Burberry Prorsum Spring Summer 2016 in London asked a simple question. What happens when you take fabrics usually reserved for streetwear bravado and place them in a formal setting? The answer, under Christopher Bailey’s direction, was unexpectedly romantic.
Mesh, lace, and sheer textiles have become shorthand for sport and urban cool. We have seen them sliced into jerseys, layered over tanks, and styled with sneakers for seasons now. Bailey took that expectation and flipped it. Instead of going athletic, he went elegant.
Buttoned Up, But Barely There
The opening looks set the tone. Buttoned up shirts cut in translucent lace. Structured blazers layered over whisper thin fabrics. At first glance, it read proper. Look closer and the transparency told another story.
There was tension in every outfit. The rigidity of tailoring against the delicacy of sheer textiles. Masculine codes meeting softness without apology. It felt intentional, not ironic.
The lace shirts were the quiet heroes. Styled neatly under jackets, they did not scream for attention. They invited it. The transparency added vulnerability to silhouettes typically associated with control.
Hard Meets Soft
This was a collection about contrast. Strong shoulders paired with diaphanous layers. Traditional suiting shapes softened by fabric choice. Even the color palette, largely restrained and muted, allowed texture to take center stage.
Burberry’s heritage is rooted in outerwear and structure. That history made the fragility of these fabrics feel even more striking. It was not about shock value. It was about nuance.
In a menswear landscape that often treats softness as novelty, this collection treated it as strength.
Why It Resonated
What made Burberry Prorsum S/S 2016 stand out was its refusal to lean into obvious styling cues. Sheer did not equal sporty. Lace did not equal costume. Everything was grounded in tailoring.
It felt modern without chasing trends. Progressive without theatrics. Bailey trusted that the juxtaposition of hard and soft would carry the message.
And it did.
Burberry Prorsum S/S 2016 was a study in controlled transparency. Formal on the surface. Romantic underneath. A reminder that menswear can be both structured and sensitive at the same time.
Credits
Designer: Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum
Season / Year: Spring Summer 2016
Fashion Week / Location: London Collections Men
Category: Menswear Runway
See the Burberry Prorsum S/S 2016 Menswear collection below:
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