A new generation of men are dressing for success — and the quarter zip was just the beginning

Aaron Levine's capsule collection for Studio Nicholson blended the British brand’s minimalist aesthetic with Levine’s love of vintage. (Studio Nicholson via CNN Newsource)

From TikTok feeds to high fashion runways, a new mood in men’s fashion has been taking hold. It is not flashy, nor nostalgic. Instead, it is intentional, defined by restraint, with garments that better align with how young men want to be perceived right now.

One need only look at the Golden Globes red carpet where actors including Timothée Chalamet, Owen Cooper and Hudson Williams interpreted the formal dress code in more creative ways. Or see the schedule for Pitti Uomo, the biannual menswear trade show taking place in Florence this week.

The two guest labels this season — eponymous Israeli designer Hed Mayner and Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki — specialize in sharp, modern tailoring that lacks the rigidity of traditional suits. Their invitation to participate in the prestigious event aligns with a shift away from the years-long dominance of streetwear, where logos, tracksuits and sneakers were the primary language in men’s fashion. Today, interest is veering instead towards more refined, quality focused and individualistic styles.

Luke Fracher, founder of the New York-based resale store Luke’s, noted this palpable style shift among his customers in a recent Instagram post. “Those same kids who were buying crazy Balenciaga or Rick Owens two years ago are now buying calmer stuff, like Hedi Slimane’s Dior,” he said in the video.

Global fashion shopping platform Lyst echoed this sentiment in its menswear trend forecast for 2026, which predicted that male shoppers would continue to build their wardrobes with clarity and purpose, and “not anything that feels overwhelming.”

Indeed, this new penchant for simplicity over spectacle is perhaps best encapsulated by the recent success of menswear designer and consultant, Aaron Levine. His capsule collection for Studio Nicholson blended the British brand’s minimalist aesthetic with Levine’s love of vintage. Elsewhere, his collection for Drake’s centred on life on the road; suede boots, waxed cotton Coverall jacket and black Japanese herringbone fatigues were highlights. Levine’s sprawling collection for Zara, meanwhile, mixed elements from “gorpcore” to corporate, preppy to American sportswear, including a relaxed fit cable knit sweater.

“I try to make really grown-up, nice stuff that will last you a long time — things that won’t make you look silly,” Levine said over the phone of his design approach. “Clothes that feel a little tastier, a little more considered, and allow your personality to come through rather than shouting for attention.”

That restraint, Levine said, is a response to the saturation of streetwear and a perceived decline of the quality of luxury goods. He observed that, for many people, personal style “started to feel like low-hanging fruit — logos and labels — and being marketed to, while doing the marketing for the brand.” Going forward, he believes that “people are craving something with more soul.”

Dressing to get ahead

For more than a decade, streetwear had been popularized and elevated by figures like Demna, the former creative director of Balenciaga, and the late Virgil Abloh, who designed menswear for Louis Vuitton. The pandemic accelerated the casualization of fashion. But as offices reopened and economic uncertainty set in, appetite shifted again and “quiet luxury” — clothing with muted palettes and discreet branding — came into play. Now, in its wake has emerged something more nuanced and deeper-set: a desire to dress up without resorting to excess or overt display, this time with a keen focus on quality everyday staples (as opposed to signifiers of wealth) and the confidence to bring more personality to looks.

The quarter zip has become an unlikely shorthand for this mindset. The sweater featuring a zip from neck to chest has been embraced by various corners of the market over the years — from the military, to sportswear in the mid-20th century and the 1990s hip-hop scene — most recently emerging as a symbol of aspiration for young men on social media. See a now viral-video, posted in early November 2025, which has now surpassed 30 million views, showing Richard Minor and Jason Gyamfi, two 22-year-old friends from the Bronx, New York, drinking matcha teas while wearing quarter zips. “When you put it on, you feel more professional,” said Minor over a phone call. He added, laughingly: “We had teachers tell us, ‘This kid is never on time — and now he’s front row in a quarter zip.’”

Adoption of the quarter zip among young males has also crossed over the Atlantic, with the British rapper Central Cee briefly swapping his signature Nike Tech Fleece uniform for a quarter zip in late November 2025 at the peak of the trend.

“It changes how you work, how you carry yourself,” said Andrew Amoako, a London-based wealth management associate and content creator who documents his journey through corporate life in a TikTok series called #MakingItOut. Meanwhile, fellow London–based creator Jaden Mensah described the quarter zip as symbolic and “wanting to separate yourself from negative perceptions and step into a more intentional lifestyle.”

