admin The trend cycle moves at a breakneck clip, and keeping up can be a royal headache. So if you’re feeling a little stressed following the fashion circus as it migrates from the Big Apple to the European capitals, we’ve got the cure for your whiplash. Below, you’ll find a not-quite-comprehensive list of all the weirdest, wildest menswear moves we’re itching to make this fall—along with a handful of brands doing them best—hand-picked by the GQ Recommends squad. Are these the only things we’re going to wear for the next six months straight? Probably not. But they’re definitely the only things we want to wear right this very minute, and if you’re looking for a quick rundown on how to dress like a GQ staffer this season there’s no better place to start.
The Fall 2023 Fashion Trends Hit List
- The Big, Brash Belt: Y/Project distressed leather belt: $218
- The Freaky Tank: S.S. Daley Cutout tank top, $200
- The Wide Leg, Light Wash Jeans: Sunflower twist jeans, $185
- The Standard-Issue Cargos: Orslow cargo trousers, $260
- The Trippy Tie: Husbands geometric tie, $185
- The Work Jacket: Our Legacy mini tartan waxed-cotton jacket, $674
- The Squared-Off Shoes: Séfr Lucky boots, $550
- The Going-Out Shirt: Emily Dawn Long “Jeff” Shirt, $335
- The Subtle V-Neck Sweater: MHL slipover knit, $175
- The Pooling Sweats: Les Tien puddle sweatpants, $155
Big, Brash Belts
Once upon a time, designer belts looked a lot like the models who wore ‘em: long, lean, and eerily similar. The times are a-changin’. Thanks to labels like Artemas Quibble—whose small-batch, artisanal wares crop up so frequently in GQ they deserve a spot on the masthead—and the freaky-cool hippies at Collina Strada, the message is clear: A waist is a terrible thing to waste. Adorn it accordingly.
Freaky Tanks
Yes, we’re calling them wife pleasers now, and yes, their big designer glow-up is right on time. Keep it tight and white or twisted and moody, but don’t stress the details too much: you’re going to look hot regardless.
Wide Legs, Light Washes
The biggest thing in pants right now? Even bigger jeans. When Justin Bieber’s denim veers dangerously close to JNCO territory—and even the mall brands get in on the action—you know it’s time to supersize your dungarees. Keep the wash light and breezy, and anchor ’em with dainty retro sneakers or hulking black derbies.
Standard-Issue Greens
According to GQ’s intrepid fashion team, military green was all over the runway this past season, and for good reason. It’s not quite as neutral as black or khaki, but its chameleonic nature means it can backdrop your biggest, brashest fits—or pump up a more sober ensemble.
Trippy Ties
In 2023, knotting up a tie is righteous flex all on its own. Why not use the opportunity to elevate your rumpled button-ups with an explosion of color and pattern worthy of the Biennial?
Work Jackets
We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: The jacket you’re going to wear most this fall should sit higher on the torso than you’re used to, all the better to sync up with your slouchiest trousers. Go boxy, go cropped, go full-on blue-collar stolen valor: the coolest expression of the silhouette is a rough-and-tough work jacket made from cotton twill, waxed canvas, or all-American denim.
Squared-Off Shoes
Way back when, square-toe shoes were clunky and outdated, the preserve of sleazy car insurance salesmen and junior politicos from Iowa. In 2023, luxury powerhouses like Prada and Marni, along with zeitgeist-y labels like Martine Rose and Our Legacy, have transformed the hapless silhouette into a righteous flex.
Going-Out Shirts
If you tuned into TRL as a kid—or ever got dressed up for a “fancy dinner” in the 2000s—then you probably remember the era’s distinct breed of multi-hued, vertical-striped button-ups. Depending on how fondly you recall the era, we’ve got good (or bad) news: Those brash striped shirts are ready to groove again.
Subtle Vs
V-neck T-shirts: very bad. V-neck sweaters: very good. The erstwhile neckline non grata deserves its second chance, and designers refuse to fumble its comeback. If the last time you wore one was middle-school picture day, grab a white tee and gold chain—or a striped shirt and tie!—and cheese like your mom’s watching.
Pooling Sweats
Joggers are dead. The sweatpants that killed ’em are cut more like Y2K-doused jeans: big, baggy, and with hems that spill over sneakers, slip-ons, and—if you’re a diehard Saint Laurent buff—kicky boots. If your trousers already worship at the altar of Armani’s louche heyday, making the jump should be cinch.
Simple Gold Chains
How many guys have you clocked lately rocking their grandmother’s pearls? If that’s your jam, more power to you. Keep wearing those diamond-encrusted signet rings! Schedule that third lobe piercing! Hold your vintage charm bracelets close! But when you start to wonder where to draw the line, don’t forget about the humble gold chain, the first piece of jewelry most of us owned, and the one we keep returning to when nothing else in our overflowing tchotchkes bins sparks joy.
