• Men’s Fashion Trends

5 Key Trends From London Collections Men AW16

Now that our hangover has eased from sunglasses indoors to foggy memory, we thought we’d take a look back at the menswear week that was. London Collections Men (LCM), the four-day showcase that’s put the British capital on the global men’s fashion map, powered down its eighth instalment on Monday, leaving us to ponder the big questions. Like will it ever be OK to pair a sequinned jumper with bleached double denim? Or does my head look like a sphincter in this? These are the five most wearable trends to come out of the event, which you can even try your hand at now:

1. Function First

As much as envelope-pushers like J.W. Anderson are continuing to unpick traditional notions of gender through fashion, there’s a large camp of designers holding fast to the belief that outfitting men is a matter that’s more function, less flounce. Which is why Italian-English brand Belstaff used Japanese layered technical nylon to make sleek parkas that skimped on weight but not warmth. And why Burberry swapped last year’s (this season’s) velvet blazers and leopard print coats for block-colour track tops. It’s also why pretty much everything this LCM was covered in pockets – from Craig Green’s olive drab shirts to Hardy Amies’ anthracite grey wool suit trousers. For a utilitarian piece that’ll see you through SS16, AW16 and beyond, consider adding a field jacket to your year-round wardrobe. A lightweight one will work as top layer in warm weather but easily slides underneath a heftier line of defence once the cold snap kicks in.

Lookbook Inspiration

Get The Look

• Topman Ltd Waxed Khaki Utility Vest
• Topman Camel Field Jacket
• He By Mango Technical Field Jacket
• Rag & Bone Cotton-canvas Field Jacket
• He By Mango Nylon Field Jacket
• Orslow 1950s Cover All Jacket One Wash
• He By Mango Cotton Cargo Trousers
• Reiss Tyson Shearling Coat Brown
• River Island Tan Shearling Collar Jacket
• Edifice Shearling Collar Coat Beige
• J.crew Wallace & Barnes Faux Shearling-trimmed Wool Bomber Jacket

Final Word

That concludes our hit list of what’s hot from the eighth instalment of London menswear’s long weekend. So which of these can we count on you to try? And which will you be calling bulls**t on? Let us know below.

Cillian O'Connor

Cillian O’Connor is a freelance writer, editor and consultant, best known for his ability to sort the wheat from the chaff in the world’s of men’s style, grooming, lifestyle and design. Once named the No. 1 Blogger by Vogue, Cillian also contributes to The Sunday Times, The Business of Fashion and Metro.