Men’s Fashion Trends for Spring/Summer 2020: Psychotropic

The Spring/Summer 2020 season may be the first inkling that men want to dress like adults once again—or at least have the option. In a webinar, Michael Fisher, vice president and creative director, menswear for Fashion Snoops, shared some key menswear stories buyers can expected to see for Spring/Summer 2020 and the macro trends that are driving each. And many of the trends, Fisher noted, are already being validated by street style and confirmed at the latest round of men’s fashion week shows in New York, London, Paris and Milan.  “I am confident that you will see all of these [trends] on the floor at all of the shows coming up,” he said. At this point, Fisher said the cannabis conversation is “old-school.” Now, he said Fashion Snoops is noticing more people talk about psychedelics.

“If you google ‘mainstream psychedelics,’ you’re going to find a slew of articles from the last few weeks alone,” he said. “It’s a continuation of self-exploration.” Cult culture depicted in pop culture, Fisher added, is informing new summer uniforms—a look that he likened to “guru styling.”

These extreme influences are expressed in Psychotropic, a men’s trend story based on “hyper surreal summer energy” and a fictional character who leaves middle America to take a psychedelic journey to Hawaii, where he joins an eco-commune, Fisher described. The trend combines vacation-ready classics with the weirdness of ’60s surf tribes, he added, with bursting colors and prints of “trippy” nature-scapes.

Key items include the rainbow windbreakers with curvy color blocking, mismatched suiting separates and tie-dye sweaters—or anything with tie-dye for that matter. Fisher said the effect is performing extremely well at retail. Meanwhile, matching resort sets in fun prints attract a younger consumer and polo shirts take on a cycling look.

In Psychotropic, denim is driven by dye effects. Dark wash, below-the-knee jean shorts are splashed with bleach splotches. Tie-dye trucker jackets are bleached, too, as an alternative to tie-dye. And for the most fashion forward consumer, Fisher urged retailers to try neon jeans. The bold styles look best with neutrals and tonal stitching.

Accessories are just as eccentric. Vans-style slip-on sneakers are updated with clashing colors and patterns. Sandals are colorful and sporty, while sneaker boots are refreshed with iridescent mesh. The belt bag remains important, but for the consumer that have moved on from the trend, Fisher suggested the body hardness bag.

“We’ve seen it all over the most important runways,” he said.

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