Once the preserve of bank robbers and Mexican wrestlers, the balaclava is AW18's biggest headwear - or should that be facewear? - trend. Seen on the catwalks of Calvin Klein and Gucci, the balaclava is a literal disguise from the cold weather.

Left - Calvin Klein 205W39NYC AW18

Right - Calvin Klein 205W39NYC - Striped Wool Knit Balaclava £232 from luisaviaroma.com

The name comes from their use at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War, referring to the town near Sevastopol in the Crimea. British troops wore them to keep warm.

The designer brands have produced their own versions, as seen in their latest ad. campaigns, but you could easily pick a cheaper one up on Ebay or find somebody's grandmother to knit you one. Go bright and fun. You don't want to scare anybody.

An item of clothing that only shows your eyes? Now, what would Boris Johnson say?!

Left - Calvin Klein 205W39NYC AW18 catwalk

Below - Knitting Patten

Right - Gucci - Mirrored GG Jacquard Wool Balaclava - £175

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left - Mexican wrestler inspiration

Above - Gucci AW18 advertising campaign

It wasn’t so long ago a ‘slider’ was something containing pulled pork and came in a mini brioche bun. Today, it’s one of the biggest categories in casual footwear.

It was our obsession with everything sportswear and retro that saw the return of Adidas’ ‘Adilette Slides’ which, arguably, started the whole mainstream trend. Teamed with white sports socks it became the default cool and comfortable warm weather shoe for fashionable geeks.

Slydes - 'Flint' AW18 - £25 

Fast forward a couple of summers and ‘Sliders’ has become a footwear category in its own right. Much more ‘on-brand’ than flip-flops, luxury brands have piled into the market attracted by the volumes and margins. This is their cool entry shoe and shows no signs of going anywhere and will, no doubt, be one of their biggest selling footwear categories this year.

“I love how fashion works in mysterious ways and the pool slide is a great example - five years ago it would have been a faux-pas and, now, it’s a must have summer shoe, trending globally. Since this humble shoe’s luxury makeover, at the hands of brands such as Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Prada to name a few, it has grown in popularity becoming a style to not only wear on holiday, but in everyday city life too. It’s also been a great platform for brands embracing the logo mania trend to position their logo.” says David Morris, Senior Shoes Buyer at MR PORTER.

Ben Carr, Buyer at MATCHESFASHION.COM, says, “Sliders can be a great way to buy into a designer brand because of their competitive price point and with celebrities like A$AP Rocky and Justin Bieber often wearing these styles we’ve definitely noticed an uplift in their popularity.”

“Sliders and sandals have become one of our biggest growth areas, the biggest fashion houses have made it their focus on runways and within their collections. Prada champion the sandal and have reintroduced a range of sliders. The competitive price point enables increased accessibility for a wider audience.” says Carr.

Right - Balenciaga - Logo-debossed Leather Slides - £435 from matchesfashion.com

The slider is the cheapest shoe for many luxury brands. The margin on a pair of £435 Balenciaga logo-embossed leather slides would be significant. That’s an understatement, I know. Just imagine how many £225 sliders Gucci has sold this summer to the Love Island wannabes. This is big business.

On the more affordable spectrum, and founded in 2014,  the footwear brand ‘Slydes’ specialises in, well, slides. Brand Owner, Juls Dawson, says, “Four years ago the founders spotted the trend as to was coming up over the horizon and jumped all over it. The rest, they say is history.”

He won’t reveal how many pairs of £16 sliders he is, now, selling, but says, “we can say sales are doubling year on year.”

Dawson highlights the versatility of the slider for its growth and popularity. “They are so versatile, worn from gym to pool and from beach to club, spanning not just most age groups and demographics, but the globe. They have been embraced across all genres of music, Influencers, clubbers, Millennials, keep fit fanatics, to name but a few,” he says.

The slider is part of the dominant sportswear trend and, of all the summer styles, the flip flop has probably taken the biggest hit from the slider. The slicker slider has managed to upstage the flimsy flip flop, which still looks somewhat underdressed, dirty and cheap.

“The flip flop, albeit a classic open toed sandal doesn’t have the scale of a slider. Limited to a narrow thong and a thin rubber outsole, where as the slider’s outsole can be raised, coloured, embellished and re-designed the upper of a slider. By its very definition, as long as you can slide you foot, it’s a slider, and, you can do pretty much anything with the silhouette.” says Dawson.

You also can’t wear flip flops with socks. So, what’s the future for the slider category?

“Every trend will reach a peak at some point, but Slydes have the capacity to move on and evolve as the uppers are like a blank canvas to add embellishment, print, texture, grahics, logos, materials…the possibilities are endless.” says Dawson.

