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One of the many good things about dressing for autumn is that a lot of what you wore last autumn and the autumn before that still works. It’s a slow-moving season, maybe because you’re dressing for changeable weather more than anything else.
What that also means is you don’t have to add much to your wardrobe to bring it bang up to date. For our money, these are the cornerstone you need this year, blending specific AW19 menswear trends with timeless go-to pieces. Got a pencil? You might want to write these down.
Corduroy Trousers
Corduroy has fully shorn its geography teacher connotations to become one of the most regular, recurring autumn-winter trends.
Now free from the baggy, brown-washed fits and available in all manner of stylish, flattering cuts, it’s a welcome, and versatile addition to any man’s trouser rotation, adding texture and warmth beside the standard go-tos.
To pull cord trousers off successfully you don’t want to fight with that texture, so go with a smooth wool pullover instead of an old pulled-apart one, slipped under a navy peacoat.
The smart-casual corduroy trouser can work with athleisure for high-low styling but works best when everything else is operating on its level – whether that be colour palette or dress code.
Finish the look off with some smart, but simple derbies, turning up the hems of your trousers for a nice crop and to prevent a pool of corduroy collecting around your feet.
– Richard Jones, staff writer
Zara
How To Wear It
Technical Jacket
Winter is coming, but frankly, winter doesn’t stand a chance. Not if you’re dressed in modern outerwear, at least. Menswear labels, especially those that specialise in outdoor clothing, are increasingly turning into R&D labs, producing technical jackets that are lighter, tougher, warmer (or cooler) than anything that came before them.
Oh, and there are pockets. Lots of pockets. Many of the biggest trends in menswear right now – hiking, warcore – have utility at the heart of them, so the outerwear available is shelled (and maybe insulated too) in high-tech fabrics that will keep the weather out.
Even better, they go with everything. Okay, maybe not your pinstripe double-breasted suit, but everything on the casual side of your wardrobe at least. Build from some sturdy legwear (raw denim, cord trousers) then layer your top half according to climate.
Staples like sweatshirts and technical mid-layers are the obvious options, but you can go a little smarter too. Think checked shirts or fine-gauge knitwear when you need to double-trap the heat in.
– Ian Taylor, editor-in-chief
The North Face
How To Wear It
Chunky-Soled Shoes
A pair of chunky-soled derbies are arguably the only shoes you need this winter. Think about it. What other style can be worn with a suit to work, with jeans to the pub, for a walk in the park and on a fancy dinner date? Nothing can compete. And, best of all, providing you go for a heavy rubber or commando sole, you’ll be able to tackle any weather condition.
Yes, trainers may have become the de-facto option for casual dress, but try swapping them out for some chunky-soled shoes this winter. The latter is harder wearing and are of course dressier, and it’s not just derbies but loafers and even the odd monk strap that’s getting chunky soles this season.
When everyone else is worrying about getting their trainers wet, you can rest safe in the knowledge your trusty footwear can stride through puddles, get rained on and still look great in the aftermath. When not wearing them to work, utilise them on a night out by wearing them with regular fit denim, a plaid shirt and a corduroy jacket.
– Charlie Thomas, senior editor
Grenson
How To Wear It
Oversized Knitwear
Oversized knitwear has a lot going for it, clearly. When temperatures threaten to kill off vital body parts, those extra inches of woven fabric are something of a lifeline. But, while oversized knitwear can offer in degrees celsius with one hand, it can take all semblance of smartness and presentability with the other.
The key to cracking oversized knitwear this season is making sure your look appears intentionally and distinctly menswear, rather than hastily cobbled together under the cloak of morning darkness.
For this, try a (not entirely practical) cream oversized knit worn with stone jeans to hammer home the point that you’ve not thrown on your father’s old jumper or suddenly halved your bodyweight. Then add some rugged menswear staples into the mix to give your pale and interesting look some edge, and of course to make your look functional for the colder weather.
Tough lace-up boots and a flannel jacket are where you should be looking as they will bring some much-needed outdoorsy vibes. Just steer clear of mud tracks, and your oversized knit will fare well all autumn long.
– Luke Sampson, associate editor
AllSaints
How To Wear It
Long Coat
Long coats styles are nothing new. Everyone from Neo to Shaft has worn them on screen, and now you can too as numerous brands are buying into them this winter. There’s a certain gravitas that comes with donning a knee-length coat – it finishes a look off with a flourish and more often than not leans towards a more formal way of dressing.
Long coats are easier to wear than you might first think though, and can be used as part of a smart-casual, or fully laid back look. The trick is to go for something with little to no structure. The shoulders should be natural and without padding, and the shape should be on the boxier side.
To keep you from looking like an actual box though, go for a coat with a belt or a hidden drawstring, which will cinch in the middle for a flattering look. Wear it with chambray, pleated trousers and chunky-soled trainers, and you’re on to a winner.
– Charlie Thomas, senior editor
Reserved
How To Wear It
Walking Boots
History is full of bizarre fashion choices, from early noughties frosted tips (we’re looking at you, JT) to 15th-century wooden codpieces (#BigPenisEnergy). But arguably none were as prolific as the current trend for outdoor gear.
The latest in menswear’s ongoing quest to make weird things fashionable, this season it’s all about walking boots – the kind of clunkers that (on the surface, at least) can turn even the most sedentary of pen-pushers into a hardcore hiker.
If you only buy one pair – firstly, congratulations on your restraint; secondly, maximise the cost-per-walk ratio by opting for a dark colourway, and swap bells and whistles for classic details such as a thick rubber sole and premium D-ring eyelets.
All of which will leave you with a pair of boots ideal for adding some heft to weekend looks but also for when you’ve got a presentation to nail but need to navigate a few unpredictable pavements to get there. And when you put it like that, maybe they’re not such a bizarre choice after all.
– Luke Todd, deputy editor
Grenson
How To Wear It
Fleece Jacket
The hiking trend’s rapid rise and technical outerwear’s increasing popularity has positioned this cosy pullover as a must-nab.
A natural progression from the half zip sweaters that were so popular over the summer, it acts as a cracking mid-layer, able to slot into smart-casual looks when found in a darker colour and with an overcoat over the top, or as part of a bold outerwear-meets-streetwear look when in a brighter tone and under an upper-body-elevating down jacket.
Take the latter in a black and navy so you can easily match a colourful fleece with it, and don’t buy too tight – you need to leave some room for that layer of fleece.
Hardwearing denim will fit well into the practicality and is a welcome change of gear from the hiking style. Remember you’re only going to be climbing the steps out of the underground with this look, not an actual mountain.
That’s not to stop you slipping into some trending hiking boots. Pick a pair out in dark brown to complement the dark indigo of your jeans.
– Richard Jones, staff writer
Pull & Bear
How To Wear It
Oversized Scarf
One of the less expected trends of the autumn sees designers steal a look from old-school British universities. Think big duffle coats, corduroy trousers and whopping great scarfs that could cover a three-seater sofa.
Traditional academic scarfs were 6ft long and featured stripes in bold varsity colours that corresponded to your college or university sports team. As statement accessories go, they’re hard to beat, whether you studied classics at Oxford or not.
To wear them today, lean into the British preppy feel but modernise it with a few touches. Try some cropped (or baggy) trousers and maybe a mac rather than a duffle. Chunky knitwear will dial up the warmth, but for extra menswear credits team yours with a similarly bold rugby shirt and clash your colours and patterns at will.
– Ian Taylor, editor-in-chief
Zara
How To Wear It
