THE URBAN EXPLORER

THE URBAN EXPLORER

A Careful selection of upcoming trends for menswear ss19

 Young and trendy, the Urban Explorer is slowly conquering the catwalks of most menswear collections. The great variety of originally reinterpreted pieces leaves no doubt that this style will be the peak of the SS19 season. In just a few months, you’ll be able to follow this New Man on his way to the Institute of Contemporary Art, where he’ll be lifting his lanyard bag to show his tickets, soon after posing for his Instagram page that just reached 20 thousand followers . At Inventory we’ve researched and carefully studied on him for days, and we can now present to you The List, a carefully chosen selection of his trendiest accessories and garments. 

1. BUCKET HAT

A little bit fisherman-comes-to-town, a little bit of a return to the nineties, and a taste of British colonizer: this newly discovered hat just has it all. As seen in the collections of Valentino and Fendi, and they are already starting to appear on the most fashion-tuned heads in the city. 

1. LANYARD BAG

Maybe it’s not the most practical accessory of all, but surely the male version of the mini bag is indispensable in your wardrobe. Very easily styled, this saddle reference to the culture of music festivals will make the difference in your outfit, and maybe, who knows, this will be an opportunity to do a little bit of feng-shui in your bag, too…

1. FACE MASK 

Remember the good old days when pollution was not a problem, and everyone breathed clean, healthy air? Neither do we. But a solution exists, and it’s finally not just an exclusive to Chinese bikers. Dolce&Gabbana docet, and we learned that even the symbol of a disaster such as the greenhouse effect can turn into a fashion trend: take a common face mask, paint it black and add some silver studs …voilà, the trend is set. 

1. BUM BAGS 

To those who really can’t stand limiting the content of their bags to a credit card and one single key, the solution comes from the catwalks of Louis Vuitton, Heron Preston, and Billion. Invented in the Middle Ages, the “sac banane” keeps coming back in fashion with new styles and characteristics. With the Urban Explorer, we’ll see it conquering the streets with its sporty and cool attitude. 

1. UTILITY POCKET

A second solution to the limited space offered by lanyard. A-Cold-Wall, Acne Studio and Per Götesson teach us how to turn practical into fashionable: the more pockets, the merrier.

1. ONE SHOULDER BACKPACK 

With its undeniably interesting structure, this deconstructed backpack certainly offers a new alternative to the same Eastpack everyone has. A must have for those who enjoy spicing up their outfits every now and then. 

1. DAD SOCKS 

To be worn with trainers, sandals or flip flops. Born from the Houses of Pringle of Scotland and Burlington, it has been a growing trend for quite a while now. After multiple people tried them, they have found their final allocation in the wardrobe of the true Urban Explorer. 

       08-SANDALS

             Whether they are made of leather with central buckles or of a vibrant yellow sponge                                                                                                       

             fabric, sandals will always be a must-have for the summer. 

09PRINTS 

      Discover the endless possibilities of print. Next summer, every man on the street will be making a statement with their extravaganza: make sure you will be one of the first people to follow the trend and run on Valentino’s site to buy one of their amazing logo jackets.

10- OVERSIZED EVERYTHING 

Havaiana shirts are back in vogue, and if you style them with a long sleeves shirt underneath you’ll have reached fashionable and comfortable-a much loved combination. Take inspiration from the catwalks of Marni for your look, and book a ticket to Miami: summer is served. 

IT ALL STARTED…

…In the late 80’s, when Sugar Hill Gang’s Big Bank Hank wore a bucket hat in a rap video-the same hat was later brought back to life when Jeremy Scott launched a bucket hat in 2016 that was inspired by the legendary Guns n’ Roses. 

As BritPop rised, the Festival Mania of the 90’s got contagious, and Havaiana shirts, and lanyard bags became must-haves among youngsters: Oasis, Radiohead and The La’s are just few of the bands to which we now owe the “Urban Explorer”. 

Another great influence to the Inventory’s Urban Explorer can be found in modern workwear. “Utility pockets and loose fitting garments are directly derived from workwear”, says Valeria Anastasio, fashion design student at IED in Rome, and she adds: “I think it’s fantastic that we are now able to compare brands such as Fendi and Valentino to emerging brands such as A-Cold-Wall or Heron Preston. It’s refreshing to see such a thorough analysis of patterns, fabrics and colours, and so many garments being reinvented from workwear into streetwear”.