Men’s Style Predictions for 2013

2012 had plenty of surprises.  Let’s all put on our prognosticating caps and give the fortune telling thing a try for 2013. Leave your thoughts on what might happen in men’s stlye this year in the comments. 

#1. Two Aesthetic Camps Emerge: Hyper-Busy, and Minimalist.

The trend has been more = better these last few years.  Y’know, bright shoes, bracelets and bowties… all at once. Not everyone has liked that look or the retail world’s attempt to capitalize on it.  Expect the arms race for busyness to continue on one side, yet on the other there just might be a passionate return to clean basics like dark suits and white shirts.

#2. jcp continues to improve

Stylistically speaking.  Financially, well, who knows.

#3. Lots of linen and linen blends.

Used to be your choices were cotton, wool, or some synthetic blend.  Starting to think that linen is going to have a big year in 2013.  J. Crew is already offering a linen & silk sportcoat (now $271.60 w/ STYLEFIND) and it’s only January.

#4. Jacket sleeves get shorter, jacket tails get longer, button stances drift higher.

Retailers seem to be getting the note that most of us don’t have the wingspan of Kevin Durant.  Sleeve length can be a deal breaker for plenty, especially if the makers stubbornly stick to functional buttons at the cuffs.  The flipping the-cuffs-back thing has also petered out, so let’s just make em’ non functional.  The chopped jacket thing is also all but done, and the already underway rebound will be more traditional length blazers, sportcoats, and suit jackets.  Meanwhile, the current stance on J. Crew Ludlows is elegant, but it’s down there for sure.  An inch or two higher than that looks a little more athletic.  Also expect more 2/3 roll jackets.

#5. Shirt Collar and Ties continue to get wider

The razor skinny tie and itty bitty collars have gone the way of the Jonas Brothers.  The come back of more substantial collars and wider ties won’t be full Merril Hoge, but, expect ties to sniff 3″.

#6. You might just consider wearing pleats.  In limited circumstances.

This is another rebound from an extreme.  Pant rises bottomed out in the low rise trend, and shirts were coming untucked like crazy.  Now they’re heading back towards the true waist, which even on men is slimmer than their hips. The way to gather that fabric without it bunching = pleats.

#7. Macy’s cleans up their act.

From their catalogs to their stores to their over embellished INC blazers.  They’ve got to get less chaotic.  Don’t they?

#8. Park & Bond’s going out of business sale doesn’t quite equal CLAD’s

Word was GILT is set to pull the plug on their full retail site.  And their winter sale has already shown flashes of awesome, but couldn’t they just take this stuff and put it on GILT?

#9. Skyfall is released on DVD and…

People realize that while it was certainly good (and the clothes were great)… it wasn’t that good.  Was it?

#10. Store Wars 2013: J. Crew finally gets a win

In year three, Frank and his crew might be the odds on favorite to get it done.

Your turn guys.  Rub those crystal… um… balls?  Anyway.  What are your predictions for the upcoming year in men’s style?  New trends?  Changes in how you shop?  Leave it all in the comments below.