All Our Favourite Cool Girls Are Currently Choosing Menswear Over Everything Else

You’ll have to wait until February to see what womenswear designers have in store for autumn/winter 2020, when the Fashion Week roadshow kicks off in New York. But if you’re of the mindset that impatience is a virtue and want to get a jumpstart on next season now, then you’re in luck. Smart (and stylish) women are now looking to the menswear collections – which we’re in at the midst of at the moment – for inspiration.

No wonder. At London Fashion Week Men’s, held in the capital last week, the shows were stuffed with pieces we’d like to see in our wardrobes, from Wales Bonner’s natty tailoring to Bethany Williams’ colourful appliques and Martine Rose’s frill-front shirts and knotted sweaters. Forget borrowing from the boys, we’ll be snapping these up for ourselves thank you very much.

The A-list have already got the menswear memo. At a dinner in London last week, Alexa Chung wore a shirt by British brand Basic Rights (her boyfriend opted for the same style). And at the Dior Men’s cruise show, held during Miami Basel in December, Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian wore pieces from the Kim Jones-designed collection (Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are also fans). Elsewhere, Rihanna has a soft spot for Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton, Blake Lively loves Versace’s highlighter suiting and Craig Green’s utilitarian jackets are a hit with everyone from the art set to Billie Eilish.

‘Even when brands do womenswear too I generally gravitate towards menswear as I’m a fan of the fits,’ says the journalist and influencer Simran Randhawa, who loves Selfridges’ men’s’ department. ‘For quite some time women have enjoyed wearing different, more masculine silhouettes, oversized pieces and tailoring,’ explains Matchesfashion.com’s fashion buying director Natalie Kingham. ‘Grace Wales Bonner really set the precedent as did Martine Rose – they both have such a strong DNA and point of difference which was why we initially started buying their menswear collections for our female customers’.

‘There are so many reasons why women should not be afraid of rummaging through the men’s rails!’ urges Ida Petersson, buying director of Browns (the retailer’s East London boutique is gender-neutral). ‘Men generally have a bigger choice of limited edition sneakers, the shirts fit so much better if you’re going for that oversized look, they have a wider selection of tees, sweaters and hoodies and on a lot of brands the price point at the luxury end is more affordable on the men’s styles compared to that of women’s. Although this is now starting to level out as women are getting wise to it’.

Apart from this practical appeal, the soaring popularity of menswear for women is indicative of a wider mood shift in fashion towards a more genderless ideal. ‘Masculine’ pieces like tailoring continue to gain momentum among women; on the flip side, the likes of Harry Styles and Timothée Chalamet are popularising more ‘feminine’ sartorial codes like frills and florals. Meanwhile, unisex hits, like Bottega Veneta’s stompy boots which were available in both women’s and mens sizes, have equal it sell-out appeal in both arena.

‘There’s no point in categorising clothes into men’s and womenswear: if something looks good, and feels good, then that’s all that matters,’ says Vogue’s executive fashion news editor Olivia Singer who has a Dior Men’s suit and cashmere Louis Vuitton coat in her arsenal (lucky lady). ‘For me, it’s about looking for clothes that I love rather than those that acquiesce to an outmoded binary’.

So how do you make it work? Balance is key: if you’re going for an oversized knit (Grazia’s fashion team loves M&S cashmere) try teaming with slim, sleek trousers. Or offset boyish pieces with something overtly glamorous; Alexa wore an Alessandra Rich body chain with over her white shirt, and Browns’ Ida suggest wearing an XXL shirt with thigh high boots. Getting your menswear tailored is a must, as Olivia did in-store with her Dior trousers, ‘so they remained suitably slouchy, but fitted where I like it to be’. Still feeling trepidation? Start with accessories – scarves, bags and ties are your gateway to the menswear mood.

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Above all, however, you need to make menswear work for you, rather than the other way around. ‘It has to come down to what you are drawn to and feel that you are missing in your existing wardrobe,’ says Matches’ Natalie. ‘It shouldn’t feel forced but more what appeals’. Spot on advice, we’re sure you’ll agree, whatever department you’re shopping from.

READ MORE: The Menswear Brands That You'll Want To Add To Your Wardrobes Immediately