“I think it will be less branded and graphic, moving into a more simple design. The rise of the logo focussed collections is down trending and we can see it already starting with footwear.” says Carr.

The slider looks set to become more subtle and lowkey. One brand introducing sliders for the first time is Grenson, which featured a couple of styles in their latest SS19 collection.

“I love looking at styles that are ‘on-trend’ and seeing if I can do a Grenson version, that makes sense. This was a challenge as most sliders are rubber with huge logos, but I found a way to do a leather version.” says Tim Little, Creative Director and Owner, Grenson.

“People needed a replacement for the flip flop for the summer, but also the ugly shoe trend made the slider the perfect choice. Added to that, of course, is comfort and convenience.” he says.

Explaining the attraction to many premium footwear brands, Little, says, “The flip flop is very basic and cheaply made, whereas the slider allows more opportunity to create a crafted version. I can’t see us doing a flip flop as there isn’t much that we can bring to the party.”

While the slider is still cool, it’s grown to a size which makes it bigger than a fashion trend. The slider category will continue to grow and become more permanent as more and more people buy and wear them. Attracted by the branding, comfort and the infinite designs and finishes, the slider category will continue to see more brands enter the market. Much like the designer trainer trend before it, we’ll see more brands put their own DNA onto this simple shoe and happily price it to match. Even Tom Ford has done a dressy velvet pair named ‘Churchill’.

David Morris, from MRPORTER says,  “Slides have never been as relevant as they are now, especially as we’ve seen a shift in the market as men continue to embrace casualwear and sportswear as part of their everyday wardrobe. Luxury brands such as Prada and Balenciaga have seamlessly incorporated luxury slides into their collections giving credibility to the footwear style, so they are now an option to team with the ready-to-wear. This footwear category will continue to dominate over the summer seasons whilst this sportswear trend is still key.” 

Left - Tom Ford - Churchill Chain Trimmed Velvet Slides - £370 from MRPORTER.COM

 

I remember a few years ago, at a River Island press day where they were previewing their new summer collection, I spied a patterned short sleeved shirt and matching shorts in the same fabric. It was the first time I had seen a holiday suit like this and it looked fun and fresh.

Left - River Island - Jaded Red Tropical Short Sleeve Shirt - £45, Shorts - £35

I remember badgering them to let me know when it was released and it turned out the matching shorts never went into production. Damn. They did, thankfully, send me the sample, FYI. WIN!

Anyway, men’s holiday wardrobes have come a long way and, now, matchy-matchy ‘Co-Ord’ shirts and short combos sets are everywhere. 

They’re a little bit like holiday pyjamas you can wear out and show a fun and confident side. Holidays are a time to experiment and these suits are a comfortable no-brainer. Get involved.

Left - Topman - Jaded Baroque Shirt & Shorts Co-Ord Set - £75

 

Left - Boohoo - Top - £15, Shorts - £12

Left - ASOS DESIGN - Retro Sports Print Co-Ord - £34

Left - Jaded London - Sliver Sequin Shorts - £50, Shirt - £60

You've probably got the idea - I've been banging on about them for months - that this season is all about vertical stripes.

Left - SS18 Marni, Balmain, Etudes

Every designer and brand worth their stripes showed multiple variations of them. There are many ways to wear the trend - matching and mixed. Clash, contrast or complement, the choice is yours!

Credits - Jacket - Scotch & Soda, Short-Sleeved Shirt - ASOS - Trousers - Scotch & Soda, Slip-Ons - Base London

TheChicGeek took Vertical Stripes to Marrakech, see more here

Your shirt should be like fashion, this season - one minute you're in, and one minute you're out. Or, you could just compromise, like seen on the Marni catwalk, and wear it half-in and half-out.

It's like messy business attire. The walk of shame, the morning-from-the-night-before chic. Try it.

Credits - Jacket - Scotch & Soda, Shirt - Scotch & Soda, Trousers - Moss Bros, Shoes - Base London , Bag - ST Dupont

Left - Both Marni SS18

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the Russian World Cup coming, or should that be looming?! We're going to get all nostalgic for Panini stickers and short-short football kits. Retro sportswear shows no sign of slowing down in fashion circles and anything branded, or with brand's old logos, is as popular as ever.

For this World Cup, dress like it's Argentina 78. Think Sta-Press denim, simple loafers and you're favourite, skin-tight football top. Come on, England!

Credits - Loafers - Base London, Jeans - Raey, Top - Vintage

Milan gave us handbags, more shiny coats and reasons to look like a tourist. Here goes AW18:

Handbags

Ooooo, look at you! Bags have been getting smaller, so we may as well call a spade a spade.

