Very rarely in the fashion business are we reinventing the wheel. There may be incremental innovations, new trends that come and go and then come again, but ultimately, nothing is new or novel in the way that say, consumer technology turns over an entirely new ecosystem every few years. That being said, there are always things to get excited about, however familiar they may be. The classic line from The Devil Wears Prada may be most apt: “Florals, for spring? Groundbreaking.” And yet, fall and winter are often the richer, more expressive seasons of fashion because with cooler temperatures come more layers, the necessity for accessories like scarves and hats, and overall, an emphasis on substantial fabrics that insulate while also being aesthetically pleasing. Fall 2019 menswear is all about the richness of the season-specific materials and a subgroup of key colors that seem to be top of mind this season at some of the best menswear brands.
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Fall 2019 menswear materials: Corduroy, Suede, and Shearling/Fleece
Corduroy
Corduroy is the most textural of these fabrics. Soft and cuddly without the amorphous, fluffy lines of fleece. It’s named for the “cords” in its pattern which can be large (wide wale) or very small (narrow wale). This fall-winter, it’s all about one extreme—a macro-cord with a wide wale. I love these pieces because they’re approachable but polished, and elegant as an alternative to something with a smoother, shinier texture which can often look cheap.
The best examples come from Italian labels (below from left to right): Barena dark olive cotton-corduroy overshirt (at MR PORTER), Tagliatore brown double-breast velvet corduroy wool coat (at Italist), and Altea Verona black cotton-corduroy trousers (at Matchesfashion). Cotton versions will be cooler than wool, so keep that in mind when looking at the options.
Fall 2019 menswear corduroy from Barena, Tagliatore, and Altea
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Suede
Suede is another fall favorite of mine, because of its soft, warm handle and both matte and saturated color. The only downside to suede is that it’s not really “all weather.” Some suede can be treated ahead of time to be more water-resistant, but it’s inherently porous so is not well-suited for predominantly wet environments. Of course the other downside is that it’s pricier than cotton, wool, etc. It’s a premium product, but something if chosen right and treated with care, can be a staple for years.
The Row (founded by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen) is sorta killing it with ultra chic, ultra stealthy luxe menswear (a recent addition to its existing womenswear business). Not that the world needed another painfully expensive brand for men, but The Row is charting its own path, one which is devoid of logos, visible branding, and anything remotely trendy. Instead, it’s simply making beautiful things. V elegant, v elevated. So…love. The brand’s Allan jacket (below left) is a subtly pared down suede jacket—hidden pockets, button fastening, a stand collar, and no cinching at the waist. $5,200 at Matchesfashion (I’ll buy when I get that windfall).
For something unconventional, Paul Smith has a western-style suede jacket, similar in detail and shape to a denim jacket, in a deep ocean blue that appeals (below middle, at Matchesfashion). It has bright silver buttons which could be too blingy for some, and in my own experience Paul Smith’s quality isn’t always commensurate with its price, but I do like the look and the color. Something to wait on to go on sale, perhaps.
Otherwise, there are more traditional shapes like the suede biker jacket. This particular one is from Salvatore Santoro (below right at Farfetch) and is significantly cheaper than most suede jackets. I’m not familiar with the brand so can’t speak to the quality, but it is made in Italy, which would indicate at least a passing quality level. It is a bit busy, lots going on with lots of details and elements. But, overall a solid looking jacket.
Fall 2019 menswear suede jackets from The Row, Paul Smith, and Salvatore Santoro
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Shearling/Fleece
Shearling and fleece are close cousins—the latter being the synthetic version of the former. Fleece (or “faux-shearling”) jackets and vests are now ubiquitous, as they offer inexpensive and durable warmth. Brands like Patagonia and North Face are almost a cliché in San Francisco because they’re the default for just about everyone, from preppy tech bros to outdoorsy tree-hugging adventurers.
As much as I dislike synthetic fabrics, which leach microscopic plastic particles into our water, I admit that they are affordable, incredibly warm and insulating, and ultimately more versatile for the average person. To that end, I’ve found the most attractive, high-quality all-fleece jacket out there at a very decent price: from Alex Mill in a very fittingly-fall rust brown (below left).
Because fleeces tend toward the shapeless, I prefer shearling, faux-shearling, or fleece to be the lining of a jacket or as trimming, rather than the main composition. In that category there are plenty of elegant options that have a bit more style and shape to them: Alexander Wang’s washed black denim jacket (below middle) with bright red-orange shearling collar trim and lining (real?), and a dark navy cotton-gabardine jacket from Craig Green (below right), with his signature ties and black faux-shearling collar trim. Both polished, but with a bit of the ruggedness of a full fleece.
Fall 2019 menswear fleece and shearling jackets: Alex Mill, Alexander Wang, and Craig Green
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Fall 2019 menswear colors: Green, Black, and Brown
Green
There are so many good greens this season, ranging from deep forest green to deep teal, offset by the perennially appealing olive green. I like all of them, especially as alternatives to navy and gray, which start to feel very bland after awhile.
