{"id":181378,"date":"2025-12-12T20:03:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/181378\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T20:03:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:03:13","slug":"the-9-most-potent-menswear-trends-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/181378\/","title":{"rendered":"The 9 Most Potent Menswear Trends of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a 2019 Dazed<\/a> interview, the late Virgil Abloh predicted that the 2020s would sound the death knell for street style. \u201cIn my mind, how many more T-shirts can we own, how many more hoodies, how many sneakers?\u201d he posited. \u201cI think that fashion is gonna go away from buying a boxfresh something; it\u2019ll be like, hey I\u2019m gonna go into my archive.\u201d As we settle into the 2020s and hypebeast codes and logomaniacal dressing continue to dwindle<\/a> in popularity, Abloh\u2019s forecast feels increasingly astute. Earlier this month, we published our annual GQ Fashion Awards<\/a>, where we highlighted the resurgence of prep, a new retro sneaker trend, and the overall meme-ification of the fashion industrial complex.<\/p>\n

2025 was a dynamic year for menswear that felt at once futuristic and recycled. (There were so many buzzy, career-defining debuts, we created a mediaeval map<\/a> in order to track all of the shifting heads of state.) Celebrities leaned into the themes of their upcoming projects via kinkwear<\/a>, greens<\/a>, and borrowed gems<\/a>. The flip-flop\u2014or \u201cmandal,\u201d if you\u2019re freaky\u2014experienced a much-needed renaissance, with exposed piggies running amok<\/a> on the runways of New York, Paris, and Milan. Boat shoes, once an emblem of the regatta set, are now donned by city-dwelling creatives and straight-laced types alike. Meanwhile, harsh spotlights on the \u201cperformative male\u201d archetype forced those who were perhaps experimenting with their style and self-expression to shelf their Labubus<\/a> and pearl chokers for the foreseeable future. (Sometimes call-out culture really does wonders.) Quarter-zip sweaters and iced matcha lattes<\/a>, a hyper-capitalist combination that had heretofore thrived only within tech-startup circles, became a semi-ironic go-to for upstart netizens; meanwhile, financially successful Hollywood hunks started wearing towering, five-panel caps<\/a> styled with a douchey dent. Many of these trends are, arguably, evergreen and can stay in one\u2019s wardrobe for years to come, but several must be laid to rest. Here, we take an even deeper deep-dive into the trends of 2025.<\/p>\n

Boat Shoes<\/p>\n

Sheesh, remember Sperrys? Once a staple of maritime uniforms, later the physical embodiment of debonair douchiness, boat shoes<\/a> feel like a weirdly fitting comeback for 2025. This most recent wave of the style first stomped down the runway of one Miuccia Prada back in late 2023\u2014as modeled by pop star Troye Sivan<\/a>, no less\u2014in its full brown-and-tan 2013-prep-school glory. Several brands, including Sperry itself, have since released new versions to match the sensibility of the day, with touches of moccasin here and swaths of loafer there. At the GQ offices, boat shoes<\/a> are quite popular\u2014a coastal, off-duty-ish alternative to the sometimes-stuffy penny loafer.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Charli XCX and Benito Skinner attend a Coachella event in April.<\/p>\n

Joe Scarnici\/Getty Images\"Image<\/p>\n

Emma Corrin, wearing Miu Miu, during Paris Fashion Week in March.<\/p>\n

Arnold Jerocki\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Neckties<\/p>\n

An old favorite, the necktie<\/a>, roared back into the mainstream during the latter (chillier) half of this year, a move that was cemented in June, when designer Jonathan Anderson dressed some of our favorite actors in outfits we\u2019d typically spot on characters in a workplace sitcom<\/a> for his splashy Dior menswear debut. (Robert Pattinson in particular looked devastatingly slacker-ish in baggy pleated khakis, a striped shirt, and a tugged-at white striped neck tie.) It\u2019s an unexpected look to covet, the ol\u2019 schoolboy uniform, but in a post-streetwear era, it makes sense that counterculture mirrors corporate ennui, the true bane of society. Now that ties are once again a part of the daily uniform, they\u2019re being styled every which way: power clashed<\/a>, scarfed up<\/a>, and tucked into pants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Walton Goggins, in Saint Laurent, at GQ’s Men of the Year 2025 party in November.<\/p>\n

