In these uncertain times, cocoon yourself in comfort, warmth and well-being

Burberry’s new collection

Striking a balance between the indoors and the outdoors and embracing the new normal of work-from-home life have been the overarching themes of 2021’s Fall-Winter menswear collections.

With hoods with bunny ears, piped pajamas, large carrier bags and skirts, shorts and ski jackets, here are six collections that take men’s fashion into a new era of comfortable, fun and versatile winter wear.

1. BURBERRY
Burberry’s chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci’s new collection, which previewed in April this year, is an outdoor wardrobe for what he calls the new era of freedom. The freedom from city life and concrete jungles, which many Britishers opted for in the pandemic by moving to the countryside.   

The collection has a trench coat rendered in soft beige wool with the fabric at the back chopped off and hybridised with a blouson. Then there are neat suit trousers that have large square performance pockets attached to the sides. While the hood of a furry coat has bunny ears on it.



2. CANALI
Canali’s collection, which previewed early this year, is inspired from the 1970s and the era’s spirit of experimentation and evolution, an apt theme for present uncertain times. The collection of jersey jackets, knitwear, hooded sweatshirts and electric blue ski suits is underlined by the concept of ‘cocooning’, linked to the idea of something that infuses comfort, warmth, and well-being.

One of the highlights of the collection is the urban jacket: An outerwear-blazer with a geometric character and defined lines at the waist, double stitching on the sleeves, light construction, front closure with press buttons as well as flap pockets to add a casual, modern and practical twist to a modern man’s look.

New to Canali’s Black Edition footwear are ultralight sneakers that are also great for trekking. The sneakers have intertwined laces that decorate the inner upper, and a treaded sole. While the collection’s combat boots have nylon inserts and metal rings for lacing, ideal for colder climates.



3. ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
The brand’s THE (RE)SET collection has re-tailoring for the modern man at its core. New cuts, styles and fabrics make up the clothes that can be worn in both the personal and public space.

“We all are experiencing a new reality concerned with new needs, which lead us to previously unseen lifestyles and attitudes. It is precisely at a time like this, when everything is under discussion, that we, at Zegna, have decided to (Re)set. We have looked at our roots to (Re)interpret our style codes and (Re)tailor the modern man. Outdoor and indoor come together and a new way of dressing takes hold, where comfort and style blend to create a new aesthetic,” says Alessandro Sartori in the collection’s press note.

The collection has new and varied jersey fabrics. Shapes are fluid, comfortable and adaptable. Archetypal items get new functions in a switch of forms, weights and materials. Chore coats in cashmere are wrapped as a robe, hybrid suits are in double cashmere, unreleased groups of knitwear replace shirts, and sweaters are made of felted cashmere and knit, or knitted out of leather.


4. FENDI
Fendi’s collection celebrates colour and light, and a message of solidarity and connection in surreal times. A jewel palette of emerald, vermillion, saffron, orange, fuchsia, cobalt and periwinkle is colour-blocked against black, camel and charcoal, as linings, inlays and slashed seams flash with contrasting textures and shades.

Throughout the collection, multifunctionality and form unite in reversible workwear and relaxed outerwear silhouettes. Belted overcoat and trench shapes in cashmere flannel, satin, striped fur and shearling are infused with a cozy peignoir attitude, and piped pajama hemlines bring the indoors out and the outdoors in. Diagonal quilting inflates all manner of silk jacquard separates from a shawl collar lounge coat to pullovers, shirt jackets and bermudas in an expression of cocooning comfort, and ‘inside-out’ tailoring features deconstructed panels that expose padded FF logo linings.



5. GUCCI
Gucci no longer follows the conventional fashion calendar but launches two major collections and several new capsule collections round the year. Their recent offering ‘Gucci Off The Grid Grey’ is a selection of pieces in anthracite grey.

Designed for those mindful of their environmental impact, the collection uses recycled, organic, bio-based and sustainably sourced materials. Gucci Off The Grid is the first collection from Gucci Circular Lines, created in keeping with the House’s vision for circular production. Duffle bags, backpacks, sneakers, small accessories and ready-to-wear pieces (jackets, pants, shorts) are all made using ECONYL, a regenerated nylon made from nylon waste such as fishing nets, old carpets and fabric scraps that would otherwise pollute the world’s oceans and land, coupled with recycled polyester (from polyethylene terephthalate —PET—bottles) and other sustainable raw materials.

These too are versatile pieces made for traveling to the countryside or in the city. But whatever the journey, Gucci Off The Grid ensures travel in a way that is more responsible towards the planet.



6. LOUIS VUITTON
On July 7, one of the most popular boy bands in the world, Korea’s BTS, featured in a video showcasing the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2021 collection. BTS’ members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, Jungkook, and V wear the collection’s jackets, long overcoats, sequins and furs and carry large carrier bags in the video, which got more than 2 million views an hour after it was released on YouTube.

Through this collection, LV’s menswear artistic director Virgil Abloh questions cultural appropriation. The collection takes several archetypes—like the writer, the artist, the drifter, the salesman, the hotelier, the gallery owner, the architect, the student—and investigates the dress codes, asking why they always dress a certain way. Is it because fashion brands and their shows present the outfits and/or these people in a certain way?

To break the fashion stereotypes associated with different people, Abloh borrows elements and designs from various cultures and mixes and matches different styles to present floor-length coats, easy slim tailoring, African draped wraps, kilts, and Western hats. These are for everyone.