhouettes. There’s also a renewed awareness that culture is political, with a growing number of literary and art prizes awarded to people whose work is overtly or subtly politically charged.

The decade was also notable for a number of small brands that captured the critical space where craft and modern design meet, such as Stoffa and Anglo-Italian. Both offer a range of RTW and made-to-measure suits and shirts, using Neapolitan craftsmanship and a distinctly British palette of greys and olives.