Written by Menswear Style in New Collections on the 4th May 2016

This May, Marks & Spencer Menswear launches a brand new beachwear range under the David Gandy for Autograph collection. Following on from the success of the swimwear collection in 2015, David and the M&S Design Team have developed a capsule collection of ten key holiday pieces, in a range of coordinating colours, that are light and practical beach holiday packing essentials, in response to customer research into how our customers shop for summer. The capsule collection has been created to take the stress out of packing by styling together to make holiday dressing choices light, quick and simple.

Research shows that 64% of men who have bought clothes for a beach holiday have over-packed, demonstrating the need for a carefully edited capsule collection to make beach holiday packing easier. 89% of men who have bought clothes for a beach holiday, shop based on one or more of the following criteria; looks good, easy to pack, versatile and lightweight, and the collection has been based on these key concerns for men.

The capsule collection of ten key pieces includes a cotton linen t-shirt and vest, a towelling polo shirt, cotton shorts and trousers, a beach towel and bag, flip flops, canvas shoes and espadrilles, and comes in a range of colours with 23 options in total. The collection sits alongside the expanded David Gandy for Autograph Swimwear shop, which now boasts 16 styles, including a new shorter length option, and all with Quick Dry technology.

David Gandy says: “I wanted to design a range of items that were predominantly stylish but also practical and could be packed and worn from the beach to the bar, from the morning until the evening. The collection comes in a very classical colour palette of white, navy and burgundy. The items can be worn individually or together in different combinations, creating a variety of looks that satisfy the demands of holiday. Luxurious and innovative fabrics such as the towelling polo shirt, cotton linen t-shirt and pure cotton trousers make the styles versatile and comfortable for wearing all day.”

Scott Fyfe, Director of Menswear, Marks & Spencer, says: “One year on from the success of the David Gandy for Autograph swimwear launch, we are excited to extend the range to include a capsule beachwear collection based on beach holiday packing essentials. David Gandy has worked closely with our buying and design teams on which items are popular with our customers and developed the luxury summer beach classics in new fits and with premium fabrics that I think our customers will love.”

For Spring/Summer 2016 Marks and Spencer have teamed up with David Gandy to release Men's Beachwear Autograph.