Hell of a year 2013. From flash in the pan trends to some tweaks in timeless style, prognosticating the ebb and flow of Men’s style is not easy. But that doesn’t mean we can’t throw a few mental darts at the board. Below you’ll find 13 predictions for the upcoming year in men’s style. An emphasis has been placed on the affordable realm. Leave your own predictions in the comments section.
#1. jcp reverts wholly back to JC Penney
Good night Ronnie J. and Wooster’s jcp. Been nice knowing you.
#2. Macy’s, Kohl’s, and other dept. stores fail to fill the hole jcp leaves behind.
Macy’s One Day Sales used to get plenty of coverage on this website, but… there’s just not a lot to get excited about at Macy’s lately. INC, Alfani Red, and Hilfiger have been stuck in a slump. Same with Kohl’s. Sears? It’s… Sears. Is the age of affordable style shopping at department stores coming to a close even more quickly than originally thought?
#3. Tie bars, lapel flowers, and pocket squares w/ suits become more rare
Sometimes all you need is a really well cut suit, a sharp shirt, and probably (but not always) a tie. Pocket square? Sure. But the suited man as a fully-ornamented-Christmas-Tree-thing might be on borrowed time.
#4. Jacket tails get longer. Lapels get wider. Even on the Ludlow.
They might have to call it something else (remember their Aldridge?) but the constant complaint about J. Crew’s Ludlow jacket silhouette is that the 2.5″ lapels are too skinny and the tails are too short. Suitsupply’s Napoli fit seems to get it just about perfect. Look for more brands to make a still contoured, athletic fit suit, with medium lapels and a more traditional tail length.
#5. Pant leg taper rebounds from super skinny to a more straight cut.
If your pants are so tapered that they get hung up on your calves when you sit, and then don’t fully extend back down to your ankles when you stand up because they’re stuck, then there’s a problem there.
#6. SmartWatches become the new BlueTooth earpiece.
Velcro might be a more advanced system to secure shoes to your feet, but you still see laces on dress shoes. Stick with a plain ol’ watch if you want something on your wrist.
#7. Monk straps keep on truckin’
Many have suffered from Monk Strap fatigue, and an expected pushback has happened, but they’re not going anywhere. Like well kept scruff, the monk strap is here to stay.
#8. The Stylish Selfie starts to die out.
Do some find it fun? Some do. But when it goes from “just for fun” to “accomplishment” in the eyes of the subject/snapper, then that person might have allowed themselves to skew their reality.
#9. For shoes… light brown, walnut, & tan are no longer the new black.
#10. Blazers & sportcoats are produced with less and less lining.
Especially for the affordable brands. A full polyester lining just isn’t that desirable. Picking a good fabric and then lining the sleeves and the upper back is plenty for most.
#11. Kickstarter Continues to Produce Stylish Items, but…
…those projects get over-funded, the production timeline misses the original shipping goals by a mile, and people get pissed off.
#12. Amazon gets their men’s clothing act together.
It’s one of the few things they don’t do all that well. In the age of Prime, just about anything can be on your doorstep within two days. If they could only offer a more curated selection, instead of the all-things-to-all-people approach, then there might be something there.
#13. Store Wars 2014: J. Crew Factory unseats J. Crew
And yes, they have to be separate entries. Factory and J. Crew, while under the same corporate umbrella, are like GAP and Banana Republic. Similar, yet very very different.
Your turn guys. Agree? Disagree? Get out whatever favorite tool of prognostication you may or may not have, and leave your men’s style predictions for the upcoming year in the comments below. Top Photo: Dave O. Botton Photo: greeblie
Number 5 and 9 stick out to me as ones I definitely disagree with. I don’t even think skinnier jeans have become that big of an issue (at least I personally haven’t experienced it). And black shoes well….they have their place, but they aren’t replacing brown in my closet. Solid list through, Joe! Will be interesting to see what comes of it.
#9 I disagree with…because black was always black. The new walnut will be burgundy which will make a well deserved comeback. You heard it here first.
I see where you are going with 9, black is more versatile than people think and walnut a little harder to work with. In the end it is a classic for a reason. I hope pocket squares stay (they will with me) but I kept my lapel otherwise clear anyways.
