This most recent season of Menswear shows for the 2023 Autumn/Winter season were a practice in exploring the push and pull between protective and expressive dressing. We are finding ourselves at a very interesting crossroads in the fashion zeitgeist as the loosening grasp of the pandemic continues to inspire a sense of freedom in clothing, alongside a looming recession that will call for a less is more approach to the way we dress. This strange threshold that we are currently floating in has made for runway presentations that have been enticing to watch unfold. 

This promise of a roaring twenties caused quite a stir in menswear that has taken a stronghold, with shows exploring new and exciting ways for men to get dressed, freeing themselves from the shackles of strict traditionalism or perhaps even, the gender binary? This manifests itself in a myriad of sheer fabrics to reveal the skin, or for the even more daring, leaving swathes of skin exposed. The most tangible loosening of tradition is perhaps in the democratization of the high-fashion skirt. Skirts have been presented on menswear runways before the past few years, yet post-pandemic, there has been a push for skirts to go mainstream — worn either on their own or overtop a pair of trousers, almost as a transitional styling tool. This push for skirts perhaps stood out the most at the Gucci show, which pulled away from the frivolous oddities of now ex-Creative Director Allesandro Michele, for the Italian fashion house’s first show without him at the helm since 2015. The Gucci collection was a clear statement that the brand would be returning to a more pared-down look, yet their inclusion of skirts in the presentation seemed to be messaging that the skirt is a garment that is here to stay in the wardrobe for the modern man.

On the other side of the coin from expressive and sensual pieces is the recurrence of oversized and almost protective garments, a sign of the times as a recession is on the horizon, if not already here. Throughout the collections shown, there has been an emphasis on the idea of a uniform, classic pieces with more restricted color palettes. Massive faux-fur floor length coats appear so voluminous and mighty that they are protective in both form and materiality. Blazers have been blown up into an oversized silhouette, a workplace classic that almost becomes more ironic as its size increases. The north star of this certain protective style of dress is rising Israeli designer Hed Mayner, whose tweaked classic silhouettes have found a sweet spot between tradition and contemporary eccentricity.

What happens when the years that were supposed to be a nonstop party post-pandemic are threatened by economic uneasiness? How do you get dressed to celebrate in the face of uncertainty? Below is VMAN’s trend roundup — a look at how designers are answering these questions. 

 

 

SHEER & SULTRY

From see-through knits to tiny tanks; sheer fabrics have been whipped up into pieces that are designed to reveal.

SKIN’S IN

If sheer tops don’t fully itch your exhibitionist scratch – perhaps consider a suit sans top? From one-shoulder dress shirts to office looks with a missing layer, showing skin is certainly in for fall.

THE DEMOCRATIZED SKIRT

Presented from long to short, worn alone or atop pants, skirts are popping up more and more each menswear season, and designers are hammering it in as a modern man’s staple piece.

OVERSIZED OFFICECORE

Tailoring has been quite relaxed for the FW23 season, with blazers getting the inflation treatment – blown up into sizes that make them feel comfortable rather than stuffy office-wear.

BIG OL’ COATS

What may have been the most shocking trend to take hold in the menswear shows was the presence of old school floor length (faux) fur coats. These coats walk the line between oversized protective clothing and a sense of classic glamor.