So, Paris fashion week has kicked off and it seems from a tailoring perspective the 80’s are going to be hitting us hard in Summer ’26.
For those of us old enough to remember the 80’s the first time around, and you would need to be born somewhere in the late 60’s or early 70’s to have been fully fashion conscious when that decade hit, I expect your thoughts would go straight to Miami Vice, bands like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet and the Roger Moore Bond moves when you think about suits from that decade.
Wide shoulders, looser fits, double breasted jackets buttoning low and wide legged trousers were the order of the day. Remember those Dynasty shoulders, anyone? And if the Saint Laurent show this week is anything to go by, that is exactly what is going to be hitting our high streets when the warmer weather hits in 2026, with an oversize rain mac thrown in for good measure.
It’s true that by the time these collections filter through to the mainstream they do tend to be watered down somewhat but I would say we can certainly look at seeing wider shoulders and a softer approach to off the peg tailoring and why not, but should you follow this trend for your suits?
The easy answer is, sure if you can afford it and want to add something fashionable to your wardrobe but like all ‘fashions’ they do come and go, so by all means go for it if you have the money to spend, fashion is fun and should be embraced but on the other hand if you don’t wear lots of suits and your looking for some longevity to your spend then it might be worth sticking with a more classic look.
As I always say, classics are classic for a reason because they can be worn at any time regardless of the latest trends, and of course style and fashion are not the same thing. You can have your own style that is the exact opposite of what people are currently wearing, it may not be high fashion but it is your own style that you love and have developed yourself.
The same thought process can be applied to the big events in your life, like getting married. I was 21 when I first got married and to be quite frank, I wouldn’t wear, now, what I wore on that day and perhaps wouldn’t have worn it even 5 years later. The fashion changed but obviously the photos of that day didn’t. Now if I had gone for something a little more classic with a nod to the current trends rather than going all in, perhaps my look would have held up better and given my whole outfit a more timeless quality that I would still be happy to look at and wear today.
Clothes are a record of the times in our life of course and no one goes through the ages without changing how they dress or what they like, or making the odd misstep, but being a slave to the latest trends doesn’t always work for our shape, size or aesthetic.
So, welcome the 80’s look back in to your tailoring by all means, enjoy it and take from it the bits you like and drop the bits you don’t but above all work to your own style and don’t feel like you have to follow the pack, who knows you might even start your own tribe finding your own style.
Pass me those shoulder pads will you. x