When New York Men’s Day and New York Fashion Week wrapped in early September, attendees came away with plenty of Spring ’25 menswear options that featured fresh denim and environmentally-conscious fibers like cotton.
Seersucker, eyelet, jersey, poplins, and denim in all manner of silhouettes were on display in both presentations and runway shows. Styles included suitings, men’s skirts, gender fluid tops and bottoms, casual pants, coveralls, embellished denim, and eye-catching knits.
Denim is practical. We all know denim. We all love it. And now this is just another execution of it. So, denim is probably the main textile we’re offering for spring. We also have a lot of cotton poplin and some organza. But denim is like it, right?
Aaron Potts, Designer, A. Potts
The A. Potts collection included men in tie-dyed coveralls, breezy eyelet drawstring jacket tops and oversized V-neck pullovers with wide-leg bottoms.
“I don’t generally like trends,” Aaron Potts, the collection’s designer, told the Lifestyle Monitor™ at the New York Men’s Day show. “I think there are things that are sort of in the zeitgeist and I don’t necessarily always want to be a part of that. So, I literally just do whatever I feel from my heart and soul, and what I feel I need. Or I think about what would look great on my friends — and then I do that.”
And for Potts, “that” always includes natural fibers and, for spring 2025, denim.
“Cotton denim is the main fabric this season,” Potts said. “I love this idea of taking things that are sort of simple and then elevating them. Denim is practical. We all know denim. We all love it. And now this is just another execution of it. So, denim is probably the main textile we’re offering for spring. We also have a lot of cotton poplin and some organza. But denim is like it, right?”
Denim jeans are actually men’s top apparel choice out of other clothing to wear out to dinner (40 percent), to wear for work (39 percent), and for running errands (37 percent), according to Cotton Incorporated’s 2023 Global Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey. It’s also the favorite choice among men (33 percent) when they want to look and feel good in their outfit. And when men say they “just want to be comfortable,” denim is in the top three at 21 percent, behind athletic shorts/pants (26 percent), and joggers/sweatpants (22 percent).
Earthling is another brand that presented at New York Men’s Day, and it brought biker/rock star energy to the proceedings. The collection is designed by LA-based designers Earth (Hannah Crockett) and Nicholas (Baier – he prefers first-name only status). Earth said the Spring ’25 collection was inspired by Prince, Michael Jackson, and Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation energy.
“Denim and leather are kind of our main staples in this collection,” Earth told the Lifestyle Monitor™ in an interview at the show. “The tapered leg is giving that rock energy, and I think that’s really coming back now. Also, the application process in things like hand detailing is really being appreciated again. And this season, we used a lot of hand-painting, hand-beaded embroidery, hand applique. It’s elevated and really luxury.”
Earthling pieces included hand-painted tees, hand-studded, raw-edge denim shorts as well as a denim jacket and jeans made of 200 sections of vintage Levi’s jeans that were cut and sewn together.
“We’ve been working with vintage natural fabrics for 8 or 9 years and that’s where our core is kind of set,” Earth said. “Also, these fabrics are the best to wear, they’re the comfiest and they’re sustainable. And we really wanted to embody that in this season.”
The majority of male consumers (80 percent) say cotton clothing is the most sustainable, highest quality (75 percent) and longest lasting (61 percent), according to the 2023 Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey. Further, nearly 8 in 10 male consumers (79 percent) say better quality garments are made from all-natural fibers such as cotton. Another 70 percent of men say they would rather buy apparel that is higher in quality than more fashionable (24 percent).
Durable, natural fabrics were also on display at the Stan presentation, which featured antique textiles and sustainable deadstock at the Men’s Day show. Designed by Tristan Detwiler, the LA-based brand exudes laid-back Southern California style but with a dash of global heritage.
“My whole collection is based on sustainability,” Detwiler told the Lifestyle Monitor™ in an interview at the NYMD show. “And I think natural fibers have the ability to be better for the planet. And I’m looking forward – for the planet.”
More than 4 in 10 male consumers (43 percent) say sustainability or environmental friendliness is important to them when deciding on the clothing they plan to purchase, according to the 2022 Monitor™ research.
The Stan collection included a selection of shorts, light jackets, button-front shirts, suitings, and cardigan sweaters – all made from vintage fabrications.
“I’m on a constant treasure hunt for antique textiles to use in my practice,” Detwiler said. “Using deadstock is more of my commercial approach to this sustainable fashion. So, it’s taking things from the one-off pieces and making it more of a commercial, viable endeavor.”
Potts said natural fibers tick a lot of boxes when it comes to his design approach.
“It’s good for the environment but it also doesn’t take away from our creative expression,” he said. “That’s really the idea, that we have to think about fashion not just from how we look, but how it actually works in the context of the world we’re in. And the world that we’re in right now is kind of in a hard place. So, we have to be very cognizant of that.
“The other thing is, I want to design things that people want to keep,” Potts continued. I don’t want things that are like, ‘Oh, this season is done, let’s toss it.’ I want to design things that people fall in love with and keep for a long time. I want them to fight themselves from putting it on because it’s their favorite thing. The more you use it, the more value it has.”