From pearl necklace to pastel pink, the 'softboy' style is all the rage

A delicate breeze is rippling through men's fashion. After the 'bad boy' aesthetic, it's the turn of the 'soft-boy' style to make its mark on these gentlemen's wardrobes. A key trend that is finding much love among the younger generations and is translating into a growing interest in pastel clothing, chino pants, and pearl necklaces. 

Say good-bye to baggy pants and big gold chains, which are too flashy for the 'soft boys,' these men who may look to be the ideal son-in-law, the perfect gentleman, but who ultimately turn out to be natural seducers, racking up encounters and conquests alike. But even if the image of the 'soft boy' may be of some controversy in the dating world, his style is getting universal approval, relegating the 'bad boy' and all his blingy accessories to second place.

Chinos, Converse shoes, and pearl necklaces

The 'soft-boy' aesthetic breaks away from typical masculine style conventions -- yes, these also exist for the male gender. Gone is the cliché of the manly man, replaced by a wardrobe that shatters gender stereotypes.

The 'soft boy,' a term for which searches on Google have increased by 157% between December and January, seems to be associated with several very specific categories of clothing, starting with chino pants. According to global search platform Stylight,* clicks for chinos increased by 44% over the same period, showing a growing interest in this trendy style.

And the 'soft boy' may also swear by Converse shoes, which users have been looking for in recent weeks (+42% of clicks), as well as denim jackets (+24%), which have also gained in popularity.

In terms of colors, the palette favored in the wardrobes of those embracing 'soft-boy' style is one of delicate, pastel shades. Pink (+40%) and lilac (+41%) are particularly popular at the beginning of the year. As for accessories, pearl necklaces (+15%), which blur gender lines, are gradually replacing the chunky chains that were previously in demand for 'bad-boy' style.


* Stylight specifies that the data refers to the period from December 21 to 31, 2021 compared to January 1 to 10, 2022.