Menswear brands you need to know in 2017
We reveal the labels you'll be dropping serious dollar on this year
ShortList stopped by London’s massive menswear trade show Jacket Required to check out the brands that you’ll be wearing in 2017, because we’re assuming you want to burn all your clothes from the horrific year that was 2016 and restock them with the latest trends from the freshest names.
Wrangler
To celebrate the brand’s 70th anniversary, the classic denim wear aficionados have created a new premium collection with psychedelic artist Peter Max, which is a lot louder and more colourful than what you’ve come to expect from its traditional Americana workwear with its eccentric colour blocking and Sixties inspired summer of love jacket painting.
Rains
These lot will have you wishing it was pissing down all year round. You might’ve seen this Scandinavian (of course they are, everyone cool is) brand’s range of waterproof macs before, but you might not know that they also do a range of impervious bags as well as a new jacket, perfect for when festival season comes around and need to survive the afternoon showers/torrents of piss thrown at you.
Fila
One of the many Nineties brands that has managed to come back and stay relevant, proving that they weren’t just a fleeting retro fad brought back by a longing to look like Danny Dyer in The Business. Now they’re proving they can keep up with all the other modern streetwear names by creating a premium line, featuring branded fleece jackets, velour hoodies and lots more luxurious sports/lifestlyle staples.
Schott NYC
Look at that coat. Just look at it. It’s like if Bane from The Dark Knight Rises ditched his plans for the destruction of Gotham and instead went to Central Saint Martins to study fashion. As well as coats that look like they’d take you though seven nuclear winters, they’re also continuing to make a mean leather jacket and collegiate bombers.
DC
Remember those DC skate shoes you begged your mum for when you were 14 when all that mattered in life was landing the perfect kickflip and scoring a fivers worth of resin for the weekend? Well, it’s cool again. Not the bulky shoes or plastic filled weed, but mature workwear inspired by America’s West Coast.
Native Shoes
If you like the shape of Timberlands but don’t have the stamina to lug around the weight all day long, don’t just up your leg day at the gym. You’re better than that. Instead, stay on the sofa eating Doritos and swap to a lightweight boot from Native, who use neoprene as their fabric of choice to drastically decrease the weight of the shoe while increasing the comfort.
Kappa
You have not stepped into a Twilight Zone episode, you don’t have to go through Brit Pop or New Labour again, the year is still 2017. Kappa is just another retro brand that has successfully found a market in the 21st century, which gives a nostalgic nod to drinking two litres of cider at your local park. They’re revisiting a few of their old looks, with black and white striped Juventus style tops and a re-visit to Italy's Slam Jam collaboration based on the 1984 Olympic Track and Field team uniform that was worn by sporting hero’s Carl Lewis and Evelyn Ashford.
Dickies
You might remember Dickies because your dad probably wore some of it to work. These guys are properly authentic as they actually do construct high quality workwear that people actually wear to work, not just artisan coffee shops. They’ve always branded themselves as anti-fashion, and instead of clinging on to passing trends produce timeless slim fitting chinos, canvas waistcoats, check shirts and more.
Nemen
Think Italian fashion and your mind automatically jumps to tailoring. Well Nemen want to challenge that with their expertly crafted technical outerwear, who have become known for their style experiments through their use of innovative fabrics and special garment dye techniques, with one of their jackets (see above) consisting of optical fibers woven within the fabric, creating an area which is entirely lit by a system of 12 integrated LEDs powered by 2 rechargeable lithium batteries.
WESC
Oh, they’re from Stockholm. What a surprise, bloody stylish Scandinavians. This deluxe streetwear brand dabbles in a bit of everything, from staple parkas and bomber jackets to sports influenced fleece jackets and funnel neck track tops, making it a one-stop shop for all your wardrobe needs.
