7 Street Style Trends From The Men's AW2016 Fashion Weeks

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.

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Key Pieces

• Brioni Single Breasted Coat
• A.p.c. Wool-blend Overcoat
• Reiss Banks Checked Tonal Overcoat Black
• Haider Ackermann Double Breasted Corduroy Coat
• Topman Rogues Of London Grey Sorrento Coat
• J.crew Ludlow Slim-fit Wool And Cashmere-blend Overcoat

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.

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Key Pieces

• Reiss Hampton Cashmere Crew-neck Jumper Oatmeal
• He By Mango Structured Cotton Blazer
• River Island Camel Flannel Minimal Overshirt
• Burberry London Mid-length Cotton-gabardine Trench Coat
• Canali Beige Capri Slub Wool Silk And Linen-blend Suit
• Club Monaco Washed Cotton And Linen-blend Twill Trousers
• Begg & Co Kos Washed Cashmere And Linen-blend Scarf
• River Island Champagne Tie
• Stemar Derby Half-lined Suede Shoes

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.

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Key Pieces

• Kingsman Cable-knit Wool And Cashmere-blend Rollneck Sweater
• Reiss Jefferson Chunky Rollneck Jumper Midnight
• Suitsupply Sand Turtleneck
• Richard James Roll-neck Fine Cashmere-knit Sweater
• Topman Burgundy And Navy Twist Roll Neck Jumper
• Uniqlo Men 100% Cashmere Polo Neck Sweater

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.

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Key Pieces

• Topman Wool Blend Overcoat
• Reiss George B Slim-fit Blazer Black
• He By Mango Wool-blend Sweater
• Uniqlo Men Packaged Dry Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-shirt
• Reiss Medway Classic Twill Chinos
• River Island Black Knitted Scarf
• Acne Studios Gibson Leather Biker Jacket
• The Elder Statesman Bunny Echo Cashmere Beanie
• Lanvin Pebble-grain Leather Chelsea Boots

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.

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Key Pieces

• Adpt Pleated Chinos In Wide Leg Fit
• Topman Sand Cotton Twill Wide Leg Cropped Trousers With Turn Up
• Diesel Jeans Waykee 845b Loose Straight Fit Stretch Dark Wash
• Allsaints Marteau Chino
• Asos Wide Leg Jeans In Indigo
• Asos Wide Leg Smart Trousers In Tweed With Pocket In Grey

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.

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Key Pieces

• Asos Retro Sunglasses With Navy Top
• Ray-ban Rb4165 Rectangle Sunglasses
• Topman Black Metal Round Sunglasses
• Persol Square-frame Tortoiseshell Acetate Sunglasses
• Oliver Peoples Gregory Peck Round-frame Acetate Sunglasses
• Cutler And Gross Aviator-style Metal Mirrored Sunglasses

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.