Decoding the lead look
Hair: Faded on the sides, long on top.
Brows: Natural
Face: Smooth skin with a neat two day stubble.
Lips: Fresh and thick
Body: Smooth and defined.
Others: Cartoon print pyjamas.
The key looks of 2023
Bikers & Racing: The trend is extremely strong with a variety of racing jackets, tracksuits, gloves, and pants inspired by the motorcycle aesthetic.
Denim central: Jeans will be reinvented. The denim on denim look is here to stay. Time to pull out those denim shorts, jackets, and also comfortable denim joggers. Wear them together for a denim overkill.
Men will be boys: A return to our childhood with shirts, sweatshirts, and T-shirts with patterns straight out of comic books, seahorses, figurative characters, and caricatures. Be on the lookout for colour-blocked designs in vivid shades.
All’s well that works well: The office look continues to get more dress down. Because of the pandemic and a massive shift to working from home, casual performance menswear has taken centre stage.
Suit up: Suits are going to dominate like never before. Slim and structured silhouettes with hip length single and two button jackets, tapered pants, and shirts with short and sharp collars.
A sporty vibe to the year
Both comfortable and fashionable, tracksuits are most certainly, the years go to outfit! There will be sportswear influences on clothing, footwear, bags, and watches. Wear as many sports jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, joggers, and full tracksuits as possible. Team the look with sports or running shoes. From day to early evening, and even to a nightclub: sportswear will continue to rule.
The motor sport look: With bikers and racing in focus, this tracksuit is completely at par with the years fashion trends and will give you a very sporty, streamlined look. It is perfect for both active and sportswear and can be worn all through the year, both on and off the field.
Colours of the year
Pastels will be back, ushering in a feeling of freshness and lightness. Think light grey, sky blue, lavender, and old rose. The palette isn’t going to be feminine, but certainly more gender fluid and non-binary.
Navy blue, stark white and charcoal grey will yet be strong. Some amount of black and a frequent use of psychedelic primary colours like red, yellow, orange, and green, especially on shoes and other accessories. Silver and copper will be the dominant metallic tones with a gentle use of gold.
Prints
Flower power: Subtle floral prints on shirts and jackets. The flower, in all its forms, will be a major inspiration. So will images and illustrations of young boys, toys and cartoon characters on t-shirts and ties.
Eastern influences: Formal wear will have Moorish Moroccan patterns, intricate Mughal inspired prints and gentle embroidery.
The wild west: A style that can work for just about anyone, whether you prefer an ornately stitched shirt, skin-tight jeans, or some hard-wearing western boots. The look is retro, but yet perfectly suited to today’s more casual, yet masculine style of dressing.
The year’s main garments
Casual jackets: From casual to semi formal work wear, jackets will return in varied fits, forms, and shapes. Go in for low or collarless styles and choose between buttons or zippers. Just remember to keep the length short and just above the hip level.
Knits: A play on texture. A rush of pastels on round neck and full sleeve and ‘all season’ tops. With or without anything on underneath!
Sweatsuits: Perfect for both Spring & Autumn. Invest in a pastel or dark palette in fabrics that are super soft and comfortable. High round necks and short lengths recommended. You can choose between a snug or comfort fit.
Jeans: Snug and tight fitting styles with a focus on the crotch and hip area. Light blue, white and beige will be the years dominant colours. Wear them casually or tuck the ends into ankle length boots or high top sneakers.
Cargo pants: Once the biggest faux pas of the fashion world, the cargo will reclaim its spot as one of the biggest trends of the year. Thanks to their multi pockets and that they are both comfortable and versatile, they are a fantastic choice, especially if you want to carry a few things with you.
Miro shorts: Yes, men will be showing more leg than the girls do. Time to flaunt those well-defined thighs and calves as much as you can. Size matters here: nothing longer than six or eight inches should be worn.
The accessories in focus
Sunglasses: Expect to see a variety of shapes and forms. Round is this year’s hot shape, while gun metal and black are going to be the ‘go to’ colours.
Bags: The backpack and the gym bag are going to be used for travel, leisure and your gym or dance class. At work, bags will get both smaller and flatter. I suggest cross over or cross shoulder bags for day to day use.
Watches: Multi-function smart watches will continue to get popular, but there is going to be a gentle, but sure shot return of classic watches with leather straps, dials, and hands for semi formal and formal dressing.
Footwear: Shoes were once separated into easily identifiable categories like dress shoes, work boots, athletic or casual sneakers. But as the tide shifts, sports shoes and sneakers will be worn just about everywhere, including at work. This year, red is the colour for your feet and sustainability is a strong trend.
Sports and running shoes will be right at top, followed by laced loafers, ankle length or high top sneakers and finally closed round tip formal shoes. Sandals? The less they are seen, the better. And on the beach and poolside, stay bare feet, or don’t be there at all.
The Hair
Dark hair: Yes, that’s actually an international trend and we couldn’t be luckier. Greying is acceptable and if its colour, it’s only going to be brown, black, and burgundy.
Faded & Short Cropped Styles: Crop cuts, military crews and faded sides for boys and men of all age groups and face shapes. The centre and top may vary from being ultra-short to medium length.
Haircare: As the air gets dirtier and weather extremes become common, nourishing the scalp, cleansing, and conditioning the hair will be of vital importance.
The Face
Sun Kissed Complexions: A focus on brown and dusky complexions. Thankfully the end of fairness and whitening products. ‘Good skin over light skin’ is the years grooming mantra.
Moisturising & Anti-Ageing: The products of the year will be serums which deliver on making us look younger, fresher, keep our skin well hydrated and address acne related issues.
Natural Products: The year will see an exit of all artificially made and chemical based products. Flowers, vegetables, fruit, and herbal extracts for everything including haircare, skincare, and personal hygiene products.
The Body
The torso: Next summer’s focus area is the chest! Shorts, tops, and vests in sheer and see through fabrics and materials. Expect to reveal, by unbuttoning shirts, wearing mesh tops, deep V cut t-shirts and muscle vests.
The rear end: Lots of attention on the backside with cuts focussing on enhancing the hips. On the inside, you could wear jockstraps over boxers to give the area a little shape and lift. Think of these as push up bras, which are worn by women.
Strong Fragrances: Heady scents that last long and stay on strong! Lots of wood, Oudh, musk, and leather as base and top notes. While clothing gets gender neutral, smells will get more manlier than ever before.
The author is an image, style, grooming and etiquette consultant and trainer.
From HT Brunch, December 3, 2022
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