The fall 2023 collections—men’s, women’s, and everything in between and beyond—align on one thing: elegance. The menswear shows in January represented a vibe shift: Logo hoodies and tees made way for flouncy going-out tops, Gorpcore puffers were replaced by tailored jackets with hefty shoulders, and cargo pants and workwear vests morphed into dress slacks, maxi skirts, and even sheaths. If it’s a more traditional take on menswear, it’s nonetheless more expansive than it has been in the past, and that story continued at the women’s shows. Yes, the women’s collections embraced a new formality, but sophistication means something different for everyone.
The overall message of the season was elevated wardrobing: Designers continued to emphasize this concept as a means to explain otherwise pared-back collections. Closet essentials from ties and jackets to shorts and trousers were fashioned in luscious leathers, top coats were cut in oversize silhouettes, and sweaters received sophisticated 3D surface treatments. While the season’s rave-ready outfits and heavily distressed separates don’t exactly count as basics, they do qualify as “dressed up” versions of overtly casual pieces.
It’s unlikely that we’ll all be wearing tailored two-piece suits come fall, but the curiosity about formal wear that saw younger fashion types adopt suits and ties over the last year, together with a general taste for restraint, has impacted every corner of fashion. Take Willy Chavarria. Though he’s hardly known for formal wear, he delivered an all-black collection of pussy-bow blouses, workwear jackets cut in couture-ish proportions, and silk polos and track jackets paired with wide-legged Dickies that is bound to be as influential as his recent collections.
We started this exercise of rounding up the menswear trends at the womenswear shows last season, keeping track of the menswear in “co-ed” collections or the occasional men’s looks sneaking into otherwise women’s only lineups. Designers embracing gender-expansive casting has opened up the field for playful (and noncommittal)explorations in menswear, and pushed brands with both men’s and women’s collections to weave their narratives together more intentionally—Anthony Vaccarello’s fall 2023 menswear collection for Saint Laurent being a good example. No doubt, the line between menswear and womenswear will continue to blur by way of both casting and design. Read on for a guide of the “menswear” at the fall 2023 womenswear shows.