Who is popular today?

In tune with a post-lockdown, post-Boris pushback against scruffiness, smart dressing is back. Think simple knits, relaxed jackets and tailored trousersIt might be ridiculous to judge the state of the nation on recent Tory party hairdos, but as a visual barometer for the mood shift happening in men’s fashion, it’s on the money. What Boris Johnson’s hair stood for – infantile anti-chic – versus what Rishi Sunak’s does – slick, tidy and grownup – aligns with current trends in menswear.Suits and tailoring sales are on the up. The trainer bubble is bursting: Balenciaga’s latest catwalk featured not a single pair, while its designer Demna said recently in the New Yorker that he could no longer stand looking at his infamous “ugly trainer”, the Triple S. Ties have returned to fashion week at the likes of Dries Van Noten, Prada and Paul Smith and on K-pop stars such as Jeno and Johnny Suh. Meanwhile, loud, logo and/or gimmicky clothing designed for showing off on social media is being ditched in favour of a quieter approach to luxury – a topic that has swollen around the wardrobe of the last season of Succession. It’s an evolving direction best summarised by David Hockney: “I hate what men wear today – it’s just sports clothes, where’s all the style?” Continue reading...