Fashion’s Diversity Promises Evaporate as Menswear Shows Tank on Inclusion

The menswear industry’s brief flirtation with diversity has officially ended. Analysis of 55 Fall/Winter 2026 shows reveals a stunning reversal: plus-size representation dropped to 0.2%, mid-size plummeted to 0.8%, and straight-size models now occupy 99% of all looks. The data confirms what fashion observers feared—last season’s decline wasn’t temporary but the start of a sustained rollback.

Brands Abandon Short-Lived Commitments

Fashion consultant Brett Staniland witnessed the pattern firsthand: brands “stood out for two or three seasons” due to lack of diversity, then quietly abandoned efforts to include different body shapes. This coincides with troubling cultural shifts. “The Ozempic-demic and problematic beauty standards ripple through the industry,” Staniland notes, suggesting systemic beauty culture influences casting decisions more than conscience does.

Milan Shows Complete Erasure; Paris Marginally Better

Milan delivered the worst results, featuring zero plus or mid-size models across all shows. Paris showed slightly more diversity, with seven of 39 shows including non-straight-size models. Only two brands demonstrated meaningful commitment: Feng Chen Wang featured 13.5% mid-size models, while 3.Paradis included 8.6% mid-size and 2.8% plus-size representation.

Fashion commentator Louis Pisano blames the “post-woke era,” where brands feel “not obligated to do anything they truly don’t want to do.” With shows now broadcast directly to consumers via social media, the consequences extend beyond industry critique. Experts increasingly shift responsibility from brands to consumers themselves, urging audiences to support only truly inclusive fashion houses rather than those offering hollow diversity rhetoric.