Top 5 Spring Menswear Trends

Spring is the perfect time for reinvention and breathing new life into your style

1. The Return & Reinvention Of Tailoring

Just when you thought it was out, it comes right back in. Tailoring fell out of favour pretty hard when sportswear took over your wardrobe - wear a suit and you'd look corporate, try hard or dated. Maybe all three. But, as with the endless cycle of clothing that comes back into the spotlight, there is room once more for the humble two-piece.

Although it's different this time around. Designer brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Alexander McQueen have turned to tailoring for their recent collections, but it's not the suit as you know it. Cuts are oversized rather than form-fitted, colours are daring pastels and creams rather than navy and grey, and there's barely a tie in sight.

Dior went so far as to create a new style, a sort of wraparound one-button single-breasted that hugs the torso like a long lost friend who's making up for lost time. McQueen has turned to print and embroidered floral patterns on its brightly coloured suits - you may have seen Timothee Chalamet wearing one on the red carpet. The suit is back, but not as we know it.

2. Utility

Technical fabrics, commando-sole shoes, fireman jackets, workwear everything: menswear designers have, for a number of years, been as preoccupied with function as they have with form. That trend reaches its natural conclusion this season with utility-wear, which sees practical, military-inspired clothes reimagined as designer gear. What does that mean in real life?

Pockets. Lots of pockets.

At the pointy end, it's boiler suits, warcore tactical gear and the kind of fly fishing utility vests that John Goodman wore in The Big Lebowski. Confident streetwear fans might be able to pull that off but for the rest of us, this is a trend best embraced covertly.

Think cargo trousers and wearable luggage but worn with civilian attire like sweatshirts and tees. If you're bold, try a utility vest worn like an overshirt, again with simple tops and in pared-back colours. Khaki, beige and black are the easiest colours to wear.

3. Pastels

We all have a comfort zone. A place where we feel cosy and safe and dry. For most guys, this takes the form of a wooly cocoon in some shade of navy, black or grey. But every now and then we need to step outside. If we don't, we risk our style becoming stagnant, or even mouldy (and no one wants the way they dress described as 'mouldy').

This season, few trends challenge guys to try something new, experiment, even get a scared like wearing pastels. Get these faded, chalky hues favoured by everyone from Tom Ford to Topman right, you look look like 1980s Miami Vice; get them wrong, you look like My Little Pony.

To avoid getting freezer burnt by spring's sorbet soft goods, apply a colour - such as mint green or dusty pink - to a single piece (sweatshirts, denim jackets and sneakers being the most wearable) anchored by a dark staples before progressing to tonal looks. Trust us, it's a much easier way of blowing the cobwebs off than hand gliding.

4. Chelsea Boots

The Swiss Army Knife of your shoe rack, the Chelsea is by far the most versatile boot you can buy; the right pair looks just as good worn with a suit or tailored trousers Monday to Friday as it does a leather jacket and shredded skinny jeans for a gig at the weekend.

While suede Chelsea boots have something undeniably louche about them, it's a delicate material that is hard to keep pristine in or just after a downpour. If you can't be bothered with regular cleaning, brushing and applications of protector spray all winter, opt for easy-wipe leather instead. As it happens, a pair in smooth black leather is much closer to the iconic original anyway.

Details to look out for include autumn-ready rubber soles and the classic heel pull, a practical feature that many modern iterations don't have (but should). Also, mind your toes. Pointed-toe Chelsea boots, when worn with a suit at least, look a little off, so keep your sights firmly set on round-toed styles instead.

5. Ankle Boots

As far as we're concerned, there are few instances in which wearing a pair of desert or chukka boots isn't a good idea. While their mid-weight construction marks them out as a clear choice for spring and summer, they're actually a killer option for the winter months, too, along with other ankle tickling styles like jodhpur boots and low-rise hikers.

This in-between profile makes most ankle boots smart enough to style with a roll neck, blazer and smart wool trousers, but also not so fussy that they can't be coupled with chinos and a crew neck sweatshirt. Perfect for navigating the winter months' dress codes quandaries.

Leather pairs are a no-brainer for the cold and wet, offering resilience and an enduring elegance, while suede pairs can also work if you take the time to regularly treat them with a protector spray and always check the forecast before you leave the house.

Treat this style - chukka or desert boots especially - as a smarter, more hard-wearing alternative to trainers. Team them with chinos, button-down shirts and crew neck jumpers to create sharp, warm getups that will pass the pub-safe test no problem.