Men’s fashion for summer 2026 is all about style, functionality and a touch of playfulness, according to Edwin van den Hoek, men’s fashion trend forecaster. During his latest live seasonal presentation, Van den Hoek provided insight into the trends of the coming season. Practical trend products, such as carrying bags, are given a prominent place in the men’s wardrobe. In addition, Van den Hoek foresees aesthetic trends for men, such as dressing for anonymity in an age of digital facial recognition and mass surveillance.
In this article, FashionUnited highlights the important trends arising from the themes for summer 2026: Disrupted, Inventive, Memorable and Exceptional.
The worn look: ‘Disrupted’
The Disrupted theme is about the aesthetics of the worn look. According to Van den Hoek, this theme is a direct response to the current social unrest, division and aggression in many parts of the world. “There is a lot of unrest, division and aggression in the world. It seems as if a football match can no longer take place without the police,” said Van den Hoek.
The restless feeling translates in fashion into designs that consciously look ‘lived in’ and imperfect. “It’s about what is new looking as worn as possible,” Van den Hoek emphasizes. This can be achieved by using existing materials, such as recycled fabrics or second-hand textiles, but also by creating new fabrics with an aged appearance. Examples of this are frays that are deliberately visible on the outside or the use of chemicals to simulate stains and discolorations.
At the same time, this theme also touches on sustainability, with the reuse of materials such as deadstock (excess fabrics or unused stocks) and second-hand textiles, which takes on renewed value in modern collections.
The worn look is visible in the collections of brands such as Craig Green, Lueder, Awge, Peter Do, Ann Demeulemeester, Coperni and Woolrich. They show a creative reinterpretation of imperfection, in which a lived-in appearance symbolizes authenticity and is a response to a divided world.
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Tuss while a robot: ‘Inventive’
Where ‘Disrupted’ focuses on existing fabrics and techniques, ‘Inventive’ explores innovative materials and techniques. Van den Hoek shows a striking example of ‘Inventive’. To wit: The Coperni ‘Air Swipe Bag’, unveiled during Coperni’s fall/winter 2024 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week. This bag consists of 99 percent air and is made from silica airgel produced by NASA. It is a bag that literally brings technology and fashion together.
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According to Van den Hoek, innovation goes beyond materials and technology; it touches on a complete lifestyle. The second part of the Inventive theme fits seamlessly with Gorpcore, a trend inspired by the outdoors, which combines fashion with elements of hiking clothing and survival equipment. To innovate, brands must speak the same language as the modern man, who values not only functional clothing, but also aesthetics.
Brands such as Arc’teryx, Salomon, Wales Bonner, Romeo Hunte, Feng Chen Wang, Fendi and Prada let their clothes speak for today’s man by introducing designs and accessories that ensure essential items such as mobile phones and keys are always available. are within reach. Consider products such as multi-pocket pants and vests, fleece jackets, cargo pants, water bottle holders, multi-pocket backpacks and utility belts.
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Childlike playfulness: ‘Memorable’
Men’s fashion for summer 2026 will also be playful. Van den Hoek introduces the theme ‘Memorable,’ which concerns memories from the past. In the fashion shows for summer 2026, it is mainly the exaggerated proportions that stand out, with small bags, or tote bags, playing a prominent role. Fashion brands such as Dior Men and Rimowa play with the concept of the reduced bag, where the bag is also a fashion accessory for men rather than a purely functional object. Similar mini bags can also be seen at other fashion houses such as Balenciaga and Jil Sander.
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It also concerns ‘bloated’ or voluminous silhouettes, such as puffer jackets and puffed trousers from the brands Walter Van Beirendonck, Balenciaga and Avavav.
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Dressing for anonymity: ‘Memorable’
Cameras are everywhere. Not only governments have the right to install security cameras, but ordinary citizens can also install cameras. In response to this development, the trend of dressing for anonymity has emerged. This trend is growing especially in large cities such as Amsterdam, which are known as ‘smart cities’ where digital data communicate with each other. Technologies such as facial recognition reinforce this development.
