In a season when most of us are shedding layers, Bonobos has wisely turned to linen - a fabric with a surprisingly intimate history. The brand's new "Cooler in Linen" campaign, starring Bravo's Carl Radke and Ben Waddell, is set at Radke's own Soft Bar in New York, capturing that elusive balance between city energy and summer languor. But what does a menswear linen launch have to do with lingerie? Everything, if you consider that linen was once the foundational layer of the corset. Before elastic and synthetic blends, 18th-century stays were often lined with the same breathable flax fiber that Bonobos now champions for its day-to-night ease. Linen's ability to wick moisture and resist clinging made it the quiet workhorse of undergarments - a fact that the modern wardrobe has only recently rediscovered.
Bonobos, which disrupted the retail landscape in 2007 by reinventing the men's trouser fit (and later, the Guideshop model that merges digital convenience with in-person tailoring), is leaning into that heritage of comfort without sacrificing structure. Vice president of design Jesse Alpern notes the collection's focus on "fit and polish," a nod to the brand's origins in solving the baggy-chino problem. Here, the linen pieces - shirts, trousers, and lightweight jackets - echo the corset's original promise: a foundation that moves with you, not against you. As the campaign rolls across digital and social channels, it's a reminder that the most effortless summer dressing often owes a debt to the most intimate of fabrics.
Originally reported by WWD