The spring 2024 menswear collections in June had one dominating story: the boyish suit. It’s not hyperbole to say that more than half of the collections featured a tailored jacket with a pair of shorts to match. The silhouette posed questions about the current state of masculinity: What does the modern man look like? What does elegance mean today?
The men’s tailoring at the women’s shows was more straightforward, and in turn less provocative. The mid-’90s were a theme across collections, and for guys that meant the revival of a classic short lapel three-button jacket—a recurrent silhouette at Helmut Lang’s collections at the time that this season resurfaced everywhere but at Peter Do’s new Helmut Lang. Elsewhere, designers reimagined the blazer as overalls and backless tops, or by simply modifying its defining characteristics with elongated or tweaked lapels.
The diaphanous fabrics and singlets and halter tops that made headlines in June returned, this time pushed to extremes. Raised and cinched, waistlines were relocated halfway up the ribcage and they’re staying there. Particular to this season was an abundance of slogans. Designers have gotten explicit with their messaging. From voiceovers kicking off one-too-many runway shows to words on clothes, this didactic approach leaves little room for analysis. Most of us would rather interpret than be told.
Slogans and mottos for quick and dirty messaging.
The season of the redux, boiled down to a single silhouette.
Raised and cinched: the midriff has been redefined.
Sheer knits and wovens for naked dressing’s true believers.
Holes, slashes, and a knot or two.
The men’s collections in June took us back to the essence of the suit. At a season with little experimentation, the jacket is where designers started to play with tailoring once more.
Clay, outlets, linoleum, and industrial wiring give a new meaning to utility-wear.
Swimsuits, biker shorts, and soccer jerseys for the streets.
