MENSWEAR

This summer sees a change in the direction of menswear. Designers move away from Autumn Winter's buttoned-up looks in favour of a more laidback unstructured vibe. Expect a focused season, as designers opt for a concise palette of cool core colours overlaid with sharply defined fashion accents. Menswear is shifting to a more transitional way of dressing, as the definition between seasons starts to blur. KEY COLOURS: The emphasis on basic colours like grey, navy and white as the key colour levels for next summer. Newness is injected with fashion accents like pimento red, soft sunbleached neutrals and chalky pastels or the rich vibrancy of palm green and bruised purple shades. Expect fabrics to reflect that transitional mood. A new feeling of weightlessness comes into play, with sheer transparencies and lightweight nylons mirroring the feel for a new unstructured silhouette. The new look is all about layering, easy oversized tailoring and mixed proportion play.

KEY TRENDS: Urban Traveller Escapism is high on the travel agenda for next summer, as designers sought inspiration from faraway shores. Influences are broad, from arid desert landscapes to the multicoloured artisanal crafts of India and Africa, but always worn with a knowing urban edge. Out of the Shadows There is a move towards a more seasonless way of dressing as the definitive shopping seasons of summer and winter start to blur together, putting greater emphasis on colours, like grey to bridge the transitional gap. Keep the look light and breezy with layered combinations of tonal colour and mixed textures. The new DB (Double Breasted) Soft structure comes back into tailoring as designers opted for the businesslike appeal of the DB jacket. Most directional are the low-buttoning simple 1DB variations, giving understated and very subtle waist definition. Team the new DBs with a basic knit or tee for a low-key, dressed-down approach to tailoring. Classic Denim The season's over-arching transitional influences puts denim firmly in the fashion spotlight as designers reverted to the classic looks of 50s-style dark-rinse finishes. A key look for the easy-cut cropped rolled-leg jean.

KEY SPRING SUMMER WARDROBE STAPLES: The Jacket Double breasted with four or six buttons, softer shoulder and a straight peak lapel. Trouser Wider waistband, crease front and a side-seam jet pocket. Raincoat Relaxed, soft three quarter length construction and lightweight crumpled finish. City Shirt Relaxed classic fit, volume short sleeve, no pockets and styled with a wider tie. Cardigan Modernist, sartorial, immaculately re-proportioned with engineered jagged placket using smooth technical yarn. Chino Carrot-crop, classic chino fit with quarter angle pockets.