2025–2026 is undoubtedly the era of vintage fashion. Following our previous discussion on the Grandma Style floral print trend, let's explore another accessory that's making a strong comeback: the tie-tuck.
If you’ve followed menswear over the past few months, you’ve likely encountered Saint Laurent’s Men’s Summer 2026 campaign—a collection that has quickly become one of the most influential fashion references of the season. Models are wearing oversized retro sunglasses, dressed head-to-toe in high-gloss looks, with one styling detail that immediately catches the eye: their ties are tucked into their shirts.
Under the direction of Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent's Men's Summer 2026 collection revolves around three key elements:
- Retro sunglasses with a futuristic attitude.
- High-gloss materials. From ties, shirts, jackets and trousers, most garments are crafted from 100% silk (with only a few pieces made from 100% nylon), while the shoes feature glazed leather.
- The Tie-Tuck. Tucking the tie neatly into the shirt, a styling approach rooted in vintage menswear.
Beyond the collection itself, the photography in Saint Laurent's official Men's Summer 2026 LOOKBOOK is equally distinctive. It's a retro flash editorial with a point-and-shoot luxury aesthetic, inspired by 90s fashion campaigns and glossy archival photography.
For those unfamiliar with the term point-and-shoot, here's a simple way to describe it:
The campaign photography is equally distinctive. Shot with a retro flash, point-and-shoot aesthetic inspired by 1990s fashion editorials, the imagery reinforces the collection’s nostalgic mood while maintaining a sense of luxury and modernity.
— Quoted by Levi Wu, the portrait artist provides high-quality shoots throughout Melbourne and Sydney.
It's clear that Anthony Vaccarello has elevated vintage aesthetics to another level. The collection embraces nostalgia while presenting it through a modern lens.
Under Saint Laurent's influence, the tie-tuck has quickly become one of the season's defining styling trends. Many Hollywood celebrities have started tucking their ties into their shirts, while leading fashion publications such as VOGUE and GQ have both covered the trend. Even Farfetch features tie-tuck styling on Saint Laurent tie product pages to demonstrate the latest way to wear a tie.
Credit to Farfetch.com
When luxury brands, fashion media and retailers all begin adopting the same styling detail simultaneously, it often signals the arrival of a genuine trend rather than a passing runway experiment.
Where Did the Tie-Tuck Originally Come From?
Naturally, this raises the question:
When did the tie-tuck first appear in history?
Numéro Netherlands mentions in its article on the tie-tuck Evidence suggests that the tie-tuck was commonly seen among U.S. Army and Army Air Forces personnel during World War II, where it served a practical function within military uniforms. After digging a little deeper, I discovered that it actually traces back to U.S. Army and Army Air Forces uniform regulations.
Credit to U.S Militaria Forum
More detailed references can be found in a discussion titled "U.S. Army Standard Tie (Knot) Regulations WWII" on the U.S. Militaria Forum. Photos shared by member Rhscott clearly show American soldiers tucking their ties high into their shirts as part of their military uniform.
From Military Uniform to Modern Fashion
After the war ended and society returned to peacetime, this styling method never became mainstream fashion.
Unlike Burberry's trench coat—which successfully evolved from military outerwear into a timeless fashion classic—the tie-tuck largely disappeared from public attention.
Instead, we occasionally saw a different variation: tucking the tie into the trousers.
One of its best-known advocates was Gianni Agnelli, the Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat. Agnelli was famous for his relaxed interpretation of Italian tailoring, and on several occasions he tucked his tie into his trousers.
However, the style never gained widespread acceptance. Personally, my first reaction was always:
Why not just wear a shorter tie?
That perception gradually changed when Thom Browne completely redefined traditional tailoring with his now-iconic Shrunken Look.
Everyone remembers Thom Browne's signature outfit: an ultra-slim, cropped suit paired with tailored shorts (although he also wears full-length trousers), with one consistent detail—his tie is always tucked into his trousers.
As one of the most influential brands in contemporary tailoring, Thom Browne's aesthetic has inspired countless celebrities. South Korean actor Bong Tae-gyu, for example, has frequently demonstrated Thom Browne's tie-tuck styling.
While still unconventional, these examples gradually normalized the idea that a tie could serve as a styling element rather than strictly adhering to traditional dress codes.
Interestingly, as early as 2013, when David Beckham visited Beijing as a football ambassador, he tucked his tie directly into his shirt while interacting with fans. It may simply have been for practicality, preventing the tie from swinging around while he was moving, but looking back today, it almost feels ahead of its time.
Credit to Pinterest.com
Why the Shirt Tie-Tuck Works So Well
When it comes to tucking the tie into the shirt, I believe Saint Laurent's interpretation is essentially a refined evolution of the original U.S. Army regulations.
Rather than simply copying military styling, it transforms a practical solution into something visually balanced.
Why do I think that?
If you compare the proportions, you'll notice something interesting.
Tie proportion comparison, Wearing in waistcoat vs Tie-tuck
When wearing a waistcoat, only a certain portion of the tie remains visible. With the shirt tie-tuck, the visible section of the tie is almost identical in size.
In other words, the tie-tuck can be understood as the visual equivalent of removing both the suit jacket and waistcoat while maintaining the same tie proportions.
Because the proportions remain familiar, the styling doesn't feel strange or forced. Among all the different tie-tuck variations we've seen over the years, I find this one to be the most visually pleasing and the easiest for people to accept.
That's exactly why proportion has always been one of Grand Peona's core design philosophies.
Whether refining an existing design or creating something entirely new, proportion should always come first. It is the foundation that allows innovation to feel natural rather than awkward.
Whether the tie-tuck becomes a long-term menswear staple remains to be seen. However, thanks to Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, this once-forgotten military styling detail has returned to the fashion conversation. What began as a practical solution during World War II has evolved into one of the most talked-about menswear trends of 2026.