Fresh Off The Rack: Men’s Fashion Trends for 2026

This year’s trends are not about full wardrobe overhauls, but about knowing what to add to your cart, or which pieces are worth folding into what you already own.

This roundup offers a look at the key trends defining the year ahead, exploring how both Western and traditional influences are evolving side by side.

WESTERN WEAR

You may be wondering what this quietly dependable silhouette is doing on the list. After all, it is a casual pull-over with a short zip front, equally at home on a coffee run or slipping neatly into the corporate sphere.

That, of course, is precisely the point. Menswear is currently favouring something cleaner and breezier, a pivot away from the edgy, street-heavy looks that ruled the 2010s.

The quarter zip’s moment arrived in late 2025, when a viral TikTok saw creator Jason Gyamfi, now dubbed the founder of the quarter zip movement, casually declare himself a “quarter zip dude now”, matcha latte in hand.

Overnight, a piece once pigeonholed as a finance bro or prep school uniform was reframed as softly polished, approachable, and quietly attractive, signalling a generational appetite for ease with intention.

Prints never truly exit the fashion conversation, yet each year crowns its quiet favourite. This season, stripes have emerged as the chosen motif, recurring across runways in every conceivable variation.

Pencil and Bengal stripes sat alongside broader awning styles, appearing confidently on both tops and bottoms.

What made this moment feel particularly considered was how the print travelled beyond clothing into accessories, hats, neck scarves, and ties, all joining the striped dialogue. Designers even leaned into deliberate clashes, layering stripes upon stripes for a playful, knowing effect.

Once relegated to retro sports references, the knit polo is quietly reclaiming its place in the menswear wardrobe. Sitting somewhere between relaxed and polished, it offers the suavity of a collar with the casual hug of knitwear.

Buttoned up, it feels neat and slightly smug; worn open, it leans into effortless charm.

The appeal really lies in the silhouette’s balance of polish without formality. As a result, it has become a reliable anchor for modern wardrobes that favour a classic take on ease over excess.

Soft tailoring is shaping up to be one of 2026’s defining menswear directions, and Brunello Cucinelli offers a clear case study in why.

At the brand’s Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear showing in Milan, tailoring loosened its grip, jackets were softly constructed, trousers fell fluidly, and nothing felt rigid or forced.

As menswear continues to step away from sharp formality and overt performance, this softer approach feels inevitable.

DESI WEAR

The beauty of South Asian fashion or ethnic wear is that there are no age restrictions; age-appropriate wear does not apply. The overall focus is mostly on the evolution of classic South Asian menswear.

Kurtas have become sharper and more architectural with cleaner lines, structured shoulders, and tailored fits. Additionally, short kurtas are being paired with wide trousers or tailored trousers.

Sherwanis and bandhgalas have taken a lighter note, becoming less ceremonial and acceptable to wear beyond wedding events, paired with loafers or minimalist sneakers.

Dominating the premium men’s collection are khadi, jamdani, handwoven silk, raw cotton, and wool blends. This year, fabric and craft are the new luxury, replacing overt opulence.

Visible textures, such as slubs (intentional irregularities in yarn), weaves, and meticulous hand-finishing, are intentionally left imperfect to deliver on authenticity.

Regional crafts like Ajrak prints, ikat, and chikankari are placed subtly and not ornamentally.

The colour schemes for this year revolve around muted, earthy tones, including sand, taupe, stone, olive, moss, deep teal, charcoal, washed indigo, and soft black.

Desi men should be harnessing or completely avoiding metallics and embellishments this time around the sun. This particular trend aligns with global menswear while maintaining South Asian cultural depth.

Men’s fashion is gracefully and quietly dissolving boundaries and embracing gender fluidity with flowing silhouettes, softer fabrics, and non-traditional drapes.

Levelling up the style game are accessories that used to be deemed feminine, such as scarves, layered jewellery, and brooches. Even sizing is becoming more inclusive, especially for kurtas and jacket styles.

South Asian men will be redefining occasion wear and rejecting single-use outfits. Wedding and festive garments are now being designed to be re-worn for multiple events.

Subsequently, detachable jackets, reversible waistcoats, and convertible kurtas are gaining more popularity.

Walking away from heavy embroidery and toward texture, cut, and fabric quality, this shift reflects a more global, practical, and style-conscious modern desi man.