The trend cycle moves at a breakneck clip, and keeping up can be a royal headache. Which is why, at the start of every new season, we like to wipe the slate clean and start fresh, setting last year’s trends entirely aside—sorry, flip-flops and butter yellow—in order to clear some mental (and wardrobe) space for all the style swerves the next few months might have in store.
To predict the can’t-miss men’s fashion trends awaiting us this fall of 2026, we scoured runway stills, street style shots, and our very own personal mood boards to make sense of where the state of our highly specific union might be headed next. We also challenged ourselves not to predict anything too obvious: Yes, we expect trucker jackets to appear again, and cozy knits to again be relevant, but really this story really is a place to take some bigger gambles.
Below, you’ll find a not-quite-comprehensive list of all the weirdest, wildest menswear moves we’re expecting to clock as the year goes on—along with a handful of brands doing them best—hand-picked by the GQ Recommends squad.
Plaid Shirts
As I recently wrote, a plaid shirt was this summer’s wild card layer. And given that the style was initially designed for fall, I see no reason for it to step into the sartorial shadows now. Whether worn around your waist or simply as intended, the exciting hit of color here is offset by the rugged, masculine roots of the style. Basically, it’s one of those rare things in menswear: A can’t fail piece that will still be seen as an impressive move to have pulled off.—Louis Cheslaw, contributing editor
