Oversize Fits
Okay, first things first. It’s pretty hard to ignore the oversize fits. This has been coming for the last few years, and it’s starting to take hold in some mainstream retail. You’re seeing it pretty much on all the runways. From Doir, to Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci. We’re seeing the oversize trend in everything from pants, to sweaters, jackets and even shoes and boots. We’ll get into some of those specific areas in a minute, but as you can see, it’s everywhere.
Now, I do need to point out that a lot of the stuff you’re seeing on the runway is mostly art. This is mostly conceptual and built for show. However, it can be a pretty good indication of what’s coming. Maybe not necessarily in those specific forms, because designers need scale down the general idea to fit mainstream retail and what people will actually buy. And that’s where we’re talking about. You’re not going to walk into Macy’s and see anything quite like what you see on the runway.
So Rest assured my friends, there’s no need to panic and worry about changing out your entire wardrobe. I talk about trends a lot on this channel and to avoid following the “trendy trends”, Because I believe following those fast-moving trends would be a mistake for the average guy, especially in the over 40 age bracket. Classics will always be your best bet. However, with all that said, there are some things we can learn from what’s trending, and use to our benefit.
Coats & Jackets
The next item that’s trending is coats and jackets. Big, long coats and some new variations of the puffer jacket and bomber jacket. I might also add here to pay attention to the cinched waist. It’s all over the place. To begin with, overcoats, trench coats and even some robe-style coats with a tie at the waist are trending. And I think this was probably inspired by how much time everyone has been indoors wearing pajamas and bathrobes. The cinched waist is interesting because you’re seeing it incorporated all over the place.
Now, you don’t need to run out and buy an overcoat 5 sizes too big and put a seatbelt at the waist. But, this is telling us that coats are trending. We can still incorporate an overcoat, a peacoat or a bomber jacket,… but in a way that’s more flattering to our specific frames. You’re still technically “on trend”, but in a much more classic manner.
Red, Burgundy & Tan
Something else you might notice more of this fall and winter is the use of Red, Burgundy and Tan. You’ll also notice a lot more monochromatic outfits. We’re seeing a little less contrast, and more neutral tones from head to toe. I’ve always been a fan of monochrome because it’s easy to pull off, and it can help to visually give you a slim and streamlined silhouette.
Leather
The next trend is leather. Leather everything. Leather jackets, leather shirts, leather bags, leather pants and leather shorts. But not only leather, but vegan leather. Vegan leather can be a lot more comfortable to wear because it stretches more, but it also tends to crack and wear out a little bit faster. So if wearing leather isn’t your thing, there’s tons of options out there in vegan leather.
And since we just mentioned bomber jackets, and now we’re talking about leather, this is a great segue to talk about today’s sponsor The Jacket Maker. As you know, there’s tons of places online for made to measure shirts and suits, but it’s not very often you come across a place that makes quality made to measure leather jackets. It all starts with the raw materials. They don’t use anything but the best possible materials like full grain natural leather and ykk zippers. All of their products are handmade, one at a time with precision and attention to detail that you’ll see in the stitching. They have a direct to consumer approach, and their products come in at about a quarter of the price of what luxury brands would sell for. They also offer a complete bespoke service so you can have your dream jacket custom made. Just click this link and go have a look.
Wide Leg Pants
OK, let’s talk about wide leg pants for a minute because they are literally everywhere. Some designers have taken it to an extreme where the pants are like 10 inches too long, but even some of the conservative runway approaches are showing a pretty wide pant leg. I would love your feedback on this one, so please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. I think the wide pant leg is here to stay because it’s been trending for the last several years, and it’s already in retail stores like H&M and Zara. I for one I’m not jumping on the wide-leg band wagon just yet, so there’s no need to panic and toss out all your slim fit trousers. I’ll keep you posted though.
Knits & Knitwear
OK, for this next trend, I’m gonna group a bunch of different categories all together. And it’s knits. Sweaters, sweater vest, polos, turtlenecks and also corduroy. Knit vests and sweaters are pretty much an all the runways. Everybody’s doing some sort of knit sweater and turtle neck. There’s also a new take on the polo shirt and the sweater vest. Now, what this means is that your old, heavy cable-knit sweaters from the 90s are back in style.
Turtlenecks
Turtlenecks are literally everywhere. Every single designer is showing some type of turtle neck and it was pretty hard to miss. This is interesting for me, because I currently don’t own any turtlenecks. Now part of the reason might be because I live in a very warm climate, but you can bet that I’ll be looking into some turtlenecks this fall. Another interesting thing is that polo shirts are being shown with oversized collars. I like polo shirts and I have several, but most of mine are pretty traditional. This will be something that I’m gonna keep an eye on over the next few months. Especially as we get through Winter and get into next Spring.
Bold Prints
Another trend is loud prints and graphics. There’s a lot of crazy prints and patterns, and Plaid is a popular one. Some of it for me, looks a little messy and distracting, and that’s coming from someone who wears a lot of pattern. This is something that I’m also keeping an eye on but I wouldn’t worry too much about hitting this particular trend at the moment. If you’re into prints and patterns though, feel free to experiment, but I might suggest waiting until the trend chills out a little bit to see what we’re left with after the dust settles.
