The biggest Autumn/Winter 2018 trends for men

From bucket hats to hiking boots and from pinstripe trousers to many (and we mean many) shades of brown, here are all the big menswear trends you need to know about for Autumn/Winter ‘18

The Autumn/Winter season is officially in full swing. With just a few months more of coats, scarves, gloves, hats and (joy!) layers to come, it's time to throw on the cashmere, swaddle up in some shearling and relish all the good things that the cold weather brings to our wardrobe (most importantly, the opportunity to cover up all those new wobbly bits from eating too many mince pies).

Here, to help you get ahead of the cold curve, is our pick of the biggest Autumn/Winter 2018 trends from London, Paris, Milan, Florence and New York. And if you’re still in doubt? Just buy a check coat and some hiking boots – they should see you through...

1. It's all about the Nineties

Full tracksuits, lux-y shell suits, bucket hats and oversized fugly sneakers. The Nineties trend hits its (very aggy) stride for Autumn/Winter 2018. The best take on the trend (unsurprisingly) was at Prada, where Mr P sent out models decked in logoed bucket hats and cagoules. The effect was very "Gallagher brothers at Glastonbury". If you plan on going in on the Nineties trend, it's probably best to invest in, you guessed it, a bucket hat.

2. Layer-up in leather (and lots of it)

There was a distinctive Matrix vibe at many of the shows this season, with oversized, ultra-long leather coats in worn-out hides shown everywhere from Fendi and MSGM to Paul Smith and Dunhill. Feeling brave? Go full wipe-down, leather trousers and all.

3. Invest in a shearling

Simple, this one. A high quality shearling overcoat will last you a lifetime and keep you warm for just as long. This season's best shearling coats (unsurpsingly) were at Hermes, though Giorgio Armani, Belstaff and Philipp Plein also showed desirable styles worthy of your cold hard cash. The look here is less on-pitch Motty, more off-duty ranch hand.

 

4. Go hiking

There was a protectionist mood at the shows back in January. It might have been something to do with the weather, but in reality, the clothes on show looked like just the kind of stuff we want to be wearing as we head into a separation from the European Union / a second Cold War. At Louis Vuitton there were python hiking boots and oversized nappa backpacks and at Giorgio Armani the lace up boots had a Swiss mountain climber from the Thirties vibe. At Christopher Raeburn the trend was at its purist – with the British designer sending out coats, trousers and boots that you could actually feasibly climb Snowdonia in. If you're going to make one investment come autumn, make it a pair of high quality hiking boots. Bally or Moncler would be a good place to start.

5. Get yourself a windcheater, stat

The technical outerwear trend shows no sign of abating – whether it's the oversized puffer jackets shown by Demna Gvsalia at Balenciaga, the hardwearing Velcro cagoules at Lanvin, or the ultra-long down-filled jackets sent out at Boss – right now if it ain't nylon, we don't want to know.

6. You should definitely be wearing brown in town

The colour of choice for UPS delivery men and girl scouts, brown is the shade of the season. Fendi led the charge with a host of double F-clad worker jackets, cagoules and shearling fleeces, while Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton showed a series of tree bark-hued overcoats, bomber jackets and deconstructed blazers. Feeling brave? Get yourself a brown suit (though you should probably aim for a shade closer to milk chocolate than Towie fake tan).

7. It's all about checks

And the more clashing those checks, the better. Donatella Versace led the charge, with one of her best collections in years. Bright checked donkey jackets came teamed with tartan trousers and plaid shirts. It was much the same at Marni, where Francesco Risso showed super-oversized checks on equally oversized overcoats. If in doubt, team a classic plaid shirt with a check fisherman overshirt for peak off-duty cool.

8. Head to the rodeo

The Western trend has been gathering pace for a while now and you shouldn't be packing away your spurs just yet. Cowboy-esque boots were everywhere in Milan, London and Paris. They were made from snakeskin at H&M Studio, they were shining white at Calvin Klein and they were ultra-pointy and super-aggressive at Givenchy. If in doubt, remember your heels should be Cuban and your toes should be chiselled to a point.

9. Statement Knits

This winter is all about bright, bold knits. From heavily-logoed pieces, to expanded Fair Isle knits and cartoon-esque oversized print sweaters (think that shark number from Gucci or the double FF clotted cream rollneck from Fendi), there’s never been a better time to get in on the big, bold knit trend. Think Paul McCartney a la the Mull of Kintyre, only sexier.

10. Pinstripes

For Autumn/Winter ’18 there’s a major move towards elegance: tailoring, smart cut two-pieces and sharp-edged coats and blazers are the mood of the moment. One of the major trends within this new mood is pinstripe. From oversized chalk stripe trousers, to chic, greed-is-good-esque pin stripe overcoats, just be sure to leave the red braces in your wardrobe.

By GQ