Fendi’s Spring 2022 Menswear Collection Is Bringing Back the Men’s Crop Top and ‘Mandal’

Anyone who argues that fashion isn’t exciting anymore might not be looking at the men’s section.

Over the past few years, the menswear market has seen gone through a seismic aesthetic shift, looking anew to genderless and even feminine ideas that not so long ago seemed over-the-top or too costume-like for the average man.

Now, Fendi has added to the conversation. At its spring ’22 men’s runway show on Saturday during Milan Men’s Fashion Week (which returned to in-person events), the Italian luxury brand presented a sophisticated, pastel-hued line that was far dressier than the last season. It also offered a look at how gender-bending details could be mixed in with key menswear staples for a new, progressive look.

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The most statement-making were the crop tops. Pastel suit jackets were chopped off abruptly in the middle, paired with lower-rise trousers (cut in the relaxed fit that has been trending the past few seasons, hemline pooled at the bottom). Another look showed a mint green suit with full jacket and relaxed tapered trousers paired with a sporty crop top underneath, a silhouette and styling technique not uncommon to contemporary women’s collections. Punctuated with sporty sandals, sunglasses and a slicked-back hairstyle, it was the epitome of genderless dressing in 2021.

About that sandal:  It was in full effect on Fendi’s runway, a continuation of its appearance over the past handful of seasons and a sure sign that it will not be going away even in 2022. They came in greens and pinks and soft neutrals, sometimes paired with anklet chains, other times worn with floral patterned trousers for a more feminine effect. A series of soft loafers

To be clear, this is not the first time in history that men’s fashion has veered into crop tops, strappy sandals or anything that is currently defined as feminine, for that matter. Throughout history, menswear has ebbed and flowed in its decorum. Today, it seems to be on the up again.