P124 MH’S SS17 TREND REPORT
While it’s not uncommon for men to fear trends, there’s a big difference between a slavish victim of fashion and someone who knows how to keep his wardrobe durable and on-point. This is our smart man’s guide to leading the spring style peloton
Reboot your wardrobe with our accessible guide to the boldest catwalk statements
01\ Kick Out The Jeans
For men of a certain age, bleached denim is painfully redolent of ’80s fashion crimes. But Daniel Todd of online menswear hub Mr Porter thinks of it much more subversively. “So much of fashion is informed by music, and this time it’s punk’s turn,” he says. “Now, smart casual is giving way to distress.”
We’re not promoting DIY anarchy in the wardrobe, of course. Brands from Saint Laurent to Acne, Rag & Bone to Levi’s, will happily kit you out with bleached denim for an artisanal price. “Just be sure to keep it simple,” says Todd. “Acid-washed denim jackets and cropped green trousers might look great in Gucci ads, but are perhaps not practical. Instead, wear ripped jeans with smart boots and a well-cut jacket to strike a more harmonious chord.” As seen at Topman Design Wear with A white T-shirt and black boots
Navy and grey are perennial menswear favourites, especially through autumn and winter, with splashes of colour increasingly employed in recent years via accessories and statement pieces. This season the tables have turned, however, and Selfridges menswear buyer Jack Cassidy is confident that wearing yellow should be your bright style idea for 2017.
“The menswear runways have been awash with colour for some years now, but it’s only recently that we’ve seen men on the shop floor really become braver in their choices,” says Cassidy. “Designers are now reacting to this and in the SS17 collections you could see JW Anderson pairing canary yellow with eye-popping pink, while Gucci’s man of the moment Alessandro Michele showed a bright yellow leather raincoat.”
The runway and the thoroughfare are very different habitats, of course, and if chromatic maximalism isn’t your bag – or, for that matter, your jacket – then there are plenty of options to tone down the shade of yellow to a hue that suits you best. For instance, heavy jackets and overshirts in a burnt amber will work well with blue denim. But, don’t be tempted to cross the streams: “Yellow is far better used once in an ensemble for maximum effect,” says Cassidy.
As seen at JW Anderson Wear with Slim-cut navy trousers
Leopard print can mean many things to many men depending on your frame of reference. To some it’s Rod Stewart circa 1979; to a more callow generation, perhaps, it’s Harry Styles. But to James Lawrence, head of design at Asos, the look is firmly spring 2017, as envisioned by fashion savant Hedi Slimane, former creative director of Saint Laurent.
“Print in menswear is huge and animal prints, especially leopard, are a big part of that,” says Lawrence. “It’s a sign that men are becoming more adventurous in the way they dress and looking for something more than a pocket square or a hat to set them apart. We’ve seen this trend across the board, from couture brands to streetwear labels such as Stussy.”
To make it work, think like a leopard not a peacock. The key is stealth, says Lawrence. “A little will go far – so printed socks or fine details are a good start. As you grow more confident you might consider shirts or jackets in full print, only in a darker, more tonal colourway so as not to be so conspicuous.”
MH suggests wearing it with black and avoiding printed trousers, lest you inadvertently ask the question: “Do ya think I’m sexy?” The answer will always be no. As seen at Saint Laurent Wear with White jeans and a healthy dose of irony
03\ Print Is Not Dead
04\ Camo Chameleon
There’s no hiding it, camouflage is back for 2017. So claims Dean Cook, buying manager at the enduring Mayfair fashion retailer, Browns. But don’t let it ambush your tried-andtested tactics: “It’s in fact one of those fabrics that’s incredibly easy to wear, despite it being quite loud,” says Cook. “Hence, it always seems to sell well.”
This season Valentino, Gucci and Dsquared2 have all gone green, as well as numerous high street imitators, meaning there are options aplenty. But Cook warns against complicating the deal: “Camo is a strict one-item-per-look affair – unless you feel supremely confident.” Outerwear is probably your best bet, since you won’t be veering too far from its original usage or habitat. Elsewhere, from trainers to accessories, less is very much more.
And in terms of bringing the look up to date for 2017? “We’ve been seeing a lot of washed-out camouflage fabrics in more adventurous hues than the traditional green and brown. I’d start with a faded jacket that you can wear over a white shirt or T-shirt and with denim. Start with the basics and the style plaudits will follow.”