AS YOU LIKE IT

Enter menswear’s new age of self-expression

AS YOU LIKE IT

Enter menswear’s new age of self-expression

Words: Thea Bichard. Images: Daniel Sannwald

Thanks to these strange times, the old style rules are out and boundaries are blurred. We’ve been wearing tracksuits for the 9–5, bringing out tailoring for virtual celebrations and wearing our usual going-out-to-the-bar outfits for our going-out-to-get-some-milk trips. And yet, it has also given us time to reflect on our tastes and question: what do we really want to wear when all bets are off? Who are the brands we truly identify with, and why? And with spring just around the corner, how do we want to emerge back into the world?

Freed up from trends and the usual fashion rules, self-discovery is key. With that in mind, Daniel Sannwald’s surreal photographs capture the many sides of your character you can explore this spring and beyond. A distillation of true, individual style.

BOTTEGA VENETA – Padded intrecciato woven leather gilet and boots (coming soon) / LABRUM LONDON – Upcycled contrast-panel tapered oversized cotton trousers / TOM FORD – Slim branded-waistband stretch-cotton leggings (worn underneath)

JW ANDERSON – Abstract-print oversized cotton polo shirt, Cropped tapered cotton cargo trousers, Drawstring-hem colourblocked shell hooded jacket and Belt recycled-canvas tote bag in Face print, Blue & Red and Black & Green / BETHANY WILLIAMS – bucket hats (coming soon) / HUNTER – Original Play short rubber wellington boots / HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE – Pleated hooded woven jacket

FIND NEW FASHION FRONTIERS

Many of us have, understandably, lost all momentum when it comes to getting dressed. But perhaps that makes for the perfect opportunity to discover something new and explore a braver side of ourselves. For starters, donning bold colour is an easy win to boost your mood – JW Anderson, Bottega Veneta and Marni have that in spades this season, brightening up any rainy day. Delving deeper, earth-conscious designers such as Bethany Williams, who champions upcycling, and community-orientated brands like Labrum London, whose collections showcase untold stories of West Africa, make for design with a strong message – a (stylish) way to express yourself and your values, without saying a word.

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CRAIG GREEN – Cargo jacket, trousers and shirt (all coming soon) / A BATHING APE – bucket hat (coming soon) / JACQUEMUS – Le Porte mini leather cross-body bag / GUCCI – Off The Grid shell messenger bag / MARNI – Striped oversized cotton bowling shirt

MAISON MARGIELA – Cutout oversized wool cardigan / CRAIG GREEN – shirt (coming soon) / BOTTEGA VENETA – Mid-rise oversized cotton shorts, belt bag (coming soon) and boots (coming soon) / STONE ISLAND – Shell jacket (coming soon) / GIVENCHY – Logo-embroidered silk tie / JW ANDERSON – Asymmetric recycled-polyester bucket hat

I’m revelling in dressing for my own enjoyment and going bolder with new season purchases, nabbing joy-sparking stand-out pieces: wildly colourful tees, hoodies and lightweight outerwear, which during this current cold snap are a useful reminder that longer and warmer days are finally on the horizon.

– Vincent Levy, Selfridges Senior Fashion Editor

THE VINTAGE SHOWROOM – hooded jacket and hoody (coming soon) / VERSACE – Patchwork graphic-print denim and silk jacket, Medusa Head leather belt bag and Patchwork straight jeans / MERRELL – Hydro Moc rubber trainers (coming soon) / PRIVATE POLICY – Patterned short-sleeved shirt (coming soon) / BEYOND RETRO – Pre-loved T-shirt (coming soon)

MIX AND (MIS)MATCH

Have you found yourself wearing some, shall we say, unorthodox outfits over the past year? Thought so – but we bet a few have opened doors to clothing combinations you may not previously have considered. A designer who’s forever freeing up room for new ideas, Virgil Abloh said of his latest Off-White collection, “I thought of this muse, sort of half businessman, half youthful teenager – and how they can crash together.” Channel that childhood playfulness and newfound experimental side of yourself. How about a hiking vest with a collared jacket? Wellies with tailored trousers? Clashing prints? Patchwork denim? Why not!

OFF-WHITE C/O VIRGIL ABLOH – Unfinished striped single-breasted wool blazer and Striped relaxed-fit straight wool trousers / PIÈCES UNIQUES – Slogan-print cotton-blend hoody / HUNTER – Original Play short rubber wellington boots / MONCLER – Rollercoaster-buckle mesh and shell harness / SMARTECH – Hovding inflatable cycling helmet (coming soon)

VALENTINO – VLTN-print oversized shell overshirt, Zodiac-print shell coat, Logo-print relaxed-print cotton shirt and Pleated regular-fit mid-rise cotton-blend trousers

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ALEXANDER MCQUEEN – Reversible trench coat (coming soon), Contrast-panel slim wool trousers, Blazer (coming soon), Hybrid belted cotton coat / ETON – Contemporary-fit cotton-twill shirt / HUNTER – Original Play short rubber wellington boots / LANVIN – Silk tie / SNOW PEAK – Takibi V-neck woven gilet / OAKLEY – Red-tinted sunglasses (coming soon)

RECONSIDER THE CLASSICS

Trench coats. Ties. Adidas’s Tristripe. All mainstays in men’s wardrobes for as long as we can remember. How can we shake things up a bit? Alexander McQueen’s answer is a spliced, reversible version of a belted trench – part of a collection created during lockdown that drew on archive styles and deadstock fabrics for inspiration. Ties – as much neglected as the office water cooler right now – showed up as belts at Versace and in shirt fabrics at Craig Green. Grace Wales Bonner, meanwhile, said of her collaboration with adidas Originals, “I was interested in elevating the familiar, and bringing an eveningwear and tailored sensibility to this essential collection.” Across these designers’ collections, the evolution of traditional menswear ‘uniforms’ grants you free rein – when you find what works for you, go for it.