The Tamesis
Size inclusivity in men’s clothing has become almost non-existent. But for some reason, in the fall and winter of 2026, it declined again.
After experiencing a sharp decline in SS26, this season’s data confirms that the pullback is not a one-off, but part of an ongoing decline. fashion business 55 Fall/Winter 2026 menswear shows and speeches evaluated fashion showand contact each brand to verify the findings (brands have 48 hours to respond). Of the 2,523 looks in Milan and Paris, only 0.2% featured plus-size models, down from 0.3% last season. Medium sizes fell from 1.2% to 0.8% (compared to 4.8% last season), while straight shapes increased from 98.5% last season to 99% this season.
“I’m surprised to see models in Paris looking thin again, and disappointed that some designers aren’t including larger men in their castings,” said fashion critic Philippe Pourhashemi. “Some shows feature older men – which is fine – but they’re also thin. If fashion wants to stay relevant, it needs to start including people of all sizes, and I think it also shows how out of touch some brands are with their real consumers, who are often not sample size.”
“It feels terrible, not progressive at all, and even regressive in some shows because some models are painfully thin,” said Hetty Mahlich, editor of SHOWstudio. “We see the most diverse body types in Willy Chavarria and LGN, but even so, it’s still a very ideal, safe image of the male body, which says a lot about the state of menswear right now.”
Industry observers say this reflects a general abandonment of short-lived diversity commitments after early reviews. “The men’s season hasn’t really adopted [size inclusivity] That’s all. But through other tours in previous seasons, I noticed that the brand really stood out in two or three seasons [due to the lack of size diversity] “The effort to include more shapes seems to have been abandoned right now,” said consultant and content creator Brett Staniland, who oversees the menswear shows. “I think it’s also similar to the culture right now, with the ozone epidemic and questionable beauty standards that almost always ripple through the industry.”
The lack of diversity is particularly evident in Milan, where, like last season, there are no plus or medium sizes at all. Industry observers pointed to not only a lack of size diversity but also the return of ultra-thin tailoring as a mainstream aesthetic, with some singling out Prada’s tailored and ultra-slim garments. Elsewhere, Dolce & Gabbana sparked discussion online with its “Portraits of a Man” fashion show, which aimed to showcase the many facets of masculinity but instead featured an all-white, straight-size cast of models.
