As winter edges towards its end, men's sartorial trends that will rule the next cold season are already shaping out. Check out early what will make the cut in F/W 2016-17, a period that promises to be daring and extravagant
By: Dimitria Vitanova
Posted on: February 1, 2016
This past January the sleek runways of Milan, Paris and London bristled with high-end menswear collections for fall/winter 2016-2017. From the relaxed formality of denim to the natty makeover of the puffa, from traditional and imposing masculinity to reimagined and refined manliness, next F/W season celebrates men who dare to experiment with both extremely modern and, at the same time, distinctly retro looks. Below are seven haute couture trends, which will dictate gentlemen’s sartorial preferences for the cold months.
Denim Staple
A fashion classic that speaks to almost any style and look, denim has never really stepped down from the runway. In a slew of shades – from pale sky blue to intense dark indigo, denim spells both flawless sophistication and ultimate simplicity. Its old-fashioned urbanity oozes from the straight-cut trousers of Antonio Marras, Casely-Hayford and Burberry, while its rough elegance dashes to the fore with Dolce and Gabbana, who lavishly sprinkle denim with exquisite flower embroideries. Valentino also gives denim a high-fashion lift.
Military Fervor
Nothing else evokes masculinity in the same potent way the military does. That bastion of male prowess has not escaped a vogue interpretation. It stomps the runways in Alexander McQueen’s black, double-breasted, tight-fit jackets as well as in Astrid Andersen’s navy-style plain gray ensembles. Balmain and Casely-Hayford go a notch further, marrying the glory of war to the flair of the Spanish corrida in their layered looks.
The Gentle Gentleman
If military-inspired outfits indicate towards reference to power, menswear denoting gentility – and often hints at femininity – is no less striking. Fully illustrating gender fluidity, some designers seem to have clad their male models in their women’s collections. The sartorial result is a fascinating revamp of men’s wardrobe. From Antonio Marras’ bold floral-print suits to Roberto Cavalli’s sheer red shirts to Candyatom bright men’s skirts to Gucci’s pale beige cape coats, the attires of humanity’s stronger half have never looked that exquisite and delicate.
Oversized Everything
Oversized is the buzz word for F/W 2016 – 2017. Taking ahead from the trend of long shirts in Spring Summer 2016 collections, shattered is the mouldy rule that stipulates oversized bottom/fitting top (or vice versa) pairings. From blazers to suit jackets to cardigans to slacks, nothing seems to properly hug the body. Dries Van Noten and Dolce and Gabbana create formal wear, the rigidity of which melts in its bagginess, while Astrid Anderson emphasize casualness with knitted sweaters, couple of sizes larger than needed. Canali, Burberry, Ami and Giorgio Armani, among a slew of others, also showcase oversized collections.
Check Off the Check
Always trendy, the check today signals dandy and chic in the same non-assuming manner it did decades ago. It arrests the eye regardless of fabric, color and cut. Some of the most luxurious labels vividly checkered their finest looks for F/W 2016-2017. Brioni and Valentino run and cross bold lines in full costumes, while Bottega Veneta and Gucci contrast bright hues with dark checks in their felt coats. Lou Dalton, on the other hand, wields broad green-and-red checks to draw attention to its otherwise pale beige trousers.
Velvet Feel
Soft in touch and lustrous in look, velvet benefits from its duality when it comes to its long-lasting love affair with haute couture. The upcoming F/W season carries on the intricate relationship. Its royalty and exquisiteness are the features Balmain gives full reign to in its all-velvet, inky blue suit, a gem among the label’s velvet garbs. Shedding its regality and grandness, the fine fabric turns unpretentious and everyday in the collections of Fendi and Topman Design, among others.
The High-End Puffa
From the street to the runway, puffa jackets are foraying into high fashion in ways not imagined before. Oversized and swaddling, yesterday’s casual puffa is today’s modern, edgy finish to formal looks. Ami and Raf Simons heap the flashy grooved jackets over sharp inky suits, while Barbour, Belstaff and Baarmans & Siegel upgrade them into the default lustre to retro smarts.
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