Van den Hoek shows a video of tech journalist Alexander Klöpping, who demonstrated new AI glasses in Amsterdam on the Zuidas. These glasses combine facial recognition with smart technology, allowing personal information of passers-by, such as name and employer, to be retrieved within seconds. Klöpping shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter), where reactions ranged from fascination to concern about the dangers of this technology in the hands of malicious parties.
The trend of ‘dressing for anonymity’ reflects a wider contemporary fashion movement, as seen at Balenciaga and Avavav shows, where models appear on the catwalk wearing clothes that completely cover their faces. Products such as face masks and scarves promote the anonymity of the individual and respond to growing concerns about privacy and the constant presence of surveillance in everyday life.
But dressing for anonymity is not new. The Belgian designer Martin Margiela, founder of the fashion brand Maison Margiela, is mentioned in the book The Power of Fashion as one of the first designers to weave anonymity into his work since 1988. Margiela is also called the “invisible man of fashion” because he never wants to be photographed and does not agree to personal interviews. One of the most distinctive elements of his design style is covering the faces of the models on the catwalk. This deliberate use of anonymity ensures that the focus is entirely on the clothing. Maison Margiela pioneered the anonymity trend, with products such as the ‘Georgette silk mask’.
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Shorts and bare shoulders: ‘Exceptional’
The last theme is at odds with the aforementioned trend of ‘clothing for anonymity’: ‘Exceptional’, where people want to be seen. Van den Hoek explains that men are increasingly opting for a healthy lifestyle. He is right: according to CBS, the number of Dutch people who exercise in the gym every week has increased from 2.1 million in 2015 to almost 2.7 million in 2019. In 2020 there was a temporary decline due to the closure of gyms due to the coronavirus. which led to cancellation of subscriptions. However, the expectation is that the upward trend will continue now that the gyms are open again.
“You train hard, so you want to show that,” says Van den Hoek. Products that will be popular for the 2026 summer season are shorts and sleeveless outerwear, such as off-the-shoulder shirts. But also, as seen at the shows of major fashion houses such as Balenciaga, many ‘cut-outs’ will be popular, showing skin in unexpected places. This cut-out trend was heavily featured in women’s fashion last summer, with brands such as Max Zara Sterck, Ester Manas and Bottega Veneta, and will also be increasingly important in men’s fashion, with brands such as Duran Lantink, Balenciaga, Mountaineering, Gucci , Heliot Emil, Onitsuka Tiger and MM6 Maison Margiela that adorn parts of the male body.
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The theme ‘Exceptional’ includes not only stylish nudity, but also art. These aesthetic experiments explore the boundary between art and fashion, with fashion houses such as Gucci and Hermès providing a stage for creative expression. This is reflected in bold designs, such as drawings on shirts and the use of many colors, where fashion becomes more of a visual message than just clothing.
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In addition, attention to craftsmanship also falls under the theme ‘Exceptional’. Hand-designed flower designs, as seen at Valentino, and the use of metallic and shiny fabrics, as seen at Peter Do and Ann Demeulemeester, provide a traditional look. Silk fabrics and jewelry add a refined dimension, such as with Diesel and Dsquared2. Brands such as Peter Do and Ann Demeulemeester also use delicate fabrics that are worn in layers. Handmade details play an important role within this theme. “It’s about a feminine approach to fabrics,” says Van den Hoek.
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It is clear that men’s fashion for summer 2026 is about a versatile mix of practical and aesthetic trends. Where ‘Disrupted’ responds to the ‘lived’ look, the ‘Inventive’ trend focuses on a more polished look in which people and technology work together, as it were. The ‘Memorable’ theme taps into the growing playful approach to fashion, with oversized and voluminous silhouettes, while the trend of ‘dressing for anonymity’ is gaining ground in response to today’s digital surveillance. The final theme, ‘Exceptional’, is all about showing off the body, both with stylish cut-outs and designs that explore a more feminine approach to fabrics. In short: the summer of 2026 promises to be a season in which fashion is both an expression of creativity and a response to social and technological developments.
Source: fashionunited.nl
