Fall 2024 fashion trends: it’s back to classic for men

The menswear collections for Fall 2024 signaled a focus on classic tailored styles. Gucci's debut runway show, featuring a new soundtrack by Mark Ronson titled "Masculinity," hinted that the season would explore contemporary expressions of masculinity through traditionally stylish clothing.

Runways moved past trends like gender-bending looks and streetwear that pushed boundaries. They also shifted from the playfulness of skirts and blouses on men. Even feminine-inspired pieces at Fendi reinforced traditional gender expressions. A man in a skirt is no longer the bold statement it was before. The industry seemed to favor a safer, by-the-books approach to menswear codes.

Gucci and Prada leaned into refined silhouettes with elongated coats and sharply tailored separates. Gucci dressed men for modern socializing and urban environments. Prada/Simons took a polished approach suited for work, apart from fun accents like swim caps. Both emphasized neckwear - Prada kept ties conventional while Gucci put a kinky twist on theirs. Overall, the season highlighted classic dressing as a renewed focus for expressing masculinity through fashion.

Nautical themes were on display at Emporio Armani as well, with sailor collars and knitwear featuring maritime motifs presented under a rotating lighthouse installed specially at the Armani Silos venue. British designer Steven Stokey Daley, who recently announced pop star Harry Styles had become an investor in his label, featured a bright yellow fisherman's jacket at Pitti Uomo in Florence just days prior. Fendi also drew inspiration from the fisherman uniform under creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi. She told CNN that Princess Anne served as her muse, reflecting her vision of elegantly blending countryside references into the collection's outdoors atmosphere. The recurring maritime and fisherman influences highlighted how nature and workwear continue to impact high fashion silhouettes.

Fendi’s kilts blended with culottes, chunky knits and Wellington boots captured the Balmoral aesthetic. That same look was also presented by designer Neil Barrett later in the day, who discussed his “engineered function” techno-tweeds derived from traditional British Harris fabrics.
Tailored Separates

Alongside the nature-inspired pieces, suiting saw renewed focus. For one of the first times in recent memory, almost every collection included at least one suit variation; from established brands to more unconventional ones such as Magliano. The widespread incorporation of sleek tailored separates showed the genre's continuing relevance within modern menswear.

Formal white-tie looks emerged as a top trend, seen through tuxedo shirts paired with tights at JW Anderson and tailcoats at S.S. Daley. Though Daley stated he intentionally avoided references to the Oscar-nominated film "Saltburn," the designs channeled a similar costume aesthetic. Dolce & Gabbana exemplified elegance as a core theme going forward with their head-to-toe morning suits. Polished silhouettes signaled refined dressing would remain central, with white-tie attire interpretations providing modern updates to time-honored styles.

Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, who have promoted tailored elegance for the past four decades, ensured their collection was perfectly positioned to capitalize on this emerging trend. Their designs featured a noticeable reduction in embellishments and instead centered around impeccably tailored silhouettes, emphasizing understated sophistication over flashiness. This positioning demonstrated their expertise in anticipating and satisfying the demand for refined, classic menswear.

While many collections pivoted toward more reserved aesthetics, the trends still allowed for discreet expressions of personality. Subtle details accentuated looks throughout. Lapel pins featuring brooches appeared at S.S. Daley, Magliano, Emporio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, adding ornamentation in balanced doses. MSGM's Massimo Giorgetti paid homage to Milan, styling shrunken replicas of designer Franco Albini's iconic red metro handlebar designs as blazer embellishments. These nuanced flourishes demonstrated how the shift toward restraint embraced nuance over severity.