What’s the lead on menswear consumption?

Words: Vusi Mahlangu

Men have become a lot more conscious of style and work hard on getting their fashion act together. The new man has risen above the metrosexual tag lines and revealed a more flexible energy, he doesn’t need to pay attention to his cuticles to feel put together but he understands that the fit of his T-shirt says a lot about him.

Local designers should be pursuing a dual strategy by keeping pace with what men are demanding and at the same time looking to innovate and create. Men are more of a restrictive fashion canvas than women. They want cool clothes but easy clothes, pieces that work well with almost anything. It’s a balancing act to make sure that the brand does not lose its edge but also makes a sale at the end of the day.

Brands such as Csquared and Carducci do well in providing men with clothes that are cool, wearable and can be used for multiple events. It would be great to see our local designers do the same. There would be a shift in style thought because the staples would have a different energy, more brands would get recognition from a broader audience and this, in turn, would enable local menswear to grow and hold its own with international brands. This is not a rally for commercialism or fast fashion but just a suggestion for creativity to accompany practicality. South Africa has some young brands such as Lukhanyo Mdingi producing great styles but more need to emerge.

Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Niche brands rely on minimum consumption to keep them exclusive but an industry cannot be built on them. With too many small niched brands events like fashion week are reduced to mere artistic exploration and not an opportunity for the business of fashion to develop sharp brands, benefiting the economy and boosting the investor sector as a plus.

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