From Left - Fendi, Palm Angels, Prada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Sheen

The future is wipe clean and the quicker you get your head around this, the better.

From Left - Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Versace

Below - Both Moschino

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diagonal Stripes

Like a walking 70s airline logo.

Below - Both Fendi

 

Distorted Stripes

This could be one of my favourite trends of the season. Not blurred lines, but distorted ones.

Above From Left - Fendi, Ermanno Scervino, Marni, Moschino

Open Arms

The new caping.

Left - Gucci

Tourist

Nothing wrong with looking like a tourist in AW18. The worst the better. Just don't look up!

Below - Fendi, Prada, Prada

 

 

 

 

Blanket Coat

Any blanket looking design cut into a coat or simply just thrown over your shoulders.

From Left - Fendi, Gucci, No.21, Marni

Below - Marni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go Wilde

What did Oscar say about resisting temptation? Dress like you haven't.

Below From Left - Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Dolce & Gabbana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Badges

This is part normcore, part 80s, part 90s, part...

Both Prada

Coloured Lenses

Fear & Loathing lenses. I wore these all last Summer and they ain't going anywhere. 

Below Both - Dolce & Gabbana

 

Patterned silk shirt open to the waist, long gold necklace drawing the gaze to the chest and hair slicked back like a wannabe Lothario, this retro idea of male sexuality is having a beautiful renaissance.

Think more Harry Styles than Simon Cowell. It’s part of our fascination with masculine images: a Joy of Sex era cliché of what a man should look like. It also complements the return of moustaches, necklaces - see TheChicGeek’s Medallion Man - and hirsute bodies.

Two young and stylish brands have appeared to facilitate this new trend. Specialising in silk shirts, they are pioneering a new idea of male sensuality, and promoting this sensuous, form-hugging material, not to mention the way it takes prints, and giving you many seductive reasons why it should be the fulcrum of your Summer wardrobe.

Left - MrSloane - Tom Cat Jade - £250 

A mysterious ‘MrSloane’ has appeared. Helen, the designer behind the brand, who would rather remain anonymous, says, “the enigma of ‘MrSloane’ was largely created as a fictional character, either male or female, hence the way the MrSloane label is spelt ‘together’ ...ie Mr or Mrs..depending on how you read it.”

Right MrSloane - Kimono - £250

Loosely referencing the 70s screen play ‘Entertaining Mr Sloane’, which features an ambiguous relationship between the film’s 3 main characters, it also echoes the ‘his or her’ element of the shirts. Newly launched in December, 2017, her aim was “to create a brand which was reflective of my own personal tastes. Fusing the grit of rock ’n’ roll legends doused in overt glamour and danger, influenced by the NY Disco scene; the collection reflects a melting pot of inspiration combined with rare vintage finds, including antique kimonos, Oriental objet and 70s silk scarves” she says.

What made her want to start her own brand of silk shirts? “A lack of choice in the current market - I either scour ‘Designer Vintage’, in order to find good enough fabrics, which are not 70s polyester, and that led me to create my own label.” says Helen.

Maximillian Robinson launched his eponymous label last year. Only 21, his aunt is handbag queen, Anya Hindmarch, he says, “growing up I have always admired fashion and, more specifically, those that challenge the norms and create striking collections. I wanted to do something unique and identifiable, I’ve always loved what many would describe as ‘loud’ prints and it’s these prints that I have designed which is what gives Maximilian Robinson its name.

“From the beginning I wanted the debut collection to stand out, be full of colour and offer something different. I saw silk as the answer. The way the shirts hang offers something completely different to the norm, along with the versatility of the material. It never looks out of place, whether you’re on a beach or out for dinner,” says Max.

Left - Maximillian Robinson - The Snow Leopard - £280

Many guys see the silk shirt as distinctively feminine or hard to wear and are therefore quite reluctant. “Sometimes people are sceptical about some of the loud prints, but as soon as they put one on they fall in love!” he says.

“I think there is a preconception that silk is always very shiny and too feminine,” say Helen. “The printed silk shirt is very flattering, ours come with a slightly deeper cuff and carefully considered collar, not too retro, nor too mean!” she says. 

So, how to wear it? “I’d definitely encourage guys to take the silk shirt plunge and embrace the look. Not only do silk shirts look super cool, but they drape so well on the body, (especially the sleeves) and feel incredible against the skin..unlike a lot of vintage pieces which can be synthetic,” says Helen.

Right - Maximillian Robinson - The Midnight Black - £250

“My advice to any guy would be, wear unbuttoned, as low as you dare, just ensure manscaping and grooming is in check. I would advise keeping the fourth button safely fastened unless of course you’re on ‘Holiday’ and then proceed with caution. Three buttons left undone should be enough for most men, no matter how body confident they are.”

