When it comes to men’s fashion in our Western world, nothing particularly exciting comes to mind in terms of style. Ridiculously expensive sneakers, the resurgence of the bucket hat and white t-shirts is what men’s fashion has come to, which seems a bit unfair compared to the hundreds of clothing trends which emerge each year for women. In order to make up for this blatant fashion injustice, Asia has put a lot of thought into what men can wear to help them stand out in the most fashionable way possible.
To begin with, let’s travel nearly 6000 miles away to Japan. Over there, anything is possible. Ventile haori (a traditional kimono jacket) and hakama (loose trousers with lots of pleats), are just a few of the many essential pieces that have become associated with men’s style. The possibilities are endless, as colours, patterns and textures all mix in a bid to challenge expectations. Anything new, avant-garde and futuristic can be found in Japan, as men from Japan find a way to balance tradition and culturally-charged clothes with their own ideas of beauty.
Here we can see how a haori can be worn stylishly
Very similarly, men from South Korea also wear very structured clothes which, however, are heavily influenced by the West. It is through the details that Korean men stylistically distance themselves from Western men. Smartly tailored pants, androgynous t-shirts and tight-fitting shirts are the requirements to be “in”. The colour scheme centres around dark shades of grey, blue and black. Although, colours are not the defining feature of clothes. In South Korea, an exquisite cut is what makes the man.
It’s all in the elaborate structure of the clothes
In contrast, if we take a detour to Burma, men’s fashion is still very traditional. The one item of clothing, men, women and children alike wear is a longyi. It is essentially a big piece of cloth wrapped around the waist to create a long skirt. In cotton for everyday life and silk for important events, the longyi is considered the most comfortable of options to wear in the heat.
Rocking that colourful fabric
India is known for its beautiful colours which are also present in traditional fashion. It is once again, not just women who get to enjoy exciting clothes with their elegant saris. Men can also be seen wearing any colour of the rainbow. A refined silk kurta pyjama, perfectly encapsulates tradition with fashion. Once again, the clothes are cut close to the body, apart from the bottoms which allow no obstruction to movement. This means not only do they look fashionable, but they are comfortable too.
The traditional kurta with a modern twist
If there is one thing to remember from this article, it’s that men in Asia all dress according to their own rules of fashion, and they’re all slaying it. Using Asian fashion as a source of inspiration is the next big thing. Asian men know a whole lot about how to rock an outfit with colours, patterns and fabrics, and they know how best to incorporate tradition into fashion in a winning combination that we can’t get enough of.
Photo Credits:
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