Fashion Week: Menswear gets a sensual slant for Spring-Summer24

Menswear took a sensual turn at the leading luxury houses during the recent Fashion Weeks for spring-summer 2024. Image: Julien De Rosa / Andreas Solaro / AFP

More than just a trend, gender-neutral fashion is now a reality. Although it may still be hard to discern on the street, it is now well and truly established on the catwalks. As such, a new, or more pluralistic, vision of masculinity stood out on the runways of Florence, London, Milan and Paris, during the recent Fashion Weeks for the spring-summer 2024 season. Wardrobes were full of sensuality, with bare torsos, transparency and draping on the agenda.

Standout piece: Shorts

While jorts are a menswear wardrobe staple this summer, shorts will also be back for the spring-summer 2024 season. From London to Paris to Milan, shorts were simply everywhere, in styles spanning sportswear to streetwear, playsuits, ultra-elegant short suits, and even micro-cut versions. And while we wouldn't advise wearing them in the subway or on the street, briefs and boxer shorts were also on show—particularly in Milan—bringing a new sensuality to men's style. Either way, it's clear that legs will be in the spotlight next summer, as seen at Sean Suen, Hed Mayner, JW Anderson, Prada, Dsquared2, Dior and Louis Vuitton, among many others.

Fabrics of choice: Linen, silk, lace

Summer means lightness, and the men's wardrobe is no exception. On the agenda are fluid, sometimes transparent fabrics that hint at a certain casualness, or even nonchalance. And satin, silk and lace—materials often associated with women's wardrobes—seem to be the most popular choices, even if they're not the only ones. Linen, a light, fluid material that has been revived for its thermoregulating and eco-responsible properties, was everywhere on the catwalks, as seen at Giorgio Armani, Zegna and Hermès.

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Key color: See-through

For once, colors are rather muted for the spring-summer 2024 season, with very few bright or fluorescent hues. Beige, gray, black and white clearly dominated the program, but not exclusively. The Milan, Paris and London catwalks were full of sheers and transparency, with thin, light fabrics or simply nothing at all. Skin tones were revealed through totally bare torsos, asymmetric designs and draping, again channeling a heightened sensuality and a reconstruction—or deconstruction—of the codes of virility. This was a trend seen at a host of major fashion houses, including Dolce & Gabbana, Dsquared2, Rick Owens, Egonlab and Etudes.

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Prized print: Camouflage

Where have all the prints gone? The spring-summer 2024 season doesn't seem to be one of extravagance, with little or no prints in the mix. In particular, there will be a rare absence of floral motifs. On the other hand, the major fashion houses have teamed up to bring back camouflage print, which is both understated and ultra-trendy. Whether on utilitarian pieces or more casual garments, camouflage print took pride of place in collections by Sankuanz, 1017-Alyx-9SM and Louis Vuitton.

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Finishing touch: Bags galore

Just like last season, ties will once again be ubiquitous next summer, but this time they were upstaged by bags as the new must-have. Whether shoulder, cross body, messenger, suitcase-style or sports bag, satchel or clutch, leather goods were a must-have on the catwalks of the greatest luxury houses, from London to Milan to Paris. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Valentino, JW Anderson and Hermès presented models likely to be snapped up like hotcakes next year.