During the seasonal in-between of September, it becomes a natural time to start shopping for the next best “fall essential,” but that constitutes the question: "what should be on my radar for this seasonal shift?" Soon, tens of hundreds of articles will go live telling you, the consumer, what to keep your eye out for as being “in-trend” this fall, but is that even a realistic expectation? In late 2025, we live in a monoculture stronger than ever. Yes, there are some noticeable distinctions with what people are wearing. Baggy pants seem more popular than slimmer styles, but it feels as though trend cycles are more artificial than ever. People just wear what they want. This summer, flip flops and boat shoes were the hot buzz words, but did you really see a distinct increase in people rocking them? I mean it is the summer after all, of course flip flops and sandals are more popular. This “trend” seems more like a seasonal fact than the next best thing out of Paris.
Personally, this weather always makes me think I am lacking something in my closet– which I have learned to be one of the most dangerous games. People love selling jackets and other fall things before the season has even started, just to end up realizing they wished they still had it once it becomes seasonally appropriate. I have found in the past year or two, most of the stuff I end up buying because I think I lack it for the chillier months approaching, ends up getting sold by the end of that particular season. In the long run it is much better to maybe have a running list of things that interest you, sit with that list, and then see if you still feel the same way some months later. For me, it all boils down to how much wear I get out of the garment, that is ultimately what defines how good it looks. If you can make it look like it's yours by being a constant staple, there is automatically an added element of authenticity that might have been lacking from your outfit otherwise.
In terms of general observations for the fall, I think Ivy style is absolutely making a comeback, or at least receiving a marketing push. But I say that, just meaning that I think more people will start wearing that style again; not that it is some seasonal trend. In both the AI-slop advertising nightmare from J.Crew and their rollneck campaign, all the styling is incredibly in line with Ivy (of course J.Crew’s identity is preppy in nature but these themes stay ever present). Additionally, a plethora of articles, like this from GQ have confirmed my hunch that people are clocking this shift.
To zoom out for a second, I think it’s important to consider where menswear is as a whole. In the post-Covid years, most brands have hit a stride of logoless, minimalist style, and this leads me to think archetypes are more important than ever before. When the shirt itself doesn't physically say where you buy from, you need to style your item in a way that it falls in line with the ethos/vibe you subconsciously want to project. Brands such as MAN-TLE, Lady White Co., and Auralee have become exponentially popular in this era. The funny thing is, when you see them in the wild, I tend to feel that the wearers almost always have the same sort of minimalist tendencies that unintentionally lump them all into having the same style language without realizing it. Such simple, plain clothing, yet so many of the enthusiasts wearing it look exactly the same. Somehow, this attempt to avoid the monoculture of branding has lumped everyone unintentionally into another form of monoculture.
This leads me to a recent source of inspiration, which is the French magazine L’Étiquette. This magazine is the best kept secret in the world of menswear. There are typically two seasonal issues each year, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. There is a section of people chosen to come into the studio and break down their outfit via a singular photo shoot, and another featuring styling done by their fashion director, Gauthier Borsarello. There are also some interviews in the magazine, garment advice, etc. but above all the magazine's strongest feature is its styling. The magazine is a lesson in authenticity. Vintage/Americana always tends to have the strongest representation for authenticity on the internet because the pieces are generally older and have developed a stronger patina. Of course L’Étiquette strongly represents that sector of menswear, but they also show people from all walks of life in the fashion world that just show the simplicity of wearing what speaks to you in daily life. It gives readers the chance to see the beauty in any aged garment, not just something as stereotypical as a jungle jacket that has graced your explore page 1000 times.
All of that is to say, I hope as more people see and interact with the magazine they come to the same conclusion as me that a lot of the time feeling confident and looking good in your outfits boils down to properly sized, well-worn clothing. This is the exact premise of why old people look good in their clothes. You simply can’t replicate authenticity, and I am eventually coming to the conclusion that for me it is the ultimate aesthetic. Yes those brands I mentioned, MAN-TLE, Auralee, etc. are beautiful garments, but it doesn’t matter if you are wearing that stuff or a preppy J.Crew kit, the underlying factor that makes or breaks the outfit is how akin to you do they look? No amount of seasonal style or new trends can ever overshadow that.