Men’s Fall 2022 is the most exciting season for menswear since the dandy movement years ago– as menswear has remained unchanged for well over a century, it’s high time we have at least a fraction of the options our female counterparts have in fashion. It’s about time menswear shed the basic-bitch mold it cast itself into thanks to one man’s opinion in the 18th century, Brummell in The Great Male Renunciation. There are interesting cuts, silhouettes, and lines which are unusual and in some cases genius. Color, embellishment, embroidery, appliqué, and print are used liberally, the result of which is modern wearable luxe streetwear.

Structured drop-shoulders hit nearly every runway including Prada, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton: the Uncle Fester is in. In my opinion, the bigger and more structured the look is, the dumber you’ll look in it i.e. Hed Mayner-the less structured garments actually look chicer- it’s all about proportion and fit though as some designers execute it perfectly. Double-breasted jackets, peak lapels (Dior), cargo pants and utilitarian pouches, fur and shearling (opt for faux and sherpa please, and spare us the Silence Of The Lambs vibes you’re giving off Leather-face), the monochromatic ‘fit, tribal print knits, and the man-bag are reiterated by many collections, signaling both a shift and continuity in menswear.

Trend Alert Menswear Fall 2022:

• Slouch: structured drop-shouldered jackets and coats are this season’s stand-out motif.
• Puff Puff Pass: the puffer was never out, but new iterations of shorts and short-sleeve tops are trendy ways to layer.
• Man-Up: the man-bag has hit every runway for years now, from totes to trunks, choose the one that suits your style and can carry your must-haves in tote.
• Pick-pocket: the ever-present pouch, however it’s tethered to you, is a must-have. Snap it on, strap it on- it’s been around for a few years now but it isn’t going anywhere. I started a project hand-sewing pouches for my boots to mimic the Prada Monolith Boots from 2019.
• Knit-y Gritty: unusual knits, such as the raglan-sleeve button-up by Fendi blend knit and wovens in style. Try tribal inspired graphic knits: think South American meets Native American.
• Throwback: we’ve seen a resurgence of things we left behind in the 2000s as the pandemic has people hoarding eras- so you want to bring the 60s, 70s, 80s and 2000s back and all at once? Tracksuits, velour, Birkenstocks (DSquared^2 and Dior) and even Ed Hardy graphic tees hit the shelves this fall, and we see a thread of this resurgence continuing into Fall 2022. But as someone who witnessed it the first time around, can you please not impersonate a creepy dad or our corny parents with your mustache and wind-breaker over mom-jeans kids? Thanks!
• Brag and Embellish: classics such as cardigans, jeans, and a hooded poncho are given a face-lift with a woman’s touch- embellishment in Rolf Ekroth’s collection among others.

• Felted-tip: graphic felted and dyed woolen coats and fleece jackets are shown by the likes of Fendi, Bluemarble, and Dsquared^2.
• Curly Sue: A lot of male models have this face-framing medium length curly shag that has me ready to make the chop…admittedly- I’m always drawn to a shag- from the neo-shag to the current trending wild shag.
• Conehead Cap: for that ironic unapologetic fashion victim level early adaptor, the alien beanie and top hat rear their ugly heads on the runways of both Dolce and Gabbana and Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus. Junya Watanabe also doubles down on wacky headwear alla Jamiroquai.

• Bare Your Sole: both pointed and square-toed boots are styled at various shows, Jil Sander shows both paired with interesting leather and woven pants seamed at the mid-thigh, and zodiac graphic knits and coats.

• He’s Strapped: we see a lot of straps and ties on pants and shirts from multiple designers.
• Eh, Chaps? At least three collections present chaps in woven materials, contrary to their use and typical appropriate fabric selection being skins. Personally, I still want to DIY a pair of those Dsquared^2 chaps/jeans hybrid from years ago, so I’m here for it. Kiko Kostadinov pairs chaps with shirts and jackets that have layered pieces which connect at the yolk and fasten over the button placket beyond center-front.

• Kill it with fire: the shorts-suit is trying to make a comeback and, we will not be here for it ok?

