Menswear design often focuses on the subtle details of tailoring, but this season we can look forward to winter fashion that pushes the envelope.

From Jan. 14-22, the dandies of the world gathered across the pond for Men’s Fashion Week in Milan and Paris. The fashion industry’s top menswear designers presented their clothing collections for the fall/winter 2012 season. Many let loose with extremely strong collections, demonstrating powerful takes on menswear.

An industry event for retailers and magazines, Fashion Week is also a great source of inspiration for the style-conscious masses. Most of us can’t afford to drop more than $1,000 on a winter coat, so the creations of luxury brands are often imitated by more affordable brands, making the latest trends more accessible.

One of this season’s trends is the dark, edgy, almost sinister vibe favored by a number of designers. This confident look is a great way to be adventurous with a winter wardrobe.

Leading this trend was the German brand Jil Sander with designer Raf Simons at its helm. Black leather dominated the collection, seen in long trench coats, suits and long-sleeved shirts. Said Simons to Style.com’s Tim Blanks: ‘(In the past) We’ve been so daring with color, and black is so specific, now we’re being daring with black.’

Most of us wouldn’t wear long leather trenches to class, but we can take a hint from the show. Adding a bit of edge to your wardrobe can be empowering. As actor Matt Czuchry said to Women’s Wear Daily: ‘If you put a leather jacket on, you feel differently than if you put a suit on.’ So go ahead. Let your wardrobe bring out your inner badass.

Yves Saint-Laurent (YSL) continued the hard-edged trend with a collection that featured sharp tailoring, buckle details and more leather. Designed by Stefano Pilati, the collection further distinguished itself with a military influence. Models donned classic wool coats and sweaters trimmed with leather and walked in shoes banded in metal.

In contrast to the dark intensity of Jil Sander and YSL, Burberry put forth a youthful collection that introduced an intriguing new silhouette. Christopher Bailey, creative director at the British luxury powerhouse, designed a number of cropped jackets that accentuated the slim tailoring of the collection’s suits. The jackets, cut to the natural waist, came in a variety of colors and materials. From charcoal gray wool to quilted olive green to a down-filled slate blue, the jackets all felt young and sporty.

Neil Barrett also designed a collection with great outerwear this season. ‘Apparently coats, not so much the clothes, make the man this season,’ noted GQ on the collection on its website. In contrast to Burberry’s short jackets, it was Barrett’s cape-like outerwear that stole the show. The elegant coats draped dramatically, and when paired with modern, slim-cut pants and leather boots, they appeared both classic and contemporary.

What Burberry and Neil Barrett made clear was that we don’t have to sacrifice looking good to stay warm in winter. Perhaps next winter, we can hold off the Syracuse chill with more colorful, elegant outerwear.

Overall, this year’s Men’s Fashion Week gave us some powerful perspectives. Look out for strong leather pieces for men with attitude, or for those who want a more approachable look, classic coats with a modern touch. High-quality pictures of the collections can be found on Style.com and other online sources, so have fun exploring, get inspired and get ready for a fashionable winter.

Ian Simon-Curry is a sophomore public relations major. His column appears occasionally. He tries not to look a mess, but is not above wearing sweatpants to the dining hall. He can be reached at insimonc@syr.edu.

Published on January 22, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ian: insimonc@syr.edu