I hope you are right about jacket length, trouser legs and lapels although I will miss tapered leg bottoms if they go too (really much easier to keep my pants clean on the messy days with less fabric.
I think you are wrong with Amazon. They have the same problem all of the big American companies have when it comes to clothes – high import fees and poor availability (Lands End drops the ball here too). It will take a better understanding of their competition (which is mostly small) to do it.
Yes I am looking at burgundy for my next pair of shoes too.
Along with the straight leg / less taper thing, maybe we’ll see an end to the extra short cropped pants? You know, all those guys who show off two inches of decorative sock while standing. And tailors around will the world will say “I told you so…”.
My tailor will be quite happy if any if this is true.
I noticed the lapel flower on a CBS sports broadcaster…not Shannon sharpe…
It may be proof of #3.
Granted Shannon sharpe could bring bell bottoms back, and we’d apologize for doing it wrong for so many years.
Black…in slightly more style (over fashion) conscious arenas, black never went out of style. If anything, knowledge of what to pair both colors with shall expand.
Amazon…oh please good lord yes. Their arrival only guarantees better service from everyone else in the arena. Competition is a wonderful thing.
While Wooster may be gone from JCP, it is worth noting that Apple recently hired Burberry’s design lead/chief – it would be interesting to see what kind of style comes from her in the near future that makes even the smartwatch a sexy reality
I’d be happy if pants returned to a more normal rise. Pretty much every straight/slim option has an irritatingly low rise. I’ve seen this on everything from jeans to wool dress pants.
I agree with this – burgundy is going to be where it’s at for 2014. Big fan of the big burg.
Re #11 – it’s already starting. Delivery of my Kickstartered Olivers shorts was pushed back a month.
#8 sounds like wishful thinking to me. I don’t expect a marked decrease in narcissism anytime soon. If anything, selfies are just beginning their upward trajectory of horribleness. #6, I think you’re underestimating how obnoxious earpieces really are. Smartwatches are silly, but they aren’t even in the same league. And #3, is everybody using pocket squares and/or tie bars because it was “in” in 2013? Some of these things shouldn’t change with the times.
I’m not sure they’ll get there in 2014 but I think smartwatches are here to stay and I think they’ll improve in appearance. I don’t know that I’ll ever wear one, particularly with a suit or a business casual blazer look, but I could see them becoming acceptable with more casual outfits even for the style conscious.
An end to decorative socks would be nice, too.
#10 would be nice for affordable brands, but I think unlikely. It costs extra to finish the seams exposed by a half or quarter-lining.
Not to mention, many, many people mistakenly take a full lining as a sign of quality, and it’s not easy for brands to ignore that. I still remember a negative review I read on a half-lined blazer where a customer said something like “I would expect if I paid this much for a blazer, it would at least have a full lining. Instead, [COMPANY] went cheap and only partially-lined the jacket.”
So a pocket square is an affectation but monk straps are somehow natural, classic style? I would have to disagree.
Agreed. The taper isn’t my issue as much as the low rises.
I’m still going to use the tie-bars. I like that it keeps my tie in place more than any style it adds to my suits.
I don’t love the taper either. Slim is good. Clinging to my calves like spandex i could do without.
I see an over-arching trend of conservatism throughout those bulltet points. I can’t say whether or not it’ll happen, but I would be glad that it does since that’s how most of my closet already is.
To be fair, they’re not suggesting that black will replace brown. They’re just saying that it’ll replace LIGHT brown (and variations thereof). As it stands, dark brown is a go-to color and light brown is more of a niche. I think Joe is just suggesting that black will be the new “it” thing over i;ght brosn and tans. And for what it’s worth, I already see myself wearing my lighter colored shoes less and less.
On the rare occassion that I do wear a tie bar, I wear it below the jacket button where it can’t be seen.
The Land’s End Plain Front Tailored Fit Original Chino (http://www.landsend.com/products/mens-plain-front-tailored-fit-original-chino-pants/id_225469?sku_0=::LST) might be your solution. They are in between tapered and straight and have a normal rise.
