A mainstay of both the casual and formal sides of our wardrobe, stripes are (as usual) expected to be big news for 2015. The stripe was given pride of place in collections from Gucci and Jonathan Saunders to CaselyHayford and Emporio Armani, where they were applied to a wide variety of garments including both tailored staples like smart trousers and shirts, as well as more relaxed jumpers and accessories.
Note: Before you rush out and purchase, it’s worth remembering that different stripes will have different effects on your overall size and shape. Horizontal stripes tend to make you look wider by breaking up the vertical silhouette, while vertical stripes draw the eye down quickly, giving the illusion of length/ height. With this in mind, if you’re short and squat, you’re better off avoiding the former, while lankier gentlemen would do well to stay away from the latter.
The Italians had a very clear message in Milan: Wear sneakers with everything you own. Nearly every runway had models in either minimal kicks or completely amped up athletic shoes. And when the Milanese go casual, you know it’s serious. Come next year, you’ll be squirreling your cash away to drop it on a pair for your jeans, your chinos, your shorts, and your suit. At least you know you’ll be comfortable. Here’s what you’ll be working with. It turns out the sneakers by Adidas were just easing us into a whole new era of white “shoe”-tuations.
And here is another piece of style advice: White sneakers under white trousers are a definite no-no. Bold, vibrant and bound to get the blood pumping, red is the definitive colour of 2015. Often considered a tricky hue to carry off (particularly for fairer skin tones), red is best kept to one statement-making element – giving a punch to both casual and smart looks. For those unafraid to properly immerse themselves in the trend, a deep red suit worn with a white button-down shirt and black leather loafers is an outstanding evening wear choice for any warm-weather event, which cannot fail to get you noticed.
It may once have been said that blue and green should never be seen together, but in 2015 it’s a match made in heaven. Note: The key to carrying off this pairing is to limit the number of other colours you add to the mix. Dark neutrals like brown and black don’t work well with bold blue and green combos, so try slate grey and white to tie it.
