The Male Emporium: What’s Next For Men’s Style?

from He Spoke Style - Men's Style, Fashion, Grooming, Tips and Advice

And why there has never been a better time to dress like a gentleman

I started this conversation on Instagram a couple days ago and thought it would be a suitable topic for the site as well. Fashion is and always has been influenced by the culture that surrounds it.

Sometimes it is reactionary, sometimes it seems very much a product of the times. Sometimes it comes in the form of a trend, which is generally fleeting. And other times it slowly morphs over time and you don't even see it change until one day you look up and think, "wow, where did that come from?"

| WEARING | Suit c/o Reiss, Ermengildo Zegna shirt, J.Crew tie, Cartier watch, Suitsupply shoes | PHOTOGRAPHY | by Rob McIver Photo

When fashion is reactionary, it tends to be pretty easy to spot and to put into context. Think about the counterculture movement in the 1960s and the associated fashion. Tie dye t-shirts, long hair, and so on. This was done in a spirit of rebellion by a generation that didn't want to be cookie cutter like their parents, that questioned authority in a way that the country had never seen.

In terms of fashion being a product of the times, think about how 1980s style captures the very beginning of the coming technology explosion. Sharp lines. Extremely defined sihouettes. It just looked like the 1980s.

As we stand on the doorstep of a potentially radically different era and climate, both here in the states and around the world, I'm curious to see what fashion's reaction will be. Regardless of what happens in a larger cultural context, our stance here at HSS is that there has never been a better time to dress (and act) like a gentleman.

Indeed, looking ahead to the New Year when we make our blanket pronouncements of what principles will guide our content (and what trends we hope will die), I, Brian Sacawa, founder and executive editor of this website, would personally like to see the continued adoption of the type of style we've been promoting from the beginning. And that is very much what I embrace in my personal style – a classic sense of dress with a modern sensibility. And let's apply that to manners and etiquette as well.

We'll have more on this topic in our first few posts in the New Year. It's a topic we're eager to exlore.