As with all menswear trends, what was once achingly unhip and relegated to the back of our wardrobes can, through the alchemy of time passing and selective memory, become hip once again. It’s like our love of dirty burgers and fat fries or TV cartoon families, we just reach back for them when needed.
It took foresight to hold onto our generously cut clothing of old. Snug cuts have become the style norm for guys. Understandable then, if your pleat-fronted khakis, wide-legged pants and generous Polo shirts were packed off to a thrift store back in 2006. Well, it’s time to be slapped about by generously cut clothes again and the new spirit is affecting the full gamut of men’s fashion, from suits to sportswear and all bases in between. For the devotees of skinny, there’s nowhere to hide.
“We want our garments to feel easy and relaxed even when they look sharp,” tailor Luke Sweeney of Thom Sweeney told the Observer. His suiting brand embraces a relaxed, rather than an up-tight cut, with attention to fit up top, spreading below. “Our customers feel more comfortable with this kind of look, such as trousers with pleats to give ease through the thigh. We’ve always featured a fitted shape through the body in our jackets while maintaining what feels fluid, relaxed and easy to wear,” he said.
As many of us sit at desks for more than eight hours a day, being loosely attired from the waist down is a no-brainer. And, if you still need convincing, tight-fitting pants and excessive bike riding have also been linked to decreased male fertility. This is one of those rare moments where fashion and sexual health collide.
Wearing voluminous clothing risks an unkept look. Nobody wants to find themselves channeling their inner MC Hammer; so modern rules should be applied.
“The key is to play with proportions—try styling a slim-fit shirt and jacket alongside your wide-legged trousers,” said Olie Arnold, style director at Mr Porter. “Wear simple shapes in plain colors like navy, brown, white or gray, these work much better than bold prints or bright colors, overwhelming on large expanses of fabrics,” he advised. Let the volume do the talking, in other words.
In suiting this trend is typified by the return of the stalwart of Wall Street power dressing from the 1980s, the double-breasted two-piece. Your office uniform has never been so fashionable. Yet, this style needs to come with a warning. “Double-breasted jackets should always be worn buttoned up,” advised Mr. Sweeney. “Left open you look unkempt, there’s just too much fabric at play.” And as for mugs of coffee, bowls of soup and plates of food, nothing is safe when a businessman moves briskly in an unbuttoned double-breasted suit. You have been warned.
And when it comes to footwear, conventional Oxfords get lost under so much fabric. “Chunkier style shoes, perhaps with a crepe or rubber sole, look good with this look,” advised Mr. Arnold of Mr Porter. “They stop your feet looking disproportionately tiny and they are a discreet way to inject attitude to your style.” It takes a certain swagger to wear a double-breasted suit, so don’t be let down by your footwear.
The designs of Lucas Ossendrijver at Lanvin and Dries van Noten with their drop crotch, pleat-front trousers, layers of loose-fitting tailoring and loosely buttoned-up looks are leading this trend on the runway. The play off between sportswear: drawstring-waisted track pants, zip-front football jackets, sneakers and loose-fit tailoring typifies this wide boy silhouette. Luckily this can easily be interpreted for the real world by cannily wearing a fitted suit jacket over wide-legged joggers or a duster coat over straight-cut jeans. It’s the contrast in proportion between your upper and lower half that really makes this look fly.
Perhaps the menswear designer who’s done most to encourage the new free spirit with his high-waisted, pleat-fronted generously cut pants in particular, is designer Patrick Grant and his label, E. Tautz. “We’ve been pushing a fuller silhouette for a good three years now, but over the last few seasons it seems like there’s been a real movement across the board,” he told the Observer with enthusiasm. In explaining this new movement, Mr. Grant puts it down to something no more mysterious than fatigue. “Ten years is really long enough for the skinny silhouette to dominate mens fashion,” he said. “I think me and many other designers were just getting bored.”
Thom Browne, you have been warned.
