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We're sorry if the wild, wild world of menswear has, over time, convinced you to do the following:
1. Dress up like a Eurotrash tourist circa 1980.
2. Try looking like a Wes Anderson calefare.
3. Aim to look like you were a skateboarder at one point of your life even though you have a scary lack of hand-to-eye coordination.
However, the good news is that the big menswear trend of 2021 is what we call the practical dressing trend. A suit that flatters you regardless of your body size (hello post late-night Domino's), a pair of sandals that don't look like it belongs to the dude we mentioned in point one and a shirt that'll make you look instantly dressed up.
Yes, even if you're wearing it with... bermudas.
THE GOING-OUT SHIRT
Sure, men can dye their hair like a modern-day member of the BTS crew or wear makeup like Harry Styles, but the more practical dressing trend is really the going-out shirt. Requiring less commitment than a gel manicure but even more flashy than your painted digits (if you choose to, that is – and we promise we won’t judge), the best part is that you don’t even have to shell out much for one. It can be bought anywhere and everywhere – and that’s as democratic as it gets.
We're sorry if the wild, wild world of menswear has, over time, convinced you to do the following:
1. Dress up like a Eurotrash tourist circa 1980.
2. Try looking like a Wes Anderson calefare.
3. Aim to look like you were a skateboarder at one point of your life even though you have a scary lack of hand-to-eye coordination.
However, the good news is that the big menswear trend of 2021 is what we call the practical dressing trend. A suit that flatters you regardless of your body size (hello post late-night Domino's), a pair of sandals that don't look like it belongs to the dude we mentioned in point one and a shirt that'll make you look instantly dressed up.
Yes, even if you're wearing it with... bermudas.
THE GOING-OUT SHIRT
Sure, men can dye their hair like a modern-day member of the BTS crew or wear makeup like Harry Styles, but the more practical dressing trend is really the going-out shirt. Requiring less commitment than a gel manicure but even more flashy than your painted digits (if you choose to, that is – and we promise we won’t judge), the best part is that you don’t even have to shell out much for one. It can be bought anywhere and everywhere – and that’s as democratic as it gets.
THE FIT-IT-ALL JACKET
Strangely, as practical as practical dressing trends go, the utility jacket has never gone out of style since its inception in the ’60s and we can clearly guess why. Firstly, it has the formality of a blazer without looking like you’re someone who churns reports out in a dimly-lit office cubicle and works OT most of the time (not that we have anything against it). Secondly, hello weekend. Thirdly, it is the male equivalent of a bag because – hello pockets! Lots and lots of them.
THE FLATTERING-ON-EVERYONE SUIT
If you don’t get the meaning of this practical dressing trend based on what we wrote above, here’s an even more basic explanation: it’s oversized, sort of ’80s-looking without the flash and it comes in a flattering double-breasted style. If that isn’t clear enough, it’s made to cover up your ahem, lockdown weight without you having to figure out how to style it best. Above all, we recommend wearing a T-shirt inside.
THE WARM-WEATHER SANDAL
Call it what you’ve read on the internet: mandals (ugh!!!), Jesus shoes (really now???) or granola sandals (say whaaat???) but amusingly, one of the most practical of practical dressing trends isn’t quite so just because it’s decidedly not very appealing – and sometimes even a little complicated to put on. Its practicality lies in its summery appeal, though: the kind of Livin’ La Vida Loca vibes you get the minute you slip a pair on. And yes, even if you’re wearing them to your nearest mamak.
THE ‘LANG’ LOOK
For the uninitiated, we’re referencing Helmut Lang a.k.a. the Austrian designer who shifted fashion well into the early 2000s. Effortless, sophisticated and sexy, it’s everything we like about this particular practical dressing trend. An elegant black suit and a crisp white shirt combo requires no finicking or figuring out but the question is: how do you pull it off well? A quick, well-read and intellectual mind is what we’re thinking of, but that’s another story for another time.
Text: Stacie Cai
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