The Five Biggest Trends To Emerge From Men's Fall / Winter 21-22

As we all know and hate to be reminded, our lives have changed in every aspect due to the global pandemic. Fashion, like all industries, has evolved its way of functioning to adhere to current circumstances. Brands have been heavily impacted across their teams with designers creating by means of limited resources, working from home like the rest of us, and keeping in mind how consumers and stakeholders will respond to their work.

While most of us thought that by the new year life would be back to “normal," it is evident that we are still working to reach that point. Meanwhile, designers continue to be innovative with their collections by not only live streaming shows and making them available to everyone, but creating in-depth virtual experiences and unique collaborations with other artists exhibited through partnerships like Kim Jones and Scottish painter Peter Doig, Loewe with the animated tale “My Neighbor Totoro” and more.

The most recent trends from the Men’s Fall/Winter 2021 shows reflect the times in which we live, but also remind us about the impact and historical value that fashion holds by documenting society during periods of time. Below are a few trends for men this spring, based on themes sought across this season’s creations.

Handbags

Long gone are the days where only women can pull off handbags. They complete a look, whether it is of actual use or not. As we’ve seen over the years and most recently with the rise of Telfar bags, handbags are simply unisex. The majority of the Fall/Winter 2021 collections featured male models carrying handbags of sizes ranging from mini, small, medium, and large. While handbags for men are not new, they are appearing in shows more often and becoming more embraced. Nearly all looks in Fendi’s Fall/Winter 2021 Menswear show included a handbag.

Extreme Statement Pieces

When we say “extreme statement pieces” we don’t mean something with a pop of color or crazy patterns. We mean city structures as seen in Louis Vuitton, exaggerated scarves in Y/Project, out-of-the-box jeans in Balenciaga, large floral decor in Tokyo James, fuzzy house slippers in Vetements, and a functional, wearable umbrella hat as seen in Botter. Since our time spent in public is limited due to the global pandemic, you might as well be the scene instead of stepping out in one.

Pro-Casual

Due to the global pandemic continuing to impact our lives, many spring collections presented outfits mixing professional and casual pieces to pay homage to our current state of being mostly at-home. Dries Van Noten, Casablanca, A-Cold-Wall, and Rhude are just a few brands that mixed shorts with long coats creating an effect of just rolling out of the bed but looking presentable enough to be in public courtesy of a nice coat.

Cozy Patterned Knits

Ugly sweaters aren’t just for Christmas. Men’s Fashion Week presented an array of uniquely patterned knit sweaters across established fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton and Dior, but also brands such as The Elder Statesman and Junya Watanabe. This season, we anticipate lots of patterned, cozy knits that are either thin or thick, depending on the weather.

Voluminous Outerwear

To be seen and to take up space was a consistent theme across collections this season. Highlighting volume speaks to the other trends we’re forecasting above as they all contribute to the aspect in one way or another. From large bomber jackets seen in Prada to long, structured overcoats seen in Jil Sander, clothing with great depth and width in measurements.

Trends come and go. As with many of the looks presented this season, menswear is evolving into being more expressive and feminine. There are no limits to what anyone chooses to wear these days, and although we may be restricted physically, fashion allows us to channel our creativity no matter where we are.