Menswear Fashion Trends September 2013 - A Guide For Australian Men

If the European summer is a litmus test for what we might be getting Down Under, think again. It is quite often that the blogs we watch in Europe and the States do nothing to knock over the Australian summer trends which are frequently steering their own course these days. For spring and summer I could do the yadayadayada usual stuff about light weight suits, shorter board shorts etc etc but I would be lying to you. The truth is, I don't know where the trends are taking us at the moment but I am going to tell you what I think might happen.

Firstly, the economy is picking up. The GFC (what Australians refer to for the 2008 financial crisis 'Global Financial Crisis') is starting to feel like an old acronym. Always a good sign. When the economy picks up we tend to go back to more relaxed streetwear and less conservative tones. With people whispering that there is a bullish housing market and a shortage of supply in Sydney, this makes me think that pretty soon we will start to have an upward swing and people will shed more clothes as the summer comes and good fortune and better climatic conditions arrive. Also, you can be sure to expect more vibrancy in colour.

Don't be surprised if you start buying shirts of laser printed cotton or woven or printed designs of paisley and polka dots. Don't be surprised if you pay money for an expensively printed t-shirt or polo. I also would not be surprised if you see more people wearing very little on their feet. The loafer / moccasin / car shoe is ubiquitous at the moment and when something becomes ubiquitous it means the avant-garde can't bee seen wearing it unless there is something of a paradigm shift in craftsmanship (eg: P Johnson collaboration with Domodossola).

Looking at suits and the high tide of men wanting to own suits, you will see more box check which still has another season left before it becomes run of the mill. Now becoming more mainstream, expect coloured contrasts in box checks to be more commonplace with navy/red and red/white to be two combinations I wouldn't be surprised to see crop up. At the same time, don't expect to see much movement in black tuxedos as a lot of the gentlemen that make enquiries with our company are doing MTM tuxedos for wedding parties in either a midnight blue black shawl collar tuxedo ala James Bond or else they are doing plain navy suits. Expect that bow ties, predominantly the tie your own variety, will be still worn but less now as too many of the 'civilian' market are buying cheap pre-tied bow ties on websites. The flood of the market, I'm sorry to say this since this will hurt me more than anyone, of cheaply made bulk brand bow ties will have a detrimental effect on the 'status' of bow ties which have travelled a journey from 'nerdy' to 'outsider', into 'avant garde', through 'early adopters' into 'cool, over the hill of 'trend' and into a period of decline in less that five years. This won't be the case for the 'I always wore bow tie types' but perhaps some of the people that were late to the party will pull back from the trend once they realise it wasn't about pre-tied bow ties made en masse.....

With respect to trousers and pants...... I can only feel but can't quite put my finger on it, that jeans are going to be less important to us in the next five years. They are and always will be staples but there is a tendency amongst men I know to be making more of a foray into trousers even for casual wear. This of course is not the case for those that are into street wear, in which case, this passage is not relevant. I am referring to men who might have worn a blazer, jeans and shirt combination with loafers. More of these gentlemen will be running over to trousers. Recently I stumbled upon a brand of trousers called MMX from the Meyer brand. I think these will be really popular by the end of next summer (March 2014). They are very much a luxury trouser designed to replace jeans and in some cases are made of denim. The combination of a more traditional Italian looking trouser with really interesting choices in fabrics (eg: camoflage) and lighter weight wools (eg: Loro Piana silk wool mix) coupled with finer details on the inside linings and belt loops, offers a new way to look at trousers. Don't be surprised if high waist bands as well as a higher rise become 'soup du jour' and if the blazer gets left at home this summer to create a great trouser shirt no jacket look. Lastly, vests, usually MTM, will become the affectation to set off the summer look without a jacket. So, funky trousers, printed shirt, a vest if it gets cooler. I could be wrong, I could be right. Time will tell.

All images below sourced from Guerreisms and StreetFsn

When the guy on the right feels the need to don a bow tie, the trend is setting but those true to bows will continue to wear them.

Red leather bags - a very big yes. Any vibrant leather colours will be in. Note the box check summer weight suit. A trend not yet done with. 

I love this look. I think a high shoulder look like this is called 'shrouding' but I can't be sure. Expect personalised pocket squares will also be popular. 

A higher rise, a higher waist band more than likely to be a new trend

Women in suits, women wearing box checks, women wearing more masculine styled suiting attire - a definite trend Australian women could work with. The lady on the left is Janie Cai of Esquire Singapore - she is is one of the most avant-garde women to watch in fashion. I very much like her relaxed approach to suiting up in this image.