GQ Style Spring/Summer 2014 was a special seasonal edition of GQ magazine focusing entirely on men's fashion trends for the spring and summer seasons of 2014. This comprehensive style guide presented thirty distinct fashion trends, organized as chapters, alongside profiles of style icons who influenced the season's looks. The issue served as both a practical guide to contemporary menswear and an exploration of the global influences shaping men's fashion during this period.
{{Pullquote From Hiroki Nakamura (founder of Visvim) in the "The New Blue to Dye For" section about indigo: "No two indigo-dyed garments are the same. None. When you look at one of our shirts or an antique indigo blanket from Japan, you can see the print of the people who made it. It comes from a time when people made clothes for themselves and their families. It was made with love then—it's made with love now."}} {{Pullquote From Jim Nelson's editorial introduction: "Think of this special edition as a road map to a more stylish you, something you can look at again and again and draw inspiration from. And that's the plan, really. That looking your best will become your new normal."}}
Background and Concept
The Spring/Summer 2014 edition marked the formalization of "GQ Style: What to Wear Now" as a biannual special edition within the GQ publishing universe. As explained in editor-in-chief Jim Nelson's introduction, a similar style-focused special issue had been published in 2013, and based on positive reader response, the publication decided to make it a twice-yearly offering. Nelson described the concept as "an act of translation" that took "the big, fat, wildly inventive, sometimes intimidating world of fashion and break[s] it down into claimable parts."
The issue was designed to be more book-like than magazine-like in its approach, with clearly defined chapters covering the thirty most significant trends of the season. Nelson specifically asked readers not to call it a "bookazine," emphasizing its substantive, reference-worthy nature.
Editorial Team
The magazine's masthead listed the following key staff members:
- Jim Nelson: Editor-in-Chief
- Fred Woodward: Design Director
- Jim Moore: Creative Director
- Will Welch: Senior Editor, Style
- Ted Stafford: Fashion Market Director
- Kelly McCabe: Fashion Editor
- Matthew Sebra: Style Editor, GQ.com
- Benjamin Bours and John Munoz: Designers
- Dora Somosi: Director of Photography
- Jolanta Bielat: Photo Editor
- Michael Allin: Associate Photo Editor
The issue also listed multiple feature writers, researchers, copy editors, and business staff.
Structure and Content
Overall Organization
The magazine was organized around 30 numbered fashion trends, with four "Influencers" features interspersed throughout. The trends were grouped roughly by type (suits, accessories, casual wear, etc.) and represented global fashion influences, with each trend assigned a country of origin.
Table of Contents
The magazine included an "Itinerary" (table of contents) that listed all 30 trends with their corresponding page numbers and countries of origin. The trends were:
- The Suit Color of the Season is... Color (Italy), p. 40
- The Confident Man's Collar (UK), p. 44
- The Blazer with Twice the Blaze (Italy), p. 46
- The New Blue to Dye For (Japan), p. 50
- Rain Slickers That Won't Wash Out (USA), p. 54
- The Influencers: David Hockney (UK), p. 56
- The Right to Bare Arms (USA), p. 62
- Full-Frontal Cargos (UK), p. 64
- The Suited-Down Look (USA), p. 66
- The No-More-Apologies Man Bag (Global), p. 68
- Your New Scarf is a Bandanna (USA), p. 72
- The Influencers: Serge Gainsbourg (France), p. 74
- The Shirt Formerly Known as Prints (France), p. 80
- The (Actually Useful) Utility Jacket (UK), p. 84
- The Next Generation of Seersucker Suits (USA), p. 86
- This Season's Bucket List (Ireland), p. 90
- Skin is In (and That Means Shorts) (Bermuda), p. 92
- The Influencers: 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' (Italy), p. 96
- A Shade Past Wayfarers (USA), p. 104
- The Two-Tone Thing (UK), p. 106
- Made in the Suede (Global), p. 112
- The Badass Banker Suit (UK), p. 114
- The Return of the Hawaiian Shirt (USA), p. 118
- The Influencers: Toshiro Mifune (Japan), p. 122
- The Deep Dark Style of the Dive Watch (Global), p. 128
- The Retro Cardigan (UK), p. 130
- The Air Tie (Japan), p. 132
- Fashion Sweatpants. Yes, Fashion Sweatpants. (USA), p. 136
- Rockabilly Chic (USA), p. 138
- The Influencers: Elvis Presley (USA), p. 140
- Jeans That Can Take You Anywhere (Italy), p. 148
- Preppy Plaid for the People (UK), p. 150
- Dress Shirts with That Summer Cool (USA), p. 152
- The Second Coming of the Jesus Sandal (Italy), p. 156
- The Graphic Swimsuit (USA), p. 158
Introduction by Jim Nelson
The editor-in-chief's introduction explained the concept behind the special issue, describing it as a "road map to a more stylish you" and "something you can look at again and again and draw inspiration from." Nelson positioned the issue as a practical guide that would help readers navigate the "ginormous and increasingly global fashion universe" by distilling it to "just the essentials—specifically the thirty coolest trends and best looks of the season."
