As a straitlaced male, I consider my fashion sensibilities a little classic – As in the furthest I might go is abandon my Oxfords for Double Monk Straps but that’s about it. If forced to push myself sartorially, I might get experimental with suit separates and bright colours for either chinos or blazers (but never both at the same time) or loud shoes – But truth is, regardless of how experimental I get, it is unlikely I would go full on Gucci or full on Dolce & Gabbana.

Thus, how would anyone with similar fashion philosophies as myself be interested in men’s style approach something as sartorially divisive as Spring Summer 2018 menswear shows? Well, keeping an open mind and setting aside my own cynicism, I decided to sit down and take a run through the gamut of men’s fashion shows and decide for myself if there were men’s style lessons I could learn from the perspective of brands I already loved.

A Classic Gent’s (not so serious) Key Fashion Takeaways from Spring Summer 2018 Menswear Brands We Love

Great torso. Twig legs. Compare and contrast. Tragic.

From left: Dior Homme, Prada and Versace menswear spring summer 2018

Fashion Takeaway 1: Don’t skip leg day

It’s true. Ask any hot blooded male and there’s definitely consensus on what women (or men for that matter) consider the sexiest part of the male physique – south of the face: the biceps, arms and chest are among the most popular (and most exercised) components of the body. BUT, there’s one other body part which ranked highly in terms of attractiveness – the butt.

“An hour at the gym is worth two at the tailor.” – The Monsieur

So why don’t we work the butt? Well, most of us skip leg day because leg workouts are hard. Squats, deadlifts and other leg exercises are physically demanding, and the soreness afterward can be beyond unpleasant. That said, as shorts come back into vogue according to these Spring Summer 2018 menswear trends, do you really want to look like you have a boy’s legs? No? Don’t skip leg day.

Eggsy takes classic gent style advice from Sir Galahad

Fashion Takeaway 2: If you must look “street” like Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (before he became a Kingsman agent), some brands do it better than others

I must confess, I am a closet sneaker head and as much as I love my Supreme, Stussy and  Adidas, there reaches a point in every man’s life where he must look himself in the mirror and ask – Am I past the age where wearing an outfit like this makes me look like a wannabe teenager? My opinion? 25 years old, that’s the age where you start wearing grown-up clothes and stop riding on electric razor scooters. Razor scooters look a smidgen more ridiculous than those old penny-farthing bicycles and that’s saying a lot; heck, even Wall Street Journal admits that one can look a bit like a dork on a razor scooter but I digress.

Every generation has a ridiculous form of personal transport. Ours is the electric razor scooter.

Left: Dolce & Gabbana menswear spring summer 2018. Right: Prada menswear Spring Summer 2018

Ah yes, my key fashion takeaway is this: if you must dress in streetwear, some brands do it better than others. Past a certain age, Stussy makes an adult look like a wannabe who doesn’t know how to dress. Also, at no point does streetwear ever become “classy”- I don’t care how hot Louis Vuitton x Supreme is, it’s cool not classy. That said, you could “class it up” by pairing singular loud garments with a supporting muted ensemble. Gary “Eggsy” Unwin avoids looking like a complete louche because even though he has on one of the loudest windbreakers imaginable, the rest of his outfit, from polo shirt to denims, is fairly sombre. Thus, if you must go loud, pick one garment, the rest of your ensemble should be quiet.

Fashion Takeaway 3: Black will always be in vogue

Well, black will always be an eternally fashionable colour for many reasons. First of all, it’s a slimming colour, and always makes one appear to be thinner because it doesn’t show the shadows made by the lumps and fat that one may have.

From left: Ermenegildo Zegna, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana menswear ss18

Most notable designers from Karl Lagerfeld to Tom Ford choose black because creative individuals prefer to use their creativity on their work rather than their wardrobes. Don’t take it from me, take it from these world renowned designers:

Gianni Versace: “Black is the quintessence of simplicity and elegance.”
Yves Saint Laurent: “Black symbolizes the liaison between art and fashion.”
Karl Lagerfeld: “Black is the colour that suits everybody. With black you are safe.”

“A wise friend once told me, ‘Don’t wear what fashion designers tell you to wear. Wear what they wear.” – Tina Fey

Black is neutral and easier to find other items of clothing to match with. You don’t have to worry about complementary colours and unlike technical colour blocking, all black is probably the only acceptable solid colour outfit – funereal but elegant, its versatility is what makes it the most anointed colour in fashion.

Fashion Takeaway 4: Best to know what sort of headgear is best suited for you

  A man can wear many hats and look really stylish. From baseball cap or a broad-rimmed fedora (Hello Indiana Jones), the hat arguably either makes an unforgettable first impression or a regrettable anecdote for someone’s cocktail conversations. While I do prefer classic styles, a panama hat isn’t in my repertoire because I lack the requisite confidence to wear one and this is key.

From Left: Versace, Ermenegildo Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana

A hat has to be worn confidently. Anything less and the hat wears you, you end up looking like your choice of headgear has chosen to take a ride on you, so if you must wear a hat, don’t be timid about it, rock it. Things to consider: pick a hat which suits you – rule of thumb, big hats look better on big heads. The reverse is true – small hats, smaller heads. Your hat is meant to frame your face and draw attention to your eyes, if your hat sends attention to your ears instead, might want to re-think it. Also, not all hat styles will be suitable for you. Very few people in the world can rock a crown, if you must, at least marry into royalty first.

Fashion Takeaway 5: Some brands can REALLY do athleisure, case in point Z Zegna

Zegna’s Alessandro Sartori is a godly designer. In 2003, he became Creative Director of the newly created “Z Zegna” at Ermenegildo Zegna. By 2011 he was appointed as artistic director at Berluti where he choreographed not just the style but lifestyle of Berluti by having cocktails in posh urban apartments with a gathering with friends for a bout of midnight shoe-polishing using Dom Pérignon as the shining agent – it got everyone talking about how seriously people were treating Berluti. Then, in early 2016, Sartori resigned and returned to Zegna.

Z Zegna menswear spring summer 2018

At Zegna, Sartori oversees all product lines and with that oversight, he has managed to build upon the brand’s heritage and provenance and parlayed it into something undeniably authentic beyond the shallowness of the current “athleisure” trend. This is athleisure for men, no yoga pants or denim joggers can be found here, instead Zegna’s reputation for true Italian tailoring joins the company’s history with supporting reggattas in Portofino for the better part of 40 years. Currently, Z Zegna sponsors the high tech Maserati Multi70 and this capsule collection makes one feel mightily nautical, and most importantly, unabashedly masculine. This is athleisure for classic gents.

Fashion Takeaway 6: (Screw memorial day) Wear white any time you want

A white suit isn’t a business suit but it is dressy. No, you’re not going to channel Colonel Sanders and if you don’t pop your shirt collars out like a man hooked on That 70s Show re-runs, no one is going to mistake you for Mr. Saturday Night Fever either. Dress it down, dress it insouciantly  – that is to say messy and wrinkled; and you’d effortless channel a literary (think Tom Wolfe or Mark Twain), intellectual demeanor. Wear it with a v-neck tee for drinks on the beach or wear the blazer with dark denims for dinner – the white suit is the ultimate informal suit for formal occasions.

From left: Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna

Bonus Fashion Takeaway: How the heck do I pull off Kenzo Spring Summer 2018 menswear?