Hear us out. We’re not quite recommending you raid your flatmate’s/sister’s/girlfriend’s wardrobe, but we are suggesting you take heed from the women’s trends that are going to be big this season and incorporate them into your style.
They have, after all, been the first to do skinny jeans, double denim and side-stripe trousers, the latter of which we are only catching up to now. The menswear shows this season also saw multiple designers send men down the catwalk in skirts, and we can all agree that the girls probably did that one first, if not for the longest.
This is all to say that today’s style-conscious man would do well to look to the womenswear SS18 trends to be ahead of the fickle fashion curve. Our Style Director Charlie Teasdale shows you how to style them out:
The need to stay dry in spring is universal, so both the men’s and women’s shows saw prominent parkas, windbreakers and raincoats. But what set them apart was the nod to 90s adventure garb, which saw both sporty and brightly coloured varients. Elsewhere at the women's shows there were checks a-plenty - pair the two and you update a classic statement.
“You want the coat to be the statement, so the rest of your outfit should probably be a bit quieter,” says Charlie. “Navies and greys work well, but I’d actually go the whole hog and wear it with a check shirt, slim cut jeans and beaten-up boots.”
From left to right: Check shirt, Topman, £30; Blacksmith boots 3343, Red Wing Shoes, £269; Yellow jacket, BOSS, £595; BOSS slim-fit jeans, BOSS, £129
Embroidered, shredded, raw-edged, checked - trench coats were back in full swing this season. As far as coats go, the trench was the star across all the women’s shows.
“As classic as it gets, a beige trench works with almost everything, but it’s a bona fide go-to for wearing with tailoring,” says Charlie.
“In Bullitt (1968), Steve McQueen wore his with a chunky brown blazer and tonal roll neck, and that worked. But if you want it to be a bit lighter, try it with grey suit (bang on trend for SS18 menswear), a chambray shirt and knit tie.”
From left to right: Grey slim-fit suit, BOSS, £695; Trench Coat, BOSS, £499; Thom Sweeney chambray shirt, Mr Porter, £235; Navy and white knitted tie, Drakes, £145
For fear of looking like a certain fried chicken colonel, many men tend to steer clear of all-white or pastel tailoring. But the girls have given us a lesson in it, showcasing pastel tailoring in pink, blue, green and every colour in-between. Block colour tailoring also isn’t going anywhere any time soon (it was visible at the AW18 men’s shows, too), so it’s about time you invest in an ice-cream hued number.
“Feel free to dress it up, but pastel tailoring is best worn with a crew neck tee and white leather tennis shoes,” says Charlie. “You could wrap a very light scarf around the back of your neck and under the collar of the tee, and a pocket square wouldn’t hurt. But really the only accessory you need is sunglasses.”
From left to right: Racquet trainers, C.QP, £253; Slim-fit jacket, BOSS, £399; Slim-fit chinos, BOSS, £139; Sunglasses, Bon Vivant, £280; Optic white T-shirt, Acne Studios, £75
While pastels are where tailoring is at, the women’s shows gave the other side of the colour wheel a lot of love too. Crayola colours were seen in every form, bringing as much joy to fashion as they do to children’s classrooms. They were seen in jacket, trouser, T-shirt and head-to-toe form across both the European fashion shows as well as New York.
The easiest way to incorporate paint box brights into your wardrobe is with a statement Tee. “Personally, I’d swerve the long line thing that many men seem to be trying out and tuck it into pale skinny(ish) trousers and an equally pale unstructured jacket,” says Charlie. “And maybe try some espadrilles. Think Albert Hammond Jr on holiday.”
From left to right: Acne Studios twill trousers, Mr Porter, £170; T-shirt, BOSS, £79; Eastpak Backpack, ASOS, £45; Mulo espadrilles, MATCHES, £125
Switch up your style this season with BOSS. Shop the collection now.
