Seven key trends from London Fashion Week Men’s autumn/winter 2017

Interest in menswear is reaching fever pitch, chronicling the rise of some of the industry’s greatest talents. And, now that the men’s shows have wrapped up, it’s time to cast an eye over what’s to come

Sarah Jones
Sunday 08 January 2017 21:06 GMT
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Go boldly: neon brights were a popular choice for many designers
Go boldly: neon brights were a popular choice for many designers (Getty)

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It might be a while off yet but menswear obsessives are already fixating over what to wear come autumn 2017. Luckily, once again London Fashion Week Men’s has ushered in a mass of wearable tends. To help you out, we’ve picked the seven best trends that you might just be wearing in the months ahead.

Fluoro brights

An anomaly for the colder months when sombre hues typically reign, a huge number of designers injected their collections with neon brights. From graphic hoodies and psychedelic knits at Topman to fluoro yellow tees and fur-trimmed jackets at Liam Hodges, it looks like investing in toxic tones is set to be one of your greatest sartorial investments of the year. Also seen at Christopher Shannon and J.W.Anderson.

Get leathered

A new take on leather from Xander Zhou (Getty)
A new take on leather from Xander Zhou (Getty) (Getty Images)

Aside from Matthew Miller who opted for standard biker and aviator styles, most designers sent atypical takes on leather down the runway. From boxy, short styles swathed in clear Perspex buttons to full length, cinched-in robes à la Neo from The Matrix, designers like Xander Zhou, Agi & Sam and Ximon Lee bested the traditional rules of leather garb.

Purple Rain

Princely in purple: Katie Eary blends the regal hue with hints of orange
Princely in purple: Katie Eary blends the regal hue with hints of orange (Getty)

Could this be an ode to the late, great Prince? Either way, the colour of luxury princely robes not only boasts some serious rock cred, but it’s now the reigning colour of the season. For Cottweiler and Christopher Shannon, the hue adorned two-piece tracksuits, while Xander Zhou contrasted royal colouring with a stiff shirt and menacing gloves.

Wide-leg trousers

Wide boys: trousers get a more relaxed look from Craig Green (Getty)
Wide boys: trousers get a more relaxed look from Craig Green (Getty) (Getty Images)

Forget slim fit, autumn/winter is all about giving your slacks a serious wide berth. It’s a look that’s been infiltrating the catwalk for a few seasons now but this time baggy trousers were everywhere. From full-length, floor sweeping styles to cropped cargo pants obscured by a manifold pockets, it’s officially time to ditch the skinny jean in favour of a more relaxed look. For Craig Green, Casely-Hayford, J.W.Anderson and Liam Hodges, it was go big or go home.

All puffed out

Pleading quilty: Liam Hodges pairs padded jackets with equally padded trousers
Pleading quilty: Liam Hodges pairs padded jackets with equally padded trousers (Getty)

It looks like the puffa jacket is here to stay. The swaddling coat has been a huge hit in recent months as designers get to grips with our need for functionality and designers like Casely-Hayford and Astrid Andersen successfully elevated the piece from faux pas to fashion forward. Some decided to take things one step further though because this season, Craig Green, Topman and Liam Hodges all paired their puffas with a matching set of quilted bottoms.

Colourblock patchwork

A chip off the old (colour) block: Christopher Shannon showed a patchwork of shades
A chip off the old (colour) block: Christopher Shannon showed a patchwork of shades (Getty)

An ideal trend for the sartorially indecisive, colourblocking was all over the runway this season, but we’re not talking mismatched separates here. Oh no, this is all-in-one, hodgepodge garb at its finest. While some designers split their pieces in half – both Bobby Abley and Alex Mullins were seriously channelling Two Face from Batman here – others went all out. At Liam Hodges, Lou Dalton, Christopher Shannon and Topman, patchwork jackets were the look du jour. Forget the rules about avoiding sharp contrasts too, from turquoise and purple to camo and acid yellow, anything goes.

Cream of the crop

Cut short: for Bobby Abley crop tops are key to winter layering
Cut short: for Bobby Abley crop tops are key to winter layering (Getty)

Now, a crop top might not seem like the most practical item to wear come the colder months but it was key player for many designers in their attempt to refresh winter layering. At Xander Zhou and Katie Eary, the crop came in the form of a knitted tank top, layered seamlessly over formal shirts. For Topman it was double denim jackets hitched up at the waist, while Bobby Abley cut his hoodies high, swathing them in seasonal fur for extra warmth.

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