2021 saw its first fashion week of the year with menswear’s fall ’21 season. The showings (which ran quickly from Milan to Paris with a Pitti Uomo that is still rolling out) were more virtual than ever, as lockdowns, virus variants and vaccine distribution further complicate a return to normalcy.
The season still had excitement, though — it was just less in the front row and more of what was actually on the runways or in the look books.
Here, 10 trends from the virtual fall ’21 menswear season that will shape the coming fall and winter:
1. Cozy socks
It’s no secret that the pandemic created a big moment for socks. And still, the availability of and excitement for truly directional foot coverings never really materialized — until this season. Puffs of cloud-like knitted materials poked out from plenty of shoes for fall ’21, from loafers to ankle boots.
2. The return of the dress shoe
The hard-soled men’s dress shoe was already on its return to the runways a year ago, with a little extra something to offer. Of course, the pandemic derailed this effort substantially. There were plenty of slipper-like kicks to go around for fall, but designers were also back full throttle to promote the return of a real shoe, mostly in a chunky loafer form that was married with the aforementioned cozy sock.