With a seemingly never-ending drip of new-ins and new-outs, it can be hard on both your wallet and your wardrobe to continually play catch-up with the latest menswear collections.
Luckily, this season sees some of 2018’s biggest trends spill over into 2019. So as well as breaking down what you should be holding on to in order to nail the key looks, we caught up with some industry insiders to get the styling tips that’ll maximise the wears from last year’s investments.
Relaxed-Leg Trousers
Over the past few seasons, looser cuts and more relaxed shapes have worked their way off the runways and on to store rails. This voluminous way of dressing has infiltrated everything from coats and hoodies to suits and shoes (if you count the chunky trainer trend), but it arguably looks best down below on dad jeans, pleated trousers and not-so-tailored separates.
Although the look has been a slow-burner (and no doubt we’ll all get skinny jean withdrawals now and again), if you snapped up a more roomy fit this year, we have good news – relaxed-leg trousers have serious staying power (at least for another 12 months).
How To Wear It
“The easiest entry into the world of wider fits is with denim,” says River Island Style Studio chief Giles Farnham. “No need to go full Slim Shady though, a straight leg is a good first step. For a smarter look, it’s wise to wear something with weight like a wool-mix. This will gather nicely on your shoe rather than just looking like you’ve got your dad’s trousers on.”
Skatewear
Unless you’ve been living under a soundproof rock (and/or failing to keep up with FashionBeans), you will already know that skatewear has been one of the biggest risers in menswear over the past couple of seasons.
Last year’s revival saw brands like DC and Airwalk rise from the ashes, while labels like Palace and Stussy continued to reign supreme along with trends like tie-dye and cross-body bags picking up pace. In short: anything that looks like it’s fit for the halfpipe is for the keep pile.
How To Wear It
“Wide-leg chinos, logo tees and canvas belts are all key to the look,” says style writer Miriam Bouteba. “But it’s just as much about the attitude with which you wear the pieces. “Let your belt hang down, layer your hoodie in interesting ways and who cares if your trainers are scuffed?”
The 1970s
The seventies have been staying alive in menswear in one form or another for years, but that didn’t stop the era from staging an outright onslaught on our wardrobes in 2018.
Fortunately, instead of disco hair and platform shoes, what we got was suede jackets, corduroy everything, retro trainers, roll necks, patterned knitwear and silk shirts galore. All of which, even nearly half a century on, are yet to have their heyday.
How To Wear It
“As far as I’m concerned, the 1970s never went out of style; roll necks, for example, have been a staple of my wardrobe for years,” says model and influencer Richard Biedul. “A fine- to medium-gauge version works well as a contrast to a heavily patterned or textured suit, or if you’re off-duty try wearing with some high-waisted trousers to fully commit to the 1970s look.”
Tactile Fabrics
If 2018 was the year designers got in touch with their feelings, get ready for a totes emosh 2019. Joining existing winter wardrobe stalwarts (think boiled wool, fleece and shearling) and perennial party season staples like velvet, touchy-feely garments have become essentials in their own right.
And as with anything worthy of the title ‘essential’, these aren’t flash-in-the-pan pieces – they’re worth holding on to. For summer, silky smooth Tencel shirts will continue to be given a good-enough-to-touch edge until cool AF corduroy, supple moleskin and hairy suede reappears in the winter months.
How To Wear It
“Tactile fabrics are a simple way up to update your wardrobe in a trend-led way without stepping too far out of your comfort zone,” says Graeme Moran, head of content: fashion and features at Drapers. “All of these layering pieces can be worn smart or casual and will make your usual outfits feel new.”
Standout Tailoring
The navy suit. Stylish, yes. A wardrobe cornerstone, most definitely. But exciting? Not necessarily. For this reason – and because menswear itself has become increasingly ballsy – a sartorial reshuffle has been bubbling away under the surface for the past 12 months. Your tailoring now comes in technicolour.
Before you rightly point out that blue is a colour, it’s not just about trying your hand at teal, burgundy or even pink. Pattern too gained traction in 2018, spurred by standout moves on the red carpet, but the payoff for early adopters will come this year.
How To Wear It
“Adding lighter colours into your wardrobe is a great way to update your look for the new season,” says model and face of Autograph at Marks & Spencer, Oliver Cheshire. “For spring, I’ll be wearing mostly tonal outfits – for example, wearing a whole outfit of blue or green shades, adding lighter tones for a spring feel.”
Utilitarian Menswear
Despite much of what’s in our wardrobe spawning from either the military, sport or workwear, function and fashion were, for a long time, mutually exclusive. Attempting to right that wrong, designers and brands have worked hard in recent seasons to produce pieces equally as suited to the front line as the front row.
The result has been an increase in sustainable and performance fabrics across everything from accessories to tailoring and a focus on utilitarian details like bellows pockets and heat-welded seams. Whether outerwear or footwear, if it put the work in during 2018, it’s not about to clock off.
How To Wear It
“With athleisure and fitness gear now a staple part of everyday wardrobes, guys are paying more attention to what pieces do rather than just how they look,” says the team at menswear etailer The Idle Man. “One way to show you have your finger on the pulse is to pair a multi-pocket jacket with tonal trousers and a simple crew neck T-shirt.”
Brown Everything
On paper, brown is far from the sexiest tone on the colour wheel. It’s a stoic shade that shares its appearance with dirt, rusty water and, yeah, that. So it’s even more impressive that in 2018, men woke up to the fact that you can wear brown in town. In fact, you can wear it just about anywhere.
Helped along by the seventies revival, jackets, shirts, knitwear and suits all received the squat style treatment, offering a softer — but equally easy to wear — alternative to black. And just like that camel coat, this one’s sticking around.
How To Wear It
“The reason brown works so well is because it’s an easy to throw on colour up there with black and navy, but it allows textures to pop so much more,” says Chris Grove, founder of British menswear label Percival. “Use it to show off the slight sheen of suede or the shadows that form in the ridges of a chunky knit.”
Cuban Collar Shirts
If there’s one piece of menswear we couldn’t move for last year (and the year before that, and quite possibly the year before that), it was the Cuban collar shirt. Such is the influence of Mr Montana that open necklines now run the gamut from high street to high end. And rightly so – the cut can look extremely sleek, and we’re happy to report it’s here to stay. At least for now.
This back-to-back proliferation means summer 2019 could be the collar’s final season in the sun. But if nothing else, that’s an excuse to wear the heck out of any you own while you can. This year, combine yours with a leather jacket and some slim-fit jeans for a rock ’n’ roll update of an old-school classic.
How To Wear
“The best of these shirts come in cotton or linen, making them light and airy on a hot day – and flattering,” says Millie Rich from men’s personal shopping service Thread. “I’ll often recommend these collars to guys with narrow shoulders because it makes them look broader.”
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