DSquared^2‘s collection has interesting nylon webbing strap harness bags seemingly meant to mimic climbers complete with powder pouches, which were also translated to belts and climber harnesses. Plush cozy boots, waffle-thermals, and the house’s signature meggings pulled up below the knee are worn under puffer basketball shorts. An ankle-length flannel coat was styled beneath a yellow hooded puffer. Similar to other shows, elasticized pockets are placed on the bottom front of cargo-pant-legs. Paired with towny plaid pants and landscape-graphic fleece jacket over a leather jacket and yellow parka, the infamous Birkenstocks makes an appearance as well, but with branded patches alla Balenciaga’s Crocs…it doesn’t make ’em any better. Although we rarely discuss runway beauty in men’s shows, the rather bronzed look deserves mentioning, as does the trendy hairstyling with curly medium-length shag cuts. Bags, seemingly inspired by those worn in Bolivia, are something almost I put in my latest collection for Menswear Fall 2022 myself, yet again tapping into the collective unconscious.

Neil Barrett: snap on, snap off- leather pockets or pouches where you want em; puff puff pass- the puffer, in all its glory and quilted this way and that (shown in short/sleeve snap-ups and pants as well as shorts– are we noticing a trend?); I love the cable knit sweater, and think this is a very wearable and on-trend collection consistent with others we saw for Fall 2022, although the color palette could’ve used a bit of editing.

Junya Watanabe shamelessly borrows from Jamiroquai’s Virtual Insanity in design, set, and how its models pose in oversized hats paired with Latin-American inspired garbs mimicking serapes complete with fringe.

Homme Plissé Issey Miyake: Issey’s signature pleating technique is combined with voluminous silhouettes in muted primary and secondary colors of red, green, orange, yellow, white and black. Folded darts on the pants give the opposite effect of Indian Dhoti similar to ones I designed in my Culture Vulture Men’s Fall 2022 collection. The collection has a sophisticated subtlety.

Louis Vuitton: I personally don’t like the modern spectacle of the out-of-industry appealing fashion shows meant to entertain masses, as awkward dancers and trampoline climbers distract from the real show. I do love the graphic elements, the lines and cuts, and silhouettes that seemingly borrow from womenswear, urban streetwear, and leather culture: take for example the Frankenstein coat- it has structured two-piece sleeves, a center front zipper, hood, and contrasting tie-dye alien graphic print fabric blocking. Surprise, surprise- zipper-closure pouches or pockets on the bottom hem of jeans! The urban infusion of LV monogram baggy jeans and bat-ear flat-brim snap-backs alongside lacy bandana-inspired paisley print contrast baroque embroidered shirting. Can we just take a moment to appreciate the interlocking of the lapels? It’s a double button closure- one lapel is slid through a slit and buttoned back onto the side it came from, while the other side is also buttoned closed- wonder-weavable! The color palette includes powder blue, scarlet, dark teal, white and black, blue-violet, yellow, basil and Sacramento green, camel, and cocoa. Lightwash denim in grey and blue monogram, painting tapestry prints, black and white bandana paisley, as well as interesting takes on damier using paisley and paintings. Blue and white pottery inspired a bleached denim look, and similarly to the bandana prints, it perfectly suits the high-low motif of the collection, elevating basketball uniforms by making them leather or cutting tracksuits from velvet. The bags are everything, and quite a turn for Vuitton given the quilted puffer bag; I love the obscuring of the monogram with an overlayed transparent fabric; I am a sucker for object-inspired novelty bags and that paint-can had me at hello. While I appreciate the apropos inclusion of a carpetbag given the tapestry prints, I do wish one was made with the painting print used in the darker coats.

