A new year have just come and now, we are enthusiastic to figure out some new fashion trends for men, especially streetwear.
In 2017, we have witnessed the explosion of streetwear lifestyle with flannels, vintage tees and zipper pants that are favored a lot of by many men, boys and even celebrities like Kaye West and Justin Bieber.
This year, some of them still keep the heat and become a hot item, again. Meanwhile, there is also some fresh meat that if you still don’t update yet, don’t miss out this article. Also, here, I will guide you on layering clothes as well as give you some of my favorited layered tops. Read on!
Trends of Streetwear for Men in 2018
Flannel
In 2015-2017, we have witness an explosion on Flannels, which is a shirt with a pattern with a variety of colorways, usually between 2-3 colors or even more. This shirt has been hyped up by fashionistas and celebrities a lot more than it has been in 2015.
(Please distinguish between plaid and flannel)
The special feature about this shirt is the color and material are really personal preference. You can choose cotton or wool, or any color as well as material that you’d prefer.
In 2016, we have witness Vintage flannel styles that are cut on the sleeves or maybe even be distressed that gives it a kind of unfinished look.
We have also seen a diversity with paint or even bleach. Flannels can be style with tees, even double flannel meaning two flannels are layer on top of each other.
Some brands have also done embroidery on the shirt that makes it very nice.
Stepping into 2017, I personally think that the Flannel still was very popular because of the diversity in styling. You can style it with a bomber, denim jacket or jackets in general. Or, you can style it with a hoodie or even tees that I’ve mentioned before.
Other than the diversity factor, this shirt is very flexible when you can choose to dress up or even dress down. This is a very elegant piece but has a very street character to it that you can wear all 4 seasons.
Vintage tees
When mentioning flannel, we cannot forget about vintage tees.
In 2016, we have seen Vintage Tees being exploded in the fashion scene. They actually have a lot of sprints. From the 70s, 80s, and most recently the 90s. But the prints that have been most universal and favored are probably band tees, such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, Gun N’ Roses, Nirvana and even prints on legends such as 2Pac, or Kurt Cobain.
Contributing a whole lot to this trend is probably a man named Jerry Lorenzo aka the founder of the brand Fear of God, which has re-purpose the tees and re-design the Tees to their brand’s aesthetic. Then, they sell it for an absolute over-kill price tag (around couple hundred dollars for a Vintage Tees), making them even more valuable and being hunted by fashion enthusiasts. Some of the Tees are even worth thousands of dollars.
Celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Jessica Alba and Justin Bieber are those who really love to rock these Vintage Tees.
Personally, I see this trend will not be faded away but will also not be as hyped up as 2016-2017.
Distress and zipper pants
A lot of people have evaluated that the distress trend will be gone soon and I truly understand where they are coming from because when wearing distress pants, you are limiting yourself to attending a more formal place. Sometimes, when you go into a crowded place, you might feel uncomfortable and even get scrutiny.
But to me personally, that is the whole point of wearing a distress pant because it is what is most impressive about your outfit.
Especially, when you are wearing your clothes for street style, wearing a distress pant is a highlight to your character layering clothes and really street.
Along with distress, zipper pants have also been said to be faded soon.
Those of you who don’t know what zipper pants are, here they are:
And brands such as MNML, Killionest, Mint Crew, Hyper Denim and Fear of God. They are sold out as soon as they are restocked.
Up to now, through Instagram, I still see a lot of men and celebrities wearing this zipper pant so I think it won’t go away in 2018.
Boost hype
Until this moment, it’s been officially more than one and half a year since the first time Yeezy Boost has been released and I think this is the most recognizable in this generation.
The world seemed to be getting bored with Yeezy but in reality, any release is still sold out, and the resell price is still skyrocketed.
That’s why I think 2018 will still be a year of Yeezys.
Towards a cousin in the Boost family, which is the NMD, has lost a lot of heat. The same goes with Ultraboost.
How to layer
If you are not sure what layering is, it is when you are wearing your outfit stack on top of each other to create a Pee-ka-boo effect.
First of all, I want to say that layering isn’t created to have any limitation or boundaries. When layering, you won’t be wearing your outfit the traditional way anymore, but instead of making them into a more street-style look.
Recently, the layering trend has been more and more popular because of the comfy factor and also to bound the culture of Hip-hop and Rock together. Because of that, instead of guiding you how to layer, I’ll show you my experience and what I personally avoid when layering.
