The waist as a hinge

1. The centre comes into view

Vogue names the emphasised waist as a clear SS27 menswear signal, expressed through cummerbunds, hip scarves, rope and drawstrings. Wallpaper* likewise finds statement belts and useful objects attached directly at the waistband. After seasons of loose, body-distant volume, this is not a return to restriction but the recovery of a deliberate centre.

That distinction matters with a long men’s skirt. A defined waist immediately establishes where the upper layer meets the long field of cloth. The outfit reads not as two incidental pieces but as one considered vertical construction: shoulder, centre, hem, sock and boot.

2. The cummerbund leaves eveningwear

Only yesterday, Who What Wear singled out Celine’s coloured cummerbunds as an elegant styling move requiring little effort. The black-tie component is not reproduced by the rulebook. It migrates beneath knitwear, alongside shirts and into unexpected colour – away from ceremony and towards personal precision.

With a knife-pleat skirt, a palm-wide band of matte silk is enough. It may sit high at the natural waist, but it should never constrict the ribs. Oxblood between ivory and charcoal feels cultivated; midnight cobalt beneath black tailoring provides one controlled electric note.

The waist does not limit the skirt. It gives its length direction.

3. Width calls for restraint

The broader the waist piece, the quieter its fastening and surface should be. A woven leather belt works when braid, buckle and colour remain restrained. A utility belt needs a legible purpose – support or one flat pouch – rather than a chain of decorative hardware.

The skirt should be equally composed. A closed wrap, deep knife pleats or a smooth wool-crepe column gives the waist room to register. Shirt and skirt may carry contrasting textures; the waist mediates between them through colour or material. The result has tension without clutter.

4. Proportion, not corsetry

Celine’s official note pairs strength with softness, lightness with personalisation. That is the modern proposition: the waist is marked, not standardised. It may be high and exact, natural and leather-bound, or visible only as a narrow dark transition.

Freedom of movement remains the test. Two fingers beneath leather, a soft inner support in the cummerbund and a skirt waistband without doubled bulk keep the clothes wearable. Made in Italy appears in the work you barely notice – clean edges, flat seams and balance that stays stable in motion.

5. Men Can: confidence begins at the centre

On day three of Copenhagen Fashion Week SS27, individuality is Europe’s most credible trend. Vogue Runway describes Celine’s menswear as a cast of distinct characters that nevertheless holds together. For Nino Cappello, the implication is direct: masculinity does not require every man to disappear into the same uniform.

Men Can means showing one’s centre without offering an explanation. A precise waistband, a long men’s skirt, substantial socks and good boots are enough. Confidence does not come from volume; it comes from a line chosen deliberately and worn with composure.