Tina Sparkles

Although it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as women’s street fashion, menswear does change with each season. The changes are slower to occur and will usually be more subtle, but this doesn’t mean they don’t happen at all. Bear in mind that this article refers to current street fashion trends and resolutely chooses to ignore the runway madness. Were we to believe everything that major designers are trying to sell us, we’d probably end up looking bizarre to say the least. For instance, the spring/summer 2012 collections for men prominently featured fur and bold neon colours such as fuchsia. But since we doubt that your man is about to go walking the streets clad in pink, read on, for a genuine analysis of what was big in men’s fashion in 2011, and what we believe will come up as an undeniable trend. The list includes clothing items that have not been so popular until now, as well as upcoming brands to watch out for, such as Undefeated clothing.

Denim Vests

The teens, as the current decade is called by trend analysts and cool hunters everywhere, have marked a resolute return to the late 1980s and early 1990s. Think back to the heyday of U2’s Bono, as well as to the last days of the punk trend (Billy Idol, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure’s Robert Smith and so on). Then think again, to the advent of the grunge genre and its many unkempt, dishevelled, talented and tragic stars, among whom Kurt Cobain is just one name on a longer roster. Menswear in 2012 will most likely feature denim, but in forms we haven’t experienced so prominently until now. The sleeveless denim vest is about to make a huge comeback, but don’t expect anything polished or well-tailored. The 2012 denim vest is a lot like its 1980s counterpart – torn at the seams, worn out, its sleeves brutally torn off and its back inscribed upon in marker or ballpoint pen. Rock’n’roll baby!

Shirts over Tees

The trend that dictates that men wear unbuttoned or partly button shirts over sleeves also comes to us from roughly two decades ago. Luckily, though, the era of flannel shirts has set. Today’s men’s shirts are, indeed, in plaid, but the prints are smaller and the colours more subdued. Stripes are also acceptable patterns for the shirts, yet pinstripes will clearly win out over wider stripes in 2012. As for the right tee to wear underneath, it’s all a matter of choice and personal style. Alternative scenesters might opt for a V-neck t-shirt in true eighties fashion, while more understated types will probably go for a tee with a basic graphic print, such as the ones from Undefeated clothing. The key trick here is to try and match the colours and patterns on the shirt and t-shirt so you don’t end up looking like a hot mess.

Cardigans

The colder seasons have seen cardigans slowly turning into a love item for lots of men out there, over the past couple of years. 2012 will probably bring about no change whatsoever in this respect. Cardigans will continue to be big next year, with the blazer-shaped cardigan featured at the forefront of the street fashion scene. Men’s cardigans will have a smaller number of buttons than before. Double-breasted models will continue to be hot, and a slight shift away from cardigans and closer to blazers will probably start to take place as the weather changes from winter to spring.