Spring 2012 – Men’s Trend Review

Post Pitti and the Milan and Paris runway shows, there is a clear direction for Spring 2012 Menswear. While the collections revealed many juxtapositions in color, print and silhouette, it was evident that designers had fun designing this season and come early next year, men will not have any excuses for looking poorly put together. My guess is that we will see many similar trends and themes emerging at the Women’s shows soon…

COLOR:

• Grey ruled in both Milan and Paris – shades from gunmetal to soft dove
• Other muted naturals that showed up across the board included camel, khaki, and crème
• Black and white – monochromatic and as a base for pop colors
• In contrast, brights exploded as well, carrying on what we saw from Spring and Fall 2011. Most notable were tomato red, golden yellow and blues

PRINTS:

• Traditional menswear prints were the main story, whether with a more traditional feel (Gucci/Armani) or more abstract (Alexander McQueen/Thom Browne)
• Chevrons, checks, stripes – big and small, on knits and wovens
• Florals and other nature-inspired graphics (Givenchy)

TRENDS/THEMES:

• The majority of the shows felt very retro – whether tailored or more deconstructed, the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s showed up across the board. Designers seemed to want to direct men back to a time when dressing was important and presentation/tailoring was everything. We ladies thank you.
• Tailoring and suits – whether shown with pants or shorts
• Safari and Military were predominant whether with a rocker twist (Varvatos) or looks that could have come off the back of Denys Finch Hatton himself (Ferragamo/Valentino/Louis Vuitton)
• Vintage – washed down, worn and even crumpled fabrics. Constructions were softer across the board. There was some deconstruction on denim as well at McQ, Dsquared2 and D&G.
• Athletic/utilitarian-inspired looks – often in technical fabrics. Windbreakers emerged as a key item in a variety of lengths, shapes and fabrics.

SILHOUETTES:

• Leg openings opened up and fits were definitely more relaxed – wide legs, even bootcut trousers made appearances, as well as a relaxed-straight silhouette with decidedly more room up top. Armani even showed an innovative and surprisingly wearable drop-crotch trouser.
• There is still some room for the slim leg that has been so dominant (Gucci) but even at Dior Homme – known for its super skinny, tailored fits – it was predominantly about loosening up.
• Cropped/crop-and-roll and capri silhouettes showed up in almost every show and in a range of fabrications. Some cropped looks were tailored and hemmed, others were soft and worn fabrics, rolled loosely above the ankle
• Walking shorts – often as part of a suit
• Double-breasted: in suit jackets and outerwear, this once banished trend is making a comeback.

BEST IN SHOW:

Overall, I felt that the following shows best captured the direction of the Spring 2012 season with enough edge and innovation to feel new, but also with sophistication, wearablility, saleability and masculinity;

• John Varvatos
• Alexander McQueen
• Gucci
• Ferragamo
• Yves Saint Laurent
• Paul Smith
• Armani