New year style resolutions: how men should dress in 2019
I’m loath to indulge the green juice marketing bots by championing a “new year, new you” ethos, but casting an eye over my wardrobe in the mulchy grey drudge that was the return to work on January 2nd, I was struck by how formulaic it has become.
Far more forward-thinking fashion editors than myself will extol the virtues of a “capsule wardrobe”, and while mine mainly consists of navy trousers, sombre-shaded jackets injected with a more vibrant shirt, in the cold light of that January morning it seemed a tad dull.
Men’s wardrobes are by nature of design more standard-issue than women’s; they will always consist of trousers, sweaters and shirts (unless you’re particularly adventurous). But these minor adjustments will help freshen up your attire - and your attitude towards it - in 2019….
Sustainable menswear
Wastefulness is no longer acceptable and menswear is catching on; tailoring is notorious for off-cuts that don’t get used. Stella McCartney has long championed an eco-friendly approach, and has launched regenerated cashmere for men, using cleaned and re-purposed fabric from the factory floor.
If you’re joining in with Veganuary, Watson & Wolfe is a new accessories brand that creates handsome not-quite-leather goods from plants and recycled plastics, while in New York the cult brand Brave Gentleman is committed to entirely vegan menswear and a “zero waste” policy, enlisting the likes of Alan Cumming to star in its campaign.
Moto jacket, £458, Brave Gentleman
Smarten up
If 2018 was the year of streetwear and the rise of the “scumbro” (bedraggled male celebrities who revelled in their festival-goer-woken-up-in-a-bush status), 2019 will see a return to some kind of form.
Suits might not be worn with formal shirts and cufflinks quite as much, but their new iterations see them worn with T-shirts, polo shirts and track tops. Likewise we will see a rise in detail and finesse; you can’t look like a scumbro in subtle jacquard.
Downsize your man-bag
It was a tailor who told me I was developing a sloping shoulder on one side. The culprit? My oversized man bag, lending me a dowager’s gait at 35 purely for style purposes. Luckily, the man bag has shrunken to speedy little cross-body proportions, all the better for streamlining your daily clutter.
Prada logo nylon belt, £480, Matchesfashion.com
Wide boys
Call it the Made-In-Essex-Island effect, but painfully skinny trousers should be relegated to 2018. Trouser sizes will become more airy and easy this year, with designers championing a looser silhouette that won’t, unlike spray-on jeans, inhibit your ability to have children.
Stay tuned over the next few days for our reports on London Fashion Week Men’s, which kicks off tomorrow, for the ultimate forecast in how men will be dressing this year.
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