Gentlemen wear brown and fear the Brexit just as anyone else!!!

London has been the centuries old destination for gentlemen wear. Its famous tailors; designers and image builders have made a star of more than one rather plain looking man. Custom shirts with monograms; embroidered handkerchiefs and brown loafers over a navy blue jacket are part and parcel of elegant London outfitters. In 2014, global sales for  menswear grew by 4.5 percent reaching US$440 billion.

By 2019, menswear will contribute close to US$40 billion in the global apparel market. Men’s shirts, jeans and jackets and coats will lead sales between 2014-2019. And while women keep the reputation of being the best shoppers, men are silently taking over. They however prefer cyber escapades overmall walks.

And considering that, all over the world, men earn 50% more than women and that salaries are on the rise for careers yet to be penetrated by women such as software writers; code builders and 3-D imaging engineers one can safely bet that men’s wear sales will continue to rise.

This already is evident in the growth of online sales as recorded in the attached table were men’s clothes showed the greatest gain from 2010 to 2015. They however will break well established patterns of elegance and taste. Brown suits for example are no longer reviled in so far as accessories tone the color down and shirts, socks and handkerchiefs lean on pastel colors.

Laid back clothes are the fastest growing item while sales of men’s suits have shown a decline of about 21% since 2001. Again brown reigns supreme in this category as is easier to combine with other colors. Millennials construct their personality through, among other means, their clothing. Casual and nerdy is their preferred look.

London continues to reign supreme as the capital city of taste for gentlemen clothing, but several trends might scratch this time honored reign. First party popper has been Burberry which decided not to participate in the men’s fashion week in favor of co-ed catwalks.

Second, there is Brexit. Should the UK chose to depart from the EU, UK clothing industry with its 65% imported component might feel the pinch. And should the pinch translate itself into higher prices and fewer choices perhaps one glitterati too many will decide to switch destination to find the perfect outfit.