Playful dressing is back, and our menswear expert has picked his top staples and styling tweaks for the new season, from stripes to moustaches. Over the past couple of years, the runways have felt hushed: classic colours, minimal silhouettes, understated accessories. This season feels like a gear change: the mood has lifted, and designers are getting playful again. We’re talking colour, stripes, brooches, bandanas, resort wear, jewellery, denim jackets, even pyjamas … Personality and feelgood dressing are back on the agenda.
I’ve put together a list of 50 tips and tricks to get you on top of your fashion game for the upcoming season. For spring, your best investments will be transitional layers that wake up your wardrobe – think denim jackets, long-sleeve bretons and argyle knits. Of course, I’m not saying you should ditch the timeless wardrobe you’ve built during the “quiet luxury” era or splash out on loads of new pieces. In fact, I’ve included some subtle styling tweaks to give the staples you already own 2026 attitude, such as wearing an oxford shirt a little undone or even just popping your collar.
Where better to start than the trend that was all over the spring/summer 2026 shows: stripes. Hermès. Louis Vuitton. Wales Bonner. Vivienne Westwood. Dior. Junya Watanabe. All the big houses were doubling down on the motif – and they came in all sizes, from candy, breton and block stripes to pencil and boating stripes. This long-sleeve option from Cos is a 2026 layering hero. At Amiri, there were house robe-PJ co-ords, while Dries van Noten showed bold, colourful sets, and Dolce & Gabbana doubled down on the classic pyjama-style piped shirt. Try the trend by wearing PJs as separates, whether it’s the shirt with a pair of tailored trousers or the pants with a boxy T-shirt – or even some boxer shorts.
Even fashion houses known for keeping it muted injected some brights this season – Daniel Lee included a rainbow of colour in his collection for Burberry, from pink to green and yellow, while Jil Sander’s trademark restraint was lifted with pops of red, blue and purple. I’d suggest following Jil Sander’s lead, where small bursts of colour added energy without being overwhelming – whether it’s a bright sweater slung over your shoulders or a top layered beneath a blazer or a shirt. It’s time to swap your cross body for a shoulder bag. It’s how A$AP Rocky and Jacob Elordi are wearing them: and we’re not talking about those small, phone-keys-and-wallet pouches. Rather, the size that could see you through a full day out – with enough space for your laptop, your gym gear and a couple of essential toiletries.
Oversize dressing has been the cool-guy MO in recent years, but the slim fit is back on the up. Look at all the menswear pros who have tightened up on the red carpet: Joe Keery, Josh O’Connor, Timothée Chalamet. And that’s before you get to Demna Gvasalia’s recent debut runway show for Gucci. Just to clarify, I’m not suggesting skinny jeans – just considered proportions that look as if they fit properly. Statement socks are back. No, not novelty socks (I’d avoid anything that would be described as “fun”). But a more low-key statement: a slubby, slouchy block colour sock bunched up in a way that just looks comfy – think Tom Cruise in Risky Business and you’ll be on the right track. Wear them with shorts and loafers (or trainers) to give your look an instant lift.
