What's hot this season in the world of men's fashion

You’ll see rich colours, styles and textures in the men's fashion trends for Spring/Summer of 2012. Designers drew inspiration from several sources and the most obvious trends were chequered fabrics, boxy jackets, and short pants suits reminiscent of schoolboy uniforms.

Orange, a key colour trend for women, also made an appearance on the male catwalk shows at Canali and Versace. This is a bold statement when worn head to toe as a monochrome look. The stronger shades such as burnt orange often look best for men, rather than the paler tones, but for a more understated look you could opt for orange jeans like those at D-squared – which combine this essential colour with shorter leg length and turn ups (see trends below).

Pastel colours offer a complete contrast, and are easy to wear as a polo shirt, although Versace showed some exquisite pastel lemon suits, albeit slightly impractical for city wear.

The double-breasted jacket is the key shape for spring, with a neat shoulder line. The four buttons of the traditional jacket remain, however the cut leaves extra room at the hips. Giving this seasons jackets a slightly oversized feel. Turn ups also featured on 5/8 length relaxed trousers. However, cuffs and shorter trousers serve to shorten the leg – optically reducing the height of the wearer.

Checks and Stripes are always popular and this season is no exception with graphic horizontal line and angular abstract geometry.

The white shirt is an unbeatable garment in any wardrobe and is a classic that has been reinvented numerous times by designers. This seasons shirts are either opaque or transparent (sometimes even with a lace trim), and with long sleeves. You’ll need at least one in your wardrobe, this spring. The short-sleeved shirt, more comfortable and lighter than the long-sleeved shirt, is a good compromise between elegance and relaxation. However, this season they must be crisp, and perfectly ironed without any wrinkles.

The city espadrille and woven shoes were key details to the spring/summer 2012 men’s collections.

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Helen Kendall-Tobias IMAGINATION - Image Coaching and Consultancy Helping you to look and feel great. www.imaginationonline.infoT: +44 (0) 7725 576472