The fashion season is kicking off with the spring collection hitting boutique windows right about now. It gives us something to look forward to, considering how severe winters have been so far. This season’s menswear trends brings a very clean and nineties-slick minimalism to the forefront, as well as simple but well-structured silhouettes that highlight the quality of the cloth.
We’ve identified three important trends this season that will not only work well with your existing tailored wardrobe or with new articles that you plan to tailor. See how you can use them to freshen up your suiting moves, and turn them into next year’s classic looks for later.
A classic 6×2 double-breasted suit in OP2522 Heron.
The DB still rules
Across the American and Italian fashion labels, double-breasted suits featured across the board in a range of different styles and fits. As a classic menswear staple, the DB is a great suit to draw upon, and always finds a place in our weekly fits. But rather than focus solely on the classic detailing of the DB suit, brands have given it a modern approach, taking into consideration how suiting today works across different genders, social attitudes and street style trends.
Gucci’s louche, relaxed three-piece double-breasted suit with peak lapels, oversized shoulders and wide-legged pants showed how to wear the DB as just an open jacket. Brunello Cuccinelli wore it broken and tight across the waist while Giorgio Armani had a very boxy jacket with cropped trousers in a play on lengths. They also featured different button configurations, to remind us that in this season, we need to keep experimenting with classics like the DB. Try it with a new pair of cropped trousers, or wear it loose or tight. There are no wrong answers, just what you’re comfortable in.
A full-length suit in OP2549 Marlo can look equally sharp this spring in a short suit configuration.
A shorts suit in OP2178 Goblin looks sharp and comfortable for spring.
Short kings for the win
It’s true that we don’t cover short suits nearly enough. Shorts with suit jackets may seem like a leftover memory from boarding school for some, but in truth, there’s no sharper way to get ready for the fresh vibes of spring and the following heat of summer. In fact, short suits (or suit short pair, shorts suit) have been a popular summertime hit since Julia Roberts wore one in rouge in the rom-com Pretty Woman. With successive heat waves expected to emerge this summer, there’s never been a better time to add a pair of shorts to one of your suits, so you can feel comfortable, and still look sharp.
Whether you prefer to have a tapered or with a wider leg, it’s the length that matters this season, and a generous showing of thigh is encouraged by the fashion gods of this year. If that’s not quite your style, consider making a pair of shorts with an adjustable turn-up, so you can have a more appropriate length for work, and change the mood in the evening. By just adding a short, your suit can now work across all seasons for you.
OP2504 Rogan shown here in a two-button DB without lapels, mirrors the season’s minimalist vibe inspired by the fashion of the nineties.
Getting a leg up
When it comes to leg lengths at Officine Paladino, we’ve always advocated for the high-waisted pant. For one, wearing the pant high lengthens the appearance of your leg. Another reason is that it creates a better structure for the pant, ensuring the fabric drapes well across the entire leg. With this season, the high-waisted pant adds another detail – the tapered waist – to the mix.
The tapered waist is a style trend that’s borrowed from womenswear during significant moments in the 20th century. The cinching of the waistline, flowing from the structured broad shoulder to the wide leg pant, creates this hourglass figure that used to be the “ideal figure” for women. In menswear, this shape emphasises the strong shoulders of the wearer with very clean lines and elongates the torso, if the suit is of one colour. Again, you don’t have to create a maximum tapered waist, but simply consider the fit of the suit using stitching details like darts to develop the same structure for your look.
These style trends are not merely seasonal affectations; they look at suiting to see how its perennial value can evolve over time, allowing you to refresh an old suit for another period today or tomorrow. Check out these fabrics and more with our Styling Tool to create your own suit today. You can check out these fabrics in our latest lookbook or learn more about them in our Styling Guide. And reach out to one of our tailoring partners to see how they can help you add some of these style moves to your wardrobe today.