Michael Buckner\/Getty Images\"Image<\/p>\n

Robert Pattinson and LaKeith Stanfield, both in Dior, at Jonathan Anderson’s debut Dior Homme show in June.<\/p>\n

Anthony Ghnassia\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Fireman-Clasp Jackets<\/p>\n

With the prep revival<\/a> came an erudite dedication to combing through the design archives of the style\u2019s originators. Ralph Lauren, naturally, experienced quite the year in terms of outsized interest in his vintage pieces<\/a>\u2014namely, jackets designed with fireman clasps. Initially, this trend felt particular to TikTok, but the utilitarian spin on the (sometimes maligned<\/a>) chore coat, the fireman-clasp jacket found its way anew into the collections of Loewe, Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore, and Heron Preston this year, when they were subsequently recreated by fast-fashion retailers and covered by the style sections of both the Times<\/a> and the New York Times<\/a>. The teddy-ish style now sweetly holds together the outfits of influencers and former hypebeasts\/current preppies alike. Those who had been secret, longtime fans of the unique closure and collectors of Ralph Lauren\u2019s version of it cursed the internet for exposing their gate-kept grails.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

In September, a hyped North Face and Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore collab featured several clasped styles.<\/p>\n

Courtesy of North Face\"Image<\/p>\n

Fireman-clasp jackets, like this furry one seen at Milan Fashion Week<\/a> in January, can be funky, too.<\/p>\n

Photo: Christina Fragkou for GQ<\/p>\n

Torpedo Sneakers<\/p>\n

Up until just a few years ago, the chunkiest sneakers garnered the most sartorial envy\u2014think of the Balenciaga Triple S<\/a> or the ongoing collaboration between MM6 Maison Margiela and Salomon. But this year proved sole-crushing for footwear, with barely-there styles like the Prada Collapse and Dries Van Noten\u2019s retro runners increasingly encasing the feet of stylish men and women. The torpedo sneaker<\/a> felt like the logical next step, so to speak, after a toe-forward summer. Plus, something about wearing a paper-thin trainer in the dead of winter feels inherently luxurious. (No need for slush-proof tactical boots if you\u2019re taking Ubers everywhere.)<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

A pair of cherry-red torpedo kicks on the Dries Van Noten runway in September.<\/p>\n

Victor VIRGILE\/Getty Images\"Image<\/p>\n

Jacob Elordi, wearing svelte Nike sneakers, in LA in October.<\/p>\n

Sony Pictures Entertainment\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Labubus<\/p>\n

I first spotted a Labubu<\/a> on a trip to Mexico at the end of spring, when I saw a stand full of knockoff versions of the mischievous elfin creature, I thought, How sweet! An evil little monster for macabre children. (Me, formerly.) Upon my return to New York City, I was shocked by the seemingly overnight invasion. The Labubu was suddenly everywhere: hanging from Cher\u2019s Chrome Hearts bag, posted on David Beckham\u2019s Instagram, and in the grips of Marc Jacobs\u2019 bejewelled claws<\/a>. The Labubu explosion was so aggressive that there was no time to hop on the trend train because it was already overflowing with fresh (and faux) acolytes. And those new recruits were quickly chastised<\/a> for using the impish gremlin as a vehicle for, sigh, virtue signaling.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

In June, Marc Jacobs clipped Labubu (shaped like a shrimp tempura!) to his Birkin.<\/p>\n

Gilbert Carrasquillo\"Image<\/p>\n

Ben Stiller posed with a Zoolander Labubu in October.<\/p>\n

Jamie McCarthy\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Dirtbag Caps<\/p>\n

