As the holidays are right around the corner and the season is coming to an end, we all seem to be wrapping up the year, as well as presents. Being so, I thought I'd do a little wrapping up of my own with the hottest elements of men's fashion in 2017.
This year has been filled with some of the best collaborations I've seen, and am excited to share.
Pharrell Williams x Adidas
This collaboration consists of functional and unique styles of apparel and footwear that evokes a nostalgia for vintage hiking-wear. Items like hoodies, cargo vests and jackets, pants and functional movement shoes can all be found in this Pharrell-designed Hu Hiking collection. There are even some women’s clothing items like the Hu Hiking Dress and the Hu Hiking Bodysuit. All fo these functional fits can be found on the Adidas website.
H&M x Erdem
Erdem Moraliolgu is the main man for the British fashion label, Erdem. This year, Erdem teamed up with H&M for floral-inspired jackets, shirts, and sets. Many of these clothing items have female-oriented patterns like leopard prints, floral prints, and even ruffled collars, but real men wear flowers, right?
Even if you’re not into the flora feeling, there are trousers and suit jackets perfect for all the monochromatic closets out there. This collection also has women’s clothing like dresses and flats with unisex options like floral satin pajamas. You can find all of these at H&M’s website with prices ranging from $25-$250 depending on what item you’re looking at!
Louis Vuitton x SUPREME
This is probably one of my favorite collaborations from 2017. SUPREME is a well-known global men’s clothing brand that is especially popular with young adults. Louis Vuitton is also a well-known global brand known for being popular with young to middle-aged men, depending on their disposable income range.
This is one of my favorite because they combined two companies with two very different target markets to create a branded collaboration that would reach double the consumer audience. They combined old and young alike to revive both brands and introduce one target market to the other.
Items in this collaboration are that of bandanas, backpacks, jackets, shirts, and even fanny packs! Even though this collaboration was meant to introduce the younger target market to Louis Vuitton, the price range isn’t very “young consumer” friendly, since the low end of the price range is starting in the thousands. But if you’re a savvy spender, check out the collaboration at the Louis Vuitton store online!
Converse x Comme des Garçons
Even though this collaboration is not new to the sneaker market, this collaboration did come out with a new sneaker for 2017. The first product is the CDG rubber logo of a cutout heart peaking over the sole on the side of the shoe. This product is available in white and black Converse, with a red heart CDS logo. They also came out with another version of the product, “Black and White.” These products feature the original Converse with all black styles or a unique combination of a Black/White color scheme. These products are available at Nordstrom and Barney's for $125.
Along with all of these great collaborations came a bunch of new menswear trends.
Faux velvet and velvet have been huge competitors in textile trends this year. This is probably because velvet can be dressed up or down, making it an all-occasion fabric.
Another textile that has been making a comeback in both men’s and women’s wear is…corduroy? That’s right, it’s not just the name of a sad, buttonless bear in the store (and if you don’t know what book I’m talking about, did you really have a childhood?). Nope, this year, the textile that seems to be a mix of velvet and jean is making a comeback, mainly in jackets, but also in skirts and pants.
One other thing making a huge retaliation is Sherpa. So far, it’s been commonly married to jean and corduroy jackets, as well as winter blankets, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it make a full reappearance in all types of clothing in 2018.
Another trend revamp that I love is the revival of tracksuits and vintage workout wear.
Thankfully, these suits have lost the letters printed in jewels on the butt and replaced it with simplicity and minimalism. Especially for men, we see a lot of color blocking from the ‘90s, as well as side-striped pants and jackets. Along with these elements, there is an emergence of relaxed-fit pants, and a steering away from the skinny jeans of the 2000s.
And that’s a rap of the best collaborations and trends in menswear, and some in women’s, of 2017. All of these elements that made 2017’s fashion so interesting makes me so excited for what 2018 has to offer!
