Menswear is in the midst of an identity crisis.
Today’s market is seemingly splintered into a number of different style tribes. There is still the street customer, but now preppy, younger men are buying suits — and even ties — while the older consumer continues to seek luxury. Add to that all the direct-to-consumer labels found on everything from the web to Instagram and TikTok and the picture gets even more confusing.
That leaves brands and retailers scratching their heads trying to figure out who the men’s consumer is today, where they get their information — and, most importantly, how to appeal to them.
To attempt to gain a better understanding of today’s men’s customer, WWD asked two questions of executives and designers at the spring 2027 men’s shows in Europe:
Who is the men’s consumer today and how is he changing?
