AFTER LOCKDOWN, WILL MEN STILL WANT TO BUY SUITS?
The trend for fall was all about a more dressed-up, tailored look. But that was before the coronavirus had men WFH for weeks in sweatpants and T-shirts.
The trend for fall was all about a more
dressed-up, tailored look. But that was before the coronavirus had men WFH for
weeks in sweatpants and T-shirts.
One
year ago, the men’s retail community was all abuzz at the prospect of tailored
clothing rebounding as streetwear started to wane.
Fast-forward
to 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic stopped business in its tracks and left
everyone working from home in sweatpants.
So
when the situation finally normalizes and men are able to return to their
offices — whenever that may be — will the once-expected popularity of tailored
clothing become a reality, or a lost opportunity?
Designers and retailers remain upbeat, expecting pent-up demand to spur sales of suits and sport coats as guys happily ditch their work-from-home attire and get dressed up when they can finally get back to the office.
Dressing well helps men feel powerful, and considering
how out of control the world has felt in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, a suit
is an easy, but highly visible, statement.
But
it won’t be his grandfather’s suit. Instead, the power suit of 2020 will be
more comfortable with technical attributes such as stretch, antimicrobial
properties, antiwrinkle and other performance features. The contemporary
silhouette is often oversize, double-breasted and boxy with retro Nineties
references, while some guys may pair it with everything from upscale T-shirts
to sneakers.
Brands See Bright Future For Suits
Some
of the more-traditional tailored clothing brands also — not surprisingly —
claim to be optimistic about what the future holds in terms of the sector, but
they too have evolved to meet the demand of a modern customer.
Stefano
Canali, ceo of the family-owned Canali company, agreed. “The pandemic is
accelerating a trend that was already evident, a search for comfort, which
derives from the materials, the construction of the clothes. When this is over,
there will surely be a desire to buy less, but better, there will be more
sobriety and a desire to turn to brands that are known for their authenticity,
history and credibility, with high value for money, quality and durability with
the right stylistic approach. The power suit will be represented by suits that
are not rigid, more stretch and that have a lighter construction. The jacket
will be increasingly important, but it will be lighter, thin, deconstructed. It
will have a cocoon effect, responding to a need for comfort blended with
quality. It will all be smart casual as the differentiation between formal and
informal is increasingly less sharp.”
Retailers Expect Sales Bump
The retail community is hopeful that heightened demand for tailored clothing will help spur much-needed business for them as well. Face it, after months of their stores being closed and relying on whatever business they could get from their e-commerce sites, retailers — at least the ones that will survive the pandemic — will be desperately searching for any sector that can get consumers back into stores and generate revenues.
Of
course, who knows what the male consumer — or any consumer — will want to buy
coming out of the global crisis (beyond more toilet paper and disinfectant,
that is)?
While
brands and retailers are bullish about the suit for fall, it must be remembered
that their orders were placed in January, as the coronavirus was only just
beginning to spread in China, U.S. unemployment was at a record low and the
stock market was skyrocketing. Orders were based on those fundamentals and the
idea that a male shopper who was already spending more than ever would continue
to spend. Given that, they felt confident about moving away from baggy and
roomy streetwear toward a more tailored look.
So men’s store floors and web sites come fall will be heavily slanted toward suits and sport jackets, albeit 21st-century versions. All brands and retailers can hope is that in a world that will never be the same again, even post-COVID-19, men will still go back to feeling about fashion the way they did a mere four months ago.
Canali Boutique Vietnam
Address: 63 Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Phone: 024.32011592
