Redefining Men’s Style

Imagine a debonair jet-setting man of means. Perhaps he is sitting on a Gulfstream V, leaving the Côte d’Azur and the Hôtel du Cap and returning home to his TriBeCa loft. Or maybe he is leaving the Mandarin Oriental Macau in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce, headed to gamble at the Wynn. What do you imagine this man is wearing? A flawlessly tailored Tom Ford suit and a pair of impeccably polished John Lobbs? Not long ago, such an answer would more likely than not have been correct–but it’s 2015, and the world of men’s style is in the middle of a seismic shift. Designers at the leading fashion houses are moving away from ten years of encouraging men to dress up, and are beginning to replace the previously championed formality of fitted suits and pocket squares with a looser, more relaxed look that incorporates dressy, casual, and athletic clothing all at once–sporty-tailored, if you will. Brunello Cucinelli, an Italian designer whose eponymous luxury label helped pioneer this trend, recently told the Wall Street Journal, “I love a modern suit paired with a polo or cotton T-shirt … and then paired with leather sneakers, or cashmere joggers with a tailored blazer and a sleeveless puffer vest to get the ultimate informal and formal combination.” Of course, not every situation allows for such a fashion-forward, dressed down look–but even when formality is necessary, designers are urging men to inject some personality into their attire. For its Fall 2015 show, Dior Homme paired tuxedos with baseball caps and leather shoes with sneaker soles. Even storied fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna–the century old holy grail of high end suits–is infusing fresh air into its classics, encouraging its customers to wear a “Broken Suit”–i.e. pairing the jacket of one suit with the trousers of another. This shift in men’s style is reflected in the way in which Saks Fifth Avenue displays its merchandise. A brand’s suits and sport coats used to be displayed on one floor, while its sportswear was displayed on another; now, a brand’s full line is displayed together–making it much easier for shoppers to both visualize and achieve this new leisurely look. So, next time you need to look good, grab a pair of tailored trousers, a Harden cashmere hoodie, a fitted sport coat, and a pair of your favorite sneakers–we guarantee you’ll turn some heads!