I was just thinking about tie bars this morning – I own a couple but never use them.
The reason tie bars turn me off right now is because of their modern context. I see guys wearing them with knit ties, of all things. Knit ties are inherently casual, tie bars are inherently structured and rigid. For most people, I see tie bars the same way I’d see an OCBD with french cuffs – as a transparent effort to add jewelry to one’s self when gold chains and grills are not considered work appropriate.
As much as I’d like #12 to come together, Amazon will always be Walmart Of The Internet. They’ll sell some nice things to satisfy the small number of guys like us but that’s not where the real money is.
Never said either of those things.
Great point about the exposed seams + cost.
I actually use tie bars more for their utility than as purely an accessory so I don’t mind their use with any tie type. I think having a tie that flops around whenever you move is both annoying and looks bad. I wouldn’t mind seeing the modern way of wearing tie bars change, they are worn too high now to be useful and just scream “look at me, I like to read fashion blogs”
I’m game for more burgundy/oxblood
You know, I don’t particularly like smart watches, either — I think they’re ugly, and I rarely wear a watch anyway. But they’re not going to die out nearly as fast as the Bluetooth earpiece, and perhaps not nearly as significantly. The Bluetooth earpiece died out because it resulted in (most of the time) a massive social faux pas. The smart watch doesn’t. (Well, it can — and it has for me, despite not wearing one myself — but that’s another matter entirely.)
Nonsense. Socks are one of the few places you can have some unabashed fun in your outfit. Want to wear moustaches or bacon on your body, but don’t want to wear a dad tie? Put them on your socks. I guess you could put them on your underwear, too, but I’ve never been a fan of the decorative boxers (or boxer-briefs or briefs) thing, figuring that by the time someone you want to impress sees you in your underwear, you’re probably doing pretty well already, and if you’re not, your undergarments are probably not going to change their mind.
Speaking of Shannon Sharpe, did you see that killer velvet jacket he wore yesterday? I just looked at him in awe and wished I could pull that off.
I think that depends on the nature of the tie bar. I have a hard time seeing my mustache tie bar as structured and rigid. I also don’t think a tie bar is necessarily flashy. A low-key matte or gun metal bar is quite different from, say, a polished gold one.
I agree with #6, but also because people are moving away from wearing watches casually in general — they are not going to start wearing one again because it’s “smart.”
And if you are going to wear a nice watch, it will be a nice watch, not a smart one.
wouldn’t mind an end to decorative no-show socks. i never understood those.
For #1, did you guys get a chance to look at their 2014 look book?
http://www.jcpmediaroom.com/assets/lookbooks/subcategory/pdfs/333/JCPenney-Mens-Spring-2014-lookbook.pdf
Seems like they are going to attempt to keep being trendy, but again, who knows what the fitting will be. The Stafford linen suit looks pretty decent on the model at least.
Well, doing away from Zara/Topman-style chopped jacket tails/length I’d agree, but I’d hate to see them all returning to baggy men’s wearhouse-style. There’s a style for younger folks and there’s for over older folks (say, 40+ year olds).
Personally I never found J.Crew’s ludlow to be short at all -if you get the correct size for you, that is. Are all these folks complaining about the ludlow jacket lengths have extremely long torsos with short stocky legs or something?
Have to take a look. Thanks. I did try a LE pair that had a good rise, but the thighs were too narrow. Can’t remember which fit though.
Truth.
I shook my head in wonder, whispering “Fearless” over and over again.
Absolutely. It’s become (nearly) impossible to find a pair of pants—whether they be jeans, chinos, or suit/dress pants—that are both cut slim and have a nice mid rise, somewhere at least close to the natural waist.
I think #4 and #5 speak to what I hope is a return to more realistic, classic proportions. Slim instead of skinny. Lapels, ties, jacket tails, and pants all in balance—neither too narrow nor too wide, too long nor too short. Pants with a proper rise, around the natural waist. When it comes to these issues, I think fit and proportion have never gone out of fashion. It’s just that men’s style has become so ubiquitous that every guy, regardless of his shape, size, and proportions, is trying to rock the exact looks he sees in GQ, i.e. skinny and cropped, even if those looks throw his body out of balance. Men paying more attention than ever to the way they look is a very good thing. However, taste and a proper eye for proportionality just need to catch up.
