When we launched our own brand, we wanted to create timeless and trans-seasonal wardrobe staples for the modern man that could be worn year after year. For SS21, we’ve produced our most comprehensive collection to date with relaxed yet elegant pieces to enrich your summer plans – whether at home or abroad.
More often than not, the best things in life aren’t planned, they happen by surprise. This resonates with us at Trunk, as our in-house clothing line was never part of the original plan. Instead, it was borne from necessity and developed organically into becoming one of the most popular brands that we carry.
For the uninitiated, the Trunk brand “is very much about being effortlessly elegant, or smart casual if you like. It's about good quality and timeless yet contemporary designs,” explains our founder Mats. The collection started in 2015, five years after our founding, and debuted with the Trunk Seymour shirt.
Since then, it’s evolved into being a complete offering of “trans-seasonal wardrobe essentials,” says Mats. From navy hopsack blazers, cashmere sweaters, linen shirts and cotton shorts, many of the items can be worn throughout the year and across different climates and time zones. The collection “makes great for travelling around the world and mixing business with pleasure,” he adds. Overall, it aims to be as versatile and useful as possible and complement your existing wardrobe.
The current SS21 collection is our largest to date and features a number of new designs and styles that we feel will add a new look or dimension to your lifestyle. In addition to that, we’re confident that all items can be easily incorporated into your existing wardrobe. “‘Less is more is very important here,” says Mats. “At Trunk, we're strong believers in having a well-curated and thought through selection of good quality items that will last for several seasons or years, and that can easily be mixed and matched to either dress up or down an outfit.”
One new design that the team are all currently enjoying is the Audley shirt, which is cut from a striking navy Oxford cloth. Made in Portugal with real mother-of-pearl buttons, it has the useful ability to be both smart and casual. For Mats, though, his “personal preference is to go fairly casual combining it with a pair of navy or beige chinos or with a pair of beige or olive shorts.” While this is a new creation for the summer season, the Audley shirt will no doubt be a top seller throughout the year.
Depending on where you are in the world, sometimes Oxford cloth is too warm and a linen shirt would be a more practical choice. For that, we have our popular George style with four classic variations; navy, white, light blue and blue stripe, all of which feature a breast pocket and a relaxed fit to help keep you cool. Perfect for summer, they’re elegant and can be worn out for dinner or simply thrown on by the beach.
Keeping to the same department, this season welcomes a sturdy offering of short-sleeve Moxon polo shirts, all of which are made in Portugal using organic pique cotton by a brilliant manufacturer we’ve come to know. In a bid for adding a bit more character and colour into the wardrobe, there are a few punchy options that are refreshing, such as orange and yellow.
Unlike most polo shirts, the Moxon works well beneath a sports jacket, such as our Wigmore hopsack jacket, thanks to a robust collar that stands firm. As such, as the working wardrobe becomes increasingly more casual and sporty, a handful of Moxon polo shirts will serve as a neat alternative to the standard office shirt.
Regular customers will know all too well that we don’t attempt to reinvent the menswear wheel, but instead, stay true to our course of offering a modern take on smart casual menswear. With that said, the wardrobe has been subjected to some seismic change in recent years, and therefore it pays to be open-minded and accordingly make tweaks.
As a result, we’ve created the Trunk Easy short. “It’s a natural fit,” describes Mats, and he sees it as being the laid-back partner to the more tailored Trunk Hyde short. It’s available in three colourways (navy, khaki and army green), and is cut slightly shorter and with the comforting addition of an elasticated drawstring waistband. It’s, without doubt, emblematic of how many men want to now dress – relaxed but elegant thanks to the conservative colours. Again, we’ve had these made by our partners in Portugal and have garment-dyed them for added comfort.
Our most popular product is no doubt our York T-shirt. There are nine colours currently available, all of which are made from a medium-weight organic cotton that ensures a soft handle of superior quality and with a slim neck and sleeves so as to act as a base layer beneath tailoring or a shirt. “They work just as well with just a pair of shorts or swim trunks, but can also be a bit more dressed up with a jacket, a pair of chinos, and a loafer,” says Mats.
White, grey and navy have been top-sellers for a few years now, much in the same way as the resort-ready Breton T-shirts. But, for something different this season, we’ve introduced three new colourways; olive, ice blue, and faded blue, all of which have a pleasing vintage-like look. Each has been garment dyed and washed for a lived-in look and works easily with the rest of our range thanks to the versatile shades.
Whether you’re staying at home this summer, or are making up for lost time spent travelling, our SS21 collection covers the bases for it's purposefully travel-friendly, versatile, and made for years of wear.
Discover the full Trunk SS21 collection in-store, in London or Zürich, and online now.