Seasons change, trends flux, and what’s in one day is out the next. Despite the cyclical trends in fashion, certain men’s clothing essentials are a must-have in the transitional months of 2022. Transitional season simply refers to clothes that seamlessly transition you from winter into spring, without having to buy a whole new wardrobe. The idea of transitional dressing is pretty simple — you buy a few new items, mix them in with your winter wardrobe, adopt a few rules to styling them, edit out some strictly winter-only items, and you are set.

“Every year, our wardrobes go through an awkward phase that’s caught in between the changing seasons. One should always consider and invest in building a multi-functional wardrobe. A formal shirt will gain a new life, and wide-leg jeans are always welcome. Deconstruct and experiment,” explains fashion designer Siddhant Agrawal.

With the 2020 pandemic takeover, we saw fashion houses going seasonless, which created a huge impact on how we consume fashion. “I personally believe fashion is moving towards being seasonless in order to encourage sustainability in fashion. Hence, one can see patrons buying garments with fabrics and silhouettes that can very comfortably transcend seasons and be wearable through the year,” opines Arnav Malhotra, the founder and creative director of No Grey Area, a brand that specialises in outerwear.

Layering during winter is fun, but during transition season, layering is as important for looking good as it is for dealing with the moody temperatures. Designer Yadvi Aggarwal of Yavi explains, “While transitioning to spring, there are a few essentials you should have on hand to transition seamlessly from winter to spring, for both practicality and style purposes. The must-have staples for right now are denim jackets and outerwear, scarves, and shackets.”

Uniqlo’s LifeWear philosophy focuses on clothing that’s constantly being innovated and improved, bringing better design and comfort to people’s lives. In the transitional months, the brand offers versatile in-between seasons staples that meet the requirements of changing weather conditions such as the ultra-stretch skinny jeans to selvedge to EZY Jeans, 3D Knit, which is a seamlessly constructed knitwear that feels smooth and comfortable against the skin.

“An easy way to do this is through the technique of layering. It is the most practical and aesthetic choice in which one must invest their time and effort. Use your summer tees in breathable fabric as the first layer, topped up by an unzipped bomber jacket. Trench coats on top of a long shirt or an oversized tee worn as a dress are another option when it comes to layering. Sweatshirts, too, are a great choice during transitional weather since they’re usually a bit oversized and tend to be more breathable and comfortable while keeping you warm,” recommends Malhotra.

Speaking of key pieces for this season, Aggarwal recommends sweater vests styled with shirts, scarfs, or wearing corduroy pants as they are perfect in taking the best from both worlds to make a legwear option that’s both comfortable and presentable. “Tailored sweatpants are the merging of streetwear and high-fashion, and look every bit stylish, another option to add to your transitional wardrobe. Lastly, knitted T-shirts, as the proportions, fabrications, and textures will be really chic,” he adds.

“If I were to pick five items to build my transitional closet moving from colder to slightly warmer months, that would be a denim jacket, mesh knit shirts or T-shirts, denims pants and joggers with a pop of colour and details, and some darker tone oversized printed shirts, styling them with some chic accessories such as rings and bracelets and necklace,” says Agrawal.

The entire idea of curating a transitional wardrobe is to invest in clothes that last you long. “Layering always works because you can dress up or down with the changing weather throughout the day. Comfort needs to take priority regardless of the season. Pick things that are an extension of your personality. you can never go wrong with that. Buy products that are not confined to use only during a particular season. This is an extremely sustainable fashion choice to make. Avoid overcomplicating. The weather may be tricky, but what you pick from your wardrobe needn’t be. Keep things simple and pick what feels most comfortable and like yourself,” suggests Malhotra.

“Men can include outwear such as a utility parka with multiple interior and exterior pockets for leisure or daily wear. Blocktech Parka which can be worn at any temperature with key features such as water repellent and windproof or a classic and comfortable denim work jacket for casual styling,” recommends Uniqlo India.

Spring 2022 will introduce wardrobes to some of the dreamiest, wearable colours like lilac, canary yellow, sky blue, and hot pink, thinks Aggarwal, when asked about the hues that will dominate the transitional season. Whereas, Malhotra opines, “One would see people experiment with hues of primary and secondary colours like cloud blue, slate grey, terracotta orange, sea green and earthy browns as they transition between seasons.”

And that’s how you do transitional wear.

KEY PIECES TO ADD ON:

● SLEEVELESS BUNDI BOMBER
● KNITTED T-SHIRTS
● OVERSIZED T-SHIRTS
● DENIM JACKET
● SWEATER VESTS