Where do you take your style inspiration from? Chances are it’s a combination of the people you rub shoulders with, social media, entertainment and trends. But style inspiration runs much deeper than that. There are fashion subcultures and menswear subgenres that influence your wardrobe every day, possibly without you even realising it. Think of them as menswear’s primary colours – the aesthetics upon which almost everything is based to some degree.
You need to familiarise yourself with these deep-rooted fashion influences if you want to dress your best and get the most out of your personal style. Whether you’re blending elements from a few areas to create something new or leaning into a certain style to anchor an outfit, understanding these menswear building blocks will allow you to get more creative with your fits and dress with a sense of direction and purpose.
So, from the armed forces to track-and-field athletics, these are the fashion influences we believe every well-dressed man should know, and how they’ve left their marks on menswear.
Military
Private White V.C.
It’s almost impossible to overstate the impact military garb has had on fashion, from overt pieces like the trench coat, bomber jacket and cargo pants to more subtle things, such as earthy colour palettes, utilitarian details and the use of certain fabrics.
Even staple items like chinos, dress shoes and suits have their roots in the forces, so chances are you already have a fair chunk of military-inspired clothing in your wardrobe.
Workwear
Taylor Stitch
Workwear is clothing designed to withstand the demands of hard, daily manual labour. It has to be tough, strong, comfortable and long-lasting. Over the years, elements of workwear have bled over into men’s fashion, to the point that now most of the average guy’s casual clothing can be traced back to the workshop or building site in some way.
Without workwear, we wouldn’t have jeans, chore coats, work boots or flannel shirts, and our casualwear would probably be far more flimsy and perhaps even less relaxed. This is because not only has workwear given us a number of staple pieces, it has also contributed significantly to the casualisation of modern menswear.
Americana
Pendleton
Born in the States and adopted by the Japanese, Americana is a subgenre of menswear rooted in American heritage. It incorporates elements from the frontier, mid-century workwear, and classic American casualwear. If you need a reference point, think brands like Pendleton, Red Wing, Wrangler, Levi’s and RRL.
Americana is a look that combines tradition, comfort and functionality, making it easy to incorporate into everyday outfits. You don’t have to go full Desperate Dan, though—simply weaving a bit of plaid, a statement belt or some high-waisted denim into your wardrobe is enough to give a nod to this classic style without veering into cosplay territory.
Ivy League/Preppy
Ralph Lauren
The campuses of the USA’s most prestigious universities have proven to be fertile ground for fashion. The Ivy League look fuses traditional casualwear with tailored elements and an overarching polished, sophisticated feel. It incorporates garments like Argyle knitwear, blazers, polo shirts, chinos, Oxford shirts and penny loafers, with outfits often making heavy use of layering.
It’s a throwback style of dress, but one that has been making a comeback over the last few years. Preppy 2.0 brands like Aimé Leon Dore and Noah blend the historically conservative look with elements from skate culture and streetwear. Before them, Polo Ralph Lauren spent decades capitalising on the aesthetic and bringing Ivy League style to a global audience.
Mod
Baracuta
Their golden era may be behind us, but ripples left by the Mods and their distinctive way of dressing are still everywhere in the UK. Known for their sharp, slim-fit Italian tailoring, Chelsea boots, parka jackets and mopeds, this sixties subculture was as much about the clothes as it was about the music and attitude—something that set it apart from other movements that were springing up around the same time.
As stylish as the Mod look is, emulating Paul Weller in every aspect of your style and grooming probably isn’t the best idea. But that’s not to say the average guy who wants to dress better can’t learn a thing or two from the Mods. Their attention to detail and eye for a good fit are things every man should strive to adopt, even if you decide to give the short fringe and sideburns a miss.
Grunge
AllSaints
Looking like you don’t care how you look is a fine art, and one that those in the grunge scene had perfected. Originating in the Pacific Northwest, the music was all about loud overdriven guitars, strained vocals and chaos, and the sound was reflected in the unkempt, beaten-up and thrown-together nature of the outfits. Think battered Chuck Taylors, ripped Levi’s jeans, oversized tees and shaggy knitwear.
The grunge movement fizzled out after hitting a peak in the early nineties, but it’s still a great place from which to draw style inspiration. The mohair cardigans and distressed straight-leg jeans popularised by Kurt Cobain are still more than relevant today, and even if you don’t want to wear the pieces themselves, simply embracing a bit of the scruffy, broken-in look can be enough to give stale outfits a bit of character.
Outdoors
Snow Peak
The kids call it gorpcore, but the fact is that outdoor gear was influencing mainstream fashion long before there was a word for it. Over the past decade, the line between functional gear and fashion has become increasingly blurred.
A walk into the trendiest parts of any major city will reveal more Gore-Tex shells and Salomon footwear than your average mountain trail. Many outdoor brands are capitalising on this by launching lifestyle lines and onboarding creatives from more fashion-focused labels.
Outdoor gear is all about comfort, freedom of movement and fabric technology, and these are all things you can think about when it comes to breathing new life into your everyday wardrobe. A bit of fleece here, a touch of Pertex there – you don’t need to dress head to toe in this stuff, but mixing the odd piece in now and then can help to keep things fresh.
Sprezzatura
Canali
If you’ve ever been to Northern Italy, you’ll know the men there have a very distinct and enviable way of dressing. They’re immaculately turned out – blisteringly stylish – and yet, somehow, it looks like they’ve simply thrown their clothes on without giving them a second thought. It’s not in any way try-hard or contrived – it’s just natural. Pure, natural style.
There’s a word for this, and it’s sprezzatura. It’s about making carefully considered, sophisticated outfits look easygoing and carefree. Elegant clothing worn with a sense of nonchalance. Think choosing unstructured vs. structured tailoring, undoing that extra button, wearing the off-beat accessory, rumpling the linen and carelessly cuffing those sleeves with gay abandon.
Start doing these things and others like them, and watch your style transcend to a higher level.
