Milan Men’s Fashion Week has long been the bellwether for how luxury menswear evolves. This season, the message from Milan was unusually clear: modern luxury is moving away from spectacle and toward substance.
According to Simon Longland, director of fashion buying at Harrods, the city’s menswear offering has always existed between two opposing poles: “Fashion with a capital ‘F’, and quiet luxury rooted in sartorial tradition and timelessness. This season, more than ever, the balance of the schedule leaned firmly towards the latter. The result was a Milan season defined by quality, cut, cloth and craft.”
Longland notes a distinct shift in mindset across collections, with product integrity and real-world wearability taking precedence. “There was a palpable sense that product integrity and the final customer were front and centre,” he adds. “Less noise, fewer theatrics – but a stronger, more coherent message around what modern luxury menswear looks like today: thoughtful, considered, and built to last.”
Elite Traveler’s editor in chief Paul Croughton, who attended Milan Men’s Fashion Week, agrees: “That last element – built to last, sustainable in the sense of longevity – was evident in a return to timeless, classic menswear, as seen from brands from Dunhill and Caruso to Brunello Cucinelli and Stefano Ricci.”
Milan Men’s Fashion Week trends
From tailoring and tonal dressing to elevated outerwear and tactile materials, both style experts have identified the key trends emerging from Milan Men’s Fashion Week that will shape how men dress in the coming seasons.
The new take on English Country House style
Croughton’s “favorite trend was a strong movement by Italian brands towards an English Country House aesthetic. Zegna showed a collection dominated by a return to a more traditional tailoring — although still somewhat oversized, as is typical from artistic director Alessandro Satori — with tweeds and herringbones the striking textural notes. It was all very wearable, largely in shades of greys and browns, with pops of blue and cream. Low-buttoning double-breasted jackets and overcoats looked chic, although I was less convinced about the blazer-over-blazer look.”
Longland added that “we saw a confident split: either slouchy, relaxed, often double-breasted tailoring (softened shoulders, easier proportions), or clean, slim, sharply tailored lines for the customer who wants refinement without volume. Prada and the broader conversation around modern tailoring really underlined this shift.”
Tonal dressing
“Head-to-toe dressing in shades of one color is now a key styling language – particularly in neutrals and ‘quiet’ hues. It reads modern, premium, and effortless. A very clear palette story: greens, greys, browns – earthy, mineral, and outdoors-referenced tones that feel calm, grounded, and timeless,” explains Longland.
Meanwhile, Croughton added that “gun club and earthy plaids were in evident at Isaia, which showed a strong collection for its jet-set-y international clientele, while over at venerable Neapolitan tailors Cesare Attolini, it was all very British, with flat caps and shearling coats alongside refined and sober suiting in autumnal palates.”
The evolution of bombers
Bombers continued to evolve – less ‘street,’ more luxury wardrobe essential: cleaner finishes, elevated fabrics, and styling that works over tailoring as easily as with casual trousers,” claims Longland.
Texture matters
“Leather and suede were everywhere in a more refined register – often softer, more tactile, and less overtly aggressive. It’s about texture, depth, and longevity rather than statement,” says Longland.
Related Story
“For its first menswear show in Milan for decades, Ralph Lauren combined Polo and Purple Label lines in what felt like a greatest hits of signature styles,” added Croughton. “What really caught my eye though were the easily replicable combinations of grey flannel, camel cashmere and brown suede with, again, elements of cream and navy to add variety. It wasn’t new, but that’s the point: it’s timeless, elegant, and I wanted all of it.”
