From Alexander Skarsgård’s thigh-high boots in Cannes to Timothée Chalamet’s courtside outfits watching the Knicks, men’s fashion has been front of mind in recent weeks. Next stop? Florence, where the Spring/Summer 2026 menswear season will kick off at trade show Pitti Uomo on 17 June, followed by Milan (20 to 23 June) and Paris Fashion Week Men’s (24 to 29 June).
The menswear trends for SS26 are more sweeping and less prescriptive than those of womenswear, as the trend cycle slows and consumers focus on functionality and personalisation. And so, many of this season’s menswear trends will focus on styling, fit or accessories as opposed to fresh clothing styles, as young consumers in particular seek to reinterpret their existing wardrobes rather than spending on entirely new looks.
Here are six key trends to note.
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Nerds rising
Preppy fashion is here to stay, but for SS26, it’s all about the nerds. Take Skarsgård’s recent appearance on British morning show Lorraine. The actor, who has made headlines lately for his bold looks on the Pillion press tour, wore a zipped-up beige bomber over a shirt and tie, with SS Daley plaid shorts, long white socks and GH Bass loafers.
On Pinterest, search is up for terms including “nerd outfits men” (+320 per cent), “nerdy guy outfits” (+285 per cent), “sweater and tie” (+120 per cent) and “loafers and jeans outfit” (+115 per cent). “This trend is smart, but it’s definitely not stuffy. It’s polished, but very approachable,” says Sydney Stanback, global trends and insights lead at Pinterest. “This wave of preppy style really highlights layered basics, classics and a vintage sensibility with subtle tweaks.”
Chiming with the nerdy mood, gingham will be a key fabric for SS26, says Frida Tordhag, analyst at trend forecasting platform Heuritech, which uses AI-led image recognition on Instagram to identify fashion trends as they bubble up. The prominence of gingham menswear (notably shirts or co-ords) is forecasted to grow 59 per cent from SS25 to SS26. It’s what Heuritech calls a “small magnitude” trend, which won’t necessarily be adopted by the masses, but will surge among fashion-forward audiences. “We’re also expecting to see short-sleeve shirts and school shorts rise,” Tordhag adds.
Short-sleeve co-ords in maximalist patterns are another anticipated trend that chimes with the nerdy mood, says Krista Corrigan, analyst at retail intelligence firm EDITED. “Think fruit motifs, art-inspired prints, geometric prints, big polka dots. [Next Spring] will be about loud, maximalist prints, especially in shirts and sets, which we’re expecting to be big next year.”
On Pinterest, “Ametora”, the Japanese term for reinterpreting American style (a portmanteau for “American traditional”), has also surged among the platform’s growing men’s audience in recent months, says Stanback. “Ametora refers to the way Japanese menswear enthusiasts, designers and brands obsessively reinterpret, refine and ultimately recontextualise classic American men’s fashion,” she explains. This means nerdy and preppy aesthetics — but in fine fabrics.
Devil in the details
Bold, wacky accessories or “distinctive details” will be another key trend for next spring, per Pinterest. Think Chalamet’s courtside neckties and hats during the Knicks vs Pacers playoffs; Tyler the Creator’s headwear on his current Chromakopia tour; or A$AP Rocky’s perennial bandana-over-cap look, which is slowly hitting the mainstream.
“Looking ahead, men’s fashion will really embrace originality through eye-catching accessories, from fake statement watches to stand-out eyewear and creative headwear, in fun combinations,” Pinterest’s Stanback says. Search is up for accessories including “moonphase watch” (+165 per cent), “green dial watch” (+220 per cent), “burgundy glasses” (+240 per cent), “frameless glasses for men” (+220 per cent) and “hat with bandana” (+190 per cent).
“This trend really celebrates the art of standing out through the smallest details, whether it’s a unique watch on your wrist, an unexpected tint to your glasses, or a playful twist on headgear, these accessories are all about finishing your look with confidence and individuality,” Stanback adds.
Aligning with this trend is modern messy, a 2010s revival that’s bringing hipster and streetwear accessories to the fore, from heavy belts to lived-in shoes. “Fusing streetwear with the freedom of hipster rebellion, this trend is ‘confidently undone’,” says Stanback. Heuritech forecasts an uptick in messy details, like “front crease detail pants”, currently up 3 per cent on Instagram), while Pinterest has seen an uptick in search for “2010s outfits men” (+235 per cent), “Sk8 shoes” (+530 per cent), “modern rockstar outfit” (+550 per cent) and “shaggy mullet hair” (+250 per cent).
Cargo calling
Cargo trousers and relaxed, utilitarian designs are set to soar for SS26.
“This trend is marked by an embrace of loose, oversized fits and purpose-driven design, drawing inspiration from working outdoors and hard-wearing workwear,” says Stanback. This style emphasises comfort and practicality without sacrificing aesthetics. “Every seam and every pocket feels incredibly intentional. And this is something that you can incorporate at home, in the city streets, but also on the mountain trail.”