Neck ratio
First tip is the neck inside being larger than the outside. When layering, you don’t want to show that you’re just trying to avoid the cold. What you are going to strive for is the pee-ka-boo effect on the tale of your shirt.
Size
Second tip to layer is to wear your tip larger on each layer but shorter on each layer. For example, if you are layering between a hoodie and a jacket, then make sure the outer jacket is shorter than the hoodie inside. This is a little different than when you are wearing your clothes the traditional or slim-fit way.
You might have to go up one or two sizes to what you normally size with. There will be only one exception when your outer layer is longer than the inner is when you are wearing reverse layer, for example wearing a trench coat.
Tees
Tees have many different names but there are two most common ones. One is called scoop or curve which means the cut is rounded.
The second kind is called mercer or slit. Those are the cuts that look very angular. I personally will avoid wearing scoop on the outside because if you cannot execute it well then your layered outfits will look very bad.
Another thing I want to avoid is when layering two scoops on top of each other.
Length
Tip number four is to pay attention to the length of the shirts when layering. You need to have enough length to show the pee-ka-boo effect but not too long so that you have too much of a gap that looks very unbalanced.
And not to short so you can’t see the layering.
Another thing is when you have a tee that is too long and suddenly a jacket that is too short.
Colors
The next tip is when you have an outer layer as camo, dots or stripe then, make sure you wear something plain inside because you don’t want to look like there is too much going on your layering clothes.
Be mindful that the color of the two shirts when layering needs to match each other. If you are layering with a neutral color, stay with neutral colors.
Over layer
Don’t over layer!
Honestly, this is something that I also remind myself when layering because you might have 3-4 shirts that matches your emotion today. But guys, try your best to avoid that temptation.
To me personally, it is best to keep at 2-3 shirts during Fall/Spring, throw a jacket during Winter. During summer I still layer with a tank top underneath and a tee outside.
Two-way zipper top
Lastly, a style that I like a lot is to layer with a two-way zipper top.
You might not notice but most of the jackets right now have two-way zippers and you can have the top zipper all the way up, and pull the other zipper to have the jacket wide open.
This is an amazing invention that I like because in the past, you had to wear your jacket all the way zippered up, hiding everything inside, making it very boring.
Bonus – My favorite layer shirts
This bonus part will list out some of my favorite layer shirts that I think it’s very useful for you to consult and maybe, pick some more ideal pieces adding to your wardrobe.
These 7 shirts are divided into two main kinds: ones for fall/winter and ones for spring/summer.
1. ColdPruf Men’s Basic Dual Layer Long Sleeve Crew Neck Base Layer Top
To start off, I would like to talk about winter layer shirts first.
My tips for you when considering a good base layer clothing for cold weather is paying attention to its material, other than its form, length or design.
Here, I want to emphasize the wool and cotton because they are very soft, comfortable touch and wear as well as keep heat very well so that you won’t feel cold in such freeze days.
However, with this ColdPruf, it is 60 percent Cotton and 40 percent Polyester. I personally grade for its ability to retain heat is medium because in very cold weather, it will get cold.
But the reason why I choose it to be one of my favorite layer shirts is its freaking softness, other than the cotton material, there are ring spun yarns to deliver extra comfort and softness to wear.
Besides, its extended tail design will be favored by short guys because it helps them look taller yet still fashionable. Another reason is its very, very affordable price. I think if you are just new to streetstyle and want to give it a try, start with some cheap piece as an experiment is a smart choice. On top of that its quality is totally a big deal compared to the price.
2. Smartwool Men’s NTS Mid 250 Crew
Move on with a little pricier layer shirt, this one is from Smartwool – one of my favorite brands recently. Their material is high-end wool to deliver a unique softness and truly comfort to put on. It doesn’t cause any irritation or allergies to skin, I mean its quality is totally worth the price.
This is a high recommendation for those who have sensitive skin. And I also advice to you to pay extra pennies on a good quality shirt, especially the layer because this piece will directly contact to your skin. It will decide mostly whether you feel comfortable with that outfit or not.
Another feature that I like is its form fit perfectly to my body, but not kind of tight or too slim-fit so that you still feel comfortable when layering some more shirts outsides. And it keeps warmth very effectively, even in very cold days.
Besides, there are many other plain colors to choose. But my picks are charcoal and black.
3. Bulwark Flame Resistant 6.25 oz Cotton Tagless Mock Turtleneck Shirt
This is a freaking awesome layer shirt, worth 10/10 for the point because look at its design, you can mix with various fall/winter outfits, another layer, short sleeve shirt to a jacket. Very versatile!
