RISE OF THE UNIFORM

It’s clear that designers were inspired by uniforms for the Spring 2016 menswear season.

This expression of fashion intended to explore the sportswear uniform as a metaphor of what binds the individual with a community he belongs to.

From left, Moschino, Topman, KTZ, Boby Abley — From left Spring 2016 collections for Moschino, Topman, KTZ, Boby Abley

Sports draw us in for many reasons, the elegance, the competition, the history, our identification with great athleticism, a coming together of community in a shared story.

As an industry sports is the largest and most influential in the world. We laugh, cry, mourn, and celebrate with each score or each player’s movement. And whether deserved or not we attribute higher character values to our favorite players, that of loyalty, leadership, and excellence.

And this is the only industry where the fans create a bond so strong with athletes and teams that it’s beyond obsession. Fans actually feel like they lost when their team loses, or feel like they won when their favorite team wins.

For the Spring 2016 season designers attempted to create sportswear infused collections. The many separates as shown by the Rag and Bone Spring 2016 collection featured everything from slacks and blazers to shorts and t-shirts, and each garment maintained the flexibility and performance of traditional sportswear as evidenced by last week’s presentation at New York Fashion Week: Men’s. The Rag & Bone Spring 2016 collection offered functional and wearable clothing that could easily be paired and move seamlessly in our lives.

We predict this type of sportswear dressing will be a fashion mainstay because of it’s flexibility and also because sportswear uniforms infuse that sense of pride of belonging to a team. It delivers a first impression that you are part of a greater network and that discipline, perseverance and will are characteristics you possess.