The modern man’s wardrobe is often presented as an exercise in restraint. A limited palette, a limited number of cuts and styles, and a handful of essential pieces with familiar shapes and a language everyone can understand. Departures from the standard are rarely welcomed. Compared with womenswear, experimentation has often been more restrained.
Even in the world of designer clothes for men, the choice often lies between two equally unappealing extremes: the comfort of the familiar and the pointlessness of excess for excess’s sake.
Vivienne Westwood’s latest collection, as one would expect from the British fashion house, attempts to steer clear of both. It introduces genuinely new pieces while still paying tribute to the brand’s decades-long history: genuine innovation, expressed through a distinctive language that can be adapted to suit each wearer’s personality.
That distinction matters, particularly when compared with much of what is currently on offer. This is about more than choosing a recognised label, following the most predictable side of fashion or playing it safe by choosing a brand everyone already agrees is prestigious.
It is about choosing men’s designer clothes with a character of their own-one that can merge with ours.
The wardrobe then becomes an open system: a collection of elements that add something and, together, amount to more than the sum of their parts. At last, it is a wardrobe made up of clothes we have genuinely chosen, pieces we can combine freely, even if that means breaking the odd old rule along the way.
Start with the key pieces
Vivienne Westwood’s latest designer menswear collection begins with an idea that is simple, yet quietly revolutionary.
It starts with the key pieces: the foundations of what we wear, though foundations need not be tired or dull. From there, we can build a story that belongs to us alone.
First comes outerwear, which may take the form of coats, trench coats, bombers, leather jackets with a rebellious edge or oversized pieces that reshape the silhouette. Outerwear remains the most visible part of a look and perhaps the element that says the most about who we are.
The other essential component is trousers. For years, they were treated as a garment not worth experimenting with. Today, thanks to more imaginative choices of fabric and cut, they can add a great deal to an outfit.
From high waists and deconstructed shapes to curved legs and uneven hems, trousers can become a statement in their own right, as well as the perfect counterpoint to unconventional outerwear.
Once again, the aim, as always, is to mix without losing the underlying sense of coherence.
Vivienne Westwood pieces are instantly recognisable, and not merely because the historic orb appears throughout the collection. Yet that does not mean they must be worn as a matching set. They can be paired with other garments we love, allowing the different worlds and ideas of different designers to rub shoulders.
Fashion is, above all, freedom. A ready-made language, after all, gives nobody much chance of saying anything interesting.
That is where we want to begin when building a wardrobe for 2026/27: one that can finally return to treating fashion as a means of personal expression.
David N. Miller is a retail and consumer goods writer who focuses on product comparisons, shopping insights, and emerging retail trends. He shares practical guidance to help readers choose products that fit their needs and budget.
