Men’s Street Style Round-up: September 2012

Street Style Round-up: September 2012

In fashion we are ruled by cycles. The classic example is, of course, vintage style. However, the same principle applies to seasons. Recently, we’ve begun to see the collections for this autumn/winter on the high street, and the change from summer wear is marked.

With this in mind, we need to consider how to dress for the in-between times; how to create a strong transitional outfit that can cope with late summer/autumn conditions.

The expected staples of transitional wardrobes are fairly obvious: layering helps you react to conditions, more restrained colour combinations to coincide with the longer nights, and medium weight fabrics are essential.

But what else can we do? Well, I have poured through September’s street style images to find a collection of inspiring outfits and looks that would be suitable now we have moved into the early stages of autumn. Enjoy.

AW12 Men’s Colour Trend Preview: Burnt Orange & Maroon

AW12 Colour Trends

I was inspired to write an article on these two particular colour trends following Alex Woodhall’s recent excellent summary on the impact of olive as a key colour choice this season. I couldn’t agree with this more and really do see olive as a colour that will be leaving a huge impression on menswear this season.

However, I think it is also important to illustrate the importance of other colour trends that are due to become popular as the evenings get darker and the weather gets cooler. Both burnt orange and maroon are fantastic colour choices for autumn, as they reflect the shades of nature during this time. Simply put – orange and maroon are traditional autumnal colours and often labelled ‘seasonally appropriate’.

Burnt Orange at AW12 Fashion Weeks

On the designer runways for AW12, several collections featured burnt orange as a colour highlight, from full-on block colour pieces to the use of orange in more subtle accesories.

The collection that embraced orange the most was Pringle of Scotland, which featured several orange outerwear pieces – such as orange leather jackets and orange overcoats – complete with matching orange leather gloves. They also included several variations of burnt orange knitwear pieces, from chunky-knit round-neck jumpers to orange v-neck and roll-neck sweaters:

Men’s Online Custom Suiting

At FashionBeans we have always stressed the importance of good fit – it will literally make or break an outfit and is the fine line between looking like a fashion beginner or a stylish male. Therefore, custom clothing should be considered the Holy Grail of menswear. Owning and wearing a piece of clothing that was created personally for you – your body type, your measurements and your preferences – instantly ensures that your whole outfit is unique and one of a kind.

The confidence boost of wearing something that was made specifically for you cannot be described. You know internally that the clothing you are wearing fits perfectly and looks great, and this will subconsciously permeate into your whole attitude and demeanour. It is the reason we push you to get your ‘off the rack’ high street clothing tailored – it will take any piece to the next level and even make it look more expensive.

The custom suit is the pinnacle for any man who has an interest in fashion. I challenge you to find a more manly or classic piece of clothing; it is your armour that you put on when you need to look and feel powerful, whether this be at work or at formal events when you want all eyes on you. However, before recently, custom suit services have not been accessible to the everyday male.

Custom suits are traditionally known for being expensive, while you also have to ensure that the tailor you are visiting is of a high quality and can deliver exactly what you require. With this in mind, I would like to introduce you to Knot Standard, a company that have solved these problems once and for all.

How To Wear: The Peacoat

Last week I discussed the importance of planning. I talked about how much of a difference thinking ahead can make to your style, outfits and general clothing confidence. By constructing your look for the next day in your mind, you can be totally ready and at ease when it comes to eventually leaving the house.
But forward planning doesn’t just relate to the here and now, it crosses seasonal boundaries and is a year round, continual process. The more forward thinking we are, the more prepared we are likely to be when things start to change; as they are now.
Choosing your winter coat (or even deciding to stick with the one you’ve got) is no small decision. It requires lots of planning, lots of testing, trying and considering. The sheer number of options can be somewhat daunting, but because it is such a pivotal part of your winter wardrobe, it is imperative that you make the right choice – your coat will cover pretty much your entire outfit and you will be wearing it almost everyday. Wearing something you are not completely comfortable in is not an option.
With this in mind, I thought I would get the ball rolling with my personal favourite; the peacoat. It is the coat I shall be battling the elements with this winter and the coat I would recommend to anyone who came to me with an outerwear conundrum.