Familiar silhouettes meet sporting influences, military romance, noughties nostalgia and a softer approach to modern dressing.
By Angela Baidoo
The Men’s fall 2026 season arrived with a not-so-unexpected fall back into the familiar, yet there was also an underlying desire by the industry to dress for reality, while simultaneous encouraging us to escape from it.
Across Milan and Paris, designers moved between the Winter Olympics (via Heated Rivalry) world of professional sports fandom and the romanticisation of the military uniform, while grounding the season in traditional masculine dress codes – read tailoring. In reaction to the return of a more structured outlook, a significant sentiment of softness was also adopted by designers. Tactile velvets, crafted knits, cape-like cover-ups and scarves extended to extreme proportions signalled a renewed appetite for comfort, romance and unbridled self-expression. Denim proved the great equaliser, renewed with sharp creases and reworked through distressing, while the blazer-and-jeans uniform returned with a nod to early 2000s nostalgia.
The Impression have analysed the season and in these ten trends mapped out how the men’s wardrobe will evolve in 2026.
1. An Olympic Effort
The perfect alignment of the upcoming Winter Olympics (being held in Milan and the ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo) and the now viral queer romance series ‘Heated Rivalry’, centered around the game of ice hockey, is signalling a further embedding of luxury fashion and winter sports. The two stars of the show also made significant appearances during fashion week with Connor Storrie front row at Saint Laurent and Hudson Williams opening for Dsquared2. Brands from Moncler Grenoble to Wooyoungmi and Li Ning set out their intentions for the fall and winter season with colourful fair-isle sweaters, retro-inspired ski suits, active-inspired layers and the performance accessories to match. Looking ahead to the summer and the FIFA World Cup designers delivered pitch-ready options for fans to represent their national teams.
2. The Noblemen
Historical military regalia, whether army, navy, or air force, has been key in shaping men’s fashion since records began. With the origins of much of what men wear today tracing its roots back to military uniforms.
Yet, whether fashion accurately reflects society or presents a rose-tinted version instead is debatable, and at a time when global conflict has become a part of the daily news cycle platforming such potent symbols of wartime is evident of the way uniform dressing is revered in the industry for its sartorial influence. Epaulettes, frogging, contrast tipping and braiding were applied to navy-coloured double-breasted blazers and frock coats at Amiri, Dior Men, and Sagaboi. Referencing a time when Military service was considered the noblest of pursuits, officers uniforms also inspired neat jackets, great coats, and utility trousers.
3. The Noughties-tinged Comeback
The rise in social media discourse around 2016 was heightened at the top of the year, as there was a collective look back at the decades fashion, music, and pop culture moments (although many put aside the political ramifications of that years election results). A reoccurring trend whenever a significant timeline is reached i.e. 10, 15, or 20 years. On the men’s runways designers took it further back, to the early 2000s to be precise, when Usher’s ‘Yeah’ ruled the airwaves and David Beckham’s airport fits became the prevailing cheat sheet for young Millennials.
Fast forward to 2026, and the smart-casual uniform that dominated the decade is making a comeback. The tailored blazer and denim jean made an appearance at Ralph Lauren, Zegna, Junya Watanabe and of course Dolce and Gabbana, who championed the look at the time. Facing into all demographics, a relaxed straight-leg jean with a clean, crisp, crease makes the look work for the 1%, while the mass market will resurrect the distressed, patch-worked and even embellished denim jean in a baggy fit, topped with a tweed or pinstripe double-breasted blazer.
4. Denimology
This was less about matching outfits or crowning a new ‘It’ jean, denim won for fall due to its universality. The major talking point of the season was designers applying a crease to the front of the classic blue jean, converting this casual staple into a smart solution. The trucker was given a warm-weather makeover with fur and leather patches, while Japanese denim was over-printed with symbolism depicting the heritage of the designers. And distressing and sun-bleached effects mimicked the underlying feeling of decay which has been permeating the season.
5. Waist Focus
Waists, and waistbands in particular, have become an area of interest for the trouser category. Playing with unbuttoned flys and embellished panels, cummerbunds also made a comeback, but here they were removed from their occasion wear setting and styled with wide leg or tapered trousers. The doubling up and splicing of waistbands with contrast patterns made the trouser the new season statement and look to Prada for their disappearing waistbands i.e. trousers belted so close to the edge of the waist, so it is rendered almost unnecessary.
6. Cosy Comfort
Nothing says fall like a classic piece of knitwear and as the rest of the season shifted gear into the grown-up tailoring lane, grandad cardigans became de rigueur. In a world racked by climate chaos layering has become a given for getting dressed on any hemisphere.
There was a cosy cover-up for every man with crochet and fluffy yarns adding a decorative touch to surfaces and at Giorgio Armani a collaboration with Alanui resulted in a shawl-collared cardigan perfect for travelling.
7. Smooth Operator
Tactility, as a way to meet the human need to connect, was employed by designers this season. Giving tailoring a louche feel and shirts a nocturnal vibe that would suit both the bedroom or dimly-lit listening bar. Velvet’s comeback is for those who want to forgo the perfection of a sharp wool suit and instead relax into the opulence of a robe coat or a croc-trimmed all-in-one.
8. The Big Cover-up
The flamboyancy that was the antithesis to the structured tailored looks proposed for fall had a hero item in the cape. Less 17th century highwayman on horseback the modern cape came in technical nylon iterations that leaned into the active arena, or voluminous knits which could double-up as shawls. Whether a complete floor length cover-up or neat addition to an outerwear piece the cape was the sleeper hit offering protection or the opportunity to bring back a certain style of romantic gesture.
9. A Long Story
Statement accessories for men are almost always centered around head wear, but shift the eye further south and the neck is set to get double and triple wrapped in the extended lengths of the knitted scarf. A winter essential, the scarf is often a styling feature on the fall runways, yet this season there was a renewed sense of its importance. Longer than feasibly needed, skinny scarves, ombre scarves and striped scarves knitted with care gained momentum across Milan and Paris. Scarves that converted into head coverings or were affixed with statement brooches were some of the most forward thinking for fall.
10. One-to-Watch – The Soft Option
This season there were those who dared to dream, dared to create something new and allow the male consumer the freedom and fluidity to reimagine his wardrobe options on his own terms. Silhouettes that work effortlessly across the gender divide are nothing new, but in the sea of traditional masculine tropes shirts and woven separates became noticeably softer. High-collars, cowl necks and long ties in textured crinkles and satins defiantly stood apart from the regression into conservative-leaning shapes and gave poetic licence to the independent thinkers who want to practice a new mode of masculinity.