Max says, “I’ve seen them worn in so many different ways, as I said, that’s why I love working with silk, the shirts look great casual with a pair of jeans, or for dinner or can be dressed up with a jacket, but also look at home on top of swimwear on the beach.”

The silk shirt is a luxurious and confident treat of an item. It’s about playing around with male sexuality, with a knowing wink, and offers a fun return of the shirt. The way it drapes, hugs and falls on the upper torso is asking for it to be opened.

Try one and, then ask yourself, "how low will I go?!" 

See Label To Know - The Silk Shirt Company - here

Paris men's is the home of the big fashion hitters and it didn't disappoint for AW18:

Business Leather

Thought leather trousers were just for the Hoff?! Think again. Leather shakes off its stereotypical rockstar image and gets smart enough for business attire.

From Far - Dunhill, Paul Smith, Hermès, Berluti, Ami, Wooyoungmi, Cerruti, Louis Vuitton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chubby Shine

Once the sole preserve of Moncler wearing European language students, the ultra shiny puffer is the future of cold weather jackets.

Left - Dunhill

Triple Layers

Why have one boring layer when you can have three colourful layers all showing at the same time? Rollneck, polo shirt and tank. Tick, tick, tick!

Both - Kenzo

Male Floral Twinsets

If you're going to wear a twinset, it may as well be covered with flowers.

Below - Both Kenzo

 

Silver Accessorises

This is the season for  reflection with silver accessorises. From bags to boots, choose something you can see yourself in, literally. 

From Far Left - Dunhill, Kenzo, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun Fur

No animals were harmed in the making of these. It’s not supposed to real or fake, but fun.

From Far Left - Kenzo, Pigalle, Sacai, Kenzo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Box Jackets

Big shoulders and longer jackets continues to push the tailoring boundaries.

From Left - Kenzo, Wooyoungmi

Magic Marble

Look like walking Matchesfashion.com packaging!

From Left - Louis Vuitton, Dries van Noten

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Accent

Yves Klein blue is the bold, primary accent colour of the season.

Below - Officine Generale, Hermes, Acne, Facetasm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Petrol Blue

The AW18 colour of the season.

From Left - Paul Smith, Facetasm, Paul Smith

Boxer Waisted Short

A true boxer worn high over the hips.

Left - SSS World Corp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shiny Bottoms

PVC, trust me, is the material and finish of the season. Black bin bag? Yes, please!

From Far Left - Balmain, Acne, Wooyoungmi, Louis Vuitton, CMMN SWDN, Haider Ackermann, Walter van Beirendonck, GMBH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Jean

The worst wash, in the worst cut. Hello, new jean.

From Far Left - Dior Homme, Vetements, Vetements, Wooyoungmi, Cerruti, Louis Vuitton, Facetasm, GMBH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landscape Poster Knits

JW Anderson may have done this first, but I still like it.

Both - Hermes

Game of Thrones Coats

Jon Snow way?! Look like a warrior

Left - Alexander McQueen

Clear Thinking 

This is granny mac territory, and I love it!

Below both - Maison Margeila

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside Out

Don't over think this. Just turn your coat inside out. 

From Left - Vetements, Maison Margiela 

Leg Warmers

Weak calves?! This could be your winter leg solution.

Below - All Thom Browne

See TheChicGeek's New York AW18 Scrapbook

 

When the Queen unexpectedly rocked up at London Fashion Week, yesterday, it merely cemented the trend. Admittedly, she wasn’t wearing one, she needs a Barbour gilet and a horse for starters, but it’s one of her iconic looks. 

Far Left - Vetements AW18, Left - HRH

The silk head scarf has now entered the realm of menswear. So, just when you were getting your head around, literally, the beret, TheChicGeek called this in 2015, now, it’s time for something new and silky.

Seen on the catwalk at Vetements - they clearly know this will be a product that will fly, I dread to think how much they'll be charging for theirs - and MSGM, a year earlier in Milan.

Look for great secondhand silks in vintage or charity shops or opt for the best at Hermès, Turnbull & Asser, Drake's or Liberty. 

 

Left - Both MSGM AW17

Right - The Queen is partial to an Hermès scarf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left - Vetements AW18

Left - Hermès - Centered Rhyme de Elaine Lustig Cohen - £330

Below - Drake’s - Rust Large Paisley 40oz Ancient Madder Silk Scarf - £395

 

 

 

 

 

Left - Gucci - Wolf-Print GG Supreme Silk-Twill Scarf - £310 from Matchesfashion.com

Below - Liberty London - Lodden 45 x 45 Silk Neckerchief - £70