Crowds have dispersed. Collections have been dissected. And street style photographers everywhere are finally nursing their battle wounds. Menswear fashion month is – with the exception of New York’s addendum next week – done and dusted. And while AW16 wasn’t without its on-runway moments, we’d be lying if we told you style outside of show venues wasn’t equally impressive.
So, if you’re more likely to take your cue from a big-time buyer than a 16-year-old boy getting paid to wear a skirt because he was told it was ‘career building’ (bless him), then get a load of this, your guide to what men are actually wearing in Florence, London, Milan and Paris.
Showstopping Coats
Well, maybe not showstopping, but certainly striking enough to delay one while photographers stall you for a snap. Statement outerwear, from patterns to primary colours, colour-blocking to exaggerated cuts, hit hard for AW16, with most of menswear’s dons covering up in eye-catching styles.
Granted, this is fashion week, and you’re (understandably) probably not all that hot on the idea of shelling out wads of your hard-earned cash for a coat you could only get away with wearing a couple of times a year. Nodding your head in agreement? Then swerve the photographer bait for something less brash: like one of the several forest green styles, or the Woost’s colour-block design. Boss.
The New Neutral
Still think wintry conditions call for a rotation of nothing but black, grey and navy? Think again. Think again and then check out the evidence below that proves wearing lighter colours in winter ain’t no thing.
Lighter neutrals – that’s off-white, stone, beige and lighter shades of brown, like tan – are every bit as wearable as their darker brothers. The key is committing to the palette head-to-toe, mixing up your shades for depth or using them as a counterpoint to black and navy. And having your dry cleaner on speed dial. Just saying.
Keep Rollin’
Fashion industry bods have – despite some evidence to the contrary – two main objectives when dressing themselves for winter fashion weeks: look sick, and stay warm. Hence, roll necks. Everywhere. In fact, we’re confident we could count the number of actual necks we saw on just one hand.
Which is testament to this knit’s ease of wear across the board – whether you take yours chunky and ribbed or in a form-fitting fine-gauge. We would, at this point, unfurl a detailed walkthrough for wearing roll necks but, really, there isn’t one. Apart from always remembering to roll the actual neck of the jumper down over itself. Sounds obvious but, well, you’d be surprised.
Head-To-Toe Monochrome
That fashion types wear black is a well-worn stereotype. Because it’s true – and it’s for good reason they do it, too: wearing black and grey from top to bottom looks sophisticated, satisfies most dress codes and shaves time off your morning routine, not to mention any post-holiday pounds that still need shifting.
Take your cue from menswear’s finest by breaking your look up with different textures: wool and cashmere; cotton and wool; nylon and cotton – you get the picture. For extra points, make the jump from all-black and grey to all-blue.
Legroom
Until now, we’d hit Groundhog Day with the wider-legged trouser trend: forever being told they were the next big thing in menswear, never actually catching sight of a pair off the runway IRL. On the AW16 circuit, however, the tides started to shift, with both roomier denim and tailored trousers trumping skinny fits. Which is, praise be, great news for your sperm count.
Although some show frequenters went for a leg that was more laid-back than relaxed, with a carpet’s worth of fabric pooling at their ankles, we’re inclined to take our cue from the cropped trouser crew who know the difference between a roomier leg and a silhouette-wrecking trouser break.
Sun’s Out, Shades Out (Yes, Even In Winter)
Less a trend, more a lesson in good eye health. Sunglasses have always been a firm favourite of the fash pack, and while there’s never a good reason for wearing them indoors, the glare of winter’s low-lying sun means they’re just as much a cold-weather accessory as a summertime staple.
This season there was tortoiseshell and brightly coloured lenses, Joycean round shapes and double bridges. Which is, to be frank, of no real consequence, because you should always opt only for the style that suits your face shape.
Layer Game
There was a time wearing one coat or jacket was enough to prove your style credentials as a man. Now, though, it’s a clear sign of your tragic and inexorable fall from boss to basic…
OK, not really, it’s still perfectly acceptable to wear just one piece of outerwear. But, as the images here suggest, upping your layering game is key to holding your own amid the menswear circuit’s relentless stunting. And lest you be tempted to pile padded bombers on top of great coats, consider these three golden rules before you get started:
- Weigh up your weights. A tailored wool overcoat is [SPOILER ALERT] not going sit seamlessly with a ski parka. Layer either two lighter pieces of outerwear (a quilted lightweight gilet and blazer, for example) or team one light and one heavy layer.
- Know your levels. Especially important if you’re combining two aesthetically similar layers (more on that below), varying the lengths of your layered outerwear makes it easier for everyone to understand that what you’re doing is intentional. And fly as hell.
- Contrast is key. While layering two or more pieces of the same colour isn’t impossible, it’s definitely not for the newb. Stick to contrasting hues or a solid colour piece and a printed piece for maximum impact.
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