How To Pull Off SS16’s Most Challenging Men’s Fashion Trends

At some point, we’ve all been victims of the impulse buy. Online shopping has made it easy to drunkenly order clothes you’d normally be nervous to even try on, but that also means any man can take a swift step into fashion worlds new, without risking the judging eyes of high fashion’s boutique bitches. So pour yourself a second glass of chablis and fire up your concept store of choice, as we lead you through the season’s most challenging menswear trends.

Ditch The Skinnies For A Wider Leg

Though the last few seasons have been all about tapering, SS16 saw designers like Craig Green and Agi & Sam go in the extreme opposite direction, with trousers that billow like a wind sock. Stay clear of long hemlines as they can trail – not ideal for British weather. Keeping a wide leg slightly cropped also gives you chance to show off some fresh footwear; according to ASOS stylist Oliver Hooson, the key to nailing the wide leg is all in the kicks. “I’m a huge fan of the wide leg, so I’d style a wide trouser with Converse Chuck Taylor 70s hi-tops or, if you prefer a low-top, choose Common Projects and colour-block your socks to match.”

Go East

At Gucci, Alessandro Michele’s bohemian vision moved to the Far East for SS16, resulting in one of the season’s biggest trends – chinoiserie. Think flowing silk shirts, trousers in blood reds and navy blues and you’re on the right lines. However, this is a trend to approach with caution. “The biggest issue here is looking like you’ve rolled out of bed,” says Alexis Knox, creative director at Notion Magazine. “The key to ensure your pyjama-style trousers are flattering is to not worry about buying a size larger than you normally would. You need to ensure that the silk moves freely over your skin – it’s so fine it can reveal those lumps and bumps you might normally hide in denims.” Follow Marc Jacobs’ lead and team silk trousers with military basics to butch up the shimmer or, if you’re feeling less adventurous, a loose silk shirt tucked into skinnies will do the trick.

Hit The Gym And Shorten Your Shorts

It’s finally happening – the shorts on the high street are about to get a lot shorter. The SS16 runways were littered with thigh-grazing versions from Christopher Shannon, Topman Design and Prada, making this one of the season’s biggest trends. There are a few key tips to follow – the most important of which is making sure yours aren’t too tight, because nobody wants to see that. Relaxed or oversized tops are fine as long as they don’t drown the shorts completely, and the best way to tone them down is to “make up for it by wearing a long-sleeve T-shirt, a hat and some hi-tops,” says Oliver.

Go Back To The Old-School

The rails of vintage shops have been laden with 1990s anoraks and day-glo shorts for a while but, this season, the likes of Topman Design and House of Holland relived the rave on the runway. This trend is easy to go wrong with – take a tip from Knox, who advises to “only take influence with one or two pieces, or you’ll look like you’ve stumbled out of a fancy dress party. Think big, baggy and oversized and keep it fun.” A day-glo anorak (believe it or not, another big trend for SS16) sounds ridiculous on paper but, teamed with denim shorts, a plain white tee and a pair of Stan Smiths, can work well as a statement piece. Obviously this is a trend you should probably steer clear of in the office, but a baggy logo sweatshirt with neon racer stripes could easily jazz up your weekend wardrobe.

Dig Out Your Overalls

Overalls were one of the most surprising appearances on this season’s runway. Riccardo Tisci led the pack with a dark denim version at Givenchy, but Alexander Wang and A.P.C. also revived the look for SS16. Obviously, these are a statement piece, and your styling should reflect that. Keep it basic to avoid the ‘on acid at Glastonbury’ look, and stick to dark denims. “Try basic layers to keep it wearable,” says Oliver. “I would probably sport mine with a quality plain tee and an iconic pair of Stan Smiths to keep the attention on the overalls.”