Paris is always the most serious of fashion capitals. Never one for irony or a sense of humour, when Paris does something, it does it with a serious face. That aside, thanks to a few international designers, a few glimmers of fun poked through.
Call of the Wild
Safari, wild beasts, dodos?! Which animal would play you in the fashion Jungle Book?
Left - Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Walter van Beirendonck, Louis Vuitton
Power Shoulders
No need to shrug those shoulders as your neck disappeared seasons ago.
Both Balenciaga
Rainbow
Putting the gay into 'Gay Paris', Joseph has nothing on this technicolour.
Left - Paul Smith, Lanvin, Balmain, Thom Browne
Tapestry
A new way to do prints. Thinking natural dyes and historical influences.
Left - Dries van Noten
Big Trouser Bulge
Pack everything in.
Left - Givenchy
Eighties Denim
There is something about this wash which is so wrong yet so right at the same time. Think Dynasty/Dallas denim.
Left - Balmain
Lemon
If life gives you lemons, then wear yellow?!
From Left - Paul Smith, Hermes
Bleach
From Left - Off White, Haider Ackermann
(See London - here & Milan - here)
New Evening
Those tails are wagging for this new cropped evening style.
Left - Balmain
(See more from Milan - here)
Italians do it better. This seems to be the theme coming out of Milan fashion week where the Italians have taken the bull by the horns and produced some of the best menswear we’ve seen from them in a long time. You may as well go down in style!
Here are TheChicGeek’s trend highlights:
Pink/Green Scene
Think avocado and prawn cocktail sauce.
From Left - Gucci, Bally, Gucci
Fresh 70s
The seventies got a refresh and contemporary update. Chevrons were the order of the day.
From Far Left - Neil Barrett, Fendi, Dsquared2, Neil Barrett
(See TheChicGeek meet Neil Barrett just before this collection - here)
Towelling Coat
Knowing Fendi this is probably made from kittens. Get the robe out of the spa and take it to the street.
Both Fendi
Bleach
More bleach. It's one way of cleaning your clothes. (See how London did it - here)
From Left - Gucci, Dsquared2, MSGM, Bally
Scout
The most stylish men are always prepared. Now get over prepared!
From Left - Moncler Gamme Bleu, Ferragamo, Prada, Ferragamo
New Evening
Nobody dresses up anymore, said no one, ever. It's time to get imaginative and experiment with new shapes including ruffles and tails.
From Left - Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci
Jazz Age
Jazz, great! From literal at Dolce to art-deco Marcel waves at Fendi. I thought I'd throw a painting from the era by British artist Duncan Grant for additional inspiration.
From Left - Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Missoni, Fendi, Ralph Lauren
Logoed belts
Rediscover your waist. Suck it in and stick a letter on it.
Left - Bally
Brand #me
Nobody does narcissism like the Italians!
Below - Giorgio Armani
Where was everybody? That could have been the final statement when it came to London’s latest round of men’s shows and presentations. Having dropped from 77 to 57, the number of brands showing was a reflection in the current oversupply of fashion brands and collections. LCM felt a little vacant and, unfortunately, what was left didn’t exactly set the menswear world on fire.
Here are a few trends TheChicGeek spied to take us into the new year:
Bleached Wail
It's 40 years since punk first burst on to the British streetwear scene and to celebrate designers have been getting creative with a bottle of Domestos.
From Left - Casely-Hayford, Mihara Yasuhiro (See how to make your own pair of bleachers - here)
Mattresses
Tracey Emin rang, she wants her spare bed back! Could it be a comment on generation rent and the nomad status of today’s young and creative generation or maybe it was simply the lazy option. Expect to see 'Dreams' as the headline sponsor of the next LCM or London Fashion Week Men’s as it is now called.
From Left - Per Götesson, Edward Crutchley
Playful Towelling
Nothing says 'playful' like Terry towelling. And while a playsuit maybe taking things too far, if you've got the legs...
From Left - Sibling, Topman Design
Flag To The Mast
Tie your sartorial flag to the mast and dress like a walking United Nations.
Both Craig Green
Doodlebug
Colouring in is so 2015! Get that Sharpie out and start to doodle to your heart's content.
Below - Coach
Prominent Zips
Zips go man-sized, this season, and take centre stage.
From Left - Mihara Yasuhiro, JW Anderson, Mihara Yasuhiro
Fresh Seventies
Large lapels yet streamlined shapes make this a contemporary seventies revival.
Left - Wales Bonner (See more from this trend in Milan)
Tribal
Fashion tribes take inspiration from ethnic jewellery and the play with masculinity and decoration.
Left - Casely-Hayford, Wales Bonner, Charles Jeffrey
Pink/Green
The colour combo of the season. Bubblegum to fuchsia, lime to forest, these two colours work in every combination.
