Jeremy Allen White arrives at Paris CDG airport. Photo: Getty Images Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story In July, Heated Rivalry actor Hudson Williams was spotted in Seoul wearing a pair of calf-length white shorts from Descalco, a new swimwear brand that launches this week. Founded by Lucas di Matteo, Descalco’s name means ‘barefoot’ in Portuguese and is entering the resortwear market with a trio of tailored swim shorts.
It comes at the right time. No longer restricted to Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops, the male vacation wardrobe has matured and expanded, and men are ready to spend on it. According to data from Clearpay, men in the UK now spend 7% more than women on their vacation wardrobes — on average £420 each per year.
That spending is not necessarily going toward traditional holiday staples, but on versatile items that indicate a much broader potential for the category. As men travel more frequently, spend more time on fitness, and are more comfortable experimenting with clothing, vacation dressing has emerged as a major category, and presents a lucrative opportunity for menswear brands that can adapt.
“Men have largely moved on from an old pair of board shorts, and a suncream-stained T-shirt for the beach,” says Daniel Todd, Mr Porter’s buying director, who adds that resortwear is becoming an increased focus for the menswear retailer. “They want to look a bit more put together even when they are in holiday mode.”
Justin Felizzari, who runs Cueva, a multi-brand boutique with locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, has noticed a big shift both in how guys vacation and how they shop for it. “They are going to nicer hotels, more luxurious properties and destinations, and they’re thinking more about how they want to look while they’re there,” he says.
Instead of buying swim shorts and a camp-collar shirt, guys are more granular with their purchasing decisions. “They are almost shopping by each moment now,” says Felizzari. “They come in thinking, ‘OK, what am I wearing on the flight, what am I wearing walking around during the day, what am I wearing to dinner?’ They’re thinking about the whole trip now rather than just saying ‘I need some vacation clothes’.”
Will Stevens, an engineer in NYC, is one of them. “I noticed over the last year or so that I was putting off regular purchases so that I was able to commit to a bigger splurge on more expensive items than I usually would,” he says, adding that he hit up Nordstrom to invest in summer-appropriate pieces from Rick Owens and JKeefer that he wore on a “trip extravaganza” around Paris, Cape Town and Stockholm.
Frescobol Carioca, which began by selling beach bats and then swimwear, has expanded into wider wardrobe categories, now spanning pajama trousers and Panama hats to suede slippers and linen tailoring. “Building the wardrobe beyond swimwear has consequently become our single biggest driver of growth,” says co-founder Harry Brantly. “Men will invest in relaxed trousers, linen shirts, knitted polos and beautifully made footwear because these pieces can move from the [holiday] back into their everyday wardrobe. The trip may trigger the purchase, but versatility justifies the investment.”
“The main thing I think about before buying [clothes] for a holiday is making sure I’m going to wear the item after the holiday, even if it is a little more adventurous,” says William Panday, a former professional rugby player who lives in London. The 25-year-old recently bought…