No way, man. It’s not a sin to have fun with an outfit.
Having clothing fads that amount to clothes actually not-fitting is one thing, but a sock is a sock. If you’re wearing socks, you’ve accomplished the piece. All else is fair game.
I agree on the length of Ludlow jackets. I have a Suitsupply Napoli suit and Ludlow in the same size and as far as I can tell the jacket length is exactly the same. The Ludlow is nipped in a little more through the torso, but I bet if I measured them with a tape they’d be the same lenght on a hanger, both front and back. As a slender guy, the narrower lapels don’t bother me.
I wear one for a bit of flash, sure, but it’s also practically the only piece of metal visible on me; I am very largely unadorned, jewelry-wise.
I do wear it high, but that’s mainly an OCD thing; it keeps the bar from pushing the tie off center if I attach it at a height where the tie has a smaller cross section.
Are these things trending? Sure. But give it a few years and i’ll be just as behind-the-times as any self-respecting old man. Haha!
In reference to number 9: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/42/f8/1e/42f81e1242580accaa1c51fc80bc4ee6.jpg
I’m going to keep wearing white and grey cotton p. squares in the tv fold, because it’s pretty simple but adds a lot to the suit/jacket.
If gigantic poofy silk things covered in absurd patterns fade away, I won’t miss em.
I’ve never seen a camo tie…they must be working.
You should have your jacket buttoned when you move around; the jacket should make the use of a tie bar redundant from a utility standpoint. If your jacket is unbuttoned then it’s going to be flopping around, too.
I understand the inclination towards tie bars, and I’m not trying to say that my opinion is the only valid one. If my style ran more towards Thom Browne instead of Gianni Agnelli, I’d probably wear a tie bar every day. What I am saying is that I rarely see them used in any substantial, stylistically effective way.
These are fantatic! I picked a pair up during their last sale and love them.
#12 is an interesting idea. I’m not sure if I see it quite yet but it would be welcome. They have started to do it a bit with their women’s stuff though so who knows.
Hear hear. I’m a young guy on a budget. I want to dress nicely, but still “youthfully”. I like my slim JCF jackets and skinny trousers.
Pretty cool, thanks for sharing.
do people actually wear lapel flowers? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.
That actually sounds like exactly what I want. If you remember the fit, post it, haha.
Well, I suppose you could just say it’s over – since you won’t be seeing them anyway.
Perception creating reality.
Sure did.
A man apart. Who makes even well dressed men nod in awe.
Then they cut back to the poor chumps forced to wear embroidered CBS logos on their jackets.
This aint delta airlines…no man should be forced to wear an embroidered logo.
JOE VS JOE!!
Just kidding….
Interesting that no one has commented on #13 yet. While I own some solid J Crew Factory pieces, the quality of materials and fit is almost universally better at J Crew. I certainly hope Factory will step up their game in the quality department, but when clothes are sold for those prices, corners must be cut. The most noticeable example of this is the Factory oxfords. It’s a far cry from the J Crew vintage oxfords.
THIS. I thought a white shirt would have looked better though. The blue on blue kind of took away the power/awesomeness.
Agreed, if you can even rightfully call it oxford cloth. Has to be some of the thinnest oxfords on the market.
Hahaha well said, jdw. Fully agree with your outlook.
In reference to #5: I feel that if there’s one thing we’ve learned about pant taper (particularly via the comments on the post that you linked there), it’s that different things look good on different people, and different people prefer different silhouettes. Everybody is different. And that’s okay.
#11 – So that Rossling and Co watch that was overfunded by 4x is expecting to ship about 2 weeks late, and the prototypes look damn good. Fingers crossed but so far a pretty spectacular job by those guys.
#14 – Dappered will still be here to help keep us lookin’ good no matter where the fashion gods may attempt to take us.
Wait a minute…a reasonable and rational statement regarding the acceptability of different preferences for different people? Get the hell out of here with that, this is the internet!
