New elegance, new silhouette: This is how two current trends in men’s fashion can be summarized.
In concrete terms, this means: instead of sweatshirts, knitwear is increasingly being worn under the jacket, shirts are not only popular in business contexts – and at the same time the shapes are changing. Where things used to be narrow, more space is now required. But as so often in life, the same applies to fashion: it’s all in the mix.
Charm of the traditional
The elegance that characterizes men’s fashion in autumn and winter cannot do without a touch of nonchalance. André Bangert, journalist at the trade journal Textilwirtschaft, also speaks of “casual chic”. He says: “A new elegance doesn’t mean stiffness.” Instead, it’s about retranslating the “charm of the traditional”. And that is reflected not least in “new cuts”.
They are one thing above all: they are no longer designed to create the slimmest possible shape. On the contrary: “The silhouettes are a bit boxier, more voluminous,” says fashion journalist and author Bernhard Roetzel.
Trousers, often with a high waist and pleats, are becoming wider, jackets longer and more flowing, lapels wider. And the shirt, currently “one of the most important parts in terms of fashion” for Bangert, can sometimes be cut like a blouse.
Dark tones and floral prints
Also popular: the double-breasted suit. According to Bangert, the – often wider-cut – jacket with a double row of buttons should not be missing in any “smart men’s wardrobe”. It can be worn with jeans, a turtleneck sweater and sneakers, for example. “Then you have a very informed look,” says Bangert. And you have an outfit that reflects the current trend towards new elegance in an exemplary manner: “So extremely conservative in charm and then casually combined with the fabric and the cut”.
A new elegance can also be seen in the color scheme: in addition to beige tones, dark tones are increasingly being mixed into the outfits: black, midnight blue, chocolate brown, toffee. And dark red, “which sometimes throws in a bit as a highlight,” says Bangert. For shirts, floral prints could add a “certain romance” to the look. And: The new chic “may like to glitter a bit, shimmer a bit in the tips, if you dare.”
Breast pockets, leg pockets, thick soles
However, the new, wider silhouette is not only evident in elegant outfits with double-breasted suits or classic shirts. It can also be observed in the exact opposite, namely in everyday combinations with work wear elements. The author Bernhard Roetzel sees wide trousers with leg pockets as a trend. And overshirts with hints of workwear: eye-catching breast pockets, for example. Also present: the looser-fitting troyer, a rustic knit sweater with a short zip, which many may be familiar with as a sailor sweater.
“Anything that broadens, enlarges and blurs the contour is now in,” says Roetzel. Shirts are first tucked into the – higher-cut – trousers and then pulled out again slightly, “so that a box shape is created”. High-waisted, wide pants with pleats, made of corduroy or denim, for example, are turned up at the ends – and combined with shoes with thick soles. Blousons have large outside pockets. And when it comes to accessories, shoulder bags or large fanny packs that are worn across the shoulder are popular.
Old and new in combination
But one thing should not be forgotten: the overall proportions must be right. “This whole idea of the wider silhouette also works because you put on a small beanie-like knitted hat, for example, that is maybe still rolled up,” says Roetzel. “So that the head appears smaller compared to what is underneath it.”
Opposites and contrasts are therefore in demand. For Roetzel, the fashionable look in autumn and winter also includes a mix of vintage pieces: “I think it’s very important for the overall look at the moment that it doesn’t look too new, not too slick,” says the fashion expert. Whether you go for an oversized jumper from the 80s, a vintage leather jacket or a winter hat with fold-down earmuffs from the second-hand shop – anything that “gives the outfit a bizarre touch” is welcome. (dpa)