The rise of the Utilitarian Trend in Menswear

Utilitarian fashion, in a nutshell, is the combination of function and comfortability. Initially, this trend was inspired by military wear and police wear. However, the style has quickly evolved into something that men and women alike can wear. Utilitarianism has aspects of hardware, tech wear, loungewear and unorthodox fabrics.

Now, that last statement may sound crazy: when we think of all those trends combined, it creates a confused image in your head. However, this style has become not only wearable, but stylish and visually appealing. Because of this, the Utilitarian trend is not your conventional lacklustre trend that comes and goes. It is here to stay, amongst the long-lasting trends such as denim and leather jackets.

Dior FW19
White Mountaineering FW19
C2H4 SS20

Defining the beginning of a trend can be difficult, however it is said that the ‘Chest Rig’ from Miu Miu’s 1999 Collection may have started it all.

“I wanted to try to push some freedom into the men’s clothes” – Miuccia Prada

From there, styles such as the cargo pants, camouflage print, ‘rollercoaster belts’, wallet chains, oversized silhouettes, pockets, and bumbags have been plentiful.