I have to third this sentiment. Something has to differentiate JCF from JC, but unlike BR outlets that carry excess overhead and season old clothing, JCF differs from his big brother with flimsy materials. I understand the rather bland, limited selection, but for a few extra bucks I choose JC any day.
Ah, I see what you’re saying now. Funny thing is, for me personally, light brown is more go-to than dark brown (except for my boots).
I’m still searching for my first pair of oxblood single-monk shoes. I can’t find any! Been looking for about 3 months.
I hear you. Now I worry I’m doing something wrong as I don’t have my jacket on all day. There are quite a few men out there who are overdoing the bling. I have seen men wear a very high tie bar with a v-neck sweater which completely removes the utility of the object.
Whenever I’m getting ready to leave the house I think of the Coco Chanel quote about removing the last accessory you put on. Which in my case tends to be a bracelet which despite my initial desires is usually a good call.
Unfortunately what I see at JC is much more than a few extra bucks when compared to JCF. JC’s pricing is pretty ludicrous for the clothing they sell. They just throw the name “Wallace and Barnes” on something and it automatically jumps $100 in price minimum. I would love to do my shopping at JC but there is no way I can afford their merchandise, while JCF can be overpriced they are more reasonable in price, still not my go to but they do have some nice pieces every season.
Agreed: “a few extra bucks” is an understatement and I don’t bother with the overpriced Wallace and Barnes what fer. I don’t dispute JCF is budget friendly.
Interesting list. Look forward to revisiting these next year.
Not sure I see pocket squares going anywhere.
Also, in terms of filling the JCP void, one place to look for may be our old friend Land’s End. They’re owned by Sears, but will be spun out as an independent company publicly soon. That may change the dynamic entirely.
Remains to be seen.
I personally feel that highly saturated colored chinos will become a little more scarce. Dont get me wrong, every now and then go to hell pants can be a bit fun, but they seem to be a bit overused. Expect more muted options outside the traditional color realm.
Big fan of burgandy this year. Pants, shorts, sweaters. Great color to mix in against darker fabrics without “getting loud”.
As far as leather goes, I’d love to see more Color #8 out there. Calf or shell. It’s a rich dark brown with a hint of red. I just picked up a pair of Rancourt beef roll loafers in Color #8, and I love these freakin’ things. Get complements on them all the time.
http://tinyurl.com/kn9lbck
#4 – I’d love to see longer jackets, but I actually prefer narrow lapels (slightly slimming) and own several Ludlow jackets in 44L. Maybe it’s because I’m just slightly inside the range for a tall jacket (6’2″), but I find them *much* less chopped than some of the competition.
#5 – Slim-straight has been the ticket for me all along.
#9 – No thanks. Black is SUPER boring. I’ve had Park Aves for almost two years now. Finally broke them out today for a funeral. A rich dark brown or Color #8 gets her done 95% of the time, is more flexible (IMO), and works better with my coloring.
#10 – FL boy here. I’ve made my piece with half-lining, but Jesus…how much of a difference in material cost can it really make? I’d just as soon go fully lined most of the time and pay the extra money. I’d love to see somebody offer me a competitively priced “made to order” option and let me build my own jacket, ala Ledbury and other MTM sites.
#12 – One can only hope. Amazon could easily crush the online shoe game, if they wanted to. I for one would like to see more online options with good “every day” prices and less dependence on gimmicky sales tactics. Although, given some of Amazon’s pricing strategies…I’m not sure they’re the hero I’m looking for.
They actually were the LE Tailored Fit. Calves/Rise were perfect I just needed more room in the thigh.
What if you didn’t put on any accessories and you put your pants on last? (Yes, even after the shoes)
I predict that a top hat and monocle will not be fashionable in 2014.
What is up with all the rolled up pants and shorts?
Although black dress shoes will never go out of style, various shades of brown is here to stay, in my opinion. Brown is more than a trend that will die off in the near future. I see the various shades of brown becoming more common for men everywhere.
Besides that, great list overall.
Man, I do NOT like the double breasted waistcoat. I’m also morally opposed to the loafers and no socks look. I did really like the double breast on the long brown coat, that I’d buy.