A mesh-y affair in men’s fashion

Be it raising eyebrows with designer Marc Jacobs’ Comme des Garçons black lace longline shirt, paired with white boxers, at the 2012 Met Gala or with singer-songwriter Harry Styles’ black ruffled sheer blouse, seven years later, at the 2019 Met Gala, mesh has solidified its position in menswear elite. Many brands like Henrik Vibskov, (di)vision, Bed j.w. Ford brought their fashion A-game to the runway at the recently concluded Copenhagen Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2023 season with their menswear collection in lace, mesh and translucent fabrics. Back home, this trend made an appearance at the India Couture Week 2022.

Talking about this experiment in couture collections, designer Varun Bahl says, “The new-age grooms are looking to be comfortable, subtle yet powerful and dress according to their own personality and style. Today’s confident and powerful grooms are no longer looking at the traditional wedding attires, but opting for a more modern, minimal, and powerful look.”

“The menswear selection and style has evolved over the years,” says designer duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna. They further add, “Clients also expect us to deliver newer styles and patterns. They want to go beyond the traditional ensembles and dress differently for their celebrations. Our sheer shirts are much appreciated, and with the world going digital, everyone is becoming more experimental and want to keep their wardrobe interesting.”

Designer Siddartha Tytler, who introduced crystal mesh kurtas, T-shirts and bomber jackets to his recent collection, says, “Crystal kurtas are the new sequinned kurtas. Men, today, are not so rigid about their sense of style, which gives us the freedom to explore and create new and fresh styles.”

Author tweets @digvijayitis