It was only a matter of time before high-crown hats found their way into every guy\u2019s wardrobe, regardless of the wearer\u2019s political affiliation. For the past 10 years, we\u2019ve primarily seen the silhouette in bright red<\/a> on the tops of heads of demagogues demanding healthcare cuts and spewing anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, but this year, the beluga-ish hat silhouette<\/a> expanded its consumer base\u2014to Hollywood\u2019s hunkiest hunks (and thus the countless LA men who strive to dress like them). Several actors, including some of this year\u2019s biggest fit wearers<\/a>, such as Harry Styles and Jacob Elordi, have made the lofty lid their own. It\u2019s certainly been an interesting year of rebranding for the provocative and towering chapeau.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Jacob Elordi arrives in Venice in August.<\/p>\n

Jacopo M. Raule\/Getty Images\"Image<\/p>\n

Jeremy Allen White (wearing a normal hat) and Austin Butler (wearing a Silver Lake chapeau) at a Rockies-Cubs game in May.<\/p>\n

George Gaza\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Quarter-Zip Knits<\/p>\n

By now, quarter-zip knits and matcha<\/a> comprise an ongoing, internet-specific joke, leaving many of the style\u2019s usual wearers (and the beverage\u2019s steadfast sippers<\/a>) scratching their heads. Though the style is now largely associated with irony-pilled netizens and woefully unaware tech bros, quarter zips can still look elegant and cozy<\/a>. So feel free to enjoy your grassy cups of matcha freely, but you may feel less like a meme, socially, with a simple cappuccino or Celsius instead.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Jonathan Bailey, in Dior, at Paris Fashion Week in October.<\/p>\n

Neil Mockford\"Image<\/p>\n

Jason Gyamfi, right, kicked off the \u201cquarter zips and matcha\u201d movement in his viral TikTok in November.<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Jason Gyamfi<\/p>\n

Grungy Tee-Over-Long-Sleeve Layering<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2007 if you wore a long sleeve T-shirt under a regular T-shirt it meant that you liked music,\u201d goes a widely circulated, oft-copied X post by writer Anne T. Donahue. Indeed, the combination of a short-sleeve tee layered over a long-sleeve tee<\/a> could be interpreted as cartoonishly one-note, in the way that pleated skirts belong on cheerleaders and horn-rimmed glasses should be permanently affixed to the faces of poindexters. The layered styling trick evokes the spirit of a sensitive heartthrob in a turn-of-the-millennium teen drama. For example, Chad Michael Murray\u2019s character in Dawson\u2019s Creek, Charlie Todd, lived in the combination and was, of course, a misunderstood musician. As the timelessly boyish intricacies of Y2K styling continue to surface, this pairing felt like an obvious (and timeless) one to revisit.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Josh Hutcherson layered up on the Tonight Show in November.<\/p>\n

NBC\/Getty Images\"Image<\/p>\n

Billie Eilish performing in LA in January.<\/p>\n

Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Flip-Flops<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that this year was a fabulous one for feet. Rick Owens launched an OnlyFans<\/a>, the Row released a nearly $700 thong sandal<\/a>, and Vibram\u2019s FiveFingers<\/a> continued their ascent from crunchy to chic. The flip-flop trend harkens back to the golden days of mall culture, when puca shells and frosted tips were synonymous with high-school social capital and it was always summer at your local Hollister. The ubiquity of toes on the streets of New York this summer felt at once sensual and crude. It wasn\u2019t until I witnessed an acquaintance premiere his recent acquisition of Balenciaga\u2019s Zero sandal<\/a>, only to get his piggies brutally stomped on by a partygoer, that I wondered why we ever stopped wearing them in the first place. Back to the beach they go.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Flip-flops on the Auralee runway in June.<\/p>\n

Victor VIRGILE\/Getty Images\"Image<\/p>\n

Also in June, Jonathan Bailey, center, bared toes at a Jurassic World Rebirth photocall in London.<\/p>\n

Gareth Cattermole\/Getty Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a 2019 Dazed interview, the late Virgil Abloh predicted that the 2020s would sound the death knell…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":181379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[105652,146,95394,85,46,50394,43441,9173,7945,5101],"class_list":["post-181378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-coats-and-jackets","tag-entertainment","tag-hats","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-shoes","tag-sneakers","tag-style","tag-textbelowcenterfullbleed","tag-web"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}