What Is The Modern Man’s Style?

Everyone’s a product of their time, and no-one really goes their own way. While there are some people who are more expressive when it comes to their clothing than others, the truth is that they’re still generally playing by the same rules as everyone else, just in a slightly more refined way; no-one, for example, is walking about wearing the clothing of a man from the 18th century. Still, our cultural knowledge is deep; we know when someone is wearing the latest fashions or clothes that fell out of favour five years ago. And so there is value in having the latest fashions — it’s something that’s valued by other people. So what are the current men’s trends? We take a look at a few of them below.

Throwback Style

It’s funny, but the first trend we’re going to outline in an article about modern men’s fashion has…nothing to do with the world in which we live, but rather how we were living in the past. There’s been a big revival in the 80’s and 90’s style clothing, particularly 80’s. While there was a revival of more streetwear from the decade a few years ago, now it’s more about the smarter wears — pink polo shirts, fitted shorts, shoes without socks, and so on. Of course, there is a bit of risk associated with paying homage to the old ways of doing things, and it’s not recommended to simply dig through your dad’s old clothing. If you’re going to take this approach, then read some blogs on the past practices first.

On the Streets

We live in nearly constantly controversial times, and it touches many different — in fact, perhaps all — areas of life, including what we wear. Today, a t-shirt isn’t just something to cover us up: it can be an act of defiance or a way to signal to a world our views on any number of matters. You can find clothing that promotes a particular cause, but sometimes it’s not as direct. The range of clothing from Undercover in SVD helps illustrate this. Their clothing isn’t directly political, but rather it has an undercurrent of subversion, yet it’s also fashionable. When everything is political in one way or another, it’s worthwhile looking at what message you’re sending with the clothes that you wear.

In the Summer

But let’s move onto lighter things, such as summer. What’s hot this year? It’s all about white. Indeed, all white, from footwear to shorts to top. If that’s beginning to sound all a little too Wimbledon for you, then fear not — it’s more inspired by the Riviera rather than centre court, and is probably intended to be worn when you’re travelling overseas rather than firing up the BBQ on a summer’s afternoon (though feel free). It’s the perfect style for those early evening poolside drinks before moving onto dinner at a waterfront restaurant.

Ready for Nature

If you want to see just how much people are afraid of climate change, just look at the jackets they’re wearing — some people are walking around city centres in jackets that were designed for the Arctic. OK, they’re the exception; in most cases, it makes sense, especially in the UK, which receives more than its fair share of rain. A well-designed, stylish waterproof jacket is essential. Brands like Patagonia also do a lot of good in the world, too, which also reflects a broader consumer shift — people are now much more likely to buy from companies with a conscience.

Making a Statement

We live in an age of self-expression; actually we have done for a few decades, but it’s probably at the peak now, what with all of us taking selfies and curating our social media accounts and so on. As part of this self-expression, we’re seeing more and more people using their clothing as a way to express their personality. Personality isn’t something that you have — it’s something you wear. Whether it’s your favourite band or other interest, there’s always room to showcase your interests and beliefs on your chest.

Conclusion

Fashion is forever changing, sometimes from one season to the next, but mostly it’s a slower arc, one that encompasses an entire decade, sometimes. The fashions that we’re outlined above may not be here forever, but they will be part of general society for the foreseeable future. And then they’ll likely return in twenty years when another revival pops up, and people realise that the 2010s really wasn’t as bad as some other people made out.