Both JW Anderson (See more from this trend in Milan)
The last of the cities to show, Paris puts the full stop on the SS16 menswear season. Here is TheChicGeek's lowdown on the trends from Paris:
Souvenir Jackets
If these are the souvenirs then we'd love to see the gift shop! Think Ryan Gosling in Drive.
From Left - Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Dries van Noten
Leather Shirts
Short sleeved shirts and T-shirts from the softest of skins.
From Left - Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Hermès
Hippy
You won't be able to afford to dropout if you buy one of these, but at least people will think you're rich enough to!
From Left - Valentino, Saint Laurent
The Jacket Coat
Too big to be a jacket, too small to be a coat... introducing the jacket coat.
From Left - Paul Smith, Raf Simons, Dior Homme
Denim gains its place on the catwalk and Paris follows Milan with the commercial trend in anything designer denim.
From Left - Givenchy, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Valentino, Berluti
Slime Green
The 'Green Man' always heralded spring and 2016 is no different.
From Left - Berluti, Hermès, Berluti
Milan is home to many of fashion's megabrands. This powerhouse is full of the commercial sex appeal we've come to expect from the home of Italian fashion. TheChicGeek casts his expert eye over the details and trends worth coveting:
Chinoiserie
It could have something to do with the recent MET exhibition in New York, or simply the cycle of Chinese influence is coming around for another season, but look out for Mao collars and delicate Chinese decoration in relaxed, voluminous shapes.
From Left - Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Dolce & Gabbana
Nightwear
Step straight out of bed, or straight in, depending on timings, with the new dressing gown type coats and pyjama shirts.
Below - Both - Bally
Distortion
No, you're not seeing things. Colour and pattern are stylishly distorted to make the wearer standout while confusingly blending in.
From Left - Salvatore Ferragamo, Salvatore Ferragamo, MGSM
Longline
Call it ethnic or ASOS!, everything is untucked and in a longer length. Just be careful when wearing with shorts.
Below - Both - Versace
Technical
Comfort seems to be the key for technical fabrics today: a new ease of movement and travel focused.
From Left - Jil Sander, Prada
Shake that money maker! The money spinner for the majority of major fashion brands, it appears on the catwalk in recognition of the part it has played in creating these brands and the fashion landscape today.
From Left - Calvin Klein, Ports 1961, Calvin Klein, Ports 1961
Birds
Not so much Hitchcock as Attenborough with parrots to hummingbirds seen on the chests of menswear from Milan.
From Left - Gucci, Ports 1961, Dolce & Gabbana
Lace
I can see right through this trend which was first seen in London.
From Left - No.21, Gucci, Gucci
Patchwork
Just because - The new Gucci is slightly mental - good mental - in a Fight Club meets Peter Sellers kinda way. Love this dressing up box style.
Left - Gucci
The home of TheChicGeek and menswear, London was a four day spectacular of the creative East London meeting the more refined West. Here is TheChicGeek’s scrapbook of men's trends for #SS16:
Exterior Pockets
Designers have realised that we no longer want to be handicapped by our manbags while we still have the issue of having many additional things to carry. So, why not make a feature of your bulging pockets?
From Left - Lou Dalton, Hardy Amies
Neon
Men have become so brave, today, with colour that neon is no longer the scary super tone it used to be. More of an accent, think of it like your wardrobe highlighter.
From Left - Hardy Amies, Topman Design
Blurred Lines
Horizontal, vertical, anyway you like. It may look a little 'Inmate Chic', but, hey, it's all about the swagger.
From Left - Topman Design, Agi & Sam
Summer Suede
The luxury item of SS16. This season, suede is a hybrid between a shirt and a jacket. Just make sure it's in the softest, butteriest suede in an earthy reddy brown tone.
From Left - Oliver Spencer, Gieves & Hawkes
Mace
Male lace or 'Mace' can be as dangerous as it sounds. It's probably best layered with glimpses, rather than full on out there, unless you're as a skinny as a Burberry model.
Left - Both Burberry Prorsum
Animal Highlights
Yabba dabba doo or don't depending on how you feel about animal prints. These should look like fun animals: the kind you'd win at the fair!
From Left - Coach, Burberry Prorsum
New Suit
I always feel Winston Churchill's boiler suit inspires these kind of bomber/Harrington type suits. The new dress down dress up for those wanting to look put together while looking young, sporty and contemporary.
From Left - Dunhill, Topman Design
Pyjama Collar
Peter Pan, Princess or plain old PJ, the shirt colour is light, relaxed and open for the forthcoming SS16 season.
From Left - Alexander McQueen, Hardy Amies
With thanks to Smart ForFour