Round up from Milan and Paris Fall 2012 Menswear shows

27 Jan

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This is my round up of the recent Autumn Winter 2012/13 menswear shows in Milan and Paris. As a personal stylist, I've deliberately ignored all the skirts, leather trousers, Walter van Beirendonck fetish type styling, and other outlandish trends around, and picked the simpler styles, as the majority of my clients are looking for beautiful wearable clothes, that fit in with their lifestyle, and they won't get laughed out of the pub for.

So, here it is:

Black and white tweed

I like the way this texture reminds me of a grainy black and white film, which gives it a nice retro feel. A coat in this fabric will top a suit or jeans just as comfortably, or tweed trousers can be worn with a chunky black knit and brogued boots for weekends, or a sleek white shirt, black fine knit cardigan and knitted tie for a smart casual look for the office.

Tan

There are many tones of camel, mustard and tan around for next winter, reminiscent of the swirling 70's wallpaper I grew up with. Try before you buy, and make sure this colour suits you before you commit - it's likely to look great if you have olive skin, green eyes and brown or auburn hair, and not so great if you have blue eyes and a paler, pink toned skin.

I love this tan leather jacket with a "Starsky & Hutch" vibe from Trussardi (below) or go for something altogether sleeker like Ports 1961 or Bally have.

Roll necks

Initially I wasn't going to include this as I'm not a particular fan of the roll neck, but I decided to include it as it's such a strong trend. And guess what? The more I saw it, the more it grew on me, and now I'm quite loving it!

Wear your roll neck with tailored trousers to satisfy the elusive smart casual look, or with jeans, blazer and loafers for the weekend. Give it a miss if you have a short neck though... it will emphasise it like mad, and diminish your neck altogether!

Velvet

There's something deliciously exciting and luxuriously decadent about this fabric. I love the idea of the Etro orange jacket below, styled in a casual way, and shrugged on with soft navy rolled up chinos, beaten up Converse, and comfortable grey marl t-shirt. Throw on a vintage paisley Tootal scarf for an added dash of decadence.

Or go sleek and sophisticated as Louis Vuitton did, and I love it translated into a smart peacoat by Gucci too.

Fur collared coats

Refresh your wardrobe next winter and get ready to move on from the aviator jackets that have been everywhere to the smarter, more grown up fur collared coat. Make it casual and cosy, or slick and smart. Go for a narrower lapel if you have a small frame, so you're not completely swamped by fur.

Wine and Navy

What a glorious colour combination which turned up again and again on the runways. Fabulously easy to introduce into your wardrobe without looking over the top. It could be as simple as a pair of dark indigo jeans, a wine coloured sweater and some cordovan boots.

Or a wine coloured suit like the one below from Berluti is unusual, without being garish, and could be worn for an evening out to make a change from you classic dark coloured suits.

Double breasted suits

If you're not ready to introduce this into your working wardrobe, it could be a great addition in a light grey (like the McQueen and Hardy Amies versions below) for a summer wedding. Ensure i's neatly fitted and streamlined, and steer away from contrasting buttons if you are less than lithe. Peak lapels and pocket squares will draw attention to the shoulders and away from the stomach, so use to your advantage if need be!