Dolce and Gabbana: I must say this urban-punk theme is an interesting contrast to the usual ostentatious and ornate aesthetic of the house, what with graffiti prints and all! Of course, there is still lamé in silver and gold jackets, but the dandy appeal of the brand has given way to a wearable collection with a broader appeal. Cobalt alligator embossed patent leather pants are styled with a skull and monogram graphic print t-shirt. Accessories include silver collars and cuffs, gold skull and pearl necklaces, DG beanies, ski goggles, and sharp geometric shades. Fingernails are appropriately polished black. Although I’m not a fan of the tweed skirt-suit, what could be more punk than a man wearing one? The puffer jacket and structured drop-shoulder jacket are a bit OTT.

Prada: I’m personally not a fan of the smock, and feel like the elasticized waistband of the monochromatic patent-leather looks is too narrow in proportion to the garments themselves. Most of the structured-shoulder looks are well-tailored, however, they have let a few get away from them.

Fendi: a Fendi chain-link print with drop-shadow appears on trench coats, bags, caps, and hosiery styled with leather shorts; feather rosettes; and pewter, silver, white, and blue steel sneakers. The cream double-breasted peak-lapel suiting with pintuck crease is paired with chain-link print wine button-up, pearl choker, and burgundy wingtip brogue oxfords. My favorite print, houndstooth, was scaled to a micro level on a patch-pocket button-up styled with wine leather pants, a monogram scarf, contrasting cream patent leather and caramel leather brogue wingtip oxfords, and a camel wool coat. The garments are supported accessories, including the aforementioned necklace, as well as monogram bucket hats and contrast-leather bags. I love the mixing of knits and woven in the raglan-sleeve button-up with collar and stand. Do we need a mini lucite Fendi trunk? I think not. Do we need the tiniest cross-body trunk? Yes, yes, we need it! My favorite double-breasted suit of the season is the cropped black-tulip colored one paired with high-rise suit pants.

Yohji Yamamoto’s Men’s Fall 2022 features a rather original white button-up with placket-attached bib and cravat. The collection appears to have taken inspiration from the Victorian era: bibs and pin tucks decorate longline button-ups, which are paired with charcoal jackets and photo print trench-coats atop layered pants and styled with cravats. There are buttons and buttonholes on some of the “pintucks,” which appear to be sewn to the collar stand- so they don’t seem removable but may rather be allowed to hang freely. An overlayed bib has its own placket and buttons, worn over the existing button-up placket- if worn unbuttoned the bib may be more visually appealing or interesting. The split-bib which attaches at the placket on both sides must have thread shanks to allow them to attach so many layers of fabric. I think the most user-friendly for the general population is the graphic-print black button-up with the bib split at and sewn to the placket. I’m particularly fond of the triple-collared pintuck button-up. The attachable pouch seems to be attached to a garment by a leather strap and prong, but I must assume that any amount of weight on the garment would distort the natural drape unless there’s a strap attached. Does the world need a saddle-bridged monocle Sunglass with a singular arm? I don’t know, but it suits the collection! The runway beauty is stark– white makeup and hair color is streaked onto the models’ forehead and hair and above the temple. I find it to be a rather beautifully muted collection with an almost haunting effect- which I assume might be part of the inspiration given a ghostly print on a button-up shirt- and highlights the originality the designer is known for.

Dior: Birkenstocks, beautiful botanical embroidery and appliqués, delicate houndstooth print double-breasted peak-lapel jacket, juxtaposed by pin-tucked French-terry joggers make these ornately beautiful tops and blazers in luxe fabrics feel comfortable and wearable. The contrasting grey double-layered blazer is effortlessly cool. The single-welted patch-pocket closures of the cargo pants look sleeker than their flap-closure counterparts. The hair has a motif of pale-blue or lavender highlights under 8-panel brimless caps.

GmbH presents thigh-high boots styled with skinny kimono-obi wrapped around the waist and up around the shoulders of blazers. Structured avant-garde coats have a futuristic look and just may make one aerodynamic.

Walter Van Beirendonck’s futuristic designs and otherworldly masks take us out of this world. Similar silhouettes to the slouched drop-shoulder motif are paired with meggings and leather pants. Bold graphics and ski masks atop masks printed with human and alien faces have as eerie an effect as Doublet’s use of silicone masks all in one Asian female face with a black-rooted pink bob wig.