4 Ways to Embrace the Quarter-Zip Comeback
The quarter-zip has quietly worked its way back into the center of menswear. Once associated with corporate, uniform dressing, it now feels surprisingly contemporary — not because the style itself has changed dramatically, but because the attitude around it has. It sits in that sweet spot between smart and relaxed, making it a natural anchor for the way men dress now: layered, slightly undone, and less interested in strict categories or rules.
What matters most in 2026 isn’t the item itself, but the mood you build around it. Here are four ways to approach the quarter-zip and how you can wear it right now.
01. High/Low
This look is about balance. The vibe sits somewhere between polished and effortless, where nothing feels overly thought-out yet everything looks intentional. There's a subtle tension between refined and relaxed — clean silhouettes that get softened by adding lived-in textures, with punchy color details but grounded by everyday pieces.
The quarter-zip becomes the bridging piece between aesthetic worlds: smart enough to suggest effort, relaxed enough to avoid stiffness.
02. Heritage, Updated
Familiarity, but given an element of modernity. This approach channels a sense of heritage without feeling nostalgic or costume-like. The vibe is warm, grounded, and slightly statement, leaning into texture and softness rather than sharpness.
The idea is to create a lived-in quality — layers and accessories that feel collected over time rather than assembled for a moment. The boxier quarter-zip adds structure, keeping everything from drifting too far into formal territory.
03. Fully Relaxed
This is where the quarter-zip moves fully out of office and into WFH territory. Easy-going, soft, and unapologetically off-duty. The kind of look that prioritizes movement and ease without slipping into messiness.
The key here is to make sure that nothing feels forced. Keep the shapes relaxed, the fabrics comforting, and most of all, lean into simplicity. The goal isn't to look dressed up, but comfortable with a sense of purpose.
04. The New Prep
Preppy style has fully made its return, but this time with a bit of attitude. This renewed version isn't clean-cut or overly neat: it's looser, more relaxed and self-aware, and draws from the dress-codes of streetwear as much as Ivy. Mixing tradition with a hint of irreverence, this kind of look is all about combining structure with softness.
The silhouette is easy, the proportions are slightly exaggerated, and the overall mood sits somewhere between the academic and the nonchalant. It's both dressed up and dressed down, with the confidence to blur that line and embrace some personality.