Key Themes and Concepts
Global Fashion Influences
A major theme throughout the issue was the global nature of contemporary men's fashion. The magazine explicitly assigned countries of origin to each trend, with representation from:
- Italy
- United Kingdom
- USA
- Japan
- France
- Ireland
- Bermuda
- Global (for trends with international origins)
The introduction noted that while "the fashion biz has been international since, like, Marco Polo," this was "the first season it truly feels global, with designers in every country stealing inspiration willy-nilly from everywhere else."
Style Influencers
Four special features titled "The Influencers" profiled historical style icons whose aesthetic influenced the season's trends:
- David Hockney: British artist known for his use of color and pattern
- Serge Gainsbourg: French musician celebrated for his effortless elegance
- 'The Talented Mr. Ripley': The 1999 film set in 1950s Italy
- Toshiro Mifune: Japanese actor known for his work with director Akira Kurosawa
- Elvis Presley: American music icon who pioneered various style movements
These profiles, written by GQ contributors like Glenn O'Brien, Michael Hainey, Nick Marino, Tom Carson, and Chris Heath, explored how these figures' personal style continued to influence contemporary fashion.
Practical Styling Advice
Each trend feature included practical advice on "How to Wear It" with specific tips for adapting the trend to both work and casual settings. The magazine emphasized versatility and personalization, with sections like "The Dos and Don'ts" providing concrete guidelines.
Notable Content and Features
Colored Suits
The first trend featured was "The Suit Color of the Season is... Color," highlighting vibrant suits in shades beyond traditional navy and gray. The article explained how to wear colored suits appropriately in different contexts, with guidance on appropriate shirts, ties, and shoes.
The Double-Breasted Blazer Revival
The magazine documented the return of the double-breasted jacket, noting its transition from being associated with "cocky and rich" to having versions "for every type of guy." The feature contrasted the older, boxy fit with the modern, streamlined silhouette.
Indigo as a Dominant Color
The trend "The New Blue to Dye For" focused on indigo, which the magazine described as "this deeper, inkier, more unusual navy" that was appearing in collections across the industry. The feature included quotes from designer Hiroki Nakamura about indigo's unique properties and cultural significance.
The Evolution of Hawaiian Shirts
"The Return of the Hawaiian Shirt" documented how this once-maligned item had been reclaimed by high-fashion designers like Prada. The feature included "Commandments of the Aloha Shirt" with ten specific guidelines for wearing them stylishly.
The New Formality of Sweatpants
One of the more surprising trends covered was "Fashion Sweatpants," documenting how designers had transformed this casual staple with tailoring and elevated materials. The section included a first-person account titled "I Wear Them to Work" by contributor Nate Erickson.
Visual Style and Design
The issue featured extensive photography, including studio fashion shots, historical photographs of style influencers, and runway images from fashion shows. The layout used a clean, editorial design with substantial white space and bold typography, giving it a more premium, book-like feel compared to standard magazine issues.
Bill Rebholz was credited for portrait illustrations, and various photographers contributed to the issue, including Jason Pietra (still-life photographer), Sebastian Kim, and others whose work appeared throughout the features.
Commercial Aspects
The issue included numerous advertisements from luxury brands that aligned with the editorial content. The first pages featured full-page ads from brands including Zegna, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent Paris, Tod's, Hugo Boss, Paul & Shark, John Varvatos, and Maserati, situating the magazine within the luxury lifestyle market.
Cultural Significance
The special issue arrived at a time when men's fashion was increasingly becoming a mainstream interest. By breaking down complex fashion concepts into accessible trends, GQ played an educational role for readers looking to improve their style but uncertain how to navigate the fashion landscape.
The emphasis on global influences also reflected the increasingly interconnected nature of fashion in the digital age, with the magazine noting how styles from different countries were being adopted and adapted across borders.
Legacy
This Spring/Summer 2014 issue established "GQ Style: What to Wear Now" as a biannual tradition within the GQ publishing universe. The format—combining practical style advice with cultural context and historical influences—would continue in subsequent seasonal editions.
Many of the trends highlighted, particularly the emphasis on tailored casual wear, looser silhouettes in tailoring, and the integration of sportswear elements into everyday dress, would become defining aspects of men's fashion throughout the remainder of the 2010s.
References
The magazine itself acknowledged several key references that influenced the issue's content, particularly noting films like "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999), "Purple Noon" (the original film adaptation of the Ripley novel), "Romeo + Juliet" (1996), "Cape Fear" (featuring Robert De Niro), and "To Kill a Mockingbird" (featuring Gregory Peck in seersucker).