From straw hats to woven-detail shoes, listed here is a guide to the primary menswear trends for Spring/Summer 2012.
Hats were big news around the catwalk for Spring/Summer 2012, with Prada and Givenchy favoring printed caps, Roland Mouret choosing preppy boater styles and Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Christian Dior offering classically summery straw hats. The second has been adopted by numerous traditional brands, with H&M offering many different straw trilby hats.
Although color blocking was seen in the likes of Versace and all-citrus outfits were seen at Costume National Homme and Frankie Morello, it absolutely was all about prints in the Spring/Summer 2012 shows. Feminine prints were big at Givenchy, where wild floral motifs adorned lightweight sweaters. Pink flowers featured on shorts and tops at Kenzo, while bright printed jackets made an effect at Prada. It is not just designer names either; traditional retailers including Topman have embraced floral prints on short-sleeved shirts for that Spring/Summer season. Other motifs to check out for include summer plaid, pursuing the success of tartan shorts and jackets in the Jean-Paul Gaultier presentation.
Purchase a safari jacket
While bombers and cropped blazers almost stole the show through the Spring/Summer 2012 season, the emerging menswear must-have was the safari jacket. Popularized by Yves Saint Laurent within the 1970s, the belted jacket was reworked by labels including Marc Jacobs and Joseph Abboud, who teamed a canvas safari jacket with khakis. Roland Mouret offered belted cotton safari jackets, even though the global explorer look have also been big at Salvatore Ferragamo and Lv. Color-wise, khaki, black and navy will be the main shades to buy, although Trussardi presented an orange version.
While bombers and cropped blazers almost stole the show through the Spring/Summer 2012 season, the emerging menswear must-have was the safari jacket. Popularized by Yves Saint Laurent within the 1970s, the belted jacket was reworked by labels including Marc Jacobs and Joseph Abboud, who teamed a canvas safari jacket with khakis. Roland Mouret offered belted cotton safari jackets, even though the global explorer look have also been big at Salvatore Ferragamo and Lv. Color-wise, khaki, black and navy will be the main shades to buy, although Trussardi presented an orange version.
Ditch the skinny slacks
Gentlemen can breathe a sigh of relief because wide-legged pants dominated the Spring/Summer 2012 menswear shows, making an effect at presentations in the likes of Issey Miyake and Kenzo. Stripy pajama-style pants offered a relaxed aesthetic at Hermès, while Emporio Armani went low-waisted for gray baggy pants. The loose-fitting slacks were made interesting from the addition of pleats at Calvin Klein Men's and Yohji Yamamoto -- who developed a nod towards the pastel trend with pale blue pleated pants.
The days are gone of sweating out in brogues or trainers through the entire summer months since the choice of sandals for males has never been greater. The town espadrille was one of many key blogs about the Spring/Summer 2012 presentations, with labels including Giorgio Armani embracing the buzz with a lace-up variety. Woven sandals feature within the Alexander McQueen menswear collection, while traditional store River Island has had the braided look and added laces for any smart aesthetic. Color-wise, tan dominated many components of footwear on the Spring/Summer 2012 designer shows, even though the likes of Vivienne Westwood offered colorful lace-ups in spotty and zebra prints.
