THE JOURNAL
Here at MR PORTER, we’ll always advocate for statement dressing. That one bold look. A striking hue or silhouette. One item in your arsenal that really says something new. But we also appreciate the desire for a uniform. The premium staples that fit into your wardrobe and never go out of style. One man who appreciates this desire for duality in menswear is Thom Browne.
The American designer, who founded his namesake label in 2001, is renowned for its distinctive tailoring – cropped cuts and a largely regimented colour palette helped him craft his trademark shrunken grey suit that became his defining look. For the past 25 years, various incarnations of it have been worn by the designer and countless artists and sporting greats looking to make a statement.
You will undoubtedly be familiar with Browne’s starrier moments: actor Oscar Isaac at the Met Gala in a tailcoat dress; Barcelona FC in a spiced-up, cropped trousers take on the team suit; rapper Doechii performing (and winning) at this year’s Grammys in a radical reimagining of Browne’s grey uniform. All of this has seen Browne much garlanded. The Council of Fashion Designers of America named him their designer of the year three times. Most recently, GQ called him the coolest designer around.
Big moments aside, Browne is also a master of the more day-to-day uniform. The brand creates smart, premium staples, taking the familiar pillars of American menswear and adding a playful or preppy twist. Its AW25 collection is a case in point. There are lively interpretations of the signature Thom Browne suit in the mix, which sees heritage tweeds paired with sheer stockings. But there is plenty here to elevate the low-key side of your wardrobe, too.
“There is something beautiful about a uniform that almost looks as if you don’t think about it in the morning”
A bomber may already feel like a no-brainer staple but given the Thom Browne treatment – cropped short and boxy – this collegiate jacket is sharp and distinctive, crafted from full-grain leather and featuring the brand’s signature 4-bar stripes on the sleeves. There’s a nice touch of quarter back shoulders in the cut and it’s pleasingly narrower at the waist.
Mr Browne’s motto is to keep things simple like this. “There is something beautiful about creating a uniform for yourself so that it almost looks as if you don’t think about it in the morning,” he once told MR PORTER. “There is nothing worse than someone who looks as if he tries too hard.”
The philosophy – and Browne’s adage that it’s up to the guy to decide if and how he pairs the brand’s pieces – is evident in his latest work. Gingham features widely in the designer’s AW25 collection and here in the guise of this preppy long-sleeved check shirt, the pattern makes a great team up with the burgundy jacket.
As the man says, you do you. If you want to go full Thom Browne uniform, these straight-leg trousers evoke the classic brand silhouette and can be paired with a matching suit jacket. But as advocates for expert tailoring whatever the occasion, we suggest wearing with the bomber for an everyday uniform that’s classic and elevated – and distinctively Thom Browne.