Skin on show, silhouette shifts among menswear trends

This article first appeared in Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, the leading fashion glossy on the best of style, beauty, design, travel and the arts. Go to harpersbazaar.com.sg and follow @harpersbazaarsg on Instagram; harpersbazaarsingapore on Facebook. The April 2023 issue is out on newsstands now.

Bling Ring

Designers injected glamour into the male wardrobe this season by turning on the shine. Shimmering, glittering fabrics transformed suits and separates in relatively restrained silhouettes into stage-worthy spectacles.

However, a tone-on-tone approach ensured the look was more louche rockstar instead of Liberace – as seen with Gucci’s oxblood sequinned pyjamas, Marni’s lustrous lavender velvets and Valentino’s dark-chocolate, crystal-encrusted shorts-and-sweater set.

Leg Room 

This season, designers dared wearers to bare by cutting shorts that sit high on the thigh, and pairing them with everything from workwear to formalwear. The fresh proportions lent a dash of subversion to well-known tropes.

At Ami, for instance, prep mainstays such as plaids and pinstripes got a new attitude when worn with cut-off chinos. At Prada, beige trench coat dressing was jolted by black leather hot pants, which also lent a frisson to Loewe’s soft pastel knits.

Sheer Delight 

Sex and body positivity have been percolating in fashion for a while now. This season, both spilt onto the men’s runways in full force.

Designers played a game of “conceal and reveal” with sheer layers and panels. The fact that one cannot quite see it all made the look all the more tantalising. Raf Simons, Dion Lee and Eckhaus Latta threw mesh tops over athletic trousers, while Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino inserted see-through shirts under slouchy suits.

Tied Up

Long associated with corporate drudgery and grandfatherly wardrobes, the necktie once seemed to be on its way out –especially after the pandemic upended traditional work norms and dress codes.

This season, however, designers have revived it en masse, giving it a cool new look in the process. MSGM and Kenzo both used it to subvert the schoolboy uniform. The necktie also featured prominently in Dries Van Noten’s exploration of the masculine and feminine, and Dolce & Gabbana’s treatise on 1980s glamour.

Loose Change

While shorts and tops were getting tinier, jeans went in the opposite direction. The Spring/Summer 2023 collections were proof that bigger is better.

Spearheading the movement was Glenn Martens, who has revitalised Diesel with his artfully blown-up, distressed jeans. On the other end of the luxury spectrum was Bottega Veneta with Matthieu Blazy’s slouchy leather-as-denim propositions.