The boys are back in town

Enthusiasm for London's first men's fashion week - which has the support of Tom Ford, Christopher Bailey and Paul Smith - is far from surprising.

While traditionally sales of menswear have had little impact on the global economy, it is an industry with increasing clout. Last year global menswear sales rose by £2.7 billion to £21.4 billion. While men once shied away from catwalk-led fashion, considering it too impractical, London's men are now more susceptible to its charms. "There's been a certain timidity that engulfed men's fashion," agrees Gordon Richardson, design director at Topman, "but it has broken free of those subdued restraints."

Here, we ask the capital's menswear connoisseurs to talk us through this season's trends.

PLANET SURFER

Andrew Davis
menswear stylist

'Spotted all over the catwalks, this trend isn't just about a clash of prints but of continents, too. For Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones evoked an African safari [pictured], while for his latest Givenchy offering Riccardo Tisci was inspired by the antipodean bird of paradise. The easiest way to achieve this look is to mismatch your top to your trousers or shorts.'

BRIGHTS

Matthew Murphy
Creative Director, B Store

'The trend for a vivid, bold palette within menswear is a refreshing addition and a welcome lift to the sea of drab heritage shades. I
think certain colours, such as acid green and turquoise, when worn cleverly with classic navy or denim, and mixed within prints, will brighten up your wardrobe without looking like a rave culture throwback. Great examples from the spring/summer collection include the knitwear from Acne [pictured] and at Kenzo.'

SUMMER KNITS

Jeremy Langmead
Editor-in-chief, MRPORTER.COM

'Knitwear for men has really stepped up. My favourite look is the knitted double-breasted cardigan that looks great teamed over a white T-shirt and a pair of chinos, but equally impressive worn over a crisp white shirt and a madras print cotton tie. You can now ditch a blazer altogether if you go for this softer, more versatile alternative. Both the Japanese label Kolor and Burberry Prorsum [pictured] have good versions.'

STATEMENT PRINTS

Gordon Richardson
Design Director, Topman

'This summer sees men's fashion break free of subdued restraints and into a word of colour and print. Pattern which was once reserved for the beach and for barbecuing now deserves sartorial pride of place in your wardrobe [pictured, Topman]. To avoid a psychedelic mash-up of colour, don't pile the print on. Select items that sit comfortably alongside your existing wardrobe and offset wilder prints and strong colours with simple elegant understated pieces allowing the print to take centre stage.'

SPORT LUXE

David Hellqvist
Editor, Dazed Digital

'For spring/summer, menswear specialist Dries Van Noten surprised by showing us a new side of his sartorial empire that was decidedly sporty, through his use of hi-tech fabrics and functional details. Wooyoungmi [pictured] also combined those two ingredients in a sporty and colourful show, using yellow neoprene fabrics.'

DOUBLE-BREASTED

Robert Johnston
Associate Editor, GQ

'The double-breasted suit has had a hard time recently, mainly because of its association with the City: nobody wants to look like a merchant banker. In fact, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, it became almost impossible for a designer to sell anything that was double-breasted because of this connection. But that's changing. It's taken a few seasons for men to warm to the idea but double-breasted suits are a key trend [pictured, E Tautz]. For spring, Prada did a great lounge-lizard inspired version, while Ralph Lauren unveiled a chocolate brown suit that demonstrated this cut masterfully.'

STRAIGHT-LEG JEANS

Justin Padgett
Senior PR Manager, ASOS

'I definitely prefer a relaxed and straight silhouette in jeans [pictured, Kenzo]. At the moment I'm wearing in a pair of raw denim ASOS indigo jeans, which I'm spending most of my life in. They are six months old and in another six months they will be dry cleaned for their first wash. Sounds disgusting but the finished product will be a well-worn look that I can't seem to find from any brand out there. Of course, skinny fit jeans will always remain in demand.'