Street style starts to look a little grown-up and much more classical, yet men stay young, as the SS26 lines show.
The hybridization between street and office wear is one of the biggest trends in men's spring/summer 2026. This slow-paced change, beginning in the last few years, has now fully set in. Does it mean that the young crowd will lose their fun and playful attitude?
SS26 men's ranges say that to grow up equally means to keep the fun. Life is hard enough with all its wars and troubles.
While the German brand Marke still makes them a bit puffy, as in a bubble skirt, the other two brands offer shorts that are just about like underwear. "Pants for guys who want to feel a breeze." Hence, they want them wide and long. Sacai goes with a more subdued and sleek style, definitely not beachwear.
Next, lots of small simple prints were on show. Some were used over and over on jackets and T-shirts or mixed with other designs to make a big, full image that looked like those find-it games.
Work clothes have long been key in streetwear. This isn't changing as styles shift to more classic hits. This trend showed up on the runway with overalls, made straight or loose, based on the cloth used. Under these, models wore plain shirts, at times even with a tie. This factory vibe got a laid-back twist from easy-style items like sandals or a wool hat, tying all parts together.
Old and new also met in brands drawing from folk wear, then adding their own spin. The Berlin label Richert Beil, for one, showed a new take on the classic Lederhosen in black latex. Craig Green also put out some big, old-style leather belts with flowery bits that took you back to the Alps.
Jonathan Anderson, at the same time, walked the path set by the founder. He showed his love for English style in his first show for Dior. The show had lots of flower sews—one set had a long flower line all across a top.
This time, it looked like there was a big focus on the shoulder parts of coats—maybe to show the heavy weight that the fashion world carries now because people are not buying much. The top part of these outfits was very big—kind of like a shield—but the leg parts were mostly straight.
The parts around the neck on shirts got pointy and big and would stick up high over the shoulders. Tight stuff like scarves wrapped the neck.
The small neck scarf—tied tight or loose—is now a top choice to make outfits look laid back for men now. Also, at Men's Fashion Week, the designers showed that the normal necktie doesn't have to be just for serious looks. Still, there was another item that looked like it was becoming popular for a cool, easy summer style.
Brands like Wales Bonner, this item is a mix of a silk scarf and a tie, known for its slanted ends, and was tied in a very loose knot. It was clear that all three brands chose to match the scarf's color with the shirt's, so it did not pop out.
The big belt buckles stood out more. They had single letters or even full words on them. After the large trucker-style belt buckles came back a few years ago with the Y2K trend, it was sure that this kind of belt would come back into the spotlight.