Besides, its neck is very closure, flexible and hug fitly to mine so that it keeps warmth very well. you can totally alter it with a scarf in winter. Besides, there are elastic bands on two long sleeves. And its double layers are a plus point.
This shirt is made from 88 percent cotton and 12 percent nylon so in general, I feel that this one is softer than the Coldpruf above as well as it is warmer, I don’t know. Another good thing is that it is made in the USA.
And no matter you are ectomorph, Mesomorph or Endomorph, there will have the right size for you. Bulwark provides from small to 4x Large in their size chart.
4. Sportides Men’s Fashion Longline T-Shirt Long Sleeve Hoodies Tee Top JZA062
You might wonder the reason why I choose this scoop when I clearly told you to avoid it in the previous part, right? Actually, I pick it for two reasons.
Firstly, I’m 100 percent satisfied with the length of this Sportides because you can mix with up to 3 or 4 layers at the same time.
Secondly, it comes in neutral color, I mean mine is the light grey so that you can easily mix it with other neutral tones to complete your layering clothes. Actually, you should avoid mix two scoops at the same time, just that.
Besides, I like its spacious hoodie hood and long draw string because it helps the shirt look more fashionable and stylish. You can mix it with a leather jacket or jackets in general then pull up the hood over your head. Boom! You’re like a fashionista now.
Actually, there are 4 more colorways but this is the safest choice in my opinion. And there are sizes for any type of body as well. Its maintenance is also very easy. You can either wash it by hand or by machine based on preference. Just don’t use bleach!
5. Clothe Co. Men’s Sleeveless Moisture Wicking Muscle Shirt
Now, move into the spring/summer layer shirts.
To opt for the best layer shirts for men in such seasons, you should consider the ones with soft hand-feel and good sweat absorbing ability to make sure it will keep you dry, fresh and cool all days.
The best materials are polyester and cotton. Like this tank top layer shirt, it is made from 100 percent cationic polyester interlock to help wick moisture away quickly. And this shirt is very versatile as well. You can use it as layering or just wear it to join some outdoor activities in summer such as volleyball, basketball.
It keeps you stay dry while fashionable and cool. Another feature that I really like is its printed logo on the inside instead of using a small tag, which is much more comfortable to wear, especially when you sweat a lot.
My advice for you when choosing this shirt is a fit size for layering and a larger size for outdoor activities.
6. URBANCREWS Mens Hipster Hip Hop Graphic Print Longline Crewneck T-Shirt
One more summer layer shirt I want to recommend you to try is this Urbancrews scoop. As a layer piece, I can ensure that it will add some character to your outfit. Just style it with one more plain color shirt such as a beige or black, and you now can rock your streetstyle.
In terms of color, my choice is Amts540_blue, but you can totally choose another tone as there are still 10+ options.
If you are wondering about its ability to absorb moisture, compared to the Clothe Co., I think they are the same. This shirt can save you in even the hottest days thanks to its greatness in wicking sweat.
For those who sweat a lot, I think your armpits will get wet a little bit.
7. ByTheR Unique Urban Basic Cotton Loose Diagonal Cutting Warmer Long T-shirt
Last but not least, my most of the most favorite layer shirt, also the most versatile piece as you can wear it in all 4 seasons. Totally, there is nothing to complaint about this shirt. Arrive in full-black color, it’s absolutely easy to style with 99 percent of my outfits. Not saying that, its ideal length is perfect to mix from 2 to 3 or 4 layers.
Its material is 100 percent cotton so you might entirely guess how soft it is, right. Besides, this shirt is very warm in cold days. And look at its design, I mean the tail. The slash style will rock your streetstyle outfits like a pro.
It also comes up with a middle elasticity so that just feel peace in mind that the shirt will fit neatly to your body, not too tight, not too loose. This is a perfect choice for any body types, even the big guys, I know that you guys face a lot of difficulty when choosing the right size, don’t you. But this one, just ease in mind!
And don’t worry about its texture or quality as well. You can totally wash it by hand or machine without fear of it getting tears and wears or loosening.
There’s just one thing you should keep in mind when choosing it is the size. Let’s level a size up because this shirt is made in Asian country, their size chart is a little bit smaller than US size.
I have just drop you some knowledge about streetstyle trends for men in 2018 as well as my guide on how to layer a perfect streetstyle outfit. Hopefully, my picks also help you a lot in choosing the best layer shirts to rock your style. And thanks for reading!