Fashion designers, too, have played a role in popularizing the garment. Chanel’s creative director Matthieu Blazy took his bow following the Métiers d’Art show in New York wearing a quarter zip, the same style as the opening look, albeit in a different color. Months earlier, “Wicked” actor Jonathan Bailey attended the Dior menswear show — designer Jonathan Anderson’s first for the brand — wearing a quarter zip layered over a shirt and tie. It was styled with jeans, resulting in a look that was polished but not precious.

Ben Barry, the associate professor of fashion at The New School at Parsons in New York, views the quarter zip phenomenon as a response to instability. Global demand for quarter zips was up 31 per cent in the last quarter of 2025, and up seven per cent year-on-year, according to data exclusively shared by Lyst. In moments of political conservatism and economic anxiety, clothing becomes a way to project calm and control, he explained. Dressing well, therefore, becomes a way of managing uncertainty, a visible expression of competence when other markers of success feel increasingly out of reach.

Newfound interest in the quarter zip also aligns with a broader shift in masculinity, Barry added. TikTok’s self-improvement ecosystem, which includes tips for how to “self-optimize” when it comes to fitness, grooming or fashion, has created a culture where young men demonstrate productivity and growth in an increasingly visual way, he said. “Style becomes quick, visible proof that you’re doing the work.”

Polish without stiffness

The quarter zip is not alone in carrying this new sensibility. A broader set of garments — once dismissed as too formal or corporate — are being quietly reabsorbed into young men’s wardrobes. Loafers, in particular, have emerged as a key signal. Searches for Saint Laurent’s Le Loafer, priced at over US$1,000, rose an average of 66 per cent month-on-month in the third quarter of 2025, according to Lyst. Styled with denim, knitwear or relaxed tailoring, the loafer offers polish without stiffness, sophistication without spectacle.

Ties, too, are returning — not as workplace obligation, but as choice. Worn loosely, layered under knitwear or paired with casual shirting, they no longer signal hierarchy so much as intent. Together, these pieces point to a wider recalibration: men are no longer rejecting formality outright, but reshaping it — borrowing its codes selectively, and wearing them with ease, confidence and individuality.

That visibility, however, has not been without friction. Across social media, everything from paperback books and canvas totes to matcha lattes and collectible toys, such as Labubus, has been folded into a growing critique of the so-called “performative male” — a figure accused of signaling self-awareness, sensitivity or discipline for the benefit of an audience rather than from genuine conviction. Satire and skepticism have followed accordingly.

Yet this backlash may miss the point. In a culture increasingly shaped by images and algorithms, signaling has become unavoidable — and for many young men, dressing with intention is less about posturing than it is participation. If masculinity today is negotiated in public, then clothing becomes one of its most immediate, legible tools.

What men will wear in 2026

Rather than a checklist of trends, menswear in 2026 will be shaped by a series of quiet but meaningful shifts. Elevated everyday layers — knitwear, gilets and overshirts — will become foundational. Footwear gets smarter, with loafers, derbies and boots replacing sneakers as default choices. Tailoring is relaxed, structured enough to feel polished, but softened for ease. Logos, meanwhile, give way to texture, fit and material.

The styling of clothes — in other words, how they’re worn — is also loosening: In 2025 there were half-popped collars at Celine, softened tailoring at Tom Ford by designer Haider Ackermann, tucked-in ties at Saint Laurent and Soshiotsuki, and deliberate wrinkles and nonchalance at Calvin Klein and Valentino. Accessories, such as scarves or brooches, are also increasingly used to enhance one’s look.

For some clothing stores, the evolution is already well underway. British retailer END has long appealed to fashion-conscious shoppers for its high-end streetwear, sneakers and designer goods. Today, the company’s focus is on “more preppy and heritage-inspired menswear, including more sophisticated and authentic workwear,” according to chief product officer Martin Wieczorek. Streetwear remains part of the proposition, he continued, but in “a cleaner and more mature” way. For Wieczorek, that means retaining loose-fit silhouettes but ensuring the designs are more minimalist and thoughtful. “Think super-wide pleated trousers from YMC or Studio Nicholson, matched with classic wool knitwear,” he said.

In a sense, perhaps the quarter zip can be seen as transitional — “quiet luxury’s final victory lap,” according to Katy Lubin, vice president of brand and communications at Lyst — before something more expressive takes hold. What comes next, she suggested, will signal greater individuality over conformity.

Some influencers agree when it comes to how they’ll personally dress this year. “The quarter zip is the entry point,” Amoako said. “Next, I think you’ll see more gilets, trench coats, double-breasted suits.” Mensah predicts the “corporate fits” wardrobe will continue to evolve — refined, but increasingly personal.

It is notable when a sartorial mood coalesces across feeds, runways and screens at once. When it does, it tends to linger — mutating, evolving, embedding itself in how people live. The current shift toward more sophisticated dressing is not a rejection of fashion’s recent past, but a recalibration of its values.