As the final collections of New York Fall 2017 menswear walked down the runways we had to ask ourselves “Did the trends that emerged in the first days of London carry through the seasonal offerings?”  And the answer seems to be a resounding YES.  In these last days of the New York Fall 2017 Menswear collections the themes of those early shows, and many since, were repeated.

New York Fall 2017 Menswear Collections Go Out With A Whisper?

Designers continued to put their stamp on the suit with tailoring twists, plays on proportion and styling tweaks to make men’s suits more modern, more relevant and more successful at retail.  There are no rules here anymore.  From the conservative classics to the polished power suits to the bolder baggy looks anything was fair game.  Into trim, cropped pants?  Fine.  Prefer a wide legged pant?  That’ll work too.  This season it is all about individual style. And any way you cut it, it’s just good to have the suit back.

For the guys who still opted out of suits, athletic looks were dressed up.   Ath-leisure looks came in unexpected luxury fabrics.   Sporty, drawstring pants were shown with tailored blazers.  The athletic/sportswear vibe was applied to modern streetwear looks for a more polished edge.

When it came to patterns it was plaids and checks that dominated, though herring bones, stripes and even a few florals helped to add to the visual appeal that is sure to pop at retail.

More than a few designers spoke to the need for people to stand up, stand out and have their voices heard.  The underlying global uncertainties of these times were manifested in the spirit of protest that influenced some collections with references of the 1990’s punk and grunge scenes.  For other designers the response came in the form of concepts of comfort and protection.  Soft, rich textures, layering and oversized silhouettes to cocoon the body formed their vocabulary.

But nowhere was this exercise more provocatively displayed than with outerwear.  Perhaps because it is the outermost expression of individual style and the armor that ultimately shields, the spotlight was on statement outerwear.  From the sartorial elegance of a finely tailored topcoat to the wildly innovative oversized and deconstructed puffer coat there was an impressive array of stand-out looks sure to inspire personal style.  These were the looks that may ultimately define the collections.  It’s no wonder, then, that so many of the designers this season embraced the luxury appeal and creative possibilities of fur and shearling, making these a key trend of menswear for fall 2017.

Ultimately the street is where the runway meets reality.  Providing context to the discussion of statement outerwear, the fall 2017 Menswear showgoers in London, Paris, Milan and New York strutted their style in extraordinary and unexpected fur coats.  Sure they provided protection from the cold temperatures and snow.  But there was a bit of fashion one-upmanship at play too.  Whatever was underneath, all eyes were on the coat.

Will these menswear trends translate to the upcoming ready-to-wear collections?  We’ll know soon enough!

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