Some of my favorite green pieces this fall: the Fioroni garment-dyed dark green cashmere sweater (below left). Barneys, while under quite a bit of stress and flux at the moment (going through bankruptcy), has always been superior in finding and stocking Italy’s most underrated artisanal clothing and accessories brands. Fioroni is one of them—they hardly have a website, much less wider recognition in North America.
For something more ethereal, there are these jeans from Acne Studios in petrol (below middle, at MR PORTER), a very deep teal that reminds me of the depths of our world’s dark green waters. They’re a welcome change from blue, black, and white jeans.
To top it all off (or something), I’m obsessed with this season’s Prada, as I wrote about, and especially these funny looking laced derby shoes, which have an enlarged and exaggerated tread sole (below right). They come in black, purple, red, and white, but green is the coolest color that won’t clash with much. At Farfetch.
Fall 2019 menswear dark green: Fioroni cashmere sweater, Acne Studios teal jeans, and Prada laced derbies with enlarged tread soles
Of course I wouldn’t wear them all together (or would I?), but I do love a tonal look too, and these greens don’t look bad all together.
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Black
The other base color I am liking this fall is black. I know, a shocking development. But rather than pure, stark black, which can be very harsh and unflattering on many skin tones including my own (I go back and forth on this opinion), I like a slightly washed, vintage black, almost charcoal (which can appear as dark dark blue). For example: these button-down shirts from Prada in denim (left) and from Barena in cotton (right, both at Farfetch). They’re dark and polished without being severe, just what I strive for when I’m feeling moody.
The Prada’s enameled logo plaque on the front pocket is a little extra, but I actually don’t mind it too much. It’s almost ironic, slapped onto an otherwise very understated shirt (and typically lives on accessories not ready to wear). So I’ll allow it.
Fall 2019 menswear in black: Prada and Barena
Black for fall could also be applied as a base with other, less serious colors thrown in. I’m slightly obsessed with one sweater from Dsquared2 this season. Everything else they make is pretty awful, but this one is a gem: black wool/mohair blend with “tie-dye” flecks of green, yellow, purple, and blue (version 1 at SSENSE) or green, orange, red, and blue (version 2 at Farfetch). However it’s described, it looks like abstract art to me, and I love the colors of the first version just a bit more than the second. Both are a little bit rasta, a little bit 80s Harlem, which is an interesting take on Italian fall-winter-wear, and I dig.
Dsquared2 black sweater in wool-mohair blend with flecks of color
In the same vein, another novel use of black for fall is this Craig Green jacket. It takes the shape of the standard Craig Green look (boxy and workwear-inspired), but is based on the humble flannel shirt. To make it his, there are panels of black shell (polyester) on the back and front, with modish bits of white shell trimming the pockets and rear. It’s a mashup of a lumberjack’s flannel shirt with the high-visibility uniform of a utility worker, all in an unexpected combination of black, green, and white. In any case, I think it works well. I really like it. At Matchesfashion.
If Craig Green is an unknown name to you, here is a brief bio from Matches: Founding his label in 2012 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, Craig Green – who rose to prominence as part of the Newgen Men collective – has become a major talking point at London Collections: Men. His bold yet wearable pieces combine a sense of showmanship with sophistication and nuance.
Craig Green flannel-tartan jacket
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Brown
And finally, brown feels very current this season, but not the typical dark brown—greater variations of brown, from a dark tan to “dark mole.” Brown is one of those colors (the color, really) that defines so much of our world, our natural environment, and can take many forms depending on which end of the spectrum (or sector of the octagon?) it’s nearest. I tend to like most browns, only taking exception for ones that are flat and paired with other, washed out or faded colors. But rich, saturated brown, especially when paired with other rich neutrals or against vivid white, is quite stunning in any shade—from espresso to quasi-olive to quasi-eggplant.
Below are some interesting browns and brown-adjacents on offer this season, from left to right: Margaret Howell cotton-poplin overshirt (at MR PORTER), John Lobb Lopez suede loafers (at MR PORTER), Filippa K Cotton Merino basic sweater in dark mole (at Want Apothecary), and Dries Van Noten merino cardigan with collar (at MR PORTER).
Fall 2019 menswear browns: Margaret Howell, John Lobb, Filippa K, and Dries Van Noten
I really love the color of the Filippa K sweater, which is also the least expensive thing in this entire post! True staples like that, in curious (but not tiresome) colors are few and far between. The Swedish label has been quiet over the last few years, but looks to be picking back up its menswear wholesale business. So hooray!
Want Apothecary is also an interesting fashion site, a spinoff of Want Les Essentiels, a Canadian (Montreal-based) brand that sells accessories, shoes, and now some clothing. Both of their stores that I’ve been to, in Manhattan and Las Vegas, were really beautifully done and efficiently laid out. They don’t stock all brands that I love, but they do have some pleasant surprises, like Filippa K and Jil Sander.
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For the coming months, fall 2019 menswear is all about familiar textures, reimagined, and colors you probably already have in your closet, albeit in fresh shades and interpretations. For more fall 2019 menswear picks, see the Pinterest board dedicated to this season’s best pieces.
