Menswear SS27 according to Edwin van den Hoek: 'A focus on the man'

According to Dutch trend forecaster Edwin van den Hoek, understanding the menswear landscape for summer 2027 requires starting with the body. This refers not to the one on the catwalk, but to the real male physique. Like the female form, it is facing increasing scrutiny; it is being studied, idealised and polished. This 'male gaze' is also changing the fashion landscape.

Van den Hoek, who has been forecasting for over a quarter of a century with his own trend agency, describes it as a time when men are becoming exposed, both physically and figuratively. “The male body is being tinkered with,” he says. “This is happening not only in the fitness and supplement industry, now a billion-dollar business, but also in the cultural debate surrounding masculinity, femininity and everything in between.” He observes the pursuit of a specific beauty ideal and, simultaneously, a resistance to age and appearance-based discrimination. “It is a paradoxical movement based on a hyper-awareness of the self and the search for authenticity.”

As is customary in his presentations, Van den Hoek divided the new menswear into four themes. Global challenges also play a role, acting as an invisible fifth theme. Van den Hoek states that this is something to which fashion can only be subservient. “Fashion, like any cultural form, must constantly adapt to the times.”

Authenticity: reappraisal of the everyday

For summer 2027, there is a notable shift towards domesticity, tradition, care and family life. The ideal of the young family has made a comeback, but with the (stay-at-home) father at the forefront. The forecaster observes this trend in lifestyle content, with terms like 'baking bliss' and domestic life emerging as a recognisable aesthetic.

He sees young, well-known men disappearing behind the kitchen counter on social media, figures like Sepp van Dijk, Super Dushi and Douwe Bob. “The domestic sphere is being redefined with a softer masculinity.” This country life is interpreted literally in fashion, with models walking the catwalk carrying a bunch of leeks and a prairie dog. The male 'tradwife' also takes shape through chunky knits; the revived pleated trouser; matching denim suits with the shirt tucked in; linen shirts with tea towel checks; and a palette that evokes fields rather than concrete office parks.

A leap back in time? Van den Hoek was told by young students that it feels different for them. “Your past is not our past,” he learned. Therefore, the past is not being replicated; it is being retold and thus experienced differently.

Innovation: fusion of digital and material

The transition from the countryside to the virtual world is no longer abrupt; they are two realities that coexist. Even front-row guests in Paris watch the show through their screens, not with their own eyes.

This digital world leaves its mark on the material aspects of fashion. Van den Hoek sees material compositions inspired by hyperbolic fantasy, such as creative jacquards and knits reminiscent of glass. There are colour gradients that seem to originate from rendering software rather than nature. Oily coatings appear on synthetic fabrics, alongside high-shine leather and futuristic sunglasses moulded around the head in geometric lines. Transparent materials are draped over each other like layers of air, as seen in the bomber jackets at System and Lacoste.

Amidst all these spectacular tech materials, Van den Hoek also advocates for a down-to-earth approach. Functional basics are becoming more important: a durable walking jacket; sturdy bags; and clothing that plays a real role in daily life. In a world of excess, simplicity and overt functionality are regaining their value.

Unconventional: shifting historical heritage

Between the new domesticity and high-tech, a third trend is emerging: historical masculinity brought into the present in a creative way, not as we know it from period dramas. Van den Hoek points to elements from 18th and 19th-century paintings. The tie becomes slimmer and is tied more softly; trousers are allowed a slight puff; and lace flowers and embroidery are returning to the male wardrobe. These details appear on sharply tailored shirts to ensure the overall look remains modern.

This effect is also achieved with draping and pattern pieces that are deliberately shifted for an alienating effect. Designers are also experimenting with re-assemblages, a long-standing speciality of the Korean brand Sacai, creating collages of old and new, heritage and contemporary.

The result is not a revival, but a new kind of elegance that can be highly commercial. Van den Hoek cites historical wallpaper motifs and ethnic prints as examples, which become subtle refinements when hidden in the lining of a sharp tuxedo.

Handmade: imperfection lets fashion breathe

It is certain that AI will gain more influence in design processes. This is a positive development, according to Van den Hoek, provided that aesthetics do not become dependent on such techniques. “AI simply cannot handle the creative part.” This is why the need for craftsmanship is growing in fashion: embroidery; tailoring; patching; and the joy of mending a damaged garment yourself (or having it mended), instead of replacing it with something new.

Nature also fits into this paradigm, but not in a dated way. Van den Hoek mentions fabrics and leathers dyed with natural ingredients, resulting in a layered, camouflage-like effect rather than a solid colour. “This creates an interesting, faded, vintage effect.” The palette is shifting towards cognac and chestnut browns, shades he considers essential for all product groups.

Fashion between the glam pool and the farmyard

Spring/summer 2027 will therefore not be a uniform season. The trend landscape moves between glossy tech and woollen country knits; between iridescent bombers and pyjamas that can be interpreted as eveningwear. It oscillates between farm life, whether imitated in urban TikTok videos or not, and the virtual cloud, for which major tech companies are already placing their data centres in space. It also sits somewhere between Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher's sports jacket, which is reviving Berghaus as a 'collector's item', and a catwalk model carrying a bunch of leeks.

The summer will not be outright 'naked', although Van den Hoek does predict plenty of swimming trunks and exposed skin. “Above all, do not underestimate what is happening to men underneath all those clothes.”