Why men’s clothing is losing collars, buttons and pockets | Popgen Tech

Clients of other designers also require absolutely nothing. At Clothsurgeon, a bespoke streetwear label on Savile Row, Rav Mataru makes leather jackets that are conspicuously missing buttons and collars. And in New York, Jake Mueser, founder of J. Mueser, fields requests for unstructured spartan jackets in primary hues. “A few years ago, everything was over-engineered,” he said. Now guys want “hidden straps, hidden buttons – something streamlined.”

A new era of extreme minimalism seems to be upon us. For work or play, men wear clothes that consist only of rags (beautiful, precisely cut) fabric. This design pushes the boundaries of deconstructed tailoring, well established in menswear that avoids lining and additional elements such as shoulder pads. Lightweight, lightweight and often very comfortable, these items serve as a balm for those tired of high-profile confections with logos that garner likes on social media. They make Scandinavian minimalism look positively baroque. “Really, they’re so quiet they feel like rebels,” Mr Casely-Hayford said.

Appetite for chastity clothes is quenched not only by tailoring. Since the lockdown, minimalist ready-to-wear designs have become increasingly popular, said Federico Barassi, vice president of menswear buying at Canadian retailer Ssense. On the Ssense website, you can pick up amazing simple pieces like the Maison Margiela Black Blazer, which is an elegant shell; good luck finding a button on it.

“Maybe we’re trying to get rid of our baggage,” said Elisa Dimant, author of Minimalism and Fashion: Reduction in the Postmodern Age. In “Covid wartime,” as she put it, maximalist trends like tie-dye prints and billowing feminine sleeves had a comforting, nostalgic appeal. Since minimalism symbolizes efficiency, she said, it’s no wonder people are now craving simpler clothes. The mindset, she says, is, “Let’s get back to work!”

As well as being versatile, stripped down clothing can be versatile. Clothing without embellishments can suit different body shapes and have sharp, austere silhouettes or flowing, romantic ones. Still, without embellishments to add intrigue or hide flaws, they’re very difficult to create, Mr. Muser said. “The tailoring has to be flawless, the lines have to be perfect,” he said. Success depends on style and drape.

Earlier this year, Mr. Casely-Hayford created some low-key costumes for Alex Flick, a London gallerist. Mr. Flick needs professional looking work ensembles with modernity. He said he instructed Mr Casely-Hayford to remove “as much material as possible so that the jackets and trousers really ‘fall’ without any structure to give an artificial shape”.

His favorite of the samples he received: a brown buttonless suit with “jet pockets,” the openings of which are marked by thin strips of fabric rather than flaps. It’s made from “very, very light” wool, Mr. Flick said, and can be worn over a black T-shirt or a crisp white button-up.

Best of all, he says, this unassuming creation is extremely comfortable. “I think Karl Lagerfeld said you lose control of your life when you start wearing sweatpants,” said Mr. Flick, who noted that the comfort level of his ensemble rivals the sweat level without the sloppy vibe that Lagerfeld hated . “It’s a dream outfit.”

EMPTY COUTURE

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