Distinctly Dapper Menswear Trends at Milan Fashion Week (MFW)

One man’s style must not be the rule of another’s.

And rightfully so, because I’ve always felt that your clothes should tell a story. But it shouldn’t be anyone else’s story but yours. And the Italians, with their engaging, mystifying hospitality but nonchalant and nonconformist style, embraced my points of view with a series of visual handshakes. For when in Milan, don’t dress Milanese, but dress like yourself. You will fit right in, becoming part of a juxtaposed maze where entropy becomes a trend of its own.

Nonetheless, a few musings yielded some distinct trends for this season’s Milan Fashion Week.

Contemporary Ensemble

The best of men wore ensembles that did not default to any trend, but were put together in a versatile style. Be it the leather jacket, torn denim, hobo bag man in waiting, the khaki and punchy colored sweatshirt guy with a portfolio and knotted colorful scarf, a cropped denim and studded jacket with sunglasses in the rainy weather like yours truly… The men of Milan were truly independent, distinct from each other, and suave beyond resurrection.

Formal Dapper Jackets

Unlike New York Fashion Week, barring a few examples, several men were actually better than your traditional suit jackets, but not as wild as the street style I’m used to. Short, fitted cropped suit jackets and leather or PVC crusted Oriental collars and cuffs gave the staple black blazered menswear quite a needed facelift.

Casual Jackets

Perhaps it was the weather, but jackets were in vogue under the cloudy skies. On trend with plaid, or simply classic bomber or biker leather with skinny jeans and snoods, the casual jacket trend definitely kept things dapper and street style savvy.

Fur

While I thankfully didn’t see a plethora of options here, the fact that men wore long fur coats in very authentic fur like colors could only signal that this womenswear trend was going beyond linings and accents and into full-fledged clothing for men, too.

Trench

Perhaps the most stylish of all spring and fall trends is the trench coat – dignified, elegant, graceful and with a remarkable poise. Seen in Milan in shades of camel, nude, grey and black, all trending horse colors to for the Chinese New Year, there was no whimsy or wild creativity here, but just the valiant Milanese cut that you would expect from Italy’s finest men.

Yours Truly

Combining what I liked of menswear trends from the other side of the Atlantic and my foray into the Indian fashion scene, I sported two distinct looks for my first stepping stones into Milan. A signature scarf trend – Spanish printed purple and mirrored Phulkari print, respectively – with my staple of addictive Super sunglasses, rather missing in Milan but oh so prevalent in New York, year round. Military or bomber jackets with asymmetrical buttons and zippers completed the look, flattered on one day with my leopard print high tops. Grazie, Milan.

Not a corner of the Quadrilatero d’Oro goes without your eyeballs bouncing out of their sockets and following trendsetters through Milan’s sumptuous streets, flowing with as much style as rainwater.

And that’s quite a feat.