Florals trending in menswear

The floral print is still resilient and keeps resurging in the most beautiful forms. For some, there`s nothing new to it but wait let`s point out why it is still here and how it`s re-interpreted now and again with the help of one designer and renowned men`s fashion editor.

He reflected the current man who could walk the streets of major fashion cities around the world.

“There’s no denying that the floral/tropical theme is one of significance in fashion this summer season. The floral print is nothing new for ladies wear but this season it is more appealing to menswear. Menswear has evolved so tremendously that guys are now embracing print and colour,”

There are still a few men defining it as feminine, but we are moving in the right direction it seems.

“Slowly but surely the Ugandan menswear market is evolving and is certainly starting to embrace the trend. It is becoming more and more popular and will be in full swing by the time high summer hits.”

The best way to wear the print in a subtle way? “Although wearing print on print is incredibly fashionable right now, I like the more subtle look. Combine your floral printed (whether it be muted or bold) with a plain e.g. floral short with plain shirt or easiest way to wear it would be the fashionable floral t-shirt with a plain short or chino.

For those who are daring enough, invest in a floral printed blazer paired with a crisp white shirt and plain chino.”

“Floral is very current, but it’s not new. We’ve been toying with every version of it for the last five years or so: from oversized digital strelizias, to micro florals, to palmeral and Hawaiian hibiscus print.’’

“As my biology teacher reminded us in high school, flowers are the “penises of nature”, so you don’t really get more masculine than that! It’s true that florals are typically seen to be a ‘feminine’ detail in fashion, but that’s what makes it so interesting – finding ways to reinterpret the print and question what we accept as traditionally masculine.”

Print is a reaction against mediocrity and all the rigid conventions that have governed men’s fashion previously. “Men want to look expensive, exotic and more detailed. They also want to move away from the cheesier or more reserved ideals that have dictated what men wear in the past. Ironically, print is actually simpler, cleaner and more refined than what we were previously offered.”

“Up until this point, menswear (from a mass retail perspective) has been over designed to compensate for the lack of innovation in textile and silhouette. That is all changing now. A tee with slogans and meaningless surface detailing is far less attractive to us than a clean cut shirt with an unusual silhouette, or even a simple graphic print.

Men’s fashion is celebrating shape, colour and line in unusual ways and it’s only adding more depth to what we wear and how we think about fashion.”