Autumn fashion can be tough to master. It’s all too tempting to eek out your summer looks for a few extra months, but as the nights draw in and the temperatures drop, a lot to be said for trans-seasonal fashion. Before you know it, knitwear, tailoring and quirky accessories will have replaced shorts, sliders and sunnies as the cornerstones of your wardrobe.
So without further ado, here are the key menswear trends for autumn 2017...
1. Quilting
This is set to become the biggest trend of autumn 2017. From puffa bomber jackets at Dries Van Noten, to retro quilted suits at Topman – quilting was all over the A/W 17 catwalks, and it’s on its way to a high street store near you. One of the more practical trends of the season, quilting is undeniably warm. However, choose your style with care. OTT quilting can swamp smaller frames, while poor tailoring can just make you look a bit lumpy.
2. Graphic knitwear
We’ve had graphic t-shirts, and now is the time for graphic knitwear... This can be a tricky trend to pull off in the autumn as it raises the spectre of the dreaded Christmas jumper. However, designers such as Fendi, Raf Simons and Valentino have been playing around with fun prints and logos which are bound to brighten up your autumnal wardrobe.
3. Loose tailoring
Finally – after more than a decade of skinny trousers, loose tailoring is back. This season, look out for wide-legged trousers, longline shirts, and jackets with a little give in them. However, this is very much still an emerging trend, so now is not the time to rock the slouchy look head to toe. Pick one item to wear loose, and keep the rest of your outfit relatively fitted.
4. Checked suits
Goodbye pinstripes – in late 2017, all the most stylish men will be sporting checked suits. Take your inspiration from the likes of John Legend, David Gandy and Eddie Redmayne and invest in a perfectly-cut heritage check suit in a neutral colour. Wear it with a plain white shirt and black tie (see below), and an air of sheer confidence.
5. Black ties
It’s probably the most boring item on this list, but also the most useful. The era of the open collar is officially over. Boring black is back. This year’s best black ties experiment with different lengths and cuts. Check out Alexander McQueen’s super-wide necktie, or the squared-off edges of Wales Bonner’s latest tie collection. Tie pins are optional, but highly recommended.
6. Orange
There is always one token bright colour among the sea of tan, navy and khaki that the autumn collections bring. And this year, the token bright is orange. Pair a rust-coloured sweater with brown trousers for a trans-seasonal look. Or make a bold fashion statement in a deep orange coat. If you don’t want to dive headfirst into the trend, test the waters with an extra-long orange knit scarf.
7. Politics
Not even fashion can offer an escape from the never-ending stream of political news. Whether it’s futuristic camouflage prints at Moschino and Balenciaga, or post-apocalyptic anti-Americana at Charles Jeffrey Loverboy and Tim Coppens, the political message was clear.
