The correlation between the terms’ fashionable’ and ‘good’ are hazy. What is considered fashionable has more to do with cultural trends than anything else – whether an outfit is ‘good’ depends on personal taste. There is no objective way to measure it because it is an inherently subjective concept. A case in point is the baggy clothing trend.
Fashion goes through cycles, but this current baggy clothing fashion is not appealing in any shape or form. This baggy clothes trend is less attractive than more tailored clothing, and wearing clothes that fit a person’s build, shape, and skin tone will always be fashionable. Fits and colors should complement a person’s physique & coloring are the most flattering.
That being said, people should wear what they are comfortable and most confident wearing. No one should be shamed for their clothing or style preferences. People should wear what they are comfortable with and feel the most confident in. Clothing should make a person feel and look more alive. Flattering clothes should mean what a person is comfortable with and makes him feel most confident wearing.
A shift has occurred from dressing to impress to dressing what one likes or is into. Multiple style types can be mixed and still be cool in parallel with each other in their identified niche interest. Social media is the driving force behind this as people see trends and fashion popping up on their feeds – seeing others like the same trends as you. The beauty of current fashion is that it is all over the place. You can dress from virtually any era with your own twist, and no one will bat an eye.
We keep hearing that slim fits are out of style. However, slim-fitting (not skinny) pants and shirts are ubiquitous and still best sellers for mainstream clothing stores like American Eagle. Slim fit is not out of style – there are simply other options as well. I see far more men wearing slim-fit pants and fitted shirts daily than anything else – so how is slim fitting out of style? Just because a niche group of Gen Z does not choose it?
I get rubbed the wrong way when someone says something is in or out of style. Saying something is in or out of style is basically giving ‘permission’ to wear something or being discouraged from wearing something out of conformity. Think about the super baggy clothes of the 90s. But even then, with the JNCO jeans, the tailored 60s clothing looked slick. Clothing tailored to a person’s proportions can pretty much always look good AND be in style.
Most trends are embraced by the kids of a respective time. You’ll end up as not one of those kids at some point, so those trends are not accessible to you anymore – at least, they won’t make sense. Sure, you can still blend with those in their 20s as you move into your 30s. But as you progress into your 40s, not anymore. And that is fine. You will see those rules of dressing start to change as younger men come into the scene.
Basic fashion staples are fairly unobjectionable – even if they are not on trend. Slim-fitting jeans with a button-up oxford and boots will put you into a stylish but normal category. It’s about finding the balance between trendy and not necessarily modern so you look good… and feel confident. You don’t need to relearn how your jeans should fit.
With the re-emergence of baggy jeans (and clothes in general), we can see that fashion comes in cycles. The 90s baggy jeans went out for a while, but now the new generations see all the cool pix from the 90s with baggy fits. They emulate that. But I might add that fitting into the norm is not trendy these days – everything seems to be out the window. People are wearing what they feel comfortable in.
Dress your age but accessorize young. I cannot wear iconic 90s looks. But I can pull off some contemporary sunglasses, sneakers, and hats (well, hats are not for me, but perhaps for you). In this 90s scenario, I would not wear anything flashy or streetwear.
So, yes, individual expression is currently favored over a collective set of rules or guidelines. Fit profiles change with time, but a person can always look good in clothing that fits. Gone are the days of slim-fit everything, with most brands exploring and embracing wider silhouettes. Many of the 90s era (anti-fashion) ideas are circling back around, just like the 80s trend influenced the decade prior.
With the continued growth of social media, no one overarching look is trendy that men aspire to. Men will refine their tastes and sense of personal style, naturally creating separation and an explosion of different looks. And younger men with diverse backgrounds and perspectives have other ideas of what looks good in fashion.
