TAILOR MADE

BY LAURIE BROOKINS

With May’s Met Gala on the horizon, dandy style and other polished menswear details are all the rage for spring — for men and women.

March 12, 2025

It’s no accident that high-wattage women are embracing menswear influences in their red-carpet dressing. From Nicole Kidman in Saint Laurent suiting at February’s Critics Choice Awards to Oprah Winfrey and Blackpink’s Lisa opting for tuxedo styling at the March 2 Oscars, tailored pieces inspired by menswear were tops among the hot looks during the 2025 awards season.

Chief among the reasons for the resurgence of this trend: The fashion industry has set its sights on the Costume Institute exhibition set to open May 10 at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” will explore the cultural and historical significance of the Black dandy from the 18^th century to today, with a spotlight on how dandyism drove style as a craze that ultimately extended beyond the Black community. The exhibition will be celebrated at the annual Met Gala on Monday, May 5, an event sponsored by Louis Vuitton and co-chaired by luminaries that include Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams, while the host committee includes Janelle Monae, Ayo Edebiri, Regina King and Doechii.

This star-studded lineup is among the reasons tailoring has reemerged as the season’s key dressing trend. From exquisite suiting modernized with playful combinations to accessories that add polish and refinement, menswear inspirations are driving the thoughts of style fans from SoCal to New York. With that in mind, we gathered a dozen key looks from the spring 2025 runways, each available at the chic boutiques of South Coast Plaza.

Oprah in Dolce&Gabbana

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SOUTH COAST PLAZA

THE MET GALA EDIT

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DOLCE&GABBANA

Calf-Length Cady Shirt Dress

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have long embraced the sensuality of menswear and tailoring on women, and for spring 2025, they’ve combined that idea with another element key to the label’s DNA: lush floral prints. This beautifully fitted mid-calf silk shirt dress blends black in the shirt collar and sleeve cuffs with peonies and roses in vibrant pastels, detailed down the front with branded buttons and a zipper fastening in back.

LEVEL 2,Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
714.668.9142

LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S

1.0 Millionaires Sunglasses

Men’s creative director Pharrell Williams put a new spin on Louis Vuitton’s now-iconic Millionaires sunglasses collection for spring 2025, rendering the pilot-shape style in a deep black for both the frames and lenses. The temples and the top line of the glasses are subtly embellished with two lines of the label’s Monogram motif, while the metal and enamel hinges highlight the brand’s signature LV initials.

LEVEL 1, Between Jewel and Carousel Courts
714.662.6907

SAINT LAURENT

Jacket in Wool Canvas

Anthony Vaccarello is leaning into menswear-inspired suiting for women this season, enlisting Michelle Pfeiffer to appear in the house’s spring 2025 campaign, in which the iconic actress appears in a series of beautifully tailored looks, including this double-breasted jacket in wool canvas, seen here in beige chine, a look identical to the suit Nicole Kidman wore at the Critics Choice Awards. The six-button jacket with peak lapels is handcrafted in Italy and features a silk lining, double back vent and padded shoulders.

LEVEL 2, Between Jewel and Carousel Courts
714.429.0101

KHAITE

Santana Top

Catherine Holstein, founder and creative director of white-hot brand Khaite, put a new twist on tailoring and the classic white shirt with the Santana Top, an in-store exclusive for spring 2025. Holstein fashioned this slip-on piece by employing a pattern of layered silk-organza squares to create a sculpted look that’s equal parts lightweight and crisp.

LEVEL 1, Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
714.435.2000

JIL SANDER

Leather Overshirt, Trousers and Tie

Leather is key to the latest Jil Sander collection, but true to the label’s aesthetic, it’s been rendered in a modern, artful fashion. These separates have been crafted in Italy of vegetable-tanned leather that’s been dyed a nature-inspired hue dubbed thyme green. With its regular fit and slightly dropped shoulders, the overshirt can be worn on its own or as a layering piece, while the sleek trousers feature side pockets and a viscose lining. Covering the shirt buttons, the tie is the perfect finishing touch.

LEVEL 1, Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
714.512.3401

GUCCI

Men’s Ankle Boot with Horsebit

A true style icon has been reimagined for spring 2025, as Gucci debuts the latest take on its coveted horsebit-embellished footwear. This black leather ankle boot with zip closure is crafted to ensure a clean line under the slimmest trousers, while the rubber sole ensures comfort. The silver-toned horsebit hardware, meanwhile, is a timeless design element.

LEVEL 1 & 2, Between Jewel and Carousel Courts
714.557.9600

HUGO BOSS

Forward Slim-Fit Suiting

HUGO, the younger of the two Hugo Boss Brands, puts a decided emphasis on suiting for both men and women this spring as it highlights Hugo Forward, an innovative platform that blends technology with design. This slim-fit suit is crafted with sustainability in mind; its wool-blend twill includes HeiQ AeoniQ, a cellulosic yarn made from wood pulp as an alternative to microplastics such as polyester. Details include softly tailored shoulders to convey a more relaxed feel and concealed exterior pockets for a sleeker vibe.

LEVEL 2, Bloomingdale’s Wing
714.641.8661

MARNI

Double Breasted Jacket with Leather Trousers

Colman Domingo has quickly emerged as one of Hollywood’s most fashionable men, and in February he wore this look at the 40^th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The ensemble was direct from the spring 2025 runway and designed by Marni creative director Francesco Risso, who drew raves for a collection filled with fanciful details, while also being crafted completely in cotton. This look also conveys the artful tailoring and layering Risso employed throughout the collection, mixing a black poplin raglan-sleeved double-breasted jacket with wide-leg nappa leather trousers, long-sleeved jacquard button-down shirt and a black geometric jacquard silk tie.

LEVEL 1, Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
714.380.3155

COURRÈGES

AC Pique Polo

Speaking of slim and sleek, Courrèges is reinventing the iconic polo for spring, imbuing this wardrobe staple with an undeniably modern feel. Crafted in Italy of 100-percent organic cotton piqué, this short-sleeved polo looks polished and refined when worn alone or under a jacket.

LEVEL 2, Din Tai Fung Wing
714.852.3777

LANVIN

Cotton Voile Shirt

Men’s evening dressing gets a chic update with this tailored shirt, which features a 3D design on its front, created via a cotton voile overlay. Lanvin artistic director Peter Copping designed this shirt with a straight fit, making it easy to wear on its own or under a jacket. Its gauzy fabrication, meanwhile, allows for both a subtle transparency and for the vine-like overlay to stand out.

LEVEL 1, Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
714.706.3240

ACNE STUDIOS

Engraved Leather Logo Belt

It’s impossible to talk about polish and tailoring without ensuring a belt is part of the style equation. Acne Studios offers this sleek belt in black leather, with unisex styling that works for every wearer and every look. The calf-leather belt is finished with a silver-toned plaque buckle engraved with the Acne Studios logo.