For a long while, the modern trend of menswear was all about restraint.
Neutral color schemes, modest tailoring, understated sneakers, and stealth wealth style were staples of menswear trends, red carpet stylings, and discussions in fashion media throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s.
However, over the course of the last year, something has definitely changed.
Maximalism made a comeback in men’s wear. Decorative tailoring, embellishment, rich colors, and other elements of ornamental fashion reappeared across red carpets. However, unlike the previous maximalist period, this revival seems much more intentional – not an exaggeration but rather a well-planned strategy.
To understand how decoration came back to menswear, it is necessary to consider both the change in fashion aesthetics and the evolution of celebrity dressing over the last couple of years.
In particular, the change in celebrity red carpet appearance became very noticeable.
Whereas before Timothée Chalamet’s debut in fashion media, many male celebrities preferred to play it safe with their appearances, opting for classic black suits for special occasions, nowadays there has been a definite shift towards self-expression.
Mr. Chalamet himself became one of the biggest proponents of that change, proving that expressive tailoring is possible even in formal menswear. Metallic materials, jewelry, unconventional silhouettes, and soft tailoring gradually became more accepted within celebrity fashion conversations over the past couple of years. For many fashion observers, this transition reflected a broader shift in the way modern male celebrities approach public image, something visible in one example involving contemporary red carpet styling.
In turn, that means that red carpet fashion is increasingly being seen as an extension of a film character, rather than just a fashionable piece of attire. That is not an accident.
Alongside a visible change in the preferences of male celebrities, luxury fashion houses decided to reintroduce ornamentation in their menswear lines. While in previous seasons most brands went for restraint and minimalistic tailoring, lately brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Loewe, and Valentino have started to use rich textures, layering, and embellishment.
It should also be noted that, as the culture of menswear becomes more linked with entertainment, its definition also becomes more complex.
Today, red carpet stylings are discussed online as film scenes and music video appearances would be. Thus, a celebrity’s red carpet outfit is meant to convey certain mood, style, and personality, rather than simply elegance. This change in fashion culture also played a big role in the acceptance of more decorated menswear.
Social media played an especially significant role in the evolution of menswear aesthetics, encouraging brands to focus on the visuals over the technical details of clothing design. Rich textures, layering, and ornaments attract more online attention on such platforms as Pinterest or Instagram than restrained designs. As a result, fashion brands had to adapt.
At the same time, modern maximalism is different from the maximalist fashion of the 2000s, primarily because of its control. Modern maximalist styles rely more on careful balancing, muted palettes, and controlled silhouettes.
That, in turn, probably helps make those styles less theatrical than in previous cases. Alongside this, another interesting trend took place over the past year: a growing influence of foreign menswear styles in the West.
Over the course of the two most recent fashion cycles of 2025 and 2026, we can clearly see how embroidered clothes, rich silhouettes, heritage-inspired styles, and elaborate tailoring became more and more prevalent among celebrities at various international events.
Several examples from high-profile appearances proved that decorated menswear is not only stylish but masculine, elegant, and contemporary.
Moreover, today’s young male celebrities do not seem to experience the same resistance to decoration that was present in the older generation. For many online communities and forums, visual individuality in fashion is more important than rigid rules of traditional male dressing.
That, in turn, gave fashion brands additional leeway.
Finally, the comeback of maximalism took place during the era of consumer fatigue with extreme minimalism. The style of quiet luxury had become increasingly popular in the past several years. However, as a result, menswear started looking increasingly uniform.
And thus, the change in fashion preferences took place. Men’s fashion did not give up minimalism, instead adding decoration to its vocabulary.