The New Menswear Reality: Choice, Confidence—and Confusion
There has never been a more exciting—or more complicated—time to be a man getting dressed.
As I study the Spring/Summer 2026 collections, one truth becomes unmistakably clear: the modern male wardrobe is undergoing a profound evolution. The rigid dress codes that once defined office wear have dissolved into something far more fluid, expressive, and personal. Yet with that freedom comes a new challenge. Men today are navigating an unprecedented number of choices, and for many, the question is no longer what should I wear? but rather who am I when I get dressed?
This is precisely where Berluti’s SS 2026 collection enters the conversation with authority.
The Parisian house—founded in 1895 (In Italy) and now part of the powerhouse LVMH—has always stood at the intersection of heritage craftsmanship and modern refinement. What impresses me most this season is how confidently the brand addresses the identity crisis facing today’s professional man, whether he’s commuting to a Midtown office, working remotely from home, or boarding a flight for international business.
Berluti isn’t just selling clothes. It’s offering clarity.
SS 2026 Trend Report: Where Menswear Is Headed
From my vantage point as both editor and professor, SS 2026 menswear is moving along three powerful axes:
1. Softened tailoring
2. Elevated casual luxury
3. Texture-driven sophistication
Berluti hits all three with precision.
The Soft Power Suit
The era of stiff, corporate tailoring is effectively over. In its place, we’re seeing what I call soft authority dressing—garments that communicate competence without rigidity.
The Bicolor Knitted Forestière with Leather Details ($3,600) is a perfect case study. The piece carries the DNA of a tailored jacket but is executed in knit, instantly lowering the formality barrier while maintaining polish. For the modern professional navigating hybrid work, this is exactly the kind of wardrobe solution that makes sense.
In my view, this is where the 9-to-5 uniform is heading: structured enough for credibility, relaxed enough for real life.
Color Trends: The Quiet Confidence Palette
If SS 2025 flirted with louder experimentation, SS 2026 is showing a more mature restraint. Berluti leans into what I call quiet confidence color—tones that signal taste rather than shout for attention.
Key directions include:
- Forest greens
- Burnished cognacs
- Deep ocean blues
- Refined neutrals with patina depth
These hues work exceptionally well for men who want versatility across office, travel, and weekend settings. The brand’s mastery of leather patina continues to be its secret weapon, particularly visible in the Leather Aquarelle Patina Un Jour Blouson ($9,800).
From my perspective, this is where Berluti maintains clear differentiation. While many luxury brands chase seasonal color trends, Berluti builds chromatic identity through surface treatment and material depth. It’s subtle—but extremely powerful.
$9,800
Texture Is the New Status Symbol
One of the most important shifts I’m tracking for SS 2026 is the rise of tactile luxury. Logos are fading. Fabric hand-feel is rising.
Berluti understands this instinctively.
The collection leans heavily into:
- Knit structures
- Washed leathers
- Matte-to-gloss patina effects
- Lightweight technical blends
The Blouson Drawstring Trousers ($1,120) exemplify this movement toward hybrid functionality. They bridge the gap between tailoring and leisurewear—exactly where the market is headed.
In my conversations with retailers, the message is consistent: customers are touching garments before they’re even looking at price tags. Texture has become the new language of luxury.
Footwear: Berluti’s Unquestioned Power Category
Let’s be clear—Berluti’s heritage still begins at the foot, and SS 2026 reinforces that dominance.
The footwear lineup speaks directly to the modern man’s lifestyle fragmentation:
- Stellar Sneaker ($1,860) for elevated casual
- New Oslo Ankle Boot ($2,600) for urban polish
- Mont-Thabor Oxford ($2,600) for formal authority
What I find particularly compelling is how the brand avoids the common luxury trap of over-streetwear-ifying its DNA. The sneaker feels like Berluti—not like a brand chasing youth culture.
That distinction matters enormously in today’s market.
The Identity Question Facing Modern Men
Here is where I want to speak directly, from my personal vantage point.
Men today are under quiet pressure. The workplace has blurred. Dress codes have fragmented. Social media has amplified comparison culture. And yet, many men still crave clarity in how they present themselves.
What Berluti SS 2026 does well—very well—is provide a cohesive wardrobe ecosystem.
Consider the accessories:
- 1 Jour De Poche Messenger ($2,670)
- Luti 38 Tote Bag ($5,450)
- Périple Barrel Bag Messenger ($3,450)
These pieces acknowledge a reality I see daily: the modern professional is mobile. He moves between office, airport, home office, and client meetings—often in the same day.
Berluti’s answer is not louder fashion. It is more intelligent luxury.
Has Berluti Kept Its Soul Under LVMH?
This is the question insiders always ask me.
Since joining the LVMH portfolio, Berluti has walked a delicate line between scaling globally and preserving artisanal credibility.
From my analysis of SS 2026, the brand is succeeding—though with careful calibration.
What remains intact:
- Patina expertise
- Leather authority
- Quiet luxury positioning
- Bespoke credibility
What has evolved:
- Broader ready-to-wear relevance
- More lifestyle-driven silhouettes
- Greater global accessibility
Importantly, Berluti has resisted the temptation to become overly logo-driven or trend-chasing. In today’s crowded luxury field, restraint is a competitive advantage.
Office Wear in 2026: The Hybrid Wardrobe
If there is one lesson retailers and consumers must understand, it is this:
The 9-to-5 wardrobe is now a 24-hour wardrobe.
Men are demanding pieces that can:
- Transition from Zoom to boardroom
- Travel comfortably
- Maintain polish under movement
- Express individuality without excess
Berluti’s SS 2026 collection addresses this through what I call modular sophistication—pieces that layer, adapt, and travel seamlessly.
From an editorial standpoint, this is exactly where the market opportunity lies.
My Final Take
After reviewing the collection in depth, my conclusion is clear.
Berluti SS 2026 does not scream for attention—and that is precisely its strength.
In a menswear landscape crowded with noise, logos, and fleeting hype cycles, Berluti is doubling down on something far more enduring: cultivated confidence.
For the modern man navigating an era of overwhelming choice, that message resonates deeply. Yes, the abundance of options in 2026 is empowering. But it is also disorienting. Brands that provide clarity—real, wearable clarity—will win.
Berluti understands that the future of menswear is not about dressing louder.
It’s about dressing smarter.
And from where I sit, the house is stepping into Spring/Summer 2026 with exactly the right stride.
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