On Pinterest, search is up for “mountain man style” (+325 per cent), “cargo pants and oversized shirt” (+735 per cent), “men brown cargo pants outfit” (+160 per cent), “pocket design fashion style” (+180 per cent), “men baggy style” (+95 per cent) and “shackets for men” (+70 per cent).
Even blazers will become less formal and more casual, Corrigan predicts. “We’re seeing a lot more styles with soft shoulders, unstructured fits and fabrics that are more lightweight, like a cotton or a linen blend,” she says.
Fit and flare
While oversized utilitarian garments are trending, some men will opt for a more fitted approach for SS26. This chimes with men’s growing penchants for personalising their style, predominantly by tailoring garments to their bodies, says Tordhag.
Fit and flare jeans like Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl pair are a key item within the trend. In SS26, this jeans style will have a 2 per cent increase in visibility in Europe and a 7 per cent increase in the US, Tordhag adds. They’re low percentages, but for a style that’s been pretty redundant in menswear since the ’70s, the growth is still worth noting. “It’s mainly being adopted by Gen Z, but styled in a ’70s spirit.”
Fitted sportswear is also becoming more popular among men, with fitted sports tops forecast to grow 16 per cent in the US by next spring, according to Heuritech. “We’re also seeing growth in scoop-neck tops, scoop-neck tank tops and skinny Viking shorts,” Tordhag says.
Earthy tones evolve
Mocha mousse and various shades of brown have dominated 2025 so far — and it’s not the first time we’ve predicted “earthy tones” as an upcoming palette. But the trend is slowly evolving for 2026, to incorporate new shades and textures that project quality, experts agree.
“It’s the first time since Heuritech launched that we’re forecasting a decline in black,” says Tordhag, with black expected to fall 1 per cent over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, Heuritech forecasts an uptick in updated shades of brown, like tawny, latte, hemp and walnut.
Why the shift? “We are starting to value a lot of high-quality materials, like cashmere and fine leather. And these high-quality materials are better displayed in brown. You can see the fibre and the craftsmanship better,” Tordhag says.
Posts featuring black denim are expected to decline 6 per cent from today to SS26, according to Heuritech, as consumers favour dark blue, raw and authentic denim fabrics, with a projected growth of 35 per cent in Europe and 15 per cent in the US for “brut denim” (another term for raw).
Another relevant palette will include various hues of green, experts agree. “Men’s fashion will draw fresh inspiration from the natural world with a surge of earthy tones and retro-inspired hues, says Stanback. Search is up for “dark green shirt combination” (+555 per cent), “pastel green shirt outfit” (+200 per cent), “olive green shirt for men” (+145 per cent), “brown and green men’s outfit” (+75 per cent), “coffee brown shirt outfit” (+285 per cent) and “navy blue and olive green outfit” (+115 per cent).
“One factor is, increasingly [consumers] are being inspired by food,” Tordhag says, “so fashion trends are influenced by coffee, olives and other popular foods, as we see trends blur across categories on Pinterest.”
Darker shades of green are set to dominate next spring, with Heuritech forecasting an uptick in duck green, hunter green and clay khaki, Tordhag says. Teal is also estimated to rise, according to Heuritech data, particularly when it comes to outdoorwear.
Natural fabrics are also on the up, in line with the earthy mood. Linen, which has dominated men’s spring looks for a few seasons now, will continue to be a key material for SS26, according to EDITED data. “Looking at what performed well this spring [2025], trouser arrivals increased by 8 per cent, really driven by linen, which has been huge,” Corrigan says. “This year, linen trouser arrivals were up 46 per cent on 2024, and we can expect retailers to invest further for spring 2026 based on this success.”
Blokecore 2.0
The World Cup is next summer, and as with any major sporting event, it’s likely to influence men’s style. “The blokecore football jersey with jeans has been around for a while now, but we’re likely to see them in more premium iterations for SS26,” EDITED’s Corrigan says, with themed looks and more elevated styling (perhaps taking cues from Chalamet’s Knicks ’fits). “[Think] better quality knits, sweaters, shorts and T-shirts in thicker weave fabric, for example.”
Arrivals of football and sports shirts more broadly have grown 339 per cent so far this year, according to EDITED. The sector shows no signs of slowing: sportswear is forecast to grow 41 per cent from 2025 to 2026, according to Heuritech. “You can now see how people are styling football sweaters with a team they’re supporting in a very cool way,” says Heuritech’s Tordhag. “It’s not like blokecore, but more like with a pair of nice jeans, loafers and a belt. It’s more toned down, more minimalistic.”
These menswear trends, which focus so heavily on accents and styling, speak to the shifts brands should be aware of in the broader market, experts agree. “I don’t see trends going anywhere. But now, people are just more aware of them, and they’re trying to find aspects of those trends that they like to incorporate into their own personal style,” Pinterest’s Stanback says. “So within every trend, there’s this pursuit for individuality and finding what works best for [the individual]. People are more open to exploring what works best for them versus what’s on trend and borrowing from trends to create something of their own, which I think is really fascinating to see.”
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