The Best Menswear of the Year, From Hermès Leather to Dolce & Gabbana Eveningwear

Now approaching two centuries of creating the most coveted leather goods around, Hermès gets plenty of attention for its bags—for good reason—but don’t sleep on the house’s other categories. The struggle to get your hands on a HAC or Bolide is real, but any frustrations should vanish the moment you slip into a three-quarter-length leather trench or sit down to toil at a calfskin-wrapped desk. Nobody does it better. 

An indispensable garment for a certain segment of professional males, the vest is, frankly, quite practical. So why not sport the best? Enter Brunello Cucinelli, who can be relied upon for functional, warm layers in a spectrum of luxurious fabrics and fillings, from padded suede to virgin wool. Never too bulky, any of the brand’s offerings will elevate your look, even when you’re dressing down and raising an eyebrow at anyone who still thinks designer ties are a requisite office flex. 

Unlike most luxury eyewear brands, N.Y.C.-based Morgenthal Frederics, founded in 1913, is anything but mass-produced. The firm is renowned for its masterful work with water-buffalo horn, which artisans craft into some of the finest unique spectacles and sunglasses around. It also chooses its collaborators carefully—most recently partnering with Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, for whom frames featuring rare woods and enamel temple details were fashioned. 

Statement ties dominated the fall runways, from wider cuts and heftier fabrics to unexpected materials such as suede. But in the rarefied menswear sphere that Cesare Attolini occupies, nothing is merely tacked on. Where lapel widths shift, so too do shirt collars and neckwear. It’s a sartorial system rooted in the utmost artistry and precision, and everything is handmade in Naples. An Attolini tie, even solo, is a thing of beauty, with signature seven-fold and unlined styles that are incredibly light and rich fabrics in classic (but bold) patterns that feel oh-so au courant. Slip one on, and you’re not just wearing a tie—you’re stepping into a tradition of timeless Neapolitan elegance. 

During Pitti Uomo in January, the phrase “suited and booted” took on additional meaning on the streets of Florence, where Chelsea boots, paired with traditional tailoring, surprisingly provided the most directional looks. Standard issue they were not, with many a man opting for Cuban heels and daring toe shapes. French house Berluti, which happens to be celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, offers the full spectrum with its lineup featuring a snipped Western-inspired toe and a bicolor patina leather that is hand-painted by Italian artisans. 

On the occasion of Turnbull & Asser’s 140th anniversary, it’s worth looking back at what has made the Jermyn Street institution a household name in menswear. The firm is established as a go-to for legendary gentlemen in real life and on the big screen, from Winston Churchill’s Siren Suit, which enabled the prime minister to get presentable in a hurry during WWII air raids, to Robert Redford’s plethora of pastel shirting in The Great Gatsby. It has wardrobed many James Bonds—remakes of Sean Connery’s baby-blue dress shirts and Daniel Craig’s tuxedo shirt from Casino Royale are now part of its regular collection. For virtually anything else, the bespoke service is the way to go—as King Charles III can attest: The monarch granted a fresh royal warrant to the company’s bespoke manager, James Cook, last summer. 

As with most things Dunhill, and certainly under the direction of Simon Holloway, second glances and closer inspections are always warranted: This is a house that relishes the finer details. We’ve touched on the merits of the tailoring, the knitwear, and even the antique timepieces, but the leather goods are also notable. With such a storied name, there’s plenty to be mined from the archives. The roomy weekenders, which starred in the spring 2025 collection, feature details such as whipstitched handles that call to mind wrapped steering wheels. (Dunhill was famously a custom outfitter of early automobile interiors.) Fabric-scroll luggage tags are housed inside decorative hardware, and zip-top closures are perfectly designed to cradle Dunhill’s pewter-handled umbrellas. 

Guests at Isaia’s fall 2025 show during Milan men’s week in January were in for a surprise: womenswear. The female models sent out were not mere props in skirts and dresses to contrast with the men’s suiting. They, too, wore the pants in a harmonious collection that celebrated the best of Isaia’s tailoring know-how and spoke to the brand’s Neapolitan roots: elegant leather trousers paired with knitwear belted at the waist and classic relaxed outerwear like this olive robe coat. Sprezzatura at its finest! 

Given the house’s hallmark refined silhouettes, Loro Piana may not be the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of “gear”—and yet it should be. The famed Italian fabric mill turned luxury behemoth doesn’t produce anything without purpose: It has cemented its reputation as a go-to for serious sailors and equestrians as well as for stylish customers the world over who appreciate the merits of water- resistant cashmere, which it pioneered with its Storm System in 1994. Another subtle example of its practical luxury: the suede-trimmed Roadster jacket, created in 2004 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, featuring a spring clip inside a front pocket for your car keys, strategic sleeve pleating for ease of movement while steering, and gusseted pockets—the better to accommodate your driving gloves. Its latest incarnation, in oatmeal silk linen, is an ideal transition piece when it comes time to flee the city for your weekend place during the warmer months. 

A more iconic duo than baseball and apple pie? MLB and Ralph Lauren. The designer is no stranger to merch, having successfully outfitted the U.S. Olympic team since 2008, and thank goodness for that. Not everyone, despite their team pride, is looking to sport a shapeless replica jersey. Fortunately, Lauren has delivered again with tasteful intarsia knits, satin jackets, and, of course, some polo shirts for good measure. The brand even took the collection abroad in March for a special activation at Shibuya Miyashita Park for the MLB Tokyo Series. 

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana love a theme, whether they’re channeling the Amalfi Coast or Sicily into their designs. But amid all the Sorrento-lemon and majolica-tile prints, it’s easy for one to lose sight of the tailoring savoir faire. (Dolce, after all, grew up in his father’s sartoria, Italian for tailoring shop.) The brand’s fall 2025 collection provided a welcome reminder via 20 models with pomade- slicked hair clad in as many iterations of black-tie from its Sartoria range. (Don’t miss the dedicated custom space at the label’s new Madison Avenue boutique.) From asymmetric shawl collars to satin obi belts to an ascot revival, all offset by well-placed statement brooches, the effect was at the same time old Hollywood and modern. 

Model: Jislain Duval
Grooming: Kazuto Shimomura 
Style Editor: Naomi Rougeau 
Photo Director: Irene Opezzo 
Digital Tech: Maxwell Short
First Photo Assistant: Matthew Perino