Essentials, But Make It Elevated: Menswear Wardrobe Heroes Get A Refresh This Season

There's a new look to today's sartorially conscious gent, and the Cruise and Spring/Summer 2024 runways are all ready to dress them. From the monumental return of head-to-toe denim, new propositions to suiting, and unapologetic utilitarian detailing, the latest menswear collections got it all.

Denim

Perhaps more than any other garment, jeans are the backbone of the modern wardrobe. But a slew of designers are proving that basic doesn’t have to be boring. At LOEWE, Jonathan Anderson’s ultra-high waists turned jeans into a high-fashion proposition. They were transformed at Gucci via a warped GG print, and at Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams’ new Damouflage pattern. At Valentino, they were glazed to look like leather; while at Bottega Veneta, they were actually made of leather—though you wouldn’t know it unless you actually touched them.

Suiting

The suit has been well and truly liberated from its corporate uniform connotations. This season, designers imbue it with a sense of ease and lightness that allows it to be taken from the C-suite to cocktail hour. At Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons had fluidity on their mind; their jackets were actually constructed like shirts, with structure but absolutely no stiffness. At Dries Van Noten, the suit had all the loucheness of a robe; while at Givenchy, it came with the dynamism of a tracksuit. Over at Hermès, Véronique Nichanian knocked the stuffing out of suiting with weightless versions that bordered on transparent.

Sportswear

Athletic gear has long transcended the realms of track and field, and made its way onto the runways. Fashion, of course, has always had a way with turning the everyday into the extraordinary, and this season, designers outdid themselves. At Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams sent out football jerseys elevated in leathers. There were sculpted rugby shirts at JW Anderson, and silken baseball separates at Dior Men. Meanwhile, at Ferragamo and Burberry, the humble tracksuit was given a rigorous silhouette and crafted in rich materials, respectively.

Utility Gear

These days, the appeal of workwear isn’t limited to just Carhartt-core bros. The look has also been widely embraced by those who like their fashion functional. This season though, the emphasis is on the fashion. At Dior Men, Kim Jones paired cargo pockets with pleated half-skirt panels. Hed Mayner’s voluminous vests had a whiff of mid-century couture. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ versions came in pastel hues, juxtaposed with lightweight tailoring; while Dries Van Noten showed crinkled-silk cargos in off-kilter shades of burgundy and mustard.