The year 2020 will inevitably bring with it changes in style that will carry through and morph throughout the upcoming decade. We went in-depth in our reasoning for the specific changes we believe will occur in another post, but here we do a deep dive into three men’s style trends in the 2020’s that we expect to see from an industry perspective. We also discuss how a wardrobe made from custom clothing can help you ride these changes out.
3 Men’s Style Trends in the 2020’s
Below are three trends we think will blossom in the 20’s.
Focus on simplicity and more conservative colors and patterns.
The early 2000’s and a fair portion of the 2010’s saw the menswear industry awash in bright color and bold stripes and plaids. While these will not disappear entirely, we’ll start seeing a trend towards more somber, muted colors and toned-down patterns.
We expect to continue to make plenty of bold plaid sport coats for our clients, sure. We’ll likely see more men auditing their closets and looking for a refresh to their tailored wardrobes with updated basics – think solid blues and greys with small pops of color, or texture from the weave of the cloth.
Casual wear will take over an increasingly large portion of men’s wardrobes.
The main strategy to combat the coronavirus pandemic has been the enforcement of social distancing via quarantine. By mandating all but the most essential entities to either allow telecommuting or cease operations until further notice, local governments are making businesses think creatively about work-from-home policies. While plenty of businesses will revert back to their employees working in a physical, shared office space, we bet that working from home will become more widely accepted, even at firms that formerly balked at the idea.
We weighed in on how to best stay productive while working from home during the pandemic in a different post, and debating whether or not WFH is a good idea is beyond the scope of this post.
From a wardrobe perspective, this will reinforce the trend towards casual dressing. Jeans, polos, henleys, and sweaters will be increasingly marketed as “great for #wfh.” We’ll probably start seeing luxury loungewear become more popular, too. While we disagree with this logic in a WFH setting, if you’re going to be inside all day, why not wear a comfy sweatsuit out of, say, cashmere?
Fit Will Relax
The trend back to the loose 1990’s fit we started see
ing in 2019 will continue in the world of fashion. Even in tailored clothing, we’re going to see increasingly baggy fits. Suits on the covers of GQ and Esquire have already started looking loose. Pants with elastic waistbands are now a thing (though still not our thing). It’s likely that mass retail will follow suit.
We’ve come off of more than a decade of tailored clothing at its slimmest, shortest, and most tapered. It’s unsurprising that the pendulum of fashion would swing to the total opposite extreme.
Custom Clothing Is The Answer
Whether we’re right or wrong in our predictions on men’s clothing trends is irrelevant. Custom clothing still represents your best chance at building a wardrobe that works for you as an individual, not as a trend follower.
We know this because we’ve seen this concept in action time and time again with our clients. We’re more than happy to work with men who possess trendier tastes, for sure. Still, the lion’s share of our clients want modern updates on classics that flatter them. They want something appropriate for their industry that allows their personalities to show. We regularly hear some variation of, “I want it to fit nicely, but not tight like I see on GQ’s Instagram.
As for casualwear as a new work-from-home uniform, fit and quality will carry the air of professionalism. Casual is acceptable but does not mean sloppy. We’re proud to be making more and more properly fitting custom jeans, khaki pants, shorts, and polo shirts for our clients. If the world continues trending casual, why not have a wardrobe built specifically for you, your tastes, and your needs?
