Menswear Fall 2012: Trend Report

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Menswear Fall 2012: Trend Report

On Jan 23, 2012

The fashion industry is most known and related to womenswear, and some often forget everything that menswear has to offer. Menswear is often times thought of as watered-down womenswear, redundant, or just plain lackluster, but the truth is that it’s an entirely different world within the fashion industry. There aren’t enough blogs, magazines, or websites to make up for the lack of attention that menswear gets, so we‘re formally apologizing the best way we know how. Here’s a fall 2012 trend report for all of our male readers, and anybody else that’s ever gotten upset over the lack of face time male models get.

Boxy Outwear

Lanvin, Acne, Alexander Wang, and Kenzo

Outerwear is usually the first thing that I pay attention it, and it seemed unusually boxy this time around. Some designers embraced quilted jackets, puffer coats, and trenches, but almost every piece had a very square shape to it.

Prints, Prints, and More Prints

Etro, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Missoni, and Moschino

Bold and busy prints are usually reserved for spring, but this wasn’t the case for menswear. Paisley, stripes, digi-camo, and even graffiti inspired looks fronted the runways.

Velvet is the New Black

Hermes, Diesel Black Gold, Burberry, and Dries Van Noten

Velvet made appearances in nearly every other show, but it was the velvet suit that caught my attention. The fabric swap is bold enough to turn a classic tux into a modern outfit that can be both casual and formal.

Burgundy, Maroon and Other Shades of Red

Costume National, Kenzo, Raf Simons, and Louis Vuitton

Red seems to be the color of the season. Various wine shines stood out beside neutral colors like camel and black. Other budding colors included blue, green, and some shades of neon.

Leather on Leather on Leather

Valentino, Viktor & Rolf, Les Hommes, and Yves Saint Laurent

Leather was spotted almost as much as velvet, and there was no predicting where it might show up. Everything from pants to lapels, accessories, and suits were coaxed in faux and real leather.

Caps, Hats and Pre-Mature Balding

Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Lanvin, and Viktor & Rolf

I’m sure hats are a wardrobe staple in menswear, but it was interesting nonetheless to see the various styles throughout the shows. The idea of pairing a cap with a suit was quirky, but a modern touch that I grew to love. Another notable designer that embraced hats is Alexander Wang.

Ombre: Adjectived, Shaded or Graduated in Tone

Ann Demeulemeester, Fendi, Raf Simons, and Versace

The ombre effect is something that I’ve been admiring menswear bloggers embrace for a couple of seasons now, but it didn’t gain very much attention until Kanye West wore an ombre denim shirt to the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. The best part of this trend is that it’s not only gender neutral, but DIY friendly as well.

The Suit of 2012

Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, and Giorgio Armani

Critics and editors agree that this season is all about the suit. It's interesting to see how each designer and house interpreted such a wardrobe staple. Some stayed classic with neutral colors, while others embraced different materials, prints, and concepts.

I should also note that a lot of shows felt either grunge, royal, or voyage inspired. Another unlisted trend that is worthy of mentioning includes celebrities and their inability to walk a catwalk properly. I won't mention any names, but no more models should lose jobs to celebrities for the sake of publicity (and that goes for womenswear, too).

Is there a trend that you think I forgot to mention? Tweet me @chelseabellll. Next stop - couture week!

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